What's the biggest culture shock you've experienced?

[Sacredhandbag]

Good or bad?

For me it was definitely the bike culture in Amsterdam - and I loved it.

But also, the over enthusiasm of shop workers in America, the silence in the streets in Japan, and the way Australians are so outdoorsy but can't handle the rain 😅

A train station toilet in a small town in the west of Ukraine. Still makes me shudder 7 years later.

Leketio Spain a small fishing town. We arrived at the start of their saint St Antalons festivities. Never seen a place go so bloody nuts in the evening. It was just wonderful. Procession of figures through the streets and every bar seemed to have a theme with people dressed up. Bit like the Lewes bonfires. Everyone then congregated in the town square and sweets were being thrown from one of the buildings. I've no idea why. We were welcomed in the bars We decided to leave early the next morning as we weren't sure about the fate of the bull running up and down the harbour, as we were leaving a rubber tender followed us out whistling to us gesticulating to keep over to one side. Obviously there was something in the water we needed to avoid

Our next stop was Getaria. The person in charge of the Yacht Club came down to visit as we sailed in. When we arrived later that evening there was a wedding in full swing. The happy couple invited us in. Again it was all a bit bonkers, I saw the bride coming out the gents, men in the ladies. Nobody cared

All I can say is that reports of the Basque region being unfriendly are entirely wrong, they were wonderful.

I'd love to go back

Sexual harassment from men and even quite young boys was common when I was in Spain in the 90s. If you went to the park and sat on a bench you'd be accosted by 'viejo verde' - lech old man.
I think things have changed now.

I know one. I don't think it's that uncommon even if it's not the norm. Also in the kitchen!

Even the ones who don't do food usually have hot drinks too these days. Quite often in the evening they'll say the coffee machine's been cleaned or something though.

This is all changing in Belgium now.

I found them unfriendly in San Sebastian. Obviously, I don't mean everyone in San Sebastian, but the people I was staying with mainly.

Thank you for talking about this

@Gwenhwyfar
That's a shame. I wonder if they'd heard all the rumours about the British on holiday

All the ports/harbours we sailed into were small or fishing villages. It was quite an experience. The marina at Getaria was quite new and beautiful

@VexedofVirginiaWater Yeah, I was there in 1999. I mean sure I was a pretty girl, but the fashions back then were firmly jeans and a t shirt. I didn't wear anything fancy. I had it all - groped, followed, endlessly talked at, one guy stood outside a phone box waiting for me to finish my call. I stupidly thought he wanted to use the phone box, but instead he followed me back to my flat and tried to push me against the wall whilst I was trying to open the front door. Lucky my flatmate was a bloke! The worst thing really is that when I went back to Paris with my husband, I had no trouble at all...it sure isn't romantic.

Not read the whole thread but it was scary but fun travelling on the roof of a bus in Ecuador, back in the 90s. Health & safety standards a little different from the UK.

This was only about 5 years ago in Ukraine!

@Gwenhwyfar having not had a UK address for so many years things like getting a phone, buying a car, buying a house - mainly showing we weren’t money laundering. My kids (with two British parents and with British passports) had to go through all sorts of loops to get NI numbers, doctors registration and so it went on. People saying illegal immigrants get it easy obviously have no idea how hard it is to get registered for even simple things.

They took in students of all nationalities and I was also on a course there so I don't see why they'd have those preconceptions. Even if they did wouldn't justify it imo. I don't think San Sebastian is that kind of holiday destination anyway.

Ok.
I did have big trouble opening a bank account once when I returned to the UK. The lack of ID cards mean banks use utility bills to prove people's identity. I was a lodger so no utility bill. They kept saying, come back when you do have a utility bill, but I was never going to get one! It was a catch 22.

I used to work in a Japanese Corporation in the CoL in my twenties. None of the managers would leave before the Senior Manager and would sit and read the newspaper. Normal daily occurrence. The drinking culture and karaoke is huge and I taught my manager the word hangover for when he arrived to work with a headache saying very tired late night lol. Very sexist though and there were only 2 female managers in the whole company. I was lucky my boss sent me on a business trip which was unheard of in our section. I used to hate the constant clearing of their throat though drove me nuts.

As an American, this is one of the most incredulous things about our culture that I've ever read. Everyone I know blows and is done with it. No big deal unless you're blowing at the dinner table.

One of my best friend lives in Switzerland and we bring her potatoes when we visit so we can have baked potatoes. Also I think you can't buy a whole chicken? Or am I imagining that.

Switzerland in general is a culture shock.

most Brits aren’t better off post Brexit. I always wondered who really stood to benefit from Brexit? Clearly it wasn’t regular working people… Bankers have done very well out of it…

www.lemonde.fr/en/economy/article/2022/09/24/london-removes-the-cap-on-bankers-bonuses_5998072_19.html

What a real shame, I'm sorry you had such an awful experience. They obviously shouldn't be allowed to take in students

When I moved to London from Scotland and would go to someone's house and they would offer you a cup of tea but no biscuits. And the lack of biscuit choice in the supermarkets - in Scotland the variety was enormous.

They did the basics (more or less) so I didn't complain about them. Being friendly is a bonus and not compulsory. I wouldn't mind going back one day and I'll try to have an open mind if I do.

Went to Montpellier University on an Erasmus Scheme. I got assaulted by a Moroccan man who was also a student. Geez I never realised how different their culture viewed women in general at that time- it was 20 years ago. Its most likely changed now -but back then, hmm.

I was replying to @Crikeyalmighty

Vietnam. Especially the way you are supposed to cross the roads in Hanoi. You are meant to slowly walk whilst the cars and bikes drive round you. But Instinct tells you to run across. Absolutely terrifying.