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 😅

same

If you've ever seen Secret Eaters this shocked me! There was one episode where a family was having a random weekday dinner and the mum drank three triple-measure rum and cokes and cans on top.

Mine would have to be the first time I went to the Algarve. The cleanliness of the streets. Not one piece of litter, street cleaners around all the time, picking up the tiniest bit of anything. It showed their pride. And if a piece of block paving was uneven, it was sorted within an hour!
The worst; the French people in St.Malo, rude as hell, all of them. And the same in Caernarvon.

Tell me more!

I've found this thread really interesting, one particular thing of note, being that quite a few have said their biggest culture shock was the poverty and life of people in India. I went there in 1996, and was horrified to see old ladies breaking stones on the side of the road for 50pence a WEEK!! I was also shocked by the way that our driver chased off a blind boy with only one leg, when he was clinging to our vehicle begging for money. It all seemed so incredibly harsh, and like a previous poster said, grateful for our life here in the UK.

@Mumsupportneeded
I think you've posted in the wrong thread?

About 35 years ago, going on holiday to Spain and seeing police officers walking about with guns, big guns, never saw that in England then.
23 years ago moving from Manchester, to a small town in Lincolnshire and everyone was white and looked the same! It took a long time to get used to the lack of diversity.

When I worked there I as sent home if I looked even a little ill to wfh. And yes, you’re expected to stay home. To be fair I think it’s a lot more sensible than getting the whole office sick. And that was years before COVID.

Oh some of the southern US states. Obesity was absolutely shocking,
majority of people can’t walk. Sadly it’s becoming more common all over now. And the normalised fox tv propaganda and really really bad food that shouldn’t be sold as food.

The rule following in Munich. An empty road on a Sunday morning, but people were still waiting for the pedestrian lights to change
I've seen this in many countries in Europe! It feels weird especially when there isn't a car in sight. When in Rome and all that!! I still feel daft stood on an empty street waiting for a pedestrian light telling me it's safe to go!

Now I remember the states, we crossed some Bible Belt towns and they were so creepy. Felt like they were out of a horror movie with all the manicured lawns and people even dressed the same!

It's absolutely true!

I have a perpetually runny nose. As soon as the temperature drops, my nose starts dripping and I spend much of my time wiping my nose or having to blow it. I'd never get out anywhere if I had to be furtively blowing my nose in toilets or corners! I have a job to do!

Been living in France for over 25 years and never seen kids being slapped in public. Seen plenty in parts of England though.

Did you ever find out why?

The biggest shock was coming out of the airport in Taipei in the early 90s, where me and OH had gone for work. The automatic doors opened and I was hit by an almost overwhelming wall of humid heat. My first thought was 'Oh fuck, what have we done?'.

Then there was the noise, it was astonishing and never stopped, day or night. I've never lived anywhere so noisy in my life. And the road use seemed completely anarchic. Lots of cars and vast swarms of scooters and motorbikes. No one gave a crap about traffic lights, if you could get through the junction, you just went for it. A Taiwanese friend had to teach us how to cross the road on foot, you just walked out and people would drive around you, which was terrifying to start with. The most surprising thing was how few accidents there were and we saw almost none. Society there was unlike anything I've come across anywhere else. That was all over 30 years ago, no idea what it's like now.

We were there for 3.5 years and coming back to the UK was really weird. Everyone looked so pale and it was quiet and people stopped at traffic lights, even when no other cars were about, which seemed bizarre. It took a fair bit of getting used to.

How recently have y'all been here? I live in the Deep South and I can go weeks without seeing or hearing anything about Jesus (not during Christmas, of course).

That's just a throwback to being forced to speak English rather than our native language.

There is actually a newish law in Canada that states if someone apologises it cannot be accepted as an omission of guilt. It’s second nature to say sorry in NA.

Returning to Liverpool airport after going abroad and getting the bus. Firstly how rude the drivers are and secondly driving through the slums around Speke. It's always so depressing after the Netherlands or Spain where things are tidy and well maintained and people are helpful to foreigners

Oh thank you first time user my bad!

Haha can I ask why 😂

Reverse culture shock. Coming back to UK from 10 months in a developing country. Burst into tears in Tesco as couldn't fathom why we need multiple brands of baked beans. And the absolute ludicrousness of how much stuff, clothes in the west vs a family who can survive on very little, yet will always have immaculately clean clothes and welcome strangers into their home.

It was a good 20 years ago TBF. Also, prisoners in orange jumpsuits (chained together? possibly, from memory) picking litter along the highway. And being looked at like a lunatic by my colleagues for using public transport.

other than that I liked it :-)

Lived in NYC for 30 years and absolutely never encountered this. Americans (including me) do blow their noses!