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 😅

My colleague had to kiss the corpse of her husband's grandmother in the coffin. That was in Latin America.

Also, when her husband first came to the UK he would try to haggle in shops and wouldn't accept her word for it that it wasn't possible.

In Cambodia, a large, thick cotton scarf, krama, has a mutitude of uses.
I saw one tied between the handlebars of a motorbike - the type with high, raised handelbars.
2 people on the bike, I thought that's a good way to get the shopping home.

It contained a tiny baby. This was 3 months ago.

Going to Moscow in 1992 just after perestroika and the collapse of the USSR. I'd never been in the 3rd world before ...

Of course I've had people being rude to me in my life but this was pretty much full on once they realised I was English. I had learned a few words and phrases to get by but some people just shooed me away with their hand and turned their back on me, even the police did this.

@notacooldad Do you know why they were being so rude, just because you were English?

That's not typical. It's not taboo to blow your nose in the UK.

Leaving my leafy Home Counties village life to go and live and work in Newham in East London. It’s an absolute shithole… or it was 20 years ago and I’ve never wanted to go back to find out if it’s changed.

What/where is "NA"?

Interesting that some of the things people have mentioned, homelessness, tents, drugs on the street, begging etc now common here The fly tipping and litter esp along the roads is similar to what I've seen in less developed countries, only there they set fire to it, smell of burning plastic prolific. Huge piles of water bottles & cans next to traffic junction in Surrey, so lazy & slovenly.

I live in such an HOA that forbids drying clothes (or anything else) outside on a clothesline. However, I also live in a "right to dry" state whose law supersedes the HOA regs, so I could hang a clothesline if I wanted to.

One thing to remember though is that those of us who live in these communities choose to do so. We are indeed free to live somewhere else. I carefully looked at the rules and regulations before we bought here. One which I really like forbids basketball hoops on houses (noisy, plus there is play ground with a court close by). If I ever find one that forbids wind chimes, which are the very work of the devil, I will move.

Arriving in Kathmandu, exited the airport and was immediately struck by the noise and vibrancy. So many people, so much movement, so many colours and a cow standing in the middle of the road with cars just driving round it.

North America?

"The second was that they drank tea with the meal. I hadn't come across that before."

Ha! I guess it's a class thing, but this was always completely normal for me growing up and I was shocked when I went to the continent that it's considered totally wrong.

Nooo! If my husband sneezes he does seven sneezes. Either irritation or when he looks at the sun. We are there in April. What do you do? Sniff That is surely worse.

Switzerland- so clean! Puts the UK to shame!
Amsterdam- the dog shit....grim!

In Beijing, the men carrying their wives handbags and people dancing In parks and in squares. It was so joyful!

Came out of our air conditioned hotel on Bangkok onto a very busy sukumvit road which in itself was an assault on the senses but that was enhanced by the huge elephant being led down the road.

Sadly, none of this surprised me.

I still struggle to remember that 17 year olds are and are treated like (as they absolutely should be) children. Living at home, going to school, being told off by their parents, being able to make mistakes without the threat of homelessness looming over them, driving lessons, carefree days. I wish I'd had that.
Thats why I was so annoyed on that "I thought everyone drove at 17" thread the other day. Lots of 17 year olds live like this. Driving lessons... lol.

In South Korea I went for a walk with a black man. I hadn't realised that would make us attraction no.1, an African and a European together!

When we were there we heard huge high pitched squealing . A child in distress , no a pig tied to the back of a moped who was protesting.

I suppose everyone in every bar in Paris must be an alcoholic 🤷🏻‍♀️

In China - being stared at openly at length with obvious curiosity as I was not Chinese. Those we met who could speak a smattering of English called us "Big Nose". Not meant as an insult I don't think, just their way of noticing our facial features were not in any way like those of the Chinese people.

The sheer number of cars in America. Mind blowing, and the lack of public transport outside of the big city areas. Seeing people drive 100 yards to drop the kids off at the school bus stop. There's no such thing as walking to the shop or the park, as exercise is otherwise planned and timed. The portions of food, OMG. Tipping culture. And best of all, the overwhelming good nature of most Americans, they are just so hospitable. There'd never be a thread there on a similar platform about CF house guests/answering the door, they are just so welcoming.

The expectation of politeness in France. If you walk into any establishment and start to order or buy something without a big "Bonjour" you are considered a rude abomination. I think it's lovely myself, and I knew better than to NOT say it!
The fact that in many Med countries and in France anyway, you cannot get anything to eat between 2pm and 5pm, and the shops close also. A bit disconcerting to have to plan the day around that kind of hiatus but that's their way and their culture.

Lots more, but I'd be here all day!

I went on holiday to Egypt afew years ago with my partner and as a woman, I was totally ignored in the resort. All questions, menu options, payment requests etc were aimed at my partner who is male

Or foreign... wine is for meals only.

The Philippines in 2008. Huge numbers of staff standing around in shops with not much to do, often doing boring things like dusting the clothes on the racks or milling. In the shopping centre lifts, people were employed to press the button for the floor you needed to go to and they sat on a stool next to the buttons all day.

The traffic jams were out of this world, I was surprised people didn’t scream in frustration. And once you were heading out of Manila, cars didn’t travel in lanes but in a clump. And the colourful Jeepney buses often had Bible quotes painted on them. I loved being culture shocked.

1980 in Italy. Before we went a friend of my mum said cover Peggy up and don’t let her out of your sight.
Men and boys constantly approached me even though my mum gave me the most basic clothes to wear. Men trying to touch my hair and shouting at me in the street.
I had plaits, white knee socks, sandals, knee length baggy skirts and blouses. In the scorching heat.
I was 10.
The next time we went I was 14. I was assaulted twice and never told my parents.
A culture shock indeed.