Embarrassing travel culture shocks

[WildBalonz]

Since it’s summer and holiday season I thought it might be fun to share some silly or funny or embarrassing cultural shocks we’ve all had when travelling!

I’ll start with an incident that is both funny and embarrassing depending how you look at it. A few years ago me, my brother, his wife and her brother (my brother and sister in law) went on a trip all through China. We were on a tour bus traveling through some rural areas outside Guangzhou. We had a pit stop to stretch our legs and use the toilet etc and our driver proudly told us that the public loos we had stopped at had western toilets which were very uncommon in these areas. Great we all thought, however what he didn’t mention is that instead of individual cubicals they had very small almost like shower screens separating each toilet. Not much privacy at all! It made for a very embarrassing poo for me my sister in law and two other ladies on our tour 😂. I laugh at it now but at the time it was probably the most awkward and embarrassing experience our lives. Luckily she’s a good sport and we joke about it these days!

It’s the bore of the pipes. The UK is the exception to this, not the rule. Most other countries don’t flush paper.

"All my British boyfriends (a grand sample size of 2!) "

This is your problem. It's certainly not universal in the UK to throw away leftovers.

Transferred grief, perhaps, in some cases.

Most advanced industrial countries do though.
I realise they have narrow pipes in Greece...

Yes, probably. Otherwise it's very strange to be grieving someone you've never met.
But it was also state-enforced to some extent as I mentioned with places closing down and events being cancelled on the day of the funeral. It wasn't even possible to carry on as normal and the media could claim that everyone was in mourning because daring to tell the truth made you a pariah.

Oh yes that's really common in Russia, everyone is indoctrinated into it from a young age. My gran is Russian so I had a bit of that, and it's considered quite unusual if you aren't very familiar with classical composers and artists, as art and music history are taught extensively at every school. Every kid will have gone 4 times a year, every year, throughout school, unless they are very rural. They're very proud of their ballet tradition, museums, palaces etc.

People quote philosophers and writers very casually, especially teens. Or maybe used to? Not sure if it's still like that.

Scandinavia is not too far off tbh, there's a lot of classical music education and pride in it.

The Russians also have the impression that the UK, France, Germany etc are the same as we have many world famous composers, dancer etc, and are then shocked that it's considered a niche interest here. If you go to any classical music event in the UK, guaranteed to meet lots of Russians.

It was a strange and surreal time and I doubt there will be anyone in public life who can ever capture the affection of the public like Diana. I was hundreds of miles away and with my DH and 2 v young children) and I cried like I'd lost a member of my family. DH didn't understand - and I don't to be honest.

On a holiday as a teen with my parents we went to a super posh restaurant in Alsace which my mum had had to book many months in advance . Being a vegetarian in the 80s there was of course no vegetarian option and I felt embarrassed into ordering fish ( which I thought was preferable to meat ) only to see the chef wander down the garden with a net to catch the fish from from a pond . I couldn’t bring myself to eat what had been alive minutes before much to the disgust of my parents and the waiter .

first time in USA the 4 of us were served a huge portion of chicken n chips between us which we divided up on our 4 plates commenting on the large portion - then another waiter arrived with 3 more identical huge portions and looked aghast that we had shared 1 persons meal between us . Never got used to the huge size of portions and the waste if food .

Having heard church bells in the UK, being astounded at the racket that is considered normal in mainland Europe.

Was the US one during Covid? I’m American and that’s unusual - the only time I’ve seen it was 2020-2021 when you still had to bring breakfast back to your room rather than eating in the dining area.

Colombia - throwing toilet paper in the trash rather than in the toilet. I was horrified when I first found out.

No pooing in Peruvian long-distance bus toilets! You can have a wee, but if you need a poo you have to ask the driver to stop. How embarrassing would that be!

Mines not exciting ( unlike the toilet trials).

In the 80’s went to the States as a nanny aged 19 for pre schoolers.Was determined to do a good job.
First week and my family had some other kids over for me to babysit. All fine. They asked if I could make macaroni cheese for them all which I could but said I thought it might be a bit much given I didn’t know the kitchen and had four kids to look after whilst making the sauce etc.
They sort of looked me oddly and got two boxes of Mac and cheese out the cupboard Orange cheese powder and quick cook macaroni. I had actually never seen powdered cheese before then let alone use it for a kids tea . I was actually pretty shocked.

Japan- shouting sumimasen/excuse me to get the waiters attention, at volume and often in casual eateries
Japan- never filling your own drink when out for dinner/drinks. So rude. You wait for your neighbour to do it.
Food portions in the states- massive!!

Clearly youve not travelled much or indeed have an irregularbor irtitable bowel -needs must !

@TwinklyRoseTurtle my last comment was for you !

You see elderly Indian people squatting with absolute ease, which I suppose proves that if you don't use it you lose it.

I'm always a bit sniffy about British people in their 40s/50s insisting on taking camping chairs absolutely everywhere because " Ooh, I can't sit on the ground, I'd never get up again!" Obviously you didn't use it, and you lost it.

I agree, should of held it in until you were back from China!😳

Er central London in the late 80s. Boots from memory, but it was a while ago. Somewhere completely mainstream anyway. You had to buy a plug separately from the appliance.

Are you implying it didn’t happen by quoting “regulations” at me? I assure you it did - it was a wtf moment I’ve never forgotten.

Same, people "in tears" and "devastated" when a celebrity dies.. I find it so odd.

Also, what was OP supposed to do? Shit her pants?

I was working as a maternity nurse in London at the time. I remember putting the radio on and wondering why the station was playing slow, mournful music rather than the usual pop/indie. Then the solemn announcement came over the airwaves: "Diana, the Princess of Wales, is dead." And so it continued all day.

Mongolia: seeing a giant neon swastika outside a bar in the capital city! I know that it is a holy symbol there and doesn't have the negative meaning the Nazis gave it but still a surprise.

Moscow 1999: going to McDonalds and seeing people dressed up as if for a fancy evening out, fur coats and jewellery.

Germany: the shoving onto trains before everyone has has the chance to get out! Contrary to popular belief, Germans can queue, but with transport, collective madness seems to take over.

And also Germany: nudity. There are designated nude sunbathing areas in most cities and at most lakes, beaches and resorts. Saunas are generally mixed but normally do some single sex sessions. Always nude though. I am too British. I just can't.

Toilets in hotels in Japan. Not only do they have the most amazing bum showers and hot air, they also insist that you change into 'toilet slippers' when using said bathroom. I was so amused I took a photo!

Also posh restaurant on family holiday to France (our first foray abroad) in the 80s...

My seafood-loving dad ordering "fruits de mer" and when it arrived some of the creatures were still alive and wandering around the plate

Another of his orders was rabbit stew which was served in a pot with a lid. Opened the lid to see 2 eyeballs which appeared to be looking out at us 👀

And a further time involved me trying oysters for the first and last time 🤢

Arriving in Shanghai on a work trip in the days before smartphones and not having any frame of reference for navigation. I considered myself reasonably well travelled and thought I'd muddle through as usual, but it was my first time in a country that didn't use the Roman alphabet and none of the street or shop signs meant anything to me. I got so lost that I had to ask for directions from the police, who radioed for someone who spoke a bit of English, eventually worked out what I wanted and kindly escorted me to my hotel a block or so away. My Chinese colleagues were horrified to hear that I'd involved the police. They told me horror stories about kids being blacklisted from university places and government jobs because of one of their parents being arrested, not even charged. It's a completely different relationship between the police and the public and more than a bit creepy TBH.