Expats, tell me what aspect or social norm of your new country was strange to you?

[AjasLipstick]

I am a Brit in Oz and for me, the hardest thing to get used to was Sunday trading hours being like the UK in the 70s.

The weirdest thing was how much less formal people are...kids are dressed very informally and parties for children never have kids dressed up in party dresses but in shorts and t shirts. I like it now I'm used to it though.

I know, just responding to the post earlier saying Euro car manufacturers do one thing and Japanese another when that's not the reason for the difference evidenced by the fact that Australian Toyotas have a different set up to UK Toyotas. In the past 15 years the only place I've ever driven with indicators on the right is Australia.

bitout I would say topless sunbathing in Spain is totally the norm, don’t remember ever going and not seeing the majority of women topless.

The NHS. It’s really not that good, in fact it’s pretty bad. Four weeks wait for a GP apppintment is ridiculous.

Totally agree that is ridiculous, why on earth have you not moved to a different GP? I get same day appointments.

When I lived in London I had a GP who did phone appointments, very useful for chronic conditions.

I can see a doctor on the day that I want to, and so I could at my last one.
Change GPs to one that has a different system, and stop moaning.

@LiquoriceTea so right! In Aus/nz the laundry equipment is always in a seperate utility room. At a push it's in the bathroom but never, ever in the kitchen! My friends have theirs on their deck!!
Having said that when I rented a teeny flat in Sydney it was in the kitchen albeit secreted in a broom cupboard

Wensleydale should be eaten with Christmas cake to appreciate it's true glory! Couldn’t agree more Boop. This was a huge culture shock for my DH (who is not from Yorkshire).

Ha. Quite. My old London GP saw me same day everytime. If you are waiting 4 weeks get a different GP
My paid for GP in Sydney however was always next day...

I think most people can't "just get a new GP"

They have waiting lists or people can't travel to further afield surgeries due to ill health.

My English Dr is same day or next day if you say it's urgent. If it's routine it could be a week or two, but you do sometimes need to say you can't wait for them to give you a same day appointment.

4 weeks is ridiculous and not at all representative of English GPs!!!

@FinallyHere That's the other thing - in Italy we get hot water straight from the taps. You could have 10 showers in a row if you wanted to... don't why most houses in the UK still heat up a tank, I'm sure it's not easy or cheap to change the plumbing everywhere.

4 weeks is ridiculous and not at all representative of English GPs!!!

It’s pretty standard in my bit of London. And you can’t change GPs just like that. I had to move to one out of my catchment to get better service (only a three week wait) and I’m not entitled to for example Home visits as a result even though I’m only half a mile away. My mum relies on those.

We don't have the 'Alright?' thing in Scotland and I never know how to deal with it when in England. I usually mumble 'fine, thanks'. Is that wrong?

sunbeam I’m Scottish and I know loads of people who go ‘awright’ when you see them. Me included.

I'm in London and there are always same day appointments at the GP, quick access I think they're called. Otherwise you might wait up to a week.
I'm fondly remembering the 70s "Save It" campaign which I think applied to electricity, fuel, water etc. My bf at school had some knickers her mum bought her with "Save It" on the front! Didn't work, ha ha

Choping

You go to a food court, find a table and put a pack of tissues on it to reserve your place - woe betide any tourist who sits down thinking it’s a nice freebie supplied by the management.

Folk using umbrellas as sun shields - or anything really- a book, a newspaper, an ipad, a mobile phone, a business card

Wearing your jacket back to front on your moped/motorbike. And random flip flops litering the motorways and roads from said moped users.

Going into little shops to buy bread and milk and theres a little shrine with incense, candles and little offerings of food or money s squeezed between the cartons of fruit juice and the tea and beverage selection.

My gp is next day too. Same day if it's urgent / a child. I'm in SE England

oh! I was staying at a hostel in London this week, and I said 'alright?' to a South African guy I know..
He said 'yes I am fine thanks how are you?' as I had a mouthful of curry by that time I was a bit thrown...

Nothing really to add except to say what an interesting thread. I'm loving it! Keep them coming please

Am I the only one on the thread that keeps reading the word "alright" and can only think of "awight" from that "am I bovered" character in the Catherine Tate's show? I'm from London, if someone said "alright?" in anything other than that accent, I'd struggle to reply with anything other than "I'm fine thanks and you? ".

I’m an Irish expat in the Middle East :

• healthcare is really good here, even in the public health clinics (I take my DD there to get her vaccinations)
• really family friendly in that children are out and about to all hours, go to cinema from birth etc (not sure this is entirely a good thing)
• convenience of everything here, local corner shops deliver, Mc Ds/KFC etc all deliver
• the weather is always nice, even in winter when it’s 10 degrees
• they love everything American and when talking in English, they all have American accents.

However

• can not stand the eyeballing I get from men when I go out and about. Yes I am ‘modestly dressed’ whatever that means. I felt very vulnerable during both my pregnancies here and at the end of my first pregnancy wouldn’t go to the local shopping center without my husband.
• being overly feely with my DD. No don’t fucking lift her/touch her/whistle at her like she’s a dog, don’t take pictures of her and no, you do not stick your fingers in a newborns mouth.
• the driving. Kids hanging out of cars, no car seats, 7/8 people being in a regular size saloon car, no rules of the road
• disrespectful towards animals. Where I live there are poisoning’s on a regular basis in areas where people take their dogs walking to kill off any wild dogs Was at a wildlife park this weekend and I seen a grown man poking a tortoise (poor thing!) and his daughter kicked the tortoise with her foot quite violently.

• Worst thing here is the exploitation of cheap labor, usually everyone I know here has a maid and a nanny and a driver. I have none, the lady who occasionally babysits for me I pay what I’d pay at home in Ireland for a nights work. It’s not something I’m comfortable with at all and I find it very hard to have respect for people who are ok with it.

I’m only here due to DH work - we have a plan to leave but just need to save a bit more before we can go.

Korea also has a very lax attitude towards kids and nighttime activities. I used to teach kindergarten and honestly some of the behaviour problems were shocking. Then you’d see the same kids in the supermarket at 11PM or something. It’s so obvious that most of them aren’t getting enough sleep and it’s so bad for them.

willi regarding the hot taps. Most houses in the UK now have combi boilers, which heat up the cold water as it's passing through so there is hot water/10 showers in a row.

Before this older systems did have an old-fashioned hot water tank (of the kind where you get one lot of hot water and when it runs out that's that) and of course some still do have those. However these are being phased out. Combi boilers are the current/popular method of heating most water, i.e. instant constant hot water.

Snowy I'm a renegade regarding washing up bowls. Never liked them and have never used since being a "grown-up". 95% goes in the dishwasher anyway, even big casserole type dishes, after a soak in the sink.

Should have said UK.

We've had a combi boiler in the house for over 20 years and it was here when we moved in. One of the first things we did, when able, was to change to a single tap in the bathroom, always hated two taps and had lived abroad where a combined hot/cold tap was standard.

@SundayGirls Maybe I've been unlucky. I've lived in 7-8 different houses and all bar one have had the 'old' system - annoyingly not my current house! It's no biggie though. I like to live rurally so that's probably why!