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'm endlessly amused by Dutch birthday parties, though. Shake hands with everyone (sounds like Germany) then sit around in a circle. Eat one slice of cake. Go home.

Brit in Aus

BYO - been caught out by this several times!

But worse, when you are invited to friends for drinks, you bring your own booze. It's really weird, so everyone is sitting round drinking their own wine, then someone asks if you'd like to try a glass of their wine, the whole etiquette is very confusing!

I still haven't figured out the correct response for "How Ya Goin?" I think it's like 'Alright?"

I'm an expat in the UK.

*and the washing up, totally surprised people do not rinse the soap after cleaning dishes with clean running water. "

Oh yes, puke. chickenowner I think you will find in some social circle/class/generation people still do this. DH's relatives all do it, I can find last week's broccoli stuck on my plate during Sunday lunch, it's utterly nasty. And SIL called us snobs for cleaning dishes with running water!

I am a Brit and I am afraid it is true about the washing up.
I only learnt how to wash up properly working in a Greek kitchen one summer, not from my mother that is for sure.

chickenowner I also didn’t think notsure hates the U.K. I don’t know where you get that idea from. She was just commenting on something she found odd when she first moved here, like what happens to most people when they move to another country for the first time.
I’ve never lived in another country long enough to really encounter this. I lived in Germany for a year but that was all. Sunday trading hours were a pain in the arse (aka shops closed), I felt it was somewhat backward compared to here, but it seems quite a few MNers would love there to be no shops open on sundays (I wouldn't).

hopping the baby thing is funny. Also the staff with babies handing them over to you for a shot.

Irish in Uk.
The well behaved queues that go on for miles.
The little roundabouts everywhere. Why?
How unfriendly people are. Have lived across from a neighbour for 10years who has never said hello to us. So rude.
How busy everywhere gets during school holidays.
The traffic around London. Hours spent in traffic jams.
Parenting competitiveness and school admissions.
Leaving school and working at 16.

Brit who was living on small Caribbean Island.

Being called "Miss Firstname" by all work colleagues. So lovely.

If you are driving around and see someone you know on the road or as a pedestrian, you must beep your horn. It took me ages to work out that was what was going on and I wasn't driving dreadfully and being honked at. Oh, and nobody wears a seatbelt. And nobody worried about drinking and driving

It took me about three months to slow down. I would be stopped by strangers as I walked down the street, as they asked me what I was running from. I thought I was walking at a normal rate. Normal London pace is apparently running from a fire pace in West Indies

Dull, I have heard there are cockroaches ( once) but I have never seen one or heard people talking about them, so it’s hard to imagine they're are here...somewhere!

Dullandold thank you! So it’s just two people saying “Alright?” “Alright?” to each other? It makes me feel so awkward!

The dishwashing thing here was weird to me too. We have a dishwasher now and I think it’s saved my marriage.

When I lived in France I hated the fact that you were supposed to go and kiss everyone and say goodbye every time you arrived (or worse - left) anywhere. So time consuming!

I started just ducking out of parties without saying anything which I am sure they considered the height of rudeness but if I'd waited until I'd kissed forty odd people and said goodbye I would have been there all night.

Living in the UK, I notice how people are shy to talk about money, even in a non boastful way like to discuss investments, etc.

People love to whine just to start a conversation. Yes I am going to get flamed but I actually find it funny and I do like most people I've met.

I still have not figured out what to say to 'You're alright?' as a greeting after almost 10 years.

People are quite obsessed about social class.

I find this odd, but I hang around working class circles and the reverse snobbery is ugly. Many people I personally know would dislike you instantly if they know you have wealthy parents. It's almost like you can never truly be one of them even though it was ok before they knew your background.

This is not exclusively in the UK, but there are too many inconsiderate people talking in the cinemas. And the best part is very rarely anyone would confront them maybe because British people are too polite. I would tell them to shut up or call security.

You do love your tea! When tea bags run out at work, it is a crises.

So many young girls with babies in working class area and benefit system that traps people in poverty instead of empowering them with skills. If you are paid to stay at home, you will stay at home. I've known someone who quit his job after a day because he couldn't be bothered.

It is true that the Brits have one of the greatest sense of humour. It's one of the few things that keep me sane living in this country.

Just an observation, OP did ask..

Glitzy they are mostly in old institutional buildings like hospitals..:(
oh and in Aberystwyth. Aberystwyth seafront is swarming with them..:)

Northern Italy for five years.
The racism. Lega Nord rallies with people openly Nazi saluting. Police leering at my friend after we'd had a car accident and taking the piss out of the name of the poor south American chap my Italian friend had crashed into.
Newspapers with the nationality of crime perpetrators in the headline. 'Tunisian steals car' for example.

Obsession with 'catching a draught.' A gust of air apparently wreaks disease and almost certain death.

Not automatically being invisible after having children. Would still get 'ciao Bella' even whilst pushing a pram. Would get a little wearing after a while though.

Seeing groups of hooded teens hanging out on street corners and no-one being overly concerned or scared. They'd stop to politely say 'Boungiorno' to passing elderly people and often have a nice chat.

I'd have to agree about the Brits not rinsing our soap sudded plates. I got used to running the tap and washing up an item at a time.

I’m very afraid of cockroaches. So I’m going to be on the lookout, if I ever need to stay in a hospital. And I will have to avoid Aberystwyth seafront lol. Thank you for the heads up :) hehe

Kismett, you don't have to return an "alright" with another "alright". It's perfectly acceptable to say hi or hello! Well, that's what I always do (as a Brit to another Brit). I've got one acquaintance who always says "alright, Pan" when he sees me - I don't think I've ever offended him by saying "hello, Paul" in return

Moving from London to Glasgow (English)

Being asked where I stay, rather than where I lived.
The Protestant/Catholic divide.
Football shirts everywhere!
Anti-English feelings.

" I will have to avoid Aberystwyth seafront lol "

it would probably be OK just to stroll down the seafront just don't stay in any hotels...
I stayed on the seafront when I was a student, and the house was infested with mutant oriental cockroaches..I swear.
It's a restaurant now....:(

German in the UK thing.

I've been here for 10 years and absolutely love it.

The hardest thing for me to learn was that certain British people don't say no. Germans are very comfortable declining to do favours so I nade the mistake of asking a favour of friends/acquaintances. They said yes, I thought everything was fine until I found out that they told a friend about my cheeky request. JUST SAY NO.

I quite like how everyone is on first name terms. I just have to make sure I don't start calling people by their first names when I visit back home.

One thing I find very sad is how children in Britain are escorted everywhere until secondary school age and generally babied. I work with kids and,in comparison, the children brought up on Britain are less confident, imaginative and lack common sense/ problem solving skills than children I've worked with in Germany.

Prepacked sandwiches in suoermarkets. Genious!

Amazing tea, awful awful coffee unless you know where to look.

Asking for tap water in restaurants is acceptable, so is slapping on a not all mandatory service charge.

Huuuuuuge entrance fees for tourist attractions (£20 per person to go on a giant ferris wheel, or look at celebrity wax works).

A privatised, confusing rail network run by separate companies.

And of course: people crossing the street on a red light.

Expat living in U.K.

The importance of sending cards. Elsewhere in the world I’ve lived, you buy a card to give with a gift. Never just a card, unless you’re putting it a gift voucher/money. But you only send a card if you can’t see or call the person. Not in addition to!

Even on here, I still don’t get when someone is lamenting they didn’t get a card from their DH (he’s sitting next to you, why would he need to get you a card?) or didn’t send one to their mother (why not call her? Isn’t that more personal than sending a card?)

Weather as an entire conversation. It really is a glorious art form.

Drink rounds. Agree with previous poster about tea in office. Refuse to participate, it’s just madness.

Kitty. As in put money into a kitty (when you get to a pub). What the hell is a kitty? Why is it called a kitty? Why can’t I buy my own drink? Why can’t I just give you the money when I want another one? Why do we need to create this atmosphere when some of us nurse one drink for an hour and others have 6 pints?

No one is ever busy, there isn't a word for busy but to be running around or acting stressed when someone wants to talk is a bit rude. You always need to make time for people. It can still be really frustrating.

That the school will give one day notice for events/meetings. 1 day!! Even to their own employees. That grates on my Britishness.

That organization is not top priority. I honestly wonder how Japanese Brazilians cope, they must be in constant termoil

That 6 pm party start means turn up at 6.30 but if there's a finish time you better not be late because people will smile politely and say "oh don't go, it's early yet" and then slag you off if you actually stay. Brazilians and time keeping is not a harmonious relationship.

That schools don't have behaviour policies, no detentions, no interventions, no classroom rules, just nothing. They just expect kids to be there and learn or not learn. Luckily my kids chose to learn.

@Flockoftreegulls

I haven't lived abroad but travelled to Germany fairly regular with work. The hotel we stayed in seemed to theme half their entire menu around one seasonal product. I think we were there for (white?) asparagus time and it was in every bloody option!

I also found the lunch culture very different. They had an on-site restaurant serving mainly meat and potatoes based meals. Virtually the whole office would decamp there for a proper lunch. There was no eating a sandwich at your desk like we do here.

Toomany they go nuts for asparagus and yes it's white.

Mmmmmm, Spargelzeit. 😀

Finally