It’s perhaps a little bit encouraging to learn that even in the age of the internet and mass media, we can still go through some significant culture shock. For better or worse, that’s what travel is all about, seeing new things and having some of your preconceptions disrupted.
Someone asked “What was the most major cultural difference you noticed when you moved to another country?” and people gave their best ideas. So get comfortable as you scroll through, prepare to perhaps be surprised, upvote your favorite examples and be sure to share your own stories and experiences in the comments section below.
#1
My first day in my new home in South America I was tooling around in my power chair (l’m an incomplete quad) when it’s frame collapsed (due to mishandling abuse by airline) and I was left helpless on the street in a big city. People here were typical city people, not particularly friendly or unfriendly, just living life. I saw a young man looking at me and I asked in bad Spanish if he could help me. Within seconds I was surrounded by folks in their twenties who were actively planning my rescue. They got me loaded into a cab and like twenty of these young people accompanied me back to my hotel, where they made sure I got comfortably situated while they checked into getting me a rental chair and found a specialty welder who could fix my power chair’s frame. Then they lectured my hotel manager on my care and feeding and said goodbye. I have never seen these folks again. All in all it was an excellent terrible first day in Ecuador. Really different from anything I experienced in 65 years in estados unidos.
#2
I studied in England for a semester. I consider it “moved” because I brought all my clothes, computer, bedding, etc. and had a small studio apartment off campus.
The food was the major thing. Rather, the ingredients. I ate about the same amount of food and walked about the same amount I do in the US, but I still lost over 20 pounds in the six months I was there. US diet is just so much filler junk that fattens us up.
#3
Living in England was my first experience of people being comfortable with not being high achievers and pushing pushing pushing to be the best at everything all the time. It was okay just to be normal. One was still a worthwhile person.
I loved it.
Yes, I am an American.
#4
This was a looong time ago, in 1989. My family left the USSR as refugees. I was 9. We were part of the large immigration wave from the USSR to the US in the late 80s.
The first stop after leaving the Soviet world was Austria. We got off the train at the Vienna train station, and I hit immediate culture shock. There was a little convenience store that sold snacks and newspapers. The first shock was automatic doors. That was some sci fi s**t as far as I was concerned. The second thing was comic books. I’ve never seen one before, and it blew my mind more than the doors.
#5
I know this is gonna sound dumb, but when I visited USA the first thing that I was in awe about, was the trees, because they looked different than the ones from Australia. I just kept looking at all the different trees and flowers, because they were not the same ones I would drive past for the majority of my life.
#6
People being genuinely religious. I came from an atheist German household and moved to Utah. The first couple of weeks it felt like I had moved planets. Or centuries.
#7
India. Rubbish and litter dumped everywhere including waterways and nature reserves.
No thought. No compassion for other life forms, no self awareness.
#8
I grew up in America but moved away when I was a kid. Went back for somebody’s wedding and y’all have drive through EVERYTHING and hardly any pavements. Drive through liquor store. Drive through pharmacy. I had to get a car to take me from one side of a busy road to another because there were no pedestrian crossings. In Europe we have bridges over big roads. Was weird as hell.
#9
That everyone in Nagoya seems to care about the quality of the city. Lost my wallet, got it back with all the money inside. Seen people commonly walk many blocks with their trash in a plastic bag until they find a bin. Went to the gaikokujin center once or twice a week and there were always so many volunteers to help us learn the language and culture. Among my adult students, many people volunteered at things that had nothing to do with their day jobs, like an engineer who coordinated hurricane evacuations. Other people would clean up after concerts they didn’t even attend. And everyone feels safe to walk at night, or let their kids commute alone on the subway during the day.
America has great people too, but a big wedge of our pie chart is predatory.
#10
A friend of mine moved here form Laos in 7th grade. I got to see the first time she ever saw snow, and she couldn’t stop crying because it was so beautiful. As someone who has always lived somewhere that it snows, it was a real eye opener on taking things for granted. She was also pretty floored by the foliage too, but the snow (both falling and that perfect pristine surface you get after a good snowfall) totally broke her.
#11
How showering demands a new level of skill in every country.
jtbc: One of the worst parts of waking up the first morning in a new country is trying to figure out how those three levers you've never seen before work through the fog of jet lag. That and how not to flood the bathroom floor.
#12
Moving from Spain to the US one of the biggest cultural differences i noticed was how people here are way more focused on work and less on socializing. Back in Spain we have long lunches and siestas and people spend more time with family and friends here it feels like everyone is always in a rush and working long hours also the food portions are so much bigger in the us and tipping culture is a thing which took some getting used to.
#13
Husband is from India, moved to the US.
The thing he liked the most was being able to openly protest/discuss political issues (ex. abortion rights, gay rights, situation in Ukraine, rally for unions). Also loves how clean the water and air is here.
Thing he hates the most is that unless we're making food from scratch or eating at very healthy restaurants, how there's sugar in EVERYTHING. Even condiments and bread.
#14
Having to wait for a restaurant to open up at 10 pm in Madrid to get dinner and then still being the only patron at 11 when people start coming in. I am used to eating around 6-8PM.
#15
Different ways that are used to express laughter in chats.
E.g.
Western: Hahaha
Latin-America: Jajaja / Jjjjjjj
Brazil: Rsrsrsrs
Thailand: 55555 (‘five” in Thai is pronounced ‘haa’)
Vietnam: kkkkkkk.
#16
French people kiss on the cheeks to say hello, even with total strangers. I’m from Eastern Europe. We just say hi, sometimes shake hands in official settings, or hug if we’re close to the other person. So, to me, that cultural difference felt like a violation of my personal space on many occasions.
#17
I spent the first weekend I lived in Sicily hiding in my new apartment, afraid of what I thought was anti-American protesters with bull horns outside. It was a couple years after 9/11. We were at war with Afghanistan and Iraq and it was not popular over there.
When it was just guys selling the stuff they had harvested off their farms, using bullhorns to announce what they were selling. Which was common everyday stuff over there. Because I didn’t know that and I wasn’t fluent in Italian yet, I basically cowered in fear for the whole first weekend, afraid of a guy selling broccoli out of the back of his truck.
#18
Grew up in the US, moved away for 7 years, and then came back. I’d have to say I was shocked by wastefulness that I never noticed enough growing up here: boxes packed in boxes, individually wrapped everything (including produce that can be peeled), the amount of ketchup packets and napkins given at any fast food joint, plastic bags w/o additional charge.
#19
I lived in France for 9 months and the difference in the quality of the food was undeniable, it’s so much less processed. I’ve always been on the chunky side but without even trying I lost 15 lbs in just a couple months, and I really mean it when I said I wasn’t even trying, my host mom depended on me to eat all the leftovers lol
Also, I usually drink 2% milk because it’s easier on my stomach but in France I could drink any milk with no trouble!
#20
In China people will just cut in front of you or interrupt you while you’re speaking to a worker like at the bank or train station. I’m still not fully used to it lol.
#21
I had to learn to say this to everyone in South Africa-“Hi, how are you”. Then they will reply-“can’t complain, and you”. And then I will say- “good.good.”. If you don’t do greetings, you must have been raised by animals (as per my SA friends). It was funny, I learnt quickly.
#22
The most major cultural difference was discovering that in some countries, it’s perfectly normal to eat dinner at 10 PM. My stomach was on a strict “early dinner” schedule and was not prepared for this late-night culinary adventure.
#23
In Japan, the concept of personal space on public transport doesn’t exist during rush hour. It’s like a game of human Tetris.
#24
At first, I was shocked by the car-centric design of American suburbs. I found it absurd that a shopping mall’s parking lot took five times the space of the mall itself. Giant parking lots surrounded every building. They were very unusual for me.
#25
How it can take 4x the time to get to a place in Canada on the bus compared to driving there.
Public transit in the part of the UK that I come from isn’t magnificent but jeez, it didn’t take 1 hour and 30 minutes to travel 7 km.
#26
Discovering that in some places, “being on time” means arriving 15 minutes late.
#27
When I immigrated to the US I was shocked how people put their s**t on the front lawn for people to take away. All your neighbors seeing your junk outside! Lol I just laugh now.
#28
American here.
In India, (Uttar Pradesh)it was the driving. At first it was terrifying, lots of traffic, both cars and pedestrians. No real adherence to staying in lanes. Not a ton of traffic lights or intersection controls. People cutting each other off constantly
But never saw one wreck, hit pedestrian, or road rage incident. It’s f*****g incredible. It’s not what I’m used to, but god damn does it work.
#29
Four times a day, shops close for prayer. Other factors include the way people drive and the dearth of leisure options, like nightclubs, bars, and movie theaters. Am I missing any theaters? Oh, and if you’re a single man, some retail centers won’t let you in. Saudi Arabia is where I currently reside.
#30
Realizing that jaywalking in Vietnam is basically an extreme sport.
expo1986: You either master it or become a permanent part of the traffic! 🏍️🚶♂️