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“The Whole Place Smelled Like Hot Garbage”: 50 People Reveal The Biggest Culture Shock They’ve Ever Encountered
Getting out of your comfort zone is always a part of traveling. That’s why, despite the joys new countries and exotic places bring us, many people prefer to stay in the comfort of their home and don’t step foot into the unknown.
In order to see what kind of exact differences are waiting for travelers, Bored Panda looked at the various Reddit threads where people shared their biggest culture shocks.
Like a cold shower, it taught them a lesson that the societal norms they took for granted change depending on the culture and location you disembarked from the plane. Scroll down through the most interesting stories below!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
We had this akward conversation with a family in Venezuela who we had invited over for dinner. They just wouldn't leave! My dad was doing the polite Canadian thing and mentioning that "we were tired", that "usually we would be in bed by now", that "it's been a long night and they probably want to get home", walking them toward the front door. And then we were stuck just standing there staring at each other. My dad finally just blurts out "Why won't you leave?! We're tired and want to go to bed!" And in frusteration they reply "Why won't you just let us go?!"
Turns out that in Venezuelan culture it's rude to leave on your own as an invited guest. The polite thing to do is to wait for your host to open the door and guide you out, but in Canadian culture it's rude to ask your invited company to leave and you wait for them to open the door and go on their own.
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#2
This is hard to admit, but as someone who grew up in the USA I was taught in a thousand ways that this country sets every standard and deserves deference from everyplace else on earth.
It was so ingrained that I didn't even know it was an assumption ... until I was outside the states and it was obvious that the USA is not the center of the universe. People are doing just fine all over the place without, you know, being us. What's more, the myth we tell ourselves is that everyone in the world would live here if they only could.
No, they wouldn't. A whole lot of people see us as a collection of fools, greedheads, and bumblers who happen to have been born in a place with a lot of natural resources. Since Trump, of course, the idea that our system of government is magically self-correcting is also under serious question.
#3
Croatia: it's a standard expectation that you clean the street outside your house as part of cleaning your house (at least in the small towns i was in -not sure about the cities). The cleanest streets I've ever seen and a real sense of communal civic pride.
#4
I moved to Australia when I was 20 and I thought people were going to be speaking English. I was wrong.
Me, "I'm going to McDonald's, you want me to get you a breakfast burrito?"
Shane, "Oi Maccas Fair Dinkum mate! Had to ruck up early for the physio and me ute was out of petrol so stopped at the servo and asked the Sheila if they had brekky but noooouaahho just lollies so ive been getting aggro"
None of the sounds that just fell out of your head were words. Do you want a burrito or not?
#5
In Spain, no chit chat from the waiter. None of that "I'll be serving you" stuff that we hear in the US. Just "tell me." My introvert self loved it. I tell you, food arrives, I eat.
#6
I was shocked by how friendly most people in the US are. When we're buying groceries, the cashier would make small talk with us about what we're buying. I bought KFC and was having trouble with american coins (they're all the same color ok!) and the nice cashier helped me (there was no one else at the store so he had time). My uncle was raised in the US and knew all his neighbors, he loves riding bikes so he knows everyone around the neighborhood who also rides. I'd walk his dog while I was there and people would just randomly stop and talk to me about the dog.
The friendliness makes my trips to the US very wholesome and nice.
#7
The sheer awesomeness of Japanese convenience stores. My local 7-11 has sticky floors and doubtful looking packaged sandwiches. The 7-11s in Japan are clean, well-lit, have a great selection of lunch/dinner prepackaged meals, and not only do they have a cold drink section, they have a special heated unit for hot drinks. When I saw all the technological innovations in Japan, I felt like I came from a third world country.
#8
Barefoot people EVERYWHERE in New Zealand. In Starbucks, in the mall, on public transit, walking down the street. No shoes, no socks, no f**ks to give.
#9
Chile. "Tomorrow" means next week. "Next week" means never. "I'm already there" means "i'm thinking about starting to prepare to go out".
For a ten-minutes-early person that was jarring.
#10
Indonesia. People just sit next to you in the train/bus. Ask personal questions immediately. Want to know why you don't have kids, or a husband. And why you're fat or that you should get a haircut because your hair is ugly.
It felt like Christmas at home, but then for months, from multiple people instead of my mum.
#11
Go to some countries, like Germany or Britain, and tell the locals that you're going for a short 2-4 hour drive. Many will look at you like you grew a second head.
Here in Canada, people will do 2 hour drive for groceries. It takes 10 damn hours just get to the next province.
#12
Not necessarily shocked, but dudes holding hands in India. Thought they were gay, turns out it's a normal custom.
#13
I was in Germany a couple years ago with a friend of a friend who was born in the Soviet Union (and who still lives in a former Soviet satellite).
Someone tried to get us to sign a petition. After the guy left, I had to explain the concept of a petition and he said, "Oh. In my country if you want to change the government you just disappear."
#14
In Thailand a little kid had never seen a white person as pale as i was and he put his little hand on my knee to see if it was real. Culture shock for both of us i guess.
JoyfulZebra 2 years ago (edited)
This reminds me of a story my dad used to tell: back in the 90's he worked in Minneapolis. The Twin Cities are home to one of the largest Hmong communities in the U.S. Anyway, my dad was outside doing his thing when this little Hmong child walked up to him and touched my dad's hairy legs. Apparently Hmong people don't have as much hair, so the kid was really fascinated with my dad. My dad was pretty confused, and even thought he was getting pranked.
#15
In parts of Ireland in my grandparents time it was considered rude to accept food or beverages from a host the first time it was offered.
The exchange was supposed to go something like:
"will you have a cup of tea?"
"no thank you, I won't, I won't trouble you"
"ahh you will sure, go on"
"ahh I will so, if you're making one for yourself"
When my parents first went to America, they were shocked to find that people didn't do this, so instead it went:
"would you like a cup of coffee?"
"no thank you, I won't trouble you"
"okay!"
"wait! I did actually want coffee!"
"then why did you say no??"
One of my grandmothers was like this until she died, would get really snippy with you if you accepted a drink or a biscuit the first time she offered it.
#16
Japanese discipline.
I was visiting the Hakone Outdoor Museum (a huge sculpture garden). At the end of the tour is a onsen foot bath where visitors can dip their feet in the nice hot water.
Tourists of every stripe gathered around the foot bath and the attendant instructed us on the rules. The rules were to be followed to the letter:
Remove shoes. Remove socks.
Place socks inside shoes.
Place shoes in designated area behind you, in basket provided.
Pants cuffs are to be rolled up in this fashion: roll back hem to the outside, then fold each additional roll in approximately 1 inch folds.
Continue folding up trouser cuffs until the roll extends past your calf muscle.
Last fold should be a tight fold to keep your trouser cuff up.
Place feet in onsen foot bath and enjoy.
When finished with enjoyment, take shoes and socks from basket and retire to bench to let feet dry.
When feet are dry, unroll trouser cuffs and re-install socks and shoes.
You may now leave.
This attendant went up and down the line, repeating the instructions, correcting people whose cuff rolling was sub-optimal. He wasn't mean about it. He was just...exacting.
The Japanese guests complied with bows and "HAI!". The foreigners bumbled along, trying their best, and getting a bit irritated. It was a hoot.
#17
Balinese funerals and how they celebrate death. I was sitting on the beach on my first day there and heard a crowd coming, carying food and playing festive music. I thought it was some kind of party or wedding until I realized they were carying a corpse.
Sebastiaan Mook 2 years ago
A lot of cultures have "festive" funerals. Saw a few over the years.
#18
As someone who has lived in the Philippines for most of his life, I am considered quite chubby or overweight here. When I travelled to the USA a few years ago to study, I was shocked when people over there looked at me and said I was quite fit. Huge culture shock in terms of body image, and an even bigger culture shock at the portions of food in the USA.
#19
Went to San Francisco. Was shocked to see the amount of homeless people there. Not to mention the amount of human s**t on the ground. It's literally disgusting, like third world disgusting.
You amercians need to fix that.
Izzy Jeanette 2 years ago
Oh now I'm scared... I'm flying there on Christmas Day (from Australia)
#20
I went to The Netherlands as an LDS (Mormon) missionary. The first person I tried to talk to stopped me and said, "uh, I don't speak Dutch, and I'm gay, so Jesus won't work for me". And he walked away. My companion just laughed and said, "welcome to the Netherlands".
Sebastiaan Mook 2 years ago
Netherlands being a very secular country in general, I doubt trying to "sell" mormonism was a success.
#21
Visiting China and seeing how aggressive/pushy people are. Makes sense, there are 1+ billion people, if you are polite and wait your turn you'll be left behind. So everybody is pushy, cuts in line, shoving you out of the way, etc. Of course I just had come from Japan where it's the total opposite....
#22
My parents are Chinese but I grew up in Europe, therefore I'm considered a banana.
Some years ago, i was visiting my family in China. We were in a very rural area with lots of small cottages. We saw a family eating dinner and my grandma asked them if we could join so we paid a few bucks and ate a meal with a random family. Not really a shock but It felt really weird.
#23
Back when me and my family flew to America (my first time), we landed in Houston to switch planes and went to a fast-food diner in the airport.
I ordered a milkshake and not only was it served in a cup that was like twice my size, they also gave me the shaker in which it was made so no ice-cream is left behind.
At that moment I was assured I was gonna love America.
#24
Nap-time is everything in Spain. Visited Barcelona a few months ago, and it was my first time in Spain. Couldn't believe when my friend told me that all the shops and businesses are closed because it's "siesta time".
Love my naps and all, but that just drove me crazy.
Edit: every siesta is a fiesta tbh
RadiatorAnkleSpider 2 years ago
It’s proven scientifically that humans that nap mid-day for a “siesta” are better for it. I’m always tired AF Around 3-4 pm. Spain has the right idea.
#25
Not me but my dad went to India for business and said there were children missing body parts, eyes missing, across their face begging for money. Driver told him their parents did that to them to make them look more pathetic so people will give them money
R J 2 years ago
Indian here. It is very hard to comprehend the hardness of life some people go through in India. In fact. it is impossible to empathize because it is so different from life in the west for most. When people are super desperate, and they have no hope, no way to get out of the cycle of poverty, probably because of their caste and everyone treats them way worse than anyone would treat their pet animal, they lose sense of “normal” standard of compassion. Not to say that some people can just be EVIL. That’s also possible. But i don’t think it’s possible to judge someone like whom i mentioned from the lenses of a developed nation. We all have our lenses and ways of looking at life. We can’t expect to impose that on a completely different culture that has totally different circumstances
#26
When I went to Bangladesh with my girlfriend last year we went to the city her father grew up in before he came to the States. I remember at one point we walked past a station and seeing people climbing on the roof of a train due to the crowding, some in business suits, was quite an eye opener. After seeing that I have never complained about riding the subway again
RafCo (he/him) 2 years ago
You see this a lot in parts of Asia, also the Middle East and parts of Africa. First time I saw this was in Egypt, people boarding the train through the windows, climbing up on top. I thought, how am I getting on this train, lol.
#27
I live in northern Canada in a less than 800 people town in the middle of nowhere. So the first time I went to California was a massive culture shock. Big cities, 8 lanes of freeway traffic, having to lock your doors, skyscrapers (anything above 3 floors), subways, well... everything really. I think what got to me most was the lack of trees.
#28
Went to Egypt last summer. We had hired a personal tour guide because there was no way we would be walking around by ourselves in Egypt. The service came with an Egyptian government security guard to protect us, and at one point my mother asked our tour guide (not the guard) what life what he thought of the government right then, and he said it was great. Later when the guard was getting us into a site, the tour guide told my mom not to ask questions like that in front of the guard because he (the tour guide) could be punished for talking negatively about the government. Really scared me.
Vanessa Panerosa 2 years ago
What in God’s name would possess someone to have such a huge lapse of judgement? You’re literally hiring a guide with government security to simply *visit* this nation. WHY would you ask something so tone deaf???? Is she planning a stop in North Korea next to get a feel for it over there???
#29
Went to the Philippines.
On the trip from the airport a group of homeless children took control of a bridge and demanded payment for people crossing it. People actually paid too.
#30
The air pollution in major Chinese cities is so bad that your eyes water the second you step out of the airport. You also undergo a sort of acclimation sickness within the first couple weeks. The other thing about China, is that it's such an old country, that you have ancient temples and monuments, some 1000s of years old, right next to hyper modern 8 story shopping centers.
#31
When i went to London, all the faucets in all the public bathrooms had handles so you could turn the water on and off like a f**king adult, and all the stall doors went all the way to the floor.
#32
I landed in Juba, South Sudan. There were anti-aircraft guns on the roof of the airport, child soldiers in the tiny arrivals hall. The airport gift shop was selling loose raw eggs and salt. There were no roads, no electricity, no bank system, no running water and no garbage collection - so the entire city smelled of burning garbage.
#33
This is not as good a story as a lot of these here, just saying upfront. I live in the Netherlands. Water is all around me. From the sea, to the canals, to waterways dividing the fields between different farms. The first time I visited Iowa and drove around there it took me a couple of days to realise there wasn't any water between the fields and acres. Sure, there's a river and what not, but essentially it's just endless actual ground. It made me feel uneasy for a couple of minutes.
#34
Not being able to flush toilet paper in most of Latin America. Trash bins full of sh**ty toilet paper in +35 weather.
Júlia Fortes 2 years ago
For me, it was weird to see people outside Latin America flushing toilet paper 😅 my mom always said I would clog the toilet, so I was like: you guys are ok with having to unclog that later? Like, wet paper with poop?
#35
On my first day in Tokyo:
Spending an entire train journey with two small girls (probably 4 or 5 years old) staring at me inches from my face like they had never seen a white guy before. The mother looked terribly embarrassed but didn't try to stop them.
Queuing up in a shop and being asked to stand in a different line where there was a white guy that spoke English at the counter for that line.
Discovering that Japanese pavements get dangerously slippery when it's been raining because of how clean the pavements are - There's no friction at all.
Going into a trendy cafe in Shibuya that was blasting out incredibly vulgar gangster rap music during the middle of the day. The lyrics were in English, so I guess that the owners of the cafe didn't know how inappropriate it was.
#36
I'm from one of the most unequal countries in the world, but going to India still blew my mind. Delhi is a heaving, throbbing city, people sleeping in literal dirt next to mansions. Perhaps the pilgrimage to the Taj Mahal was the most eye-opening. By far the most beautiful, perhaps most opulent, man-made structure I've seen on earth, but its mired in the most saddening poverty imaginable.
TDizzle 2 years ago
Yep, it’s the land of extremes alright. I spent time travelling there after my parents died, some of the poorest folks I met had the biggest hearts and the happiest have met. I left a part of my heart there and I can’t wait to go back. I’m saying that, the scenes of poverty and deformity outside the Taj Mahal will haunt me forever.
#37
I`m an American living in the poorest province in China and I have been thanked repeatedly for dropping the atomic bombs on "those Japanese monkeys." I have also spoken to someone who believes that all black people have Aids and they are responsible for spreading it to the rest of the world.
JoyfulZebra 2 years ago
I am not at all excusing their attitudes toward Japanese people, but perhaps it can be explained by how Japan treated China during WWII. It was absolutely brutal.
Jimifan 2 years ago
I live in China, and this is absolutely the reason. The Japanese perpetrated horrendous atrocities on the Chinese (just check out Iris Chang's book "The Rape of Nanking" for examples), but adding fuel to the considerable hatred is the fact that the Japanese government has refused to acknowledge the well-documented atrocities.
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Gabby M 2 years ago
Doesn't make the prejudice any better. In fact, it just makes it more sad that even more people believe in such nonsense.
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Pieter LeGrande 2 years ago
As my lovely grandmother once said: I'm not racist, I like Chinese people and I have several black friends it's just gypsies I can't stand.
Load More Replies... Leslie Donsen 2 years ago
Japan did occupy China for 20+ years. Japan had possession of roughly 25% of China's territory and more than 1/3 of its population. Beyond its areas of direct control, Japan carried out bombing campaigns, looting, massacres and raids deep into the mainland. Early 20's to late 40's.
Susan Raskin 2 years ago
I think the point is how living in a communist country one is not privy to independent news sources. The State New Media controls everything the population is told. How would they know that AIDS knows no particular race and it can affect everyone, we are are susceptible to AIDS if we are exposed to it. As for the brutality of war, it is part of history and has happened time and time again. The Christians with the Crusades, Hitler and Germany with the Jews, gypsys and gay men. Vietnam was equally horrific. The statement is about much more than the brutality of the Japanese against the Chinese people.It is about the brutality of living under a dictator in a communists country. No freedom of self or thought.
Pieter LeGrande 2 years ago
Not just communists, or war- it's more the brutality of occupying armies.
Load More Replies... Vanessa Panerosa 2 years ago
Travel brings us together. Get out of your bubble. Educate yourselves. You will replace the fear with connection. The bigots are always the uneducated ones who will never, and have never left.
Jennik 2 years ago
Yes, but you are assuming people have the means to travel and access to education. Bigotry is when people have access to knowledge but choose to ignore it. The rest are simply uneducated - often through no fault of their own.
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enohPilivE 2 years ago
The People's Republic of China has a clearly evident policy of Han Supremacy. It is 90%+ Han. 2m religious and ethnic minorities are being held in Concentration Camps in Xinjiang Province - the Uighur Muslims. Then there is the long history of repression and violence against Tibetans of all varieties.
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Mary Kelly 2 years ago
you would probably find the same attitude in the phillipines and korea...the japanese f'ed a lot people over during wwII
Pittsburgh rare 2 years ago
Yes, everybody discussing how the hatred towards Japan is justified, but nobody mentioning a thing about how hard is for black people in China. Which country invaded them to make them so incredibly racist towards black people?
Kurtis Wethington 2 years ago
Not so much a "true" invasion, but it's a combination of 1) The wrong ideas about us from pop culture and 2) The old and not uniquely Asian belief that "dark skin= low-class". Look up "Lou Jing" as she talks especially about the latter.
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Bubbles and sparks 2 years ago
That's how politics can influence the truth :( Germany has produced the start of WO I and II, but it's not like all of Europe still holds the today Germany accountable for what happened generations before those who live now. That wouldn't be fair.
Jessica J. 2 years ago
Well, when the government has locked out all non-state run news sources...
SheamusFanFrom1987 2 years ago
I'm of Chinese descent, and while I have heard of Japanese atrocities during the early years of my country, sad to say that we lot can be pretty racists at times too. This is extremely apparent towards people of color or more tanned individuals. Rest assured, apologies and we are trying to fix that mindset moving forward.
gie 2 years ago (edited)
Unit 173 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unit_731 What happened to the Chinese and some Eastern Europeans, mostly Russians, in these Japanese military disease and chemical experimental camps are some of the most horrific and is more atrocious acts of evil I have ever read happen during WWII. Xenophobia and racisim are evil and do need to be understood why and how they came to be, not erased. In order to go forward, heal what is hurt, and prevent these crimes from happening again you sometimes have to really commit to reading about horrible things people have done to others in the name of war and science.
gie 2 years ago
Just remember, every country that has ever participated in war has conducted many experiments on humans and animals to advance their weaponization capabilities for destruction, other times it's just plain butchery and serial murder.
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Hugendubel 2 years ago
they are indoctrinated with hate for the japanese -fair dues - me being german goin to israel: people are super friendly and forgiving- in all my dealings with jewish people i have never experienced hate or blame.
#38
Went to Japan. First night at 1 AM in the metro and it was loaded with people in suits and other formal clothing looking completely exhausted almost falling asleep on each others laps, just an ordinary day for Tokyo people.
#39
I went to France and Belgium from the US and was shocked at the lack of the highway advertising. No billboards or anything
Sue Denham 2 years ago
First time out of the country? Most countries would prefer you to keep your focus on the road without too many distractions.
#40
Not from my travels, but I had a client that went to Bhutan. Real conservative lady, I ask how it went. She goes "It was great.......they really like.....male....genitals......over there" I asked her to elaborate. She said there were d**ks everywhere. Physical representations of d**ks on hats, on the sidewalk, everywhere. There was a parade where some important guy had a penis staff and "knighted" dignitaries with it. that made me happy.
#41
In Jordan, and I'm sure most Arab countries, if you compliment something, it's considered impolite for the person not to offer it to you. I thought the warnings were an exaggeration until my friend complimented a waiter's watch and the waiter had it literally unlatched, trying to push it into my friend's hands. Four is the appropriate amount of times to say no, and if you actually do want it, it's rude to say yes after fewer than three.
#42
I was in India earlier this year and their taxi drivers take you wherever they feel like before taking you to your requested destination. And would be deeply offended if you were like 'WTF, where are we going?'
So, that's how I ended up on a boat in the middle of the Arabian Sea when all I wanted to do was exchange money, and at a random zoo when I just wanted to go shopping. I eventually exchanged money and went shopping but had to go on field trips first to see the sites. Good times.
#43
So I went to Vietnam a couple years back with my friend Marcus. Marcus is black, I am not. We’re eating at this small place tucked deep in the mountains when our server comes up to us, his friend in tow. The server, without saying a word, saddles next to Marcus, strikes a buddy Jesus pose, and walks off to get our food. I looked at Marcus and said “You’re on some dudes twitter right now with the caption ‘Not Obama, but met my first black guy’ or something similar.”
Fricsmom 2 years ago
Hubby and I lived on a tropical island for a few years. Almost every time we were at a certain beach people from India wanted us in their videos or pictures with us. We were invited to weddings of Indian people we didn’t know. Apparently, it’s ‘good luck’ to have ‘white’ people at their ceremonies.
#44
The Chinese toilets that are just holes in the ground. It is even worse in the countryside, where there are no walls and you just don't look at each other when squatting, and everything falls in this smelly ditch underneath where you can actually see all the poop
#46
Germany: How f*****g clean are bathrooms. I've frequent to Germany for business reasons along with rest of Europe but Germany takes the cake in terms if cleanliness of the bathrooms. Every stay I had I found my bathroom to be absolutely spotless. I found their bathrooms to be cleaner than the rooms.
#47
Despite my parents being Argentinean, we eat dinner at around 7 or 8 Pm. You should have seen my face when I went to visit family and found out it's the norm to eat dinner there around 10 or 11 Pm.
M. William Bell 2 years ago
Many people in Canada consider 7:00 or 8:00 late to eat dinner! I don’t understand how they manage to get home and dinner cooked by 5:30, but I know many families that do.
#48
In Beijing old fat men do this thing called the Beijing bikini where they tuck the bottom of their t-shirt into the neck to expose their gut. It wasn't exactly a shock but it was hilarious.
They also let their kids s**t on the floor.
#49
When I first came to the country and found out "grounding" is a form if punishment when kids get in trouble or acts up here in America. Back in China I use to get beat with a stick.
Stardust she/her 2 years ago
My dad would hit me and yell at me. I just wish I was grounded instead
#50
Malaysia as a woman from the USA. I got harassed for wearing shorts. I got rocks thrown at me. A gun pulled. Men wouldn’t address me. The hotel we were at assumed I was a second wife to my married couple friends. In fact, I always had to convince them that I wanted my own room. I was never Ms. Mongooseoflove. I was always Mrs. AnyMaleFriendIWasWith.
What do you think ?
Emma S 2 years ago
I was surprised by how basic JFK departures lounge was. Considering it's a huge airport I thought they'd have lots of shops, restaurants etc. It was literally a few coffee shops and nothing else. The big UK airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, Manchester, Birmingham airports have departures lounges that are like shopping centres with shops, restaurants and pubs. Even Glasgow airport has more going on in departures than JFK. It's an unwritten law in the UK that holiday starts at the airport and the departures lounge is one of the few places it's acceptable to drink alcohol at 6am.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
I think it depends which terminal you're in. Terminal 4 at JFK, which I've come to know and loathe over my adult life, has very few real shops compared to many other airports. I don't count a 'kiosk" as a shop, even if they do, LOL.
Load More Replies... Chich 2 years ago
Sort of in reverse. Spent some time in Kenya and Uganda. Finally returned home and on the way from the airport had to stop by a walmart to pick up a few things. Was blown away by how much stuff was available, and how much of it seemingly useless. I had gotten used to very little in the shops and much of the food local. Clearly recall a woman with a cart piled high and a talking fish wall plaque on top. Like WTF do you need that for?
Ruth Hempsey 2 years ago
All Walmart stores are like that, full of pointless junky cr@pola. ;)
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Bella10 2 years ago
I was visiting a Thai hill tribe with friends in 1998. They kept bringing out food and we kept politely eating it. Dish after dish after dish. Frog curry, fern stir fry… we honestly couldn’t eat any more, but didn’t want to seem rude. It wasn’t until I remembered from my Lonely Planet that in Thailand you should always leave some food on your plate to show the host that they were so generous that they left you stuffed and full that we finished eating and left the food. They were relieved and carried the remaining food back to themselves so they could finally start eating. We’re so used to being told to finish our plates, that we thought we were being polite, but really, we just needed to stop so they could eat the leftovers.
Deborah Harris2 2 years ago
I must spend my life in the toilet as both my culture shocks took place in them , First one whilst travelling in France I didn't know that they have same sex toilets and waited ages for a man to come out for me to go in, to have a man push past me and just walk in before me. I was told to just go in and yes it was a shared toilet...thankfully they had cubicles . The second time was whilst on holiday in Turkey, we went to a tiny place called Altinkum, any place that served food declared they had a toilet. The toilet consisted of a shed with a hole in the floor that you just 'shat/peed' in .. no toilet roll ....
Al Christensen 2 years ago
My first time abroad wasn't really a cultural shock. It was more a realization my mental image of the place had been created by Hollywood. It started during my taxi ride from de Gaulle airport. Oh, right, Paris also has poor and ugly parts, like other cities. Then, after I had checked into my hotel and had sufficiently figured out the lay of the land and the metro system, I started exploring the city. After a couple of hours I realized I was among people who were going to work, making a living, taking care of life's stuff, just like I had been at home. It's not all beautiful people at sidewalk cafes with "La Vie en rose" playing everywhere.
BoopBoop 2 years ago (edited)
It speaks well of you that you had that realization and didn't blame the entire city for not being like Disneyworld, because I can't tell you how many tourists I've heard complain that Paris is an actual real city and not like it is in Ratatouille. These were adults, too. They also complained that there were too many tourists in Paris, seemingly without any self-awareness.
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Erik Ivan 2 years ago
I was surprised on the difference between rural north Sweden and the cities in the south. It felt like I dropped onto another planet when I november down here 30 years ago. For starters, people actually thought there was nothing to do in thw countryside because "there are no shopping". To this day, I feel the same; there is not much to do in cities. No fishing. No farming. No just roamning around miles and miles away from nearest human. None of the essentials in life
Sergio Bicerra 2 years ago
In my country, and maybe in lots of parts of the world, is polite to leave your plate empty when you're invited to dinner, but in some countries it means you're not satisfied, so your guest served you more until you leave a little bit of food left, meaning you can't eat anymore
StrangeOne 2 years ago (edited)
I've lived in Canada my whole life, but I've seen foreigners bewildered with our culture. On the bus I was sitting across from a group of Brazilian exchange students (I'm assuming, but they were teens) and they were talking amongst themselves how weird dating customs are in Canada compared to . Apparently, from what this guy said, it's normal and acceptable in Brazil for a guy, even if he has a girlfriend, to give any other girls kisses in the air, hug them, compliment them, and the girlfriend won't get jealous, or lash out about it. He went on saying you just can't do that in Canada. Idk how accurate this is but it's something that's been living in my head rent-free. The people in Brazil I hear are also a lot more comfortable showing their skin and it's common for girls to take their tops and bras off right in the middle of an outdoor beach shop to try on bikinis. But that was told to me by a guy who knew someone who ran a swimsuit shop at a beach in Manitoba. Might've lied.
Alex S 2 years ago
My husband is French and kissing friends and even strangers on the cheek is normal. It's also much more normal to have close platonic friends of the opposite sex from a young age, so there is less jealousy around your romantic partner being close with opposite sex friends. People there just seem to be a lot more chill about relationships.
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Himory TheDreamer 2 years ago
I moved from an average sized town (not small that everyone knows each other, not giant that you can find whatever you heart desire) to a really big one whitin another state in the same country and it was and still is a cultural shock. Things have different names (specially bread which is commonly called a very ugly curse word in my state), people stare at my ID as if they don't know what it is, documents work different, not to mention how f*****g far everything is. In my state, in 50 mins you get from my home to the capital of the state, here in this place you can drive for 50 minutes and not leave the city.
Pieter LeGrande 2 years ago
What amazed me (from Australia) was driving long distance through Europe. The border between urban and rural land was so sharp and clearly delineated. Towns with houses and blocks of flats, then clean and green farmland. No intermediate zone of poorer housing with run-down gardens, areas of sheds and rusting machinery, piles of abandoned construction material, etc. You could literally stand with one foot in the rural area and the other in the urban area
Arianna An 1 year ago
#49 is so relatable, I had to explain to my mom the concept of grounding and then she was like "Why make you suffer long term when I can inflict the same amount of pain in less then ten minutes"
Lauren Christie 2 years ago
Yeah...almost zero people in Australia actually speak like #4, unless they're messing with you. Which is a popular Australian pastime.
Girts Frīdbergs 2 years ago
Much appreciation for info Loki. I think part of the problem are reasons why people downvote comments. There are times when someone should get suspended for something but it seems that people downvote just cause their opinion is different.
Pandora Pandora 2 years ago
This post makes you apprehensive about visiting some foreign countries 😳
MoMcB 2 years ago
The experiences gained outweigh this list by a million.
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Terese 2 years ago
There are stone really over-generalized statements here and racist choices for pictures. What’s up with Bored Panda allowing stuff like this? It’s a promoted article too.
Ali H M Salehuddin 2 years ago
This is why you need to travel. To see how wrong and anecdotal most of these are.
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Emma S 2 years ago
I was surprised by how basic JFK departures lounge was. Considering it's a huge airport I thought they'd have lots of shops, restaurants etc. It was literally a few coffee shops and nothing else. The big UK airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Stanstead, Manchester, Birmingham airports have departures lounges that are like shopping centres with shops, restaurants and pubs. Even Glasgow airport has more going on in departures than JFK. It's an unwritten law in the UK that holiday starts at the airport and the departures lounge is one of the few places it's acceptable to drink alcohol at 6am.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
I think it depends which terminal you're in. Terminal 4 at JFK, which I've come to know and loathe over my adult life, has very few real shops compared to many other airports. I don't count a 'kiosk" as a shop, even if they do, LOL.
Load More Replies... Chich 2 years ago
Sort of in reverse. Spent some time in Kenya and Uganda. Finally returned home and on the way from the airport had to stop by a walmart to pick up a few things. Was blown away by how much stuff was available, and how much of it seemingly useless. I had gotten used to very little in the shops and much of the food local. Clearly recall a woman with a cart piled high and a talking fish wall plaque on top. Like WTF do you need that for?
Ruth Hempsey 2 years ago
All Walmart stores are like that, full of pointless junky cr@pola. ;)
Load More Replies... Bella10 2 years ago
I was visiting a Thai hill tribe with friends in 1998. They kept bringing out food and we kept politely eating it. Dish after dish after dish. Frog curry, fern stir fry… we honestly couldn’t eat any more, but didn’t want to seem rude. It wasn’t until I remembered from my Lonely Planet that in Thailand you should always leave some food on your plate to show the host that they were so generous that they left you stuffed and full that we finished eating and left the food. They were relieved and carried the remaining food back to themselves so they could finally start eating. We’re so used to being told to finish our plates, that we thought we were being polite, but really, we just needed to stop so they could eat the leftovers.
Deborah Harris2 2 years ago
I must spend my life in the toilet as both my culture shocks took place in them , First one whilst travelling in France I didn't know that they have same sex toilets and waited ages for a man to come out for me to go in, to have a man push past me and just walk in before me. I was told to just go in and yes it was a shared toilet...thankfully they had cubicles . The second time was whilst on holiday in Turkey, we went to a tiny place called Altinkum, any place that served food declared they had a toilet. The toilet consisted of a shed with a hole in the floor that you just 'shat/peed' in .. no toilet roll ....
Al Christensen 2 years ago
My first time abroad wasn't really a cultural shock. It was more a realization my mental image of the place had been created by Hollywood. It started during my taxi ride from de Gaulle airport. Oh, right, Paris also has poor and ugly parts, like other cities. Then, after I had checked into my hotel and had sufficiently figured out the lay of the land and the metro system, I started exploring the city. After a couple of hours I realized I was among people who were going to work, making a living, taking care of life's stuff, just like I had been at home. It's not all beautiful people at sidewalk cafes with "La Vie en rose" playing everywhere.
BoopBoop 2 years ago (edited)
It speaks well of you that you had that realization and didn't blame the entire city for not being like Disneyworld, because I can't tell you how many tourists I've heard complain that Paris is an actual real city and not like it is in Ratatouille. These were adults, too. They also complained that there were too many tourists in Paris, seemingly without any self-awareness.
Load More Replies... Erik Ivan 2 years ago
I was surprised on the difference between rural north Sweden and the cities in the south. It felt like I dropped onto another planet when I november down here 30 years ago. For starters, people actually thought there was nothing to do in thw countryside because "there are no shopping". To this day, I feel the same; there is not much to do in cities. No fishing. No farming. No just roamning around miles and miles away from nearest human. None of the essentials in life
Sergio Bicerra 2 years ago
In my country, and maybe in lots of parts of the world, is polite to leave your plate empty when you're invited to dinner, but in some countries it means you're not satisfied, so your guest served you more until you leave a little bit of food left, meaning you can't eat anymore
StrangeOne 2 years ago (edited)
I've lived in Canada my whole life, but I've seen foreigners bewildered with our culture. On the bus I was sitting across from a group of Brazilian exchange students (I'm assuming, but they were teens) and they were talking amongst themselves how weird dating customs are in Canada compared to . Apparently, from what this guy said, it's normal and acceptable in Brazil for a guy, even if he has a girlfriend, to give any other girls kisses in the air, hug them, compliment them, and the girlfriend won't get jealous, or lash out about it. He went on saying you just can't do that in Canada. Idk how accurate this is but it's something that's been living in my head rent-free. The people in Brazil I hear are also a lot more comfortable showing their skin and it's common for girls to take their tops and bras off right in the middle of an outdoor beach shop to try on bikinis. But that was told to me by a guy who knew someone who ran a swimsuit shop at a beach in Manitoba. Might've lied.
Alex S 2 years ago
My husband is French and kissing friends and even strangers on the cheek is normal. It's also much more normal to have close platonic friends of the opposite sex from a young age, so there is less jealousy around your romantic partner being close with opposite sex friends. People there just seem to be a lot more chill about relationships.
Load More Replies... Himory TheDreamer 2 years ago
I moved from an average sized town (not small that everyone knows each other, not giant that you can find whatever you heart desire) to a really big one whitin another state in the same country and it was and still is a cultural shock. Things have different names (specially bread which is commonly called a very ugly curse word in my state), people stare at my ID as if they don't know what it is, documents work different, not to mention how f*****g far everything is. In my state, in 50 mins you get from my home to the capital of the state, here in this place you can drive for 50 minutes and not leave the city.
Pieter LeGrande 2 years ago
What amazed me (from Australia) was driving long distance through Europe. The border between urban and rural land was so sharp and clearly delineated. Towns with houses and blocks of flats, then clean and green farmland. No intermediate zone of poorer housing with run-down gardens, areas of sheds and rusting machinery, piles of abandoned construction material, etc. You could literally stand with one foot in the rural area and the other in the urban area
Arianna An 1 year ago
#49 is so relatable, I had to explain to my mom the concept of grounding and then she was like "Why make you suffer long term when I can inflict the same amount of pain in less then ten minutes"
Lauren Christie 2 years ago
Yeah...almost zero people in Australia actually speak like #4, unless they're messing with you. Which is a popular Australian pastime.
Girts Frīdbergs 2 years ago
Much appreciation for info Loki. I think part of the problem are reasons why people downvote comments. There are times when someone should get suspended for something but it seems that people downvote just cause their opinion is different.
Pandora Pandora 2 years ago
This post makes you apprehensive about visiting some foreign countries 😳
MoMcB 2 years ago
The experiences gained outweigh this list by a million.
Load More Replies... Terese 2 years ago
There are stone really over-generalized statements here and racist choices for pictures. What’s up with Bored Panda allowing stuff like this? It’s a promoted article too.
Ali H M Salehuddin 2 years ago
This is why you need to travel. To see how wrong and anecdotal most of these are.
Load More Replies...
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