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Traveling to a new country isn’t just about sightseeing and trying new foods, it also means stepping into a whole new way of life. And sometimes, that step comes with a twist you never saw coming.
Whether it’s realizing tipping just isn’t a thing, being handed dinner at 5 PM sharp, or that awkward moment you learn the toilet paper goes in the bin, not the bowl—culture shock has a hilarious (and humbling) way of shaking up everything you thought was “normal.”
In this post, we’ve rounded up real stories people have shared about the most surprising and eye-opening cultural differences they’ve encountered abroad. Keep reading to find out which of these shocks might catch you off guard, too!
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
American currently in Tokyo (17th country travele) and it’s the most insanely efficient, logical, and beautifully chaotic city I’ve ever been to. Things just make sense. Stickers on chip and bread packages to reseal them if you don’t finish them, no one locks their bikes in the neighborhoods, no trashcans around on sidewalks because you just take your trash with you, toilet tank has a sink so you can wash hands while it fills toilet and flushes, and amazing public transportation. Just a couple of examples of an extremely organized society.
Zele Jeffrey 7 months ago
There are no bins in Tokyo because of the Aum Shinrikyo cult Sarin attack. Thirteen people died and at least 5,800 were injured in five co-ordinated attacks on three train lines. Although the nerve toxin was released on trains they decided that public bins were to dangerous to have on the streets as they could be an easy target for other terrorist attacks.
Martin Ståhl 6 months ago (edited)
The reason the trashcans were removed though was because of a terrorist attack on the subway system and the future risk of bombs hidden in trash cans so they just removed them iirc
DrBronxx 8 months ago
Because it's when two different cultures clash. Culture clashes don't have to be negative. take litter, for example. If you grow up going to sporting events and leaving your rubbish behind you, it just feels weird when you go to an event and everyone stays to clean up after themselves. It's different, but it's a pleasant surprise. You'd be surprised to see how many foreigners litter when they first come to Japan. Good culture clashes lead to education and better understanding.
Load More Replies... DrBronxx 8 months ago
People do steal bikes. Mine was stolen once, and I never left it unlocked again. Toilets do have sinks, but you shouldn't really wash your hands with it because you're not supposed to use soap. We were told by Toto when building our house that soap can damage the pipes/system. So, we opted not to go for one of those toilet. It does have lots have other cool features, though.
June 7 months ago
I've heard that you just don't eat or drink in the streets in Japan 🤷♀️
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#2
Probably the homelessness in America.
I was not prepared for the sheer number of beggars and people camped on sidewalks and parks in a US state capital. It was dystopian.
WednesdayAddams'HashbrownOrder 8 months ago
It's only going to get worse in the near future, unfortunately.
Vinnie 8 months ago
I have no clue how T**p will bring back manufacturing to the US when there's much cheaper labor elsewhere. Child labour? Get rid of minimum wage? Put political dissenters in chain gangs?
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Michelle C 8 months ago
Unfortunately, some of the bigger cities are notorious for people experiencing homelessness. It is heartbreaking! 💔
CatD 7 months ago
Texas governor Abbott is notorious for bussing homeless Texans to California.
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Arenite 8 months ago
They tried rounding homeless people up in NYC, to get them into hospitals and shelters, get their various ailments, mental and ohysical, treated, get them on a path back to a life. One of them sued, saying she didn’t need the help, she wanted to stay on the streets and they were violating her rights by forcing her. Unfortunately, she won.
Kristján Haukur Magnússon 6 months ago
And they dare to call themselves the land of the free... free to do what?
#3
Kuala Lumpur. I thought London was multicultural but the huge amounts of cultures, racial and religious communities, and historical context behind those communities in KL were mind blowing. There's a mix of South Indian, Chinese, Middle Eastern, British and Portuguese influence there.
Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
I lived in the Kuala Lumpur area for a handful of years, and this is very true. In fact, I'll be going back there pretty soon
🇺🇦 🇵🇸 TribbleThinking 8 months ago
LOL. You're right. They're fairly relevant here. (To the international members - Malays are the majority ethnic group in Malaysia 😄)
Load More Replies... Abdullah Abd Rahman 8 months ago (edited)
Malaysia is the world's gold standard for multiculturalism,diversity and racial and religious harmony. The world can learn from us !
Kim Kermes 8 months ago
Try St Paul and Minneapolis. German, Polish, Norwegian, Swedish, Finnish , Italian, Greek, Mexican, El Salvadoran, Russian, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, Thai, Hmong, Lao, Indian, Pakistani, Irani, Kurdish, Ethiopian, Somali, Ojibwa, and I'm sure I'm forgetting some communities.
Hetal Vyas 8 months ago
One of my favourite places to go, been twice and I absolutely love it. It really is just like London (I'm UK) but hot all the time!
ErolHM 8 months ago
It looks like Bukit Bintang, the centre of KL. on the right side should be Lot 10 shopping mall.
Load More Replies... D 8 months ago
KL is a predominantly Islamist culture. There is nothing overwhelmingly diverse about it.
Der Kommissar 8 months ago
I talked to some Chinese people from KL. They told me the government favors Malays over other ethnic groups and is prejudiced against the Chinese. There have been riots in Malaysia against the Chinese, but not as extensively as in Indonesia, another Muslim-majority country.
Load More Replies...Let’s face it: most of us have, at some point, daydreamed about hopping on a flight and jetting off somewhere far, far away. Whether it's to eat pasta in Italy, hike in the Alps, or just escape work emails, the travel itch is real.
And clearly, we’re not alone. In 2024, a whopping 1.4 billion people became international tourists. That’s nearly 64% of the planet packing bags and chasing adventures.
#4
Coming back to the US was hard for me. I lived on a tiny island for almost 5 years, where everyone was nice and friendly. Everything was slow and laid back. Moving back to California was hard! It’s so loud, so many people yelling and driving! The stores are so large and bright and loud! And ALL THE PEOPLE! It was overwhelming! Took a while before I felt comfortable again. Still miss the quiet and the kindness. I also miss the FRESH FRUIT AND FOOD!! 🤣.
Ervin Conn 8 months ago
First time I drove broadway in NYC I felt like my eyes were under constant a*****t. I could not wait to escape back to the hills and trees. Trees don't honk at you!
Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
I left Florida to move abroad in 2014 and then returned in 2018. It actually felt good to be back in a familiar environment. But the thing I had the most trouble readjusting to was how expensive everything had become since I had left. It was so much harder to make a living. I actually couldn't afford my own place and had to living in a rooming house for the first time in my life. I stayed in Florida for a year before moving away again, this time to China.
Oops 8 months ago
Over here in germany, we were starteled about the loud american tourists. It was a very small city on river rhine, all we heard was yelling, bawling, hooting of them. When they met, they started a big tantrum howling like dogs, dancing around, yelling like crazy. in a restaurant they were dominant by their noise. why? Didnt they recognize how we live here and behave?
Dawn Marie 8 months ago
OKAY, Where were you. I am going and I am NEVER coming back!!!! You can have the US.
#5
Canadian here: that Kiwis dont always wear shoes when out and about. Nearly died the first time I saw people barefoot in the grocery store, the bank, or walking along Ponsonby in Auckland. The movie theatre even had signs saying shoes were required 😂.
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
I just saw a post on Facebook, on an Aussie page, asking opinions on this. It is more common in Australia the higher up the country you go (weather has a lot to do with it obviously). I personally don't care if others do it, as it's just as easy to track stuff in on shoes as bare feet. I go bare foot as much as possible at home but won't do it at the shops because I like to draw as little attention as possible.
Manic Mama 8 months ago
You know it's hot when the melted tar from the road sticks to your feet. Source: grew up in the outback NT.
Load More Replies... Skara Brae 8 months ago
I'll never forget Western Samoa years ago. Most people were barefoot everywhere, including the airport. Not kidding: some of them had soles thicker than my thumb. I didn't know feet could do that. Real, road-ranger, all-terrain feet.
CatD 7 months ago
I used to run barefoot in the summertime in South Texas. My soles got so thick I'd embroider them with colorful thread.
Load More Replies... June 7 months ago
French and tbh I hate the mentality here. I happened to break my flipflop one day and had to get back home bare feet. People were just so nasty, filming me in the subway (wtf !). I live in the third biggest town.. In Paris or Marseille you'll go unnoticed, but in Lyon ? hahaha sweet summer child, people are so nasty 🙃
Ididthings 8 months ago
new zealander here, the amount of people you see in supermarkets and walking around the streets barefoot is insane!!
Nichole Harris 8 months ago
Bwahahahaha I don't wear shoes 9 months a year.... Not anywhere except Church
#6
I was 19 and dumb. Finding a cockroach in my 5 star hotel in India. Freaking out and reporting it to the front desk and they're like "so what?"
Then having my roommates from Florida tell me cockroaches are common even in expensive establishments in Florida. I'm from the north and buildings here are condemned for having cockroaches.
June 7 months ago
French here, lived in the 4th floor above an italian restaurant and a bakery. Heard cockroach like flour, and I believe it's true cause it was the only place I've had cockroach in 20 years + 🤷♀️
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WednesdayAddams'HashbrownOrder 8 months ago
I'm from a hot climate, and have always had the occasional roach in the house. There are different kinds of roaches. The outdoor roaches that wander in sometimes don't mean your place is gross. It's when you have swarms of little ones in the kitchen and bathroom (because they're looking for food and water) that you have a problem. It sounds like this commenter isn't familiar with the outdoor kind.
Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
I agree that in tropical/subtropical climates, it seems roach sighting are inevitable. You're bound to see them in your place at some point. But interestingly enough, I have yet to come across any in my home in China
Motivated sloth 8 months ago
If they were as common in Florida as this post makes them seem, I would’ve fled decades ago. I’ll take snakes over roaches any day.
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Geoffrey Scott 8 months ago
I once walked AROUND one in Key West, stupid thing was about 5" long.
Motivated sloth 8 months ago
I live in Florida, for 42 years. An occasional cockroach is normal. Multiple cockroaches, even months apart is not. An ex lived with roommates who were nasty and just told her to get used to them it’s Florida. We’ve both lived here nearly our whole lives and it is most certainly not normal to see multiple roaches or see them everyday or every month even. People are just gross.
alaina66 8 months ago
Yep! Very common down here in Florida, so don't be surprised. We also have loads of geckos.. If I had any...I wouldn't know. I have an expert exterminator/hunter in my home...he is a 1 1/2 year old feisty kitty. I adore him, and his name is Jaxxy...he's an ORANGIE and a lover of geckos & bugs!
Sara Frazer 8 months ago
Yeah I was recently visiting my sister in Texas, and yeah, there's just cockroaches. At the apartment. On the sidewalk, in the parking lots, in the grass... Being from a very northern state, I was horrified. I'd never seen a cockroach that wasn't in an insect exhibit at a zoo, etc. My sister didn't seem to notice at all and I was just dying inside 😖
CatD 7 months ago
In Texas poor people have cockroaches, rich people have waterbugs. Same critter.😂
Load More Replies... Robin Roper 8 months ago
The type of cockroach infestation that would get a building condemned is not the same as finding a roach in a house in FL, USA. They are very different types of cockroaches.
Eliyahu Rooff 6 months ago
Keep in mind that there are a lot of different species of cockroaches, and while a lot of them will come into your home, not all of them want to nest there or make it their home.
Travel goals vary from person to person; some want to chase sunsets, and others are all about street food. But before booking those tickets, we all fall into the same research rabbit hole. You know, checking if there’s Wi-Fi, whether you’ll need vaccines, and if your bank account can survive the flight prices.
We make checklists, watch a few too many YouTube videos, and compare a dozen hotel rooms. Because hey, if you’re going abroad, you want to make sure you’re not stuck sleeping in a tent next to goats (unless that’s your thing).
#7
I remember being 18 in on the beach in Italy with some other American friends. We had been there several hours, and I noticed a girl who was topless. I actually had forgotten that European beaches were commonly topless so I asked one of the older people that was with us, and he told me to be quiet and walk down the beach with him.
What he was showing me was that when we weren’t talking people didn’t recognize us as Americans but as soon as we opened our mouth, many of the women around us started putting their tops back on.
Made me realize pretty quickly, how being an American was perceived by the Italians.
Lazy Panda 2 8 months ago
Some of the kindest, loveliest people I've met are from the US, but boy they speak so LOUDLY compared to most Europeans that it can feel very tiring to be around.
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Kathy Dragonfly 8 months ago
...it's not the talking, it's the obvious ogling that made them put their tops back on
Kristján Haukur Magnússon 6 months ago
I'm Icelandic, your shyness of being naked in front of strangers... it sometimes baffles me...because we simply don't care...
George Dunne 6 months ago
We know all of your accents and mannerisms. And we know the difference with Canadians, much more sophisticated in general and not half as loud.
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Panda McPandaface 8 months ago
Well without going back to Italy, tracking down all the women involved and asking them we'll never know will we?
Load More Replies... #8
That it is acceptable it is for people in Thailand (and other surrounding countries) to blatantly tell you you’re fat lol. It’s not taboo there to point out the obvious, so the first time it happened to me, I was shocked and embarrassed. But after living there for almost a year, I realized it’s perfectly acceptable in their culture to say things like this!
StPaul9 8 months ago
It means you eat well (heard it about a few countries in Asia). A compliment. It means you can supply a wife with a good meal.
Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
Believe me, in Asia this could also be an insult, depending on how fat you are and who you're talking to haha.
Load More Replies... Jacob B 8 months ago
This happens in Japan as well. Even at work you will get a fairly constant reminder from you colleagues that you should do something about it. And it works, Japan has one of the lowest obesity rates in the whole world (ofc healthy food is also a factor). Fat people really stand out. If you hear it, it is by no means a compliment, but it also has a certain amount of good will behind it. They legitimately want you to get healthier.
Royal Stray 8 months ago (edited)
Not sure if it's still a thing, but companies used to have to pay an extra tax if too many of their workers were above a certain weight or BMI
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Luke Branwen 8 months ago
As a fat person, I can say it's acceptable basically anywhere. Fatshaming is apparently ok as long as you give some BS excuse like "I care about their health!"
Margaret Shannon 8 months ago
But no one does. No one has ever offered to help me with my stress eating. No random stranger has ever cared enough about my health to be an exercise buddy or plan a diet I can follow. They just like to @buse me.
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Janelle Collard 8 months ago
"And you're ugly. I can lose weight but you'll always be ugly." (A VERY old joke.)
Silviu Leibovici 8 months ago
only in western countries where food goes to waste in such horible way, telling someone is fat can come as injury... cause western culture, over-eating is not a rich people sport...
Panda Kicki 8 months ago
You dont even need to be fat to hear that. I was really petit due to health issues, like 22-23 in BMI when I went to Thailand for some relaxing. At least a nice change from everyone reminding me that I looked like a skeleton..
Russell Rieckenberg 8 months ago
Usually done to differentiate you from others in your group. If you are with three or four people, they will refer to each of you with some characteristic. The tall one, the short one, the fat one, the one wearing glasses, the bald one, etc. From then on, if hanging out with the same Thai people you might get stuck with the name "The fat one."
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#9
China and how dirty some people can be in public. Hopefully things have changed since 2013 but my first night in Guangzhou, I saw a grown woman walk up to a tree on the sidewalk, drop her pants and urinate on it right outside of the restaurant I was eating at.
Few days later, I'm on a 18 hour train ride to Guilin and a man in the corner of my train car spent most of the trip throwing his finished cigarettes/beers and spitting all over the floor. The grossest thing about this was that he didn't have a seat and would just put newspaper over his mess to sit down in that area.
Then at the Forbidden City, I saw a mother pull her sons pants down in the middle of the main courtyard and instructed him to go #2. When finished, they just left the mess.
These incidents and the seemingly constant littering/spitting from others out in public really turned me off to China. Sadly, I haven't and probably never will return there because of it.
Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
I feel for OP. I have definitely seen people recently allowing their small children to urinate publicly. I was with my daughter and her mom at the Great Wall a couple of months ago, and I saw a Chinese woman bring a little boy to the trash can to pee in it, even though the public toilet was fairly close by. And yeah, some people do spit on the ground a lot (I have never seen this on the train and hope I never do). All that said. I think OP was just unlucky to see multiple instances of this on the same trip. It's generally not that bad.
Ace 8 months ago
Spitting used to be an issue in Europe as well, especially back in the day when it was normal to smoke almost constantly throughout the day, combined with poor air quality with a lot of coal-soot in the air, both outdoors and in. I recall when I was growing up in the UK that buses all used to have "No Spitting - 30s fine" signs on them.
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Inigo Montoya 8 months ago
The other thing I found off-putting is their inability to queue in an orderly fashion. As soon as doors are opened to a train or boat or event, it's a mad free-for-all of running and pushing others aside.
Cathy Jo Baker 8 months ago
And they do this even when they are not in their own country. I remember flying from MEX-IND with a layover somewhere, and at that layover when it was time to board, this huge group of Chinese travelers just swarmed the desk. They didn't care about boarding groups or making a line.
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Linda Roy 8 months ago
And it's not limited to China. Their tourists spat over everything in Egypt. 😠
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Broccoli 8 months ago
I’m Chinese and I can explain this to you. Things have gotten better. It’s just part of the culture, people think it’s fine to do this. Yes, people do spit on the ground, yes, kids to go pee in weird places, and Chinese people are often quite mean and inconsiderate. For example, their inability to line up orderly. If you are a foreigner, expect to be shocked
Maikai 8 months ago
Hi can you help me understand the pedestrian ramming speed? What I mean by this is while walking, I get bumped and jostled hard enough by other pedestrians that I need to brace myself before I get rammed. I’m small so I’m just trying not to get toppled over. I find it comedic sometimes, but also kind of gross for me to get into others’ space for no reason.
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aubergine10003 8 months ago (edited)
Sadly, I saw activities like this regularly when I lived near Chinatown (NYC). People hocking loogies or blowing snot rockets on the sidewalk, mothers letting their kids pee on the subway platforms... ick
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago (edited)
It is difficult to leave a comment and not sound like an a-sshole.
But here’s the thing. No matter how much research you do or how many TikToks you scroll through, culture shock is very real. You might expect croissants in France or sushi in Japan, but are you ready for no toilet paper in the bowl? Exactly.
Experiencing a new culture hits different when you’re living it, not just reading about it. The sounds, smells, signs, and even how people cross the street can surprise you. And honestly, that’s what makes travel so fun.
#10
Im from Brazil and here our plumber systems are quite s****y (pun intended), so toilet paper must be discarded in the bin in order to avoid clogging, but in Scotland the signs were to discard the paper in the toilet, not the bin, that was so bonkers to me that I even took a photo of the sign to show my friends back home.
Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
I just...can't imagine doing this with my poop, especially on the occasions I have "mud butt".
Nils Skirnir 8 months ago
And often no TP. Just newspaper. Learned not to pick up the paper from the bin next to the toilet
Inigo Montoya 8 months ago
I have stayed in a relatively high end hotel in China where the entire second floor was a brothel. The women working there would flush condoms and constantly clog the plumbing.
Michelle C 8 months ago
The US is like Scotland in that sense. Discarding toilet paper in a trash can is rare.
Papa 8 months ago
I agree. I've only seen signs like that in coastal areas.
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#11
I love Spain. Love it! But the hours here are quite different than other countries: let’s talk meals: You wake up and have a little something. You go to work (say, 9:30?) and at 11:00-11:30 you have almuerzo - maybe a croissant and a caña (small beer). At 2:00pm (14:00) you go to Lunch. Now THIS is the big meal of the day - probably with friends, maybe with Mom - but it lasts until 4:00om/5:00pm (16:00-17:00). Back to work until, say, 8pm (20:00). You stop by a bar (tapas) or you go home. Either way, you’re not gonna eat dinner until 9:30-10:00 (21:30-22:00). Oh, and your children are on the same schedule. The restaurants don’t even open until 8:30 (20:30) at the earliest. Now, you gotta admit, that’s a different schedule. But not to Spaniards!
Auntriarch 8 months ago
The only way my parents could have coped with Spanish hours is if they arrived from 6 time zones away and didn't change their watches
Upstaged75 8 months ago
I would love that! I'm a night owl anyway. I ate dinner at 10pm tonight. I live alone so I can keep any hours I prefer.
CatD 7 months ago
I try to eat right before I sleep. I sleep more soundly.
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Kristján Haukur Magnússon 6 months ago
My dad lives in Spain...as an Icelander in the summer, I don't have a dinner schedule. The sun is always up...but my dad insists I visit him in the summer and christmas(when it is always dark), he never lets me order pataya...
Ace 8 months ago
Something like that. IME (Madrid) they'd go into work much earlier, like 7-ish, when it was still cool, then stop for cake and coffee around 9. Then quite often go home for Siesta (although they didn't call it that, IIRC) at around 2, back in the office from 5-7. Individuals varied, and also different working environments.
#12
Honestly my favorite is the use of kitchen scissors in Korea. Kitchen scissors are on the table with nearly every meal. When I taught there I’d ask students to list kitchen items as a warm up sometimes and scissors was always the first one mentioned. A lot of Korean food is shared and cooked at the table. So they’ll always put kitchen scissors and tongs on the table and someone at the table will volunteer to cut the food up.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago (edited)
American here and I've always used kitchen shears to cut up food even as a kid. I'm 50.
Motivated sloth 8 months ago
I didn’t start using scissors in the kitchen until I was 40. Now I have no idea why I didn’t before.
Load More Replies... Sara Frazer 8 months ago
I've found that kitchen scissors are really good for cutting pizza. Sorry that's about all my culinary expertise lol
To dive into this further, we chatted with Shikhar Jha, a travel agent with over 30 years of experience. He started at a time when travel planning didn’t involve likes or hashtags, just dusty brochures and landline calls.
Back then, people didn’t Google their way through vacations. They trusted their local agent to tell them what not to eat and which cable car wouldn’t get stuck. And Shikhar’s been there through it all.
#13
Being stopped and photographed in China.
I'm a 6 ft white guy lol.
Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
Yeah, I'm a big black guy living in China and this happens to foreigners a lot, unfortunately
HardBoiledBlonde 8 months ago
When I visited China crowds formed around me everywhere I went. I am a 5'10" woman with blonde hair and green eyes and the crowds thought I was a "Movie Star." My boyfriend thought it funny, but I was very uncomfortable due to lack of personal space.
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
My friend said he was really creeped out when he went to China when he was 8 because he had white blonde hair and blue eyes and people kept looking at and even sometimes touching him. Really marred the trip.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago (edited)
Conan O'Brien has a beautiful episode of his travels to Haiti. He was chatting up the children and they were so fascinated by his hair, skin and freckles that they were touching him. Nothing creepy about that at all unless you have never traveled beyond your personal cage. I grew up in S. America and the people were fascinated by my red hair and white skin. Get over yourselves, humans. There are many, many stories of tall tourists being photographed in Asian countries as they are not accustomed to 'giants'. It's fascinating to them. Just as their cultures are fascinating to the traveler. My personal culture shock was coming back to the states and how horrible and mean everyone is, to include teachers and peers. That messed me up as a kid. Even in the 70s and 80s, N. Americans were considered "barbaric". Nothing has changed, only have gotten worse.
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Inigo Montoya 8 months ago
I'm 6'4" and white. Been to china several times, and always constantly bothered for pictures. Many had never seen a Westerner before.
Broccoli 8 months ago
Yeah…people in China are kind of mean in that way. I am Chinese, and I’ll be honest with you, most Chinese people are quite racist. It’s not entirely their fault, since the Chinese government censors everything and brainwashes its people into believing that foreigners are bad and that all other countries suck. In Chinese culture, what might be considered rude in the US could be the norm in China. If you are obviously a foreigner, and you are in China, people will stare or take photos. They just haven’t seen anybody like you.
Broccoli 8 months ago
Some people will try to take a photo with you, since they haven’t seen westerners. And if you are black, Indian, or Hispanic, there will be Chinese people that will act racist to you.
Load More Replies... Nina Ali 8 months ago
Once, I was in the park in 17 Mile Drive, California. I was just sitting on the bench and reading a book. Then a group of Chinese tourists came by. One mid aged woman from the group came close to me, showed me her phone and said “photo, photo”. I thought she wants me to take her photos. But then she explained me that she wants to have a photo with me. I smiled and said ok. So, the whole group ( 10-15 people) stood on the line to have a photo with me. I felt like a celebrity for a moment. It was one of the funniest moments in my life.
Kristján Haukur Magnússon 6 months ago
lol that happens to me in so many countries, I like visiting small towns...it is like they have never seen a person that pale before...
#14
In Italy you cannot get a tram or bus ticket in the tram or bus. You instead have to buy it from a tabachi shop. OMG half of our time was spent in only looking for tabachi shops. And no bus driver would ever even look at us if we enquired about anything and would not answer at all. First we thought its racist rowards us as Indians and then realized they do this to all the tourists including white people.
StrangeOne 8 months ago (edited)
Ah, just like in Canada. That was one nice thing I liked about UK. Get on the bus and could pay however you like, get money back if needed, and no need for messing about with tickets and passes. Just pay and go. Get a day saver that lasts all day.
Rick Murray 8 months ago
Here in France you buy a ticket from a kiosk or a machine. Then you have to find an entirely different machine to "compost" the ticket (the time gets stamped on it). This seems ridiculously pointless given the ticket has the time of issue and date of validity, but taking the train without a composted ticket is a cardinal sin (and one of the very few times I've been "parley no French" because good god, just give me instructions and I'll do it right next time...).
Sylvia Faust 6 months ago
I Germany you also don't get train tickets in the train. Bus yes, but not train.
#15
In Egypt it was the lack of a queue. Instead of a tidy line to purchase tickets or anything, people just crowd up. They are not necessarily rude about it. It's just that until you figure out how to jump in , you'll never get a ticket.
CaliPanda 8 months ago
Germany. No queue for the loo. They line up and if the stall in front of where you’re standing opens, you get the toilet. Doesn’t matter how long you’ve been waiting. I’ve also seen this at Customs coming into to the US. It was the Germans pushing through the queue to get to the front of the line.
Remi (He/Him) 8 months ago
To some extent Italy too. Imagining it's a bit like a queue that just snakes left and right or a bunch of smaller queues helps a bit
Feral Crone 8 months ago
I'm in Türkiye and going to a doctor's appointment is wild. You HAVE an appointment, but it's kind of a free for all to actually see the doctor because people will just jump up and go ahead of you into the office even if you've been sitting there - and they just arrive and know other people are ahead of them. It was a wild experience the first few times to realize this is how it was, but now I'm used to it. This is when I see my endocrinologist at the hospital, it's not as bad as my primary care clinic, though it still happens there occasionally, too.
“Most of our early customers were Indian families traveling abroad for the first time,” he recalls. “They wanted full packages with food, guides, and even emergency shopping time included.” Shikhar laughs as he remembers the excitement on their faces when they first stepped into a foreign supermarket. “They were amazed by everything, bigger milk cartons, fancy escalators, even the vending machines!” It's all fun until someone accidentally buys sparkling water, thinking it’s regular.
“Taking 30 people to a new country? It's like being a teacher on a very jetlagged field trip,” Shikhar jokes. “Everyone’s curious, wide-eyed, and slightly overwhelmed. Tourist attractions are exciting, sure, but it’s the unexpected things that catch them off guard. Like automatic toilets or dogs wearing coats. People come back talking more about those little surprises than the monuments.”
#16
That smiling at strangers is very American haha. I have an epic RBF so when I make eye contact with strangers I smile. Apparently this is very American, as I’ve been told in multiple countries.
Ellinor 8 months ago
Yep. Iin France if you do this people will just think you're either really weird, or on dr*gs.
Multa Nocte 8 months ago
It's how I know I've finally been in a small town in France long enough - the people I have walked by for months finally start smiling when they see me.
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Cathy Jo Baker 8 months ago
If smiling at strangers shows that I'm American, I'm fine with it. There are worse ways of it being obvious that I'm from the USA.
Astrid 8 months ago
Yeah that's so true. I used to live in a large town, no one said hello. I live in a Dorset village now. Totally different vibe. I say hello to everyone i meet whilst walking my dog. Often stop and chat with strangers.
Load More Replies... fan of phish 8 months ago
Maybe I’m old or just really uninformed, but could someone please tell me what RBF is? I’ve been racking my brain over it and can’t figure it out 😆 thanks in advance
Bewarethere@gmail.com 8 months ago
Mainly southern. Up north we don't do that! And we like it that way!
#17
S******g in the street. Tamil Nadu, India. Next to a massive sign that said DO NOT S**T IN THE STREET.
#18
I rented a room in Rekyjavik, Iceland and it was quite inexpensive. Later on, I figured that out it's cheap because it doesn't have shower.
I ended up taking showers in a public swimming pool naked with 10 more people where you can completely see everyone since there were no walls between the showers. It was mixed-gender also.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
I just commented on the uni-s*x bathrooms and showers in S. America back in the 70s and 80s. I was a kid and it was no big deal. There were public baths, as well. No one messed with anyone and kids were safe. Nudity wasn't viewed in the same manner as in N. America. When I asked a relative why, she simply said, "Because, N. Americans are barbaric. They cannot handle nudity".
Gudrun Gestsdottir 8 months ago
Public pools don't have mixed gender showers for naked people in Iceland, there is no such thing as cheap rent there and it is written Reykjavík....
Andrea Ævarsdóttir 8 months ago
As another Icelander said here: there are NO MIXED-GENDER showers in public pools.
“One thing that really throws people off is pedestrian crossings,” Shikhar shares. “In countries like Germany, cars stop when someone’s waiting to cross the road. Our travelers just stood there for a while thinking, is this a trap? Back in India, you'd be waiting till next week unless you wave your arms like a traffic conductor.”
“France always makes a fashion statement, even when you’re just grocery shopping,” he says. “Our guests would walk into a store wearing comfy sneakers and jeans, and next to them is someone in heels and a designer coat just buying bananas. It’s wild.” He adds that this led to a mini shopping spree for some travelers who just had to upgrade their airport looks. The influence is real.
#19
In Hungary I got off the tram once along with a young girl I presume was around 11 or 12, (had a little cartoon themed backpack and everything.) As soon as we stepped off, she lit up a cigarette. I almost tripped over myself. It was not the last time I'd see a child smoking there.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
In S. America, us kids could drink and smoke. It was a communal thing.
#20
Going to the gym in Austria and it's all open showers, even in gyms built very recently.
Ace 8 months ago
When I live in the UK 30 years ago the (new-built) leisure centre changing rooms and showers were all open as well. Not sure what they find so odd about this, TBH.
Roxy222uk 8 months ago
They used to all be like this (just single s*x) but now you don't tend to find open showers anymore, just cubicles.
Load More Replies... Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
In the 70s and 80s S. America, there were unisex bathroom and showers. All open. No one messed with anyone. In restaurants, tables were shared and so was the food. I miss that.
Steven Glemboski 7 months ago
You mean no one messed with an entitled white lady i think
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Robert Sauers 8 months ago
I don,t find that odd , Most health clubs I have gone to or belonged to had open showers
SlightlyTarnished 8 months ago
This one is more culturally dependent. Where I grew up in the US midwest I didn't know anything but gang showers from elementary school, through college, and in gyms as a young adult in my 20s. Not until I started traveling and living internationally did I come across shower stalls in gyms or bathhouse settings. My experience has been mainly Asia, Middle East, and Africa they seem more modest and have privacy stalls for changing and showering. Same with urinals, I was always used to troughs or just a line of urinals without partitions. Europe, North America, South America, Australia gang showers seem more common.
Tom De Paul 8 months ago
At the YMCA in the US and some high school gyms and college dorms. Segregated by gender only.
Jan Moore 8 months ago
When my dad was stationed in Germany we camped several times. Most of the showers had separate showers for male and female but they didn't have doors. There was a wall about 6' away away from the shower part but no other cover. My mom said just turn your back and do your shower.
#21
I was once in a dark alleyway in Tokyo. It was my first time in Japan. Two older men with messy hair and leather jackets were being loud and carrying on. I was hanging around so I watched them for a while and before they parted ways, the men bowed deeply to each other. It was then I realized how important bowing was to the Japanese people.
Roxy222uk 8 months ago
Like when I was outside a German train station where there was a crowd of near-do-wells, drinking, smoking, and being loud (middle aged rather than youth), and when one of them finished his beer he walked all the way to recycling bin to put his can in. In the UK I'd have been impressed if it had gone in any bin at all.
Tom De Paul 8 months ago
Born yesterday? I've never been to Asia but I learned this from American popular culture.
“Now let’s talk about Germany,” he smiles. “People were shocked that everything runs on the dot. Trains leave exactly on time, even if you're waving and yelling from the platform. No one’s waiting. Also, don’t expect small talk with strangers. Germans are friendly but not chatty. It’s a different kind of warmth, efficient but polite.” A culture where being late is the real crime.
“Korea was another favorite,” he recalls fondly. “The tech there is next level, self-cleaning toilets, robot servers, and vending machines for things you didn’t even know existed. And people are so respectful. Bowing is second nature, and our guests were surprised by how much emphasis is placed on hierarchy and manners. Plus, Korean skincare? That was a whole cultural shock of its own.”
#22
In Britain, buying a bottled beer and just walking down the street with it.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I was going to get in trouble for it :)
Ace 8 months ago
For most of us outside the US it would never occur to us that there's anything wrong with that.
Ms.GB 8 months ago (edited)
I've only ever done that in Vegas. There are some places in the US that's allow drinks in public. I remember going to the Sunset Strip music festival. It was a festival where they had streets in Hollywood blocked off and made into a makeshift concert venue so you felt like you were at a festival and would forget that it's still considered being on a public street. I went to buy 2 giant beers for myself and my husband thinking he could save us a spot by the stage and I'd just bring the drinks back. I got 2 40s and started headed back out to the street. I guess a lot of people were trying to do that because they had security guards to stop us yelling "This isn't Vegas!" So I was stuck in a patio area double fisting 2 giant beers just trying to drink as much of them as I could. Eventually my husband got worried and came to find me 😆
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turk 8 months ago (edited)
Being allowed to walk around with alcohol is pretty much the case in almost all of Europe. I found it interesting in Berlin that on weekends, since they have higher deposits on bottles, the homeless would put bags out on the street next to them, and when you finish your beer you put the bottle in the bag so they can get the deposit money back. Also, while waiting in line before a hockey game, many older women would have carts to sell you beer and then take the bottles back when you were done. These weren't vendors, just locals making a bit of extra money.
Ervin Conn 8 months ago
That is legal in New Orleans. You can get a Hurricane (cocktail) to go.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
I lived in Key west and New Orleans. It was an adjustment coming back to Texas to not have that freedom. Even Seattle was lax. It blew my mind that you could buy liquor anywhere at anytime. ANYWHERE, ANYTIME. I am a Texas native and I have always despised this state.
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Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 8 months ago (edited)
In Indiana, alcohol is not allowed in parks at all. Unless there is an indoor area, like a pavilion. Then it's fine, so long as you don't take it outside.
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Learner Panda 8 months ago
In some town centres you would be in trouble. Just be aware of your surroundings.
StPaul9 8 months ago
Remember doing this in Hong Kong as well, but I'm prepared to not do it in Tokyo.
#23
In Switzerland cars stopped many meters before the pedestrian crossing when they saw me even if I wasn’t actively crossing the road yet. As an Italian I was SHOCKED lmao
Oh, and also: people greeting the bus driver when getting on and off in Scotland. In Italy we have signs that say “don’t speak to the driver” and they mostly ignore you so they wouldn’t even answer. Sometimes they pretend you don’t exist if someone dares to ask for directions (like: “excuse me does this bus go x and y” kind of questions)
Pernille 8 months ago
If I was an Italian bus driver I wouldn't interact with passengers either, the traffic would have scared me speechless. I love Italy, but the traffic is mad.
StPaul9 8 months ago
I love the amazing ability of Romans to find a parking space where there is in fact no parking. Just do it wherever.
Load More Replies... Jill Rhodry 8 months ago
Thanking bus driver is beginning to fade but still fairly normal in Australia and it's illegal for cars not to stop for someone waiting at a pedestrian crossing
DrBronxx 8 months ago
This is interesting. I always say "thank you" when getting off the bus. Whether the driver replies is irrelevant to me.
CultOfBambi 8 months ago
I moved from London to Brighton (smaller city on the coast) a few years back and one of the many things I really like about Brighton is how nearly everyone here (sulky looking teens included) thanks the bus driver when exiting the bus. It's such a small thing but for some reason it makes me happy. I used to do it in London as well as it's the way I was raised, but I always felt self-conscious doing it.
Load More Replies... Ace 8 months ago (edited)
It's common in Switzerland for a pedestrian to walk out onto a crossing without even checking for cars. As a driver you are expected to stop, it's the law, so why would you not do so? I''ve spent a lot of time in border areas between France and Switzerland and it's always amusing watching crossing dynamics. It's a question of double-guessing. If the car is on Swiss plates it's definitely going to stop, but only a Swiss person is going to step out until it's stationery; conversely the Swiss pedestrian will apply extra caution if they see a French plate. And in both cases the less local the plate (they have regional identifiers) the more caution you should apply. Oh, and AI plates means it's a rental car, so all bets are off; AG means it's from canton Aargau, reknowned for its poor driving, so the Swiss joke that the AG means "Achtung, Gefähr!" (Warning, danger).
Start Wearing Purple 8 months ago
AI is actually Appenzell Innerrhoden, a tiny canton in the north east, so there might be AI-plates that are not rentals. It's true, however, that many rental cars have these plates ;)
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sturmwesen 8 months ago (edited)
When I was exchange student in Italy my exchange partner told me not to wait for cars to stop but simply walk like I mean it and cross when I want.
Apatheist Account2 8 months ago
Indeed, they drive round you - I was told just to keep going at a constant speed. I was told off by a Swiss person because I crossed when the pedestrian lights weren't on green - even though I could clearly see no traffic for about half a mile in either direction.
Load More Replies... Leanne Hailes 8 months ago (edited)
Okay so the Switzerland thing is normal where I live too. But the Italy, bus thing i can't stop laughing 😆 😹 🤣 😂
sofacushionfort 8 months ago
Is that because it would be dangerous since they’d take their hands off the steering wheel? (Just kidding!)
OneHappyPuppy 8 months ago
I was absolutely gobsmacked to see Bulgaria doing the same as Switzerland - the drivers will brake at the pedestrian crossing if there's even a hint of a pedestrian nearby. This is not common in the Balkans. It happened in two different cities, two different trips so I think it's safe to say ot goes for all of Bulgaria
#24
In Indonesia it was common to see a family of 4 with no helmets all riding on a single scooter.
Howl's sleeping castle 8 months ago
Common in India too. Sometimes the father wears a helmet. Not uncommon to see family of 6 on a single scooter. Kids squished between the parents. One baby in mother's hand. One kid standing in front of father.
Nea 8 months ago
“ Not uncommon to see family of 6 on a single scooter.”- Indian here. I get the sentiment but it is NOT common.
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Ann Tiques 8 months ago
In Indonesia I definitely saw 4 people multiple times and 5 at least once. But perhaps more impressively, coming in from the airport, I saw 2 people on a scooter with multiple suitcases and one of the passengers had two of those giant fancy birdcages hanging on each end of a stick across their shoulders with large birds in them. And also smoking and using cellphones while driving scooters. Sometimes simultaneously.
Ann Tiques 8 months ago
The people with the birds were not smoking and using cellphones, too. That was poorly written.
Load More Replies... Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
Yep, I've seen this in Indonesia and Malaysia. In Indonesia once, I even saw kids riding ON TOP of a school bus when the inside was full :-(
Marc Wilson 8 months ago
Vietnam too. That and other loads. We saw one guy on a scooter carrying 32 folding chairs. 32!
Magenta Blu 8 months ago
Common in south America too. Pets ride with families too. And none wear protective gear or even shoes. Many people drive with sandals, or barefoot
“Japan? Oh, don’t even get me started,” he chuckles. “People were stunned by the silence on public transport. You could hear a pin drop on a train even if it’s packed. Also, the honesty! You leave your phone at a café, come back an hour later, and it’s still sitting there with a note on top. That kind of respect really stayed with our guests long after the trip ended.”
“Of course, people today are way more aware before they travel,” Shikhar adds. “Thanks to reels, blogs, and memes, they know what to expect, or at least they think they do. But I always tell them: being there in person is a different experience. And the best part of any trip is when something surprises you in the best way possible. That’s when memories are made.”
#25
Istanbul is a true culture shock. It feels like being in Rome and Cairo at the same time. So many cultures come together here. Some districts are quite religious, with numerous Islamic symbols and prayer calls, while other districts are full of youth celebrating and having fun, just like anywhere else in an European major city. It's a city where it truly feels like you have arrived at the border of Europe.
Also how in Istanbul you will see photos of Atatürk everywhere.
Apatheist Account2 8 months ago
For me, seeing signs to the two rival football (soccer) teams and worrying that I might end up in the middle of the two sets of fans was the worst feeling. That, plus the fact that, despite its location, it was absolutely freezing.
#26
There is an incredibly straight road across Santa Cruz, Galapagos, and every driver on the road wants to be first in line. It's a constant dance of passing and being passed at high speed, and then everyone arrives at the same time.
Lee Gilliland 8 months ago
In Egypt, if you get on one of the VIP tours you get a military escort that spends its t time passing each other ever time you're off the ship.
Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 8 months ago
That wasn't very clear. Once more, with clarity.
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#27
First time in Germany it was a shock to me that on Sunday everything is closed. We arrived early in the morning and had to wait until 9 am for the bakery to open. It was the only shop that was open on Sunday
Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
But only for a few hours .... ;). Anyway, in middle-bigger-big cities you can find some open shops at the railway stations.
Ace 8 months ago
Yeah, same in Switzerland and most of France. Tourist areas also have a dispensation so some shops are allowed to open on Sundays. (But the bakery will be open from much earlier, probably close by ten).
Load More Replies... sturmwesen 8 months ago (edited)
That's weird. Most bakeries I know open between 6 and 7... if you need anything else try a train station or gas stop.
Trillian 8 months ago
That's why we have Büdchen (kiosk) in the cities and very well equipped gas station shops in the countryside.
Caessy Meschar 8 months ago
In Berlin it's called Späti and they're only open late in the evening, but I would go to the main station where there's a REWE that's also open on Sundays.
Load More Replies... Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
In the 90s, I had a good friend that is German. We talked on the phone quite frequently and he told me about how things shut down at certain times and were closed over the weekends. Places that as an American just blew my mind. It seemed so...controlled.
Pferdchen 8 months ago
Just wait until you get to the laws on what you may or may not name your children.
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#28
Vietnam and the organized chaos of crossing the road with hundreds of motorbikes whizzing by was wild to experience.
Japan and how clean everything is. The roads, streets, subways, public bathrooms, restaurants, etc were always so immaculate.
Mel in Georgia 8 months ago
Was in Vietnam recently and had to be taught how to cross the street, slowly and purposefully, so the motorbikes could maneuver around you. SO much traffic but I never saw an accident! Everyone was a good driver!
Foxglove🇮🇪 8 months ago
That's how it was when I was there 25 years ago. Scary at first, but you soon got used to just launching yourself off the pavement into the traffic. But you have to keep moving - if you stop you will confuse the drivers and could get hit.
Load More Replies... Wang Zhuang 8 months ago
Maaaan, the traffic in Hanoi is insane, it's amazing how the Vietnamese manage it.
Dawn Marie 8 months ago (edited)
My sister(52) and her husband(54) moved to an American Military Base in Japan last month so he may teach. It scares the heck out of me, but they are so excited.
So tell us, have you ever had a hilarious or jaw-dropping culture shock moment while traveling? Which of these experiences surprised you the most? And did any of them sound like something that would catch you off guard, too? Share your stories and laughs with someone who loves to travel just as much as you do. After all, culture shock might just be your favorite part of the trip.
#29
Born and raised in Finland, interrailed around southern Europe for a month last summer.
How people approach eating in Italy was by far the biggest culture shock for me. Premade meals and sandwiches in supermarkets? Non-existent. Woke up late and want to have lunch at 15:00? Everything is closed until 19, sorry boo. EVEN IN ROME.
Ace 8 months ago
And look for foreign supermarkets like Lidl if you want to find pre-packed sandwiches.
Load More Replies... Jenn Smith 8 months ago
I can't fathom how freely you can travel. And eat. And health care and education too? Must be so nice ! Yay for y'all!
#30
I think it's a toilet under shower head in Hong Kong small hotels or hostels. You have a big tiled room just for sitting on the low stool and washing yourself from a washbowl, and then there's a toilet-shower combo in the corner for rinsing. First time I wasn't ready for forever wet toilet seat.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
I experienced that as a kid in S. America. Hence, the term Water Closet/W.C..
Roxy222uk 8 months ago
Water closet is about how the waste is disposed of. The other type is an earth closet, in which sawdust, hay, earth, or similar organic matter is scattered on the waste after someone has gone. Nowadays often called a compost toilet.
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MonsterMum 8 months ago
I see these 'bathrooms' in a lot of UK rentals now. A slumlord special
Remi (He/Him) 8 months ago
Yeah, those are a bit wild. Also our hotel room in HK was so tiny that it makes even the small Japanese business hotel rooms look spacious. Still big enough for resting after a long day of sight seeing
#31
This one is minor but I went to the cinemas in Thailand a couple times and before the movie starts, they have a pledge-like ceremony for their King for which you’ve gotta stand for. Kind of like a national anthem in the cinemas.
Kenneth Barns 8 months ago
Given kids in the US are often expected to make the Pledge of Allegiance (written by a socialist, with "under God" added decades later), and suffer the consequences if they refuse to do so, is Thailand any different?
Dragons Exist 8 months ago
"suffer the consequences"? What? I'm American and there was no punishment for not doing it, partially because it couldn't be legally enforced because of free speech - by high school, most people don't even say it, they just stand and wait until it's done
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Feral Crone 8 months ago
That's how it is in every theatre on an American military base - you stand for the Star Spangled Banner played before every movie.
Ahnjunwan 8 months ago
No, it is not illegal since you do not being disrespectful to the king directly but surely considered very rude. That means, if some thai punches you in the face for it, he likely does not face any consequences. The lese majeste law is however pretty easy to break, technicly, if you accidently step on a coin, it could be considered disrespectful to the king since his picture is on it. For that you face indeed prison if you are very unlucky
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#32
Going to the US for the first time as a kid. I went to get a soda in a random fast food restaurant. To my surprise the “small” soda that I ordered end up being a cardboard cup the size of my head, big enough to require both of my hands to carry it.
Inigo Montoya 8 months ago
The American love affair with oversized sugary fizzy drinks seems to finally be waning a little bit.
Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 8 months ago (edited)
Yes. Growing up, I lived on Pepsi and Dr. Pepper. Now I can't stand anything like them. I prefer iced tea. Slightly sweet or unsweetened. Sometimes hot, but then it has to be sweetened. Slightly sweet iced mint tea is the best.
Load More Replies... Roxy222uk 8 months ago
What do people do when they genuinely only want a small drink, like 300ml? Do they just have to find somewhere to tip the rest of the drink?
Susan Reid Smith 7 months ago
Now I know that 300ml is 10.144 fluid ounces.
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#33
In Iceland they sit outside in freezing temperatures and eat ice cream
Space Invader 8 months ago
Nah, that's the japanese mafia. (Okay, you may smack my head now)
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#34
I was 19 and on a short exchange in France. The mother asked if we wanted milk, in the morning. I expected a glass of cold milk, but got warm milk in a bowl. I was so confused.
Lynda Loyacono 8 months ago
We drank warm milk in S. America when I was a kid. Cow milk was rare, as goat products were predominate. But, yeh. Body temperature milk.
Ace 8 months ago
And mostly the morning coffee, intended to go with the hot milk, is disgusting stuff with chicory in it to make it more bitter. I hate that, always ask for an espresso if I'm staying in a French hotel.
Ellinor 8 months ago
Or you can be polite and say it was a misunderstanding and ask for a glass of cold milk.
Load More Replies... #35
This one was when I was a kid in Europe for the first time with my family. What shocked me was that restaurants in Italy can do a service charge per person. Being from Canada, I had never heard of this before.
It was only around €2 per person, but this was on top of our meal and tip. I even heard through another family member that when they had gone to Italy to another restaurant, they had the service charge, but extra, depending on where you sat (the closer to the water, the more it costs).
Ace 8 months ago
Not "on top of" the tip. The tip was optional. Oh, and this is not a "service charge", it's a cover charge, applied for the use of the table whether you just sit for a beer or order a full four-course meal.
LilliVB 8 months ago
That's for sure. In Italy the tip is nor mandatory, neither expected. Just a pleasant surprise
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 8 months ago
Some bars in France charge you differently depending on your level of politeness. "An espresso" costs more than "An espresso please" which costs more than "Excuse me, please may I have an espresso? Thank you."
Pernille 8 months ago
Maybe you'd be charged less if you didn't call it an espresso, in France it is just called a café, and if you must it it an express .
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SouthernGal 8 months ago
Also in Italy, some restaurants charge more if you sit at a table, instead of eating your food standing at counters. Full service vs self service I guess.
#36
One fun culture shock memory is the kissy faces you use in Myanmar to get someone’s attention. Everyone is sitting around blowing loud kisses at the waiters, haha.
#37
Swede in Czech Republic, Prague. Toilet in one room and shower/sink etc in another room across the apartment. Bizzare as a swede
Huddo's sister 8 months ago
This is semi-common (less than it used to be) in Australia. My current house is like this. Means you don't have to wait for someone to finish their shower to go to the toilet. Most of the time the toilet is connected to the laundry, so you use the laundry tub instead of a basin to wash your hands.
WednesdayAddams'HashbrownOrder 8 months ago
I feel spoiled as a middle-class American. Almost every place I (or extended family) have lived has two toilets in the house, unless they live alone. Plumbing is expensive, though, so I get it!
Load More Replies... turk 8 months ago (edited)
Usually, it's the toilet and a bidet that are in a separate room. Although, I've only seen this with a second sink in the room, too. This is pretty common in a lot of Europe. I like it, especially with a significant other, as you don't have to stink up the room if they need to shower or do makeup.
Ace 8 months ago (edited)
First thing I did when I bought my house in France was to install a hand basin in the toilet (room). Yeah, great idea to not have it in the same room as the bath/shower, but the implication is that they never thought that washing hands after using the toilet was a thing.
Bored Retsuko 8 months ago
Exists in some old apartment buildings in Germany, too. In Frankfurt in particular.
Howl's sleeping castle 8 months ago
My parents and my siblings houses still have this arrangement. Only flats, apartments have the same room for loo and shower. I have been living in flats for years so i have to adjust with the one room arrangement. Anyone who builds a house on a plot, opts for seperate rooms
88b26qv5sp 4 weeks ago
Yeah, that is very common in the Czech rep, even in small apartments. Also, I am glad I don ´t have a toothbrush and a toilet in the same room 😄 takes time for kids to think about closing the lid of the toilet when flushing…so win it ´ s a win win for us :)
Arenite 8 months ago
Oh I hate this! Do these people not want to clean themselves properly after using the toilet? How about when you’re throwing up? You do it once, but you know you’re going to vomit again so you stay by the toilet. How can you rinse your mouth out? Gross!
Maggie Fulton 8 months ago
Some older houses in San Francisco are like this. I lived in one place that had the shower and sink in one room and the toilet in a room down the hall.
Roxy222uk 8 months ago
When I was growing up in the UK the toilet would always be in a separate room to the bath and wash hand basin. But they would be right next to each other because of the plumbing. I still dislike having to live places where the toilet is in the same room. It'll always be a bit yucky to me.
#38
Living in the US for now and from Brazil:
1) Safety. I don't have to worry about going out on the street at night, robbery (well, not worry too much), I can safely walk around with my phone in hand, not be paranoid about taking my computer on a coffee shop;
2) Dating scene. Americans are soo slow when compared to South Americans and I always get mixed feeling. Also it feels like I am being interviewed on the first date.
4) Rain drainage. Non existent in the US. A drizzle leaves the place in shambles - you got mudslides, river overflowing, highways closed. We also got that in Brazil, but it takes waaaaaay more rain.
5) Friendliness. I find Americans super cold compared to Brazilians, and they don't seem to be very interested in anybody's life beside a their own.
6) News. In Brazil our news cover the entire world (what is happening in Brazil, US, Europe, Middle East, Asia, Africa). In the US? The US - sometimes there's nothing to show so they put some rescue or something of the like.
With all that said: I feel much safer here than in Brazil, but it is certainly different.
Motivated sloth 8 months ago
The US news is a disgrace. Centered on the US so you don’t know about what’s going on in the rest of the world and more importantly, how the rest of the world perceive you. Any time an illegal immigrant is arrested for a serious crime it’s all over the news and people are all worked up over it as if Americans aren’t doing all of those things and worse many times over on a daily basis. We’re taught that countries like Russia and North Korea and China have state run media and tons of propaganda but it’s nearly the same here! I can absolutely attest to the fact that Americans are egotistical and care only about themselves for the most part.
Emie N. 8 months ago
Not true. Plenty of news stations show stuff going on throughout the world.
Load More Replies... Lady Eowyn 8 months ago
Where in the U.S.? So many people just say America without stopping to think that this is a very big country and people in one area might see people in another area as just as strange as a different country might be.
Kit Black 8 months ago
Sounds like Op is on the east coast - go visit down south. They'll adopt you wholeheartedly.
Elwood Schwartz (it/that) 8 months ago
I was thinking southwest, due to the comments about mudslides and floods from a little bit of rain.
Load More Replies... #39
Being obligated to carry firearms in and around Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Norway).
And in hotels and bars in the area, there are signs telling you that "unfortunately" you can't bring your guns inside to places where they serve alcohol, and that you're reminded to leave your gun(s) in the designated locker by the entrance.
Nowhere else have I ever experienced it to be presumed that people in general could be carrying guns in the first place.
Definitely gave the whole town a certain "wild west" vibe.
Motivated sloth 8 months ago
How big is the gun you need to carry to handle an aggressive polar bear??!!
Load More Replies... PrettyJoyBird 8 months ago
You tube vlog couple lives there. Guns are for polar bears, they will track hunt humans for food.
Caessy Meschar 8 months ago
I follow a woman who lives there and she said in a video that polar bears are the only bears that actively hunt humans.
Load More Replies...
HardBoiledBlonde 8 months ago
This post is sorely lacking in context, e.g. need due to Polar Bears.
SadFatTortilla 4 months ago
Im in Oregon, in the U.S. and its open carry here, meaning you can just stroll around with a gun on your belt everywhere you go.
#40
Being asked if I want to add a tip when paying by card in Europe. I know they're hustling me because they think I'm American, but it's annoying after hearing Europeans always say how stupid tipping is.
sturmwesen 8 months ago
The thing is, that our tips (at least in Germany) are lower and not obligatory. I don't tip my barista for my to go coffee, but I will tip good service in a restaurant.
quentariel 8 months ago
Our tips in Finland are rare. Usually servers get them only when something exceptional happens. Like when they help with something that doesn't belong in their job. Recently I got 10€ for trying to explain where the nearest bus stop was and ending up drawing a quick map for them on the napkin.
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Cherry M 8 months ago
While most waiters don’t have to rely on tips in most european countries, it is still customers to leave a tip when the person did a good job and was nice to you. Then you tip around 10%, as opposed to minimum of „required” 20% for even bad service in the US. Not all places accept tips with card, and if they do, you can only tell them before you pay, you can’t add it later. So if they assume you might be from a country with a different payment system, maybe that is why they ask. Now, for living wages in the hospitality: in many places there are still a lot of jerk employers who take advantage of the service workers (as in don’t sign any contracts with them). I had such a job during summer holidays while in university. They never have me a contract so they didn’t have to pay any taxes on me, or any insurance or other stuff. My Daily wage was around 17€ for anything between 8-14 hours (they just didn’t pay for anything above 8).
Cherry M 8 months ago
It was a summer job for me but this was nothing around a living wage (or a legal one). On a good day I’d get around 40-50€ in tips. Most people would just tip around 10% for good service and nice atmosphere. I got some higher tips from foreigners when I served in their languages (othe than english) because it‘s something above expectations (and also they came from richer countries so they knew it was still cheap for them, both food and my tip). On smaller tabs, your 10% was less than 1€. Getting less than 10% on bigger tabs, but at leas around this 1€ was also okay. Getting nothing after providing good service always sucked, because if the custom is to leave a small tip for good service, nothing feels like unfair critics.
Load More Replies... Petra Peitsch 8 months ago
Get out from tourist-trap places. They are shítty everywhere in the world.
StrangeOne 8 months ago
Oh, because everyone is out to rip off just Americans. pfft. /s If it's on the card machines, it's an option for everyone.
Ace 8 months ago
It's still quite uncommon for the payment machine to prompt for one though. Most places it's not an option on the machine at all - only in the last year or so did I see one (in Switzerland) in a restaurant that gave default amounts that you had to manually select 'none'. the waiter pointed it out, I deliberately made a point of not adding a tip, but then as is common practice left a few francs on the table as we stood up to leave.
Rick Murray 8 months ago (edited)
Don't EVER tip on a card machine. The company is hustling you for extra money. If you want to tip somebody who has gone above and beyond (here in France a service charge is automatically included so tipping is optional) then slip them some cash. That way you'll know THEY get the tip, not some wan**r in head office.
Load More Replies... #41
The upper floor apartment I stayed at in Copenhagen had no curtains, including the bedroom. Not sure how I was supposed to get changed, other than with the lights off. Other apartments can see in, but I think the etiquette is that no one looks?
Huddo's sister 8 months ago (edited)
I'm amazed how common this has become in Australia, no net curtains on the windows even. When the Sky Rail was built in south eastern Melbourne I noticed how many apartments you could see right into. I don't get it. Even ground floor places won't have curtains sometimes.
#42
Italy-it seemed like every toilet has a different flushing mechanism.
WednesdayAddams'HashbrownOrder 8 months ago
I don't remember that from traveling in Italy. I do remember that all the tiny bathrooms had a bidet, making everything feel even smaller. One shower was so small, I couldn't help but turn the water off with my elbow every time I rinsed out my hair. (I'm not complaining - I loved Italy!)
quentariel 8 months ago
When I visited Italy, our hotel room had a chain hanging from the ceiling (or pipes above or something, don't remember) which you needed to pull to flush. Took us a while to figure that out.
Ace 8 months ago
It would never have occurred to me that there would be an idea of a standard flushing mechanism in any country. Chains, handles, buttons, levers are all to be found all over Europe. TBF if you buy a new one now they will all be basically the same, although slightly different say, between France, Germany and Switzerland.
Jenn Smith 8 months ago
I wish I could visit. But being American, they might note let me back in
#43
Traveling with a male friend ( saw him as brother and wanted to make his last time on earth fun) while being engaged and my fiancé being home, both UK and NL had big problem with this.
The way people view disabled people, like as soon as you are wheelchair it also means you mentally retarded, even if just a broken spine, apparently we need legs to think and should be shown pity or Downs people are seen as children until they die, that as Swede is so weird to me.
Marc Wilson 8 months ago
It's sadly a common perception problem. There used to be a radio programme about the issue called "Does he take sugar?"
Motivated sloth 8 months ago
Um…most places I would imagine. Most cultures apart from the Middle East recognize platonic friendships.
Load More Replies... #44
I guess the first time I got to a bicycle-heavy city. Coming from a country that is very low on using a bicycle as a mode of transport, especially back then, I was shocked at how fast they were moving, how I had to get out of their way. Needless to say I got honked at a lot before I got my bearings.
quentariel 8 months ago
I remember how hard it was to find my bicycle amongst the 300 others in high school. Especially as my fogged morning brain could never remember where I parked it that morning.
#45
Drive through banks in America.
Michael Largey 8 months ago (edited)
My city once had a drive-thru bookstore. It handled mostly college textbooks. You'd drive up, show them your schedule, and they'd get the books for you. They didn't last because the rise of Amazon killed off their non-textbook business.
Motivated sloth 8 months ago
This is not common in other countries? One of my banks has drive throughs that connect you to a banker on a screen and you can do pretty much anything you could inside the bank, loved that place. (Most drive throughs are just for withdrawing or depositing money) Now the only one of my bank “branches” near me is a drive through and I have to go a ways to find a branch I can enter.
Remi (He/Him) 8 months ago
Absolutely not common. Actually even physical bank buildings are fairly rare, because it's all online. Also drive through anything is a rarity as in Helsinki has a Macdonald's with a drive through , but I think that's the only place
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Microwaved Robot 6 months ago
When I first moved to Florida in 2000, they had Drive Through Convenience stores, those were cool, you could even buy Beer. One liquor Store in Upper Florida had a Drive Through Window, way too cool.
#46
France: alcohol served during lunch at work, they took the half full bottles of wine back to their desk
Ellinor 8 months ago
According to the French Labor Code (Code du Travail), Articles R4228-20 [49] and R4228-21 [50], no alcoholic beverages, except for wine, beer, cider, or sherry, are allowed in the workplace; may be served in the company restaurant or at special events
Ace 8 months ago (edited)
Yeah, never saw anyone taking it back to drink at their desks. Normally canteens sell it in 250ml bottles anyway, just enough for two small glasses with your lunch.
Load More Replies... #47
For me it was a reverse culture shock.
Getting off a bus in Istanbul after being in India for a while and having to remember that the cars were not expecting me to step off the pavement.
#48
No time to pack groceries in german supermarket also beer being cheaper than water.
StrangeOne 8 months ago
I need to remember I can do this at the grocery store when doing a bigger grocery haul. It would save me the anxiety and stress of having to hurry up. I avoid a lot of the cheaper grocery stores I should be shopping at because of this.
Load More Replies... #49
Alcoholic beverages are sold in special state-owned stores in Scandinavia. In supermarkets you’ll find only weak versions of beer and wine. Also, in Norway, even those weak beverages are not sold after 8 o’clock weekdays and even earlier during weekends.
Pernille 8 months ago
Not all over Scandinavia. And I even think it might have changed in Norway and Sweden. I'm from Danmark, and our neighbours used to come and buy alcohol as it is available in every corner shop.
Remi (He/Him) 8 months ago
You can buy alcohol in shops up to 8% alcoholic volume in Finland these days and the sale time ends at 21:00 in the evening, but the rules on that were relaxed fairly recently
Load More Replies... 
#50
How many people can fit inside of a van or microbus. I usually use the same public transport locals do and each time it takes a few moments to remember how cramped it can be. People sitting on top of you, hanging on to the sides, etc.
What do you think ?
StrangeOne 8 months ago
Each time I go to England I have to keep getting used to the different directions the traffic is going. Also, the cars mostly stop, actually come to a full stop, at pedestrian crossings. I still get a sense I should run, or go very fast as to not annoy a potentially impatient driver. There was only one time a British driver cut in front of us as we were crossing. Other than that, I noticed there wasn't that much different, people-wise. You got the nice, friendly ones. The passive aggressive ones. The ones who refuse to accept someone may have a different dialect/accent and pretend they don't understand you. There's the ones who don't care where you're from, you're just a person who happens to be in their presence. I wasn't offered tea half as much as my first visit. Manchester is very multicultural, as it is back home. The only difference is the history is richer and there's heck of a lot of people in the city center than I'm used to being around.
Roxy222uk 8 months ago
It's a rule of the road that drivers stop their cars if there are pedestrians at or using a zebra crossing. You should be able to safely step onto one without even looking (although that would a bit daft because unfortunately some drivers don't hover their foot over the brake and watch out as they approach one)
Load More Replies...
UpupaEpops 8 months ago
I think what surprised me most in the UK was that people were cussing out their friends, but the angrier they were with someone, the more polite they would become. I'm starting to think that whoever came up with the idea that the British are polite just didn't understand how much they were hated.
Brenda 8 months ago
Having to pay to use a public bathroom. Thank goodness a stranger took pity on me the 1st time! Different offerings at familiar restaurants & paying for condiments! Weirdest was not having ice for drinks. My local pub started keeping 2 trays of ice for my drinks! 😆
Apatheist Account2 8 months ago
Some of us live in climates where we don't need ice all the time.
Load More Replies... turk 8 months ago
My first trip to Europe proper (I had only been to the UK previously), my layover was in Zurich, Switzerland. I used a stall in the airport bathroom, and when I exited there was a woman janitor cleaning the bathroom. My initial panicked thought was that I had gone into the women's bathroom. But then I saw the urinals (and one in use) and other men and realized this was the men's. None of the men seemed to care and she didn't either. A bit of a culture shock, but you get used to it. And a lot of Europe has co-ed bathrooms, anyway.
Apatheist Account2 8 months ago
There are usually signs warning people that both men and women clean the bathrooms (although not seen one yet about trans people, but not been to an airport for a while). The UK is properly in Europe - just not mainland Europe or the EU.
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 8 months ago
Here in France you are considered extremely rude if you don't greet everybody when you first see them. Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour... But what a lot of cultural issue sites don't mention is that you are considered extremely weird if you work with a hundred people and say hello more than the statutory once. Keeping track of everybody is...a battle I've given up on, I'll just be the weirdo. But, then, I put vinegar on CHIPS (fries)! The shock! The horror!
DeoManus Argentem 8 months ago
Paying to use the restroom, no ice in drinks, paying for non-alcoholic drink refills, the cashier not bagging my groceries, not selling beer in gas stations (asked the guy in Groningen, NL where the beer was, he looked at me like I was crazy, and said, "we serve gas, not beer!" Lol)... just little silly stuff, I was aware of the big stuff before arriving.
turk 8 months ago (edited)
Which European country didn't sell beer in gas stations? I have bought beer in at least a few countries, although I usually don't shop in them often. Maybe the Netherlands is one of those countries that have state run liquor stores? Butin my home state of Indiana, they used to not sell any liquor in gas stations. Now, you can buy it warm there. Same with gorcery stores. Oddly, wine can be sold cold in weither. And just recently Sunday sales for package liquor went into affect, but just noon to 8 pm. So, we have crazy liquor laws, too.
Load More Replies... StrangeOne 8 months ago
Each time I go to England I have to keep getting used to the different directions the traffic is going. Also, the cars mostly stop, actually come to a full stop, at pedestrian crossings. I still get a sense I should run, or go very fast as to not annoy a potentially impatient driver. There was only one time a British driver cut in front of us as we were crossing. Other than that, I noticed there wasn't that much different, people-wise. You got the nice, friendly ones. The passive aggressive ones. The ones who refuse to accept someone may have a different dialect/accent and pretend they don't understand you. There's the ones who don't care where you're from, you're just a person who happens to be in their presence. I wasn't offered tea half as much as my first visit. Manchester is very multicultural, as it is back home. The only difference is the history is richer and there's heck of a lot of people in the city center than I'm used to being around.
Roxy222uk 8 months ago
It's a rule of the road that drivers stop their cars if there are pedestrians at or using a zebra crossing. You should be able to safely step onto one without even looking (although that would a bit daft because unfortunately some drivers don't hover their foot over the brake and watch out as they approach one)
Load More Replies... UpupaEpops 8 months ago
I think what surprised me most in the UK was that people were cussing out their friends, but the angrier they were with someone, the more polite they would become. I'm starting to think that whoever came up with the idea that the British are polite just didn't understand how much they were hated.
Brenda 8 months ago
Having to pay to use a public bathroom. Thank goodness a stranger took pity on me the 1st time! Different offerings at familiar restaurants & paying for condiments! Weirdest was not having ice for drinks. My local pub started keeping 2 trays of ice for my drinks! 😆
Apatheist Account2 8 months ago
Some of us live in climates where we don't need ice all the time.
Load More Replies... turk 8 months ago
My first trip to Europe proper (I had only been to the UK previously), my layover was in Zurich, Switzerland. I used a stall in the airport bathroom, and when I exited there was a woman janitor cleaning the bathroom. My initial panicked thought was that I had gone into the women's bathroom. But then I saw the urinals (and one in use) and other men and realized this was the men's. None of the men seemed to care and she didn't either. A bit of a culture shock, but you get used to it. And a lot of Europe has co-ed bathrooms, anyway.
Apatheist Account2 8 months ago
There are usually signs warning people that both men and women clean the bathrooms (although not seen one yet about trans people, but not been to an airport for a while). The UK is properly in Europe - just not mainland Europe or the EU.
Load More Replies... Rick Murray 8 months ago
Here in France you are considered extremely rude if you don't greet everybody when you first see them. Bonjour, bonjour, bonjour... But what a lot of cultural issue sites don't mention is that you are considered extremely weird if you work with a hundred people and say hello more than the statutory once. Keeping track of everybody is...a battle I've given up on, I'll just be the weirdo. But, then, I put vinegar on CHIPS (fries)! The shock! The horror!
DeoManus Argentem 8 months ago
Paying to use the restroom, no ice in drinks, paying for non-alcoholic drink refills, the cashier not bagging my groceries, not selling beer in gas stations (asked the guy in Groningen, NL where the beer was, he looked at me like I was crazy, and said, "we serve gas, not beer!" Lol)... just little silly stuff, I was aware of the big stuff before arriving.
turk 8 months ago (edited)
Which European country didn't sell beer in gas stations? I have bought beer in at least a few countries, although I usually don't shop in them often. Maybe the Netherlands is one of those countries that have state run liquor stores? Butin my home state of Indiana, they used to not sell any liquor in gas stations. Now, you can buy it warm there. Same with gorcery stores. Oddly, wine can be sold cold in weither. And just recently Sunday sales for package liquor went into affect, but just noon to 8 pm. So, we have crazy liquor laws, too.
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