TikToker Is Sharing 15 “Culture Shocks” That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines

Moving to a new city might feel disastrous to a teen. But leaving your life behind and starting a new one in another country? That's a real challenge for anyone.

Christen Eve grew up in Davao City, Philippines. However, when she was 15, Christen had to pack her bags for the US. Now 28, the singer/songwriter has been revisiting the big transition in a TikTok video series where she reveals the "culture shocks" she had experienced back then.

It provides an interesting comparison between the two countries so we figured you might enjoy it as much as Christen's 395K followers.

More info: TikTok | Instagram

P.S. If this turns out to be something up your alley, check out Bored Panda's publications on the "culture shocks" this Canadian woman went through after moving to Sweden as well as the ones this American woman faced in Australia and this Brit was exposed to in the US.

This post may include affiliate links.

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines When I moved to the U.S. at 15 I was surprised to find out that not everybody in the world uses cement and shards of glass as their security system. At our house in the Philippines we didn't have an alarm system, hell, we didn't even have a smoke alarm, but we had broken bottles of glass dammit and that's all we needed

christen_eve Report

Final score:

74points

POST

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines Breakfast in the Philippines vs breakfast in America. A huge adjustment for me when moving back to the States is how sugary the breakfasts are here.
"What do you want for breakfast?"
"Oh oil and sugar pls"
In the Philippines we always had rice for breakfast. I mean you had rice for breakfast, lunch and dinner, but like with fried spam, egg or like fried sausage w/ eggs. When I first moved here and I would try eating the typical American breakfast I would feel sick afterward honestly cuz it's just so bread-based and corn syrup and sugary

christen_eve Report

Final score:

71points

POST

Sara Rosen 3 years ago

Don't believe the sitcoms. The "typical American breakfast" is pretty rare. Most people just have a piece of toast or some yogurt and fruit. The whole eggs, pancakes, sausage thing is just a special treat.

101points

Auntriarch 3 years ago

Likewise the full English breakfast

19points

Load More Replies...

Katchen 3 years ago

Oatmeal every day.

12points

Sarah 3 years ago

No, most people just have cereal; it's easier.

4points

Bruce Kunde 3 years ago

Yes, The only time I've had a breakfast like that is on vacation

1point

Tee Witt 3 years ago

Eggs, bacon, maple syrup with sugar? and people call the English

1point

Celtic Pirate Queen 3 years ago

I agree. The "full" breakfast is usually just for Sunday brunch so multiple people have choices.

0points

Anne Mitchell 3 years ago

That may be, but having spent 6 months living in the Mid west and a total of 8 moths as a tourist over the years, bacon, eggs, (both scrambled and fried), sausages, pancakes with butter and maple syrup plus fried bread on the one plate seemed pretty normal on all breakfast diner menus. I once asked for a bowl of porridge (oatmeal) and the waitress seemed to think I was slightly insane.

0points

Pilot Chick 3 years ago

I’ve always wondered is people actually eat the breakfast pictured above for anything other than a special restaurant visit. I’m an American and my breakfast never looks like that. Too much carbs and sugar to stick with you until lunch.

10points

Tami 3 years ago

Plus, who has time or wants to take the time to make that big breakfast on most mornings?

9points

Load More Replies...

kennedy1209 3 years ago

Exactly. That is a once a year breakfast for me and I always regret it afterwards. Most Americans I know eat light for breakfast... yogurt, fruit, etc.

7points

Calypso poet 3 years ago

We have breakfast like that when we are on a occasional road trip, and usually it's just my husband. I'm a fruit, dry toast and 2 eggs person unless I'm hungover! He has a smoothie and coffee before work.

-1point

beastmachine. 3 years ago

Yeah even I find it pretty strange to have so much processed sugar early up in the morning, eating fruits is understandable but all those heavily coated doughnuts and maple syruped pancakes are a bit too much

8points

tuzdayschild 3 years ago

I don't think anyone eats pancakes every day. I have them 2 maybe 3 times a year.

6points

Mazer 3 years ago

You make the choices you make. An omelet is usually on the same menu as pancakes

3points

Eucritta 3 years ago

Here in the Western US, a breakfast of flapjacks (pancakes) & some kind of pork & eggs is Anglo traditional, and it's got connotations of hospitality & plenty. So outside of restaurants, if someone makes you flapjacks & bacon, it's like saying, We're glad you're here, it makes it a festive occasion even if it isn't a holiday. It's -not- a typical breakfast.

3points

Sara Rosen 3 years ago

Fantastic explanation!

1point

Load More Replies...

Kona Pake 3 years ago

SPAM… mmmmmmm!

3points

Nicki 3 years ago

Living in Hawaii for a few years gave me a newfound appreciation for Spam! Yum! 🤤

4points

Load More Replies...

Cheryl O'Meara 3 years ago

This is bullshit. The typical Filipino breakfast is full of sugar - longaniza (sweet sausage), tocino (sickly sweet sugar-coated pork), and rice. On the rare occasion that bread is served, it will be something similar to Wonder Bread, but sweetened. I have asked for brown bread in the past and was given chocolate bread, a lovely combination with the smoked meat that I had imported and saved specially as a treat.

2points

David Beaulieu 3 years ago

I dont think I know anyone that eats like that for breakfast more than once or twice a year.

2points

Lynne Harbison 3 years ago

On United Airlines our "breakfast" was a small sausage looking thing, a rasher of crispy, fatty bacon, an egg, a pikelet (too small to be called a pancake)...all swimming in Maple syrup. And what I thought was cake, was actually cornbread. Nearly vomited looking at it. Inedible. 😡

1point

Samantha Ervin 3 years ago

Rice is carbs. Carbs=sugar.... so you eat as much sugar a day probably!

1point

Paola Martz 3 years ago

I just get oatmeal and a fruits smoothie, and feel soooo full up to mid-day!

1point

OCDRobot 3 years ago

lol I hate pancakes, but will fry up some spam and eggs for breakfast from time to time.

1point

Mary Launer 3 years ago

As a kid we would have that once a week, now about once a month. I would also get sick if I tried to eat that every day

1point

Rickster 3 years ago

yes, everyone in america eats a gigantic breakfast *eyeroll*

1point

Ronualdo 3 years ago

Spam is for the rich here..growing up in the Philippines, our usual breakfast when we were kids were fried eggs and rise or with hotdogs. Sometimes if we have spare money, we buy corned beef or beef loaf.

1point

Hermitbunny 3 years ago

I don't really understand this one :x spam is pork, bacon is pork, the only difference I see is the wheat is not rice. Did someone else pour the syrup on his pancakes? Cause normally you choose how sweet you want them >.>

0points

Lolliegag 3 years ago

I don't even eat until supper time, never really have. Unless we go on vacation then ALL BETS ARE OFF MOTHERTRUCKERS LOL, I will seriously eat your face, joking of course. I stay too busy during the day to even get hungry, once I sit down though of an evening though, then I get the growlies!

0points

Tom Lippert 3 years ago

We have eggs bacon and hash every day. I don't know anyone who eats yogurt or fruit.

0points

Landro Domingo 3 years ago

Breakfast full of white rice is bad as well. It is very bad for diabetics especially due to the overwhelming carbs which is bad for type 2 diabetics. In the US, I just have coffee and an oatmeal and fruit with it like strawberries, blackberries or peaches. I don't put sugar on it. I use a teaspoon of honey that's it.

0points

Jessica Hudson 3 years ago

No one eats like that for breakfast in the US. Most people don't even eat breakfast.

0points

Ian Campbell 3 years ago

From what I've read and seen the whole American diet is sugar based!

0points

Teufel Wulf 3 years ago

That breakfast on the right would be a "treat breakfast" you get on vacation or on a weekend. Most of us who work probably have some bachelor chow and coffee

0points

Ean 3 years ago

these kind of breakfasts are normally reserved for a breakfast for dinner type thing or a really special day, and even then, it hardly ever looks like this, and most people, at least where i live, pick and chose the things they like from the plates and stuff. most days it's actually oatmeal or toast

0points

PR 3 years ago

That's not what most Americans eat regularly. Super sweets like donuts are an occasional treat.

0points

April Walters 3 years ago

I usually don't eat breakfast.

0points

BasedWang 3 years ago

Bread based? Pancakes....waffles aaaaaaand?

0points

BasedWang 3 years ago

Bread based? Waffles and pancakes.....aaaaaaand?

0points

lara 3 years ago

Then don't eat it.

0points

WilvanderHeijden 3 years ago

A lot of USA food products are deemed unfit for human consumption in Europe.

0points

A Head 3 years ago

Usually my US "breakfast" is a cup of coffee, but when I do have it, usually over the weekend, it's eggs, a bit of sausage or bacon, and some potatoes. Sometimes I'll do a full English. Sweet stuff is for right before bed.

-1point

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines Note: I understand this doesn't include everybody in the U.S.

At our house in the Philippines we always had lizards or geckos, whatever you wanna call them, all over the walls and they were great at taking care of flies and mosquitoes. It was common to just be, you know, going about your day in your house and all the sudden just hear *gecko noise*. And the other thing we always had was ants - ants all over the kitchen, forming a line, doing their thing. We didn't bother them they didn't bother us. When I moved here I was so surprised at how much people freak out over having these things in their house and ants in their kitchen, and they buy all these chemical things to get rid of them.

christen_eve Report

Final score:

71points

POST

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines I moved to the U.S. when I was 15, I'm 28 now... I still don't know how to not stare. In the Philippines, staring is not a big deal. It's not considered rude or bad manners like it is here in the States. Staring is Caring OK. If there was an accident on the road, you would always know, because a huge crowd would form in the middle of the road watching whoever got injured, yes, in the middle of the road with traffic continuing to go by, and of course because I grew up there since I was a baby, it is very normal for me to just sit and watch people. People would stare at me and I would stare at them. Now in America my boyfriend has to tell me all the time to stop staring

christen_eve Report

Final score:

57points

POST

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines McDonald's, McDonald's instead of McDo and not being able to order chicken and rice or spaghetti at Mcdonald's. That was a really weird one and I was super bummed out about it. Because the brown gravy that goes with the chicken and rice at the Mcdonald's in the Philippines is to die for and yes I would drink it

christen_eve Report

Final score:

55points

POST

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines In the Philippines I was so used to just leaving the house with my hair wet. Everyone did it, all the women did it, that's how I grew up doing it there. Take a shower right before you leave the house, and you just leave with your hair completely wet and not dried or styled. When I mover here and found out that's not really a thing I was like *squeak*. I still didn't care. I was like "I can't do this" even in winter I would leave the house with my hair wet and it would get so hard and cold

christen_eve Report

Final score:

53points

POST

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines The brooms! This freaking "broom" doesn't do s**t. My boyfriend and I got into an argument about this one day when we were cleaning the house because he was like "What's wrong with the brooms here? I don't understand. There's nothing wrong with them" I was like.. this thing you're gonna defend this really? When I had to sweep with this crappy thing for the first time here in the States, I was like I'm not gonna survive here. This thing does not do anything and it's awful it's stiff and just bleh. Now this is a broom that actually sweeps PROPERLY

christen_eve Report

Final score:

44points

POST

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines Everybody eating bread with almost every meal here and barely eating rice. Bread is a snack and rice is a staple

christen_eve Report

Final score:

41points

POST

View more comments

TikToker Is Sharing 15 "Culture Shocks" That She Experienced After Moving To The USA From The Philippines There weren't any Sari Sari stores anywhere. Sari Sari stores are everywhere in the Philippines and our neighbors had one next door so we would always go there and get snacks. You walk up and just pick out what you want, pay for it and just get it out of that little window right there. Also if you were out and about and you were thirsty, you could go up to one of these, you could get a little plastic bag that had been filled with water, tied at the top and put in the fridge. You'd just bite the corner and drink some cold water