Culture Shock (noun) - the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. With the advent of revolutionary transportation, like airplanes, and the Internet, our world has increasingly become connected. Sometimes, we forget that there are different ways of thinking, behavior, and cultural norms across the world. Thus, when we come across something different from our sense of normal, we're bewildered and "shocked." Have any of you guys experienced culture shock? Something in a different culture that was so wildly different from your normal way of living? Personally, coming from an Asian household, I was shook to find out that most Western households wear shoes inside their homes. I just don't understand why?? It's like you're tracking in the disgusting outside into your clean sanctum. I've even heard of people wearing shoes in their bed?? How does that not strike any red flags? I don't understand. It was just shocking when I stepped into my friend's house and they just gave me weird looks when I took off my shoes.
Yah, being Asian as well, the shoes thing was kind of a big surprise to me too. You're tracking dirt and germs and stuff everywhere staaaaahp X_X On the flip side, my non-Asian friends sometimes express surprise at Chinese-style dinners, particularly with stuff like whole fish/chicken served. They're usually used to food with no bones or a head still attached to it, so they sometimes quietly ask me "How do I eat this?" (Another thing is that everyone at the table serves themselves off the main plates instead of individual servings). I don't really mind explaining, though. Watching them struggle with chopsticks can be a bit amusing. XD
what a fitting thread after coming back from europe 4 days ago first i totally admit to wearing my shoes indoors all the time In the Euro Zone and the UK, I was a little surprised by the lack of paper money valued at one euro or pound because in the US I constantly carry a paper dollar or so with me. It's just coins. Also coins valued at two pounds or euros? You'd be lucky to even see a two dollar bill in America. Particularity in France and the French-speaking quarters of Switzerland; I knew that they fed you meals in courses, but I didn't know that meant four course meals. They just keep it coming. I'm not used to actually being served good food (ramen noodles at 11pm mmm) so I just sat there like, "will it ever stop? I'm not complaining because it's good free food but WHY ARE YOU SO GENEROUS" Some of you might know, but I collect pinback buttons to stick on my bag and was planning to get a lot in Europe. The UK? Picked up about ten. France onward? Didn't see a single one. As someone who finds lots of places to get pinbacks, their sudden disappearance was pretty weird. Does continental Europe not like pinback buttons? But by far the biggest change: THE BATHROOMS ARE NOT FREE WHY ARE THE PUBLIC BATHROOMS NOT FREE (lead to me getting culture shocked again IN MY OWN DAMN COUNTRY when i remembered that public bathrooms in the us were free after landing in jfk since i had not went into a public bathroom in europe at all because i wasn't gonna pay) There are probably more but I can't remember most of them or some things were just so close to the US' way of doing things.
I'm not asian, but my family never did that? We were always told to take our shoes off, so I find it strange to visit a friends house and take my shoes off and they have theirs on lol Wearing shoes in bed is cursed lol For me, my household was primarily english (like, im only the 2nd gen not in the UK) but one of my close friends in school was icelandic, seeing all the icelandic foods was interesting!
I don't know if this counts, but five years ago my family moved to Missouri where I guess people are generally more neighborly towards strangers. I didn't even realize this was the case until we went back to Utah to visit family and when we waved and smiled at people on the streets, they just looked at us like we were freaks or doing something wrong. Even when we just wanted to say that they had a cute dog or something like that. It was so weird to not get a friendly wave back from a stranger that we passed on the street.
