Culture Shock

[loud-ninja]

What are somethings you were culture shocked about visiting another country or state? Something that caught you by surprise. Something you didnt know before visiting.

 

[loud-ninja]

I just got back from Ghana a few days ago. Visited my girl's family. Her cousin asked me if I was culture shocked about anything. I had to think about it.

The amount of selling people do. Now I have been to many different countries and seen people sell many things on the streets. When I was in Ghana, you can get a lot just by stopping at a red light in your car. Outside of foods like boiled eggs, baked goods, peanuts and beverages, cats were selling kid toys, wind shield wipers, phone holders for the car and other things.

I was definitely amazed

 

[loud-ninja]

When i was in Egypt a few years ago, personal space was not a thing. Locals didnt have an issue with being in your personal space. I was headed to one of the pyramids, and a dude was selling head scarfs. He just threw it on my head (pause) without warning. Took it right off cause im sure he did that to many others.

Another moment was when this lady grabbed a ladies hand and tried to start writing henna on her hand. It wasn't for free and the women knew, so she took her hand back.

 

[Freeman]

When i was in Egypt a few years ago, personal space was not a thing. Locals didnt have an issue with being in your personal space. I was headed to one of the pyramids, and a dude was selling head scarfs. He just threw it on my head (pause) without warning. Took it right off cause im sure he did that to many others.

Another moment was when this lady grabbed a ladies hand and tried to start writing henna on her hand. It wasn't for free and the women knew, so she took her hand back.

First time I went to Guyana. Went out in the country to see a different part of the family. They didn't have a bathroom or running water inside the house. Had to use an out house and shower outside. That was wild at 12 yrs old. Had to use the out house one night and the neighborhood dogs just sat outside that mf. Everytime I tried to leave one of em would start growling so I was trapped until someone came looking for me. Smmfh.

Bees were also as big as mice which was a trip. They aren't aggressive or bothersome tho.

Guyanese Chinese food was too fire. Theres quite a few restaurants in Toronto now. Iykyk.

Coming from "poverty" then going to a 3rd world country is a culture shock in general. Its a humbling experience for real. Just a lot of shit you take for granted you never think about.

 

[Duwop]

Any time I go somewhere where you can't buy liquor after a certain time always catches me off guard.

Like you can buy beer anywhere, but the liquor stores close at 8 or 9. And never on Sundays.

 

[Air Dog]

when I went to south Africa I was amazed at the quality of their food, and how much healthier it was. we ate A LOT over there, more than we usually do but i actually lost a little weight. we noticed our poop was different. instead of big ol turds lol, it was like several pellets. kinda like deer droppings

the customer service everywhere was top notch as well, which was also a little shocking coming from the states

 

[konceptjones]

Going from MI to AZ was met with a ton of culture shock. Seeing folks up in Walmart open carrying had my wife and I asking the cashiers if someone needed to call the cops. We were then told that it was completely normal out there. Mexican women openly breastfeeding wherever they happened to be without a single care in the world was another one. What we knew as "Mexican food" in MI was a sad comparison to actual Mexican food made by Mexicans out there. Folks walking up to us speaking Spanish damned near everywhere we went and having to learn to say "Sorry, I don't speak Spanish", in the language was a thing as was re-learning to speak it a bit (I took it in middle school and twice in college). Also hitting the various Native reservations in the area and having it set in that going on the res was kinda like leaving the country was wild, especially since I had never been to my own until we moved out there. Also, the cutoff for alcohol of all types was 1am, which was different from the 2am I was used to.

There's a lot more to that too, I'll prolly write more sometime tomorrow.

 

[Matt123]

2nd grade moved from NY to FL (borderline AL) complete culture shock going from classroom full of brothers/latinos to bein 1 of blacks in the school. Never seen so many white people in my life . Oh and first time I seen the whole confederate flag thing displayed so frequently…. Fun times

 

[loud-ninja]

Going from MI to AZ was met with a ton of culture shock. Seeing folks up in Walmart open carrying had my wife and I asking the cashiers if someone needed to call the cops. We were then told that it was completely normal out there. Mexican women openly breastfeeding wherever they happened to be without a single care in the world was another one. What we knew as "Mexican food" in MI was a sad comparison to actual Mexican food made by Mexicans out there. Folks walking up to us speaking Spanish damned near everywhere we went and having to learn to say "Sorry, I don't speak Spanish", in the language was a thing as was re-learning to speak it a bit (I took it in middle school and twice in college). Also hitting the various Native reservations in the area and having it set in that going on the res was kinda like leaving the country was wild, especially since I had never been to my own until we moved out there. Also, the cutoff for alcohol of all types was 1am, which was different from the 2am I was used to.

There's a lot more to that too, I'll prolly write more sometime tomorrow.

Had a similar situation. Im from Maryland. I went camping in North Carolina. We brought a shotgun in case we ran into any bears. We stopped at a Walmart there for some ammo. My friend started to pull the gun out and I got mad worried. Didnt know it was a open carry state and didn't know you can take a gun in the store. Shit blew my mind.