There are tens of millions of people who came to the United States in search of a better life. As we all know, living in the U.S. is a lot different compared to living anywhere else in the world, meaning that those who come here to work and live need to get used to a lot of things. With that said, there is no wonder they experience culture shock in all possible ways, meaning that they all have a story to tell. This is why the list below exists. It shares the moments of culture shock experienced by non-native U.S. citizens. You can read the whole discussion on Reddit.
1. The teachers
We are not sure how teachers in other countries behave, but American teachers are just as described here.
2. The ads
Some people are not that used to advertisements and there is no surprise in that, as America is known for its vast marketing industry that knows no limits.
3. The commercials
This is something very specific and we know that most other countries do not have such ads, but lawyers are popular in the USA, as you can anyone for anything you please.
4. The arrival
We guess that one of the best things about being in the USA is the number of soda machines out there that offer free refills, and this is something most foreigners find to be fascinating.
5. The food ads
People in the USA are known to be foodies, and this is awesome, as there is a great variety of types of foods and cuisine styles, not to mention the quantities one could enjoy.
6. The appetiser
This is what this country is great for. There is always that immaculate customer service that one could probably be surprised to benefit from, but it is a fact. The customer is always right.
7. The sizes
This person was obviously surprised to see the amazingly large portions served everywhere, and this is one of the perks about living in the USA – you get large meals and freer refills.
8. The packaging
Here is yet another something that is typical for the USA and its ways of living, and we like it a lot. The typical sizes of everything in the store are very large.
9. The flavors
It is always nice to be able to choose from a large variety, and varieties do not get any bigger than the ones you can find across the USA. We like all these tasty drinks.
10. The ads
This is not something that is super specific, but we still guess that it is a different thing compared to the majority of other countries across the world, for better or for worse.
11. The transport
This person was not used to having endless space around them, or the fact that there are services such as Uber that replace all other means of transportation.
12. The A/C
Here is something that might surprise you, but we guess that there are countries around the world that do not have A/Cs everywhere, and that is different from the U.S.
13. The care
We never thought about this much, but when this person brought it up, we can agree that Americans are very careful when they maintain dental hygiene.
14. The treatment
Americans are mostly very friendly and welcoming, and this is the kind of thing that is not so typical for many countries across the world. We guess that this is an awesome thing to discover about the U.S.
15. The beer
Well, this is not much of a difference, as there is root beer all over the world, but we guess that Americans really love this and drink a lot of this drink.
16. The early hours
This is something typical and we actually love the fact that everyone gets up early and life starts at around 7 AM, which gives a lot of room for activity.
17. The flags
If you love your country, then you need to show it to the world, and Americans like to show their love for their country by putting flags on their cars and homes.
18. The street
This is a post that shows the attitude of the people who built this country. They always follow strict protocols and they do what it takes to do their job the right way.
19. The red light
If you spent your entire life in Europe, you will probably be very surprised to see that you can legally make a right turn when the light is red, and this is an awesome idea.
20. The food
There are many people who try to accept the things people have accepted as normal in the USA, and this is one of the best ones.
21. The tipping
Some people are not that keen on leaving a tip, but this is a must when in the USA, and we understand that there are people who work and make a living thanks to the tips they receive.
22. The doors
There are tens of thousands of public restrooms out there, but there is one thing in common – most of them have doors that are not entirely covering the things that happen inside.
23. The travel
This is yet another person who was able to notice that the Americans they met were mostly genuine, friendly people who were always ready to help them however they could.
24. The sugar
Yes, this is a fact, and we need to admit that the majority of Americans love eating sugar in all possible forms. This is something that is typical for local foods and drinks.
25. The sidewalks
This is not entirely true, but we need to admit that there are a lot of places where sidewalks are either too small or they really don’t exist, so there is no way for pedestrians to cover a route safely.
26. The train
We understand that this person had a cultural shock the very first time they ended up on a train, but the shock was a positive one, and they compared the experience to a similar one in their home country.
27. The tax and tips
Here is yet another example of how one person was surprised to see that the bills they had to pay when at a restaurant, for example, did not include taxes and tips.
28. The questions
This is something we can confirm, and it all comes down to having a real community and being a part of it. People are polite and care about you, even if they just met you.
29. The kids
This person was amazed to see different races all in one place, and this serves to show that America is the gathering point and the home of all possible races and nationalities.
30. The sign
This is hardly something you could see abroad, but it is a typical thing for most places in America, and we don’t see anything wrong with it. It is just another instruction for all clients to follow.
31. The cheese
We firmly believe that the majority of people out there love cheese, and we happen to be among them. Still, the types of cheese you can find in the U.S. is probably greater than in any other place across the globe.
32. The beer
Many people in Europe are used to having a burger with a beer on the side, but this is impossible when it comes to having a burger in McDonald’s, for example.
33. The food
These are all facts that we know of, and there is no telling how many other things one might think of if they sit down and try to make a list of the things they accepted to be moments of cultural shock.
34. The stranger
This person gave an example of the friendly nature of Americans by sharing an awesome story about their personal experience, and we liked it a lot.
35. The scale
This is surely enough to make anyone be very open-eyed as soon as they set foot in the states. Everything is big for a reason, as it is a big country.
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