Traveling and seeing the world may cause a bit of culture shock. If you’re used to the bustling streets of New York City, it may take some time for you to adapt to the laid-back life on a remote island in the Philippines.
Sometimes, these experiences may not be too pleasant, either. These Mumsnet readers would know, as they share the biggest culture shock they’ve gone through in a recent thread. Some were brought to tears while witnessing India’s poverty firsthand, while others weren’t big fans of the cattle on the roads of Nepal.
But, of course, there are some good ones on this list, too, like how easygoing Brazil’s locals are. Enjoy scrolling through these responses, and feel free to share your own culture shock moments in the comments!
#21
Newcastle - it was snowing and all the gals only had a slip dress on and no coats at all
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55points
#22
Not necessarily the biggest one, but the most surprising one for me was the drinking culture in the UK. Not just how alcohol forms such a huge and destructive part of so many people's lives, but the casual acceptance of the prevalence of alcohol and the frequent excuses for drunk people - "Well, he was drunk, you know..." I always want to say, "Well, he chose to get drunk, so it's still his responsibility!"
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53points
#23
Being grabbed and stared at in turkey, even when not wearing particularly revealing clothes
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52points
#24
In China - being stared at openly at length with obvious curiosity as I was not Chinese. Those we met who could speak a smattering of English called us "Big Nose". Not meant as an insult I don't think, just their way of noticing our facial features were not in any way like those of the Chinese people.
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52points
#25
Texas was a huge culture shock to me - mainly because of the guns. We went to church with my family there, and every man in there was carrying a gun. My 5-year-old was wide-eyed at the notion of someone shooting someone at Mass!
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47points
#26
TV viewing in the US. It seemed so haphazard to me. Ad breaks mid-sentence of mainstream tv shows. The multiple religious channels. The whole set up lacked coherence to me.
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45points
#27
Japan had a lot. Going into supermarkets and genuinely having no idea what something was. Children wearing school uniform even on weekends to advertise their school. The quietness and uniformity. People just obeying the rules. Things like the inability to understand how someone could lose a bus ticket and instead of just saying “no you have to buy a new one” being sent through ten different people all expressing surprise I could lose it. They couldn’t just say no!
Oh and the shop workers having incredibly high pitched voices, acting like children and following you around.
Oh and the shop workers having incredibly high pitched voices, acting like children and following you around.
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44points
#28
I guess seeing the poverty in Cambodia. And the fact nobody was over the age of about 40. Lots of people with no limbs. Lots of very young kids living on the streets. This was about 20 years ago.
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44points
#29
Two spring immediately to mind that really threw me off kilter.
Arriving in India, first time I’d been out of Europe, and seeing the poverty and dirt and destitution everywhere. Cried my eyes out as it was all so raw.
Bangkok after a few months bumming around beaches, standing on a bridge looking down at several lanes of frankly mental traffic in the city centre, then waking down the steps and being hit with an array of sounds, smells, colour and chaos. Cried my eyes out as all my senses were so overwhelmed (but grew to love it!)
Arriving in India, first time I’d been out of Europe, and seeing the poverty and dirt and destitution everywhere. Cried my eyes out as it was all so raw.
Bangkok after a few months bumming around beaches, standing on a bridge looking down at several lanes of frankly mental traffic in the city centre, then waking down the steps and being hit with an array of sounds, smells, colour and chaos. Cried my eyes out as all my senses were so overwhelmed (but grew to love it!)
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38points
#30
I remember starting work in London. I was raised in the Midlands just outside of Birmingham in an ethnically Indian family who had come from Malaysia. In those days the Midlands was industrial and I had seen men running out of work at the end of a shift. The bit that surprised me in London was that men and women in suits were running up the escalators in the tube to get to work- not to bet out of work, but running to get there. Then one day there am I doing the same thing without really realising it! Also the way people would cram themselves into an already crowded tube.
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29points
When experiencing culture shock in a new country, it's interesting to see how different global cultures handle various situations.
For instance, the American way of life might seem perplexing to many, as discussed in the non-Americans' perspective on American cultural norms. This provides insight into some common misunderstandings that arise between cultures.