35 Aspects Of American Culture That Leave Non-Americans Perplexed

Shoes indoors.

It is *intensely* weird. It must result either in dirtier floors, or a need for more frequent cleaning and there does not seem to be a good reason.

The culture of just... Talking to people, strangers you dont know and just up and start a conversation with them or join a conversation.

Im British, and we go through great lenghs to not talk to people, let alone opening up and pouring our hearts out to a random person.

There's a lot. But I visited the US for the first time in December, and one thing that stood out to me: billboards. All along the highway. Billboards everywhere. Most of them for scummy looking lawyers. Why this?

I’m American but I’ve worked with a lot of people who aren’t. The one thing they always wonder is why Americans are so obsessed with the NFL. They think it’s a boring sport. They explained “you wait for 30 seconds, they hike the ball, you get about 5-10 seconds of action, then you wait another 30 seconds, another 5-10 seconds of action, then commercial break”

Why is that one Kansas, but the other one is not Arkansas? America explain. What do u mean its aRkAnSaW???

How you have to share a room with some complete rando when you go to college.

I'm american and I still don't understand why 5280 feet is a mile.

College and even high school sports. One of the last times I was in the US I passed a high school. Their football field looked like a university stadium — complete with lights, stands, logos, and advertising. My Canadian high school had football too but nobody cared about it other than the team and the players’ families.

My mom is from Moscow during the Soviet Era, and she is confused why there is no teacher-student hierarchy. She thinks it's weird when teachers participate in school plays or speak to students informally.

She also DOES NOT GET pajama day. To her, it's just the weirdest thing in the world. In Russia, there is an important distinction between "clothes for home" and "clothes for outside". They have a concept of "home clothes", like your cozy or ugly clothes, that you are supposed to change into after school or work. At bedtime, you change out of your "home clothes" into pajamas. As a result, pajamas, for both adults and children, are considered extra-extra private in Russia. My mom perceives pajama day as something extreme like wearing only undergarments to school. That's how private pajamas are considered to be in Russia!

Why your toilets have so much water in them? Just came back from a holiday there, very deep. Just seemed wasteful of water in some places I've heard with drought conditions before.

Also, the gap in public toilet doors as well. I've heard people mention before on reddit, but didn't realise until experiencing it. Never seen that gap anywhere else in the world I've been.

American high schools. Growing up watching American media made my perception of high school so distorted. Apparently at some point in one's late teens to mid-twenties, you're still attending school, but you're also dating on a pretty serious basis and have a car and a job (not to mention a fairly dedicated sports career), and if you're really driven you might also be in a band and tutor while managing the yearbook, school newspaper, and local Shakespeare production. And you still find another two hours to spend lunch with your friends at the mall!

Waiting like eight weeks after your elections until the new guy comes into power is pretty damn weird.

Why most of the shower heads are glued to the wall. How on earth do you wash your t**ts.

Housing codes, and why all your front gardens are just grass, and identical.

Why do Americans put their TVs so high up the wall? I understand that sometimes it’s because there’s a fireplace below where it should be, but how do they even watch the TV without straining their necks?