One of the most beneficial aspects of traveling is the opportunity to experience different cultures. Every culture has similarities and differences to what travelers are used to in their home country. However, sometimes travelers underestimate just how different the culture in a new country can be.
Let's take a look at some travelers that experienced culture shock when they visited a new country.
All posts have been edited for clarity.
Unattended Strollers in Copenhagen
“I was in Copenhagen and saw strollers outside of cafes. This seemed normal because it was Europe and the shops were small and the strollers were bulky. Until I realized there were babies in them. Apparently, it was totally normal to just leave your kid outside and trust nobody was going to abduct them. The idea was that the fresh air was good for the immune system.
Although Canada is relatively safe you’d definitely get arrested for doing that here!”
Ohio to New York City
“I moved from what was basically a random cornfield in Ohio to New York City.
Everything in my small town in Ohio closed by eight o’clock at night and was almost never open on weekends. If you wanted something specific, you had to get in your car and drive about an hour and a half to the nearest civilization.
If I wanted to order a five-dollar-footlong from Subway for lunch and have it delivered to the house, it would cost me about eighty dollars plus a tip. That was one of three places that actually delivered food in my town. Doordash didn’t exist. Uber didn’t exist. Anything that was popular and made life easier didn’t exist.
The stuff that did exist was extremely overpriced and took forever. The only other two options for food delivery were Jersey Mike’s and KFC which both cost around a hundred dollars for delivery. If someone tried to break into my house, it would take thirty to forty-five minutes for the police to arrive.
In New York City, everything is just open. Even better, I could walk to it. Everything is open and within walking distance practically all the time. If I wanted something, I could just order it online or take a twenty-minute walk to go to the store that had it. Either way, I was one hundred percent going to get what I needed with whichever method I chose.
I could order an Uber to a different part of the city and have literally thousands of options to choose from. If I wanted to order food, I could pick a restaurant out of thousands and it is more than likely open no matter what time. If someone tried to rob me, I would have to wait like ten minutes maximum for the police.
It’s crazy how both places are in the same country because it felt like going from a third world to first world country.”
Polite and Rude People in Korea
“I spent a few weeks in Korea and was shocked by how polite but also rude people were at the same time. It was nice when I walked into a shop because every employee greeted me and they actually seemed happy that I was there. They also thanked me after every transaction and said it like they genuinely mean it. If I needed to ask any random person on the street for help or directions, they were extremely willing to help me.
By rude, I don’t actually mean they were rude. For example, while riding the subway I was standing and faced the doors as we approached the stop where I was getting off. There was maybe a foot between me and the doors. It wasn’t a crowded train at all.
Some guy squeezed in between me and the doors before the train stopped to get off before me and didn’t say excuse me or sorry or acknowledge me in any way. I grew up in New York and if someone did that on a New York City subway, there would have been an exchange of at least a few four-letter words.
Rather than get all upset about it, I realized that was just normal there and not a rude thing to do. He wasn’t being disrespectful to me, he was just doing what people there do. I was intrigued by it more than anything.
While I was there, I felt a serious obligation to fit in with their way of doing things and not be the weird foreigner that didn’t understand the whole world wasn’t exactly like their hometown.”
Trying on Clothes in Japan
“I was in Japan and went shopping. I saw a shirt I liked and asked to try it on. The woman there didn’t really speak English, which was fine and all until she handed me a beige mesh bag.
She indicated that I should put it over my head. I was so confused like, you want me to put this bag on my head to try on this shirt? But when in Rome right?
I did end up buying the shirt and learned that stores have people do that because women wear a lot of makeup and they don’t want their products to get stained. I personally didn’t wear makeup but I understood why they asked people to do that in Japan. It was still weird to have this bag over my head though.
That being said, it was a pretty breathable mesh bag, mostly meant to keep any makeup off the thing you were trying on.”
Unsanitary Food in China
“I went to China for the first time when I was twenty-one with my mother because wanted to experience my ancestral home. Boy, was I in for a surprise! The biggest shock of all was the food.
We went to a wet market where we bought pork. The store owner chopped off a piece, and as she turned to get a carrier bag, the piece of meat rolled and fell on the floor. The store owner just picked it up and put it in the bag. I kept whispering to my mom that it fell and that it had been on the ground. She just whispered back that it was fine and we would wash it when we get home.
The restaurants were similar. We went for a hotpot and had to pick the fish we would eat. Once you picked the fish, they scooped it out of the fish tank, dropped it on the floor, and push it across the floor through the doors to the kitchen. I voiced my concern to my mom, but she assured me it was fine. I figured okay, I was in a different country, if it was normal there then I didn’t want to be picky.
I wish I was, my mom flew back to England the next day and I was staying for work experience. I had violent food poisoning for the next two days, starting the morning after that meal. So did my mother, except for her she was stuck on a plane with food poisoning.
She was gone before I woke up that morning, and I had never had food poisoning before. When I woke up in cold sweat and agony, I was sure I was dying and no one would know I was dead since my work experience wouldn’t know how to reach me.”
Introvert in America, Extrovert in England
“I am American and went to England. I am a quiet introverted individual, but in England it was so much easier to pass as outgoing and warm. I was able to do this because the English are a lot more quiet and reserved than Americans. Also, they don’t force themselves to smile when they don’t mean it as much as people do here. I remember being shocked when my boyfriend’s English mom thought I was outgoing. At home, everyone thought I was too quiet even when I was trying my best.
Also, the default hat sizes were smaller than they are in America. None of the hats that I tried on fit me. I almost busted up giggling when I looked around at the strangers in the gift shop and realized they all have smaller heads than me. Then again, maybe Americans just have big heads.”
Primary School in England
“When I moved from Hong Kong to England, it was winter and people started getting ill and were sniffing and coughing a lot. What shocked me the most was that none of them wore masks. I was ten at the time and attended a primary school. There were just classrooms of children coughing and sneezing everywhere like it was completely natural. In Hong Kong, whenever we got a cold or felt ill at all, we wore a mask to be considerate to everyone else, especially in school or workplaces.
Then when I got a cold, my mom gave me a mask before I got to school. That was standard procedure for us and just felt like it should be worn even though no one else did. But of course, all of the other kids just saw the new kid wearing a mask and I stuck out like a sore thumb. After quite a lot of stares and judgment and questions, I took it off to try and fit in. For the next few days, I just kept the masks in my bag as soon as my mom dropped me off. It seems so silly now that I think back to it but honestly, the judgment from the other kids was brutal, especially being new.”
Public Restrooms in Japan
“I’m from the Philippines and lived in Japan for three years. One of the most shocking things was that ninety-five percent of public toilets are extremely clean and well supplied. The other five percent are still in great shape by the standards of most countries and are mostly in the mountain parks. Even the Izakaya, Japanese bar, toilets are surprisingly clean and even supplied with mouthwash. The customer service at most places is great, especially compared to what I’m used to.
I’ve visited San Francisco and the most jarring thing was all of the homeless people. I also couldn’t believe how many people were using illicit substances in the streets. There were also American flags everywhere. Their national flag was a lot more prevalent than I was used to seeing in other countries I have visited.
I currently live in Ireland. My greatest surprise was being punched by a teenager that randomly passed me on the sidewalk. I was also surprised at how cheap some goods were like, yogurt, bread, and dairies.”
Dates for the Night in Greece
“I went to Greece in 2006 on a school-sponsored trip, and most of it was exactly what I expected and better. There were mostly kind people, beautiful weather, and historic ruins. I discovered my favorite place on the planet so far, Delphi.
But there was also a very eye-opening experience for an American high schooler. It was late one night when my friends and I snuck out of the hotel to walk around Athens. We passed a man on a side street who was standing in front of a line of boys who looked our age.
He stopped us and asked my female friend and me if we wanted boyfriends tonight. We just laughed and left. We talked about how weird it was that the old guy would ask us on dates for the guys, who didn’t look all the interested.
I don’t think we realized what had happened until we were back at the hotel telling our classmates about it, but I’m convinced that was he was auctioning off a bunch of teenage boys for the night.”
To-Go Drink in Singapore
“In Singapore, I stopped at a small store and bought a bottle of soda. I paid, they popped the top off for me, which I thought was nice; then they poured the soda into a plastic bag, kept the bottle, and handed me the bag and a straw.
That was many years ago. I wonder if they still do that.”
Riding Bikes in Copenhagen
“I went to Copenhagen once on a whim. I’m American and don’t know any Danish so mange tak to the Danes for putting up with me. It was quite surprising to see just how many people rode bikes daily. Many of the bike lanes were literally as wide as the car lanes and elevated to curb level so that it was completely clear where cars shouldn’t be. I have rented bikes and ridden around some places before, but navigating a new place while cars whip by was usually terrifying, not so in Copenhagen.
I also found it fascinating that there could be a castle in the middle of a city and people could just casually hung out on the castle lawns on a random Tuesday. I had always pictured castles as these massively fortified areas, and not a place to meet up, walk the dog, and maybe casually drink Carlsberg while playing a spirited game of bocci ball.”
Wrestling in Thailand
“Everything in Thailand seemed kinda botched, especially stuff like electrical wiring, but it still worked. Despite everything looking botched together, the people were some of the happiest I have ever seen in a country.
Also, their obsession with wrestling was nuts. There were huge trucks driving through the city with actual wrestlers on it doing moves on each other just to advertise the wrestling matches. I still don’t know how traffic worked there. There didn’t seem to be a cohesive system.
I say Thailand but I was only in a specific region there and don’t know if this stuff applied to the whole country.”
To-Go Box in the Netherlands
“I’m Canadian, and while visiting the Netherlands I didn’t even think twice about requesting to have my dinner leftovers wrapped up to go. I never would have guessed that it wasn’t a more common practice.
My first tip-off was the semi-confused look from the server, but he took my plate away to the kitchen anyway, then reemerged with a strange container. He explained that all he had available was the container and that it was used to hold their produce in the kitchen fridges.
As someone who usually goes out of their way to learn the local customs and not make an embarrassment of herself, I felt like such a bubblehead.
I’m also used to politely smiling at others, like a passerby on the street or shop-staff, and this seemed to be misunderstood as flirting.”
Work Ethic in Belize
“I was coming home on the train at night in Japan. The stranger sitting next to me used my shoulder as a pillow as if it was the norm.
In Belize, it was the work ethic of the youth. I met a twelve-year-old kid who was raising money to go to school on the mainland who was just hustling. His mother would make crafts to sell to tourists, and the kid would sell them all day.
Then, in the evenings, he worked for one of the restaurants to attract customers. He made a few bucks for every customer he brought in. I’ve never seen a twelve-year-old work so unbelievably hard in my life.”
Portion Sizes in America
“I’m from Europe and it was definitely the food sizes in America. We went on a school trip to America and got some milkshakes.
We had this one teacher that everyone loved and she would sneak food from everyone so I thought I’d get a large one in case she wanted some too.
It was so big that two of my classmates tried to help me finish it and we still had to throw some away.”
Staying Dry in Korea
“I learned something interesting about rain in Korea. Every little convenience store sells umbrellas, which may be true in my home country of America, but I had never noticed it.
I was on a university campus in a student-center type building that contained a convenience store. It started raining very suddenly, and the store quickly sold out of umbrellas. As it was near lunch time, I asked my Korean friends that I was with if they wanted to go to the cafeteria together. They said no because it was raining and they had no umbrellas.
It was probably less than ten meters door-to-door from the student center to cafeteria. So I shrugged and left them, jogged across to the cafeteria, and ate lunch with some fellow slightly-damp international students. It was only when the rain stopped around fifteen minutes later that the cafeteria filled up with Korean students.”
Sun Protection in Thailand
“I was visiting Thailand and noticed that the locals used umbrellas to protect their skin from the sun for a twenty-meter walk across a tarmac to board a plane. The umbrellas were provided by the airline and collected as people boarded the plane.
I was aware that different cultures had different ideas about tanner skin compared to more pale skin but I hadn’t witnessed that level of care before.”
Honeymoon in Jamaica
“My significant other and I honeymooned in Jamaica. There were armed soldiers at checkpoints along the highway from the airport to the resorts. Also, we learned that due to the huge disparity in the value of the Jamaican and American dollar, resort hospitality was one of the highest earning job sectors on the island. A single tip earned by a bartender would often surpass the daily wage of most other residents.
We were shuttled around to different pockets of beautiful beaches and lively entertainers. However, there was a stark contrast on the few occasions that we left the tourist areas. If we lifted our heads up and took in the world around us, the average Jamaican lived very differently.”
Marketing in Upstate New York
“I traveled from Ontario, Canada to upstate New York to camp. I was shocked by how aggressively adult beverages were marketed. It was in grocery stores, corner stores, and practically every little hot dog stand at the campsite had a huge sign advertising Budweiser at the very least.
In Canada, adult beverages were on menus, but in the same way that a soup would be. It was just listed quietly in its appropriate category and maybe mentioned in the specials.
As for stores, a grocery store will have one aisle, if that, of adult beverages and none of the hard stuff. It just seemed to be a much bigger advertising thing in America!”
Crossing the Street in Vietnam
“I traveled to Vietnam and trying to cross the street in Hanoi, Vietnam was one of the scariest things I had ever done. You could spot tourists who had just arrived a mile away because of the look of apprehension and confusion on their face as they tried to figure out how to do it.
There are very few crosswalks with walk signs. In most places, you had to look for a gap in the traffic and go. In Bangkok, you just make had to make sure the flow of traffic would have time to stop before they hit you and you just went and maintained a constant pace.
In Hanoi, especially near the French Quarter, I just slowly walked into traffic. There were no gaps. I learned that the best way to do it was to put your hand out to let people know you were going, then just kind of maintain a slow, inching, walking pace, and traffic would part around you. It was absolutely terrifying the first time.”
Tipping in Japan
“A few years back, our family went to Japan for a family trip. We were in a restaurant, and my dad tipped our waitress while we were leaving. About five minutes after we left, we saw our waitress running down the street. She handed our money back to us.
We were all confused, so my dad tried to hand the tip back to her. She wouldn’t take the money and ran back to the restaurant. We didn’t realize this, but tipping is considered rude in Japan.”
Lunch in France
“The sheer amount of time that French people use for having their lunch. I used to get two and a half hours for doing my lunch as compared to a measly thirty minutes back in India.
Also, the people work strictly from nine to five and will not be available to you beyond that time, including their two-hour lunch break. I understand that they have a personal and work-life balance but it was just crazy for me. How does their country even work?
In India, we had food delivery services everywhere and you could get food at all times of the day which was really frustrating to get hungry at ten o’clock and not be able to get any food because all of the stores were closed.
The banking system in France didn’t send me a message every time I withdrew, deposited, or transferred money from my account. Also, the reflection of those things usually were shown after three to four days or sometimes even a week. I found that scary.
There are many more shocks that I received but these were huge for me.”
Waitstaff in Germany and Austria
“One observation that stood out to me was that the waitstaff in Germany and Austria basically could not care less about sucking up to customers. Which I totally understand because customers are a pain in any job. But I recall one morning at a restaurant in Vienna, I was somewhat indecisive with my choices on the menu and the waitress gave me a look like I was the biggest piece of trash, and then she walked off.
She just came back whenever she felt like it. In America, the waitstaff had to bend over backward for customers because they relied on tips to supplement their low hourly pay. That made it both amusing and distressing to encounter a waitress completely willing to tell me she had no time for my time-wasting self.”