Comments on: unexpected

By: canuck

canuck — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 04:11:54 +0000

This is fun.
Some of my most memorable experiences are:
1. Learning how to ask for the toilet in other countries…here at home we “politely” say washroom or bathroom. But I learned quickly in South Africa, when i woke up one morning in my tent to discover that my husband had taken the key to the facilities with him on his morning walk, and i had to pee. I went to the guard (because there are security guards everywhere in South Africa or at least there were 10 years ago) and he led me first to the laundry building, then to the shower room and then Finally to the TOILETS! Each country we visited after that, we were sure to learn how to ask for the toilet. But, that was another thing…finding public toilets. I have had very few experiences travelling in Canada where i could not find a public toilet…not the case in some countries, especially Spain seemed nasty.
2. All of the security in South Africa, especially Jo-berg, was a shock to us. There was alot of razor wire and security guards and guns.
3. And since i have started on South Africa…they put fried eggs on their hamburgers. That was new to me, but my husband said he had encountered it on his travels to Australia as well.
4. The first time someone in Australia said “good on ya” to me, I had NO idea what they were saying. And being the polite, small town Canadian girl that i was, i kept saying, “pardon me”. Finally i had to ask them to please say it another way because i couldn’t understand them.
5. We discovered that bar-b-quing means VERY different things in different places…
And i could go on and on…especially when you get into Asia…
One thing that my husband and i discovered is that alot of people in the world eat their evening meals MUCH later than we are used to. We would be going to bed, and people would just be heading out to the restaurants at 8 or 9 pm. We figured out that this was probably why we were getting such crappy meals at the restaurants we ate at and why we were the only ones there when we were eating.
I think it is fun to experience all the little culture shocks. Besides being able to travel, i have been so lucky where i live that we have been exposed to such a wealth of cultural differences…even just between regions in my own country! ha ha
Oh, just one more quick note. My husband is one of those ballcap wearing guys and i asked him about it…he says because when you play hockey or you work wearing a hard hat you need something to cover your messy head when you are done before you can shower…and if you are a farmer (which there are alot of around here) you need a hat to keep the sun off and the grime out. I think it just becomes a habit though because you see them alot…and i must be used to it because i find it attractive on some men.

By: l

Thu, 20 Nov 2008 03:29:41 +0000

petite, what happened to your blog site!? i can just seem goobledygook when i try to access it! (I’m in the google cached version now)

By: John from Florida

John from Florida — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 22:57:59 +0000

Got a kick out of “tannoy.” I’ll bet very few americans knew what you were talking about.

I have not found les francais, even les parisiens, rude.

I think speaking even a modicum of french in france makes a very big difference.

Only real complaint, those ridiculous hand held shower contraptions. How hard is it to attach a holder to the wall?

By: Hannah

Hannah — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 16:00:50 +0000

I’m originally from the American South like Leslie, so I’ve had to tone down the “Hey y’all!” and big smile myself, just about everywhere.
When visiting the UK, I had a number of hilarious language learning experiences. My favourites involved naughty words, namely:
1) that they were shocked by the “MF” word, while I was shocked by the “C” word
2) in my home state, South Carolina, “the shag” is the state dance. No, I am not making this up!
Also surprising in Wales was getting a lamb and leek pie lunch special (6 pounds, around $12 U.S. at the time) served with giant portions of French fries and steamed carrots and brown gravy poured over the whole thing. It was delicious, but enough to feed 3 or 4 people. Wish I had fasted first!

In France, what shocked me the most was:
1) Turkish toilets, of course
2) Men peeing in the street
But I loved the privacy of the stalls in the public toilets, and the highway system with rest stops on each side of the road at fairly frequent intervals.

In Germany, it was:
1) The exactness of their waste/recycling sorting, including hefty fines for non-compliance
2) That friends always seemed to want to go to out to eat at McDonald’s (not for my sake, because they loved it!)

I now live in Montreal, and what continues to surprise me is people’s relative brusqueness and directness, both French and English speakers.
Bus drivers, shopkeepers, etc. don’t necessarily greet you or say anything afterwards if you say thank you. The complete opposite of France, where you will get a talking-to if you don’t say “Bonjour” in any commercial exchange or “Excusez-moi de vous déranger…” before asking for directions.
If a French-speaking Montrealer wants directions, they will start hollering, “Allô? Allô?” at you. This took some getting used to on my part. I thought they were all on those wireless headset phones for a while and paid them no mind. One day, a lady started waving in my face and I made the connection. I got pretty testy with her about it (“whoa! ça va pas???”), but hey, on the upside, I found out what the “Allô” in the street was about!
Also, when Montrealers have parties, they will straight out tell you to bring your own alcohol, food, even CDs, in the invitation. You don’t get the chance to ask if there’s anything you could bring or make. Some hosts will assign you something to bring. I don’t generally attend those parties.
I love Montreal though… there are plenty of very pleasant surprises, too! and people in smaller towns in Quebec, even in Quebec City, seem to have quite lovely manners, it’s maybe just a big city thing.

By: Cyn

Cyn — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:49:54 +0000

As American expat living in Italy, I know just what you mean about culture shock. Reading your post today made me smile and feel little homesick for America…

Cyn
My home in Italy is full of nickels and dimes that I will NEVER be able to get rid of! Hehehe!

By: happyforyou

happyforyou — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 11:54:58 +0000

Didn’t mean to cause such a commotion with my comment on washcloths…:)

SheilaK, I think if a person has good hygienic habits and showers at least once a day, I don’t think they should have any problems with “stench and nasties, especially in those regions”. Good soap & shampoo and hot water should be more than enough!

Pauline, I was speaking from my own experience, as someone from Northern Europe now living in Southern Europe. Although I do remember seeing people from my parents’ generation using them, I honestly don’t know anyone in my generation that uses washcloths for themselves or their kids. Anyway, no offence was meant by my comment and I’m glad I made you laugh…:)

By: Pauline

Pauline — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 08:20:46 +0000

@happyforyou. They are not at all common on the European continent.

I must be living in another European Continent as I know tons of people that use wash cloths and excuse me but I’m not THAT old. Even worse though is that us ‘oldies’ use the same cloth on our faces, bums and under our arms, for several days in a row and then use a towel to dry our clean bodies that hasn’t been washed for a week . . . or maybe it’s just me.

Anyway thanks happyforyou I had my first good laugh of the day.

By: Sheila K.

Sheila K. — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 06:23:07 +0000

Wascloths are almost ALWAYS white in hotels. They can be washed in hot water and bleached. How do people who don’t use them get the stench and nasties off their bods, especially in those regions…oh, some things make a lot more sense now.

By: J

Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:41:57 +0000

As a New Yorker my big moments of culture shock usually come from loud American tourists asking directions. Unlike the rest of the world they rarely say “Excuse me, could you please…..” and instead feel free to bark requests for directions.

I could not get used to being called “Madama” in India. Shades of a colonialist past.

By: Caroline

Caroline — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 23:21:29 +0000

When I was in South Africa I was amused to find out that while we here in the US use the word fanny to mean buttocks, there it is another word for a woman’s genitals. I was also surprised that most of the people who (very graciously) offered me coffee gave me Sanka instant coffee, not actual brewed coffee – strange since some of the best coffee in the world is grown in Africa!

I do love how in response to “Thank you” they say “My pleasure” instead of “You’re welcome.”