Culture shock.

As an American, the biggest culture shock would be that of traveling to a country whom say, doesn't eat fatty foods, or doesn't watch t.v. as a daily thing, or play video games. I do enjoy those things, but it's not something I need. Even so, I think I'd be mighty surprised and amused because so many people here in the USA rely on thos three things, Fatty Foods, T.V. And video games.

I like this question. I think that I'd have the biggest culture shock when visiting any country that is extremely unlike the American culture that I'm accustomed to. That's a lot of countries and areas of the world so what I'm really saying is that I accept culture shock as inevitable. Gosh, I think I even experience culture shock when I visit places in the U.S. that are most unlike what's familiar to me, as visiting the northeast. Although I lived in France for a few years as a child (military family) I've found that I always experience culture shock the first day I arrive in a foreign country. Therefore, I make a habit of staying in a very Americanized hotel the first night. I'm tired, less able to cope, etc. After that I most enjoy staying in local areas because culture shock is a part of what makes foreign travel fun, exciting and teaches me the most.

The only place for me to have culture shock is lock of food and water, or to see woman without any rights. I don't want to mention any country, because of political reason. In addition to, I wouldn't stand if I see dogs or cats as part of daily dish...

I probably won't know until I run into it. I did find in Germany that things were very similar over there and I got lulled into a false sense of complacency. And then "whap" something I didn't expect would slap me right in the face. And no, can't think of an example right this second.

Hi thea, very good discussion. I think everything about west would've shocked me had the trends out here not changed. We've imported plenty from America in particular. :) Youngsters out here walk, talk, and knock like Americans. :) So we have fairly good idea about how it must be out there. :) Still, there will be many things that will shock us, such as you all have business district that is far away from the residential area. I couldn't manage! I am always doing last moment shopping! Some herb gets over, rush to the shop which is less than 100 steps away, and so on. :) Similarly, bus stops. We have one every 2 kilometers. I don't think you all have buses for such short distance travel. Milk is another thing that we use plenty of in our tea and coffee. You all just use a small quantity of it. You already know that I don't eat anything that can walk, crawl, or squirm. So I am not at all looking at moving out of my comfort zone. :)

Hi Thea, I travelled through Thailand, Taiwan, Hong Kong and China. The biggest "shock" wasn't so much a shock having read up on it but the sanitary system, i.e. toilets, was a bit of an issue. At first in Thailand I had the "heads up" from my friend (western)who was teaching English there, she told me they don't use toilet paper but have a basin with water with a scoop, upon which one uses to "clean" themselves and "flush" the "toilet" (by pouring scoopfuls of water until everything has disappeared down the hole, which is on the floor. So to be graphic, one must position said body parts over the opening without the "western" aid of the "throne". When after a few mishaps, I had to ask my friend the secret of not making a mess since she originally grew up in the States and I was too baffled to understand the mechanics of my body to do this. The answer was surprisingly simple and I was embarrassed having to ask but it made the trip much easier and I didn't need to change my clothing everytime I used the "facility". That was Thailand. China - didn't have doors to the stalls in public bathrooms (Beijing) and of course, the system is just a very deeply dug hole in the ground. No water and I brought my own toilet paper as that was scarce. I loved travelling but I have to admit I was happy to have my "western" luxuries of the "throne" and running hot water whenever I wanted. The street food in Thailand, some sort of bug on skewers were a bit startling but no issues there, I do confess to not trying it though.

probably one where'd i'd have to cover everything up (and i mean everything) and having to have a male everywhere i go or ask permission. there is no way i'd ask a guy to have to lead me around like i was 5. i'm sure i'd get in trouble sooner or later. if that works for the local women,fine,but i'm too strongwilled to submit to that.

There is this saying in my local folklore which goes something like to respect the place where we are at, and that includes the culture too. They compare this metaphorical image upon coming to another village. We have to follow the ways of that village and if we can't, to respect is already sufficient.

Although you hear about foreign cuisine and the delicacies which some countries enjoy, I am sure that being presented with a dish made from Rat or some other thing which in the UK we would think of as disgusting would be the biggest culture shock for me. Not that I would refuse to eat it as trying new things are important but the initial repulsion would cause me the shock.

I'm trained in anthropology, which is the study of human cultures, so I doubt that anything would shock me. But I'd like to give an example of cultural difference which would astonish most Westerners. An anthropolgist doing her field work in a Thai village got a visit from one of the older women with who she had become friendly, and she was miserable and angry because somebody had come along the previous night and slaughtered two of her four pigs. The anthopologist was shocked, because this was generally a very friendly village with good neighbourliness. Later she asked one of her informants why this had happened, and was told that the old woman had got above herself by having four pigs, and had needed to be cut down to size. The accumulation of unnecessary "wealth" was frowned upon. That comes as a major shock to people brought up in the capitalist "keeping up with the Jones'" cultures, and goes entirely against the current deification of "growth" at all costs. Lash

The biggest culture shock I got was when I landed in Japan not so many years ago. I was there to visit a manufacturing plant outside of Tokyo, so I was pretty much in the rural areas. Come lunch time, we had to eat at a local restaurant. I guess they did not have too many visitors or tourists there because when I asked for a spoon and fork, they gave me an oversized GI spoon and a hello kitty baby fork. Well it was better than the chopsticks I had were the eel we were having for lunch kept slipping.

Hi thea. My husband travels all over for his job. Currently he is in Trinidad, the biggest shock for him when he got there was that the many of the police and security personnel openly carry automatic weapons. Not something we are used to here in the states. Our officers carry holstered weapons. He said it didn't scare them really, but it did make the crew feel a little apprehensive.

I'm not sure. I guess I'd have to experience it. I'm not sure which parts of my culture I like the most and therefore I can't say what would be shocking to me. But things that tend to disturb me are rudeness - which would surely cause me to be shocked because what's rude in one place is proper in another. I also have a fear of going to a foreign country and doing something rude(if I don't know of all the manners rules there).

I think the things that would be most difficult to get used to are the food differences, and personal greetings. Many countries have what they consider to be delicacies that people in other countries find very strange or down right disgusting. In terms of greetings, in the United States we generally shake hands to greet someone we do not know. Other countries are more affectionate, while others are less. For example in alot of asian countries its more acceptable to bow in greeting someone than to shake hands. Then theres the obvious differences to get used more than food or greetings like driving on the left side of the road and learning to judge everything in kilometers instead of miles. That's one that I think more people coming to the States would have a problem than people leaving the States, because from what I've seen on travel shows and been told by people who do a alot of traveling overseas, most of the rest of world is on the kilometer system.

Coming from a conservative society and the country where I come from, it is not a common sight to see couples kissing and hugging in public. It will be a culture shock for me if I were to land in any western countries and stumble upon lovers kissing and hugging in public as if it is nobody's business.

Hmmmm lets see depending on the country - the differences in language or perhaps even food. If its not culture then its the climate would be a bit of a change!

The number of times I have been in a foreign country it has always been with a package tour or with friends and family members around me and so the impact of the culture shock that you are talking about was not that intense although I did feel awkward here and there. First and foremost to get in and out of those escalators was something that I did not relish. In Paris they only spoke French although they knew English and that did contribute to some extent. The bland food did hasten my return to my beloved country!!!Whenever I paid in cash I felt a little small as everyone was dishing out their credit cards!!Last but not the least I must mention about the toilets. Every country that I visited had different types of toilets, some the water would just come if you put your hands under the wash basin, the flushing system was different in different countries - the worst culture shock ever