S/O: If you've gone to another country other than the U.S. what

[Jean in Newcastle]

things surprised you? They might not surprise someone else, but I know that I had some things surprise me when we went to the Philippines.

 

1. You had to pay for toilet paper at public toilets, if they had it. If not, there was a hose attached to a spigot that you were supposed to aim "you know where".

 

2. Education was not compulsory. Most street kids had no education provided even if they or their parents wanted it. Once a year the govt. tests some of the street kids and will provide an education for the ones who demonstrate particular aptitude.

 

3. There was no hot water. You might not think you would miss it in a hot country but those showers were COLD!

Edited August 1, 2012 by Jean in Newcastle

[jujsky]

In Russia all the appliances are so teeny-tiny! Also, you have to pay for bags when you go shopping -- they're not free. I think they were at some of the higher-end stores, but at a grocery or convenience store you needed to pay.

 

Oh, and some of the public toilets were holes in the ground. I was so confused! It was like a ceramic hole with things that looked like soap dishes on either side. I put a bunch of toilet paper (not provided - I had to carry my own) around the hole and sat on it. I guess the soap-dish things are for your feet and you're supposed to squat. DH laughed his butt off when I told him about it!

[saraha]

When I went to Guatemala, everyone littered. If you were walking down the street behind someone eating their lunch on the way, they dropped the wrapper, the apple core, the bottle of water as they walked along. EVERYONE did it. In the small town where we were staying, in the evening, the street looked like a dump, but by morning, they were clean again. It was someone's job to clean up the street during the night. Then they would litter it up all over again.

[Parrothead]

I've been to Jamaica and Canada. The hotel in Jamaica was nice. It was a very stark contrast to be away from the hotel compound. The poverty was eye-opening. I couldn't believe how it seemed that all the resources went to the tourist industry instead of the locals.

 

I love Canada. I love their grocery stores. I love their highways. Their customs guys are so nice. (Ours have issues. I hate coming back and dealing with them.) There are lots of little differences that make Canada unique. No way can someone who has been to both the US and Canada say that Americans and Canadians are two sides of the same coin.

[rgrin]

1. "Bumper Busses" in Guatemala City as the drivers raced each other to get to the next bus stop to pick up the most passengers (and get their $). Amazing and terrifying from the front seat! :eek:

2a. Nearly-raw bacon in Europe, whether a result of European or the Australian cooks in our tour group... :ack2:

2b. The massive line of Americans outside a sandwich shop in Amsterdam. A sign out front stated in large letters that they had "Crispy Bacon"! :lol:

3. Church services being held in cathedrals and chapels IN SPITE on the massive numbers of tourists tromping through and using flash photography. I'd imagine it would be difficult to focus on the sermon under those circumstances. :glare:

4. Paying to use public bathrooms, and the disgusting state of those bathrooms! Oh, my.

5. Paying for refills. You don't really even think about that until you're abroad.

6. The gypsy children (so young!) who were "working" (theft) to support their parents. :sad:

7. The poverty. Counting my blessings is always so easy when I travel.

[rgrin]

In Russia all the appliances are so teeny-tiny! Also, you have to pay for bags when you go shopping -- they're not free. I think they were at some of the higher-end stores, but at a grocery or convenience store you needed to pay.

 

Oh, and some of the public toilets were holes in the ground. I was so confused! It was like a ceramic hole with things that looked like soap dishes on either side. I put a bunch of toilet paper (not provided - I had to carry my own) around the hole and sat on it. I guess the soap-dish things are for your feet and you're supposed to squat. DH laughed his butt off when I told him about it!

 

:lol::lol: Seriously laughing out loud here! Hope you had enough TP to last the entire trip. ;)

[melissel]

Wow, suddenly my experience in the Greek islands seems so pleasant! I was going to say that I was horrified that we couldn't flush toilet paper in the bathrooms on Santorini, because I guess the old sewage systems couldn't handle it. I'm no germophobe, but that was a bit much for me. However, by comparison, that's really small potatoes.

 

We do a lot wrong in this country, but boy am I glad I live here!

Edited August 1, 2012 by melissel

[melissel]

Germany is not a child friendly country.

 

How so? :bigear: I've always imagined European countries to be more tolerant of kids/families than we sometimes are here.

[stripe]

When I went to Guatemala, everyone littered. If you were walking down the street behind someone eating their lunch on the way, they dropped the wrapper, the apple core, the bottle of water as they walked along. EVERYONE did it.

See, that's what I was talking about.

 

I've found people in some other countries (never been to Germany!) MUCH more comfortable with kids. Regular behavior is just expected, and people are happy to see kids. They can even deal with disasters better. For example, I was in a bookstore and, well, all of a sudden my son announced he had to pee. There was a small puddle already. He stopped and then the stream started again. The lady at the counter sighed a very tiny sigh and gently asked if I could take him outside to finish. I had to leave (riding in public transportation with him standing up). I was so embarrassed. My brother in law saw no reason for me to be! I had to go back to the bookstore the next day because my shopping had been interrupted, and no one said a thing, and I know they recognized me.

 

I have also been astonished how many people speak excellent English, as well as how many people speak a small to medium amount. It's really amazing. And this is on top of the several other languages many people speak already.

[LeslieAnneLevine]

How so? :bigear: I've always imagined European countries to be more tolerant of kids/families than we sometimes are here.

Depends on the country. Germany is kind of known for expecting kids to act like little adults.

[Donna]

I've been to Ireland going on 4X in a couple weeks. Some of the things that surprised me were....

 

-toilet flush the opposite way of ours (way the water spins)...LOL

-hot and cold water spigots in bathroom sinks rather than one tap with settings for hot and cold so if you want warm water you have to fill the sink

-small appliances like refrigerators which are "dorm" size because they shop daily or every other day for what they need

-mostly dry clothing out on line even though it rains almost daily

[LeslieAnneLevine]

I lived in France for a really long time and pretty much went through all the range of emotions of culture shock. There is so much I love about France and some of the not-so-great stuff I find more comical now than frustrating (which I admit is much easier when not dealing with those things on a day-to-day basis).

 

I see people here in the U.S. sometimes that I think need a trip to France, lol. People who complain that they have been asked to leave a store 15 minutes after it's closed. I would love to see them walk into a store in France 15 minutes BEFORE the store closes only to be told the cash registers have been shut down already. Or, better yet, to not be let in at all.

[Caroline]

I went to Thessaloniki, Greece last summer. The thing that struck me (and I know it is stupid and I should have expected it) was that the graffiti used the Greek alphabet. It just looked so much more intellectual than graffiti around here.

 

Other things--not a lot of chain stores or restaurants, more specialty book stores, lots of small restaurants, lots of people smoking everywhere, people parking in crazy small parking places on the street, lots of people walking, seeing Orthodox Priests on the streets

[SKL]

My first international trip was to India. Within 15 minutes after landing in Delhi, the following occurred.

 

- In the airport restroom, some women held the toilet paper hostage and asked for tips. You'd give them two rupees or whatever, and they'd give you two squares of see-through toilet paper. After that I filled my jeans pockets with toilet paper throughout the whole trip.

 

- Outside the airport, I was approached by literally hundreds of beggars. One was a woman who held a screaming newborn in the arm that had lost a hand to leprosy, while holding out her other hand for rupees.

 

- On the street, I saw entire families of up to 6 people commuting on two-wheel scooters. (All at the same time.)

 

- Also on the street, young boys were standing in traffic trying to sell boxes of generic kleenex.

 

That was 14 years ago. I'm sure there were other surprises within those first 15 minutes, but these pretty much initiated me into international travel. Though the toilet = hole in the ground was first encountered a little later - ah yes, at Pushkar, where we rode the camels. :) No running water, either. At least that one was relatively clean.

[Princess Peach]

We read a lot about Paris before we went, but the thing I didn't know about were the Gypsies. We were eating at the outside tables at a McDonald's and they were milling around the table and even grabbed food off my tray as I stood up to leave.

[QueenCat]

Many of your experiences are make mine seem mild... but I'll share anyway.

 

Alma, Quebec- small town, as part of a school trip while in high school

students smoked in class, ashtrays provided (early 1980s)

boys pants were so tight, they kept them unsnapped

their English was as bad as my French

 

Montreal, Quebec- been there three times, first time as part of trip above, twice with dh on business trips

people smoke everywhere

no refills on soda

everyone spoke English if you spoke English first

people get close to you on the subway, even if there is space available that is not close to you.

 

Cayman Islands-

they drive REALLY fast

very friendly but formal

you go from very nice areas to poor areas and back again very quickly

[QueenCat]

We read a lot about Paris before we went, but the thing I didn't know about were the Gypsies. We were eating at the outside tables at a McDonald's and they were milling around the table and even grabbed food off my tray as I stood up to leave.

 

What I didn't know until about a year ago is how many groups of gypsies we have here in the US!

[TheReader]

Oooh, fun!

 

Here in Brazil, things that surprised me:

 

1. you can't flush the TP, so you have a little trash can next to the toilet in all bathrooms. ALL TP goes in there. No matter how dirty.

 

2. we have encountered a *few* pay public bathrooms (to get TP handed to you) but mostly public bathrooms at parks and things just don't have it. Malls and "upper class" types of places, yes, but not a lot of places. I carry pocket tissues in my purse at all times just in case.

 

3. No hot water in the kitchen in most places. Showers usually have an at-the-source hot water gadget thing that electrically heats the water as it comes out the shower head. Or some places have a gas, tankless water heater that heats designated pipes so some of the house has hot, some doesn't. We have solar with an electric back-up so actually, amazingly, have hot even in the kitchen (but not at the washing machine).

 

4. They don't use clothes dryers. I paid an arm & a leg for mine and it takes 3 hours (minimum) to dry a load of clothes; longer for jeans.

 

5. They are insanely kid friendly and tolerant; it is amazing. That was the thing that surprised me in a good way and helped me know we'd survive living here. Restaurants often employ child monitors, college-aged or 20-something girls to hang out in a kid friendly area and supervise the kids. If they don't have that, they'll often have crayons or things to bring out, will fix you special entrees for your kids, will create baby cradles from chairs with arms and extra table cloths, will go to their (nearby) home to fix chocolate milk for your tantruming 4 yr old, will bring over the bucket of toys they have, and just in general you won't find a place that is not kid friendly. It is amazing, and surprising.

 

5. Dogs. People love and pamper small (toy breeds) dogs. These dogs are allowed to go everywhere -- the mall, even. But big dogs are kept only for guard dogs, not pets, most times. So outdoor areas such as parks do NOT allow dogs, even on leash. Despite the fact you can take your small dog to the mall with you. Makes no sense.

 

6. The walls are concrete, so to hang stuff on the wall, you have to drill holes.

 

7. Anything plastic is crazy expensive. For ex, an under-the-bed storage box? That you can probably get at Walmart for $25? Would be about R$125 here, which is about US $65. Just for a simple plastic box. I keep bringing back the largest size that will fit in our luggage every year.....

[Princess Peach]

What I didn't know until about a year ago is how many groups of gypsies we have here in the US!

 

Interesting! I guess the biggest shock to me was how intrusive they were. I think of my food tray as my space. :001_smile: If they had asked for my leftovers, I would've gladly handed them over. Perhaps it happens here, too, but I haven't spent too much time in very large cities in the US (or anywhere else).

[GoVanGogh]

We read a lot about Paris before we went, but the thing I didn't know about were the Gypsies. We were eating at the outside tables at a McDonald's and they were milling around the table and even grabbed food off my tray as I stood up to leave.

I had read/heard so many warnings about the Gypsies before we went to Paris, I was terrified. We did see a few around one museum, otherwise didn't even see any. I was told it is a seasonal problem?

 

I was surprised how friendly everyone was in Paris, which is so different from their reputation. Now I will admit, we were asked daily if we were from Canada and we simply nodded and never admitted we were American. Maybe that was the difference? :lol:

 

Someone up the thread mentioned undercooked bacon. I was surprised at all the undercooked/half-raw eggs I ate in Paris. :tongue_smilie:

 

I had been told the food in France was wonderfully fresh. We eat a mostly raw/local food diet, so the food in France wasn't anything new/special. Great food, but not as shocking as we were told to expect. Made us feel good about our American diet.

 

The tiny pay/co-ed bathrooms were shocking to us. At one restaurant, you took a narrow set of stairs directly down into the bathrooms. Along the back wall were - in this order - sink, urinal, soap, dryer. To the left was a small closet for females, to the right a small closet for men. In order to wash up, you had to move around the urinal for soap and drying... :001_huh: Thankfully, the urinal wasn't in use so I didn't have to wonder about the etiquette.

 

We were shocked at all the tiny staircases in France, most spiral stairs. Certainly not accessible to disabled people. We wondered how people get around if they break their leg or sprain an ankle. (We actually still talk about this. Anyone know?!)

 

We couldn't get over the fact that you could take photographs in the museums! And the artwork in the Louvre was so... open! There was this lady leaning against a Greek bath, changing out her camera batteries. A guard was nearby but he didn't rush over and tell her to move away.

[Greta]

See, that's what I was talking about.

 

:001_smile: Yes, I finally figured out in the other thread that the level of littering you were talking about was something completely out of my range of experience!

[Melissa in Australia]

I am an Aussie.

When I went overseas to Canada. The first thing I noticed was how loud the women were.

I was a bit mystified over the whole toilet being completely full of water and draining out when you flush. completely different to Australia where the toilet has a tiny puddle down the bottom and when you flush everything gets washed down.

[KrissiK]

I lived in Sao Paulo, Brazil for two years, teaching at a Christian school. What things surprised me? What didn't surprise me? For me, living in a foreign country was having to completely adjust my whole way of thinking. I can't off-hand think of things that were strikingly different (the toilet holes were in some of the smaller towns we visited), but everything was just done differently. Cleaning our apartment. We ended up getting a maid (because everyone had one and it also helped out the local economy), but grocery shopping was different, driving or just getting from here to there, how one viewed law enforcement, everything was just different.

[Audrey]

The people. They are not at all like Americans. They don't think like Americans. At all. It takes a little while to get that, but when you do, it's like a lightbulb moment. "Aha! Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!"

 

That thing about polite Canadians is not true. Some Americans are very polite, too -- Okies, in particular. No one is more polite and friendly than Okies. However, Canadian politeness is more than just from individuals. It is a public and private ethos. It's hard to explain exactly, but Canadians think like Canadians, which sometimes means that they don't feel a need to express indignation or take offense at everything. They can be very self-deprecating and take a lot of ribbing -- except when it comes to hockey teams or the Queen or their right to be Canadian. Then, the gloves are off.

 

The cleanliness. Canadian cities are so clean! It is a bizarre encounter, at first. You wonder if anyone actually lives there, or if you've wandered onto a movie set. Of major cities, I've been to Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, Windsor, London, Winnipeg, Regina, Calgary, Vancouver/Victoria and Surrey. Toronto was the dirtiest, but every time I've been there it's been April/May (so spring thaw) and honestly, nothing looks nice in slush. Still, slush covered Toronto is a sparkling, pristine diamond compared to ANY major US city I've ever seen.

 

The residential schools debacle. I had no idea, but I don't think most outside of Canada do. It's a sad, sad shame.

 

The health care. I knew there was UHC, but had no idea how it worked. I was stunned by how good the care was and the fact that no one ever sent me a bill. I still say a little "thank you Tommy D." every time I have to take my kid to the doctor (which I did today :( )

 

The taxes. I expected to be paying a lot more in taxes than I do, and I expected tax forms to be the bear they are down south. The forms are so simple my 12-yo could do them. It's just so easy. And, such a bargain.

 

The lack of mexican/latin food items. I cannot cook a proper meal anymore. I have to improvise and substitute a lot. :(

 

The abundance of asian food items! I have learned a whole new cooking repertoire! :)

[Meriwether]

I spent a semester in Ronda, Spain. I loved it. I loved the crooked, narrow streets and the potted plants. I loved how the locals dressed so sharply. I bought a pair of black leather boots while there. It was so out of character for me, but I couldn't resist. My host brother owned a bookstore. It was charming. You've Got Mail was showing while were were there, and I remember him talking about some of the shelving in The Shop Around the Corner. His bookstore was somewhat like the shop in the movie but smaller. He and his fiance had been engaged for three years but weren't married yet. He was financially sound, but there was no available housing. None. That was mindboggling to me.

 

I remember how small the cars looked to me, but most people only had one or two children.

 

The children's clothes were beautiful. When we went to Spain after we had kids, I wanted to buy the kids a set of coordinating outfits while we were there. Dh said they were too expensive. Sigh. The parks weren't grassy. Having grown up in the country, I missed grassy fields.

 

They have the most wonderful tables in Spain. They have a long, thick curtain covering the table and a heater built in underneath. When the room was chilly, you could sit on the sofa and pull the curtain edge up to your shoulders. It was heavenly.

[elegantlion]

We visited Costa Rica several years ago. We flew to the main airport inland and took a cab to our hotel on the west coast. A few things struck me on our stay, so we saw a lot of the countryside:

 

school children walking directly on the side of the road, roads with no shoulders, and cars whizzing by at high speeds. The children did not flinch, although I did a few times.

 

the friendliness. We took a cab to a small town away from our hotel. When we wanted to go back we couldn't find a ride, so a friend of some random stranger dh asked in a store took us to our hotel for 5.00. She spoke no English and my 20 year old Spanish was just enough to make small, really small, chit-chat. we encountered that level of hospitality over and over.

 

The doors to homes are ornately carved wood. Even on a very small house the door was decorative. We took a horseback ride through some local areas and they all had those type of doors. They were gorgeous. Of course, you could buy one and have it shipped home for several hundreds of dollars.

[hsbaby]

The poverty....we've traveled to many Caribbean islands and I never get used to seeing it:( Oh, and the heavily armed military everywhere. We went to the Mayan ruins in Belize and I swear the boys patrolling with machine guns looked 12:001_huh:

[Jean in Newcastle]

I forgot about the security guards at the malls in the Philippines carrying M-16's and sawed off shotguns. Don't shoplift!

[QueenCat]

Interesting! I guess the biggest shock to me was how intrusive they were. I think of my food tray as my space. :001_smile: If they had asked for my leftovers, I would've gladly handed them over. Perhaps it happens here, too, but I haven't spent too much time in very large cities in the US (or anywhere else).

 

From what I've learned, mostly from the TLC series, is that most American gypsies don't travel. They are more settled. But they definitely live a different culture, and identify as being gypsies.

[Ibbygirl]

When I went to Europe the first thing that struck me when I got off the plane in Amsterdam was how different the air felt on my skin. I can't describe it, but it was enough that I noticed it right away. Just very different from home. Everything was so expensive in Holland. A cup of regular coffee and a slice of normal cake was 30 dollars US! :eek: The gas was super expensive. I was afraid to sneeze in Holland for fear of the price of a tissue. :p hehe

 

Everybody smoked in Europe too (not the kids though of course :D ) and you had to remember how many bread rolls etc that you ate at your dinner since they ask you at the end and add it to your bill.

 

The trains were fantastic in Austria and public transportation there on the whole is so much nicer than here. :)

[justLisa]

I never traveled until I met DH. We went to this all inclusive resort in Mexico. I remember landing at the airport, and this bus just drove up to the plain. There were vehicles driving what seemed to be strangely close to some very large aircraft. Then there was the taxi to the hotel. I thought for sure we'd be dead before we got there. Apparently traffic signals are optional. The driver was just driving where ever there was not a car coming at us.

 

The Europe thing, it is true about the kids. The older population really expects boys to be strapping young lads and girls to sip tea. My inlaws thought I was crazy for mowing the lawn. FIL told my kids that ladies tend to flowers and men do the work. Right. I strapped DD on my back while I mowed the lawn. This is a generalization I realize but it is not uncommon. Polish people are not tolerable of kids being kids.

[melissel]

Yeah as I said...everywhere it smells like an ashtray.

 

Of course I live in an area where smoking is forbidden in pretty much any public place so...

 

I remember eating fish and chips and reading in a little shop in London and feeling vaguely annoyed, though I couldn't place why. As my feeling of annoyance grew, I realized it was because a whole group of people were smoking behind me. I was so steamed that they were just ignoring the law like that! Then I realized that I was not at home in NYC and that smoking in restaurants was perfectly legal in England :lol: Made me finish up my chips right quick and leave though :tongue_smilie:

[stripe]

Someone up the thread mentioned undercooked bacon. I was surprised at all the undercooked/half-raw eggs I ate in Paris. :tongue_smilie:

Ugh, me too. And I swear one place gave me rotten food.

 

We went to one restaurant, where the cute (or so my friends thought) waiter kept telling us about all the people he knew around the world, and showed us his address book (little black book, too). It was funny. They wanted to eat there every night! ha. And all the men outside the restaurants drove them CRAZY asking if they were Japanese. Everywhere we went, they were asked.

 

And I had a separate bathroom in my tiny hotel in Paris, and the crazy hotel (with all the firedoors!) in London. Both had a sink in the room. I used a hair dryer in Paris and the man from the hotel came running up the stairs to tell me to turn it off, I was making all the lights flicker in the place! Oops.

 

Many of your experiences are make mine seem mild... but I'll share anyway.

 

Alma, Quebec- small town, as part of a school trip while in high school

students smoked in class, ashtrays provided (early 1980s)

boys pants were so tight, they kept them unsnapped

their English was as bad as my French

That is so funny. I was once in Montreal with my mom, and we wanted a nonsmoking section. We were informed it was their cultural right TO smoke, so there was no nonsmoking section. Okay then! Vive la cigare!

[ktgrok]

When I went to Scotland I was amazed that there were only about 3 radio stations that we could get at any one time. They played a mix of styles of music. I tried to explain to someone that where i live there are multiple stations for each style of music, but I don't think she understood.

[justLisa]

Back in the day I was used to it. It was everywhere. Heck, my mother smoked 2 packs a day. But now? Barf. I just can't stand it anymore.

 

Funny, once my BIL told off some guy for his putrid cigarette stench while we were waiting for the bus. Turns out it was the relief bus driver for the bus we were waiting for. THAT was uncomfortable. :lol: Thankfully my BIL is a big guy. :D

 

That's hilarious :lol:

[melissel]

Back in the day I was used to it. It was everywhere. Heck, my mother smoked 2 packs a day. But now? Barf. I just can't stand it anymore.

 

Funny, once my BIL told off some guy for his putrid cigarette stench while we were waiting for the bus. Turns out it was the relief bus driver for the bus we were waiting for. THAT was uncomfortable. :lol: Thankfully my BIL is a big guy. :D

 

:lol::lol::lol: Hilarious!

 

Yeah, I was used to it too, and my mom smoked. I hated it then, though, and it turns my stomach now. I totally get the addiction aspect and I don't begrudge anyone not being able to quit (because I sure haven't lost the 50 pounds I need to dump!), but ugh, the smoke and smell.

[IsabelC]

Can't really think of anything too surprising. Maybe the British plumbing being so dodgy (of course I'd heard of that but I must have assumed it was an inaccurate stereotype). Oh and the amount of public smoking in France. I knew about that too, just didn't quite realize how disgusting it would be to sit in a restaurant with people smoking everywhere.

 

By the time I did any extensive travelling overseas, I was in my late 20s, so of course I knew about stuff like squat toilets and I had read a lot about places before going there. The only really big travelling surprise I ever had was the first time I went to the North of Australia, and we went to the beach, and stepping into the water was like stepping into a huge bathtub. Where I live, the sea water is always cold, and I had thought that all the beach water in the world would be the same temperature. I felt extremely dumb about that :lol:

[LucyStoner]

Seeing teenagers patrol malls and guard public buses with huge guns and bazookas was a mite bit different than what I was used to in the US. This was in Israel in the mid 90s.

[Colleen in NS]

What surprised me in:

 

- Mexico - how close the people get to you physically. It was nice to be surrounded by children always wanting to give hugs and talk to me. And to have young adults (I was 18) who wanted to be friendly to me. The late, leisurely suppers.

 

- Antigua, West Indies - the gorgeous turquoise water (I had never seen that before), the warm weather in January, the friendliness of the islanders, the laid-back feeling, including time. Nothing was ever "on time" according to my American mentality, but the people sure were relaxed in their lives.

 

- Nassau, Bahamas - pretty much the same thing as Antigua.

 

- Ireland - the lush beauty of the green land

 

- Russia - the quietness of the people on the streets - it was a wonderful break from living in the NYC area. The beauty of St. Basil's Cathedral amid all the gray buildings. The European sense of beauty and style on people and on buildings. The squatty potties - can be more hygienic than N. American toilets.

 

- Ukraine - much the same as Russia

 

- Canada - definitely the medical care system here - I love it! It did take me awhile to get used to the mentality here. The humour of the people. The beauty of the land. The family benefits (tax-free income every month for those who are raising children). And definitely the ease of filling out yearly tax forms - that REALLY surprised me.

[nono]

I know there were differences (obviously) in Europe and Asia, but what I remember most is that when in Taipei I kept forgetting I was not at home in NY/NJ. For some reason Taipei made all the sense in the world to me, and was super-easy to navigate, even with a new baby, in the hot summer. Every once in awhile, I'd remember I was halfway around the world, and it would shock me. I am still bemused about this to this day (5 years later).

[Ibbygirl]

What surprised me in:

 

- Mexico - how close the people get to you physically. It was nice to be surrounded by children always wanting to give hugs and talk to me. And to have young adults (I was 18) who wanted to be friendly to me. The late, leisurely suppers.

 

- Antigua, West Indies - the gorgeous turquoise water (I had never seen that before), the warm weather in January, the friendliness of the islanders, the laid-back feeling, including time. Nothing was ever "on time" according to my American mentality, but the people sure were relaxed in their lives.

 

- Nassau, Bahamas - pretty much the same thing as Antigua.

 

- Ireland - the lush beauty of the green land

 

- Russia - the quietness of the people on the streets - it was a wonderful break from living in the NYC area. The beauty of St. Basil's Cathedral amid all the gray buildings. The European sense of beauty and style on people and on buildings. The squatty potties - can be more hygienic than N. American toilets.

 

- Ukraine - much the same as Russia

 

- Canada - definitely the medical care system here - I love it! It did take me awhile to get used to the mentality here. The humour of the people. The beauty of the land. The family benefits (tax-free income every month for those who are raising children). And definitely the ease of filling out yearly tax forms - that REALLY surprised me.

 

 

I'd really like to visit Canada someday. I love travelling and seeing how other folks live and new places. It took me 38 years to finally get out of The South and on the other side of the Mason-Dixon line. :001_huh: Hopefully it won't take so long to get up to The Great White North. :D

[Heidi]

China-what surprised me:

the beds are hard, it was difficult to find fresh fruits & vegetables, everyone drinks hot green tea.. no cold water, spoons were used more often than chopsticks except when eating noodles, the hole in the ground toilets with no doors for privacy, the crazy scary driving/swerving into oncoming traffic, the poverty & physical ailments were heartbreaking, the dog meat, shanghi was huge and makes NYC look like some country podunk town, the unabashed staring at a group of foreigners, th diaperless babies, the curiosity of women wanting to watch me as I tried on clothes, being openly laughed at, the stricter laws.

things I loved: the good people who gave so much when they had so little, the restaurants in the street, the food!, the mountains/beautiful scenery, the gardens, the art, the entire experience.

 

Landing back in the US it smelled very strongly of milk and cheese, something else that I didn't find in china.

Edited August 2, 2012 by hmsmith

[WIS0320]

I was surprised while in Scotland that during a week in which the temp hit a high of 50 degrees that it was considered "warm" and people were walking around outside in shorts and tee shirts! I felt frozen!

 

I was also surprised at all the signs in shop and restaurant windows warning of bringing weapons inside. I have to add that we lived in Kansas for two years and I was shocked when we got there at all the No Gun signs everywhere - even my OB office and the library!

[SKL]

China-

the beds are hard, it was difficult to find fresh fruits & vegetables, everyone drinks hot green tea.. no cold water, spoons were used more often than chopsticks except when eating noodles, the hole in the ground toilets with no doors for privacy, the crazy scary driving/swerving into oncoming traffic, the poverty & physical ailments were heartbreaking, the dog meat.

things I loved: the good people who gave so much when they had so little, the restaurants in the street, the food!, the mountains/beautiful scenery.

 

China: yeah, and the street market in old Beijing where there were yummy skewered rats (whole, with eyes and tails) and other "delicacies."

 

The store where I went to buy clothes since my baggage was lost for the entire 10-day trip. I wear a size 8 and I could hardly find anything that big. (That was, like, XXXL over there.) I almost bought men's trousers before I came up with a few tight pairs of fat ladies' shorts I could squeeze into.

 

The dance performance at the dumpling place in Xi'an. Most awesome live show I have ever seen.

[Mrs Mungo]

We lived in Europe for 5 years, there were lots of surprises. Here are just a few random ones:

 

-how little kids often had no adult supervision, three year olds riding tricycles on a busy street was a common sight

 

-the bakery closed when they ran out of bread for the day

 

-we were once in a car accident where a car hit us and disintegrated; the police took a broom and dustpan out of the back of their police car and made the other driver sweep the car bits of the road

 

-loved the pay toilets, they attended and were so clean!

 

-paying to use a grocery cart and for grocery bags; also people would unwrap everything at the checkout and leave the trash so that they wouldn't have to take the packaging home

 

-topless people at public pools

 

-how early everything closed

[QueenCat]

you had to remember how many bread rolls etc that you ate at your dinner since they ask you at the end and add it to your bill.

 

That would get my family in trouble the first time!

[Ibbygirl]

That would get my family in trouble the first time!

 

hehehehehe I know what you mean. I had ordered gulash sp? because I had never had it before and I like to sop up gravy with the bread. I think I ate probably 5 of the rolls. :lol:

[Alphabetika]

In 1987 I was in China for two weeks on a college choir tour. Many things surprised me, but here are two of them:

 

Many, many, many Chinese people were fascinated with my very curly hair.

 

It seemed no Chinese person was overweight.

[VeganCupcake]

In China, I struggled with queueing, or the lack of it, at public toilets. At first, I couldn't figure out how to get a turn when I *really* had to go. I also was not a fan of how little privacy you got in some of the toilets, but everybody poops, right? :lol:

 

After working in China, I did a little stint in Hong Kong, which was really strange, because in many ways, it looked and felt like China, but in other ways, it felt like Canada or England.

[LibraryLover]

Seeing teenagers patrol malls and guard public buses with huge guns and bazookas was a mite bit different than what I was used to in the US. This was in Israel in the mid 90s.

 

 

The first time I visited Paris that squicked me out the most. I know many people think all Americans/police have guns (all police do, all Americans do not), but I had never seen such weapons slung over ordinary police, just walking around the city. Not in NY, not in Boston, not anywhere in CA, not in Vegas...just never.

 

Where I was from, police have revolvers (or whatever), but in holsters...you don't actually see them, although you know they are there.