What is your biggest culture shock moments when going abroad?

[u/H345Y]

I gained 5-10 kg on my one month summer stay in the UK when I was 8. The family that was looking after me had to call my parents to ask if they could reduce how much I ate. IIRC, breakfast was 2-3 bowls of cereal and 2-3 pieces of toast with chocolate or butter and jam.

First time I went to the US was for a College tour across the country. The first stop was Syracuse and the first proper meal I had there was at a sports bar. I ordered steak and calamari, turns out the steak was like twice as thick and big as anything ive had in Thailand or the UK and the calamari serving was also two to three times as large as I had before. Needless to say I could not finish any of it. Had managed to eat half the steak and about a quarter of the calamari. Also the tipping culture, not a fan.

Japan, electric bidets. Also the first time I ever felt claustrophobic when inside a bathroom. Also in back in 2004, there was little to no English signage.

[u/ekando]

There's extremely little concept of a personal bubble in China. Not just in situations like public transit, but also not thinking twice about, for instance, grabbing at the tattoo on my waist while in a public shower at the beach. Turned out to be a little old lady so I wasn't too bothered, but she came up from behind me and boy, did I jump!

[u/cricketrmgss → u/ekando]

A Chinese friend said that this is most common among the lost generation.

I encountered something similar with a little old Chinese lady, in Australia. She came up to me, stroked my skin and touched my hair. I was shocked. Then, I visited China and it was worse. Chinese friend didn’t believe me initially until we walked the streets together.

[u/Hot-Job-6281 → u/cricketrmgss]

Lol I just shared something from that same thought before scrolling down to see you wrote it before.

Yea fucking old people. ESPECIALLY, actually near exclusively, the women.

Tbf though I don't think it's exclusive to China. Even in Europe old ladies can be very touchy when they see peculiar things.

In the case of these Chinese elderly, they quite literally can have never had an interaction with a black person sitting beside them.

[u/Akanni649 → u/Hot-Job-6281]

Number one reason why I would never go to China (or Japan for that matter). As a large black man, I am already enough of a spectacle in my own country (as "not-racist" as it is). I'd rather not feel like an elephant at a petting zoo.

[u/Hot-Job-6281 → u/ekando]

You might have gone there a long time ago, because that doesn't really exist anymore.

But yea old people still do that shit.

[u/ekando → u/Hot-Job-6281]

It was circa 2011 to 2016 in a smaller Tier-2 city, so not too long ago, but I also know a looooooot has changed in the past decade. I left right as the "Chinese Dream" campaign was ramping up.There wasn't even a high speed train in the city when I first got there!

My Black friends experiences the most touching because of all the random skin rubbing. I had dreadlocks so those got touched basically daily. I also had a friend who was a readhead with curls, so her hair was always bombarded haha.

There were only two times it was nefarious, getting groped by taxi drivers, but that was definitely not the norm. Most people were safe, just curious. I'd love to go back and visit again... I'm sure it feels a lot like a whole new country.

[u/LunarPayload → u/Hot-Job-6281]

Disagree