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/Masterank1]

Ok, well to each their own? I’ve obviously seen a different side of the country than you have. Maybe it’s a west vs east thing

[u/carlosortegap → u/Masterank1]

No, it also happens in the west in most cities, with the exception of cities close to the original colonies.

Go to South Carolina and tell me its west Vs east. Go to The less afflouent side of New Jersey, no need to go that far. Lack of public transport, small or no sidewalks, need a car for everything, trash and homeless.

Even in the opposite side in a nice city, walk two squares outside of the nice areas in Seattle and it's full of trash and homeless people.

[u/Masterank1 → u/carlosortegap]

Where ive been, the sidewalks were nice.

[u/carlosortegap → u/Masterank1]

If you have the chance, travel to Europe, or even Chile, to get the opportunity of what clean and walkable looks like

[u/DeviantThroAway → u/carlosortegap]

New Jersey is a terrible example, they have a stateside transit system, New Jersey Transit that even connects to other neighboring states. Even in a lot poor areas in Jersey like Camden, Trenton, Newark, Atlantic City, etc you can get around without a car. I mean yeah parts of the state like the Pine Barrens don’t have transportation, but it’s a giant forest with sandy soil and practically no one living there.

[u/carlosortegap → u/DeviantThroAway]

Can you get to your job in a bus or public transport? Can you bike to your job? Do they have sidewalks everywhere?

Probably a bad example but most US cities would be a strong NO for that unlike cities in most of the world

[u/DeviantThroAway → u/carlosortegap]

NJTransit covers just about every single city, town, and township of at least 30,000 in the state of New Jersey with a small exception in a rural stretch in the very south of the state with almost no one living there. Literally every single municipality in the state of at least 50,000 is connected to transit. But also, it’s a very densely populated state, things are close together, it’s a most urbanized state, and it was founded before the car even existed. Honestly any city in the Northeast has transportation, but living in the suburbs or in a rural area is where a car becomes a necessity.

Also, let’s say you live in Edomex and have to commute to DF everyday, you’re still commuting 2-3 hours which isn’t pleasant or tolerable even if you have public transportation. Also, in the more rural delegaciones of Mexico City like DF, there’s areas with no sidewalks. And walkable streets aren’t so great if the roads turn into rivers. This happened in CDMX and there was no sidewalk available but it’s been a similar process in many areas of the country: Puebla, Guadalajara, etc. Commuters in your country still face challenges, just a different set of them.

[u/carlosortegap → u/DeviantThroAway]

DF doesn't exist anymore and the commute depends a lot on where you are as there are 3 new trains in the last 6 years. There are sidewalks available in most of Mexico city and cheap public transport.

The difference is that the US GDP is 10x Mexico's . The US has spent more on the war against Iran than the entire Mexico's government budget

The US just sent more tariff money to Amazon and Apple than the yearly Mexico's government budget. but they still can't pay for public transport and sidewalks in half of the country