good article

I'd like to add to that headline list:

3. Sex and sexuality is considered bad.
4. Graphic violence on tv and especially the news is perfectly acceptable.

alexanderplatz:good article

And pretty accurate, by my experience.

/Fassbinder fan?

Only England drives on the left.

FTA:

Ketchup, catsup, ketchup, catsup, oooooh, I'm in over my head.

sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

Really? Holy crap, I spent my entire Ireland trip driving on the wrong side of the road!

And then they travelled off the base.....

sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

"ORLY?" says:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bophuthatswana, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Ciskei, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Seychelles, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, US Virgin Islands, Venda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

The big thing that I noticed after spending some time in Europe upon coming back to the states is that food is everywhere - and its mostly low grade preprocessed crap.

wow, nice find.

It's so commercial. It's so loud. Everything yells out at you. When you're away from it so long it shocks you when you get back," he said. "I love my country. I'd die for it. I just don't want to live there right now ... It's so peaceful here."

I know what you mean 'bout Alanta!

this ...

BokChoy:sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

"ORLY?" says:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bophuthatswana, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Ciskei, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Seychelles, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, US Virgin Islands, Venda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

err...I think it meant in Europe.

BUT, the rule is:

All former/current British colonies
except the US and Canada
plus Japan
drive on the right.

sorry - RED countries drive on the RHS, blue drive on the correct side.

Yeah, I wouldnt want to live in Hotlanta either.

ScotterOtter:sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

Really? Holy crap, I spent my entire Ireland trip driving on the wrong side of the road!

well to be fair, you were probably drunk the entire time...

BokChoy:sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

"ORLY?" says:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bophuthatswana, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Ciskei, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Seychelles, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, US Virgin Islands, Venda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

but only one of those is in Europe right?

My parents were Army Captains who worked overseas in Europe, my mom said one of the weirdest things was how store clerks didn't haggle in the US

Been living overseas since 2003 now, all but 18 months in Eastern Europe and Russia (they're different) and it's true the 2 trips I made home were overwhelming and a bit annoying after the first couple weeks....

Just gotten too used to walking down the street with a beer in my hand, and outside of Vegas and N.O. do they let you do that anywhere else in the states?

The Mrs. and I want to stay in E Europe for the rest of our lives...Though I misss the hell out of good Taqueria food ...Kinda funny the thing I miss the most about the states is all from Mexico...

Europe FTW

FTA: "It's so commercial. It's so loud. Everything yells out at you. When you're away from it so long it shocks you when you get back," he said. "I love my country. I'd die for it. I just don't want to live there right now ... It's so peaceful here." -Bob Barlow, a civilian employee at RAF Lakenheath

All that need be said.

/hate that farking Billy farking Mays

You know who else liked to volksmarch through the German countryside...

I was stationed overseas. I learned to drive dyslexic. Switching back to Right Hand Drive seemed unnatural. Being back "inside the bubble" has been frustrating at times.

Wow, a genuinely interesting article.

Good find.

Dr.Knockboots:I'd like to add to that headline list:

3. Sex and sexuality is considered bad.
4. Graphic violence on tv and especially the news is perfectly acceptable.

You have apparently not watched TV in the US since the 1950's if you think 3. is true, and what the fark is wrong with graphic violence?

I'm a military wife, so I'm getting a kick and all that. It really is different when you come home. I have discovered that through all my friends. One of my very best friends was stationed in Japan for years, and when she got back, she was shocked by how loud and rude everyone was over here, because over there, even though there are many many more people per square mile, their idea of manners are very different, and most would say, better. There is no loudness in their malls and on their streets; it is considered rude, and their customer service over there is impeccable, especially compared to ours. It really is a shock to come back over here. We are loud, rude, big, and ... other things, but we are us.

Yes I am patriotic, but not blindly so.

panzerfaustbob:Dr.Knockboots:I'd like to add to that headline list:

3. Sex and sexuality is considered bad.
4. Graphic violence on tv and especially the news is perfectly acceptable.

You have apparently not watched TV in the US since the 1950's if you think 3. is true, and what the fark is wrong with graphic violence?

Well, it does seem that way. The MPAA gave "Captivity" a R rating and gave "Lust, Caution" an NC=17 rating, basically saying they'd rather have people exposed to people being brutally tortured than people having orgasms.

Also, people freaked out over that whole Janet Jackson thing, but don't have a problem with watching somebody getting their head blown off on the news.

Korag_The_Nasty:I can understand how these guys must feel. They left around 1999 for what was already a more enlightened continent, and came back several years later to a US that practices torture, entire neighborhoods of new and near-new houses that are empty, and Carlos Mencia.

3/10...the empathy angle was good, but you made it too obvious you wrote this from your basement that you never leave.

Full of FAIL. Returning from Europe is no big deal, with the possible exception of getting honked at for not turning right on red.

Try going back stateside from Korea or Kuwait -- now that's a culture shock.

ladyway905:I'm a military wife, so I'm getting a kick and all that. It really is different when you come home. I have discovered that through all my friends. One of my very best friends was stationed in Japan for years, and when she got back, she was shocked by how loud and rude everyone was over here, because over there, even though there are many many more people per square mile, their idea of manners are very different, and most would say, better. There is no loudness in their malls and on their streets; it is considered rude, and their customer service over there is impeccable, especially compared to ours. It really is a shock to come back over here. We are loud, rude, big, and ... other things, but we are us.

Yes I am patriotic, but not blindly so.

yes that is very true...to an extent....but once a gaijin, always a gaijin...the Japanese tolerate us, they do not accept us there.

Damn, I remember my first trip back to the States after being an expat. I was really excited and then really, really disappointed. Of course my first stop Stateside was in Phoenix, so that probably had something to do with my disappointment.

What got me? The cars. They were just so pointlessly huge.

BokChoy:sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

"ORLY?" says:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bophuthatswana, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Ciskei, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Seychelles, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, US Virgin Islands, Venda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Uh....Europe much? Do you own a globe?

prekrasno:Full of FAIL. Returning from Europe is no big deal, with the possible exception of getting honked at for not turning right on red.

Try going back stateside from Korea or Kuwait -- now that's a culture shock.

Depends on where you are in Europe. I've returned to the States after a long stint in a few different European countries and I can say that all Old Countries are not created equal.

johnny_vegas

True, but it was an example. I wish my husband and I had been stationed in Europe. Le sigh, wrong branch for that. But San Diego suffices. It is very pretty.

Studies indicate that Americans work more hours and take less vacation time than Europeans and other industrial societies

Ergo, enlightened = lazy

prekrasno [TotalFark] Quote 2008-07-09 02:58:04 AM
Studies indicate that Americans work more hours and take less vacation time than Europeans and other industrial societies

Ergo, enlightened = lazy
---------------

Good one. Almost got me. Lazy does not equal a sense of living outside "The Office." :)

-The sad thing is we work extra hard making other people rich...

Ergo, enlightened = lazy

I want me some double enlightenment

As a military family member stationed in England, I am really getting a kick out of these replies.

Welcome to America, here is your guide to entertainment

Fake sex bad, fake murder good

That is all

NotsidCommaWendy:
Well, it does seem that way. The MPAA gave "Captivity" a R rating and gave "Lust, Caution" an NC=17 rating, basically saying they'd rather have people exposed to people being brutally tortured than people having orgasms.

Oh, absolutely. The only safe orgasm is in the Heterosexual Missionary Position, with no more than 3 strokes.

I recommend This Movie Is Not Yet Rated (new window). Fascinating look at Censorship Ratings in America

I haven't experienced any culture shock traveling between Europe and the States, but maybe it is just because I've been traveling since I was very young and learned to take things in a stride. There are more soldiers and spouses than I can count who hate living here in Germany, and only a very few who embrace the chance to see more of the world.

I've been looking to move to the islands for a while now. After experiencing the more laid back lifestyle and welcoming people, I really have no desire to spend all of my time dealing with typical americans. It actually pains me to say that, being born and bred here, but the reality is that our nation and culture is heading downhill at an alarming rate.

ScotterOtter:Really? Holy crap, I spent my entire Ireland trip driving on the wrong side of the road

Sorry... I meant the UK.

To the other guy.... those aren't in Europe.

johnny_vegas:yes that is very true...to an extent....but once a gaijin, always a gaijin...the Japanese tolerate us, they do not accept us there.

Yea the whole, "no foreigners" signs on businesses is a subtle screw you americans.

They love our money though. The local Okinawans are going to be very sad when we leave. We pour a huge amount of money into their economy. My specific base has extremely good relations with the local town, but thats not necessarily true across Okinawa.

"Jones had just arrived on temporary duty from Ramstein Air Base, Germany, where shopping at the commissary and even German supermarkets had never presented such a selection of anything, much less ketchup."

Yeah because German supermarkets dont sell vast ranges of produce, 400 kinds of sausage, pickles and dry mix sauces and the like for example.. Very peculiar idea the writer has about the place.

(oh and Germans build entire shops just to sell what sensible countries put in half an aisle)

roscotsmalls:Been living overseas since 2003 now, all but 18 months in Eastern Europe and Russia (they're different) and it's true the 2 trips I made home were overwhelming and a bit annoying after the first couple weeks....

Just gotten too used to walking down the street with a beer in my hand, and outside of Vegas and N.O. do they let you do that anywhere else in the states?

I found that about Eastern Europe and Russia. We get told that we have all of these freedoms and rights. We assume that we have it so much better than anyone else. But then you go to one of these countries and see how restricted our lives are, and how many things we could do better.

To whom it may concern- The Republic of Ireland or Eire is NOT part of the UK.

Korag_The_Nasty:I can understand how these guys must feel. They left around 1999 for what was already a more enlightened continent, and came back several years later to a US that practices torture, entire neighborhoods of new and near-new houses that are empty, and Carlos Mencia.

yeah. that bastard bush did it.

cynicalbastard:To whom it may concern- The Republic of Ireland or Eire is NOT part of the UK.

Yes but northern Ireland is...

sarcastrophe:ScotterOtter:Really? Holy crap, I spent my entire Ireland trip driving on the wrong side of the road

Sorry... I meant the UK.

To the other guy.... those aren't in Europe.

Most of Ireland isn't part of the UK either. Only the Northern bit.

roscotsmalls:Though I misss the hell out of good Taqueria food ...Kinda funny the thing I miss the most about the states is all from Mexico...


I've been living in Asia for 4 years, and it's the same thing with me. The only thing I miss about America is Mexican food.

Crid:Most of Ireland isn't part of the UK either. Only the Northern bit.

Good grief. Only a small portion of Europe drives on the left. The mainland, in most places drives, on the right.

You people are too picky. Are there enough qualifiers in there for you guys now? :)

prekrasno 2008-07-09 02:52:20 AM
Full of FAIL. Returning from Europe is no big deal, with the possible exception of getting honked at for not turning right on red.

Try going back stateside from Korea or Kuwait -- now that's a culture shock.

THIS!!!

Been in the Middle East now for 5 years, everytime I go spend time in the US, I gets so frustrated...

Weird--this same article ran in the Pacific edition of S 'n' S this morning, just from the Asia angle.

http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=56041

Interesting article.

Coming home, the 1st thing you get excited about is seeing the flag. Then fast food at the cheap prices (maybe). Then toilets that work (sorry, long story..).

Then you see all the dirt, hear all the noise, listen to the people, put up with the constant onslaught of advertising...

And then there's dealing with the ignorant Americans who have never been anywhere and are constantly claiming "We're No. 1." Morons.

gaspode - Yeah because German supermarkets dont sell vast ranges of produce, 400 kinds of sausage, pickles and dry mix sauces and the like for example. Very peculiar idea the writer has about the place.

Thank you. I've been all over Europe. Yes, you have your quaint villages but you also have your bustling cities. The first megamarket I went to was not in the United States but in France. The thing had an escalator. I could get over the size of it. The wine department alone blew my mind.

Also, I am tired of people thinking that the United States is the same across the board. Yes, we have huge cities with choices and choices and choices. But we also have tiny towns where if you don't like what's at the mom and pop grocery store, well, you are out of luck or you're driving for a couple of hours to the next town over. For every L.A. you have Matthews County, VA, a place where I could probably throw a football the length of the main town road. We have quaint and quiet too. You only need to drive past the cities.

Phil McKraken:BUT, the rule is:

All former/current British colonies
except the US and Canada
plus Japan
drive on the right.

ORLY? Because that rule encompasses the entire world, eh? Would you choose the map or the entry to a beauty pageant?

Not in the military, but I've always had much more reverse culture shock coming back to the States then I ever had leaving. I f'in miss Europe.

/not in the military because they nuked my uncle in the 50's in NV, my cus was in Somalia, and I don't take orders well.

Yeah, I had a similar thing after returning to the UK after a decade in TX. Felt like I was surrounded by horribly rude hobbits living in constant twilight, weirdest thing. Still haven't got used to the "Wotchoowant?" style of customer service.

I agree there's more culture shock when returning home than going out. When I returned from a 2 week trip to Japan, I felt more disoriented back in America than I ever did while over there.

johnny_vegas:ladyway905:I'm a military wife, so I'm getting a kick and all that. It really is different when you come home. I have discovered that through all my friends. One of my very best friends was stationed in Japan for years, and when she got back, she was shocked by how loud and rude everyone was over here, because over there, even though there are many many more people per square mile, their idea of manners are very different, and most would say, better. There is no loudness in their malls and on their streets; it is considered rude, and their customer service over there is impeccable, especially compared to ours. It really is a shock to come back over here. We are loud, rude, big, and ... other things, but we are us.

Yes I am patriotic, but not blindly so.

yes that is very true...to an extent....but once a gaijin, always a gaijin...the Japanese tolerate us, they do not accept us there.

I beg to differ, as I hear this all the time, but don't find this to be true. Oftentimes, foreigners problems deal with their lack of wanting to learn the language and always trying to trust pre-conceived notions of culture onto the Japanese. This is not always true of course and there are some people who try their hardest to be "Japanese" and still feel outside the culture. But I find that I am treated just as most Japanese people are treated. Then again, I live way up there in Hokkaido where, I hear, the people are different than those on the mainland.

mekki:Also, I am tired of people thinking that the United States is the same across the board.

Amen to that.

I tell them "Everything you have ever heard about the States is true - somewhere but not everywhere."

People remember the 'America' part but forget the 'United States' part. I tell them "Saying that all of the US is like this or that is like saying all of the EU is like this or that. It 50 different states spread over 5 or 6 time zones."

After 3 years stationed in Germany (1986-89) I was never very happy in the US. Europe is just a much better place to live. Hell, DUBAI is a much better place to live, but that's because Dubai is very much like Europe.

I think you'll find that most Americans who think they have the "greatest, best country, yada yada" have never lived anywhere else. Yes, that's cheating, because most Americans have never even visited anywhere else, but the principle is valid.

happyandwithnopants:There are more soldiers and spouses than I can count who hate living here in Germany, and only a very few who embrace the chance to see more of the world.

Kind of proves the point. Take the average American family, give them 3 years in Europe, all expenses paid, and all they can do is sit on post and complain that they can't get the right brand of sugar frosted breakfast hyperactivity for the kids. Single soldiers sit in the barracks and complain there's nothing to do.

America sucks because Americans suck.

Mr Logo
Just gotten too used to walking down the street with a beer in my hand, and outside of Vegas and N.O. do they let you do that anywhere else in the states?

I found that about Eastern Europe and Russia. We get told that we have all of these freedoms and rights. We assume that we have it so much better than anyone else. But then you go to one of these countries and see how restricted our lives are, and how many things we could do better.

That's because too many americans don't realize that with RIGHTS come RESPONSIBILITIES. In my time in europe and the middle east in the 80's, I don't remember seeing one single street drunk... all the people throwing up on the curbs were other sailors. The locals would shake their heads in disgust, and I couldn't blame them. I was disgusted too.

First thing an american will scream when they are restricted from doing something, "I've got my rights!!!" without thinking about the results of their proposed actions.

Freedom of speech, but think before you speak.
Freedom of choice, but be informed before you choose.
Freedom of expression, but be aware and responsible for the consequences of your actions.
Freedom to have a beer in public, but don't be an inconsiderate sloppy drunk.

I served overseas at NAS Sigonella in Sicily. Most people do biatch about the places they go, but those who got out a little bit like me, even if we did biatch, tend to miss it when we returned stateside. I only managed to hold out for about two years before I chose to head back overseas to go to a University in the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. Now I may be headed to London for Grad School.

mekki:Also, I am tired of people thinking that the United States is the same across the board.

This happens in reverse on fark a lot, so many americans just seem to think that Europe is just Europe, and not a bunch of different countries who in many cases don't have all that much in common except that we're on the same continent.

Arthur the Sandwich Maker:Still haven't got used to the "Wotchoowant?" style of customer service.

Oh yes, "English customer service," an oxymoron akin to "military intelligence."

Mrs Dubai, (English) is amazed at the waiters in the US. I explain that they are working for tips, while Brits don't tip, but it goes right past her. The idea that US restaurants are allowed to pay less than minimum wage horrifies her, even while she is enjoying the good service that working for tips brings.

Oh well, every culture has its blind spots.

dofus:And then there's dealing with the ignorant Americans who have never been anywhere and are constantly claiming "We're No. 1." Morons.

This.

It's one thing to be proud of your country but it's another to be obnoxiously ignorant (read: red neck nationalists) when you haven't even gotten out of your town.

Aside from having no "hate speech" laws, the US isn't necessarily freer than other western countries. And GDP is not a measure of quality of life. Obsessing over work and money is not considered an universal virtue.

rewind2846:In my time in europe and the middle east in the 80's, I don't remember seeing one single street drunk...

I live in Florida. During a recent trip through Northern Europe, I ran into more public drunkenness (and racist conversation) than I ever see here.

somedane:mekki:Also, I am tired of people thinking that the United States is the same across the board.

This happens in reverse on fark a lot, so many americans just seem to think that Europe is just Europe, and not a bunch of different countries who in many cases don't have all that much in common except that we're on the same continent.

I agree with you both. I've worked in over 17 States and lived in Scotland and Poland, and visited many European countries. Hell even in California you have different cultures desert, coast, urban, suburban and that is one State. Georgia, Ohio, North Carolina...

There is a culture shock returning from overseas to the US and I always find it harder returning.

dofus
rewind2846:In my time in europe and the middle east in the 80's, I don't remember seeing one single street drunk...

I live in Florida. During a recent trip through Northern Europe, I ran into more public drunkenness (and racist conversation) than I ever see here.

Well maybe things have changes in the 20 or so years I was there... I was in France, Monaco, Italy, Greece, Spain, England, Germany, Sicily, Israel, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, etc.
Perhaps the countries you visited have grown more like america than they used to be... shame.

btw... better to be a racist out in the open rather than hide it behind code words and bullshiat the way they do here. Easier to avoid the assholes that way.

Oh, and dry counties, subby? Give me a break. I've been in Kuwait, the Land Where Alcohol is Forbidden, since March 2007 -- try being without beer/liquor that long. It sux. At least I get to go home every few months and put my beer weight back on.

/been back 3 weeks this time, the sobriety is killing me
//will accept all cleverly-disguised liquid refreshments in care packages

prekrasno:Oh, and dry counties, subby? Give me a break. I've been in Kuwait, the Land Where Alcohol is Forbidden, since March 2007

This EU expansion business is really starting to get out of hand.

prekrasno:try being without beer/liquor that long. It sux

Heh.

Well, with all the money you're making and the taxes you're not paying, you can buy your own beer truck when you get home.

prekrasno:Oh, and dry counties, subby? Give me a break. I've been in Kuwait, the Land Where Alcohol is Forbidden, since March 2007 -- try being without beer/liquor that long. It sux. At least I get to go home every few months and put my beer weight back on.

/been back 3 weeks this time, the sobriety is killing me
//will accept all cleverly-disguised liquid refreshments in care packages

You're doing it wrong. The Kuwaiti royal family controls the bootlegging business. Keeping booze illegal jacks up their profits. You just don't know the right people.

/or so I've heard
//all legal and cheap in Dubai.

koan:It's one thing to be proud of your country but it's another to be obnoxiously ignorant (read: red neck nationalists) when you haven't even gotten out of your town.

It's not just rednecks. This particular brand of stupidity cuts across all groups.

Yes, they're big, loud, and stupid here. Welcome home.

"U.S. military personnel returning from Europe often confused by American culture, like driving on right side, dry counties"

Don't forget the whole "Not being allowed to shoot unarmed civilians anymore" thing. I had a little trouble getting past that one when my tour ended.

BokChoy:sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

"ORLY?" says:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bophuthatswana, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Ciskei, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Seychelles, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, US Virgin Islands, Venda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

And also... this list is a bit out of date, bro. Bophuthatswana and Ciskei were reincorporated into South Africa in 1994.

Good article. My Dad's retired Army, we lived in Germany in the '70s for 5yrs, living off-post the whole time, and moving back to the States was weird. I hated going back, but not much I could do about it at 15. I adapted eventually, sort of, but no matter where I went I was always a little out of step perspective-wise from everything and everyone around except those who'd also lived overseas. Didn't return to Europe until 2006 to visit my then-fiancee, and immediately knew what had been wrong with my life since 1978, because it felt like home. Different language and culture (French), but still. I've been here for a year now, and couldn't be happier....but kinda worried about culture shock when we go back to the States for Christmas this year.

happyandwithnopants
There are more soldiers and spouses than I can count who hate living here in Germany, and only a very few who embrace the chance to see more of the world.

A lot of soldiers overseas successfully block out the local culture. The base usually provides all the things they're used to, either on sale or free. When they do go off base, they can choose only to do the most familiar things, eventually causing "Americanized" businesses to spring up all around the base that don't really exist anywhere else. I've seen guys do a tour and experience very little of the place they lived for four years.

boobsrgood:A lot of soldiers overseas successfully block out the local culture.

Get get blocked out by the locals. Military types are not always greeted with open arms. Same thing happens around bases in the US too.

dofus -People remember the 'America' part but forget the 'United States' part. I tell them "Saying that all of the US is like this or that is like saying all of the EU is like this or that. It 50 different states spread over 5 or 6 time zones."

I like to say that The United States is one nation divided up by 50 states. With each state being like its own country.

somedane - This happens in reverse on fark a lot, so many americans just seem to think that Europe is just Europe, and not a bunch of different countries who in many cases don't have all that much in common except that we're on the same continent.


Very few Americans here think that compared to the amount of Europeans who think that the reverse is true. Don't believe me? Search youtube for American accents as done by Europeans. I say 95% of them are people doing mall rat/valley girl impressions. THAT'S NOT EVEN A REGION!

A few months ago I was talking to a German couple in a North Carolina supermarket. They were telling me how they couldn't stand living in America. That it was nothing like they had expected. I asked them what did they want. They said they wanted a more liberal, Earth friendly city with a calm climate that was more on the rainy side. I told them that they should move to Seattle. It would be perfect for them. They could not believe that such a place existed in the States. They were convinced that the U.S. was the same all over.

/Personally, I am a navy brat and I have had times where I've had culture shock within my own country.

mekki:I like to say that The United States is one nation divided up by 50 states. With each state being like its own country.

I recently got into this with a bunch of Swedes.

I suggested one go to Vermont, one to Texas and one to California. Live there for a month and learn what they could of the local customs. When they get back, compare notes.

I likened it to people visiting Sweden, Italy and Spain under the assumption it was all one country.

They got the point.

(It was a weird conversation. One otherwise intelligent guy was quite convinced that every US male walked down the street with a six-gun on his hip.)

In 1988, I rode the bus from Nurnberg to Frankfurt on the Autobahn. The road was smooth. European sports cars were everywhere. Most of the non-sports type were still clean looking and could handle going over 100MPH. The weather was cold and raining (in June).

I landed in Philadelphia during a major heat wave (over 95 degrees) wearing a full dress uniform. I rode a bus from Philly to Fort Dix to out-process. The highway was all tore up. The first vehicle I saw was an old and busted mid 70's pickup truck with a rusted out bed that was barely hanging on. Most of the rest of the vehicles were a season away from the scrap yard.

My brother and best friend greeted me at the airport in Michigan with a 12 pack of Coors Light. I drank most of it on the ten mile ride (I drank Dunkel Weissen in Europe) from the Airport to my parents home.

The worst part was the transition from living with a large group of people that were always looking for a party, to the short stay at my parent's house after my ETS. It felt like I went from fourth gear to second. Of course my brother and I kept a fresh keg in the fridge down stairs all summer as kind of a three month long welcome home party.

I never owned a car in Europe. The public transportation rocked. You could drink until 4:00 AM and the public transportation system would start back up at 5:00 AM. In the summer months there was always some sort of local festival with a huge beer tent that you could ride a bus to and from. Anybody that ever got caught drinking and driving in Germany was just plain stupid.

As a Brit, the strangest thing about visiting the U.S for the first time was how familiar it all felt. There was, however a strange feeling that I had just walked onto a movie set. I kept expecting reality to fade to black.

/You *really* have those steaming manhole covers in the streets? Cool.

mekki:

I say 95% of them are people doing mall rat/valley girl impressions. THAT'S NOT EVEN A REGION!

Actually, it comes from the San Vernando Valley, hence "valley girl." How that accent ever became so ubiquitous, I will never know.

When I returned to the US for a few weeks after living in Europe for a while the things that slapped me in the face were.

How badly everyone dressed.

How loud and obnoxious everyone was.

How unattractive people were.

and

OMG the fatties.

Yes Sound:They love our money though. The local Okinawans are going to be very sad when we leave. We pour a huge amount of money into their economy. My specific base has extremely good relations with the local town, but thats not necessarily true across Okinawa.

The Okinawans might like us a little more if we could keep our Marines from raping their pre-teens. . .

I very much enjoyed that article. As an American living in Germany I wholeheartedly can relate. It is beautiful here and the travel opportunities are amazing. Heck, it is worth being here for Oktoberfest (Munich for the world-wide party or Stuttgart for the smaller, more truly German version) and Würstmarkt (Bad Dürkheim) alone!

I do, however, wish to return to the States eventually. I hate the "no work on Sunday" rule. Sometimes that is the only day that isn't raining and that I can mow my lawn! And I do miss Wal Mart, NAPA/Autozone/O'Reily's (et al), and food delivery.

Everything is more laid back here, unfortunately everything is also more expensive. That isn't just due to the weak dollar. The subsidized health care, month of vacation, subsidized mass transit all has to be paid for somehow. I'm sure I'll be in for one heck of a reverse-culture shock when I return. I know I experienced it when I got back from Turkey and that was only 15 months. This one is looking to be 7 years.

Angostura:

/You *really* have those steaming manhole covers in the streets? Cool.

Yup. Has something to do with the humidity in the sewers.

Heracleitus:I'm sure I'll be in for one heck of a reverse-culture shock when I return. [...] This one is looking to be 7 years.

AKA The Bush Administration. Yup, you're in for a doozie.

prekrasno:BokChoy:sarcastrophe:Only England drives on the left.

"ORLY?" says:

Anguilla, Antigua & Barbuda, Australia, Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bermuda, Bhutan, Bophuthatswana, Botswana, British Virgin Islands, Brunei, Cayman Islands, Channel Islands, Ciskei, Cyprus, Dominica, Falkland Islands, Fiji, Grenada, Guyana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, Lesotho, Macau, Malawi, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Montserrat, Mozambique, Namibia, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St. Vincent & Grenadines, Seychelles, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St. Helena, St. Lucia, Surinam, Swaziland, Tanzania, Thailand, Tonga, Trinidad & Tobago, Uganda, US Virgin Islands, Venda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe

Uh....Europe much? Do you own a globe?

Last I checked, Ireland was in Europe.

David3565 - Actually, it comes from the San Vernando Valley, hence "valley girl." How that accent ever became so ubiquitous, I will never know.

It's not really an accent if only teen aged girls are doing it and they stop doing it once they hit adult hood. An accent is for everyone. This is more or less a style of speech.

I can't even imagine a Valley cop. "Like, oh, my god, stop in the name of like the law or something!"

Dubai Vol:Mrs Dubai, (English) is amazed at the waiters in the US.

True enough, although I always find that American waiter thing of a huge fixed smile and massively rehearsed friendliness a bit grating after a while. Good service in the UK seems more natural to me, even if it is a little rarer.

mekki:Very few Americans here think that compared to the amount of Europeans who think that the reverse is true. Don't believe me? Search youtube for American accents as done by Europeans. I say 95% of them are people doing mall rat/valley girl impressions. THAT'S NOT EVEN A REGION!

Users of Youtube, which is dominated by kids, echo the accents they hear on TV and in films, which have, especially in teen oriented films, a huge overfall of valley girl accents, and that's indicative of believing America is a monoculture ? Congratulations on one of the least convincing arguments ever recorded.

Pretty much any English speaker, from any European country, can do you, at the very least, a bad impersonation of someone from, like, California, the Deep South (at least as interpreted by a middle aged Californian playing a man with learning difficulties), and Noo Yoik. They'll sound ridiculous, but, nonetheless, the awareness that there are different areas and cultures is pretty strong !

Angostura:As a Brit, the strangest thing about visiting the U.S for the first time was how familiar it all felt. There was, however a strange feeling that I had just walked onto a movie set. I kept expecting reality to fade to black.

Well put. The first place I visited outside the UK was Miami. The whole airport process (it's a sad fact that this would no longer be the case, and not to the detriment of Birmingham International) was almost, but not quite, exactly the same. It didn't really click that I was abroad until the immigration guy said "Yoogonnaseemeekeymouz ?"

FarkinNortherner:The first place I visited outside the UK was Miami. The whole airport process...

I was recently introduced to Heathrow. I think I could go on at length about the experience but I'm pretty much speechless.

After six months in Germany the most striking change for me was the intensity level and pace here. Seeing people get visibly upset and twitchy because one person was in front of them in a line. Seeing people stab their cars into tiny gaps in traffic at 70 mph, only to change back a minute later. I could suddenly see why our healthcare system is so incredibly profitable.

dofus:I was recently introduced to Heathrow. I think I could go on at length about the experience but I'm pretty much speechless.

I seriously doubt your experience of customs and immigration was as appalling as that suffered by travellers to the US (personal highlight to date - two hours detention by the secret police in the tunnel from the aircraft), but, yes, Heathrow is appalling. I was, however, comparing slightly less frantic/broken airports.

BenR:Dubai Vol:Mrs Dubai, (English) is amazed at the waiters in the US.

True enough, although I always find that American waiter thing of a huge fixed smile and massively rehearsed friendliness a bit grating after a while.

Stop eating in chain restaurants! The food is horrible, the staff are "trained" to be like that. It's disgusting. Also, it depends on the region. Go to east Tennessee and the waitresses in the small family places call you darlin', sweetie, and honey, and are not putting it on.

dofus

Heathrow is an embarrassment, it's like they decided to make it as a teaching aid of how *not* to design an airport. I fly from Stansted when I can.

FarkinNortherner:I seriously doubt your experience of customs and immigration was as appalling as that suffered by travellers to the US...

Quite true. The security situation in the US (and the UK) is absurd. I frequently mutter a word that sounds a lot like 'Gestapo'. But only mutter.

FarkinNortherner: - Pretty much any English speaker, from any European country, can do you, at the very least, a bad impersonation of someone from, like, California, the Deep South (at least as interpreted by a middle aged Californian playing a man with learning difficulties), and Noo Yoik. They'll sound ridiculous, but, nonetheless, the awareness that there are different areas and cultures is pretty strong !

And where did they get these impressions from? American movies and television. Which is where they get their stereotypes from. Just because they can do three accents, and don't even get me started on the lumping of "The Deep South" accent, is no indication that they know anything about the States outside of what our pop culture provides them.

/And, honestly, Noo Yoik?

Dubai Vol

Maybe that's it, I never get much choice where we go when I'm in the States as I'm always working (CT/NY).

BenR:Maybe that's it, I never get much choice where we go when I'm in the States as I'm always working (CT/NY).

That explains it. Connecticut and New York are near the bottom of the pile when it comes to friendly service.

Try almost any non-chain restaurant that is at least 100 miles from salt water and your experience will be remarkably different. (There's a bunch on the coasts as well but you have to choose between good and bad.)

David3565:mekki:

I say 95% of them are people doing mall rat/valley girl impressions. THAT'S NOT EVEN A REGION!

Actually, it comes from the San Vernando Valley, hence "valley girl." How that accent ever became so ubiquitous, I will never know.

That's the San Fernando Valley, and you can like blame the movie Valley Girl? And like I'm all thinking Fast Times at Ridgemont High, too, dude. Totally.

/Southern California native, and yes, it's a real accent. I work with balding 40 year old men who use the word "dude" in all seriousness.

Bonzo_1116:use the word "dude" in all seriousness

An actual conversation:

"Dude?"

"Dude."

"Dude!"

And women say men don't communicate...

I lived abroad, in Europe for 9 years. I completely agree with this article. There was a culture shock when I moved abroad, but I had expected it. I was woefully unprepared for the culture shock of returning home. The thing is, when big events happen, you hear about it. I was abroad in the 90's so, I knew about the Oklahoma City bombing, OJ's trial, etc.... But nobody told me they had added child safety locks to bic lighters. I was home visiting, and at the time, a smoker. I saw an older man having a smoke, so with a cig pursed in my lips, I walked up to him and asked for a light. He handed me his lighter, which I flicked, and flicked, and flicked, flicked..... I handed it back to him and said, must not work. He looked at me like I was from another planet. Said, "its childproof", clicked a button on the side and fired it up and lit my cigarette... Man I felt like such a rube.

Another time, I was back in the US on a business trip, and was thirsty. I was killing time with my boss walking through a mall, and went up to a little fast food island and ordered a large coke. Now, having been in Europe for so many years, a large was a reasonably sized portion. Not at this place, they handed me a cup that was at least 16 inches tall and 6 in diameter.... The small things...

Some pertinent observations about my fellow countrymen after living abroad for so long:

Americans will tell anyone, especially random strangers, about every medical condition they have, in excruciating detail. Why? I don't know. Everywhere else I've been in the world, they keep that shiat to themselves... I'm sorry, I don't want to hear about your Thyroid condition... next...

You're standing in line at McDonalds. The obese person in front of you orders a Double Bic Mac Combo, supersized... "and a diet Coke please"... Really. A diet Coke... Like that will make up for the artery blaster you just ordered.

And while we're on the subject of Mc Donalds... Here's my all time favorite joke:

Q What's the difference between McDonalds in Europe and McDonalds in the US?

A In Europe, they speak better English.

Okay, a couple more jokes:

What do you call someone who speaks 2 languages?

Bilingual

What do you call someone who speaks 3 languages?

Trilingual

What do you call someone who speaks 1 language?

American

What's the similarity between American beer and having sex in a canoe?

Its farking close to water.

Dubai Vol:prekrasno:Oh, and dry counties, subby? Give me a break. I've been in Kuwait, the Land Where Alcohol is Forbidden, since March 2007 -- try being without beer/liquor that long. It sux. At least I get to go home every few months and put my beer weight back on.

/been back 3 weeks this time, the sobriety is killing me
//will accept all cleverly-disguised liquid refreshments in care packages

You're doing it wrong. The Kuwaiti royal family controls the bootlegging business. Keeping booze illegal jacks up their profits. You just don't know the right people.

/or so I've heard
//all legal and cheap in Dubai.

All legal and cheap in Bahrain as well, but that's another story...regardless, getting off-post in Kuwait to the "right people" is troublesome at best. {Sigh} At least I have the comfort of Beck's NA and a little Valium every once in a while...

How about when you come home from Iraq? I'll drive on any side of the street and your lawn!

j_dubya_s'

You just made my day. I don't think you realize how much I really needed that laugh, except that I'm really checking my spelling and grammar.

As a European, the one thing that really got to me when I visited America was that in any given store, they wouldn't include the VAT until you got to the checkout. So the price tag on the shelf was not actually what you ended up paying at the till. *Puts on Jerry Seinfeld voice* "What's the deal with that?!" Seriously. Why not just include the full price on the shelf, instead of making it seem cheaper by omitting the tax? And don't get me started on tipping. I'm a regular Mr. Pink when it comes to tipping. When they specifically ask for a tip, that makes me not want to give them one even more that I did before.

And no-one walks anywhere. There weren't enough footpaths sidewalks. And everything was airconditioned, even though Americans boast that Europeans can't take the heat. And the news. Don't get me started on American news channels. And the people. Don't get me started on ...

What a farking retarded article. This happens when you go to another state, the shock just doesn't last as long. Yea, Germany was weird for a few days. Yes, America was weird again for a few days when I came back. Holy shiat, let me write a novel about it.

somedane:This happens in reverse on fark a lot, so many americans just seem to think that Europe is just Europe, and not a bunch of different countries who in many cases don't have all that much in common except that we're on the same continent.

well maybe that is because all we hear from farkers, like in this thread, is how ALL of europe is so much better in every way than ALL of the USA.

Born and raised in Europe and Asia as part of a military family. Been living in the US for the past 11 years after moving here for to college. I still can't get used to the place. After living in 2 different states (MI & FL), and 4 different regions within them, I still haven't found a location that I'm happy in.

It's funny. As a kid i loved coming to the states on visits so we could go to places like McDs (didn't have any in the places I was living at the time). Now that I've been living here, I just want to get the fark out of this sh*thole.

US citizen, not very patriotic after what I've seen it do overseas. This country is #1 in all the wrong things expect foreign aid, and even that is questionable considering where some of it goes.

An tSaoi:As a European ...

I should point out that I was in Florida, so the rest of the US is probably not the same. The guy that said each state is like a country (and that Americans somehow think Europe is like a country) made a very good point. I'm going to New York at the end of the week, so it'll be interesting to see the difference.

As for the accents thing, if I was made to do an impression of an American, I'd base it on stuff I'd heard in movies. I could probably do a bad New York accent by way of Scorcese films, California, and probably some Deep South accent, but I'm not sure which state exactly. And then maybe a sort of generic one. But I assume you hear certain types of accent in films more than others.

But what irritates me is when people assume that a country has ONE accent. That happens a lot due to the fact that there are set "foreign accents" (to a US audience) that keep showing up in American films. All Brits on film for example talk with a Hugh Grant-type accent that regular people don't use. Personally, I hate Irish accents in films (Gangs of New York, Far and Away, Back to the Future 3 etc. - although that last one was played for laughs). There's probably just as many Irish accents as there are American accents, even though there is a huge size difference between both countries. Where I'm from, historically each village would keep to itself, so people would sound different not just a few miles down the road, but literally on the other side of a hill. I have friends who live within walking distance of my house that sound like they're from a different part of the country.

An tSaoi:As a European, the one thing that really got to me when I visited America was that in any given store, they wouldn't include the VAT until you got to the checkout.

Just the way it's done I guess.

Sales tax is 0-7 percent depending on local (it's imposed locally, not nationally). VAT is what? 12-20 percent? I think I'd want that included in the display price.

Not to turn this into a US vs Europe thing but what's the deal with ice? This last trip, I'd ask for water or cola in a restaurant and get a glass with liquid. Ask for ice and either get one cube or get a funny look and "We don't have any ice." A restaurant with no ice at all?

Yeah, the US pretty much sucks ass.

dofus:An tSaoi:As a European, the one thing that really got to me when I visited America was that in any given store, they wouldn't include the VAT until you got to the checkout.

Just the way it's done I guess.

Sales tax is 0-7 percent depending on local (it's imposed locally, not nationally). VAT is what? 12-20 percent? I think I'd want that included in the display price.

Not to turn this into a US vs Europe thing but what's the deal with ice? This last trip, I'd ask for water or cola in a restaurant and get a glass with liquid. Ask for ice and either get one cube or get a funny look and "We don't have any ice." A restaurant with no ice at all?

You don't need ice, the drink is already refrigerated.

mekki:Just because they can do three accents, and don't even get me started on the lumping of "The Deep South" accent, is no indication that they know anything about the States outside of what our pop culture provides them.

I still don't understand why you think mimicry of local accents is any way to measure someone's level of understanding of the diversity of American states.

I can't do a convincing Boston accent unless the conversation revolves entirely around parking the car in the yard, and my mastery of the southern vowel shift is dismal at best, but that's really a question of theatrical skills, not so much about knowledge. It doesn't tell you anything about my awareness of cultural, political and demographic differences between Massachusetts and Louisiana.

Tat'dGreaser:What a farking retarded article. This happens when you go to another state, the shock just doesn't last as long. Yea, Germany was weird for a few days. Yes, America was weird again for a few days when I came back. Holy shiat, let me write a novel about it.

Sometimes it can happen even in the same state.

case in point... live in DT Chicago for awhile. Then move out to say.... Springfield.

...it's like stepping into a foreign world.

I call BS on this crap. Just another hidden attempt to troll America and our cultur. Don't like it then leave. Can't hack coming home, then don't. Either way shut up.

MDGeist:I call BS on this crap. Just another hidden attempt to troll America and our cultur. Don't like it then leave. Can't hack coming home, then don't. Either way shut up.

Yeah, the farking libs at Stars and Stripes are just trolling us, guys.

dofus:Not to turn this into a US vs Europe thing but what's the deal with ice? This last trip, I'd ask for water or cola in a restaurant and get a glass with liquid. Ask for ice and either get one cube or get a funny look and "We don't have any ice." A restaurant with no ice at all?

You speak the truth, brother! Americans love ice, Europeans don't, and that's just that. But not having it is really tough for Americans. I'll never forget travelling through Bavaria with a school group and stopping in at a little cafe in Garmisch. They had real iced tea with ice! We cried.

Speaking of Germans and iced tea, a couple of years ago I sat down at a restaurant bar near my home (in Michigan, not far DaimlerChrysler HQ, back when it was still DaimlerChrysler). I ordered an ice tea, and the guy sitting right next to me said to his friend: "Guckst du....nicht nur in Summer" (or something like that). In other words, "hey look, not just in summer." My very limited high school German was enough to understand it, but I got pissed off that this douchebag thought he could make comments openly about me and assume I wouldn't understand what he was saying. I immediately turned to him and said in English, "nope, we love it all year long....asshole." Germans don't know how to deal with that sort of Americanism.

I live here and I'm confused by American culture.

Neat article, a little light on the anecdotes.

Gimme some good anecdotes, foreign travelers. I like the observational insight.

MDGeist:I call BS on this crap. Just another hidden attempt to troll America and our cultur. Don't like it then leave. Can't hack coming home, then don't. Either way shut up.

Ooh, I like it! 10/10!

dofus:

Not to turn this into a US vs Europe thing but what's the deal with ice? This last trip, I'd ask for water or cola in a restaurant and get a glass with liquid. Ask for ice and either get one cube or get a funny look and "We don't have any ice." A restaurant with no ice at all?

I forgot this...If I have one quality that makes me more American than all the rest, it is the pathological need for ice, and plenty of it, in my beverages...

Went to the cinema when I was living in Zagreb and wnated a coke for the film, so I walked up to the counter and ordered a coke and told the girl to fill it completely with ice..She looked at the cup, looked at me, looked at the .5 liter mark on the cup, looked at me...finaly she says "it wont all fit, you wont get a full half liter of coke"..I replied "I don't care I want it full of ice and I'll take just as much coke as will fit after that"...She did it, but she looked at me like I was some kind of moon man....Similar experiences have happened to me in other countries as well...At this point, even when I don't care how much ice I get I still ask for it full as it amuses me to mess with their expectations....

Ice and mexican food.....though it is still easier to get ice..just barely

MDGeist:I call BS on this crap. Just another hidden attempt to troll America and our cultur. Don't like it then leave. Can't hack coming home, then don't. Either way shut up.

Troll much?

I gotta agree with this article, I spent 7yrs in Germany while I was in the Army and it is a bit odd coming back. While I did miss having 24 hour access to just about anything and a few other conveniences, overall I enjoyed it more over there. It wasn't anywhere near as dirty, I could travel cheaply anywhere in the country using the train, and the beer and women were excellent. And one of the best things I thought was, if you went to a bar or pub that wasn't frequented by loads of other soldiers it didn't have that air of desperation you get in alot of American bars I've been to, no one trying to escape their life through the bottle, usually no guy trying to get some girl drunk so he could take her home, and no asshole trying to start fights because you looked at his girl for a split second.