Posted on 04/19/2015 8:29:54 AM PDT by TurboZamboni
One of the most exciting things about traveling to or living in a foreign land is learning a new culture, especially if the culture is vastly different from your own. Those who have visited or lived in the United States have reported being shocked and overwhelmed by a number of the country’s customs and practices. Here are the top fifteen things foreigners are surprised by in America. 1. The Use of Credit Cards
(Excerpt) Read more at destinationtips.com ...
Thank you...it would have been best as ‘first use’.
Funniest thing I ever heard was from a Russian Immigrant. She said she spent years learning to speak English only to move to Miami to find that she didn’t speak the language.
I find #s 2, 7, 8 and 10 probably linked in various ways. We dislike feeling shortchanged so food portions can get large. Some people will eat as long as there is something in from of them, others will eat what they want and discard the rest. The former leads to #7 which (hopefully) can lead to #10, while the latter can lead to #8 along with excess packaging used by retail and manufacturing to keep us thinking we are not being shortchanged there.
I wonder what the demographics are of the ‘foreigners’? We go to Europe and the unknowledgeable are shocked that you can drive from England to Poland in a long day (1013 miles!) A similar distance from New York City gets you to Chicago or the Georgia-SC border. Which also goes to (partially) explain the size of our vehicles (#14) - longer distances make urban vehicles a pain!
And so it goes!
Thanks.
Clearly leftist anti-American claptrap.
“God hasn’t given up on America just yet...”
I pray not! He truly has shed His grace upon us. :)
1. Widespread fellow foreigners.
Comparison with Thailand.
1. The Use of Credit Cards - only for foreigners booking hotels.
2. Food Portions - US portions would feed a family of four.
3. Patriotism - About the same. Most love the King.
4. High School Sports Similar but soccer only.
5. Size of the Country - A Thai on a first visit would think NYC to LA short drive.
6. Treatment of Pets - Similar but Soi dogs fed by several people and unvaccinated are a problem.
7. Widespread Obesity - Amazes Thais and unknown at home.
8. Amount of Waste - Worse in Thailand.
9. The Coffee Culture - Taking hold among the wealthy, ridiculed by the poor.
10. Emphasis on Physical Fitness - Similar but fancy health spas for foreigners and the rich.
11.Tipping - unheard of.
12. Quality of Customer Service - Similar
13. Walmart - Lots of Thai superstores.
14. Size of cars - Our average size cars couldn’t handle narrow
15.Return Policies - You mean you can actually return things.
I dated a Serbian woman who never understood America’s “car culture” until she got here.
Today she has an SUV.
This list was compiled by a liberal, no doubt.
1. The Use of Credit Cards - Not unique to the US. In many countries buying from vending machine is now credit card based.
2. Food Portions - Just as large in many countries.
3. Patriotism - Most countries are fiercely loyal, far more than liberals are in the US.
4. High School Sports - Foreign countries often have the same thing.
5. Size of the Country - Some countries like Australia are just as big. Germany is a bit less than the size of Texas. China is bigger than the US and half of Canada combined.
6. Treatment of Pets - Many countries treat their pets as well.
7. Widespread Obesity - Sorry. Again, many foreigners are just as bad.
8. Amount of Waste - No different than other countries.
9. The Coffee Culture - The US ranks about #15 in the list of per capita consumption.
10. Emphasis on Physical Fitness - Again, how can we be fat yet physically fit, too?
11.Tipping - Some countries have mandatory tipping, and most give just as generously. Some do not allow tipping. No is going to tip in Seattle with a $15 minimum wage.
12. Quality of Customer Service - Most of ours IS foreign.
13. Walmart - Granted. Uniquely American, but other countries have just as much retail outlets as Wal-Mart provides, just better products.
14. Size of cars - Um, they have the same cars in most places.
15.Return Policies - Granted, uniquely American.
Great post. Unfortunately for how it shows what it is not like now.
This is a nonsense list - maybe a bit fun.
But the sad fact is one thing foreigners notice now is that Americans are not as God fearing as they had thought.
They don’t all go to Church or believe in God.
If they spent more time here they would be shocked that were flushing it all down the toilet because we wanted a black president.
It’s more like the immigrant only thought they were dumb.
On my iPad, I can click on “reader view” which puts it into a reader format one one page. Otherwise I would hardly on anywhere on line..
“God has truly shed his amazing grace apon thee”
The thing most people don’t get (and Ray Charles changed) is that “God shed his grace on thee” is conditional tense, not past.
It’s a supplication. A prayer that God in his mercy may shed his grace on our country, not that boasting He has.
God never gives up on anyone or anything.
But, I’m afraid we have blown it.
I got sidetracked by the girls with painted on uniforms link.
Then they want to "fundamentally transform" our country.
The American Midwest, in particular, seems to produce a lot of low-key wealthy who don’t adopt class snobbery or conspicuous consumption that the wealthy around the world embrace. People whose exposure to America is via pop culture never see America’s understated genius.
Uh...what? I thought Thailand was a little larger than California.
I was watching a Korean program and they were hungry, so they pulled the car over to a “Driver’s Buffet”. It seemed to be all you can eat because the skinny one went back for more twice, the other two were laughing.
From Bangkok everywhere is a day’s drive. We’ve driven most everywhere in the country and most Thais haven’t due to the long distances. The can’t imagine a five day drive anywhere.
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