Watching a lot of Hollywood films and American television shows can give people from other countries interesting conclusions about the United States. In fact, there are usually things that seem typically American that are, in fact, completely false. When visitors come to the U.S. for an extended period of time, they usually find something that blows their notions of the U.S. out of the water.
What sorts of things about American culture surprised you when you visited? We want to know!
Some of the things that shocked visitors include:
Customer service: In stores, when a sales assistant says “Can I help you?” s/he actually means “Can I help you?”
Humility: How open Americans are about their shortcomings and always ready for self-criticism.
Public Transport: There is almost no public transportation except in a few large cities. People actually have to have cars to get places. Cars are necessity, not luxury.
University Concentrations: The idea of a liberal art education is strange. A student can still acquire marketable skills, expand his or her horizons, get a job after graduation, and, what is even more surprising, obtain an advance degree in a totally different field later. Yes, accountant can attend a med school and become a doctor and musician can go for a master degree in computer science.
Portion sizes: The typical food portion in America is humongous. A person can easily share one meal with another guy and not feel hungry for hours to come.
These are only some of the things that people thought were surprising about the United States. With such a large and vibrant population, the diversity you will find in our country is amazing! There is always something new and different happening here and what someone may find surprising may seem normal to someone else. For this reason, the Global Immersions team always stresses the importance of keeping an open mind. If you approach something with a positive outlook, then you will find your travels much more enjoyable! For more insights on what aspects of American culture shocks visitors, check out this article on Thought Catalog!
source: Thought Catalog
