Reverse Culture Shock

[BritManToo]

18 hours ago, CharlieH said:

The only thing that sprung to mind was the attitude I faced in two supermarkets by the old crows sat on the till ! 

My wife is 14 yrs younger than me, looks younger to be honest but they reacted like someone was holding a turd under their nose and looked at me like I was, well you can guess the rest. It was so blatant in the one that I asked to see the Manager about her attitude.

On the other hand, I was surprised how helpful all the store staff were to an old guy that didn't have a clue how to operate the 'self checkouts'. But that was in central London and no white people were encountered, all of foreign origin, all very polite and helpful.

When I was struggling down the Underground stairs with two wheely suitcases what I assume was a young Muslim lady, doing an impression of a black mailbox carried one down for me. At the other end, guy in a suit grabbed the smaller bag and hauled it up for me.

 

I came back to Thailand with the thought how London had changed for the better with all the police and helpful foreigners. (When I left working in London to retire in 2001 the white folk were nearly all total poops).

 

If only I could afford to live there!

Edited May 15, 2020 by BritManToo

[Old Croc]

2 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I get that too. My response is to stare back with a big smile on my face.

Reverse culture shock was when I took my Thai GF to outback Australia, western New South Wales. I wanted her to see the real Australia. Drove from Cobar to Broken Hill, she kept asking where all the villages and houses were.

The first time I brought my GF to Australia she suffered huge cultural shock.

After driving around the city for several days she asked me why Australia didn't have motorbikes! I said of course we do, just not as many as Thailand because nearly everyone buys cars here. It took another day before I was able to point one out to her.

Then, having discovered the wonders of Coles, she disappeared inside that supermarket for several hours while I retreated to wait in the car. She eventually came running out to grab my wallet because the $150 I had given her wasn't enough to pay for the mountain of groceries she bought!

 

[Tropicalevo]

32 minutes ago, tonray said:

I guess you've never used the restroom in a mall in Thailand ? or Malaysia ?

Yep. I have never seen a male toilet cleaner here in Thailand.

However, the one thing that did freeze me was in a Thai cafe. Whilst waiting for the 'flow to stop', a guy came up behind me and started to give me a shoulder and neck massage. I almost hit him until I realised that he was wearing an employees uniform.

That bit of Thai culture I will pass on.

[Lacessit]

30 minutes ago, Old Croc said:

The first time I brought my GF to Australia she suffered huge cultural shock.

After driving around the city for several days she asked me why Australia didn't have motorbikes! I said of course we do, just not as many as Thailand because nearly everyone buys cars here. It took another day before I was able to point one out to her.

Then, having discovered the wonders of Coles, she disappeared inside that supermarket for several hours while I retreated to wait in the car. She eventually came running out to grab my wallet because the $150 I had given her wasn't enough to pay for the mountain of groceries she bought!

 

My GF discovered secondhand stores in Australia - Savers, Salvation Army, Lions, you name it. She was in seventh heaven, she could spend hours in them browsing, while I went off to do other shopping.

My wallet was quite safe too - at 40 kg, all of the clothes were too big for her.

 

 

[bodga]

3 hours ago, Lacessit said:

I get that too. My response is to stare back with a big smile on my face.

Reverse culture shock was when I took my Thai GF to outback Australia, western New South Wales. I wanted her to see the real Australia. Drove from Cobar to Broken Hill, she kept asking where all the villages and houses were.

Mine  kept  asking  where  all  the  food   was, in  the UK.

[Lacessit]

I get the occasional culture shock going back to Australia. Such as my son informing me one has to slow down to 40 km/hr when going past a police vehicle parked on the side of any road, at risk of being fined. Nanny state BS.

[Neeranam]

2 hours ago, n210mp said:

in the UK there seems to be a "one  for one "as drivers allow one car in and the next driver does the same thing etc.

I've noticed this here, not in Scotland.

[Neeranam]

30 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

I get the occasional culture shock going back to Australia. Such as my son informing me one has to slow down to 40 km/hr when going past a police vehicle parked on the side of any road, at risk of being fined. Nanny state BS.

I got a parking ticked in Melbourne for facing the wrong direction! What a stupid law, it was on a quiet street in Hampton near the beach. I was only in a shop to buy a bottle of milk and didn't even see the warden -  must have run away. 

[Neeranam]

43 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

My GF discovered secondhand stores in Australia - Savers, Salvation Army, Lions, you name it. She was in seventh heaven, she could spend hours in them browsing, while I went off to do other shopping.

My wallet was quite safe too - at 40 kg, all of the clothes were too big for her.

 

 

So did mine while I went to the Crowne casino to play cards. Mind you I can do that now in Bangkok, quite safely. 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, Tropicalevo said:

a guy came up behind me and started to give me a shoulder and neck massage.

I used to like that -  haven't seen it for years. 

[Neeranam]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I came back to Thailand with the thought how London had changed for the better with all the police and helpful foreigners.

not what I thought in Bangladesh, I mean Whitechapel Road.

[Neeranam]

20 hours ago, Captain Monday said:

People in America expect small talk other they think you are rude. One teenager at a fast food restaurant actually called me on it. Reverse Culture shock, very unusual in Asian countries to discuss the weather or ask 7-11 staff "How are you"?

When eating a $30 breakfast in Brighton, Melbourne, my brother said, "you're supposed to thank the waitress, you're not in Thailand now" my smile and nod  wasn't enough, seemingly.

[Denim]

On 5/13/2020 at 8:43 PM, Neeranam said:

4 years ago in Scotland, I was uncomfortable with all the hugging and kissing from people I don't really know that well.

 

Yes, while I was away once it seemed the handshake had died and kissing on the cheek was in vogue.

 

Somewhat taken aback , I remarked to my friend that if this change had occurred in only 5 years , in ten years time full on sex was likely to have become  the normal method of greeting.

[Neeranam]

12 hours ago, northsouthdevide said:

And don't get me started on bottled water

First thing I do when back in Aberdeen is go to the kitchen and drink the tap water. Probably the best in the UK. Why would anyone buy bottled water?

[UbonThani]

57 minutes ago, Lacessit said:

My GF discovered secondhand stores in Australia - Savers, Salvation Army, Lions, you name it. She was in seventh heaven, she could spend hours in them browsing, while I went off to do other shopping.

My wallet was quite safe too - at 40 kg, all of the clothes were too big for her.

 

 

kids section at target

[Shot]

22 hours ago, cmarshall said:

In the last ten years during my occasional visits back to the US I have been shocked by how much physical fear Americans feel.  Train stations didn't used to have constant messages on the loudspeaker to be on the alert for danger of various kinds.  Nor were national guardsnmen in camos with rifles a common sight.  

 

I found the fake American warmth required in some social situations to be quite offensive, such as a waiter introducing himself by name and gushing with forced friendliness.  I never liked that behavior, but I am now no longer acclimatized to it.

 

The risk for long-term expats is that eventually we feel homeless wherever we are.  

"Nor were national guardsnmen in camos with rifles a common sight."

 

Which train station, and when?

[moose7117]

Many moons ago i was visiting Gold Coast with wife, we went to harbour town to get her some warm clothes as the temperature was dropping down into the low 20's, we had to shop in kids department as all aussie clothes for adults were waaaay to big.

 

she also commented that the women were staring at her but she didn't mind as she was as big as their leg.

 

Moose

[Neeranam]

1 minute ago, moose7117 said:

Many moons ago i was visiting Gold Coast with wife, we went to harbour town to get her some warm clothes as the temperature was dropping down into the low 20's,

I went to Surfer's Paradise in Aug 2005. Paradise, my <deleted>, it was 7C one night, fkn freezing. One went into the water once, for a couple of minutes.

[Neeranam]

Finding bog roll in the toilet and not on the table! 

[Neeranam]

i kept getting strange looks on the bus. Maybe it was the pound coins in my ears.

[BritManToo]

21 minutes ago, Neeranam said:

not what I thought in Bangladesh, I mean Whitechapel Road.

Sorry, my predictive text changed 'polite' to 'police'

The police in London are c%$#s like everywhere else in the UK.

Too late to edit now ......... bummer!

Edited May 15, 2020 by BritManToo

[NorthernRyland]

2 hours ago, BritManToo said:

On the other hand, I was surprised how helpful all the store staff were to an old guy that didn't have a clue how to operate the 'self checkouts'. But that was in central London and no white people were encountered, all of foreign origin, all very polite and helpful.

 

The English have been purged out of their capital city? That's a mighty small island to be losing control in that short of time. I'd worried if I was the UK.

[Kennycrossfit]

1 minute ago, genericptr said:

The English have been purged out of their capital city? That's a mighty small island to be losing control in that short of time. I'd worried if I was the UK.

Last time I was in London there were still loads of native white people,London has always been multi cultural. Just scaremongering by the usual suspects. 

[toofarnorth]

3 hours ago, NE1 said:

Same here , can't stand people following me about asking what I am looking for.

I can understand if it is a big shop like the electrical shop near me , it can take 10 mins trying to find a tube-o-light and staff wanting to help but the worst I have ever found was a mini supermarket by the DEA checkpoint near Maechan up here.  This place had just opened so we went in and a lady stopped talking to the checkout lady , picked up a basket and followed us round.  Imagine going to Lotus and every customer gets a follower with a basket !

[BritManToo]

9 minutes ago, Kennycrossfit said:

Last time I was in London there were still loads of native white people,London has always been multi cultural. Just scaremongering by the usual suspects. 

You've clearly never lived in central London.

[cmarshall]

1 hour ago, Shot said:

"Nor were national guardsnmen in camos with rifles a common sight."

 

Which train station, and when?

Penn Station, New York City, last year.

[Shot]

19 minutes ago, cmarshall said:

Penn Station, New York City, last year.

That was a one day recruiting campaign for the ANG.

 

https://www.dvidshub.net/news/323234/air-guard-takes-over-penn-station

Edited May 15, 2020 by Shot

[mr mr]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Never had a problem.

Usually I have to search to find someone to ask where the item I want is kept.

My theory is they approach/follow people who look somehow 'out of place'.

you are right. i could see how a young strapping bull such as myself could be mistaken fo an oddity in a land full of old geezers. lol

[LawrenceN]

5 hours ago, Neeranam said:

I got a parking ticked in Melbourne for facing the wrong direction! What a stupid law, it was on a quiet street in Hampton near the beach. I was only in a shop to buy a bottle of milk and didn't even see the warden -  must have run away. 

Good rule. You had to drive on the wrong side of the road to do that, didn't you?

[allanos]

if it were not for my kids living there, I would be quite happy never to set foot in the country again.  

Edited yesterday at 08:53 AM by Pilotman

 

I feel the same way.  However many times I return to the UK, I feel out of place.  It is mos def not the country I was born and brought up in and I have difficulty adapting to the "new normal".  Nancy State gone mad, far too much PC, lefty-biased BBC.  Terrible!