Biggest Surprise

[Old Croc]

My Gf was surprised that there was no one walking around on the streets (While not far from the city I have a fairly quiet street). She also couldn't believe there wasn't any motorbikes or policemen around (it got to the stage I had to point them out when I did spot one!)

And I still can't convince her that the hail that covered the lawn recently isn't snow. She'll be showing pictures of the "snow" to all back home.

[LooseCannon]

Shortly after my wife-to-be had first arrived in Australia, she made a comment about how nice it was that everybody had a bird house at their front gate. After a moments confusion I realised that she was talking about the letter boxes.

During the mid seventies I got to know a couple of foreign students, one an Indian girl from Malaysia & the other a Thai girl. One weekend I decided to take them for a drive up in the hills, as they had never been outside of the city. As we were driving through the forest the Thai girl asked if I was scared. Why? I asked. She replied that she was worried that we might get attacked by Communist guerillas.

[lardy]

My wife was very reluctant to visit America with me since she was quite happy with her own countrymen and loves her country. "But Ken, America is at war!", visualizing American streets as the equivalent of Baghdad and I had to explain to her that we take our wars to everyone else's countries.

Her first shock when we arrived in Denver in May was five inches of snow which continued to fall. After the first little bit of shivering and putting on more clothes, the child in her took over and it was a delight watching her and playing with her as she discovered how snow crunches when you walk, building a snowwoman, her squeals sharp in the cold crisp air as we had a snowball fight. She went up on the ski lift and flopped on her face into a drift on exit then walked across the snow and fell into it up to her shoulders and had to be dragged out. "KEN !!" she shrieked as her world fell out from beneath her..

We have spent two 2-month excursions across America so far and she absolutely loves it. So many reasons, such as cleanliness, the majesty of the Rockies, the warmth of the people, the vastness of our 'wide open spaces'.. She's still making up her mind about snow.

I just now asked her about this and her excited response took half an hour, filled with laughter and tears. Motorcycling thru the most incredible scenery she could ever have imagined, that she voluntarily jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 ft and will do it again in a heartbeat, visits with my friends and family all across the country and the tears she shed when we departed.

Even today, she remarks with very mixed feelings about how she made so many more true friends in the U.S. than she has even in her own country - people who would swim the ocean if she needed help...

My government sucks but I sincerely care about the 'down home' American people.

I think most govts suck individuals are fine in all countries.

[phitsanulokjon]

What was your wife/girlfriend/boyfried/other biggest surpise when visiting your home country?

Mine was her disbelief that it could be very sunny and cold ie -2c she really couldn't understand it

In the UK - how cold it was and seeing snow for the first time.

On a lighter note, a friend of mine came home once to find his thai wife screaming and beating the vacuum cleaner because it wouldn't work !!

She had plugged it in but hadn't flicked the switch on the socket - of course, there arent switches on thai sockets !!

[waveydavey]

My GF hasn't been to the UK but looking at some photos of my house -

What's that?

A radiator. It's for heating the room.

But why would you possibly want to make a room hotter???????

[helitool]

My wife toke her first trip to the US 25 years ago. We arrived home there in California at 6 in the evening so I took her to see the Rocky Horror Picture show and review at the local cinema at midnight (jet-lag and all). When she asked about all the bizarrely dressed people going into the theater with us I looked surprised and told her they were just average American vampires out on the town looking for a good time.

I also told her that she had to take an apple to her esl teacher every day to insure that she got a good grade. This one worked out for everyone because her teacher would collect enough apples to make a pie and bring it in to share with the students!

I've never been able to figure out why people don't trust me.

[kevdulounge]

My wife was very reluctant to visit America with me since she was quite happy with her own countrymen and loves her country. "But Ken, America is at war!", visualizing American streets as the equivalent of Baghdad and I had to explain to her that we take our wars to everyone else's countries.

Her first shock when we arrived in Denver in May was five inches of snow which continued to fall. After the first little bit of shivering and putting on more clothes, the child in her took over and it was a delight watching her and playing with her as she discovered how snow crunches when you walk, building a snowwoman, her squeals sharp in the cold crisp air as we had a snowball fight. She went up on the ski lift and flopped on her face into a drift on exit then walked across the snow and fell into it up to her shoulders and had to be dragged out. "KEN !!" she shrieked as her world fell out from beneath her..

We have spent two 2-month excursions across America so far and she absolutely loves it. So many reasons, such as cleanliness, the majesty of the Rockies, the warmth of the people, the vastness of our 'wide open spaces'.. She's still making up her mind about snow.

I just now asked her about this and her excited response took half an hour, filled with laughter and tears. Motorcycling thru the most incredible scenery she could ever have imagined, that she voluntarily jumped out of an airplane at 10,000 ft and will do it again in a heartbeat, visits with my friends and family all across the country and the tears she shed when we departed.

Even today, she remarks with very mixed feelings about how she made so many more true friends in the U.S. than she has even in her own country - people who would swim the ocean if she needed help...

My government sucks but I sincerely care about the 'down home' American people.

I love your post, man. makes me wanna go back to the states

[Tinkelbell]

Remember while driving home (after picking a Thai friend from the airport), this friend was asking ..." where is everybody ?" . She have not spot any single human after out of the airport terminal, not even at all the intersections while our car passing

Only later this friend had a chance to interact with the locals when I took her to out to do my errands in the banks, markets, restaurants, shopping at the malls.

Weekend ride out of town on the state road highways really got her impression with all the modern super size motorhomes. Seem like Americans love to be on the roads.

She couldn't stop telling all the Thais back home that she love the native America Indians 's Pow-Pow Dance at the outdoors festival.

Once I took my sis (who was visiting the US on her son's graduation) to shop for the top brand cosmetic in one of the high ended mall. She got herself all the stuffs on her made-up shopping lists. Later on we spot the same brand cosmetic but this store has extra travel set as a bonus. She was surprised that the first store let her refund without any question asked. She was so happy that she could turn around and bought the same thing at the second store which came with a bonus.

[craighj]

Two things for my Thai g/f when we recently went back to Australia.

1. Seeing me drive a car for the first time.

2. The cost of food.

CHJ

[pumpuiman]

My wife is amazed to see all traffic pull to the side of the road as an ambulance approaches.

She recently remarked "In Thailand you'd just die, nobody cares"

[F1fanatic]

Another surprise to her was homeless farangs. There were two aspects to this surprise, the first was that any farang would be homeless to begin with. The second was that perfectly able bodied people would beg for money instead of finding a job.

Pardon? You haven't seen able bodied beggars here??

[CaptHaddock]

My wife arrived in New York City in January. After a few days she mentioned that she was afraid of the electricity in the toilet. I was alarmed. How did a live current get into the plumbing. I didn't know that could happen, but it sounded deadly. However, when I checked the toilet there wasn't any electricity. Then a few days later she said it happened again. The toilet handle gave her an electric shock. Then I realized what had happened. She had discovered static electricity, which is apparently unknown in humid Thailand.