Reverse Culture Shock!

[fiddlehead]

For me, it's road rage. I always am amazed at what people get mad at you for. I really think i prefer driving here because of it. (and everyone stops at the red lights and just waits and waits and waits. very disturbing)

Also, total shock seeing all the fat assed people.

And of course, the smiles.

It's nice here in Thailand even though we have our complaints.

[CrossBones]

I am returning to the US in 2 days for the first time in 4 years (I am only going for a month though). I am pretty nervous going back because I have heard that reverse culture shock is often worse than regular culture shock. Does anyone have experiences of returning home after a long stint in Thailand? Did anything really stick out? Was it difficult?

In Australia, coming to terms with the fact that Women most definitely "wear the trousers over here" seeing so called "tough" Australians following their women around like sheep

[BigSnake]

Look at a person in my home land with a smile and get a Frown in return Oh well maybe he had an upset stomach>

[billaaa777]

Last year i went back and went into a shop,the owner was indian,and i thought he was going to sell me a suit.

That was funny, I laughed out load at that one.

The first thing I notice in the airports is that Americans are FAT! FAT! FAT!

[Birdman]

It's funny you say that about Westernized Asian women - the ones I have met I have no interest in them maybe I prefer the fun of non hi-so normal Thai girls who know how to laugh and have a good time instead of having the fun kicked out of them through education..

Back to culture shock...in the UK

Learning new words ie Chav = down and out, uneducated loud mouthed, dole scrounger (living from the government) the UK is awash with them...shame really

I'm afraid the Great has been taken out of Britain. Mass immigration too, you cannot walk down any high street without hearing Polish or an Eastern European language.....

For the UK peeps on the board - 7 - 11's versus the local corner shop !

I remember missing being able to pop into the 7 - 11 for some great tasting snack...

Corner shop a f*cking Ginsters Pasty !!

...and Thainglish - you know, that English you hear from average Thais, which after a while will transform the way you speak English, you know.

[mauGR1]

The day after I woke up,got my bicycle,drove 100 mt.down to the grocery on the wrong side of the road without notice.Got the shopping,pay the bill,smile to the cute girl at the counter and said"khop khun khrap"...She stared at me with a blank face..Next i thought through myself"boy,wake up,you're going into troubles.

[sanook2me]

It's funny you say that about Westernized Asian women - the ones I have met I have no interest in them maybe I prefer the fun of non hi-so normal Thai girls who know how to laugh and have a good time instead of having the fun kicked out of them through education..

Back to culture shock...in the UK

Learning new words ie Chav = down and out, uneducated loud mouthed, dole scrounger (living from the government) the UK is awash with them...shame really

I'm afraid the Great has been taken out of Britain. Mass immigration too, you cannot walk down any high street without hearing Polish or an Eastern European language.....

For the UK peeps on the board - 7 - 11's versus the local corner shop !

I remember missing being able to pop into the 7 - 11 for some great tasting snack...

Corner shop a f*cking Ginsters Pasty !!

...and Thainglish - you know, that English you hear from average Thais, which after a while will transform the way you speak English, you know.

Right on the button - I went back to the UK for a couple of years and my first job was in a sales office - one of the first calls i took the customer thought i was a jonny foreigner !! and my family always say on the first day "you know, we speak English!" as i am speaking Thainglish to them !

[wayfarer108]

Somehow my butt doesn't feel as clean without the bun gun

First thing that came to my mind as well. That and oversized portions in restaurants.

[Geekfreaklover]

The price of a taxi from the airport for a 30 min journey costing almost as much as 7 hour taxi journey in Thailand is a nasty wake up call.

[Birdman]

The price of a taxi from the airport for a 30 min journey costing almost as much as 7 hour taxi journey in Thailand is a nasty wake up call.

...not so on Samui. 500.--THB is standard for a 10 min journey from the airport to Chaweng.

[Geekfreaklover]

The price of a taxi from the airport for a 30 min journey costing almost as much as 7 hour taxi journey in Thailand is a nasty wake up call.

...not so on Samui. 500.--THB is standard for a 10 min journey from the airport to Chaweng.

True Birdman. I was thinking mainland from the international airport...Samui is like going to a different country in many ways.

[jts-khorat]

I am returning to the US in 2 days for the first time in 4 years (I am only going for a month though). I am pretty nervous going back because I have heard that reverse culture shock is often worse than regular culture shock. Does anyone have experiences of returning home after a long stint in Thailand? Did anything really stick out? Was it difficult?

Only going back for a month? That's just a holiday. Catch up with your family and old mates and have a great time. Culture shock doesn't kick in for such a short time

Try going back for six months or more.

As I went back for the first time I did just that, caught up with old friends; and it was as if I never left. But this was really just an illusion, only over a few weeks it became very obvious how much I had changed and there were a number of bitter moments as I realized that 'back home' might just not be there any more as I wished to remember it.

The biggest reverse culture shock was however in the fuel station as I waited for the attendant to fuel up the car. No attendant in Germany and you leave the car to pay in the little shop at the side. I created quite a holdup until I got that sorted.

[mrt273nva]

ok, i'm in the US now (only about 10 hours so far) and my first few observations...

1. flight attendants on domestic flights in the US are genuinely ugly, much like you would imagine fat crack whores without teeth and no visible sign of personal hygiene and a bad attitude. (this is before i even made it to my destination)

2. the fear on my friends face when his car was parked a few inches from the driveway onto the sidewalk. he was seriously afraid that the police would ticket him for something that i couldn't see.

3. without realizing it i left my shoes outside my brother's house. everyone was asking where are my shoes? my first instinct to this question was to look outside and sure enough they were sitting by the door.

many more sure to come. i haven't slept since the 20 hour journey and will most likely freak out a bit more tomorrow.

[Texpat]

One thing I despise about going back to the US is the guess the price game.

I like looking at a price tag and making a decision as to the value of a given item. I like to know how much it costs and whether I'm willing to pay that amount for that item.

In the US, it's a crap shoot. Especially with things like hotel rooms and car rentals.

Various taxes and surcharges and any number of crap excuses often make the item 20 or 30% more expensive than the advertised price tag.

I really don't care where the money goes and if the state is adding 8 percent to the the fed governmnet's 5 percent... I don't care how much the store is charging me -- before all the add-ons.

Just put the dam price that it costs ME, the customer, on the loaf of bread so I can decide if I want to buy it or not.

[JR Texas]

One thing I despise about going back to the US is the guess the price game.

I like looking at a price tag and making a decision as to the value of a given item. I like to know how much it costs and whether I'm willing to pay that amount for that item.

In the US, it's a crap shoot. Especially with things like hotel rooms and car rentals.

Various taxes and surcharges and any number of crap excuses often make the item 20 or 30% more expensive than the advertised price tag.

I really don't care where the money goes and if the state is adding 8 percent to the the fed governmnet's 5 percent... I don't care how much the store is charging me -- before all the add-ons.

Just put the dam price that it costs ME, the customer, on the loaf of bread so I can decide if I want to buy it or not.

The last time I was in the USA I remember thinking how clean it was.........almost no Asians........stopped feeling like a minority immediately.......no trouble understanding and reading everything.......food fantastic (great compared to Asia because we have everything)......infrastructure well developed (way beyond anything in Thailand).....wonderful weather......people driving cars on the proper side of the road......women with major curves....

[Texpat]

It all depends on where you're living here and where you're headed there.

I like clean streets, too. And lawns in front of people's homes instead of dirt.

And buried utility lines so there's no eyesores. And electric supply that might switch off a few times every decade, instead of once a week. And clean, drinkable water every time you turn the tap on.

And quiet streets without mangy dogs or snakey vendors selling shit you would never dream of buying (clothes dye? -- <deleted>?)

Odds are good that after four years in undeveloped Thailand some new gadget or gizmo will catch you off guard. I recall returning in the 80s after several years in Japan and couldn't figure out how to pump my own gasoline -- and pay with a credit card swipe.

[Sabum]

It's funny you say that about Westernized Asian women - the ones I have met I have no interest in them maybe I prefer the fun of non hi-so normal Thai girls who know how to laugh and have a good time instead of having the fun kicked out of them through education..

Lol ya... that education shit is a real party pooper, better to keep em nice and stupid, easier to get along with right? Ignorance is bliss and not just for the ignorant one! omg

[bhatmasterson]

Well, I was certainly shocked when for some reason I didn't feel quite the hansum man that I do when I'm in Thailand Maybe the ladies all need glasses.

[girlx]

i am now in the US and here are some of my observations (i am in boulder, CO):

-stewardesses on US airlines are fat, ugly, old, and rude!!! <deleted>?

-water in the airport in SF was $2.95, a small coffee was $4.95!!! (i have sticker shock- can't leave the house without spending $10 minimum)

-sat looking around at extended families eating hundreds of dollars worth of food and throwing half of it away

-75 degrees F is cold!

-people are super friendly, always asking how your day is going

-everyone chews gum

-girls get their hair frosted (didn't that go out in the 80s?) and skinny pants are still in here

-lots of people are FAT! and the meals are served in portions big enough to feed 3!

-everyone seems to have kids and big fluffy pedigreed dogs

-everything is paid for by credit card (i didn't know how to use the scanner, it's been many years)

-there is so much selection in everything, the supermarket, loads of cafes and shops, everything is excess

-i also keep leaving my shoes at the door, feels horrible walking on carpet in shoes- carpet is gross!

-the landscape here is very dry and brown compared to thailand (though boulder is a very beautiful mountain town)

- i rented a scooter the first day and was pulled over by a cop for driving in the left lane (wrong way) he was nice though and let me off even though i have no driver license, didn't have to pay him anything!

- everyone seems to have a car and a bike (i bought a cool schwinn cruiser yesterday so i am good to go)

- i was ID'd buying (microbrewed! yay) beer, i am 33 for chrissakes!

- i realized that farang men aren't so bad- some of them here are quite good looking, styling, very polite and friendly (hmmm what do i see in thai guys?)

- the internet is SO FAST! i don't have to wait for videos to load before i can watch them

- it's so nice to be able to drink water straight from the tap!

- loads of old grizzled homeless men around holding up signs

- lots of impromptu musicians playing in the street

- there is music everywhere, even on the busses each driver plays their own tunes and sings along

- loads of bands i love playing around here soon- haven't seen live music in so many years as no one ever comes to thailand

- also loads of great movies, and there is a 3 story video (DVD) store here which has every obscure independent film i could ever want

- can't wait to try the weed , already looked through my favorite smoke shop for a glass pipe, now i need to find a dreaded hippie kid on pearl st.

... that's it for now. it's not so bad here! haven't made it into the office yet though!

[kaz49]

Well, I was certainly shocked when for some reason I didn't feel quite the hansum man that I do when I'm in Thailand Maybe the ladies all need glasses.

I need glasses and wear them all the time now I am back. Sooooo many hansum men!! Everybody into fitness, jogging, bicycling around the place and never appreciated before I lived in Thailand just how polite and couteous western men can be! Appreciate them more now I have returned.

I have given up smiling at everyone, as they truly think I am mad. Everybody is so serious, no time for a chat while working. Everything really expensive, meals are so huge I can never finish, Thai food is terrible here so far, haven't found a decent restaurant, but am able to access all the ingredients for Thai food, as its popular, so am cooking my own dishes.

On the positive side, I am able to drink the tap water, great coffee shops everywhere, beautiful clean city, no rubbish around, great beaches and plenty of outdoor stuff to enjoy.

[RoastLamb]

I couldn't believe how complicated it was to buy something from Argos.

[bungy007]

After spending 15 months in Thailand and then a weekend in Hull City Center waiting for the Consulate to open the reverse culture shock was that much I wanted to throw myself under a bus! (apologies to any one from Hull)

i used to visit Hull as a sales rep and it was the first time I had witnessed a retail shop that kept its front door locked and only opened it once a customer rang a bell. Scary place Hull.

back to op.

No plastic bags on peeps head when it rains in the US?

I used to work for a Hull based Multi-National Company, in the 70's. Hull seemed OK then, similar to everywhere else in the UK. How the UK has changed for the worse.

I had to return back to the UK for 10 days duration last year. I never unpacked my case. The plane back out could not come fast enough. Even the local town centre pubs, which I used to frequent, had all closed down.

Yeah, I left the UK permenantly in 1992 - returned from Japan for a couple of months in 1996 and headed straight back out to Asia. Been full time in Thailand since 1997 (after having to flee my new life in Cambodia 'case of Hung Sen's gangster army coup). I returned to the UK for a brief holiday as my Mum was on her last legs with Cancer back in 2004. My bro was over at the same time (he'd been living in Tokyo full time since 1987). The old ladies in the bakery in Camberly shopping center just couldn't understand why two middle aged men were literally jumping up and down with excitement at the chelsea buns, cornish pasties and meat pies! Got a bus to Yately to Camberly (20 min ride max) and the driver/conductor said '2 pounds fify'. I just stood there amazed and shouted back '2 pounds fifty?! 2 pounds fifty?!' Every one must have thought I was a nutter but the bus looked exactly the same as the orange buses in Bangkok where the same trip would have cost me 15bt max! I told him that I was going to get off the bus and spend the 2 pounds fifty on a pint of beer in the pub opposite.

The biggest shame was returning to my old home town where I grew up and got laid/drunk etc before I joined the Royal Navy. Most of the pubs had become theme pubs and sports bars. Real shame! Me and an old mate had to stand next to the fag machine (yes you Americans - our fags come in machines - ) which was parked up next to the men's bogs just so we could talk! Luckily the airticket was free as there was no way I would have paid to go back to the UK and now that I've been back this millenium I don't see myself making a second visit!

[RPCVguy]

I am returning to the US in 2 days for the first time in 4 years (I am only going for a month though). I am pretty nervous going back because I have heard that reverse culture shock is often worse than regular culture shock. Does anyone have experiences of returning home after a long stint in Thailand? Did anything really stick out? Was it difficult?

I served in the Peace Corps in Africa right after getting my degree. Language immersion for two years made my speaking English a bit rough for awhile. Like others have noted, the sheer variety of things in stores, and high cost of most things was a shock. Another shock was a recommended newly released movie - "A Clockwork Orange." Surprizing from a new viewpoint acquired was the ease with which people would chuck out things that could be re-used. (My next 10 yrs were working in mid-town Manhattan?!?!) I definitely missed greeting people on the street, smiling, wearing clothes for me instead of for the culture...

Those things said, the amount of culture shock will depend upon how you've been living in Thailand. There are places where life is busy, English is spoken, etc. that may mean little change for you. Now I am retired here, learning Thai and again living rurally. I've no intention of ever leaving, though I know that change can be forced upon us at any time and often from least expected sources. Enjoy what is easy to appreciate, and beyond that you'll learn to be a philosopher.

[paulandmaneerat]

After some years in Thailand I went back to the UK for a brief holiday. At the train station at Gatwick Airport I was given a 2 pound coin in my ticket change. I gave it back, I thought it was a foreign coin. So, just be aware of changes that might have come into force in your absence. The first nice thing I saw on the train back to Bath was a field of daffodils. It was the most beautiful sight, I didn't realize how much I missed such a simple pleasure!

P&M

[girlx]

Got a bus to Yately to Camberly (20 min ride max) and the driver/conductor said '2 pounds fify'. I just stood there amazed and shouted back '2 pounds fifty?! 2 pounds fifty?!' Every one must have thought I was a nutter but the bus looked exactly the same as the orange buses in Bangkok where the same trip would have cost me 15bt max! I told him that I was going to get off the bus and spend the 2 pounds fifty on a pint of beer in the pub opposite.

i noticed the same thing... hopped on a bus which was 50 cents to ride last time i was here. now it is $2, whether you go a couple blocks or a couple miles! $2!!!!

also, when i was at the airport i had to call from a payphone to meet the lady whose condo i am subletting. i remembered payphones being 50 cents max. i had to put in $2.50 worth of quarters for the call!

[KayT]

Went back to Australia 2 Christmases ago.I was supposed to stay 3 weeks.I ended up lasting only 10 days.

The people were so so rude and I had problems with the money and I was constantly trying to work out what they were really saying because the Aussie accent can be really bad.Everything was SO expensive and so crappy.At least here when you pay cheap you know you get cheap and it is easily replaced.There everything is expensive and still crap.

The family wasnt really interested either so the only reason I was there so long was that I couldnt get a flight back sooner.

Dont miss it at all and wont go back unless I am forced to.

[mrt273nva]

1 week has gone by now and i want to go back to Thailand. I had a panic attack last night and wanted to go straight to the airport. Only 2.5 more weeks to go and then i am back.

There are too many differences to list and when i get my head around the ones that stick out then i will post them.

[sanook2me]

1 week has gone by now and i want to go back to Thailand. I had a panic attack last night and wanted to go straight to the airport. Only 2.5 more weeks to go and then i am back.

There are too many differences to list and when i get my head around the ones that stick out then i will post them.

come on dude you're on the ground running - you must have some funny to tell us

Landing at Heathrow London and walking through passport control hundreds of people working and milling around - in my mind - <deleted> where are all the white folk sure this this England and not New Delhi?

Buying a £2 bottle of water! Till staff rude, ignorant and totally uninterested in job but no plastic bags/straws/ unless asked for.....

[flying]

1 week has gone by now and i want to go back to Thailand. I had a panic attack last night and wanted to go straight to the airport. Only 2.5 more weeks to go and then i am back.

There are too many differences to list and when i get my head around the ones that stick out then i will post them.

Really looking forward to reading your experiences.

Anytime I have stayed anything over even 2 months I have a hard time when I get back.

I cannot imagine years.

[mrt273nva]

I ride a big sportbike in bangkok and have a blast but there are so many police in this country that it would making enjoying a sportbike almost impossible. i see a lot of people riding however they are riding with the flow of traffic. it would kill me to not be able to lane split.

another thing, on the road it seems that everyone is always pissed off. i was in a traffic jam that lasted about 3 minutes and cars were honking and the drivers looked very impatient. i just sat there with a smile because it felt a little bit like bangkok.

a lot of people have asked if i can speak Taiwanese and I tell them that I have never been to Taiwan before.