Cracked Me Up, The First Time She Came To My Country...

[farangme]

Biggest surprise for wife was when she saw a homeless person begging. She freaked upon seeing the person. I explained. Wife couldn't believe there were homeless and beggers in America.

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For clarity: didn't crack me up. This was just the one that stands out most. She was also amazed you couldn't bribe your way out of a problem with the police. Too many others to mention here.

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[jaiyenyen]

One that still gets mentioned, is my wifes first encounter with heated car seats.

We went out for a drive, It was winter, and I turned on the heated seats without telling her. Her face was a picture.

She turned to me and asked "Why I have hot tuut?"

There's no answer to that.

[WilliaminBKK]

What about the first time they got a static shock in the winter and you try to explain we need a humidifier - door knobs were considered an electrocution device for the longest time.

Another one that was hard to explain was you don't eat the orange at the Chris Tingle Christmas Service

[farangme]

What many Thai (and other, I presume) newbies to our western countries fail to comprehend is that having a three bedroom house, a newish car and the latest model flatscreen tv doesn't make you rich: it makes you middle class. The concept of this won't sink in until the bills and cost of living hit them with the realisation that it's all relative and that middle class people usually don't have anything left in their pocket at the end of the week to live anything resembling a lavish lifestyle.

The other thing that dawned on my own wife after some time here was that factory workers and garbage collectors are those very middle class types and that they, in most cases, live a better lifestyle than a well-dressed office worker.

It's a very difficult concept for them to grasp that the guy who comes to clean out your sewage drain lives in a house twice the size of your own and drives a BMW.

I think the wife's epiphany came when she took a part-time job and realized how much, or little, she could make relative to the cost of things. What may seem a decent amount for a simple life in TL will get you next to nothing in the U.S.

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[farangme]

One good one was the wife's surprise at the number of 'non-farang' people here. Guess she thought everyone was going to be white in farangland. I had to try and explain that they are not Asian, African, etc. They are just American.

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[Songhua]

The size of the Queensland Road Law book absolutely floored her. 'I have to learn all this?'

Passed her test first time though, without the use of a translator - which she'd have been entitled to.

Problem was, getting her to stick to those rules after she'd obtained her licence. Lol

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. This topic is not about the poverty levels in the US.

[farangme]

The size of the Queensland Road Law book absolutely floored her. 'I have to learn all this?'

Passed her test first time though, without the use of a translator - which she'd have been entitled to.

Problem was, getting her to stick to those rules after she'd obtained her licence. Lol

The concept that pedestrians have the right of way was a new one for her.

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[Chittychangchang]

"I thought English people where white?!"

Another classic quote.....

[krisb]

What many Thai (and other, I presume) newbies to our western countries fail to comprehend is that having a three bedroom house, a newish car and the latest model flatscreen tv doesn't make you rich: it makes you middle class. The concept of this won't sink in until the bills and cost of living hit them with the realisation that it's all relative and that middle class people usually don't have anything left in their pocket at the end of the week to live anything resembling a lavish lifestyle.

The other thing that dawned on my own wife after some time here was that factory workers and garbage collectors are those very middle class types and that they, in most cases, live a better lifestyle than a well-dressed office worker.

It's a very difficult concept for them to grasp that the guy who comes to clean out your sewage drain lives in a house twice the size of your own and drives a BMW.

I think the wife's epiphany came when she took a part-time job and realized how much, or little, she could make relative to the cost of things. What may seem a decent amount for a simple life in TL will get you next to nothing in the U.S.

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Yes!......same with mine, she gave up doing the "$15 here in Australia ooooow thats 500baht" conversion.

It did her head in for 6 months, now she just excepts things....

[farang000999]

Most of the stuff listed in this thread is more about not being very smart than it is about cultural differences.

[eeeya]

What's your point? just laugh at dumb people then

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Most of the stuff listed in this thread is more about not being very smart than it is about cultural differences.

Depends how you define "smart".

Innate intelligence doesn't give one exposure to other cultures or other results of a decent education and travel experience.

[krisb]

Most of the stuff listed in this thread is more about not being very smart than it is about cultural differences.

Theres always 1 isnt there.

Must be tough being so culturally aware as your good self is.

I know first time I was in Thailand I didnt know everytihng perhaps its because Im not very smart?

[farangme]

Most of the stuff listed in this thread is more about not being very smart than it is about cultural differences.

Huh? Don't think so bro. If you grew up in a sheltered culture and not exposed to the world, your only point of reference would be what you've experienced, learned and been told. Not to generalize, but Thai education tends to be ethno-centric with TL at the center of the world. Nothing to do with IQ. Because one may be shocked at the extent of prostitution in TL upon their initial visit doesn't make them 'not smart'. Same same.

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[David48]

Where are all the Street Food Sellers?

What no pork balls ...

[krisb]

Where are all the Street Food Sellers?

What no pork balls ...

Ahhh, the old pork balls cooking away..... I miss Thailand.

[farangme]

"240 baht for pad Thai?! OMG"

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[loeuftok]

Most of the stuff listed in this thread is more about not being very smart than it is about cultural differences.

are you meaning that most of TV posters are not very smart.

when reading the different threads and the reaction about thai culture/ life style and comparing to your post one could come to this conclusion

[BigJohnnyBKK]

"240 baht for pad Thai?! OMG"

Try 500+

[dantilley]

When we went to the UK, the Mrs loved seeing and playing on her first ever pub fruit machine, especially when it paid out.

She also refused to believe that in the UK we have organised dog races, which hundreds of people go to a stadium to watch and bet money on.

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[BigJohnnyBKK]

She also refused to believe that in the UK we have organised dog races, which hundreds of people go to a stadium to watch and bet money on.

You do? What sorts of dogs? Are the stadiums dedicated to that one sport, or do they just convert a horse track or something?

[NeverSure]

We have greyhound racing in the US although not as much as it used to be. People bet on the greyhounds just like on horses.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyhound_racing#United_States

[dantilley]

Ha ha, a new concept for you too? It's greyhound racing, and the stadium near my home town in the UK is dedicated to just the dog racing and speedway (motorbike racing). A good night out can be had at the dogs.

[GFY]

Great thread! Took my gf to the UK she said is London the capital of England? I said hell yeah but i thought you may of said something else. She said like what, are you saying all Thai women are thick?

[payak]

coming to Australia my wife finally learned the earth is not flat when we went swimming and she realised the water was not running over the edge of the planet.

she also learned the planets revolve around the sun and not around thailand, she realised this when she collapsed under my hills hoist clothes line and noticed the stars returned to there original spot over a 24 hour period.

some are talking here like they walked out of the stone age.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

Ha ha, a new concept for you too? It's greyhound racing

Yes, new for me. I just did some googling and found it used to be popular in the US as well. Learn something new every day.

[BigJohnnyBKK]

some are talking here like they walked out of the stone age.

Not quite, in most of my girls' villages they've been using bronze for ages. . .

In all serousness, you probably think I'm joking, but before arriving at my house, most haven't ever seen an elevator (lift) nor used a sit-down toilet before, the new ones always leave footprints on the seat.

.

[farangme]

some are talking here like they walked out of the stone age.

Not quite, in most of my girls' villages they've been using bronze for ages. . .

In all serousness, you probably think I'm joking, but before arriving at my house, most haven't ever seen an elevator (lift) nor used a sit-down toilet before, the new ones always leave footprints on the seat.

.

On my recent flight back to the US, went to use the toilet and saw two shoeprints on it. Cracked my up.

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[farangme]

some are talking here like they walked out of the stone age.

Yes, it cracked me up watching her trying to take the bone out of her nose just before customs....

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