By Thidarat Sukkaew
Contact via e-mail: [email protected]
Posted on December 4, 2017
This may be the reaction of most people when they go overseas and encounter a different culture there. We call this “Culture Shock”.
Imagine that you are a tourist or a student going to study abroad for summer and you choose to go to the United States of America. What do you think you will face? If you come from a cultural background that differs greatly from America, the behavior of Americans may be very strange, annoying, or even upsetting at first. Therefore, I will give you 5 examples of culture shocks you may experience when you are in the USA.
1. Tipping
Most East Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China don’t have a tipping custom, but it is something common in the USA. You should tip them about 15-20% of total cost of meal. If you have a meal with friends or group, don’t forget to recheck your bill whether they already include the service charge or not. If they do, you don’t need to tip them anymore.
Remember: do not tip any officers in the USA.
– U.S. Tipping Guidelines –
2. Seating in Movie Theaters
The movie theaters use “First-come, first-served (FCFS)” system. If you compare with Thai cinemas, you will find that Thai cinema is better because we have a designated seat number so we know where to sit.
About the movie ticket price; it is different depending on the period of the day:
- Movie ticket price in the morning is about $8-9 dollars (about 250-300 Thai baht).
– Example of U.S. movie ticket price in the morning (in 2014) –
- But in the evening or we call “Prime Time”, the price will go up to $12-13 dollars (about 400-450 Thai baht).
– Example of U.S. movie ticket price in the Afternoon or Evening (in 2015) –
3. “How are you?”
Americans like to say “How are you?”, but they usually ignore your answer. In Thailand, you are taught to reply ‘How are you?’ with “I’m fine, thanks, and you?” right? But for Americans, it is not a question. It is a greeting which means like “Hello”, so that’s why they ignore what you answer. And if you answer them a long sentence, they will look at you strangely or you may stand alone speaking to yourself because they are gone.
4. StoresAmerican stores or shopping malls usually close very early. Some places close at about 8-9 p.m., but some places close at 7 p.m. It is hard to find 24-hours restaurants or shops on the sidewalk like Thailand. But there is some store that is open 24 hours such as Walmart or some fast food restaurant such as McDonald’s. There is a small convenience store at the gas stations that is open 24 hours along the various routes as well.
5. Driving and Crossing the RoadThe rule of U.S is to drive on the right side of the road and the steering wheel of the driver is on the left which is opposite of Thailand.
– The driving position in the United States of America –
So, tourists or students who plan to drive in America will have to adjust a lot to be familiar with this. America also has a lot of traffic signs different from those in Thailand. So you should learn about their traffic signs for your safety.
About crossing the road; in America, people have a lot of manners for letting others cross the road. Even they are not at the traffic light at T-junction or intersection, the car will stop to let pedestrians crossing first and you can cross the road without hurry or worry that the car will hit you. It is opposite in Thailand. People have to wait to let the cars go first.
Well, how do you feel about top 5 culture shocks you will find in America? Are they surprising to you? But don’t worry! Try to think that it is a joyful experience and you will be there happily even though you are far away from home.
Please remember that…
“ Living in a foreign country is challenging,but it is also a great learning experience. ”
By learning to understand and navigate the culture of another country, we become more open-minded and accepting individuals.
References:
- http://gogoamerica.com/เรื่องช็อคในอเมริกา-culture-shock
- http://www.northamericastudy.com/culture-shock-in-us
- https://www.bloggang.com/mainblog.php?id=goldenbamboo&month=21-08-2009&group=1&gblog=11
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