Culture shock when visiting home

[Rease]

I just arrived in the US yesterday after spending 14 months in Argentina. While my life in Buenos Aires does involve a lot of Spanish speaking and culture immersion, I still speak English a lot and communicate with other expats. However, I am feeling a bit culture shocked and out of it since my arrival. I keep answering people in Spanish and I feel like an alien in stores, marvelling at the items I had forgotten existed or prices on things.

Two events stuck out in my mind as pros and cons that made me laugh.

1. In the airport I was able to buy a tube of toothpaste with a $100 USD bill and the cashier did not even hesitate to give me change. Amazing.
2. I asked for diet coke on the plane and was so confused at why it tasted funny. I forgot about the corn syrup in the States and I missed cane sugar coca lite!

What kind of weird culture shock moments have you had when going home?

 

[deeve007]

After spending 2 years in Kenya, going back home to Australia, the main things that I noticed:
- not being stared at all time for being white.
- blonde women.
- variety of food.
- blonde women.
- clean bathrooms.
- blonde women.
- clean streets.

Did I mention blonde women?

 

[PhilipDT]

When I first got here: "Wow the cars are all so damn tiny"

Now, when in the states: "Wow the cars are all so damn big"

 

[Moonwitch]

People standing on the right on subway escalators...

 

[PhilipDT]

I just arrived in the US yesterday after spending 14 months in Argentina. While my life in Buenos Aires does involve a lot of Spanish speaking and culture immersion, I still speak English a lot and communicate with other expats. However, I am feeling a bit culture shocked and out of it since my arrival. I keep answering people in Spanish and I feel like an alien in stores, marvelling at the items I had forgotten existed or prices on things.

Two events stuck out in my mind as pros and cons that made me laugh.

1. In the airport I was able to buy a tube of toothpaste with a $100 USD bill and the cashier did not even hesitate to give me change. Amazing.
2. I asked for diet coke on the plane and was so confused at why it tasted funny. I forgot about the corn syrup in the States and I missed cane sugar coca lite!

What kind of weird culture shock moments have you had when going home?

Diet coke doesn't have corn syrup, does it? I would have thought it would just have the artificial sweetener

 

[deeve007]

People standing on the right on subway escalators...

As in they do in the US, but don't here? Yes, that is annoying, especially when you can hear the train pulling in below!

 

[Mitch]

When in the USA, at least I have the hope someone might tell me the truth.

 

[AngelinBA]

For me it was guys taller than me! I got back to NZ and wandered around in a daze looking at all of these ¨giants¨and feeling petite for the first time .... ever! I´m 1.74m tall, not that huge at all, but that seems to be about average male height in BA. I like tall men!!

 

[deeve007]

Yeah, I've noticed how "tall" I am when on the Subte, I'm 180cm tall, average in Australia.

 

[sesamosinsal]

Diet coke doesn't have corn syrup, does it? I would have thought it would just have the artificial sweetener

Diet sodas have no sugars in them at all. However, U.S. Diet Coke and Coca Light in Latin America are different. I think it's for two reasons: 1.) different level of carbonation, and 2.) Coca Light also has Acesulfame K in addition to Aspartame. In the United States, only Aspartame is present.

If the airline is giving cans of soda to the passengers, I always request Diet Coke from the States over Coca Light. The taste is better, or perhaps just what I'm used to.