Having moved around quite a bit, I’ve started subconsciously keeping a mental list of the small things that differ by country. This includes the more obvious stuff (food, clothes, culture, etc.) but also texture of daily life.
The best part of meeting people from different cultures is noticing the smaller things that nobody puts in a guidebook! So here’s a running list.
Based on vibes, ymmv.
USA
- Taking fall fun seriously (apple picking, pumpkin spice lattes, etc)
- Hydration consciousness: people carry their water bottles everywhere and splurge on good water bottles.
- Water always comes with ice.
- The culture of working in cafes
- Going outside in your pyjamas
- Strangers are usually very nice – will ask you how you’re doing, wish you a good day, etc.
- People bring their dogs everywhere
- Have a lot of fun colloquialisms. Here’s some that I liked:
- one for the road
- tough cookie
- Bathroom stalls have HUGE gaps
- The American college experience, which seems to me quite different than every other college experience
- Free refills
- Diners. Going to IHOP is a tourist experience of its own. (If you’re in Pittsburgh, try Pamela’s — Obama would agree.)
- Rock music from here feels very optimistic
UK
- Rock music from here is witty, dry, sarcastic, and/or depressing. This applies to British humour as well. Think: Radiohead/Arctic Monkeys/The Smiths vs Bruce Springsteen, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac. Of course there are exceptions (hi My Chemical Romance and all of 2010s emo music). I conjecture this might also have to do with UK weather.
India
- I always remember this quote from Malgudi Days by R. K. Narayan - “In India, you just look out of the window and there is a story.” Walking through Indian streets is an experience of its own.
- Crossing the road is war
- A lot of people’s holidays in the year are planned around weddings they need to attend all over the country
- jugaad. This is pretty talked about but worth mentioning. It’s the instinct to find workarounds for things.
Qatar/UAE/Kuwait/GCC
- Outdoor ACs
- Friday/Saturday weekend. Growing up in this environment disoriented my sense of the week when I came to the U.S.
- Malls being primary social infrastructure
- Landcruisers that don’t have the concept of a speed limit
- Lots of speed cameras and difficult driving tests
- Cafes that can give you a meal in around $3 and serve literally everything.
- Getting used to the sound of the ezan
- Living a completely new life during Ramadan
- Every other family you know has adopted a street cat
Turkey
Russia
← back to blog