It’s somewhat interesting to realize that the things that you normally do as an American are interpreted as extremely weird, embarrassing, or shocking by almost every non-American.
Generally, the United States of America is pretty much famous around the globe. But even though foreigners know a lot about us (through movies, music, or military) they still miss out on many things that always shock or confuse them once they step into the American borders.
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#1 – We Love Icy Cold Drinks
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Most of Americans won’t remember the last time they gulped up something that doesn’t include ice! Liquor, tea, and coffee are all iced. And there’s no such thing as being served water without ice, even in mid-January.
The rest of the world’s populations, particularly Europeans, are very unfamiliar with icy drinks, while in the US, getting ice in your drink is the rule, not the exception.
Historically speaking, ice was a fancy item that only the wealthiest Europeans could get their hands on, while ice in America was pretty accessible since it was easily taken from lakes and stored in special containers. Today, the trend still continues to exist.
#2 – We’re Total Prudes
As long as we can remember, there are no bigger prudes than Americans when it comes to nudity and sex. Pop culture is full of good examples!
However, this is absolutely not the case in Europe. Let’s take Blue is the Warmest Color (the erotic lesbian drama) as an example, the French rated it as suitable only for people over 12 years old, while Americans gave it an NC-17 rating (no one 17 and under admitted) for its graphic sex scenes.
On the other hand, Germany is really fine with nudity, even instructing its citizens visiting the US that going nude in public can get you arrested, even if it’s just going topless for women.
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#3 – We Love Small Talk
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Americans excel at small talk. Even if you’re just running errands, you’ll likely have many conversations with anyone you may meet. “How’s your day?” “I like your top”, and so on and so forth. As for tourists, they can find this annoying, rude, or even an insult.
For instance, in France, people may end the conversation altogether if you ask what they do for a living because they don’t like to be defined based on their job, while in India, you cannot have small talk with a shopkeeper because you’re not supposed to act friendly to strangers.
However, small talk is very important since it allows you to maintain higher self-esteem and chat freely with your superiors, which can be great for your work goals, such as getting promoted. (Go USA!)
#4 – We Take Extra Food Home
Have your eyes been bigger than your tummy? No problem, ask for a doggy bag and finish your meal at home. Well, we all know it’s not really for the dog and it’s totally okay.
But what’s acceptable here can even be humiliating in other parts of the world. According to a survey published by the BBC, 25% of British people were extremely embarrassed to ask for a doggy bag and 24% assumed they weren’t allowed to in the first place due to safety regulations.
Same in France, certain restaurants think they could be sued if someone took the rest of their meal home and got sick after eating it. Also, the French usually finish their entire plate out of politeness, even if they’re full.
Well, looking at the French portion sizes, being polite is quite realistic, but in the US, our plates are really overloaded and no one would like to fill themselves until bursting.
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#5 – Tip Here, Tip There, Tip Everyone Everywhere
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Tipping has always been the right and polite thing to do, and everyone is aware that the waitstaff is generally paid below the minimum wage assuming that they get plenty of tips to balance it.
So not tipping can either mean that the waiter/waitress stuck their hand in your meal or you’re a horribly cheap individual. But the whole tipping process can be a bit complex to tourists because some service staff gets a couple bucks, while others need about 20%.
Some you tip, others you don’t. Or the act of tipping 10% or less to express your dissatisfaction. All this can be very confusing to foreigners. If your culture doesn’t do the tipping, look up a helpful guide on travel sites or simply throw money at anyone who talks to you politely.
#6 – The American Flag is Everywhere
Houses, buildings, underwear, T-shirts, cakes, you name it! The American flag is proudly everywhere! There’s probably one near you right now…
But this is not the case in several other countries. In Europe, for example, waving a flag in public areas will be regarded as supporting the extreme right-wing of the political spectrum, while Germans are still afraid of being patriotic, particularly when it comes to flying their flag.
Other countries, such as India, don’t appreciate making flags for non-official reasons. It’s not like over-reproduction of the flag will make it less sacred!
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#7 – Our Price Tags Don’t Include Tax
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In America, everyone is used to not paying what the price tag displays. We just hand the cashier some extra money, while many people calculate things to make sure the tax was correct.
Moreover, paying for something with the price tag of $10.99 can vary depending on the city, county, or even store you’re at. And there are items without added tax, including groceries, alcohol, or clothes, which have special rules.
Well, explaining all of this and more to someone who has been used to having the tax included in the price tag would be really difficult. When in doubt, pass on your wallet with the hopes that the cashier is conscientious.
#8 – We Smile like Crazy People
We smile all time. It’s a great and joyful thing, however, it makes us look silly to foreigners.
Actually, Russians, South Koreans, Iranians, Indians, and the Japanese, believe that people who smile look remarkably less intelligent than those who don’t, while people in the Maldives and Argentina believe that putting on your smiling face makes you seem dishonest.
Moreover, a simple smile seems to be so strange to some countries that US companies had to ask their employees to grin at customers.
In Germany, some male customers at Walmart interpreted smiling as flirting, so the staff was asked to stop smiling altogether! Best to keep your sense of friendliness to your American fellows.
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#9 – We Have the Most Expensive and Longest Elections in the World
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By the way, Trump has already started campaigning for the 2020 election! The competition over the White House is intense and that’s pretty insane, even for Americans!
Elections in the US take years in length and cost more than the GDP of certain nations. Compared to other countries, the American elections are totally obscene.
In 2010, the cost of the British elections was about $49 million, while in the US 2012 elections, the total cost was a whopping $5.8 billion!
Meanwhile, in sweet Canada, the longest campaign in history lasted no more than 11 weeks and that was during the 20s!
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#10 – We are Obsessed with Guns
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Have you ever heard of a nation that loves guns so much it’s almost a religion? Welcome to America! Even hinting at restricting gun laws can put the most liberal politicians in danger. The national passion for these deadly items is shocking to many other nations.
In fact, many countries, such as New Zealand, Norway, and Ireland, normally have unarmed police, while Americans own 48% of all the civilian guns on the globe. Moreover, Americans own more guns per individual than any other country in the world.
Regardless of what the world thinks, there are some American hands that will never ever let go of their gun (or guns!)
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