Learning about the USA from foreign visitors

Street Pattern · Jun 3, 2015

I recently discovered the following question on Quora: "What facts about the United States do foreigners not believe until they come to America?"

Hundreds of answers to this question have been posted. They are endlessly interesting.

Excerpts follow.

Everyone is highly private about their accomplishments and failures. Someone's performance in any field is their performance alone. This is different compared to India where people flaunt their riches and share their accomplishments with everybody else.

The retail experience is nowhere near as fun/nice as it is in India. Because labor is cheap in India, there is always someone who will act as a "personal shopper" to assist you with holding your clothes, giving suggestions, etc. In America, on the other hand, even if you go to a Nordstrom or Bloomingdales, there is almost nobody to help you out while you're shopping. Shopping in America is more of a commodity / chore than it is a pleasurable activity

Strong ethics — everyone has a lot of integrity. If someone cannot submit their completed assignment in time, they will turn in the assignment incomplete rather than asking for answers at the last minute. People take pride in their hard work and usually do not cheat. This is different from students from India and China as well as back home in India, where everyone collaborates to the extent that it can be categorized as cheating.

Rich people are thin/ well maintained, poor people are fat. This stems from the fact that cheap food is fatty, rich people don't eat cheap food — they tend to eat either home-cooked food which is expensive or eat at expensive / healthy places. Unfortunately, it is expensive to be healthy in America.

Fat people are not respected much in society. Being fat often has the same connotations as being irresponsible towards your body. If you're thin (and tall, but not as much), people will respect you a lot more and treat you better. You will also receive better customer service if you're well maintained. This extends my previous point which mentioned that if you're thin, you're statistically likely to be rich. Reason why I know this is that I went down from being 210lbs to 148-150lbs. The way people started treating me when I was thin was generally way better than the way I was treated when I was fat. As a small example, the Starbucks baristas were much nicer to me and made me drinks with more care / love.

Girls are not very promiscuous, contrary to most Hollywood films

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--- merged: May 27, 2015 at 6:15 PM ---

Almost every single person in America has access to basic food, clothing, water and sanitation. I haven't been to states like Louisiana and cities like Detroit, but from what I can tell, nobody is scrambling for the basic necessities required for sustenance.

Dearth of African Americans in technical fields. This probably stems from the fact that they aren't given enough opportunity, broken families, etc. I'm pretty sure you can extend upon this if you'd like.

It's expensive to have brick houses in America, contrary to India where brick houses are the norm

Emphasis on physical fitness / being outdoorsy — this is more of a California thing but I noticed families going on biking trips, boat trips, hiking, camping, barbecuing, etc. Americans take pride in the natural beauty of their surroundings and tend to make the most of it

Americans waste a lot of food. It is very easy to buy in bulk because it's so much cheaper and as a result a lot of wastage occurs.

Obsession with coffee — Starbucks, Dunkin' etc is crowded with office-goers and students every morning. I don't understand why they can't drink or make coffee before leaving for work. Such a waste of money! ($5/day * 5days / week * 52weeks/year)!

The return policy on almost everything: None of my friends back in India believed me when I told them that you can literally buy anything, including food, and return it within ninety days for a full refund even if you don't have a specific reason for doing so (most stores actually have a "Buyer's Remorse" category under Reason for Return options while returning the product).

The pervasiveness of fast food and the sheer variety of products available:The typical supermarket has at least a hundred varieties of frozen pizza, 50 brands of trail mix, etc. I was just astounded by the different kinds of products available even at small gas station convenience stores.

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--- merged: May 27, 2015 at 6:19 PM ---

Unlimited soda refills:The first time (and one of the last times...) I visited McDonalds in 2007, the cashier gave me an empty cup when I ordered soda. The concept of virtually unlimited soda refills was alien to me, and I thought there was a catch to it, but apparently not.

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--- merged: May 27, 2015 at 6:21 PM ---
From a UK student:

The lack of pedestrianisation:
It always seemed to amaze people that I'd happily stroll in urban areas, such as walking from the University District to the centre of Seattle etc by choice. Even walking to the local supermarkets seemed to only be done by foreign students without cars.

The lack of roundabouts:
After 12 months I still hadn't figured out the etiquette for crossroads with no traffic signals. It seemed to be that the biggest vehicle had right of way, and in the event of two vehicles of the same size, whoever had the biggest gun rack.

Breakfast cereals:
The range, the high sugar content and the fact you could watched all sorts of creatures appear in your cereal by pouring milk on it. It's increasingly common in the UK now, but at the time it seemed bizarre.

Attitudes to underage drinking or having sex:
Thankfully I turned 21 soon after arriving in the U.S, but got used to constantly carrying my passport with me to get served in bars. I didn't get used to the fact that the student accommodation meant sharing a room with bunk beds at that age... And having cops regularly bust student parties etc was a bizarre experience...

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--- merged: May 27, 2015 at 6:23 PM ---
A woman who moved from Ireland to Seattle:

Customer service. In Nordstrom, when a sales assistant says "Can I help you?" s/he actually means "Can I help you?" and not, say, "You're distracting me from my phone. Can you please leave?"

Free refills, matches, etc.

Religion being an actual thing. Prayer breakfasts in the White House. Educated people believing in creationism. The number of churches and denominations. People actually going to church.

No jaywalking. At least not in Seattle, no matter how empty the street.

The emphasis on marriage, particularly the apparent pressure for women to get married in their 20s.

I realized I thought that the sound of crickets and frogs in the evening was a cinematic convention meant to convey that night had fallen. The first time I heard this sound (especially on the east coast) it blew my mind.

Marshmallows on sweet potatoes.

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--- merged: May 27, 2015 at 6:31 PM ---
Another guy from India:

Dependence on GPS - I knew people who went to office everyday since the past 5 years and could not tell their way without a GPS. It was amazing! I made some friends there and they were so impressed that I could tell my way back to their home without help from a GPS.

Cashless Society - Coming from India, where we just need cash because cards are not accepted at most places, I was really surprised by the cashless system in the US. Every place accepts credit cards. Even a small picnic I went to, which had an entry fee, had some sort of mobile app and a device attached to accept credit cards. It was amazing.

Obsession with Tanning - I am adding this one late, as I had forgotten previously. In India, we have an obsession with "fair skin". Skin lightening, skin whitening, anti-tan...so on. In US, it was the oppostie. Every block has a tanning salon and drugstores have tanning creams and sprays instead of anti-tan ones available here. I thought it was fairly screwed up that in every part of the world, the cosmetics industry makes a way to make money off of people's insecurity.

Baby Car seats, Strollers - The extremely confusing rules and regulations that pervade America were already too much, but the emphasis on car seats and strollers was something new. I don't think there's any such thing as a car seat in India. And parents carry their children mostly, most people can't afford strollers here. Also the cost of childcare in US is astounding because of these things that keep adding up.

Public Toilets - Indian public toilets are usually in unmentionable conditions, and this was a refreshing change. Specially because half the stuff was automated. I remember thinking at first, that Americans are so lazy, they don't want to flush their toilets

Cashiers talking to you - Every cashier will greet you with "How are you today? You find everything okay?" with a smile, and you're quite thrown off the first few times... Really nice people! In general also, people were extremely polite, and many just complimented you too!

Awesome Traffic - Coming from India, I found it amazing the way traffic behaved without any intervention from traffic policemen. Just everyone following the rules. It was a bit bad in NYC, but not even comparable to where I live right now (Kanpur, India). People don't try to cut you off. People let pedestrians cross. Also, the parallel parking is really efficient! The roads are so well maintained, and the scenery is always beautiful.

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Borla · May 27, 2015

There are some pretty interesting takes in that link. Obviously some of them are influenced by regional (within the US) experiences.

Street Pattern · May 27, 2015

A woman from Russia:

1. Why individual houses are so large? We always get into discussion that house is not just a shelter, but also a manifestation of one's financial achievements.

2. Philanthropy. There is no culture of philanthropy in Russia and many view American philanthropy either as a waste of money or as some intricate plot to get some additional benefits.

3. People don't walk places. They go everywhere by a car.

4. There is almost no public transportation except in a few large cities. People actually have to have cars to get places. Cars are necessity, not luxury.

5. Majority of high and middle schools have sport facilities of very high, almost professional quality.

6. Many schools have orchestras, bands, theaters of a very high, almost professional quality. Free.

7. Every state has a lot of autonomy.

8. President's salary is comparable with the one of a plastic surgeon.

9. President doesn't automatically become the richest person in the country.

10. Majority of things in the US aren't controlled or regulated by the government.

11. Children are expected to leave home when they are 18.

12. Students prefer and are expected to live in a dorm and not with parents.

13. When relatives visit they often stay in the hotel.

14. Many children, even in well to do families, work in fast food, car washes and do a lot of other things to get money and it is not an embarrassment.

15. Parents have their babies sleeping in separate rooms almost from the day of their birth.

16. Russians find 11-15 are particularly absurd, offensive, and egotistical.

17. Many Russians believe that American system of primary and secondary education is very inefficient. As a mother, I have to explain that it is very diverse and essentially even in the poorest districts there are tons of resources available for children who are willing to use them. There are also an opportunity for kids to take advanced and extra advanced classes providing they are willing and able to do the work. And this differentiation is available as early as elementary school.

18. How well elderly live, even those on SSI and Medicaid. How many services are available to them.

19. How open Americans are about their shortcomings and always ready for self criticism.

20. Millions of people don't have medical insurance.

21. Some hospitals look like five-star hotels.

22. Budgets of some hospitals are equal to h/c budgets of small countries.

23. Doctors tell their patients everything.

24. Return policies and free refill.

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redravin · May 27, 2015

The one about why are houses so big doesn't surprise me at all.
Living in Jersey you could see the houses right next to each other going from the 1800's up to now sometimes right down the street from each other.
You could have a 150 year old farmhouse that was designed for a huge family that is a tenth the size of the McMansions built in it's backyard.

snowy · May 27, 2015

My Dutch cousins love many things about the United States: malls, food courts, mountains, and the beach. They also all love the NBA. They don't understand why anyone asks how you are doing or how your day is going when they don't care; they really don't get our small talk.

Street Pattern · May 27, 2015

The U.S. has more square feet of housing per person today than any society has had in all of human history.

omega · May 27, 2015

Street Pattern said: ↑

The U.S. has more square feet of housing per person today than any society has had in all of human history.
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That's why we're the best. USA! USA! USA! And overpaid athletes! God bless America. And no one else.

snowy · May 28, 2015

Street Pattern said: ↑

The U.S. has more square feet of housing per person today than any society has had in all of human history.
Click to expand...

My tante and oom lived in a 3-bedroom bungalow on the outskirts of a village in the south of the Netherlands. Their house and its surrounding property was considered quite large. One luxury they had that others did not was a laundry room. When I stayed with them, their house was large enough to accommodate my traveling companion and I in separate bedrooms. They also had a spacious garden.

By contrast, my other oom, who lived in Haarlem (a large city outside of Amsterdam), only had a 2-bedroom townhouse, and we were shoehorned together into the front "guest room", where we shared mattresses on the floor.

My only regret is that we didn't get to visit my oom Jan, who lived in a thatched-roof cottage. Really.

But my Dutch cousins are always amazed by the size of our houses when they come to visit. My cousin G. lives in a small apartment in the village his grandparents lived on the outskirts of. Our 1500 sq. ft. house seemed enormous to him, when by American standards, it was quite small.

rogue49 · May 28, 2015

Considering the ongoing heat wave in India that's killed 1000+ people...

Some years ago was talking to a guy from India about another heat wave then...and I exclaimed, "I can't believe 1000 people died from this heat"
and he says, "So??? People die there everyday." (shrugging it off)

I compare this to the US, where we freak at TENS of people dying (like in the Texas floods)

spindles · May 29, 2015

snowy said: ↑

They don't understand why anyone asks how you are doing or how your day is going when they don't care; they really don't get our small talk.
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I wonder how much of that in America is about getting tips? I don't mean the cashier at a supermarket, but a lot of that small talk is ingrained via the tipping in service industries where wait staff want to appear to be being attentive.

Chris Noyb · May 31, 2015

The waste of food amazes me, and I live here.

Street Pattern · Jun 1, 2015

A man from Bangladesh:

Here are a few things that I find hard to explain to peeps back home.

- Fruits and vegetables are way more expensive than meat and poultry.

- That, generally speaking, the poor is more obese than the rich.

- That Americans in general are incredibly confused about the use of the apostrophe. Like seriously bad.

- A lot of couples adopt children, sometimes in spite of having their own, and treat them exactly like their own. (To me, this alone is a marker of a great people)

- By and large, people do not carry cash.

- That you address your boss (and some of your professors) by some abbreviated variation of their first name. And that applies to pretty much everyone, regardless of how much older they are than you.

- Parents can get arrested for physically punishing their children.

- Severe poverty, homelessness, etc, no matter how limited, actually exist. Even in America.

- A name as common and as easy to pronounce as mine [Rakib] is almost invariably incomprehensible to most Americans.

- America is literally HUGE. My home country is roughly the size of Florida, one of the fifty states.

- In spite of the society being openly hedonistic and liberal, the social norms and standards still have very strong conservative religious influences.

- People don't really care about the FIFA World Cup even though USA qualifies.

- The importance of credit rating/ credit score.

- Return policy

- The history behind Thanksgiving

- Black Friday and the frenzy associated with it.

- Amazingly friendly, hospitable and helpful people. Yet, a very conveniently private lifestyle.

- That, American foreign policy is a very inaccurate reflector of public consensus.

- Grinding. The dance form.

- That you cannot purchase alcohol unless you are 21 but can purchase a gun if you are 18.
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An anonymous comment:

1. That adult people are mostly unhappy despite material abundance even for poor but everybody pretends they are OK mostly by masking it one way or another. Thus the smiles and pretentiousness.

2. That material abundance is mostly due to easy credit provided by the banks and not real net worth of individuals. Houses, cars, wardrobes won't be possible if not for easy credit.

2. Same population above is also in solitude, no solid family or other relationships, also people compensate for it by getting intimate with their pets.

3. Media isn't free or independent as portrayed, it's monopolized and it's hard to get an alternative view of things.

4. People are afraid of things, there is hidden pessimism and skepticism. Some people are downright scared. I think this nation was once hopeful and optimistic but this was in 60s. It's gone.

5. Food is poisonous unless you can select your sources and FDA is careless and corrupt and in the hands of companies like Monsanto. This contributes to obesity and illnesses.

6. It is a beautiful country with a lot of potential but unfortunately everything that matters (politics, healthcare, food, news, economy etc.) is manipulated by special interests.
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Chris Noyb · Jun 1, 2015

rogue49 said: ↑

Considering the ongoing heat wave in India that's killed 1000+ people...

Some years ago was talking to a guy from India about another heat wave then...and I exclaimed, "I can't believe 1000 people died from this heat"
and he says, "So??? People die there everyday." (shrugging it off)

I compare this to the US, where we freak at TENS of people dying (like in the Texas floods)
Click to expand...

What a wonderful comparison, rogue49.

BTW/FTR, the above comment is sarcasm, from someone who lives in a city hard hit by the recent Texas floods.

I understand your point, but your timing sucked.

snowy · Jun 1, 2015

spindles said: ↑

I wonder how much of that in America is about getting tips? I don't mean the cashier at a supermarket, but a lot of that small talk is ingrained via the tipping in service industries where wait staff want to appear to be being attentive.
Click to expand...

Most of the small talk is perpetuated by shop assistants.

Chris Noyb said: ↑

The waste of food amazes me, and I live here.
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It's because food is so cheap here. My MIL will throw stuff away if it looks bad--nevermind that you could just cut off the bad part (bruised, not moldy) and it would still be perfectly good. WTF. I like saving money, thanks.

rogue49 · Jun 1, 2015

Chris Noyb said: ↑

What a wonderful comparison, rogue49.

BTW/FTR, the above comment is sarcasm, from someone who lives in a city hard hit by the recent Texas floods.

I understand your point, but your timing sucked.
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Listen, I honor and respect everyone affected by the crisis there...as I do everywhere and anywhere.
But what I was saying...then I was shocked and surprised by his casual dismissal of so many dying.
And that it showed to me how people from different cultures and situations consider mortality and suffering.

Here in the US, we have our own things we pay attention to...and those we choignore. (when all tragedy should be considered...and prevented, if possible)
Some more than others...

I hope you and yours are coping and safe, despite the hardship.

Lindy · Jun 2, 2015

A friend of Sig's is visiting from Belgium and on a drive through rural Western Nebraska wondered how there could be enough jobs to support the population in such a desolate place.

The Nebraska unemployment rate in April was just 2.5%

Chris Noyb · Jun 2, 2015

rogue49 said: ↑

Listen, I honor and respect everyone affected by the crisis there...as I do everywhere and anywhere.
But what I was saying...then I was shocked and surprised by his casual dismissal of so many dying.
And that it showed to me how people from different cultures and situations consider mortality and suffering.

Here in the US, we have our own things we pay attention to...and those we choignore. (when all tragedy should be considered...and prevented, if possible)
Some more than others...

I hope you and yours are coping and safe, despite the hardship.
Click to expand...

IME with many (certainly not all) folks from '3rd' and even '2nd' world countries they tend to have a if-it's-not-directly-negatively-affecting-me-I'm-not-concerned-about-it attitude. It seems rather callous to those of us living in comfortable '1st' world countries. Many of those same people are amazed (not necessarily in a good way) by how we respond to crises in other countries.

snowy · Jun 2, 2015

Lindy said: ↑

A friend of Sig's is visiting from Belgium and on a drive through rural Western Nebraska wondered how there could be enough jobs to support the population in such a desolate place.

The Nebraska unemployment rate in April was just 2.5%
Click to expand...

Wide open spaces are very unfamiliar to people from that part of the world.

redravin · Jun 2, 2015

Great comic series about the world usually seen from the Nordic point of view but this case is Bro America and King Europe.

Temple · Jul 13, 2015

I have just returned (last night) from a 3 week trip along the East coast, I love the USA but you need some more road signs!!

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Learning about the USA from foreign visitors

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Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

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Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

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Chris Noyb Get in, buckle up, hang on, & be quiet.

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