What thing about ur SO's country surprized u the most???

[Tunisia216 2]

Biggest surprises for him when he arrived in the US :

1.) Definitely the cost of living (as many others have said ) One year later and he still can't wrap his mind around that one

2.) The calm organized manner that most people drive in (again as others have said)

3.) The efficiency of government (and other) offices (doctors, etc ) He is blown away that it doesn't take a week or more to obtain one document or check the status of something and that we aren't turned away 10 times being told incha allah tomorrow (which means no way it's gonna happen any time soon in Tunis)

4.) That family can live less than 10 or 20 minutes away and seeing them once a week is considered a "close " family. He's always asking every night am I sure we shouldn't go to my parents tonight and check on them? (My mom and step dad are 41 and 46 lol )

5.) How *fast* the internet is and that it doesn't have weekly/monthly outages. He's still in shock over that one hehe

6.) How clean the streets are and how you rarely if ever see anyone throwing trash down on the ground.

7.) How much money and time we spend on our pets (He's actually commented before pets in the US have better lives than 75% of Tunisians lol )

For me the biggest surprises I encountered in my years of trips to Tunisia :

1.) How much free/leisure time people seem to have (or make ) for themselves

2.) How people can spend days and weeks on end waiting for one small task to be accomplished by a government or professional office without losing their minds.

3.) Boys/men holding hands, hugging, kissing, etc

4.) How people that didn't know you from Adam made sure to stop and ask how are you, how's your family? "Labes? Labeeesss? "

5.) Women on the street being asked to remove their head scarfs/hijabs/coverings

[Nothing1234 2]

For me...nothing really...traveling to the ME since I was young so other than Egypt is way dirtier and more crowded than Jordan...that was about it. Plus the Egyptians (in Cairo only I'm speaking of) are much more open and free spirted than the Jordanians/Palestinians I had grown up with in Jordan.

For the husband:

1.) Definitely the cost of living and the fact that everyone has to work so hard and so many hours to live even a simple life. He almost died when he went for a shave/haircut and the man told him 25 dollars! He used to get a shave each week for 5 pounds (1 USD).

2.) Driving (OMG, we have rules here! )

3.) How expensive medical care is, that if you do not have medical coverage how hard it is to find someone to just "see you quickly" plus you better have a wad of cash on you. Our lovely insurance nightmare in the US! His mother experienced it first hand on her visit here.

4.) How clean the streets are and how he was NOT allowed to just throw trash down on the ground.

5.) Internet and Dish TV...he adores both since in EGY its common to have power surges and outages daily.

6.) Being on time...WTH is with all these uptight Americans expecting everyone to make it on time to functions, places, appointments, etc. (i.e.---late for DR appt...they make you wait another hour "how rude!" he declares! You can take the boy outta EGY but you can't take the "Arab time" outta the boy!)

7.) All the heavyset Americans and how large food portions are plus the "free refills". "in egypt they would go out of business"

8.) That friends don't want to hang out all night long till 4am on weekdays. What's wrong with these people? On time for work, what?! He's learned that weekends are what we live for!

His mothers shock when she came to visit (this one is more fun!)

1.) All my Gay friends and that they came into our home to hang out. "Are you sure he's gay? He has a beard and "looks" so normal!" "no, mom, the babies will not catch "gay" from them!" Eventually, she learned to love each and everyone of them she met.

2.) How all the AZ girls love to walk around half naked (ITS HOT MAN! ) in bathing suits, tank tops, short skirts...we also live close to our State University...and boy did she love staring at them all! "Annie, look! OMG, Annie look there!" My head was spinning every shopping trip!

3.) The amount of food choices and that you could mistakenly pick up pork without knowing (sitting right next to the beef!)

4.) How huggy/kissy all our friend are with each others spouses/partners. Husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

5.) Last but NOT least, watching the babies head off for an "over night visit" to a non-relative, their god mother, Auntie Marsha. I know, I know, we have broken the un-written law!

[ridasgirl 1]

For the husband:

1.) Definitely the cost of living and the fact that everyone has to work so hard and so many hours to live even a simple life. He almost died when he went for a shave/haircut and the man told him 25 dollars! He used to get a shave each week for 5 pounds (1 USD).

2.) Driving (OMG, we have rules here! )

3.) How expensive medical care is, that if you do not have medical coverage how hard it is to find someone to just "see you quickly" plus you better have a wad of cash on you. Our lovely insurance nightmare in the US! His mother experienced it first hand on her visit here.

4.) How clean the streets are and how he was NOT allowed to just throw trash down on the ground.

5.) Internet and Dish TV...he adores both since in EGY its common to have power surges and outages daily.

6.) Being on time...WTH is with all these uptight Americans expecting everyone to make it on time to functions, places, appointments, etc. (i.e.---late for DR appt...they make you wait another hour "how rude!" he declares! You can take the boy outta EGY but you can't take the "Arab time" outta the boy!)

7.) All the heavyset Americans and how large food portions are plus the "free refills". "in egypt they would go out of business"

8.) That friends don't want to hang out all night long till 4am on weekdays. What's wrong with these people? On time for work, what?! He's learned that weekends are what we live for!

His mothers shock when she came to visit (this one is more fun!)

1.) All my Gay friends and that they came into our home to hang out. "Are you sure he's gay? He has a beard and "looks" so normal!" "no, mom, the babies will not catch "gay" from them!" Eventually, she learned to love each and everyone of them she met.

2.) How all the AZ girls love to walk around half naked (ITS HOT MAN! ) in bathing suits, tank tops, short skirts...we also live close to our State University...and boy did she love staring at them all! "Annie, look! OMG, Annie look there!" My head was spinning every shopping trip!

3.) The amount of food choices and that you could mistakenly pick up pork without knowing (sitting right next to the beef!)

4.) How huggy/kissy all our friend are with each others spouses/partners. Husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

5.) Last but NOT least, watching the babies head off for an "over night visit" to a non-relative, their god mother, Auntie Marsha. I know, I know, we have broken the un-written law!

I love it...I keep trying to warn Rida about all of this stuff....but he keeps telling me "he knows" I think the "Arab time" is going to be the biggest challenge to overcome. Employers will not be so understanding of their cultural norms here.

[Krissy! 0]

I love reading all this.

Last night, while watching "Iron Chef: America" Michael Symon getting a hug from the challenger.. and kissed on the cheek. Hubby's eyes widen "Is that okay here?" I'm like "huh? yeah, why is it a problem.." "I mean is that okay here in America?" "Sure if they know each other, ... etc etc"

It made me smile. I'm surprised that he's surprised. Also, the gay thing... many of my friends are gay, and there's an area in San Diego that he enjoys going to that is VERY gay friendly ... but before he actually visited, he was like "no way!"

[Aymsgirl 0]

For the husband:

1.) Definitely the cost of living and the fact that everyone has to work so hard and so many hours to live even a simple life. He almost died when he went for a shave/haircut and the man told him 25 dollars! He used to get a shave each week for 5 pounds (1 USD).

2.) Driving (OMG, we have rules here! )

3.) How expensive medical care is, that if you do not have medical coverage how hard it is to find someone to just "see you quickly" plus you better have a wad of cash on you. Our lovely insurance nightmare in the US! His mother experienced it first hand on her visit here.

4.) How clean the streets are and how he was NOT allowed to just throw trash down on the ground.

5.) Internet and Dish TV...he adores both since in EGY its common to have power surges and outages daily.

6.) Being on time...WTH is with all these uptight Americans expecting everyone to make it on time to functions, places, appointments, etc. (i.e.---late for DR appt...they make you wait another hour "how rude!" he declares! You can take the boy outta EGY but you can't take the "Arab time" outta the boy!)

7.) All the heavyset Americans and how large food portions are plus the "free refills". "in egypt they would go out of business"

8.) That friends don't want to hang out all night long till 4am on weekdays. What's wrong with these people? On time for work, what?! He's learned that weekends are what we live for!

His mothers shock when she came to visit (this one is more fun!)

1.) All my Gay friends and that they came into our home to hang out. "Are you sure he's gay? He has a beard and "looks" so normal!" "no, mom, the babies will not catch "gay" from them!" Eventually, she learned to love each and everyone of them she met.

2.) How all the AZ girls love to walk around half naked (ITS HOT MAN! ) in bathing suits, tank tops, short skirts...we also live close to our State University...and boy did she love staring at them all! "Annie, look! OMG, Annie look there!" My head was spinning every shopping trip!

3.) The amount of food choices and that you could mistakenly pick up pork without knowing (sitting right next to the beef!)

4.) How huggy/kissy all our friend are with each others spouses/partners. Husband/wife or boyfriend/girlfriend, etc.

5.) Last but NOT least, watching the babies head off for an "over night visit" to a non-relative, their god mother, Auntie Marsha. I know, I know, we have broken the un-written law!

I love it...I keep trying to warn Rida about all of this stuff....but he keeps telling me "he knows" I think the "Arab time" is going to be the biggest challenge to overcome. Employers will not be so understanding of their cultural norms here.

I don't want to add everything that surprised my husband but let's say it didn't hit him until he was here a year. Too long of a list right now because EVERYTHING has taken him for a big culture shock since he traveled home and back.

[Nothing1234 2]

Awww Tasha I know its got to be so hard and I swear I wish there was some magic pill that could take the fear away from him so he could feel more comfortable here and not have such a negative feeling about being here. It's so hard for everyone and I'm sure there are tons of others out there that experience the same things, some just don't talk about it. It is not easy coming here for the first time and I can't imagine the strain on him with other children so far away too. It's a confusing time for all I'm sure. You guys are in my prayers

[uicrn 0]

What shocked me in his country:

-How laid back and calm everyone was. I am an uptight American about business and getting things done NOW. Cable went out there; no big deal. The cable company will fix it someday. Laid off my job; I just won''t drive (save $$ on gas) or won't use my phone, etc. etc.

-How cooperative the driving is. Lots of traffic, but everyone takes turns in sticky traffic jams.

-How taboo homosexuality is. It could be fatal if someone is known to be gay.

What will probably shock him:

-Cold & snow (I live in Illinois)

-How materialistic some of us can be (I didn't see a microwave in Jamaica until we went to a hotel)

-How much we eat (I never have seen a McDonalds there)

[brnidokiegurl 0]

Ahmed is the same with the family, i have grown kids, every day have you talked to xxxx no i havent its ok if we dont talk every day xxx is coming for a visit, are they eating with us? no i wasnt planning on it...i think its ok if you can ask them...yes i KNOW i can ask them i just hadnt planned on it

At a swimming/falls park...do we change here (in public) NOOOOOOOO they have bath houses for this, well i know how with the towel to change and its no problem

Garage sales here he kinda likes (you can talk prices), filling the gas tank was new to him, first prob read the instructions, second prob follow them.....

[Aymsgirl 0]

Awww Tasha I know its got to be so hard and I swear I wish there was some magic pill that could take the fear away from him so he could feel more comfortable here and not have such a negative feeling about being here. It's so hard for everyone and I'm sure there are tons of others out there that experience the same things, some just don't talk about it. It is not easy coming here for the first time and I can't imagine the strain on him with other children so far away too. It's a confusing time for all I'm sure. You guys are in my prayers

Thanks Annie!

I will add for him it was the winter here. He was not prepared for how cold and how much Ohio weather changes.

Like others, pumping the gas, driving, getting around on his own.

How we have to work for what we want not get it spoiledly handed on a silver platter.

He wasn't prepared for his wife to have to take care of him for this long. This has been an ego buster.

Having to take any job to have a job.

How involved we feel that father's should be with their children. In the past he had never changed a diaper.

That late at night on Cinemax there is porn!

How Ramadan didn't feel like Ramadan it was just another month. He said he didn't feel the spirit of it this past year.

How he feels that the authorities here do not let us discipline our children well enough.

What kind of jobs attract the lazy kind of workers.

He does like the peacefulness and cleanliness of our country

Honestly I could go on and on and on.

For me:

I thought that Egypt was filthy! Trash and dust everywhere.

The noise, the driving was annoying.

How the kids and people are up all hours of the night. 2am swimming in the sea.

I miss the call to prayer.

I do not miss everybody wanting to see the "American". Once it was like a freak show at my MIL's home. It made my husband very upset.

I do not miss how some think that they are owed something or deserve it. This is in both countries of course but I saw quite a bit of it while I was there.

I was also suprised about how the looters were and the tour guides at the pyramids. They were money hungry.

The people sleeping in the streets in Alex.

I miss the smell of Shisha and the relaxed feel that EG had.

Amazement and wonderment of how so many people are sitting around in these coffee shops and wondering how they earned a living.

The amount of cats all over the trash cans and the smell of their pee.

The bargaining for everything really got on my nerve.

I am not a city girl so the crowds were a little intimidating to me. I could deal with it though.

Like I said for my husband there are many many more but I don't want to write a book!

I did like the

[S and S 12]

When I was in my husband's country, I didn't know him and it wasn't under the best circumstances, but I can say the sunsets were beautiful there and the traffic was crazy. In Syria I was surprised by how old it seemed. I felt like I was walking through history and appreciated the fact they hadn't westernized so much that you couldn't see the old styles. As for Jordan, I was surprised they had such a huge mall (Mecca Mall).

For my husband, he is still getting over the cost of living. We moved to Oklahoma a couple weeks ago and there are no jobs. He is doctor but he can't work as one without a license and that process is long, but they require certifications in every medical job which all require specific schools. It is really frustrating for him.

[prince+angel 3]

Ash - its really nice to see you around posting again!

I agree about the garbage in Tunisia, I was shocked. I'll never forget the time we turned down a street in Tunis early one evening, a slight wind picked up & all this garbage was flying around kinda like what you'd see with a flock of

pigeons in Central Park in NYC.

Public bathrooms were a nightmare ...

Biggest surprises for him when he arrived in the US :

1.) Definitely the cost of living (as many others have said ) One year later and he still can't wrap his mind around that one

2.) The calm organized manner that most people drive in (again as others have said)

3.) The efficiency of government (and other) offices (doctors, etc ) He is blown away that it doesn't take a week or more to obtain one document or check the status of something and that we aren't turned away 10 times being told incha allah tomorrow (which means no way it's gonna happen any time soon in Tunis)

4.) That family can live less than 10 or 20 minutes away and seeing them once a week is considered a "close " family. He's always asking every night am I sure we shouldn't go to my parents tonight and check on them? (My mom and step dad are 41 and 46 lol )

5.) How *fast* the internet is and that it doesn't have weekly/monthly outages. He's still in shock over that one hehe

6.) How clean the streets are and how you rarely if ever see anyone throwing trash down on the ground.

7.) How much money and time we spend on our pets (He's actually commented before pets in the US have better lives than 75% of Tunisians lol )

For me the biggest surprises I encountered in my years of trips to Tunisia :

1.) How much free/leisure time people seem to have (or make ) for themselves

2.) How people can spend days and weeks on end waiting for one small task to be accomplished by a government or professional office without losing their minds.

3.) Boys/men holding hands, hugging, kissing, etc

4.) How people that didn't know you from Adam made sure to stop and ask how are you, how's your family? "Labes? Labeeesss? "

5.) Women on the street being asked to remove their head scarfs/hijabs/coverings

[HLM 1]

My husband was shocked how dirty and westernized Egypt is. He also hated how there was barely any culture preserved.

I was shocked how bad the health care system was and how there was no security in places I'm used to have security in Egypt; like big malls; Hotels and banks!! I know where we live is safe but to be honest with you I'm easily intimitated and I watch too much crime shows so I guess that explains it....Last but not least I was shocked that even ppl who don't like your race/religion were still polite and maintained respect. And I was shocked with CUSTOMER SERVICE LOVE IT HERE!!!!

[Y's_habibitk 2]

hmmm

I was suprised at how cool the climate was in Jan.

How much the scenery resembled So Cal in a lot of ways.

How people stared at me like I was a freakn unicorn or something.

That was about it really..

cool idea for a thread

[Sandrila 1]

a few things threw me for a loop

the driving not so much my mother taught me that everyone has a set of brakes and a horn for a reason **although not quite use to the light flashing yet**

How clean everyone and everything is .. except the sponge used to clean the dishes

The butt towel in the bath room... learned to pack napkins or TP I dont mind the beday (sp ?) but I feel the need to wipe

the thing that got me the most... how much I miss it when I go home... my MIL cooking, having tea 5-6 times a day, hearing Arabic constantly, how I forget how to say what or why in English when I come home .. my 5 and 2 year old both answer when I say Sho ? lol

I have never seen nor had any idea about a b.. butt towel

i am laughing right now over this

I have never used a bidday (spelling )

Edited June 10, 2009 by Sandrila

[Sandrila 1]

Biggest surprises for him when he arrived in the US :

1.) Definitely the cost of living (as many others have said ) One year later and he still can't wrap his mind around that one

2.) The calm organized manner that most people drive in (again as others have said)

3.) The efficiency of government (and other) offices (doctors, etc ) He is blown away that it doesn't take a week or more to obtain one document or check the status of something and that we aren't turned away 10 times being told incha allah tomorrow (which means no way it's gonna happen any time soon in Tunis)

4.) That family can live less than 10 or 20 minutes away and seeing them once a week is considered a "close " family. He's always asking every night am I sure we shouldn't go to my parents tonight and check on them? (My mom and step dad are 41 and 46 lol )

5.) How *fast* the internet is and that it doesn't have weekly/monthly outages. He's still in shock over that one hehe

6.) How clean the streets are and how you rarely if ever see anyone throwing trash down on the ground.

7.) How much money and time we spend on our pets (He's actually commented before pets in the US have better lives than 75% of Tunisians lol )

For me the biggest surprises I encountered in my years of trips to Tunisia :

1.) How much free/leisure time people seem to have (or make ) for themselves

2.) How people can spend days and weeks on end waiting for one small task to be accomplished by a government or professional office without losing their minds.

3.) Boys/men holding hands, hugging, kissing, etc

4.) How people that didn't know you from Adam made sure to stop and ask how are you, how's your family? "Labes? Labeeesss? "

5.) Women on the street being asked to remove their head scarfs/hijabs/coverings

I would add these to our list as well Ash.

Annie my husband too was floored and almost wanted to resist his first haircut here because it cost so much money.

You said $25.00, thank GOD we found a barber for 18.00 (tip included!) The fact that I as a woman could enter the shop was also shocking. The barber shop is a man's place and far be it for a woman to enter

Also I was surprised it even got cold in Morocco.

And damn cold! Their seasons are comparable to ours and man with no heaters in the houses, 10 mins away from the ocean and the tiled interior....you are talking cold baby!

Edited June 10, 2009 by Sandrila