Culture shock

[Peil 1]

I love reading about peoples first experiences in america, but lately there have been almost none. Seem like only people wanting to know about taxes and drivers licenses. Could some of you tell of your experiences and anything that shocked you when you first came here and give us something more interesting to read?

[Cali Gal CPA 0]

I wouldn't say I suffered a total culture shock, I pretty much have an idea of how things are in the US. There were temporary bouts of homesickness, but with a lot of distractions, I find myself quickly adapting to my new environment. My biggest concern was settling in - work, go back to school or both? I did the former for over a year and decided I should go back to school.

A few things that I raved about the first few weeks I was in the US was the efficiency of the postal system, online banking/shopping, mapquest, wide streets, houses with NO steel gates, well at least in NC - my PIL's house in LA has a tall gate. I'm sure there's a lot more but those are the few things that stood out.

[aidan80 9]

It's the land of rush, rush, rush alright. I been here about 1 year and 4 months. Back home I started work at about 9am or so.. finished at 5, had a lunch hour in there as well. I had quite a lot of flexible time back home.. I worked freelance in between had a decent amount of contacts and jobs out there. The big difference here is I get up at 6am every morning, I start work at 8am finish at 5pm come home, make and eat dinner and say hello to the next day of doing the same. Contacts? other jobs? forget it no one trusts anyone here! Been here this long and only time I talked to my neighbours was to tell em to take their stupid truck off the sand box that is our lawn. I feel like an ant in a maze trapped doing the same thing, over and over again.

When I first got here we hit a deer, got screwed by the garage for a water pump. Then we ran out of cash so that delayed my AOS for a number of months. When we did apply for AOS USPS was nice enough to return my EAD. By the time USPS delivered by EAD again I almost had my GC in hand! Efficiency and Postal System do not apply to USPS here where I live. USPS here are idiots, I can't count how many packages they have left out on the STREET for us when they could open the portch? or that time they didn't try to deliver (we where in the house) they left a note in the mailbox saying.. we tried to deliver.. right and I'm the pope ...

When it came time to apply for jobs, I got ignored wholesale by just about everyone! I did however get lucky and found a very boring office job doing well.. somthing I could have stayed home and did if I was forest gump.

Don't get me wrong there are a lot of good things about the US, there are a lot of nice things. For us it's time to go home, this place just isn't it. Too isolated, hostile almost at times.

[mRx 16]

When my wife got here she was shocked at how big people are.

[fozzie 41]

me too and i'm not a tiny thai person.

When my wife got here she was shocked at how big people are.

[tom&tata 2]

When my wife got here she was shocked at how big people are.

It was not size of people that amazes her, it's the size of food piled on the plate on buffet.

[Detty2809 0]

oh no....i'm barely 5 feet tall.....noooooooooooooo.........

[Jasman0717 9]

I was worried about Claudeth's adjustment but she took to it like a duck to water. She says the only thing she really misses is going to the mall in Cagayan and having Filipino food. She is a bit scared to drive so we haven't really pursued that and I am kind of glad, she still remembers how the jeepneys go in traffic and that just wouldn't work here

[notrepetiteashley 0]

I like what you said about doing the same thing day after day. It gets kind-of depressing, doesn't it? I'm dealing with that, too. But...I'm American and I've always been. I just don't like it. Maybe I should move to Ireland. Hehe.

[Mrs.J06 4]

I have to agree with Aidan on the "rush rush rush" thing! No time to do anything in peace and quiet! Even eating! A lot of it has to do with the long distances we have to overcome here. 40 minutes commute in the morning and in the evening, because hubby wants to live in the country. 20 minutes to get to the next (!) grocery store. 20 minutes to the recycling place, 25 minutes to the movie theatre etc.

In Germany, I was able to reach all these places within 15-20 minutes on the bicycle!

Then we go on holiday, and since one only has 15 days we tend to pack too much sightseeing into these days, and end up rushing from place to place there, too!

I only wonder, if all I do is run all day, why am I gaining weight?

[Alex+R 0]

I like what you said about doing the same thing day after day. It gets kind-of depressing, doesn't it? I'm dealing with that, too. But...I'm American and I've always been. I just don't like it. Maybe I should move to Ireland. Hehe.

I was thinking that too! I was like, wait, are you telling me that there are other places in the world where you don't get up, go do the same boring job, and then go home make dinner clean the house and go to bed?? Seriously if that is what working life is like in Ireland, I'm so in. Aidan where do we sign up for Irish immigration?

[mawilson 2,133]

I was thinking that too! I was like, wait, are you telling me that there are other places in the world where you don't get up, go do the same boring job, and then go home make dinner clean the house and go to bed?? Seriously if that is what working life is like in Ireland, I'm so in. Aidan where do we sign up for Irish immigration?

It's exactly like that in Ireland, only it's even more boring and with less money.

The only entertainment over there is the pub.

[Alex+R 0]

I was thinking that too! I was like, wait, are you telling me that there are other places in the world where you don't get up, go do the same boring job, and then go home make dinner clean the house and go to bed?? Seriously if that is what working life is like in Ireland, I'm so in. Aidan where do we sign up for Irish immigration?

It's exactly like that in Ireland, only it's even more boring and with less money.

The only entertainment over there is the pub.

I know, Rey and I were talking about living there. I spent 3 months there and loved it, but it's all because all the Irish people are met were so much fun. I told him that he'd find a lot of friends right away and then probably have just about nothing to do every night with them except drink.

No offense meant to Ireland or Irish people in general. I was just struck by the fact that Minneapolis has infinitely more entertainment and cultural events every day compared to Dublin, and Minneapolis is not an international capital. We have bars too, but we have a lot more live music, more readings, more academic panels, and so on, and I was pretty shocked that an upper midwestern city of 2 million could beat out Dublin in that regard.

[Jasman0717 9]

oh no....i'm barely 5 feet tall.....noooooooooooooo.........

Claudeth is only 4'8" but believes she is dynamite in a small package

[mawilson 2,133]

I know, Rey and I were talking about living there. I spent 3 months there and loved it, but it's all because all the Irish people are met were so much fun. I told him that he'd find a lot of friends right away and then probably have just about nothing to do every night with them except drink.

No offense meant to Ireland or Irish people in general. I was just struck by the fact that Minneapolis has infinitely more entertainment and cultural events every day compared to Dublin, and Minneapolis is not an international capital. We have bars too, but we have a lot more live music, more readings, more academic panels, and so on, and I was pretty shocked that an upper midwestern city of 2 million could beat out Dublin in that regard.

I agree with you 100%.