Reverse Culture Shock

The Frau descended on the United States for a few weeks this Christmas. In this special edition post that proves Reverse Culture Shock is alive and well, here are some of her observations.

Things about the United States that offended her Swissified sensibilities:

People leave their cars running forever and ever.

One U.S. strip mall. So many possibilities...

People have trashcans that are bigger than some Swiss apartments.

Stores leave their doors wide open in winter (The Frau personally shut them).

Waitresses and waiters visit the table way too frequently.

Prices are annoying. Like paying an amount like $7.72. How uneven and sloppy.

Most towns have little charm or character.

Chain stores have taken over everywhere.

You can’t walk to anything.

People wear pajamas in public.

The strip malls never end.

Football is always front-page news. Despite all the other issues that should be.

There is an obsession with material things.

The concept of layaway.

Things about the United States that she loved:

Americans say „sorry“ all the time, even when they have nothing to be sorry about, like when they get within one foot of the Frau at a store. (In contrast, today a Swiss man ran his grocery cart into her at Migros and wasn’t sorry at all. And on Monday, a man on a Swiss train kicked her by mistake on the train and also said nothing). Sigh. There appears to be no middle ground.

No cigarette smoke in her face.

Lots of personal space.

Movies with no subtitles in the way.

People that smile a lot.

Free water.

Free tea refills.

Shopping on Sunday.

Eavesdropping.

Root beer.

Deep dish pizza.

$20 hair cut.

Family close by.

Not feeling like a foreigner.

Charging a purchase as little as $3.52 on a credit card.

What does your version of reverse culture shock involve?