Monday, January 13, 2025

What is the biggest culture shock you have ever faced?

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Let me go back to years ago when I first arrived in North America. Depending on whether you are in the States or Canada, you may not relate to some of them.

  1. People are super polite. When I worked in Plano, Taxus, all the men would wait for the ladies to enter or exit the elevator, every single time. In Canada, it’s quite common to see people apologizing to each other simultaneously for the most minor inconveniences. It’s nice for everyone to be considerate.
  2. The portion of food is HUGE. I was so excited to go to the Cheesecake Factory as I LOVE cheesecake. After trying my very best but only managed to finish half of my entrée, I was so stuffed that there was absolutely no room left for even a bite.
  3. Servers in restaurants check on guests. I am still not used to this. They would popup when least expected, interrupting your conversation mid-sentence with a big smile asking “How is everything?”. In Asia, the servers only come to you when you ask for them. In some Korean restaurants, there is a button on each table in case you need anything. Also, any server in the restaurant would be happy to help you, not just the one assigned to your table. I think this has something to do with the tipping system. As a customer, I much prefer the as-needed type of service.
  4. Stores close early. It was my first day on a project in Calgary, Canada. I stayed a little late, around 6pm. While I was walking back to my hotel, I noticed that everything was closed. There was not a single soul around me. I seriously thought that something really bad happened and the whole downtown core was evacuated, and somehow I didn’t get the notice.

 

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