Reverse Culture Shock?! | back in the USA for the holidays
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.ย. 2024
- A few little things that threw me for a big surprise...!
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Hi, I'm Andrea! I'm an American expat currently living in Paris, France. I make videos about living abroad, traveling, writing and creativity, and all the wonderfully nerdy things I love. Also...I'm a bit of an unashamed coffee addict ☕️
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Vents are also mandatory in Europe in every building, it's just very discreet. There have to be vents in kitchens, toilets and bathrooms with a proper ventilation system and windows must have grids to allow air to come in in order to renew air in the building. Technically, opening windows to ventilate is not necessary but many people will do, especially in bedrooms and kitchens.
I lived in Paris for two years and we just moved back to Southern California last month. The one thing we are having trouble getting used to is NOT having to bag our own groceries at the store! LOL My kids (teenagers) just start bagging the groceries automatically, and the employees look at them like they’re nuts. 🤪
Her: "personally, I like small talk."
Me: °_°
The food observations were interesting - displaying calorie count (which I do appreciate) doesn't seem to bring these shocking levels of obesity down. It may just not be as necessary in France, starting out with a much healthier attitude to food in general. Including options - yep, I've heard of "oh you're vegetarian, so I'll get you just some chicken then", but when it comes to fresh and less processed food, Europe mostly beats the States hands down. And yes, we have eaten exceptionally well in the US.
I was thinking the same thing.
Okay.... This is the second time today I heard something I never heard before. What makes people think chicken is vegetarian?
@STENNELER Jérémy
I almost tried to explain how pizza could be vegetarian until I noticed you wrote "Vegetable".
I don't think I want to google what you said. If it's true, I don't want to know.
@STENNELER Jérémy I hadn't heard of doing it with pizza, "just" with mustard and ketchup. Which is bad enough. But I have no problen believing it...
@STENNELER Jérémy Agree, as probably do most. It's once people have to settle on which America is the respectable one that the problems start :-)
Same as everyone in the comment when I came back from living in Scotland I struggled to find my words and would ofter frenchize English words and not understand when everyone would look at me funny. It still happens sometimes and I've been back 10 years !
"this past year..." *immediately checks the date this was posted*
I am also not a fan of the term (reverse) culture shock, but as you noted the disorientation is very real and can sneak up on you in unexpected ways. As an undergraduate, I spent a year in Ecuador (language and culture coursework plus an internship); for me, the reverse culture shock of returning to the Midwest was far greater and more challenging than anything I experienced going to Ecuador. 😳🇪🇨🇺🇸
"Re-entry shock" is sometimes also used. Much better.
I totally agree with you for the vegetarian thing. It is the same for me: always so complicated to find in France a place where you can find food without meat and where they offer you more than salad and tomatoes. It is really frustrating.
I mostly find my "happiness" in the area near gare du nord where you find many vegetarian Indian restaurants.
I live in Brazil and I think France has more similarities with Brasil than the US, lol! I’ve been to the US a few times, and the fact that you have to use the car all the time - mostly in small towns -, was a thing that stuck with me. The fact that they don’t open the windows all the time too. I remember that I thought that was so weird! But other positives things: the fact that everyone holds the door when you are entering some place. That was cool. The fact that people are always saying “morning, how are u you”, etc, that isn’t that common here.
I lived in France for 2 years back in the 70’s. I remember that cultural shock coming home was intense back then. I visited Paris for a intense week 3 years ago staying in an AIRBNB with a French couple who rented a room. My shock 42 years later was to discover how similar things are between our cultures. The 5 things you mentioned are still different; but in 1975 the list was very long.
I’ve reconnected with my friends in France from that era, relearned the language, and long for more time there. That was 6 years ago I began that more intense reconnection. Their young adult kids have visited with our family here a few times and enjoy the family like ties that has bound me with their parents across the decades. I’m their honorary American dad and I love them as family. I love the feeling of having “almost family” there; People I can text to in France In French and receive texts back in French. I love having French spell checking.
Your videos are refreshing, informative, and fulfilling to a heart that longs for more time there.... The fact that you’re adorable, friendly, and comforting to watch and listen to adds to why I enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work.
I want to know the 1970 list of differences between France and the US haha
Your new hair looks so good 😄
I moved abroad from south africa to the netherlandsat the age of 23 and have been here a decade now. Not been back once. No real desire to go back besides occasional nostalgia. This is my home now.
Had lived in Italy for a few years and had my first apartment there. Was a shock when returning to the country in the U.S. that the restaurants closed by 10pm the latest. The time I had gotten accustomed to going out. There is also the carpet in so many apartments.
Did (and still do) miss the ease of traveling without a car. Took a few years to stop driving like I had in Naples, IT. Which is where I learned to drive too. Lol, the car here are also wider, and finding a stick shift takes some searching.
You learned to drive in Naples ... You are courageous
@@marcoborghi9327 thanks. It is amazing how it didn't seem that much of an ordeal when it was my only experience in driving. Lol, I still get a lead foot when I'm tired, and fast tempo music is on.
Europeans don’t do small talk .. we only enage in sophisticated conversations about complex or controversial topics and see no value in inane verbage just for the sake of it.
Yeah, we're great that way. I've certainly never informed my neighbours of the state of the weather, complimented someone's choice of outfit, or other demotic topics. It's all seasoned and disenchanted intellect, all the time.
@@nordiskkatt I mean, who has timev for chit chat anyway. .. we’re all too busy reading existentialist novels and being cultured and sophisticated.
Bitch! What are you talking about? XDDD
The air forced into a vent by a ventilation system will never be the same thing as fresh, open air coming in through a fully opened window. BTW Vents are mandatory in Europe in rooms where you have a stove top and/or an oven or a boiler, and in bathrooms without windows (renovated old homes often have one, because the bathroom was “carved out” of an existing room).
I don’t know about France, but here in Italy too 90 percent of restaurants, including the most traditional trattorias, have at least one veggie option, even in steak restaurants.
Going back and forth between Nicaragua and the US, I have experienced this as well. It got described to me as something like this: when you're first in a place (like a foreign country) where everything is SO different, the language, culture, even going to the bathroom, your brain is turned up to 100%, you constantly have to pay attention to everything you're doing. When you go back to your home country, you revert back to a more robotic version of yourself because you don't have to think so much about what's happening around you, so that starts to feel strange and foreign to you. That's how it was for me, but sounds like you had to think harder being back in the US 😁
About public transport/infrastructure and common car-culture in the US, I can highly recommend the "Not Just Bikes" youtube channel!
You need to open the windows despite having vents. Vents are there in European homes too but they are not enough to make sure your rooms are well aired and healthy.
The thing about vege options in Paris surprised me. Living in Poland, a kinda smaller sibling to the western Europe, we've got this trend now for around 2-3 years that in every bigger city there is many vege friendly or completely vege restaurants opening. And the rest of the places are easily having one or two options without meat, because even in our polish cousine we have such dishes, mainly because of the religious reasons. But I'm living in fairly small city and my best friend who is vegetarian is finding something new to eat everyday. I've heard stories about the capital though, and they say it's heaven for people with different diets. So it's completely weird to hear that it's hard in Paris.
In warsaw that also pleasantly surprised me. In a random kebap shop there were vegetarian options. Even in a cafe in students' dorms there were vegetarian pyrogi
Lovely to see a new video, and I really like this style. I live in Paris as well, going back to Germany feels weirder every time
Interesting, I found my first return from Paris to Germany the weirdest. Like, Würzburg felt so small. Three years in it's quite normal.
I lived in Charlotte and had a car, then moved to a flat town in California called Manteca, then to San Francisco, then back to Charlotte. Somewhere in California I totaled the car. I got around in the Bay Area by BART, bus, and bike. Charlotte has buses and light rail, so no problem. But when I moved to the boonies of North Carolina, I had to get a pickup truck (a car wouldn't be big enough to hold the prism pole I use when surveying).
Once I was in a restaurant in Prague that had numbers indicating which of several categories of ingredients are in each dish. But one critical bit of information was missing: whether the fish has scales. For people who observe Biblical food laws, that's important.
I can confirm for you that fish do indeed have scales.
I don't understand why people like small talk. It's kind apointless in my eyes just say what you wanna say or dont. Simple
Regarding the vents and airing out the homes, there’s also more crazy people in the US who legit might climb into your window and try to rob you blind while you’re in the house 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
I lived abroad for around 10 years (from Iceland to Germany - and back again) .. but no, i never experienced a culture shock. German life is quite similar to Icelandic life by and large. Different foods maybe, but that changes from city to city, too.
As for your description .. really? US have calories printed? Why? (i mean .. it has not had any effect in the past decades .. if anti-obesity is the point of it)
Such a fun video girl! Hahaha yes so many things to have reverse culture shock about and it’s interesting hearing what you like back home. So cool they have a lot of options for vegetarians/vegans/special diet there in the US. I have to say I am in the boat of not liking small talk so I don’t mind that it’s non existant here 😅😅❤️
Lol about the public transport is exactly the same in France , except for big cities their is no public transport.
And it was so good to see you when you were here!
Adam Huber yes adammm Vat19 big fan
I haven't been back to the USA in almost 4 years. I am super worried about reverse culture shock when I can finally travel again, post-COVID.
Why use electric to air u home?? What a waste of the ozone
But, if you dont have a PIN on a CC, if you lose your CC or a thief steal your pocket you can ever loose the money on your account?
About the vegetarian thing, I'm a vegetarian too and in most countries outside US, they get offended if you ask for customized version of the dishes (at least they do over here in Asia). Is that the same over there too?
No.
Restaurants in most countries assume the Chef is always right. If the chef is happy to modify a dish, they are often very helpful, but you can't assume that to be the case and some will be offended that you don't want the food as they have designed it.
The bangs suit you so well with your big gorgeous eyes !! Et j’adore le roux avec ton teint :)))
It is refreshing to see an American who isn't wearing a baseball cap
Small talk is a waste of time, and if forced, it can be very weird and leave bad aftertaste. Rarely people relly care and really want to know what you think, especially in services, they talk and are friendly because they either expect you to give tip or becaue employer demands it from employees.
Wonderful to hear someone say PIN and not PIN number, correct.
Did you end up speaking a lot of Franglish? I've been in a French speaking country learning French for 9 months now and next month I'm returning to the U.S. My English has gotten so bad... French structure and pronunciation has completely taken it over... I know it's going to be so awful when I return...
It's the same for me when I speak German (my mother tongue)... Use French syntax for it now haha
Don't worry, the reverse happens as well 😁. Sometimes I just can't find my words in my mother tongue, English keeps popping up instead 🤣.
every dish on the menu sholud have mentioned the alergens according to EU regulations - its usually not mention by words - but by digits like (1, 3, 7) according to EU food alergens chart:
www.fsai.ie/legislation/food_legislation/food_information/14_allergens.html
Two things I don’t like when I travel to the US are the lack of bidets and the excessive amount of sugar in everything.
Calorie count on menu, thats great. it should be copied here in Europe. even its not exact but indicative.
I know this is not about the content, but it seems that the focus changes a litle bit every now ant then and in midle of the video, my eyes just hurt.
Edit:
It changes constantly, you can see it on the "Baker street" sign.
I've never had a house with vents like you are talking about and have lived in about a dozen houses in the US. I wonder if it is a regional thing, or if it is because I have always lived in old houses or ones my family built.
What's the purpose of the calories count in US? Do the Americans want to know how many calories they are eating, in order to being able to become fat the way they want?
Yea
Interesting. I've been here on the Mediterannean since 2007 and went back once in 2009. It sounds like there have been some changes.
Bristol University? Baker Street?
It is so difficult to understand why the richest country in the world has such poor public transport systems.
Mexico is North America
ngl, even mt house which was built recently and has a vent system, I just like airing it out anyways cause the vents aren't enough imo. I need some of that fresh air in here
3:00 Amen!
Informative. I can relate to this as an ex-pat.
As a side note, the food order stuff is most likely related to the a general american dream of suing some company for close-to-bogus reason, get millions from lawsuit and live happily thereafter.
If restaurant wouldn't be that accommodating and informative, the chances are they would be sued out of oblivion by some customers. It is a bit surprising positive side of a very negative habit.
Exactly, you'll eat shit, but it will be all well documented in the menu. Shit that is vegan, shit that is gluten free... Here in Europe (I'm Italian) we consider restaurant as a pleasure, not a way to introduce the necessary calories to survive (we can do this every day by ourself by cooking in our houses), so we go to to the restaurant to eat delicious and traditional receipes, prepared by professionals. We all know the ingredients of a receipe, and the good restaurants don't use processed ingredients or additives... what's the point in indicating "gluten free"? You know already if the receipes contains flour or pasta... by the way, the EU had made it MANDATORY to put known allergenics in the menu (such as gluten, lactose and nuts). So now it's mandatory to highlight in bold font the allergenics. For the vegan/vegetarian food... as an Italian, I have to say: it's your fault if you decide that "I can't eat something" for no particular real reason... so you can't expect that all the rest of the people, the normal people, adapt and support your strange decision.
Hi Andrea!! So good to see you after what seems like an eternity! Can you give us a status update on your novel? I can’t wait to buy my first Andrea Heckler book on Amazon! Fred in NYC
Her name is Andrea!
Oops! My bad. Sorry, Andrea.
Yes, it is not easy to be vegetarian in Paris!!! Some people are even prejudicial, it's bizarre.
I expereinced that too.
Why don´t you simply walk to the grocery store and buy a little bit every day? I do so as well, nothing special. An air circulation system is totally not nessesary and bad for the environment.
The French are known for being pretty cold so maybe that's why you haven't experienced much small talk with them, honestly they're not really liked by most other Europeans... (can't speak for everyone of course but that's just what I've observed)
You little sh-. No I’m kidding, I’m French and I don’t like other French people that much. Especially the one from around Paris.
ohh t'es trop belle
Just wait ...
Pls wear your glasses!
Would it be well perceived in the US to mention your political opinion in a waiting lane ?
No
No politics or religion for small talk.
Weather, sports, humor.
Unless the person with whom you're speaking has somehow indicated that (s)he has similar views, I'd never talk politics among strangers. Politics is more likely to cause a public dispute than ever before. This has been especially true since Trump was inaugurated. The topic is too divisive now.
2 years away from your country is not enough to generate the ''reverse-schock'' feeling. Wait 10 years time, and try again...
What a waste of taste, staying in France 3 years and being a vegetarian.
Calories count, and so many fat people in USA , vegetarian option and vegetarian restaurant is plenty i Europe, where did you go ???
You better stay in USA.
USA culture...???
The USA does have a distinct culture and if literally makes no sense for anyone to say otherwise.