People misunderstand culture shock. They talk about it happening when they go to a new place, but that’s not when you really get culture shock. When you go to a new place you expect things to be different so differences don’t shock you that much.

You get culture shock when you return after having been away and having adoped foreign standards without realizing it. Then what used to be normal seems unexpectedly strange and you are shocked.

I’m just back from overseas and the same culture shock hit me as always does, no matter how many times it already has because it’s such a huge effect:

Americans are fat.

 

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