What Do You Do?
For people that don’t live in the US, getting to know the person beyond what they do for work is significantly more interesting to them. Possibly, this is because careers and jobs tend to be a large part of a person’s identity in America. But then again...it's a great conversation starter when you don't know what else to say!
American Accents
We’ve all heard of the British accent, the Australian accent, the Scottish accent and so on. Most people outside of the US refer to the accent that Americans have as the “American accent.” Surprisingly, many US nationals believe they have no accent. Perhaps this is because those are the Americans that don't travel much outside their own country?
Aggressive Ads Against Political Opponents
Freedom of speech is one of the most prominent rights in America. After all, it is The First Amendment in the United States Constitution. It is interesting that in some countries, attacking a political opponent through ads is considered illegal.
Traffic And School Buses
We can all agree that children’s safety should always be a priority. This means that a vehicle that is carrying children should be given the right of way when it comes to traffic, right? While this is very common in America, non-Americans have a different opinion. But shouldn't we always ensure that children are safe?
MM/DD/YYYY
Almost every American is used to writing the date in the following order: month, day, year. It seems like such a given that anything else would be out of the ordinary… However, in most countries, that isn’t the order in which dates are written... The logic of writing it with the month first is definitely a bit strange.
Vote, Then Drink
One would think that voting requires a similar degree of maturity to drinking. After all, voting is about making a rather important decision. Most countries believe that their citizens can legally vote and drink at 18. Obviously not at the same time!
Maternity Leave
In Europe, maternity leave is usually 120 paid days. Not only is 6 weeks a rather short time to be spending with your newborn, but the fact that it is unpaid just adds even more pressure to the mother to get back to work!
Cost Of Childbirth
While it may seem normal to Americans, non-Americans are often shocked at the cost of birthing in the US. To give you an idea, for people with insurance, the out-of-pocket cost of natural birth is usually around $4,000 - $5,000.
The Entree
In France the word “entrée” means entrance. Thus, when used in a menu it refers to the small dish that comes before the main course. Many countries adopted the meaning of “entrée” and therefore, this word refers to what Americans would usually call an appetizer.
All The Ice
When you order a glass of tap water or a soft drink in the States, you’re most likely getting a huge glass filled to the brim with ice. While this is normal for Americans, all the ice and the huge glass tend to confuse non-Americans.
The Heritage
We're all aware that the States is a country of immigrants, but it does raise questions when people that have been living there for generations still like to identify themselves based on their heritage. It seems that they want to make sure they have European roots?
Political Parties
Isn't this the case for many countries? Where there are two or maybe three strong political parties and a whole lot of parties that barely get any votes? It is a bit strange that in America it is always the same two parties...
Loyalty To The Nation
Respecting your country and honoring it is normal in every country... However making children pledge their allegiance sounds a lot more serious than teaching kids that they should respect their nation!
Huge Drinks
A very common stereotype about America is that everything there is extra large. But how can you complain when you get an ice-filled cold glass of coke on a hot summer day?
Cash Bail
This is something that has always been strange about the American bailing out system... This just seems to emphasize the fact that rich people have it easier in life, even when it comes to the justice system!
Ambulance Rides
Everybody knows that getting sick in America is not the best scenario for your wallet... But the cost of ambulances has all the non-Americans praying they never need an ambulance in the States. Ambulance rides cost an average of $1200!
Cost Of Healthcare
In most countries, when you get sick you're terrified for your health. However, the reality for many Americans is that what terrifies them even more is the potential cost that seeking medical help will incur.
Toilet Stalls
To be fair, it might be that the space where you can crawl is meant for emergencies? Perhaps the lock malfunctions and the person has no other choice but to crawl out of the stall.
Sugar Everywhere
Sugar is delicious. It adds flavor to practically everything! But we have to agree that American bread could probably do with less sugar...
Added Tax
This one definitely startles everybody the first time they make a purchase in the States. Unlike most countries, the price displayed on items is the "pre-tax" price. So expect to pay a bit more when you get to the counter.
Prescription Drug Ads
If prescription drugs mean that a doctor has to prescribe it to you... Then why exactly is it advertised to everybody? This seems like a red flag in the pharmaceutical industry!
Side Effects
Wait... Isn't it normal to have side effects wherever the medication is present? Even when it comes to medication advertisements? Perhaps this is something that is done differently in Great Britain!
Censorship
For those of you that don't know what gratuitous violence means, it refers to realistic visual depictions of violence, whether it involves harm or cruelty. It's always been a wonder why the human body is such a topic of conversation in the States.
Student Debt
This is something that will never make sense to most non-Americans... Surprisingly, an education in Europe in some prestigious universities can cost nearly the same unless you are an EU citizen!
Casual Talk
We've all been there; sometimes you just have to make some sort of casual small talk with strangers. But in America it seems that these "casual conversations" can go rather deep!
The American Flag
Flags are important to every nation, we can probably all agree about that. But in the States, having the flag displayed absolutely everywhere seems to be a little bit bizarre to foreigners...
Police Patrol
Police usually make people feel safer. But when you have police in schools... doesn't that make you feel a bit scared to go to class? We're sure that having police patrol the school will help deter any potential shootings, but for so many non-Americans, going to class and seeing police officers in the school premises is unimaginable!
Microwaving Water
We know that in the States they value efficiency and productivity... But not waiting for the water to boil in the kettle?! Most non-Americans would be shocked to drink microwaved tea.
"Asking everyone 'What do you do?' when you first meet them. I live outside the US and realized there are some people I’ve known for years, and I still don’t know their job. I think in the US, jobs are a bigger part of a person’s identity than in some other places."