who the hell wears socks in bed?
unless perhaps its very cold

I eat insects and I've used squat toilets since I was 6.
What my biggest cultural shock in the UK was how physical people are. It means a lot more in Thailand when you're hugging someone in the UK it is just a normal greeting.

________________
Do not feed the trolls

Well, I think not all Filipinos are like that. My entire family does maintain a certain distance with everyone (including other family members)~

D:

I have a pair of bed socks! They're actually designed for wearing in bed
Only during the winter season are they used though.

I wear them over my normal socks at the moment too, because it's so so cold.



That it is.
I give around 5-10 hugs a day

I haven't travelled much, but Spain was suprisingly shocking. Especially in the more remote country village regions. The arid drylands were incredible as well. That and the dire conditions of the roads.

I don't think I've ever been truly culture shocked.

Maybe a bit of reverse culture shock. Upon returning to the States from Japan, I was amazed by how vast the land was and how wide the roads were.

Well there was also the individually wrapped slices of bread I had in Italy. But I don't think that's cultural. I think the store I went to was just weird. Anyway I shouldn't be complaining as someone who comes from a land that individually wraps slices of cheese.



________________
[Url=http://goo.gl/WMSVJ] k'><u>Looking for... shoujo with a canned peach confession.</u></a><!--url_type_2_end--><BR><!--url_type_2--><a href='<!--Auto_parse_begin--><a target='_blank' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm''><u>http://www.antimoon.com/how/pronunc-soundsipa.htm'</u></a><!--Auto_parse_end--> target='_blank'><u>Don't English Me I'm Panic</u></a><!--url_type_2_end--><BR><!--url_type_4.5--><a href='<!--Auto_parse_begin--><a target='_blank' rel='nofollow' href='http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=3839'><u>Guess'><u>http://www.mangaupdates.com/showtopic.php?tid=3839'><u>Guess</u></a><!--Auto_parse_end--> the Manga/Anime Name</u></a><!--url_type_4_end--><BR>'Shojo manga has no boundaries, and never did!’ -Shimizu Reiko, Himitsu - Top Secret fanbook interview

I know that feeling! Lived in Korea for a year and a half and never did get the hang of them (of course, I spent most of my time "on base" where we had standard American toilets).

Not really a culture shock, but when I lived in Korea, my entire family enjoyed when we noticed people in the car next to us waving with huge smiles or trying out their english on us at a Pizza Hut.
My mom once said that we're not that nice to foreiners in America and my brother had to point out that we can't tell them apart from Americans.

________________
I am a breath of insanity in a world of chaos.

Me: Performing Random Acts of Klutziness for over 30 years.

Not exactly a shock, since I've done it before, but in Asia, it's very common to share beds. I had done it before and wasn't against it but in Asia, you might frequently have to do it. I was a little surprised. I sleep alone but I'm not like some Americans that are completely disgusted at the idea of sharing a bed. I'm fine with it because I've embraced my Asianess

________________
Lalala~

Yes...like the rest of the world except U.S.....

Europeans love speedos too. I think it's because America is a bit too homophobic so speedoes are not popular. Think about it, if you go swimming, speedoes is the right thing to wear. Trunks will just slow you down and drag crap into your pants.

I had my first cultural shock when I saw the news that some western part of the US, it is a common practice for mothers to get male strippers for their daughter's sweet 16. Holy crap, I thought, holy crap. Not even those incest loving racist creepy hick can match this one.

________________
Gay book discussion thread

i never get any cultural shock... and i travel many time since i was still small... maybe it because i travel many time since i was still small

always face it...especially during changing the workplace....the workplace culture always changing such as the work time, boss (so much annoy behave), differ friends, hurm culture also...

The most "foreign" place I went to was SE-Asia.
Compared to the european straightforwardness (regardless of others feelings) and love for heated discussions, I truly felt more at home in this polite environment (though not as a tourist but among locals).
Sure, people of the same gender touch a lot, but it doesn't really mean anything and is always done carefully.
The real cultural shock was coming back to Europe! All of these loud (sober!) people expecting some kind of soul-striptease from their friends and men actually touching/hugging women they were in no relationship with...
Took me a while to get used to again.
But most things are a question of opening up and allowing foreign values to enter into your sphere of acceptance, anyway.

Oddly enough, the first instance of cultural shock I've had was in the US and I've lived here all my life.

It was in sixth grade on a week long field trip - for the first time in my life I had to use a fork and knife. I had used forks before (rarely) and knives as well but never both at once and it was incredibly awkward for me, having used chopsticks my entire life.

I think the only other time I experienced cultural shock was when I went to Korea in 9th grade. Luckily I never had to deal with squat toilets because all my relatives have western style ones but one of my relatives had those electric bidets and that was kind of a surprise. The bigger instance of cultural shock though, was waiting at a streetlight on a busy intersection and realizing I was taller than most of the adults there.

When I went to Germany and Italy, I was a little shocked at the nudity I saw on magazines sold everywhere. There were women naked from the torso down, and I was like, "0_0..." I just wasn't used to seeing that. ^^

I was also shocked at the straightforward affection people show each other. I visited family I had never met before then, and they all gave me a kiss on each cheek and acted like I was their daughter just back from summer camp. Except for one of them, none of the relatives I stayed with spoke English, yet they still talked to me a lot and hugged me every day. It was different, but in a good way. I liked how friendly they were. =]

________________

I've been to Italy several times, the native culture and my country's culture is quite deferent, it took me some time to get used to it