What culture shock actually surprised you?

Mateo Elijah

I have two answers:

1.

France.

I got there and everyone was skinny. Except, they weren’t technically skinny. They were just normal-sized human beings. They weren’t obese as they are in the US.

I quickly learned why in Paris. Everyone walked everywhere—and not just that, they walked extremely fast. I was stunned. I couldn’t keep up. Everyone also wore clothes that fit them. Portions were also much smaller.

It’s just different.

2.

I lived in Subic Bay, Philippines. I went to a birthday party for a Filipino friend and saw a pig on a table. This is the cultural tradition:

It is an extremely popular event in their country and the food is called Lechon. The country is still developing so if they slaughter a pig, it means something important is happening.

I was only six years old at the time. I had trouble eating pork for a while after that.

The irony is that Filipino food is amaaaaazing. One of the most underappreciated foods in the world.

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