Recently, over break… I went to Paris and Vienna, respectively, and although the culture shock was not so bad, seeing as they are both developed countries that share many similarities with the US, there are huge differences even the greenest traveler is bound to notice. —Ariela Simon
Recently, over winter break, I traveled to another country for pretty much the first time. (I have been to Mexico and Canada, but that was a veryyyy long time ago and for very short periods of time). I went to Paris and Vienna, respectively, and although the culture shock was not so bad, seeing as they are both developed countries that share many similarities with the US, there are huge differences even the greenest traveler is bound to notice. Here are a few things that I noticed in France and Austria.
1. It is so crazy not being able to understand what the people surrounding you are saying.
I went abroad knowing very very little French or German, only enough to kind of order in restaurants and say please and thank you and where is the bathroom. Although I did get by just fine, it was kind of disconcerting to not be able to understand what anyone around me was saying. I was so used to hearing other people’s conversations, and sometimes listen in a little bit, but that was impossible
2. Europeans eat so much bread
At pretty much every restaurant, I was served a huge basket of bread. Why so much bread, Europe?? Why?
3. Using the subway is so scary, but so worth it.
The metros in Vienna and Paris are both pretty intimidating, but the parisian metro goes literally everywhere, and Vienna is cold in winter so using the metro is way quicker than walking (and warmer).
4. Everyone is so thin?
For countries where everyone eats so much bread, cheese and meat, everyone is so thin. How, and what is their secret.
5. There are people carrying machine guns in public and that’s normal (gendarmes).
When I was in Paris, right away I noticed something kind of weird. Gendarmes, with their fingers to the trigger a of machine gun, were everywhere. It’s pretty shocking at first, but like many things, I got used to it. One of the most shocking things I realized while abroad is how quickly one ceases to be startled by something as scary as men armed with machine guns, in public spaces. It brings to mind the issue of the increased militarization of police in the US, as well. This is exactly what so many people are fighting against happening here in the US, with our police force, and yet I accepted it quickly and easily. I even felt safer in empty metro stations, when a group of armed gendarmes would be there. That is privilege, and a mindset that is hammered into our head when we see others accept what to us, is shocking.
6. And finally, trans-oceanic flights are weirdly bearable. I have been on many a excruciating flight, and to be honest the flights to and from Europe were extremely bearable, and even pleasant. Maybe it was the inflight newly released movies, or the weirdly good plane food, but I genuinely enjoyed my time flying. Maybe that’s weird, but for me, it was totally fine.
Ain’t the world weird?
1. It is so crazy not being able to understand what the people surrounding you are saying.
I went abroad knowing very very little French or German, only enough to kind of order in restaurants and say please and thank you and where is the bathroom. Although I did get by just fine, it was kind of disconcerting to not be able to understand what anyone around me was saying. I was so used to hearing other people’s conversations, and sometimes listen in a little bit, but that was impossible
2. Europeans eat so much bread
At pretty much every restaurant, I was served a huge basket of bread. Why so much bread, Europe?? Why?
3. Using the subway is so scary, but so worth it.
The metros in Vienna and Paris are both pretty intimidating, but the parisian metro goes literally everywhere, and Vienna is cold in winter so using the metro is way quicker than walking (and warmer).
4. Everyone is so thin?
For countries where everyone eats so much bread, cheese and meat, everyone is so thin. How, and what is their secret.
5. There are people carrying machine guns in public and that’s normal (gendarmes).
When I was in Paris, right away I noticed something kind of weird. Gendarmes, with their fingers to the trigger a of machine gun, were everywhere. It’s pretty shocking at first, but like many things, I got used to it. One of the most shocking things I realized while abroad is how quickly one ceases to be startled by something as scary as men armed with machine guns, in public spaces. It brings to mind the issue of the increased militarization of police in the US, as well. This is exactly what so many people are fighting against happening here in the US, with our police force, and yet I accepted it quickly and easily. I even felt safer in empty metro stations, when a group of armed gendarmes would be there. That is privilege, and a mindset that is hammered into our head when we see others accept what to us, is shocking.
6. And finally, trans-oceanic flights are weirdly bearable. I have been on many a excruciating flight, and to be honest the flights to and from Europe were extremely bearable, and even pleasant. Maybe it was the inflight newly released movies, or the weirdly good plane food, but I genuinely enjoyed my time flying. Maybe that’s weird, but for me, it was totally fine.
Ain’t the world weird?
