Moving to another country can be really challenging because of language and cultural barriers. However, migrating to another place is a pretty common thing nowadays, especially when we have all the means to prepare for it: learn the language, learn more about the place, ask for recommendations or find people who can help us through our journey. The possibilities of finding out more about a certain country are endless. However, people cannot be prepared for everything, and that’s where the fun begins. Getting lost and experiencing culture shock is how people learn to adapt to a new place.
Living in another country means that you find something new every day and it is exciting to share your findings with others. Having this in mind, American TikTok user @kayywuerf started sharing videos of what differences she has experienced since she moved to Australia.
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i once asked (on BP?) why you put on a price without taxes and someone told me, so you can compare prices without the changing taxes in the differnt states.. but if a product costs 5$ with taxes and 6$ with taxes in a different state, i don't gaf that the taxes are different? it is just more expensive in state b? wth?
Kaymie Wuerfel is a 23-year-old American who has moved to Australia. She moved to Sydney from Florida in 2020 after she got married to an Australian. On her TikTok, she shares funny and short videos where most of the time, she recreates everyday situations. For example, one of her video series is called “Things I Had To Learn Working At An Aussie School”. Since she’s a school teacher, Kaymie shared how she first struggled with understanding certain things kids say.
In her video series “Culture shocks: moving to Australia from America”, Kaymie shares her reactions to things that are considered normal in Australia and are handled differently in the United States. Besides learning some new meanings of words, she also had to adjust to the fact that refills are not free and grocery bags and sauce at a fast-food restaurant cost something, too.
She is probably talking about soft drinks aka soda coz tap water refills are free in Australia.
Through her journey of getting to know her new home, the woman shared some positive things she learned throughout time. Kaymie was pleasantly surprised to find out that in case a person needs medical help, their bills are covered by Medicare—a national health insurance program. In the United States, there is no one health care program as it consists of private and public health coverage. In one of her videos, she also revealed that she didn’t know Australians don’t leave tips for waiters as they get a proper salary.
They have cameras. They'll catch you. I wish I pay at the pump but here in UK, my local gas station requires me to fill up and then go in and pay. Never seen anybody do a runner.
In the UK, Shell (and I'm sure others) have now started with pay on your phone at their stations. You literally press a few buttons on your phone, fill up and drive off. I'm still nervous that one day it won't work and I'll get done for driving off without paying!
Load More Replies...Gotta get used to the low criminality of the rest of the world, miss.
A friend of mine worked at a German gas station. In the event of a gas theft, policy was just to make a note of it and let the camera do the rest. In event of a robbery he was told to frienldy comply completely. The robber wants a coffee? Ask him if he needs cream or sugar. All the money? No Problem, have a nice day! The reason is that because of the extensive camera surveillance, the clearup rate for gas theft or gas station robbery is nearly 100%, so why worry. Of course the unavailability of guns is another factor, as the robber will most probably only carry a knife, not an AR-47.
If you attempt to drive away, the security cameras everywhere will catch you. Even if you're missing a registration plate, I've heard.
The cure for that camera is to get another liscense plate off of an identical make, color, and year of car you have. My apologies, I spent 20 years in drug addiction.
Load More Replies...Well, if you are stupid enough to want to go to jail over a $70 tank of gas, fill your boots.
Gas and dash was rampant here in Canada so you legally have to pay first then pump.
Only our old, out-of-way, non-corporate fuel stations lack card readers in the US. I hate having to go in and pay at those places.
If you pay with cash in the US, you go inside to pay. I don’t see why this such a big deal.
That was the way it was done 20 years ago in Belgium, and still in small one-pump gas stations. Now almost all of them have the card system. Easy as pie
You can do either at most gas stations in Canada. Many do prepay or pay at the pump only at night though.
many gas stations in the midwest you can pump before you pay.
When they first started having self service at gas stations in the US it was like that, but everywhere on the east coast anyway, you have to prepay or use a card now. When I FIRST started driving you would never be allowed to fill your own tank. The first sign of change was when they stopped washing your windshield and checking your oil for you.
I live in the Midwest & I have never had to insert a card before buying gas.
It's that way at a lot of stations where I live in Wisconsin US, especially in smaller towns
Wait, what? I don’t think I’ve ever gone to a gas station in the US that didn’t have the option to gas up first.
In America's large cities people walk into stores grab items and walk out!, the cops do nothing
And if you have a dog or small child in the car? F**k that, I'll get gas elsewhere...
You don't have much choice in Australia since you pay inside at the majority of servos. We manage just fine with kids and dogs.
Load More Replies...We have card readers and apps that let you pay at the pump or you can go inside and prepay. If the place is more chill you can just get their attention for them to unlock the pump then go in and pay after, most places do.
the only runner I know drove off into the side of a tanker discharging petrol
Someone in my town tried to do a runner without paying for fuel. Their face was posted all over Facebook and they got found pretty quickly. Not worth the trouble tbh
In Sweden we have automatic paying ones, they register it one the register plate you have connect to your bank/credit card. We has also paying apps for phones.
Smaller cities in the USA don't ask you to pay in advance. I have accidently drove off myself before without paying but always after going inside to make other purchases and just simply forgetting. They are really nice about it though I was literally scared the first time it happened. It's happened twice since but the attendants now make an effort to ask everyone at the check out if they have fuel outside. That helps a lot.
I do seriously miss paying at the pump though. Oh and not having to keep squeezing the lever
Why would anyone ever want to go in to pay? That's crazy inconvenient. F that.
It's the norm in Europe too. Just like in grocery store. You pick up your items then you pay for them.
Load More Replies...That says it all really. Americans will skip out if they think they can get away with it.
They have the prices on the pumps and as you are filling up it tells you how many litres and how much it will cost you. If you only want to spend $20 then you stop pumping once you get to $20. Pretty simple.
Load More Replies...These TikTok videos became viral as people were very interested in the differences between Australia and the United States. It is also a great way to see things from a different perspective and learn something new in an entertaining way. Which one of these “shocks” is your favorite? Leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
It's a no. The yeah is to say we heard what your saying and the nah is to disagree with what you said. I am terrible with this and say it all the time. But also for another reason, indecisiveness lol.
This is the only Australian reference i know! (They’re flip flops ;) )
Many people don't realise that US Target has absolutely no affiliation with Australian Target in any way.
Just like in Pennsylvania. Only recently is beer available in some supermarkets. Not in 7 eleven, CVS or gas stations.
Business at the front, party in the back. I personally think mullets look bloody awful. But each to their own.
Culture shock is real. I remember going from Zimbabwe (when it was the land of pretty much nothing) to the United States (land of too much of everything) and just standing like a deer in headlights every time I went into an American store. The choice was just overwhelming.
I'm from Australia and felt like that in an American supermarket. So. Much. Everything.
Load More Replies...Australia is a wonderful country, most of the folks are really friendly and it's just a chill atmosphere, 10/10 would recommend
There’s a lot of overlap with New Zealand too, unsurprisingly.
Load More Replies...This was quite funny, the f word is a noun, consonant and vowel in this country 😂 ( yes I know what I said)
did this woman actually do any research before she moved countries? like the fact with the health care? i would research things like that before moving?!
I always like reading these articles until the comments get all LoL aMeRiKa BaD LoLllLoL like it's the height of hilarity. Trust us we *know* universal healthcare would be amazing, but politicians do basically whatever they want to line their pockets so it's really hard to make changes even when votes go the way they should
The phrase "3rd world country" has absolutely NOTHING to do with wealth or citizen health. It is simply the term given to all the countries which did not take a side during the cold war. It has now become a derogatory term for lower-income and less-developed countries.
Load More Replies...She didn't have to pay for plastic bags in the US? In California, we have for a long time...maybe her state never passed it. Honestly, all of these do not sound very shocking. Like maybe everyone yelling c*nt all the time, but other than that, did she not already know that most other countries don't do added tax or tips? Seems like it's just taking normal stuff and making posts about it just for the likes and follows, not because it's actually shocking.
This reminds me of the movie 'Heaven and Earth" that was a beautiful yet tragic movie...just the recipe for a good ole culture shock
I would love to go but based on someone else's experience even the magpies want to kill you. This dude wasnt even provoking them! They're just mean!
I want to move to New Zealand. I would be happy to be in a beautiful place where nothing happens except for looking at the beauty.
Load More Replies...Oh don't start these again BP. Oh look different countries have different practices, woohoo.
My mum came from England to the States when she was a teenager. She says there was a lot of culture shock, but pizza made up for a fair amount of it!
We have pizza and a lot of it, in the UK! It's a very popular meal/ take away...
Load More Replies...Culture shock is real. I remember going from Zimbabwe (when it was the land of pretty much nothing) to the United States (land of too much of everything) and just standing like a deer in headlights every time I went into an American store. The choice was just overwhelming.
I'm from Australia and felt like that in an American supermarket. So. Much. Everything.
Load More Replies...Australia is a wonderful country, most of the folks are really friendly and it's just a chill atmosphere, 10/10 would recommend
There’s a lot of overlap with New Zealand too, unsurprisingly.
Load More Replies...This was quite funny, the f word is a noun, consonant and vowel in this country 😂 ( yes I know what I said)
did this woman actually do any research before she moved countries? like the fact with the health care? i would research things like that before moving?!
I always like reading these articles until the comments get all LoL aMeRiKa BaD LoLllLoL like it's the height of hilarity. Trust us we *know* universal healthcare would be amazing, but politicians do basically whatever they want to line their pockets so it's really hard to make changes even when votes go the way they should
The phrase "3rd world country" has absolutely NOTHING to do with wealth or citizen health. It is simply the term given to all the countries which did not take a side during the cold war. It has now become a derogatory term for lower-income and less-developed countries.
Load More Replies...She didn't have to pay for plastic bags in the US? In California, we have for a long time...maybe her state never passed it. Honestly, all of these do not sound very shocking. Like maybe everyone yelling c*nt all the time, but other than that, did she not already know that most other countries don't do added tax or tips? Seems like it's just taking normal stuff and making posts about it just for the likes and follows, not because it's actually shocking.
This reminds me of the movie 'Heaven and Earth" that was a beautiful yet tragic movie...just the recipe for a good ole culture shock
I would love to go but based on someone else's experience even the magpies want to kill you. This dude wasnt even provoking them! They're just mean!
I want to move to New Zealand. I would be happy to be in a beautiful place where nothing happens except for looking at the beauty.
Load More Replies...Oh don't start these again BP. Oh look different countries have different practices, woohoo.
My mum came from England to the States when she was a teenager. She says there was a lot of culture shock, but pizza made up for a fair amount of it!
We have pizza and a lot of it, in the UK! It's a very popular meal/ take away...
Load More Replies...