1.9Mviews
11 “Culture Shocks” That This New Zealander Experienced After Relocating To The US
We live in a world where a lot of things we learn through books, movies, and the internet. But one of the most common and exciting ways to learn more about other cultures is by traveling. For a lot of people, this became an interesting and eye-opening experience, so a lot of them like to share what they have seen and heard, and compare this experience with how things are run “at home.” Bored Panda already covered some of the stories of people who decided to share their cultural shocks, one of these stories you can find here.
When people talk about their travels, very often a place they refer to as culturally shocking is the United States. One of the recent is examples is TikTok user Jazz Thornton who started sharing what things she finds weird and different in the US. The woman who is from New Zealand relocated from her country to the United States and has already become viral on TikTok with her funny and entertaining videos.
More Info: TikTok
This post may include affiliate links.
School At 7.30 Am
You'll start school at 7:30 in the morning. Are teenagers functioning at 7:30 in the morning, because where I'm from, we start school at 9 AM every day. That means that you have to get up at like, 6 AM something. I wasn't getting out of bed until like 7:30 AM. Who decided that teenagers work best at 7:30 AM?
'i Really Wish I Had An Accent'
So the other day I was on a conversation with an American, and she looked me in the eyes and goes, 'man, I really wish I had an accent. I just speak normally.' Which I was like, 'ma'am, you do realize that the USA is not a main character, right?' You do have an accent to absolutely everyone who is not American.
I love the U.S BECAUSE one of the reasons that i love it here is that most U.S citizens have an accent. Californians have their own accent, Southern accents, New York and New Jersey accents. I love hearing them all
It's Really Expensive To Have A Baby In The USA
It cost about $50,000 to birth the baby. These children are putting you in debt. In New Zealand hospitals are completely free. So you could be in there for like four months afterwards and you wouldn't have to pay a thing. We do pay taxes to obviously cover that.
I'm so glad I'm Canadian. I'd rather pay .13cents on top of the price tag amount then pay for medical direct. I've had 2 kids. They have had surgeries, I have had several surgeries(disabled) and long term stay admitted to hospital(almost dying twice) all my ultrasounds, MRIs, PET scans, xrays, blood work, infertility treatments, eye exams, ER visits, every single specialist doctor plus every GP visit(including house visits) midwife appointments, at home follow up after delivery..free parental or breastfeeding support etc.. all of it, I wouldn't be able to pay that out of pocket. No matter how much taxes I have paid or will pay in life, it wouldn't come anywhere near the bills that a America charges. Oh and kids have free dental to 25 too. Some cosmetic stuff is covered depending on the cause/effects too
Jazz is a well-known mental health activist film director and book author. The 26-year-old woman’s work is related to spreading awareness and educating people about sensitive mental health problems that many individuals suffer from. For this reason, her and her friend started an organization called Voices of Hope. Jazz tries and enjoys encouraging people to believe in themselves, to have a hope that things will get better. She likes to remind this to people through her videos.
The Price That Is Displayed Is Not The Final Price
Like today I went and bought a dress and the price tag that I saw on it when I actually went to go check out, it was like $10 more, because they add tax on after. And then when you're in restaurants and stuff, it's the taxes added and the tipping is added so like nothing is the normal price. Like if that happened to me in New Zealand and I went to pay for something and it was like more than what the price tag was, I'd be like, 'I'm sorry, what?'
Tipping
Tipping is literally not a thing where I'm from, like, again, America with the unnecessary math. How do I calculate this? What am I supposed to give someone? In New Zealand, the minimum wage is $20. That's for an adult. In America, it's $7.25. Now, keeping in mind that our currency is a lot weaker than America, it equals out to be $14.10 in minimum wage, which is double the minimum wage here. But also do people make more money from tips?
Tipping needs to be eliminated. I go to a small coffee shop in Toronto where the woman picks up the tip jar and shakes it while you are paying. To show me hey look at the tip jar. It lasts only a second but it is very off putting. Tipping is getting out of hand. I am already paying for a service. I live on a budget and getting haircuts and takeout coffee should not feel like pressure to tip. Pay a living wage
The shaking with jar is rude. In my country tipping is optional/not taken as part of the wage. and if you tip, it shows that you were satisfied with their services, something like extra thank you and I think it's how it should be. I am not wealthy and can't afford to go to the restaurant often, I usually tip if service is OK, but I want it to be my choice.
Load More Replies...
Tipping is a scam whereby the owner of a restaurant (or other business that has tipping) earns more money by passing the cost of their employees wages to the customer. Notice, this is voluntary so many people do not tip at all. It's paraded to the public as a gratuity or reward for good service.
I've never really understood tipping culture in America. I'm not against tipping at all but like most people around the world a tip is given for good service and not something obligatory and/ or expected to a minimum amount. I remember once going for food in NY and it was one of these self service places, you know food in containers you help yourself to and pay at the counter. Went and paid and on the counter is a tips jar!!! What for? The guy didn't do anything.
Switzerland: we tip even though we voted to increase waiters wage so we don’t have to tip. Usual is 10% though, but they are happy about anything, and not aggressive if you don’t tip. Usually they might think you can’t afford to tip today...because even if you go out for lunch, doesn’t mean you are rich.
More people need to realize in the food service industry make $2.12 an hour, but are taxed at a much higher rate, "assuming" they'll be tipped a certain amount. Plus, many restaurants force their servers to combine all their tips, rewarding the slugs and punishing the great ones. And then there are those places who give a percentage of those tips to bussers, dish washers, line workers and cooks. Don't tell me they can make a living like that!
As a former waitress i can tell you i eould not have done the job for $10-15an hour which is probably more than the pay would be with no tipping system. On good days in 8 hours id bring home 250$. There is no restaurant in Wisconsin that would pay 30$ an hour to a waitress
I have no idea how to tip anywhere, where it is mandatory. It is making me responsible for their quality of life. Why? Isn't it their responsibility? If someone does a really bad service, should I leave without tip and make them poor and unable to provide for their life...or should I tip them and reward them for even bad job? Isn't it better to tip for just doing better job than just doing regular or bad?
Too bad I can't afford an Apple watch. Or have the money to eat out 😢
Load More Replies...
Most servers make much less than minimum wage, and you declare your tips each day, which is computed in as salary. I waited tables at several places, and if you didn't make enough tips to reach the minimum wage mark, you had to just make it up or the managers would get in trouble. So, we literally get income tax taken out from those tips. The whole thing is a racket... but don't punish the servers for it, they're just trying to make ends meet in a broken system.
I Forgot, I am on Social Security now. Please don't get angry if I don't tip. I make less than you now and can't afford it. I almost can't afford gasoline to my doctor's visits
Years ago I worked in the Food Service industry. My wages were 5.50 and hour plus Tips. Now it was an Upscale Place. You would be surprised how many would not tip! The Tips on a Good weekend would cover a lot.We needed it then.What Food Service and other workers need now is a livable Wage .One that allows them after Bills they can enjoy a little and save a little. What is so Damn wrong with That!!
Here's a tip: Participate in industrial action/lobby politicians and demand better pay.
US terrible lack of worker protection at federal level brought this.
Tipping has been an option to reward those service employees that put effort and motivation in their job and make your experience pleasurable. It began with small independent business owners just starting out to help them succeed. It has grown into something mandatory. Unfortunately, with the movement by underachieving parents, wherein they began the no winners and losers in sports and everyone gets a trophy, it destroyed motivation and the goal to aspire to your best. It rewarded mediocrity and laziness and created a generation of coat-tail riders and plagiarists. Today these parasitic folks expect, no, demand that we support and enable their chosen lifestyle. Unfortunately, there are politicians that make promises to provide entitlements in return for votes, thereby perpetuating this lifestyle.
One of the worst examples is tipping the bellboy who comes for one's luggage in hotel and then parks the cart in lobby and another one takes it and loads it into the car and you have to tip again.
The coffee shop I go to has a minimum wage of like $20 now, and tipping is fine - all tips are pooled and divided among employees by the number of hours they work. But What I'm saying is, here in the US and there is a locally owned coffee shop in Denver that pays their employees $20 an hour. And coffee there is cheaper, and much better, and more socially/globally aware, than starbucks.
Yes, in most places in the US, you make more with tips than with the pathetic wages.
Tipping is extortion, plain and simple. The staff are collection agents for the industry threatening their lives if the customer doesn't cough up the cash. It's repulsive and avaricious.
I worked 20 years as a waitress. My boss thought I should be incredibly grateful for every five cent raise he gave me. I started out at $1.25/hr. After 20 years I was making $2.25/hr. I worked very hard for every tip I got and appreciated every 25 cents thrown my way. Back then we kept all our own tips - which is how it should be. You always work with some slacker or another - so why should you have to share your tips with them? If I had to do that I couldn't have afforded being a waitress. People don't understand that your base pay is dismal and you live on your tips.
If service is good for a tip should be 20% of your bill. If service is just OK, use the amount of the tax for your tip.
HATE the tipping culture! You are doing the job you are capable of and you got into it knowing fully well how much it pays. Don't expect extra money from me just for doing your job. I know people who actually save up to be able to go to a fancy restaurant, and they should not have to take upon the extra unnecessary burden of tipping, coz even 10% of a large amount is fairly large by itself in its own right!
Tipping was put in because some restaurant workers earned $2-3 per hour and the tips were supposed to bring them up to a minimum wage. In Ontario restaurant workers / coffee shop workers now earn the $14 per hour minimum wage so greed, not necessity, has these service workers looking for that extra tip. If the worker is at least earning the minimum wage people earn in other jobs (grocery store worker for example where people rarely tip), the tip should be optional and not expected. A tip should say you were pleased with the service and not you feel sorry they don't earn minimum wage.
Tipping is not just in the US. Europeans tip as well, although less. Most restaurants will print tip amount suggestions on receipts. There are also restaurants who do not accept tips at all - I prefer dining at those - but they are not the norm yet.
Weird that the NZ minimum wage is $20 but their dollar is so weak. I wonder what would happen to the US dollar if they decided to crank up the minimum wage.
Servers, on average in the US, make more than 15$ including tips. But that's just data and I know how commenters here hate facts
We make more by getting tipped. The better the service you provide, the more knowledgeable you are about what you're serving and the better you are at upselling the more money you make. Serving is an art and I wish people that have never waited a table would stop trying to "help" by raising the hourly wage. It will cost the business and customers more and will mean I make less.
Most countries pay their waitstaff a living wage and wouldn’t dream of tipping. Do secretaries get tips when they finish typing that report? No. The U.S. just needs to up our game and do the same...unless you’re a really stingey tipper, it would ultimately be about the same as what you pay now after you add that tip to your total. And, I’d be surprised to learn that people who live in countries that pay a living wage regardless of your profession don’t tip when their waitperson when said person goes above and beyond...like the Christmas bonus most corporations give out, only not at a specific time.
Load More Replies...American Portion Sizes
So I'm on week two here and I discovered very early on that a lot of your portion sizes, like, the large is a very large. I'm not used to it where I'm from. So, I was like, was this so big? So tonight, right? I was like okay, I'm going to get a small. This is what I got tonight. Please, is someone pranking me? This is the size of my palm. This is my noodle box.
It's wild and depends on the restaurant. If you want big portions you can eat for days, BBQ and those Greek family restaurants serve absurd amounts of food for the price you'll spend. Chain restaurants vary widely.
Dogs In Stores
So you're telling me that here in America, you can bring your dogs into stores with you? Like, guys yesterday I was at H&M, right? And it was like four dogs in the store. I am so here for it. This is not a thing that we see in New Zealand and I need it. As long as I can pet all of the dogs.
The woman also uploads goofy and lighthearted content on her TikTok platform. One of these is related to her relocation to the United States. In her TikToks, the woman doesn't hide her surprise at how different some of the things in the US are. It might seem that some of these things are already well known. Not knowing how to tip waiters in a restaurant and having to pay for having a baby at the hospital are only a couple of these examples. The woman also shared some of the lesser known facts about when American kids start their school day and that people are allowed to bring their dogs to stores.
Which one of these things do you find weird? Or maybe you know something that wasn’t shared on this list? Don’t forget to leave your thoughts in the comments down below!
Scam Calls
I got an American number not too long ago and on the day that I did I had like four scam calls in one day. And now they just- every day, multiple times a day, is just scam calls. I think in New Zealand I got like one scam call every two months.
Burger And Sandwich
Can someone please explain to me why they call this a burger, but they call this a sandwich. If it's beef it's a burger. If it's chicken, it's a sandwich, but they're both in a bun.
Ground beef is called hamburger. In the 30’s it was called a hamburger sandwich, but then it was shortened.
Biscuits And Gravy
All I'm imagining right now is that kind of thing. That beautiful biscuit cover in meat sauce. It just looks nasty.
Spray Cheese
This does not exist where I'm from. I've been told to eat it only with Ritz crackers so you have put your thumb on it.
I remember back when Bored Panda used to focus on creative stuff, like artists, and the like. Now it's just tiktok and reddit reposts...
Load More Replies...
How many more of these posts? We've read similar many many times! Was hoping for something different to be told but no! All the same
If at least once in a while it was about another country than the US
Load More Replies...
Can I point out that all of New Zealand fits into the US 37 times, so, yeah, we have variations across the US even some Americans will never see in person. Get. Over. It. Can we now see cute animals, artwork, and maybe Brutus & Pixie comics to get both?
Another New Zealander here. I see this person has already adopted the intensely irritating habit of unnecessarily saying "like" in every damned utterance.
This chick just seems stupid and probably a bad representative for NZ.
I'm not American, but change the frigging record... We read the same lists over and over.
I am assuming she is asking these questions in a video because she nobody in America wants to talk to her.
Not an astute summary. You probably think.Lorde's second two albums have merit on nationality alone.
I remember back when Bored Panda used to focus on creative stuff, like artists, and the like. Now it's just tiktok and reddit reposts...
Load More Replies... How many more of these posts? We've read similar many many times! Was hoping for something different to be told but no! All the same
If at least once in a while it was about another country than the US
Load More Replies... Can I point out that all of New Zealand fits into the US 37 times, so, yeah, we have variations across the US even some Americans will never see in person. Get. Over. It. Can we now see cute animals, artwork, and maybe Brutus & Pixie comics to get both?
Another New Zealander here. I see this person has already adopted the intensely irritating habit of unnecessarily saying "like" in every damned utterance.
This chick just seems stupid and probably a bad representative for NZ.
I'm not American, but change the frigging record... We read the same lists over and over.
I am assuming she is asking these questions in a video because she nobody in America wants to talk to her.
Not an astute summary. You probably think.Lorde's second two albums have merit on nationality alone.
