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Woman Shares 21 Things That She Didn’t Realize Were “American” Until She Moved Abroad
Kaymie Wuerfel relocated from Florida to Sydney after getting married to her Australian partner and has been learning to live in the Land Down Under.
To pass the extra free time that came with the pandemic, she began documenting the differences between life in the US and Australia in a series of TikTok videos which have grown her audience to 242.8K followers.
In a recent clip, for example, Wuerfel admitted that she realized garbage disposals and ranch dressing were quintessential American symbols only after she moved abroad and saw that other places don't really care about them. Who could've known!
Continue scrolling to check out what other cultural nuances the TikToker has noticed.
Kaymie Wuerfel left her home in Clearwater, Florida for Sydney to be with her Australian husband
Image credits: kayywuerf
She adjusted to Aussie life quite well and is now working on a TikTok series, naming all the things she realized are super American
@kayywuerf Come Say Hi On IG: kayywuerf 🌸 #fyp #american #america #usa #cultureshock #travel #australia #straya #expat #traveltiktok #learnontiktok
♬ Castaways - The Backyardigans
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Pharmaceutical Ads Everywhere
Especially the ones where people look super happy while they list the 25 ways it might kill you
This! "Live a better life while (and the voice goes into super-speed) risking coma, oily discharge and death. Consult your doctor if you suffer one of those side effects." OK, I'm dead. Do I ouija board the doctor or what?
"I moved to Australia in November 2019 and I've adapted quite well," Wuerfel told Bored Panda. "The first six months or so were a huge adjustment period as you can tell from my comedic skits. Now it feels like home to me."
The content creator came up with the idea for the series in Spring 2020. "I had just canceled a trip that had been scheduled for that March to visit my family in America (due to Covid) and I was really down and missing home. I decided to make a [sketch] about what it's like being an American in Australia to make light out of the situation. It was my first viral video!"
Interestingly, Kaymie almost didn't post it because she thought it was silly. But now she's glad she did!
Buying Cigarettes At The Pharmacy
"Hi! I'm here to pick up my medication & the cigarettes I shouldn't be smoking while I'm taking it..."
Doing Math At Check Out To Calculate Sales Tax
The Ice Obsession
We put TONS of ice in practically everything. We probably get away with this because we have free refills. But before I moved abroad I literally wouldn't drink something unless it had lots of ice
Of course, Australia and the USA have many things in common, too. Both are large land masses, both predominantly English speaking, both with an ancient native population, and both relatively recently settled by European cultures. Both are democracies and both are meritocracies. Both cultures tend to be fairly materialistic and both tend to be open to new ideas and risk in business. Besides, Australians, like Americans, are usually hard-working and results-orientated.
But as you can see from Wuerfel's videos, there are also differences between the two. (It's important to note, however, that they don't make one better or worse than the other.)
"Australians can have a dry and perverse sense of humor and will often deliberately say the exact opposite of what they actually mean," Sue Bryant, a writer and editor specializing in global business culture and travel, wrote in Country Navigator. "Americans, on the other hand, have a very explicit communication style and irony can fall flat on its face. Each side should bear these differences in mind."
Halloween
"For Halloween!!! It's in 43 days, 7 hours and 2 minutes"
".. are you being serious?"
"Yes. 100%"
"Halloween is for kids.."
Bathroom Stall Gaps. (We Are The Only Country This Silly)
I have literally been conditioned to look down the entire time I'm inside
"Australians believe firmly in 'mateship', showing loyalty to friends, family and colleagues," Bryant explained.
"Australians working in teams may be more loyal to the team than to their employer. Americans, on the other hand, may be more loyal to the concept of performance and profit and for many, covering their own back, in a culture where hiring and firing can be extremely rapid."
Bryant said the differences between Australians and Americans are visible even in the way they talk. The former, for instance, "are great lovers of abbreviation and informality in speech; much more so than Americans."
The traveler said Australians tend to shorten words wherever possible and some regional accents, combined with this, can make people difficult to understand at first.
Root Beer & Dr. Pepper
"Sorry we don't have that"
"Dr.Pepper then?"
"We don't have that either"
Ranch Dressing. Because It's A Salad Dressing.. But We Put It On Everything
We flavor chips with it. Put it on potatoes. Use it as a veggie dip. Chicken wing dip. Some people even put it on pizza
Currency That's Pretty Much All The Same Color
Much better to have different coloured money - especially when it's dark and you're drunk!
But even if you get something wrong, an Aussie will probably just say "no worries, mate."
Maybe it's all the sunshine, the miles of beaches, or the excellent quality of life, but nothing much seems to get under their skin. Even when something does go awry, there's another phrase you'll hear Australians say that keeps things nice and chill: "she'll be right, mate."
Sorority Girls + College Parties/Sports
I *am* American and have never understood the sorority/fraternity/parties thing.
Garbage Disposals(Other Countries Just Don't Usually Have Them)
They will never be terrorized by the sound a spoon makes when it's left inside when you turn it on
24 Hours Diners
I could really go for some 2AM pancakes. "Yeah, which of the ten 24 hours places nearby do you want to go to?"
Where in the US did she live? B/c I can't get 2 AM pancakes anywhere I've lived unless I make 'em. :-(
Red Solo Cups
It's not just a thing in the movies.. You'll see these at almost an American party
College Sports Being A Huge Deal
College sport is a way for colleges to earn loads of money and attract more students who will also bring in loads of money. Everything in the US is about money, from religion via education via charity to health care.
Putting Cheese On Everything
Broccoli, potattoes, salads, eggs, fries
The 7-Eleven Big Gulp
The big gulp is 3.785 ML (McDonald's Large in Australia is 650ML) And we still get free refills
Calling Everyone Mr. & Mrs.
family, friends, teachers, neighbors,
?? It's the polite thing to do! Don't everyone do that? OK not to friends but I'm not gonna say to teachers neighbours or older people in family "Hey bro what's up".
It may be polite, but also veeery formal. In sweden we almost don't have words for mr and mrs (and miss), they exist, but if you use them people will look at you funny and wonder why you are either acting like you are better than them (think nobility) or that you are stuck in the 1960s. Even teachers are called by their first name. I don't even remember what my homeroom teachers name is. Her first name was Anita. Think about it this way, do you call close friends by their surname? If not, basically you are telling other friends that they aren't close by using the surname.
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I've always found this super weird. We just address everyone by their first names here. I've only ever been called "miss" once in my life and I'm still not over it. One of the weirdest moments of my life.
So when you were 12, you said “hey, what’s up Timmy” to your teacher? THAT is weird
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Courtesy depends on the culture. In Spain for example if would be really weird to call a friends mum by her surname.
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I'm from the UK and the only time we speak so formally is in a formal situation, such as speaking to a customer. I don't think I've ever called someone Mr or Mrs in my personal life. Not as a signal of disrespect, it just isn't expected. And the only time I've ever used sir or ma'am was in Sea Cadets and speaking to an officer whose rank warranted the honorific.
Did you call your teachers/professors by their first name? Do you call your doctor by his/her first name?
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In Denmark no one really uses Mr. and Mrs anymore, not even in mail. (unless it's a scam, which actually is a dead giveaway ;-)
Out of family, friends, teachers, and neighbors the only ones I would address as Mr. or Mrs. would be teachers.
I'm Southern US, it was considered extremely rude to address older adults by their first names and would get me a "look" or a stern talking to as a child. I still can't do it and I'm old now, lol. I still don't address older strangers by their first names. I have to know someone fairly well before I do that.
Here in New Zealand we call pretty much everyone by their first names
I'm American and I never do this. I don't identify with my name and feel awkward when people use it at me, so I treat other people the same way. It's not at all difficult to go through life never using someone's name at all when talking to them directly, Mr/Mrs or otherwise.
My kids' friends call me Faith. I thought it was generational. Is this person just from a weird Midwest urban center?
Same in France... or just Sir/Madam (Monsieur/Madame) if you don't know their last names
what else r we supposed to call them...? especially the first time or if they haven't said "no call me "jessica"." or whatever their name is.
Canada is very informal; if someone insists on being addressed formally, we generally will just ignore them going forward. Respect must be EARNED.
Totally a Sounthern thing too. I don't see what's wrong with calling someone Mr. or Ms. I will even call my children that on a pretty regular basis!
I’m from the south, everyone I know calls adults Mr or Miss -first name- (even if you are married you are still a miss)
Addressing adults as sir, ma'am, Mr, Miss is claimed to be respectful but is a method of holding others down by denying them familiarity and/or comfort and keeping them in their place as inferior or subordinate. If someone wants to be addressed as such, I'll do so if I otherwise respect them because that's their preference. But I personally take it as an insult if you address me like that. My. Name. Is. Not. SIR!
Respect doesn't come from words, it comes from the meaning behind them. I can be respectful while calling someone by their first name and slamming someone in formalized form. You're lack of respect for cultural differences is showing :)
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I managed to work my way through your post there - it wasn't easy - but did you call transgender people "it's"?! Wow. They are human beings. Human. Beings.
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Grocery Shopping At Target
Cheap Breakfast Combos
That's not to say other places don't have breakfast combos... But in America you'd get all of this for like $12
Apparently, TikTok is meant for people to whine about stuff. I'm sure the Chinese agents are getting bored with this.
Don't be surprised if a Chinese "tourist" comes at your door with a Double Big Gulp and a can of whipped cream and ask if you want to go to that fast food place to get some waffles at 4 am. Just testing how their intel integrates with day to day ops.
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Enough with these s**t posts and the stupid faces of uninteresting people craving attention!
If you think that's bad, uninteresting people are even craving attention in the comme... oh, wait.
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Oh cool. Some wanna-be influencer made a tiktok of the 1,000 identical lists that are posted here/Buzzfeed/PJ/Cracked every single day and is passing it off as original content. Please don't encourage this type of stolen material. And stop with the crap-on-America posts. They don't hurt my feelings or anything, it's just the same dang list over and over.
Another shittoker that is obsessed with their own appearance/face...Did she lipsync and dance to that stupid stuff?
I'd like to see something like this but with other countries besides america.
Being asked 10 questions while at the cashier during shopping. Drove me crazy. "Who helped you today? Was everything ok? Would you like to donate? Would you like to give your e-mail address? Would you like to have some kind of brochure? Would you like a bag? " Oh my God, please just let me pay!
Most of this is not universally American nor exclusively American. Why do so many people not understand their personal experience is not universal? You are also not the center of the universe.
Another American thing: Claiming everything is about them. --- Lots of those things are in Canada too. So it is a North America thing not a just USA thing.
Cream in a can thing is pretty much everywhere, but the rest, for sure :)
The tax thing is in every f g state in the US! How can you not know that??
They were saying that tax is typically already added to the the price of the item...so you don't have to figure it out once you get to the register. Also not all states have tax on certain things, like there's no tax on clothing in Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon.
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So whats wonderful about the internet is no one is forcing you to read anything. If you clicked on it you made a cognitive choice to do so. Just let people have stuff.. Its okay if you don't like it. If they aren't hurting anyone just let it go guys. Happiness is an important emotion, it's okay to let people be happy. Even you.
Apparently, TikTok is meant for people to whine about stuff. I'm sure the Chinese agents are getting bored with this.
Don't be surprised if a Chinese "tourist" comes at your door with a Double Big Gulp and a can of whipped cream and ask if you want to go to that fast food place to get some waffles at 4 am. Just testing how their intel integrates with day to day ops.
Load More Replies... Enough with these s**t posts and the stupid faces of uninteresting people craving attention!
If you think that's bad, uninteresting people are even craving attention in the comme... oh, wait.
Load More Replies... Oh cool. Some wanna-be influencer made a tiktok of the 1,000 identical lists that are posted here/Buzzfeed/PJ/Cracked every single day and is passing it off as original content. Please don't encourage this type of stolen material. And stop with the crap-on-America posts. They don't hurt my feelings or anything, it's just the same dang list over and over.
Another shittoker that is obsessed with their own appearance/face...Did she lipsync and dance to that stupid stuff?
I'd like to see something like this but with other countries besides america.
Being asked 10 questions while at the cashier during shopping. Drove me crazy. "Who helped you today? Was everything ok? Would you like to donate? Would you like to give your e-mail address? Would you like to have some kind of brochure? Would you like a bag? " Oh my God, please just let me pay!
Most of this is not universally American nor exclusively American. Why do so many people not understand their personal experience is not universal? You are also not the center of the universe.
Another American thing: Claiming everything is about them. --- Lots of those things are in Canada too. So it is a North America thing not a just USA thing.
Cream in a can thing is pretty much everywhere, but the rest, for sure :)
The tax thing is in every f g state in the US! How can you not know that??
They were saying that tax is typically already added to the the price of the item...so you don't have to figure it out once you get to the register. Also not all states have tax on certain things, like there's no tax on clothing in Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon.
Load More Replies... So whats wonderful about the internet is no one is forcing you to read anything. If you clicked on it you made a cognitive choice to do so. Just let people have stuff.. Its okay if you don't like it. If they aren't hurting anyone just let it go guys. Happiness is an important emotion, it's okay to let people be happy. Even you.
