Travel Stories, Culture Shock, etc

[VickiStegall]

So, this thread: https://ozone.oscraps.com/forum/showthread.php?t=23115 got me to thinking about one of our family vacations and some of the "culture shock" moments on that trip.

Like how in Paris, I would say something to a Parisian and they would look at me like I was insane. I'd dig through my little translation book and point at what I was trying to say, they'd say it and I'd be like, THAT'S WHAT I SAID! Apparently my okie accent doesn't translate into French very well lol

But, the biggest culture shock moments for me occurred in Germany. (LOVED Germany and the German people btw, so friendly and helpful!) My first one was when we flew from London to Germany. Or at least, I thought we were flying to Germany. The custom's agent said, "And how long are you planning to stay in the Netherlands?" And, I sort of panicked, I was thinking, "The Netherlands?!? WTH?!?! I"m supposed to be in Germany!!!!" So, I'm standing there staring at the man with no clue what to say or do because I'm not where I thought I was supposed to be and I mumble something along the lines of, "I'm supposed to be in Germany" and he just looks at me. I guess he decided I didn't look too threatening standing there with a 3 year old in a stroller, so he moves on to checking our passports. Well, Alyx's first name is William but we call him by his middle name, so the agent looks over the counter to Alyx and say, "William?" and of course, Alyx has no clue the man is talking to him because he doesn't know that name means him yet. So, the agent tries again and again and is starting to look at me like I'm trouble and I say, "you have to use the second name. that's what he goes by". He tries that and Alyx looks up and all is good. At that point, the guy just stamped us and told us to move on. I think he was glad to get me out of his line that day.

So, tell me some of your travel stories - anything and everything, I need a diversion today lol


EDITED to add: The airport was Maastrich and the closest airport to where our friends lived. It was only like 30 min from their house. I had no idea they were so close to the border lol

 

[Dumpty]

hehehe LOL

OKaaaay that's an ooooold one. When I was around 11 years old, we went from New York (where we lived then) to Quebec for the winter holiday to go skiing (it was so damn cold I got my tongue stuck on my ski stick ... !!!!!). We had so much fun hearing the funny idioms they have their translated to french directly from some American Idioms ...
At one point during the holiday, my dad was on the phone asking some lady something about our next activity on the trip and we had the clear impression that they did not understand each other, though they were both theoretically speaking the same language. And then the lady asks him if he's sure he can actually speak French ... and he turned so red and offended !!! my mom, my sister and I had such a huge laugh about it

 

[VickiStegall]

lol that's too funny, Dumpty!

It reminds me of one of my old co-workers. He had the biggest, most hick accent ever and, even though we were both born n bred Okies, we had a bit of a language barrier. One day he was telling me a story about how he had to move his car because some worker was slinging hot tire off the roof of the building! Aghast, I said, "OMG! why was he throwing tires of the roof?!?" He looked at me like *I* was nuts and said, "no, not tires, tire." We went back and forth for a bit. Turns out he was saying "tar" lol

 

[sberkan]

These are great stories!! I love to travel but most of it has been domestic. However, when DH have gone overseas (twice) the first day has always been the biggest gong show EVER!!

So, we took a 3 week trip to France. Our flight got in at 8 a.m. and we were planning to head out to a small town called Arras (note 1 - don't travel a long way after your flight - just wait until the next day ). I didn't know how long it would take to clear customs/get our luggage/get to the train station so I booked a 2pm train ride. Well, we were at the train station by 8:30 or something silly like that. However, I was exhausted and my French is only fair so I was too tired to try to change it. So we sat on backless benches until 2pm. We finally got on the train, pulled out of the station...got going...and stopped. Hmmm. Then an announcement comes on (in French) and my poor brain is trying to understand...something about a door. Oh well. Eventually we get going again and finally arrive in Arras. Then we asked directions to our hotel. No one at the train station had EVER heard of it. Seriously. I had a phone number and I tried calling it but all I could make out was that he was telling us that we had the wrong number. We asked at the hotel across the street - they'd never heard of our hotel. Of course, we didn't think to ask a taxi driver! Since we had left home nearly 24 hours previous, we just gave up, went to the Holiday Inn Express across the street...had supper and fell into bed!! Honestly, at that point, I was about ready to turn around and hop a flight for home - good thing we weren't in Paris! I felt much better the next day after we got a cabbie who spoke only French and I still managed to have a bit of a conversation and arrange for him to return to pick us up!

The next time, we went to London. We had booked a hotel and it was (sorta) near the main attractions in London so we decided to take the tube there. Well, we got there, and the lady at the desk tells us, we have no reservations for checking in today. What? Again, exhausted people who have been awake for far too long. We were very confused so we showed her our reservation and she looks at it and says, oh, this happens a lot. There are two hotels by the same name and the person who booked ours gave us the wrong address. So, we were not so close to the attractions (but right near the tube so not a big deal). The nice lady called the other hotel and a cab because we didn't have the energy to try to find it on the tube again. We finally made and then discovered that I had lost the travel book that I had marked everything we wanted to do in. Oh well. First days in foreign countries

Still, I would do it all over again! I tell DH that no day amounts to much without a little adventure and it always makes for a good story when you get home. Besides, if you can't laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

 

[sberkan]

And, Dumpty, that's hilarious!! It's crazy how different the *same* language can be!

 

[clarabear]

In many other languages they change the ending to an i if it is multiple...to include Italy. So, I went to order two cappucinos right after I had moved to Italy so I asked for due (pronounced doo-eh) cappucino. they looked at me like I was crazy. It was basically like saying "Can I have two a cappucino." Finally my husband came in and told them the right way...due cappucini and we got our coffees.

 

[clarabear]

Did you guys know that in Italy if an Italian is learning English and then they try and speak to someone who has an accent they cannot understand a single word they say?

 

[whatnext]

OK. here's me and my interaction with France. boarding Air France plane at JFK. out of about 150 people i get pulled out of line, they root through my luggage and take away the packing tape that i was going to use if the bubble wrap on the framed photos i was carrying came apart. we get to CDG. no one there AT ALL to stamp our passposrts, so i basically walked right into France, (despite being nabbed for Unauthorized Packing Tape...) and my passport doesn't show that i've even been in France. get on the Metro in Paris a few days later, and The Law plucks me out of a throng of hundreds of people streaming by and demands that i show them my Metro ticket. going home, at CGD, i get pulled out of line AGAIN, and my luggage was searched. this time they didn't take anything. i've been wondering for YEARS the reason why all this happened to ME and to no one around me AT ALL.

 

[AmberR]

Not my story (I'm boring) but my husbands.
Background: he's East German, was around 21 when the wall went down. spent his whole life hearing propaganda about how evil Americans are (and now he's married to one ha ha ha!).

So for his very first trip tot eh U.S., he had to fly alone because I had met him my year abroad and i already had my ticket home when he decided he'd visit America with me. So he flew without me, on British Airways, but the same day. He flew into one airport in London, bussed to Heathrow and then on to Seattle from there. Well, I'd NEVER flown TO the states from abroad before and didn't know you have to have the address where you'll be staying. Since I didn't know that, I couldn't tell him, or prepare him. He didn't have the address, didn't have a phone number and spoke about 5% english.

They almost didn't let him through!

And since that trip (this was 1998!) he has been terrified that the U.S. won't let him in if he flies without me!

I'm enjoying these stories!!

 

[AmberR]

OK. here's me and my interaction with France. boarding Air France plane at JFK.

i've been wondering for YEARS the reason why all this happened to ME and to no one around me AT ALL.

So P - my mom, the teeny little lady that couldn't hurt a fly? she ALWAYS gets pulled out of line and searched. EVERY. Time. !

 

[VickiStegall]

Absolutely loving these stories!

Sandra, I hear you on things not always working out with pre-booking. When we went to London, we had pre-booked our tickets for the London Bus Tour. It was to be our last day in London and we figured that would be the best day because we would probably be tired from all the sightseeing/museums of the other days and we'd like getting to "sit". Well, we spent a beautiful sunny week INSIDE museums and on the day of the bus tour - bucketing rain! All of the people on the double decker bus crammed into the lower level with rain dripping in from the stairwells up to the open top deck. MISERABLE!

this is Alyx with our friend who was stationed in Germany

Phyllis, I just keep picturing all of the French authorities thinking you were Dr. Evil with your unauthorized packing tape! One million dollars or I shall, um, tape you up in bubblewrap!

 

[AmberR]

When I was in Germany for my study-abroad, I was introduced for the first time in my life to underground public transportation, or the U-Bahn. Because I'd never used a subway in my life, it wasn't something that automatically had a word-association. In other words, U-bahn became for me, the english word, just like 'handy' for cell phone...So anyway, when we went to London for a short trip, I waltzed into the little supermarket selling TUBE tickets and said: I'd like a ticket to the U-bahn please. Imagine me, chest all puffed out, and proud: I'm finally back in an english-speaking country. I'm in my element!

The guy at the counter just STARES at me and my GERMAN boyfriend (now husband) nudges me and is like, uh...amber? you mean Tube ticket...

ha ha ha.

 

[snowdropz]

My story.... I lived in France for a couple of years. The first time I was there, I took a train to visit a friend. I didn't realised that I had to sit in the bottom half of the train. Guess where I was, the top half. At a station, there was a changeover. Anyway, when the train eventually stop, I found myself at the border of Geneva. The station was in such a way that you had to go pass the custom. So standing in line, I was starting to panic as I didn't want to go to Geneva. Anyway, in front of me was an American lady who spoke no French. She started speaking in English and the Swiss custom official refused to speak to her in English, kept speaking in French. So you can imagine the scenario. Moi, on the other hand, had enough and I asked the lady if I could help her and did my translation bit for them. Then it was my turn. Told him I didn't want to go to Geneva and wanted to go back to France. He laughed and told me it was better in Geneva. Anyway, his colleague lead me back to the French part of the station where I learnt that there wouldn't be any train going to where I wanted to go. I must have a guardian angel that day cos there was a Chinese chap who saw me in distress and offered to drive me to my destination. I was ever so grateful to him.

Anyway, since then I always listen to any announcement made on the train.... I might end up in Timbuktu if I didn't listen!!!

 

[3littleks]

My favorite story is from when I was only 10. My parents were missionaries in Liberia, Africa. We were scheduled to come back home to the US after 5 years on a base at Tubakan. It was chaos. We had boxes and suitcases to go through customs and it was dark out. God knew what was going to happen in the next few days and put a bug in the customs enforcers for sure. They did not check one bag or box. I don't remember the flight home but I can only imagine what my parents must have thought when the airport was closed 2 days later. Civil war had broken out in full force and all the borders had been closed. Scary!!!

 

[faerywings]

These are all too funny!!
I don't have any stories to share myself. Well, one tiny one, but it is no way near as good as all of yours.

I was 16 and went to Paris on a school trip. I had three years of HS French but really could only speak HS level French
Anyway, my friend and I were shopping together and went into a little boutique. I tried so hard to ask the salesgirl for a size 5 shoe. Color, size etc in French. I stuttered and corrected myself and it must have taken me years to get my request across to her. She nods, walks into the back room to get the shoes and I hear her talking to another sales girl in English!
:faint:

All that work- and she spoke English.... sheesh!!!

 

[whatnext]

Brenda, what an amazing story! :scared:

 

[VickiStegall]

Wow Brenda! so close.

 

[Adryane]

love these stories!

we were in mexico once. we had climbed to the pyramid in tepoztlan and it had taken MUCH longer than we thought it would (note to self: this is not a climb to do with two small children.) it was getting dark on our trip back to cuernavaca but my husband kept telling me not to worry, he had obtained a map of the area that would work with gps. we kept driving, listening to the instructions ... it was SO dark, no street lights, then we started to head down something steep. i panic and tell my husband to stop. as i look out the window i realize we are about to head down stairs! thank goodness we hadn't gone another few feet. we managed to back out and get onto the road again. after that i refused to travel at night when we were not familiar with the area.

 

[dwsewbiz]

ah, language and transportation stories...the best!

I am one who tries hard to communicate in the language of the country in which I am traveling, after all, it's fun! Even tried a little Romansh in eastern Switzerland.

I consider it an adventure to go to a local post office and buy stamps for sending home letters and post cards. I've done fine in France, where I can speak the language a little. But the last time I was in Italy, I prepared myself...I am not good at italian, so I was practicing it in my head as I was waiting. I sooo wanted to say the italian word for stamps, francoboli...is that a cool word or what.

Well, after getting my little number ticket, watching all the terminals, listening for my number (I think this was a big post office in Rome), practicing my lines in my head, feeling nervous, I see my number called, I go to the counter, I open my mouth, and the lady takes one look at me and says "stampsa, Uniteda Statesa". Crestfallen, I nodded, paid my money, said my grazia, and got my stamps

 

[yvonnahenna]

In 2003 I went to South Africa with a friend for 5 weeks. I was 24yo.
My first shock was the airport in Johannesburg. So big, everybody rushing, and there where me and my friend standing, didn't know where to go, and we thought that we arranged the wrong trip, without guide *eek* I can tell you, my tears where about to burst out, and than at that moment the most happy smiling Mr. guide showed up and asked if we where Yvon and M. I loved my Mr. Guide allready! LOL

Than I noticed how easy everybody was. I felt like in the Netherlands everybody is rushing all the time, and pretty selfish on the road.
In Capetown, cars are parked next to the road, actually no official parkingspace, and when somebody wants to leave that spot, cars that are driving on the road just stop to leave that person out, and continue their trip. In the NL there is no way people would wait for a parked car on the side of the road to let him go first.
On the highway in South Africa, people make space for faster cars, so sometimes it is a 3 wayroad. And when somebody passed, they blink their alarmlights as a thank you! I loved that!!
We went to a township. That was the biggest shock for me. How people live and what they eat. A sheepshead costs €2,50 the an eat with 4 people, 2 days from 1 head.

After all, I loved SA. I would love to go back. Everybody is pretty relaxed, no rushing.

And I definately loved to see the people that are overweight, they wear the clothes they want.
I feel like here it is a shame when I would wear something that was tight. I don't feel comfortable ppl looking at me like that.

 

[tanteva]

This thread really makes me understand why I stay home LOL

 

[VickiStegall]

Oh no, Eva, it's an adventure! And, I don't know about the rest of you, but I tend to get more story & entertainment mileage out of the 'things that didn't go quite right' than the stuff that was supposed to happen. I wouldn't trade these experiences for the world.

On that one epic (for us) trip, I learned more about basic human kindness and how we are all basically the same than I ever would have learned staying my whole life in Oklahoma.

An example from Paris where the stereotype is of people being rude. #1, I NEVER experienced any rudeness in Paris - at all. In fact, I had one of the scariest 'mom' moments of my life in Paris and was saved by two perfect strangers. Alyx and I were going into the metro and all of the times before, he would stand in the turnstile with me while i ran the ticket through, then go through the doors with me. Well, this time, he went through ahead of me and the doors slammed shut behind him. So, there I stood with my 3 year old on the other side of the doors and me stuck where I stood because I couldn't run my ticket back through. The ticket machines were around the corner and out of sight so there was no way I could just go buy another a ticket and my baby was on the other side of the doors and I couldn't get to him. I have never been so terrified in my life.

Enter my angels. A young woman came up and asked me what was wrong (in French). I started explaining and then realized I was speaking in English and just stopped. I was so freaked out I couldn't say another word. She just smiled, stepped into the turnstile with me, took the stroller out of my hand and handed it to a business man in the lane next to us, he took it, went thru and waited on the other side. She then ran her ticket through and walked me through the doors with her. The businessman handed me the stroller, nodded and walked away. She smiled, touched my arm and vanished into the crowd.

In Germany, I had so many bad experiences with the trains - mostly because we have no real public transportation in Oklahoma. We are so spread out here that we all have cars. In fact, I've never ridden the bus in Oklahoma lol so, anyway, I have no experience with mass transit, let alone huge train stations with signs in a language I don't know. So, my friends told me to go to the train station in Cologne, to a certain platform and just get on the train at a certain time because there are NEVER any problems with the German train system so it would be fine.

Well, in this case it wasn't. Apparently there was a problem earlier and everything was off. I got on what I thought was my train but turned out, I noticed we were going in a different direction from what I thought we should be. I had a difficult conversation with a gentleman sitting next to me, using my language book where we each looked up what we wanted to say, pointed at it for the other to read. We finally figured out I was on the wrong train - an overnight train to Italy!!!!!! This gentleman GOT OFF THE TRAIN with me at the next stop and escorted me to the desk, stayed with me until they found me someone who spoke english and then rushed back to try to make his train again. I have no idea if he made it.

The people there put me on the right train back to Cologne and told me I didn't need another ticket, it would be fine, just get on and go back and start over. Well, that turned out not to be true, as I had a real jerk of a ticket taker who decided to make an example of me on the train for not having the right ticket. After he finished his lecture, a young man leaned over and said, "I'll help you find the right train when we get to Cologne". He helped me find the right platform and waited with me until my train came. He even offered to let me use his cell phone to call my friends because I was hours late getting back to their home. I didn't have their phone number, so I couldn't call, but it was nice of him to offer.

Those are the major instances, but on more occasions that I can even count or relate, I learned that I could ask for help from perfect strangers and be given that help with a smile. I also learned that I could find my way in a strange world with a 3 year old in tow and no matter where we were, we were never alone, there was always someone there willing to point the way.

 

[dwsewbiz]

Not only does human kindness really exist, but 'mom' is a universal language

 

[clarabear]

I didn't have any rude Parisian experiences either in Paris. Then again me and Derek were just busy doing our thing. We went all the way to the opposite side of Paris to get KFC which was kinda fun. We hadn't been to the US in quite awhile so it was kinda cool.

When I went to Rome with Derek, I was 7.5 months pregnant. After a half a day my feet were swollen and hurt so bad. Derek decided to convince me that riding a moped around town was a good idea. I was scared to death but agreed as long as there was a storage container in the back so I wouldn't fall off. Did you know that with a moped you can see all of the sights in Rome in a day? I highly recommend it. We went on a tour and they showed us this track where they did chariot races back in the day. Some friends of ours came down and met us there and so we ended up with 2 mopeds. We kept them overnight and the next morning when the boys went to return them low and behold they had to go to the track and race their mopeds around it. Needless to say they were chased off the track by polizia.

Whenever we traveled my husband was always quick to give up his seat on the bus or train or whatever to older people or whoever if he thought they could use the seat more than him. (not really necessary since those little old Italian ladies were in better shape than we'll ever be) but he always did. When we were in Rome we also rode on the buses and stuff. On one of our bus rides a priest got on and there were no seats so Derek offered him his seat. The priest said no thank you but then asked if I would like him to bless my baby. We said sure (this was way before I went to church or anything) and he put his hand on my belly and blessed Ethan in the middle of the bus. Plus he did it in English, which I thought was really cool. The whole thing was just cool.

 

[clarabear]

Vicki - that is such a cool story. I always though most Europeans were like that as long as we didn't act like ugly Americans. They can spot Americans from a mile away and they treat them according to their attitude I think. Americans who were making an attempt to try and learn their culture and experience it were treated better than the ones who walked around expecting people to speak English or acted arrogant.

 

[VickiStegall]

so true Diane! and, Clara, fun story about the mopeds! I did meet one "ugly American" while in Paris - he was an old guy from Texas and it was kind of funny but I could sure understand why some people get treated badly.

my main experience with Europeans in general was that people wanted to practice their english on me - which was totally fine with me

We had a funny experience with American food in Paris. We were outside the Paris Theater and Alyx saw some teenagers with a Pizza Hut box. Well, after 3 weeks of "weird" food, Alyx saw that box and immediately ran over to find out where it came from. They gave us directions and we went and stood in line for over an hour just to order one lol.

PS~ alyx thought the food was weird not me lol

 

[yvonnahenna]

Wow, Vicki! That's a nice story!

 

[tanteva]

They can spot Americans from a mile away

oh, yes - that's easy

 

[dwsewbiz]

so, what's the give-away?

Is it the shoes? I bet it's the shoes Big shiny white athletic shoes, right?

 

[sue.falstaff]

Is it the shoes? I bet it's the shoes Big shiny white athletic shoes, right?

That and the fanny packs / bum-bags ... bwuahahahaha!!!!