Commentary

People from Developing Countries Reveal What Shocked Them Most when They Moved to Developed Nations

Have you ever experienced culture shock that was so intense, it completely altered your perception of life?

Well, people who grew up in developing countries are sharing what shocked them the most when they moved to developed countries, and yeah — you can say they experienced some pretty extreme culture shock.

Here are the things they revealed to be the most surprising:

1."I was surprised that things get fixed. I had a vending machine in my dorm building, and when it broke down, I figured the vending machine would be done and gone. I was absolutely flabbergasted when I saw the machine was repaired and working the next day."

2."You've got so much fresh water, you go to the bathroom in it."

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3."The postal system. The logistics of delivering millions of letters to millions of homes on a daily basis is astonishing. Especially at that price. The idea that I can send a letter across the country and have it reliably delivered the next or possibly even same day is truly impressive."

4."The lights. So many lights from street lamps, to traffic lights, to huge buildings lit up all night."

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5."The highways blew my mind. They were so wide and full of so many cars."

6."Being a girl, you can live alone."

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7."How things actually work. You can rely on your electricity not going out at least twice a day. If you buy something and it breaks, there's a warranty with little to no hassle. The Internet actually works more than it doesn't. Public transportation actually arrives, and shockingly, it arrives on time. If you hire a service, it'll actually be done, and with an expectation of quality. The list goes on. Of course, it's not perfect, but that's the exception, not the rule. And it's a massive difference."

8."How old the houses are. I was expecting modern construction like in my country, but instead saw old buildings which, ironically, were valued more than the more modern ones."

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9."People's personal space is surprisingly vast."

10."Restaurant service and food abundance. You asked for a medium-well steak but was slightly over-cooked? You send it back to the kitchen and you get a new one cooked for you, and the server even apologizes for it!"

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11."How little theft there is comparatively. I was always told to mind my bag and make it clear that I'm holding it tight. Now, I can freely leave it beside me, and sometimes not even look! It's just a lot more relaxing in public due to less theft."

12."Toilets — flushing toilets that you can flush repeatedly, too."

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13."Cars stop when you walk up to a pedestrian crossing."

14."Toilet paper. Toilet paper everywhere. You don’t have to bring your own to a public restroom because there’s one in every stall here in America, and it’s free."

15."Racial and ethnic diversity. I get to see all kinds of people from all over the world with different experiences and backgrounds. It’s neat." —Anonymous

16."Being able to walk around the city while using my phone."

D3sign / Getty Images

17."The first time I heard an intercom at school with announcements and the school bell, it blew my mind."

18."Giant grocery stores are full of food, and are always fully stocked."

D3sign / Getty Images

19."How much less physical fighting there is in schools. From a young age, I was always told, 'If someone hits you, hit them back harder.' But when we moved to the UK, my dad told me before my first day of school, 'If someone hits you, tell the teacher.'"

20."During my wife’s first time in the US, she burst out laughing at how a four-way stop worked, and she just couldn’t believe people actually followed the rules."

Brad Mclaughlin / Getty Images

21."How the smallest inconvenience can make people rant like they have a serious problem on their hands." —

And lastly:

22."Everyone’s always inside their houses. Back in my country, everyone would always go outside. You could always see kids playing, older people talking to each other — there were just always people outside. Because of that, I made a lot of friends. It was fun. It was much more fun."

Answers have been edited for length and/or clarity. – BuzzFeed

People from Developing Countries Reveal What Shocked Them Most when They Moved to Developed Nations

Have you ever experienced culture shock that was so intense, it completely altered your perception of life?

Well, people who grew up in developing countries are sharing what shocked them the most when they moved to developed countries, and yeah — you can say they experienced some pretty extreme culture shock.

Here are the things they revealed to be the most surprising:

1."I was surprised that things get fixed. I had a vending machine in my dorm building, and when it broke down, I figured the vending machine would be done and gone. I was absolutely flabbergasted when I saw the machine was repaired and working the next day."

2."You've got so much fresh water, you go to the bathroom in it."

3."The postal system. The logistics of delivering millions of letters to millions of homes on a daily basis is astonishing. Especially at that price. The idea that I can send a letter across the country and have it reliably delivered the next or possibly even same day is truly impressive."

4."The lights. So many lights from street lamps, to traffic lights, to huge buildings lit up all night."

5."The highways blew my mind. They were so wide and full of so many cars."

6."Being a girl, you can live alone."

8."How old the houses are. I was expecting modern construction like in my country, but instead saw old buildings which, ironically, were valued more than the more modern ones."

9."People's personal space is surprisingly vast."

10."Restaurant service and food abundance. You asked for a medium-well steak but was slightly over-cooked? You send it back to the kitchen and you get a new one cooked for you, and the server even apologizes for it!"

11."How little theft there is comparatively. I was always told to mind my bag and make it clear that I'm holding it tight. Now, I can freely leave it beside me, and sometimes not even look! It's just a lot more relaxing in public due to less theft."

12."Toilets — flushing toilets that you can flush repeatedly, too."

13."Cars stop when you walk up to a pedestrian crossing."

14."Toilet paper. Toilet paper everywhere. You don’t have to bring your own to a public restroom because there’s one in every stall here in America, and it’s free."

15."Racial and ethnic diversity. I get to see all kinds of people from all over the world with different experiences and backgrounds. It’s neat." —Anonymous

16."Being able to walk around the city while using my phone."

17."The first time I heard an intercom at school with announcements and the school bell, it blew my mind."

18."Giant grocery stores are full of food, and are always fully stocked."

19."How much less physical fighting there is in schools. From a young age, I was always told, 'If someone hits you, hit them back harder.' But when we moved to the UK, my dad told me before my first day of school, 'If someone hits you, tell the teacher.'"

20."During my wife’s first time in the US, she burst out laughing at how a four-way stop worked, and she just couldn’t believe people actually followed the rules."

21."How the smallest inconvenience can make people rant like they have a serious problem on their hands." —

And lastly:

22."Everyone’s always inside their houses. Back in my country, everyone would always go outside. You could always see kids playing, older people talking to each other — there were just always people outside. Because of that, I made a lot of friends. It was fun. It was much more fun."