Reverse Culture Shock

[Pachipro]

Sounds like you could be talking about living in the US Mac. Seems that it is the same in most western countries nowadays. I wonder why it is so universal?

The funny thing about reverse culture shock is that I do not feel it when I return to Japan. Maybe I will when I move back permanently in two years, but when I visit I feel as if I have returned "home" if that makes any sense. I am more comfortable there than anywhere. Strange, but true.

 

[Kinsao]

It has happened to me to "fire" my doctor because I took an appointment and he was over 30min late. I just left the waiting room and never called back.

I can't comment on 'reverse culture shock', but can say that in England, each time I go for a routine check-up at the dentist I have to wait 30-45 minutues and sometimes an hour. It infuriates me (as I have to arrange time off work specially to take these appointments and make up the time out of my leisure time ?_?) but if I walk out, a new appointment can't be scheduled for a couple or several months. kashii: :angryfire:

 

[Maciamo]

I had a new reverse culture shock today. I went to a department store, and arriving at the cashier 15 minutes before closing time, the cashier told me to go to another cashier as he had to catch his train and "didn't want to do extra time". AFAIK, there are paid to work until closing time, not 15min before to catch their train. The other cashier, at the other end of the floor, was already closed too, so I had to look for some staff and also beg them to let me pay !! This is really not a "customer is king" kind of country. :erm: Such a contrast with southern Asian countries where I travelled where people stick to you trying to sell anything and won't take no for an answer.

I can't comment on 'reverse culture shock', but can say that in England, each time I go for a routine check-up at the dentist I have to wait 30-45 minutues and sometimes an hour. It infuriates me (as I have to arrange time off work specially to take these appointments and make up the time out of my leisure time ?_?) but if I walk out, a new appointment can't be scheduled for a couple or several months.

Is that for a GP or a specialist doctor ? In my case it was a GP.

But I heard that Britain had a serious shortage of doctors, and that the NHS even allowed patients to be treated abroad so as to cut off queues at British hospitals.

 

[Kinsao]

Is that for a GP or a specialist doctor ? In my case it was a GP.
But I heard that Britain had a serious shortage of doctors, and that the NHS even allowed patients to be treated abroad so as to cut off queues at British hospitals.

In my case it was for the dentist. My dentist is still National Health Service (but a very high percentage - I think it's something like 80% but I can't be sure! - of dentists no longer take NHS patients :souka: ). I'm sure if it had been a private dentist I wouldn't have had to wait so long! kashii:

It's a long time since I've been to the GP and I haven't been very often so have never experienced ridiculously long waiting times (also it is a very small local surgery). However, my nearest hospital (the major hospital for the city) is well known for it's crazy waiting times in A&E during which people have been known to die on trolleys in the corridor, and sit around for hours with broken bones or rapidly-worsening conditions (I personally know someone who sat there for 8 hours with a broken leg). The health services here can be really bad sometimes. :souka: ... but that's another rant... sorry! :gomen:

 

[gaijinalways]

This caught my eye, but maybe my parents live in another America, or they just know better service people!

Service

In the States, true, difficult to get people to come the same day, unless it really is an emergency. But they usually come within a range of time (or earlier).

In Japan, it depends. We have had to wait two and a half weeks to get Internet service!

In the US, always had fairly good service. Maybe you should change where you go pachipro!


Banks in Japan seem really slow, especially when you need to open an account. In the US it's fast, but you need more documents especially for a checking account.

Also, I have had restaurants in Japan where I was tempted to leave as I had to go looking for the staff to pay. Guess it depends on where you go.

One thing my Mom loved in Japan is the samples they give out at the department stores. They don't hold the tray away from you if you want more.

As to hours, actually 24 hour supermarkets just came recently to Japan. I was using them in the states back in the late 70s! And my parents don't live in a major city. The same with late hours health clubs, very recently arrived. been around in US metro areas for years.

As to fat/thin syndrome, I just noticed that whenever I see the French and Italian women in Europe, I almost drool as they have a little more 'up top' than the average Japanese. To each his or her own.

 

[Maciamo]

In the States, true, difficult to get people to come the same day, unless it really is an emergency. But they usually come within a range of time (or earlier).

Try to get a plumber or an electrician here. It usually takes 1 to 6 months, depending on who you ask. Even for emergencies (like a leak) it can take many days.

In Japan, it depends. We have had to wait two and a half weeks to get Internet service!

To get a phone line, Internet access or cable TV in Belgium, it takes always more than 1 month, sometimes up to 3 or 4 months !

Banks in Japan seem really slow, especially when you need to open an account. In the US it's fast, but you need more documents especially for a checking account.

I opened several bank accounts in Japan. It took me only 10 min for each - just the time to fill in the papers and wait for my turn. This is also fast in Belgium.

Also, I have had restaurants in Japan where I was tempted to leave as I had to go looking for the staff to pay.

Normal, most Japanese go directly to the counter to pay. There is no "tradition" of asking and waiting for you bill/check at your table. In Belgium though, you always wait at your table, and it is common to have to ask several times and wait for 5 or 10 min between each time before you eventually get it. Often customers have to stand up and put on their coat for the staff to move their asses.

One thing my Mom loved in Japan is the samples they give out at the department stores.

That's common in supermarkets here too.

As to hours, actually 24 hour supermarkets just came recently to Japan. I was using them in the states back in the late 70s!

The law still prohibits any shop to open 24h in most European countries. Often they are prohibited to open on Sunday (unless they close another day of the week). That's because of social laws and workers protection. Very annoying.

 

[Elizabeth van Kampen]

But even in Europe there are differences in manners. When I came back from Switzerland to Holland, I couldn't help noticing how loutish the Dutch can be. That counts for the shops as well as on the roads.
It is so easy to say thank you, it is free of charge as well. But I am afraid that I'll never get used to this loutish behaviour.

 

[Sianna]

I had similar problems when moving back from the South of France to Germany. I hated the stress at the supermarket, they don't even let you pack your things calmly! I remembere one elderly women even hit me with her shopping cart several times in the back (not too hard though, but still) as I wasn't close enough to my neighbour before me. Mind you, I was also pregnant at that time! I actually decided to tell her that she could keep more distance - she told me that I should close in more to the man infront of me - I told her that I didn't want to hit him with my cart and that her opinion was no reason to hurt me. She went really bright red and the man infront of me congratulated (yeah, it was the hormones! Normally I'm not that provocative :cool-v

I hated (still do a bit) the whater and the people seamed even more rigid and bureaucratic and so loud on the street.

 

[Mzungu mchagga]

I have spend one and a half years in Tanzania. The first things that really challenged me when I got back to Germany where:

-compared to Africa the people in Germany were practically "running" on the street. The average speed of a pedestrian in Germany is about the same speed of an African who is on the run of something. Furthermore all the public transport was punctually and on time, just as the schedule said and really meant seriously. So in the beginning I was always too late, where ever I went. And the people were not amused.

-German people who are working in public authorities are very emotionless, sterile, free of every privacy. I felt a bit sad not being asked about anything besides my official aims, only with rude glances. However and suprisingly, if I broke this situation by smiling and talking funny stuff, people also changed and became friendly and funny.

-Africans are mostly living from one day to the other, not making big plans about what is going to come next. This is impossible in Europe. Every day life in Germany is just full of making plans of something, (money) investments, insurances, rent, work itself, house repairs, car checks etc... So while a lot of time I had in Africa was only for my pleasure and if I had problems they were solved here and now, in Germany a lot of my spare time was suddenly lost to plans, creating and collecting documents, again plans and again collecting documents. And it is regarded as being infantile and lazy in Germany not to do so.

-On the other hand I was really overwhelmed by German hygiene and the standards Germans have made to keep them. Of course Central Europe isn't in the tropics, but it was really a relieve for me not to care about what food I eat, what water I drink, what insects might come here or there as well as any other dangers I was previously confronted with (crime, sunburn, unsafe vehicles etc...).

I would propably find even more things but that was my first impression I had when I came back.

 

[Mzungu mchagga]

BTW, in some way I can understand now why cultures have evolved differently in different climates and bio-geographycal zones. While here you are are confronted with long term problems (winter) which have to be solved in long term plans, there you are confronted with unpredictable dangers (the only thing you can actually do is to wait for them, like dangerous animals) and solve them immediatly. My conclusion.

 

[Jomid59]

Reverse culture shock?
Sure,
I shock the culture everywhere I go.

I do enjoy coming into land at Heathrow, lego toyland towns.

 

[edao]

I don't know much about how it works in other parts of Europe, America or Japan, but recently I was shocked that some friends who have moved flat or changed supplier of broadband internet and have been informed it would take up to 3-4 weeks for anyone to come out to install their router. I had Virgin Media post out my box and modem in a week (which I hooked up myself). I can't understand why in one of the richest countries in the world this would take so long for a guy to plug a cable into a router then charge you £100 for the inconvenience! I also don't understand why internet connections drop so readily at work and at home, we wouldn't tolerate this with electricity or water but for some reason the ISP companies seem to have created a culture of acceptance on their incompetence in developing a more consistent technology.

In the UK we also have a system where energy companies send out electricity bills which are estimates, If I were PM it would be one of the first things I'd make illegal! What other industry in the world would accept a company making up invoices by guess and then in some cases billing you via direct debit - classic case of rip-off Britain.