21 Things Americans Didn't Realize Were Only American
"Ranch dressing. Ranch-flavored Doritos are still sold, but they're labeled as 'American flavor.'"
—sniper91
"Having air conditioning everywhere. I went on a business trip to Germany. It was 80 degrees outside, and my German coworkers simply opened up a window for some air exchange. I went to the mall to get a SIM card for my phone, and most of the mall didn't have air conditioning, either."
"Red Solo Cups. When I studied abroad in New Zealand, everyone asked me about them. Granted, this was at the height of Jersey Shore's popularity."
—fezfrascati
"Here in the US, outside of big cities, it's pretty much required to drive a car. When I lived abroad for a few years, I was able to survive completely off public transport, the occasional taxi, and walking on my own two feet."
"Portion sizes and taking home leftovers."
—hubert--cumberdale
"I moved to the Netherlands eight years ago. The biggest one I realized was probably working while sick. For 20 years, I came to work every day unless I physically couldn't. Like, I had to be so sick that I legitimately couldn't make myself get out of bed. Even then, I felt bad for not showing up. I was in the Netherlands for maybe three months already when I got a cold. My boss came around to my desk and sent me home. I was still on my probation period, so I was super worried that if I took a sick day, I'd be fired and sent back on a plane to the US."
"How much water is in toilet bowls."
—AcanthocephalaIcy516
"Billboards along the highways."
"Ice cold beverages. I worked in China, and they did drinks with no ice and had room-temperature water. I was so excited when my translator turned to me while we were ordering and asked if I wanted ice with my drink. I said, 'They have ice? YES!' The translator and the guy behind the counter laughed and said, 'No, we don't have ice.'"
—Delaneybuffett
"A big culture shock to me in Europe was that there were many major cities that weren't filled with skyscrapers like in the US. I guess it isn't specifically American, but it definitely threw me for a loop."
"Screens in windows. Does Europe not have bugs?"
—Over_Dog24
"Advertising medical treatments for profit."
"Unlimited refills of coffee at restaurants."
—GoddessoftheUniverse
"Eating a meal really quickly. I was just in England, and even in relatively casual restaurants, the waiter will only check up on you two or three times in an hour because they assume you're going to take your time and enjoy your meal. I walked into a restaurant an hour before close, and they specifically told me, 'We close in an hour, are you sure you will have enough time?' And my only thought was that I could eat my meal as fast as they could make it."
"Garbage disposals."
—Mysterious-Hawk6030
"I didn't truly appreciate the 24-hour grocery stores when I lived in the US. When I moved to Belgium, it was a weirdly hard transition being only able to shop during normal hours. I moved back to the US before COVID-19, and now we rarely have 24-hour grocery stores in the US anymore."
"Competitive sports among high schools and colleges."
—niels_nitely
"The loudness. My fellow Americans talk SO LOUD ALL THE TIME."
"Free public restrooms. I'm not saying they're clean or nice in the US, but it was annoying trying to remember to carry coins around Paris just so I can pee."
—DrPorkchopES
"Leaving out sales tax from prices in the stores."
Lastly: "Chitchat. Americans can start conversations with random strangers and feel completely normal sharing their stories."
—phage5169761
Honestly, yeah, the portion sizes in America are truly wild. If you're American, what are some things you didn't realize were "very American" until you left the US? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your thoughts using the form below!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Business Insider
3 hours ago
- Business Insider
I moved to Malaysia in my 30s and struggled to make friends, so I started a club to make the community I needed
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Joshua Webley, who founded The Expats Club after moving to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's capital. It has been edited for length and clarity. Ten years ago, I left the UK to travel. I was born and raised in a small town about 150 miles north of London. It's one of those places where nobody ever really leaves, but I wanted to see more of the world. For the next seven years, I lived the digital nomad life, traveling through various countries such as Indonesia, Spain, and Morocco, while working remotely for a health insurance company based in Thailand. But when I got to Malaysia, I fell in love with the country, the lifestyle, everything. It felt calmer and less chaotic than other parts of Southeast Asia that I'd seen. I ended up living in Malaysia intermittently over the years, spending several months at a time taking it all in. It was also in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city, where I met my now-wife, Rachel, who is Malaysian. In July 2023, I was offered a job with a wealth management firm in Kuala Lumpur. The visa process took around six months, and by January last year, I was fully settled in the city. I realized I didn't really know anybody I'd moved around so much by then, and the longest I'd ever stayed in one place was two or three months. I didn't know who to ask about restaurants, or who to ask out for a drink when I finished work on a Friday. Although I had been to a few networking events, they were all really professional. You'd go there, and then you'd come home with 10 property agent business cards and five health insurance pamphlets. It came to the point where I thought, OK, I need to do something more. I ended up joining an English society, but the problem with that was I'd be surrounded by other English people. I didn't come to this side of the world just to meet English people; I wanted to meet everybody. Twenty-nine people showed up for that, and things just took off from there. Now, we host the Curry Club Here's how it works: Attendees make a small donation to a chosen charity, which serves as their RSVP, and we meet at a local restaurant. Everyone pays their own way. The donation helps ensure people show up — it feels like buying a ticket. If 50 people RSVP without donating, traffic or rain might mean only 10 show up. I don't want a restaurant owner telling me they brought in extra staff only for hardly anyone to show up. This system keeps it fair. Sometimes, we also host a volunteer event with the chosen charity. As we're here in Malaysia as expats, the idea is to try to give back to the community that has welcomed us. Even though it's called the Curry Club, a lot of times we don't only do curry houses. We've also had Spanish tapas and Italian food. The next one will be German. Over time, it has grown into something bigger The Expats Club is a community for people who have moved to Malaysia. These days, it's a team effort — my wife handles the club's social media and digital marketing. People in the community also organize their own smaller meetups now, such as to play golf or pickleball, or to go hiking. All I have to do is kick-start them by creating the first few events. Once they've all met each other, it becomes self-sustaining. There are also dedicated groups for retirees, business owners, and women. Rachel hosts the women's group events. People can join whichever groups interest them and connect with like-minded individuals. In addition to Kuala Lumpur, we've started hosting meetups in other parts of Malaysia, including Penang. Beyond social events, the community has also become a resource for expats navigating their move to Malaysia, whether it's visas, housing, or other local know-how. We made good friends — most are retirees They come around our house, and it's amazing. They clean everything up, and they don't stay too late. My wife and I got married early this month, and most of my guests were friends I've met through the Expats Club. When my best man, who's the same age as me, wasarranging my bachelor's party, I had to tell him, "Look, here are the people who are coming, but just be careful because most of them are over 70 years old. I don't want anything too crazy." When you move abroad, as much as you're gaining new insights about living in a new country, you are also saying goodbye to your network. It's especially tough when there's a big time difference. Now, things are different. I've actually made friends and built a beautiful community of people that I can love and trust.
NBC News
10 hours ago
- NBC News
3 'elves' are cycling from the German town of St. Nikolaus to Finland's Santa Claus Village
ST. NIKOLAUS, Germany — Santa's elves start early in Germany. Three postal workers set off Saturday on their nearly 1,860-mile bicycle journey from St. Nikolaus, Germany, to the small town of Rovaniemi, Finland, which is home to Santa Claus Village, according to German news agency dpa. The cyclists are traveling north to bring letters and Christmas wish lists addressed to Santa Claus from St. Nikolaus, in Germany's Saarland state, to the winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. St. Nikolaus himself, with his long purple cape and a tall golden staff, was on hand Saturday to hand over the letters to the three elves. The trip will take roughly two weeks as the three cycle through Germany, Denmark and Sweden en route to Finland, dpa reported. The group is among the Deutsche Post volunteers who answer letters from children worldwide — more than 30,000 annually — that are addressed to the St. Nikolaus post office, which has its own postal code. The tradition dates back to 1967, and each reply features a special stamp. The town of St. Nikolaus is one of seven places in Germany with a Christmas-themed name, all of which receive letters addressed to Santa Claus or Saint Nick. This year, St. Nikolaus handed over his own wish list to the cyclists, dpa reported.
San Francisco Chronicle
18 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
3 elves are cycling from the German town of St. Nikolaus to Finland's Santa Claus Village
ST. NIKOLAUS, Germany (AP) — Santa's elves start early in Germany. Three postal workers set off Saturday on their nearly 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) bicycle journey from St. Nikolaus, Germany, to the small town of Rovaniemi, Finland, which is home to Santa Claus Village, according to German news agency dpa. The cyclists are traveling north to bring letters and Christmas wish lists addressed to Santa Claus from St. Nikolaus, in Germany's Saarland state, to the winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. St. Nikolaus himself, with his long purple cape and a tall golden staff, was on hand Saturday to hand over the letters to the three elves. The trip will take roughly two weeks as the three cycle through Germany, Denmark and Sweden en route to Finland, dpa reported. The group is among the Deutsche Post volunteers who answer letters from children worldwide — more than 30,000 annually — that are addressed to the St. Nikolaus post office, which has its own postal code. The tradition dates back to 1967, and each reply features a special stamp. The town of St. Nikolaus is one of seven places in Germany with a Christmas-themed name, all of which receive letters addressed to Santa Claus or Saint Nick. This year, St. Nikolaus handed over his own wish list to the cyclists, dpa reported. He's hoping for a reply from Santa Claus in Finland.
