“What is ‘normal’?” series – from America

While spending eight months in America after three and a half years in Thailand, many things in the culture and society struck me as odd, funny, strange, confusing, laughable, and all of the above at once.  I made an ongoing list on Facebook, my “What is ‘normal’?” series.  Here is the complete series for those interested.  It’s like an insider-outsider view of bits of American culture in a nutshell.

#1 – shaking hands

#2 – trash cans in public places

#3 – eye contact

#4 – it gets dark a lot earlier here

#5 – church in English!

#6 – no public nose picking

#7 – driving on the right side of the road.

#8 – receipts. for everything. and they are all 10 feet long.

#9 – self-service gas. I pumped gas once in Thailand. once. (#8b – even the gas receipt is long!)

#10 – bicycles are often forced to ride on sidewalks. [personal aside: sidewalks are not made for bicycles.]

Which brings me to #11 – sidewalks.

#12 – cruise control, oh yeah.

#13 – I am cold all the time. I guess that is my new normal.

#14 – hearing Spanish instead of Thai.

#15 – LARGE portions.

#16 – sales tax.

#17 – handicap accessibility

#18 – rushing rivers like this one…

#19 – big portions. like, huge.

#20 – hashtagging everything. #hashtaggingeverything #hashtagisnowaverb #thinkofsomethingclevertosay #hashtagsdontworkonfacebook #thatnumber20isactuallyanumbernotahashtag

#21 – hugging.

#22 – cars stopping for pedestrians. I am not used to this as a pedestrian or as a driver!

#23 – seems like people get angry very easily, and aren’t afraid to let everyone know it.

#24 – blinker on the left, wiper on the right… blinker on the left, wiper on the right… blinker on the left, wiper on the right…

#25 – writing checks.

#26 – in America the date is written month-day-year… confusing when coming from Thailand where the date is written day-month-year. that could get a little dangerous actually…

#27 – soft beds

#28 – RVs [not “normal” in that everyone has one, but normal in that they are around. There are not really any RV’s in Thailand.]

#29 – copious signage, usually warning about something (that either seems obvious and/or not dangerous)

#30 – options. lots and lots of options, for everything.

#31 – clothes dryers. I’m still amazed every time–my jeans shrink!

#32 – bacon. obsession with bacon. everything bacon. (if someone could explain this one to me, I would appreciate it)

#33 – mustaches. obsession with mustaches. mustaches everywhere. Another one that I’d like explained.

#34 – Feet. Feet flying all over the place. Gets me every time.

#35 – gaping cracks in bathroom stall doors.

#36 – people stay in their lanes on the road

#37 – soft water.

#38 – hot water comes out of sinks!

#39 – saying “bless you!” after someone sneezes

#40 – fresh tasty blueberries (that don’t cost a fortune). They go down waaaay too easily!