Your experience of culture shock in England

Culture shocks in England? There are many, including everybody saying "you alright" all day long.
But the biggest culture shock is when you go to your GP! I had an appointment for a swab (I am a woman) and
accordingly stripped down as you do in Germany for the doctor to see what he is doing.
The nurse was totally shocked and said "dress yourself for modesty" because this is not done here! She gave me
a sheet to cover myself and the swab was done under the sheet! I really thought I am back in the Middle Ages.

I was briefly deployed here during Operation Iraqi Freedom so when I actually was stationed here, I decided I was going to take it as it comes. Although we speak the same language (debatable) people live differently as it comes.

One of my first funny stories highlights the differences between the languages.So my property manager said she would call round noon at my house. I thought great, I am going to go to the local carboot sale and check it out. Then I got a call from my then boyfriend (now husband) that she was at my house. Call round in the UK means stop by, in the US it means call on the phone.

Just be fluid. It is not home, it is a different culture and they have different ways of doing things. Its not wrong, its different. I see way too many expats that struggle with this and I think it really hampers their experience. As they say, 'when in Rome!' Do research or ask people things if you don't understand. I do, and ended blogging because of it!

I wrote about my experience with culture shock on my blog last year. - afrogatlarge.wordpress.com/2014/11/12/the-4-stages-of-culture-shock/

There are just so many stories! In order to cope with it, I'd say you have to be really flexible and willing to try new things, especially foods.

One of the things that weirded me out a bit when I first moved to England was all the strangers calling me 'love' and 'darling' when I was waitressing for them.

I agree with the GP experience; my own experience with smear tests is pretty shocking too, after years of seeing a gynaecologist in France, being seen by a cold nurse in a sterile environment was a traumatising experience for 18 year old me). As a parent, I'm having culture shock all over again with the lack of preventative medicine for children (Health Visitors notwithstanding, I don't really understand the point of them since there's so little they are actually qualified about) and the fact that kids don't have or see their own paediatrician regularly.

My blog is americantobritain.blogspot.co.uk

After almost 5 years I think I am over the initial cultural shock,  and find myself well integrated and happy with my life here in the UK.

My personal struggle is and has been communication in the workplace.
Coming from a culture where things are expressed in a direct way (Spain) both by managers and colleagues I find myself regularly looking for ways around work related matters when giving feedback (positive and especially negative) or asking for things frim colleagues at work here.

As a society there seems to be a fear of speaking one's mind in Britain, as if that could be taken as a confrontational approach by others.

I personally miss being able to openly discuss things without softening them or going around in circles and not having to constantly say "it's OK" ro everything, constructive criticism and generally,  knowing what the heck is going through people's minds sometimes.

What is your experience on this subject?

I can say quite honestly I do speak my mind and many people here don't like it.
But as I am older it does not matter to me at all. It is like walking through a
forest of thorns every day, but I am not afraid to get hurt.
If I would be young, I would not be here at all, because this "being afraid to speak your mind"
would do my head in. I would go back to Germany where you can say what you like.

Bayerinnewcastle wrote:

I can say quite honestly I do speak my mind and many people here don't like it.
But as I am older it does not matter to me at all. It is like walking through a
forest of thorns every day, but I am not afraid to get hurt.
If I would be young, I would not be here at all, because this "being afraid to speak your mind"
would do my head in. I would go back to Germany where you can say what you like.

It really does depend on where you are in the UK. People speak their minds just like Germany

Confrontational! That is exactly what they call me every day.
Workplace experience here for me was bad, really bad.
I am from Munich, Bavaria, the most confrontational people in Germany,
and I really had a hard time here working.

I've been living in England for almost 15yrs now, and really like the politeness here, some people might call it "two faced" but I rather live like this than have to deal with rude people everyday!
I've been here for so long I honestly have a hard time remembering my culture shock when I got here, but I do remember that it wasn't easy fitting in, it took a few good years, I think it's specially hard if you live in a migrant community, I felt more at ease when I moved away from all that gossip you get from living among a small community where everyone minds everyone's business.

In almost 15yrs I feel well settled, but still not 100% accepted by the English, but then again I don't expect that anyway, specially with all the bad press the newspapers give to migrants in this country, is quite sad the newspapers always talking rubbish.

I guess my biggest culture shock would be, how badly drunk they get here and so quickly they go from being sober to being completely drunk and aggressive (both men and women), I actually don't feel safe going out drinking at night like I did in such a relaxed and fun way in Portugal, I think in all my 15yrs here I only went out drinking 3 or 4 times due to not feeling safe.

Hello all

For reminder:

We expect each and every member to respect opinions of each other. We do not have to agree, but need to respect members when they give their testimony about the cultural shock they witnessed.

Some irrelevant posts have been removed, please stick only to the topic.

Regards
Kenjee

In UK my most shocking experience was about nakedness at gym. Once a man saw me changing my short under a towel and he was offended, he needed to explain me he wouldnt have looked at me even if i didnt use towel

Btw i was very surprised when a sexy woman in a bikini opened door at a health club which i thought its a gym center. Why do you call it health club?

I am British but lived in Belgium for nearly 30 years.  It was a massive culture shock coming back here.  I have been back here for 12 years and still feel a bit like a stranger.  Some of the vocabulary has come into use since I left, one of them is "See you later".  Initially I was thinking why are they saying they will see me later when they are not going to?  I still haven't worked it out.  I hate the driving here, give me Belgium any day.  If they is room on the road for two lanes of cars, why do the British insist on going in the middle and so slow up the traffic?  My idea is to keep the traffic moving so I normally, if there is room, squeeze by and by doing this get dirty looks!  I think the British like queueing.  And why drive in the fast lane or next to fast lane when there is room to drive in the slow lane.  On a recent holiday in France, the only person I saw driving badly was a Briton, big car driving in the fast lane at not a fast pace!!  As I say, I am British but I am still trying to figure them out.  And I agree with the lady who remarked about the doctors surgery, the British seem very prudish.  I cant still work out why when I go to the hospital the doctor has to have a nurse in with him who is just acting as a chaperone.  Crazy!

And the drinking and the drunks!  My work colleagues, and it's not just mine, my daughter's work colleagues, sometimes have one aim at the weekend, to get drunk.  Why?

Britain never used to be like this.

Yes, after so many years I still find this strange.  The doctor has to have a chaperone, as many. Doctors are afraid that female patients will lodge complaints against male doctors. Unfortunately there are signs in NHS facilities giving patients details as to where they are able to lodge complaints thus encouraging patients to make unnecessary complaints!