“Living abroad” Forum

Cultural Misunderstandings & Culture Shock

Cultural Misunderstandings & Culture Shock

由OLS Community Manager Marieke發表於
Number of replies: 2

Dear community,

Have you ever been abroad, either for a vacation or for an extended period of time, where you encountered some form of cultural misunderstanding or culture shock? In some countries, it might be rude to be 15 minutes late to a dinner party, while it is considered polite in other countries.

If you have a story about a cultural misunderstanding or culture shock that you experienced, please share it in the comments!

Warmly,

Marieke, OLS Community Manager - English

In reply to OLS Community Manager Marieke

Re: Cultural Misunderstandings & Culture Shock

由Kha Nhat Quynh Dao發表於
Hi, I want to share about culture shock in Vietnam and Korea! :)
In Vietnam, we only get to both our knees and pray (we call it "lạy" btw) when we pray in front of dead people like our ancestors and Buddha.

But in Korea, they do that to elderly people when they want to wish them good health and a long life.
What an interesting difference! :D
In reply to Kha Nhat Quynh Dao

Re: Cultural Misunderstandings & Culture Shock

由OLS Community Manager Marieke發表於
Thank you for sharing that cultural difference! It's always interesting to hear about these differences, especially from countries and cultures far away from your own!