I live abroad and went to USA to visit after many years. Major culture shock. One really glaring one was personal space. People keep huge distances beween themselves and others in America.
I'm pretty certain that America is the only country where you can make custom orders. In the UK (as well as a lot of other countries) you can often substitute 1 or so ingredients, but being able to fully customize a meal seems very odd to me as a non-American
Hey! I liked your vid. I studied abroad in Colorado and I thought I'd compare some of the topics you covered from a UK student taking an exchange year in the USA. Prepare for a TLD! 1. I found the food I had was very healthy, but I had to order extra veg with my burritoes - From my experience there are a lot more fast food and unhealthy choices but it's up to you to choose them! The portion size was extravagent but I eat a lot anyway. 2. I didn't notice the size difference until I visited Austin, Texas. There are a fair few large people in the UK too but I'm sure the difference between East Asian countries would be significant. The vast amount of trucks and malls was imposing! 3. I met some ultra happy Americans! I think UK girls show more leg and cleavage than Americans (club culture at University and differences in fashion trends to blame) but the dudes bro tank and show more skin in the USA than our guys (Colorado weather has a major influence I guess)! 4. Colorado didn't seem to have much diversity - The UK has so many people from different countries - It's great! 5. Overground - Only when I visit London do I have to use the tube and it's alright unless it's rush hour. 6. We can modify things in the UK but I enjoyed the extensive customisation in the USA. 7. Beds were the same - Sharing a room? That was a bit different but I am one of the few UK guys who have shared a room in their first year of university. 8. I was frowned at for eating pizza with a knife and fork. I'm just classy as hell. I didn't mention chesticles as much as you! Cheers, Rob
I felt the same way about the cultural diversity in America when I came back from Turkey. It was so refreshing to see such variety in the crowd and it was weird, but awesome :P I'm going to S. Korea in a few months, I can't wait!
Wow, your videos are so much fun and at the same time remind (and teach) me of the things I've been adapted to. I'm going to show your videos to my teenage children who visited Korea the last time more than 10 years ago in order to teach them what to expect. Thank you very much!
first off, this was very interesting. i always love hearing about culture shock type reactions to things. so weirdly cool! also, i just have to comment that your voice editing thing when you were talking about forks was EXACTLY like martina's (eatyourkimchi)!!! i was like, whoaaaaa, all of the foreign woman youtubers in korea use the same voice editing stuff, lol that's cool. :D
I definitely know this feeling! So many people don't understand how this can happen when you are only gone for a few months or a year or so, but it just proves how much you 'immersed' yourself into local culture! It is quite an accomplishment (I think) that you were so able to integrate into Korean society that you were immediately aware of the 'differences' when coming back to the states. Plus, craving 'foreign' home foods is the worse.
Gotta say, I love your videos. I was born and raised in Korea, came to America for college and now I am a senior. So when I see you talking about almost the exact mirror life of one that I am having (you know, in terms of life in a foreign country) I find it so informative and fun. I also have had similar culture shocks and reverse culture shocks.
i understand what your saying, im in america now and I still feel as a foriegner in my own country, I have lived in korea for 6 years. Great Video, I wish that people can understand that its not that easy to adjust.
I just have to say that i love ur videos!!! I was stationed there for a year and fucking love it there!!! btw watching ur videos just remind me of all the good times i had in that country and motivate me to go back and visit some time in the near future but yea thats all i had to say keep doing what you're doing and stay up
This video made me lol. I liked the sound effects! Sometimes I just wasnt sure if it was your vid or a truck driving by outside because my fan is on and loud haha And it's ok to say hell sometimes ;)
As a bartender on bourbon street, I often look out into the crowd and think to myself: "What are these people doing?" I have never been abroad, but identify with some of the things you have to say. Very entertaining to watch :) Much love from NOLA
omg i was so happy when you said you landed at the Dallas airport! hahaha I lived in Dallas for 3 years, and I have a lot of korean friends and also visited Korea last summer! haha :)
Hey, Chels. New subscriber, nice vids! I was gonna ask a question on one of your other vids but I guess it wouldn't apply since you're still in Korea :-) And I've come to realize, thanks in part to this video, that I love "Culture Shock" videos and probably even more so would be the "Reverse CS" videos. Keep it up! It seems you've got a backlog of vids I gotta get through now ;-)
My friend who is teaching in Korea told me about your channel! I love hearing your stories! Just tonight, I ran into another friend who apparently just got back from teaching in Korea! You guys have inspired me to go! I've been looking into it... :) Do you think people would see me and know I'm a foreigner?
Yeah I think so too. Asian countries still got pockets of areas that are very traditional and many are still bound by their cultural teachings but Shanghai struck me as a Western city and I saw many punks, skater boys, beach bombshells and many more westernized styles. I think they developed their own sense of style as well. You are right about super malls and western food in Asia.
wow, ive never really thought about all the stuff in America that you would never find in a lot of other places. but growing up in America, it just seems natural to have these things and in a lot of other places, you would never see them.
This is all so true! lol When studied abroad in South Korea this past summer I had a MAJOR reversal culture coming home. lol Especially since like 1 day after coming back from Korea I had to move into College(I'm a freshman) 4 hours away from home. Everything was just happening so fast. It took me weeks to adjust. Especially with seeing all the different kinds of people! lol Also, I so get the fork issue! lol
Also, not just people but everything is big. It means cars, roads, houses, food, grocery items, fastfoods, etc... are so much bigger for example Mcdonalds dollar drink size is regular size in Korea.
Hahaha thanks for getting back to me! I guess my future students will love hearing me speak then... I'm trying to get rid of my accent though so they can understand what I'm saying more clearly. Like I watched this movie Please Teach Me English and the teacher was Australian so she didn't say her Rs like we do. I will definitely start posting videos about my adventures when I get there... in 5 years... haha gotta get that college degree! What did you major in? I'm going with Linguistics. :)
This was a very interesting video! I pressed the Like button and added to Favorites! Can you do another video where you talk about all the differences between America and Korea?
I'm currently attending Dartmouth college which is in the middle of nowhere. I go through a reverse culture shock every time I go back to Seoul... Anyway I'm a big fan of you. Keep it up!
A new book/ebook: "What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to understand crazy American culture, people, government, business, language and more.” Endorsed worldwide by ambassadors, educators, and editors, it paints a revealing picture of complex America to help those who will benefit from a better understanding, including international students. It also has chapters that identify the most common English grammar and speech problems foreigners have. Good luck to all!
i remember visiting my brother in new york. and every time i wanted to drink bottle tea, it was always sweetened (like nestea, arizona tea, etc.) so i kept drink water. the sodas were too big.
iMovie is used by most youtubers at somepoint in there careers. Most of the youtubers that are super famous have used iMove sound pack when they started and still use them sometimes. All you need is a Mac and it comes with the software.
"The standard way to refer to a citizen of the United States is as an "American". "United States", "American" and "U.S." are used to refer to the country adjectivally ("American values", "U.S. forces"). "American" is rarely used in English to refer to subjects not connected with the United States.[38] -" - taken from wikipedia. to be precise would be to say " i live in illinois, a state of governance on the continent of america".
Yeah I see what you mean. I've never really heard North Koreans speak but I can kind of distinguish between urban and rural accents from South Koreans. Only because I've been studying Korean for almost 2 years and I try to learn about more than just the language but the people too.
OMG I so agree! After coming back from Korea after being there for a year, I came back and all the fried food around me made me sick just smelling it. Never missed Korean food more in my LIFE. My girlfriend also came to visit from Korea and was overwhelmed by this fact... and how US apparently puts too much cheese on everything lol
Craziness! Does he live there too? I'm from Oklahoma so I think it would be weird to be in an environment where I looked like everyone else! lol! Are there a lot of people from the states there who teach english like you? I'd like to meet and acclimate with the culture, but it'd also be cool to have people from the US who I could relate with as well.
I thought you did a great job. I liked it. Hopefully you wont get into the crazy multiple video angles per second trend but that's just something that irks me, it's your videos!
haha, that was my first reaction to how she did the voice editing stuff. i was like, "omg martinamartinamartina" and that was all i could think about while watching it. wow, i guess i'm kind of easily distracted.
The whole of culture lies deeper than just external components of a society. Korea may have western influences in food, music, dress, etc, but the way its people interiorize and respond to these influences can be wildly different from the way we in America perceive them. From an "emic" level perspective, the significance and meaning native Koreans hold in concerns to western influences is an emergence of interculturality and not just western culture overriding previous Korean cultural ideals.
I had a reverse culture shock also comin back from the Philippines. 1) the food tend to be a lot more processed here. There, my grandparents have a farm so I was fed with home grown meats and vegetables (call me spoiled). 2) the freedom. Here in the US, it's a lot more scarier. In the Philippines, I had a lot more freedom and the people were nicer b/c of my family. 3) the height! There, I was taller than most adults, and here I'm like the shortest person around!
you know, your vlogs are always very insightful- totally agree, America has the best customer service (overall) that I've experienced. Japanese may be the most polite/clean, but it's the Americans who can accommodate custom requests best. I think it has something to do with how we were founded by rebels, and so we have that underlying appreciation for going against the grain. Anyway, what's korean corn on the cob???
Awww, I'm glad that you were able to come back to USA and spend some time with you're family. You know hearing you describe the food/style between Korea and USA.. yeah here in USA food its always greasy, unhealthy, loaded with salt and or sugar!! I think the life style and time frame plays s big part. American-USA woman really enjoy working making money (nothing wrong with that) but who is at home? who take the time to look for healthy food to buy for the household? sad but true =(
I totally know that feeling when you come home to a soft bed. I went to Hong Kong for like a month and they had these rock hard beds. When I came home to my bed in America, I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud. xD
Haha, I totally feel you! I suffer reverse culture shock everytime I go back to Italy from Japan! Btw, your videos are very interesting, keep it up~ *^-^*
One thing I usually notice when I'm abroad for long periods of time then come home is that American's tend to be more abrasive in their behavior and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way. Asian countries in particular tend to be more polite in their demeanor. It's amazing how polarizing it is to walk around Haneda Airport in Japan with Customs and Security officials bowing then stepping off the plane at LAX and being manhandled.
Harder mattresses are much better for your back. And when you've been sleeping on them all your life they're sometimes more comfortable. I'm used to harder mattresses and when I travel around North America and have to sleep on soft hotel beds, yeah they are comfy for like 10 minutes but then my back starts to hurt because I feel like I'm sinking into the bed and my back is all curled up rather than straight as I feel it should be.
I'm going to sound crazy for saying this, but when I got back to America from Italy, the first place I went to was Burger King, and I got a whopper, fry, and a coke. It's probably a bad thing I like unhealthy food, but I missed American food SO bad after only 2 weeks lol. That, and I missed Mexican food. That was the 2nd place I went to when I got back was a Mexican restaurant.
Thank you I now remember seeing Simon and Martina using the kitchen scissors, but I didn't know if they used them every where. And if they don't have them what do you do. it's not like I want to choke on a piece of meat every day. ^.^ Thank you for answering, I love your videos, and I'm actually thinking about teaching in Korea as a future job. :)
Hhaha! The reverse culture shock thing is soo true! Because my dad is Chinese and my mum is Vietnamese, but I was born and raised in Australia. Every time we go back to China or Vietnam for a few months and I come back to Australia all I can think about is how unhealthy the food is here & how awesome it is to actually have proper toilets & not those terrible squatting ones. Completely random: do you listen to k-pop now or do you find that when you go back to America you listen to english music?
Forks are great, but sometimes I just get a craving to eat American foods with chopsticks. Do you ever feel that way too? (Or did you feel that way when you were back here in good ol' Amuricuh?)
Yes, I have imagined that such a bright and beautiful woman cannot be single. It was more of a compliment, actually. Congratulations for being so culturally-driven and for this informative video!
I hate when girls typically old women's wear pushup bra I was raise in Korean culture so I could see the difference too about everything except with no.2
Ah, thank you for this insight, nehaa94! I think that Koreans are a very practical people, and I knew there had to be a reason....they wouldn't deny themselves extra comfort just for the sake of tradition. Your reply makes good sense.
It is nice that you have experienced both parts of the world and be more aware of what is good and what is not, I live in Vancouver and there is a large population of Asian people here, and when I go to Mexico I also realize of how much food is cooked with too much oil and too much saturated fat, and I miss the Asian food, I recommend you to watch the documentary Food Inc. search it in youtube, Ah! and close your window the mosquitoes can bite hard and leave marks on the neck! :-) see you later
Did u notice a change in walking patterns and flow of groups in public areas (i wont even start on queue etiquette)? Koreans sometimes stop right in the pedestrian flow, on occasion reversing direction w/out warning - funny thing is, u begin to get a 6th sense re: this behavior -- naturally able to pre-identify and avoid that rogue walker, no?. It's most striking when u return home and pick up on the nuanced behavior of how people in the US walk in groups & often what their quirks are. Thoughts?
Meh. When you come back to the US and miss Korean food, you need to come to LA and perhaps live in LA... the same could be considered for some aspects of Korean culture. And if you miss Korean people, they are there too.
Actually, it sounds like maybe I didn't explain myself the right way. I agree that an American is someone who lives in America. The problem is that English and Spanish disagree about what "America" is. In English, "America" is the country also called the USA. "The Americas" are the continents of North America and South America. That may sound strange, but it is actually the way the word works in our language. In Spanish, "Las Americas" and "America" mean the same thing, but not in English.
Weird you only notice this stuff after leaving for a year. I started eating healthier since making plans on going to Korea in a year or two. How long are you staying?
Hi.. I just found your channel, and i find it really helpful. Ive been thinking to go work in Korea. What about Early Childhood Education? Im doing my degree.. Will they hire me?
Koreans believe that hard beds are good for your back, and also soft beds are bad for you because they believe that soft beds ruin your back bones. Koreans actually pay more for harder beds. With the same prices, they do not (I would say, never) buy soft beds. They sell expensive beds made by gem stone even, and some old people buy them (they believe gem stones give you some kind of energy). Just for your tip :)
lol I really don't think America likes people custom ordering things. Especially restaurants because you're fucking up their menu/prices. Even cafes.... waiting in line for people to sub 20 things is annoying. They are just more accepting about it.
"America" in Spanish refers to two continents, but "America" in English refers to a specific country. You will find that everywhere in the world, when speaking English, if you say you're "American", and then say you're from South America, people will be confused. So it isn't just people in the US, it's all English speakers around the world, and it's not a mistake, it's just a language difference.
I think a lot of that has to do with recent pushes, particularly in the east to assimilate western behaviors more so in the youth culture. I know growing up in the late 80's and early 90's I'd go abroad to the Philippines (Where my parents are from) and a lot of traditions were still heralded and practiced but in more recent trips I've began to notice a westernized mentality. McDonalds on all corners now. Super Malls that were never there before. Teens wearing less conservative clothing etc...
Hm i didn't quite understood the food reference so i was wondering that you can order something in a restaurant or a shop by your flavor(mixing up things) ina Usa or in Korea?
chesticle real estate XD Well I take it I'm going to stand out in korea a lot more than I thought. Hopefully, people won't randomly ask if they're real or fake just because they're bigger
My boyfriend and I want to teach abroad and he is sold with Korea. I was reluctant until I watched your videos, now I'm all in. Do you know if it is possible to do this as a couple? Do you know anyone that's done that? Thanks so much for all of your help!
This is the same case for me as well, except I'm from Ilsan and study in Toronto. I hit my first culture shock in Toronto. Yet, whenever I head back to home, I hit reverse culture shock all the time.. I believe this has to do with the fact that Korea is a very progressive nation. Problem is, I'm feeling more like a Canadian than Korean these days. I guess that makes me an unofficial "외국인".. :P
what educated Koreans can distinguish will be if it is American or British English. Same thing apply to Americans. How hard for you to distinguish between South and North Korean language?
I live abroad and went to USA to visit after many years. Major culture shock. One really glaring one was personal space. People keep huge distances beween themselves and others in America.
i soo agree with no. 2. i am from the uk and when i went to america everything was HUGE. big cars, big meals, big furniture.
I'm pretty certain that America is the only country where you can make custom orders. In the UK (as well as a lot of other countries) you can often substitute 1 or so ingredients, but being able to fully customize a meal seems very odd to me as a non-American
Wow you're so pretty I swear you've got the nicest and more honest smile ever!
Hey! I liked your vid. I studied abroad in Colorado and I thought I'd compare some of the topics you covered from a UK student taking an exchange year in the USA. Prepare for a TLD!
1. I found the food I had was very healthy, but I had to order extra veg with my burritoes - From my experience there are a lot more fast food and unhealthy choices but it's up to you to choose them! The portion size was extravagent but I eat a lot anyway.
2. I didn't notice the size difference until I visited Austin, Texas. There are a fair few large people in the UK too but I'm sure the difference between East Asian countries would be significant. The vast amount of trucks and malls was imposing!
3. I met some ultra happy Americans! I think UK girls show more leg and cleavage than Americans (club culture at University and differences in fashion trends to blame) but the dudes bro tank and show more skin in the USA than our guys (Colorado weather has a major influence I guess)!
4. Colorado didn't seem to have much diversity - The UK has so many people from different countries - It's great!
5. Overground - Only when I visit London do I have to use the tube and it's alright unless it's rush hour.
6. We can modify things in the UK but I enjoyed the extensive customisation in the USA.
7. Beds were the same - Sharing a room? That was a bit different but I am one of the few UK guys who have shared a room in their first year of university.
8. I was frowned at for eating pizza with a knife and fork. I'm just classy as hell.
I didn't mention chesticles as much as you!
Cheers,
Rob
I felt the same way about the cultural diversity in America when I came back from Turkey. It was so refreshing to see such variety in the crowd and it was weird, but awesome :P I'm going to S. Korea in a few months, I can't wait!
"American food is terrible for you" Rest of the world: Y'don't say?
OMG. You're voice-overs for the coffee shop were HILARIOUS! You had me laughing out loud. Great video.
Wow, your videos are so much fun and at the same time remind (and teach) me of the things I've been adapted to. I'm going to show your videos to my teenage children who visited Korea the last time more than 10 years ago in order to teach them what to expect. Thank you very much!
first off, this was very interesting. i always love hearing about culture shock type reactions to things. so weirdly cool!
also, i just have to comment that your voice editing thing when you were talking about forks was EXACTLY like martina's (eatyourkimchi)!!! i was like, whoaaaaa, all of the foreign woman youtubers in korea use the same voice editing stuff, lol that's cool. :D
I definitely know this feeling! So many people don't understand how this can happen when you are only gone for a few months or a year or so, but it just proves how much you 'immersed' yourself into local culture! It is quite an accomplishment (I think) that you were so able to integrate into Korean society that you were immediately aware of the 'differences' when coming back to the states.
Plus, craving 'foreign' home foods is the worse.
Gotta say, I love your videos. I was born and raised in Korea, came to America for college and now I am a senior. So when I see you talking about almost the exact mirror life of one that I am having (you know, in terms of life in a foreign country) I find it so informative and fun. I also have had similar culture shocks and reverse culture shocks.
i understand what your saying, im in america now and I still feel as a foriegner in my own country, I have lived in korea for 6 years. Great Video, I wish that people can understand that its not that easy to adjust.
Elisha Burke Yea, I lived in Thailand for 5 years and 8 months and its been back in the us a year and half and am just starting to feel normal.
I just have to say that i love ur videos!!! I was stationed there for a year and fucking love it there!!! btw watching ur videos just remind me of all the good times i had in that country and motivate me to go back and visit some time in the near future but yea thats all i had to say keep doing what you're doing and stay up
This video made me lol. I liked the sound effects! Sometimes I just wasnt sure if it was your vid or a truck driving by outside because my fan is on and loud haha And it's ok to say hell sometimes ;)
As a bartender on bourbon street, I often look out into the crowd and think to myself:
"What are these people doing?" I have never been abroad, but identify with some of
the things you have to say. Very entertaining to watch :) Much love from NOLA
omg i was so happy when you said you landed at the Dallas airport! hahaha I lived in Dallas for 3 years, and I have a lot of korean friends and also visited Korea last summer! haha :)
Hey, Chels. New subscriber, nice vids! I was gonna ask a question on one of your other vids but I guess it wouldn't apply since you're still in Korea :-) And I've come to realize, thanks in part to this video, that I love "Culture Shock" videos and probably even more so would be the "Reverse CS" videos.
Keep it up! It seems you've got a backlog of vids I gotta get through now ;-)
My friend who is teaching in Korea told me about your channel! I love hearing your stories! Just tonight, I ran into another friend who apparently just got back from teaching in Korea! You guys have inspired me to go! I've been looking into it... :) Do you think people would see me and know I'm a foreigner?
On your second comment I thought the same thing, but with the "scary/shock" sound. I find it hilarious especially if someone makes a face......LOL
It was so freakin fun to watch this video as a Korean in US!
Your reactions to Korean food was so cute and funny
Yeah I think so too. Asian countries still got pockets of areas that are very traditional and many are still bound by their cultural teachings but Shanghai struck me as a Western city and I saw many punks, skater boys, beach bombshells and many more westernized styles. I think they developed their own sense of style as well. You are right about super malls and western food in Asia.
Good topic: reverse culture shock. Reeeeallly funny!! I enjoy watching your videos!
wow, ive never really thought about all the stuff in America that you would never find in a lot of other places. but growing up in America, it just seems natural to have these things and in a lot of other places, you would never see them.
That fork bit (the vid effect) was hilarious!
Awh ily Chelsea :") such a good vid, thank youu
This is all so true! lol When studied abroad in South Korea this past summer I had a MAJOR reversal culture coming home. lol Especially since like 1 day after coming back from Korea I had to move into College(I'm a freshman) 4 hours away from home. Everything was just happening so fast. It took me weeks to adjust. Especially with seeing all the different kinds of people! lol Also, I so get the fork issue! lol
Also, not just people but everything is big. It means cars, roads, houses, food, grocery items, fastfoods, etc... are so much bigger for example Mcdonalds dollar drink size is regular size in Korea.
Hahaha thanks for getting back to me! I guess my future students will love hearing me speak then... I'm trying to get rid of my accent though so they can understand what I'm saying more clearly. Like I watched this movie Please Teach Me English and the teacher was Australian so she didn't say her Rs like we do. I will definitely start posting videos about my adventures when I get there... in 5 years... haha gotta get that college degree!
What did you major in? I'm going with Linguistics. :)
Glad you're back! I really enjoyed the video! :)
This was a very interesting video! I pressed the Like button and added to Favorites! Can you do another video where you talk about all the differences between America and Korea?
OMG! You are so cute. I really like this vid. This one is your most funniest and cutest video. I really enjoy your videos and your quirkiness. :-)
I'm currently attending Dartmouth college which is in the middle of nowhere. I go through a reverse culture shock every time I go back to Seoul... Anyway I'm a big fan of you. Keep it up!
A new book/ebook: "What Foreigners Need To Know About America From A To Z: How to understand crazy American culture, people, government, business, language and more.” Endorsed worldwide by ambassadors, educators, and editors, it paints a revealing picture of complex America to help those who will benefit from a better understanding, including international students. It also has chapters that identify the most common English grammar and speech problems foreigners have. Good luck to all!
i remember visiting my brother in new york. and every time i wanted to drink bottle tea, it was always sweetened (like nestea, arizona tea, etc.) so i kept drink water. the sodas were too big.
"Chesticles" are the first "couple" of things I notice too :P. . . Btw, you are "jinja yepeuyo." Love your vids. Kamsahamnida!
I am a Korean American. And I actually learned a lot about Korea and the people by watching your UA-cams. Now I understand my coworkers better.
iMovie is used by most youtubers at somepoint in there careers. Most of the youtubers that are super famous have used iMove sound pack when they started and still use them sometimes. All you need is a Mac and it comes with the software.
"The standard way to refer to a citizen of the United States is as an "American". "United States", "American" and "U.S." are used to refer to the country adjectivally ("American values", "U.S. forces"). "American" is rarely used in English to refer to subjects not connected with the United States.[38] -" - taken from wikipedia. to be precise would be to say " i live in illinois, a state of governance on the continent of america".
Yeah I see what you mean. I've never really heard North Koreans speak but I can kind of distinguish between urban and rural accents from South Koreans. Only because I've been studying Korean for almost 2 years and I try to learn about more than just the language but the people too.
OMG I so agree! After coming back from Korea after being there for a year, I came back and all the fried food around me made me sick just smelling it. Never missed Korean food more in my LIFE. My girlfriend also came to visit from Korea and was overwhelmed by this fact... and how US apparently puts too much cheese on everything lol
Craziness! Does he live there too? I'm from Oklahoma so I think it would be weird to be in an environment where I looked like everyone else! lol! Are there a lot of people from the states there who teach english like you? I'd like to meet and acclimate with the culture, but it'd also be cool to have people from the US who I could relate with as well.
I thought you did a great job. I liked it. Hopefully you wont get into the crazy multiple video angles per second trend but that's just something that irks me, it's your videos!
haha, that was my first reaction to how she did the voice editing stuff. i was like, "omg martinamartinamartina" and that was all i could think about while watching it. wow, i guess i'm kind of easily distracted.
The whole of culture lies deeper than just external components of a society. Korea may have western influences in food, music, dress, etc, but the way its people interiorize and respond to these influences can be wildly different from the way we in America perceive them. From an "emic" level perspective, the significance and meaning native Koreans hold in concerns to western influences is an emergence of interculturality and not just western culture overriding previous Korean cultural ideals.
I had a reverse culture shock also comin back from the Philippines. 1) the food tend to be a lot more processed here. There, my grandparents have a farm so I was fed with home grown meats and vegetables (call me spoiled). 2) the freedom. Here in the US, it's a lot more scarier. In the Philippines, I had a lot more freedom and the people were nicer b/c of my family. 3) the height! There, I was taller than most adults, and here I'm like the shortest person around!
you know, your vlogs are always very insightful- totally agree, America has the best customer service (overall) that I've experienced. Japanese may be the most polite/clean, but it's the Americans who can accommodate custom requests best. I think it has something to do with how we were founded by rebels, and so we have that underlying appreciation for going against the grain. Anyway, what's korean corn on the cob???
Awww, I'm glad that you were able to come back to USA and spend some time with you're family. You know hearing you describe the food/style between Korea and USA.. yeah here in USA food its always greasy, unhealthy, loaded with salt and or sugar!! I think the life style and time frame plays s big part. American-USA woman really enjoy working making money (nothing wrong with that) but who is at home? who take the time to look for healthy food to buy for the household? sad but true =(
I totally know that feeling when you come home to a soft bed. I went to Hong Kong for like a month and they had these rock hard beds. When I came home to my bed in America, I felt like I was sleeping on a cloud. xD
Haha, I totally feel you! I suffer reverse culture shock everytime I go back to Italy from Japan! Btw, your videos are very interesting, keep it up~ *^-^*
One thing I usually notice when I'm abroad for long periods of time then come home is that American's tend to be more abrasive in their behavior and I don't necessarily mean that in a bad way.
Asian countries in particular tend to be more polite in their demeanor. It's amazing how polarizing it is to walk around Haneda Airport in Japan with Customs and Security officials bowing then stepping off the plane at LAX and being manhandled.
Harder mattresses are much better for your back. And when you've been sleeping on them all your life they're sometimes more comfortable. I'm used to harder mattresses and when I travel around North America and have to sleep on soft hotel beds, yeah they are comfy for like 10 minutes but then my back starts to hurt because I feel like I'm sinking into the bed and my back is all curled up rather than straight as I feel it should be.
You are so pretty. And your enthusiasm makes for fun watching. Thanks!
I'm going to sound crazy for saying this, but when I got back to America from Italy, the first place I went to was Burger King, and I got a whopper, fry, and a coke. It's probably a bad thing I like unhealthy food, but I missed American food SO bad after only 2 weeks lol. That, and I missed Mexican food. That was the 2nd place I went to when I got back was a Mexican restaurant.
So true about the food and the rest! I was in Malaysia for 2 months and a combination of food & sweat lost me 12 lbs and you're suuuuuuuuper cute!
I wondered where ppl got those cool effects/sounds.
Thank you I now remember seeing Simon and Martina using the kitchen scissors, but I didn't know if they used them every where. And if they don't have them what do you do. it's not like I want to choke on a piece of meat every day. ^.^ Thank you for answering, I love your videos, and I'm actually thinking about teaching in Korea as a future job. :)
love these observations. 'look at all the foreigners.' hilarious!
This is so great. I'm about to return to the UK after 18 months in Mexico. I do wonder if there'll be any reverse culture shock.
That's funny, cause one thing I love about North America as a oriental guy is the fast food.
Hhaha! The reverse culture shock thing is soo true! Because my dad is Chinese and my mum is Vietnamese, but I was born and raised in Australia. Every time we go back to China or Vietnam for a few months and I come back to Australia all I can think about is how unhealthy the food is here & how awesome it is to actually have proper toilets & not those terrible squatting ones. Completely random: do you listen to k-pop now or do you find that when you go back to America you listen to english music?
Forks are great, but sometimes I just get a craving to eat American foods with chopsticks. Do you ever feel that way too? (Or did you feel that way when you were back here in good ol' Amuricuh?)
Yes, I have imagined that such a bright and beautiful woman cannot be single. It was more of a compliment, actually. Congratulations for being so culturally-driven and for this informative video!
I'm a Thai girl who used to stay in America for a while and what you described in the video are what I thought about America when I was there. HaHaHa
Thanks for your reply, I don't quite remember what I said in my original post.. can't seem to find it.
I hate when girls typically old women's wear pushup bra I was raise in Korean culture so I could see the difference too about everything except with no.2
Gotta love reverse cultural shock. I really see it as an a-hah moment than anything else.
lol... First time seeing this. You're awesome, Chels.
Ah, thank you for this insight, nehaa94! I think that Koreans are a very practical people, and I knew there had to be a reason....they wouldn't deny themselves extra comfort just for the sake of tradition. Your reply makes good sense.
It is nice that you have experienced both parts of the world and be more aware of what is good and what is not, I live in Vancouver and there is a large population of Asian people here, and when I go to Mexico I also realize of how much food is cooked with too much oil and too much saturated fat, and I miss the Asian food, I recommend you to watch the documentary Food Inc. search it in youtube, Ah! and close your window the mosquitoes can bite hard and leave marks on the neck! :-) see you later
How long were you there? You make it sound like you left America when you were a little kid.
Thats reverse culture shock for you lol
Yeah.. Everything is bigger in the USA. It's one of my personal experiences as an international student in USA. btw I'm an Asian.
Did u notice a change in walking patterns and flow of groups in public areas (i wont even start on queue etiquette)? Koreans sometimes stop right in the pedestrian flow, on occasion reversing direction w/out warning - funny thing is, u begin to get a 6th sense re: this behavior -- naturally able to pre-identify and avoid that rogue walker, no?. It's most striking when u return home and pick up on the nuanced behavior of how people in the US walk in groups & often what their quirks are. Thoughts?
i feel the same way like you do everytime i go back to my home country .
Meh.
When you come back to the US and miss Korean food, you need to come to LA and perhaps live in LA... the same could be considered for some aspects of Korean culture. And if you miss Korean people, they are there too.
Have you eaten Mexican or thai food in korea? I hear people saying it doesn't taste the same and I know I'll end up having crazy cravings
I definitely noticed the size factor after coming back from Asia...
Actually, it sounds like maybe I didn't explain myself the right way. I agree that an American is someone who lives in America. The problem is that English and Spanish disagree about what "America" is. In English, "America" is the country also called the USA. "The Americas" are the continents of North America and South America. That may sound strange, but it is actually the way the word works in our language. In Spanish, "Las Americas" and "America" mean the same thing, but not in English.
Weird you only notice this stuff after leaving for a year. I started eating healthier since making plans on going to Korea in a year or two. How long are you staying?
Hi.. I just found your channel, and i find it really helpful. Ive been thinking to go work in Korea. What about Early Childhood Education? Im doing my degree.. Will they hire me?
i lived in chicago for all my college life, now i work and teach in japan
Koreans believe that hard beds are good for your back, and also soft beds are bad for you because they believe that soft beds ruin your back bones. Koreans actually pay more for harder beds. With the same prices, they do not (I would say, never) buy soft beds. They sell expensive beds made by gem stone even, and some old people buy them (they believe gem stones give you some kind of energy). Just for your tip :)
man, you were at dfdub? should've put a call out and we woulda gotten you some tx bbq during your lay over.
What you did not get any Crawfish? I would think how we in LA do seafood is much more different then in Korea.
Well u look fantastic...this is the 5th time watching this video just to see u...lolzzzz...;-)...lmao!!!!
"I'm not a foreigner in America."
AHAAHAHA--
Subscribed. LOL
lol I really don't think America likes people custom ordering things. Especially restaurants because you're fucking up their menu/prices. Even cafes.... waiting in line for people to sub 20 things is annoying. They are just more accepting about it.
I get that too when I visit America! "Hey, that person speaks English. And so does that person! And so does that person!"
"America" in Spanish refers to two continents, but "America" in English refers to a specific country. You will find that everywhere in the world, when speaking English, if you say you're "American", and then say you're from South America, people will be confused. So it isn't just people in the US, it's all English speakers around the world, and it's not a mistake, it's just a language difference.
I think a lot of that has to do with recent pushes, particularly in the east to assimilate western behaviors more so in the youth culture. I know growing up in the late 80's and early 90's I'd go abroad to the Philippines (Where my parents are from) and a lot of traditions were still heralded and practiced but in more recent trips I've began to notice a westernized mentality. McDonalds on all corners now. Super Malls that were never there before. Teens wearing less conservative clothing etc...
My dad has trouble with going abroad because he is 6'5" and never fits in places.
Hm i didn't quite understood the food reference so i was wondering that you can order something in a restaurant or a shop by your flavor(mixing up things) ina Usa or in Korea?
What is the song that plays when she starts talking about the bed? I know it, i just can not remember the name
chesticle real estate XD Well I take it I'm going to stand out in korea a lot more than I thought. Hopefully, people won't randomly ask if they're real or fake just because they're bigger
You're my favorite! I love your stories!
My boyfriend and I want to teach abroad and he is sold with Korea. I was reluctant until I watched your videos, now I'm all in. Do you know if it is possible to do this as a couple? Do you know anyone that's done that? Thanks so much for all of your help!
I know it's too late to say this but in New Orleans there's a Korean restaurant call "Korea house". Had you been there before?
This is the same case for me as well, except I'm from Ilsan and study in Toronto. I hit my first culture shock in Toronto. Yet, whenever I head back to home, I hit reverse culture shock all the time.. I believe this has to do with the fact that Korea is a very progressive nation. Problem is, I'm feeling more like a Canadian than Korean these days. I guess that makes me an unofficial "외국인".. :P
It says in the description she went back to America for a week. Not sure how much longer she's planning to stay in Korea though. :)
what educated Koreans can distinguish will be if it is American or British English. Same thing apply to Americans. How hard for you to distinguish between South and North Korean language?