Mentionsy

culture shocks happen when you visit a new country and realize that what's normal at home isn't normal everywhere else.

Experiencing everyday life in a new place can sometimes feel unusual or strange because of certain customs or behaviors.

Once in a while I'll go for a walk outside during lunch to pick up a salad and we'll walk among the groups of tourists listening for anyone speaking Polish.

but when I do, I like to wonder how those people's vacation is going and whether New York City is what they expected it to be.

For anyone that is planning to visit this city, I thought I'd compile a list of about 10 of the most common culture shocks people from Poland experience.

Starting the list with something related to the last episode, friendliness and small talk.

Walking into a store or a cafe and hearing...

Just this morning I was grabbing a coffee at a coffee shop and a woman who was also a customer standing next to me smiled at me when I came in.

During your trip to New York

And when a business doesn't focus on great customer service, whether in Poland or the States, it confuses me a little bit.

I guess I don't understand why a business wouldn't want to do simple things that would help make it a success.

And speaking of money, number three on our list is tipping culture.

And yes, tipping is so normal here that it is expected.

Standardowy wskaz jest 15-20%.

And that's fine.

But anywhere you have to go up to a counter to order and pay, no need to tip.

People who live in New York have roots in countries all over the globe.

And the meals that they eat at home or the eating habits they have are different for every one of those groups.

I mean, if you were starting a country with a lot of available land, you would make it bigger, wouldn't you?

When I took my husband to Poland for the first time, he noticed that when cars are parked on the street, they're often parked half on the street and half on the sidewalk.

Prices and taxes.

Taxes by city and state can vary.

Today, New York City's sales tax is almost 9%.

Some things, like clothing, can be taxed in one state and not taxed in another state.

Inheritance taxes and many, many other taxes are handled differently in each state.

This is why some states are more expensive to live in than others and why salaries for the same type of jobs differ by state.

So when you visit an expensive city like New York City, be prepared for what we call sticker shock.

The doors of the stalls in public restrooms are different in the States than they are in Poland or generally in Europe.

And the small gaps on the sides are also bigger than Europeans are used to.

There are minimum safety and standard requirements set by local building codes.

Also, if there is a medical emergency happening in the bathroom, it would be easier to see it and get to that person this way, even if the door was locked.

Wszystko w New York City jest uruchomione.

New York City jest jedną z najszybciej spędzonych miast w Ameryce.

Have little patience and don't spend too much time doing one thing.

Because the island of Manhattan isn't very big, the touristy areas are not too separated from the areas where locals live and commute to work.

May and September are in my opinion the best months to visit.

And since you'll be exploring a lot, you'll be walking a lot.

Be ready and bring comfortable shoes.

If you're a woman, don't expect to wear heels when you go out unless you're just getting in and out of an Uber.

And if you do wear heels out, keep a pair of flats in your purse to change into later.

Więc, czy coś z tego listu jest szokującym dla Ciebie czy nie, ważne jest pamiętać, że więcej niż 8 milionów ludzi żyje w New York City i więcej niż 60 milionów odwiedza tę miasteczkę każdego roku.

If you're planning on flying to New York and need tips on museums or hotels or anything you may want to put on your itinerary, let me know.

And definitely make sure you have an itinerary and don't go anywhere without a plan.

please reach out to me at viola.naturalneangielski.com and if you're enjoying the podcast, leave a rating or a review wherever you stream your episodes.