5 Surprising Things I Experienced in the United States: A Brazilian Teacher’s Perspective
Hey, guys! Teacher Taise here. Today I came here to talk a little about my experience with the two-year exchange program in California.
As I had been an English teacher for five years before moving to the United States and had already spoken English for over ten years, I always thought that I wouldn’t have any surprises when arriving in the land of Uncle Sam. Little did I know that culturally, most everyday situations bring several new experiences and that I would experience so many different sensations. Let’s get to know five impressions I noticed in the first few weeks of living there!
1. People Talk to You on the Street
Imagine with me: the first week in California, the premiere of Avengers Infinity War, and I couldn’t wait to go to the movies. My host mom gave me a ride, and I went to the cinema alone. I left the session in tears (Marvel fans know why) and to my surprise, upon returning home on foot, I was greeted by several people on the street. Without fail, everyone who passed me on the street said, “Hello there”, “Good morning!” or “Hope you have a nice day.” An elderly lady even stopped me and asked if I was okay. I thought it would only be this time, but people there are like that, and several times later, I was able to witness how welcoming they are and how they like to wish good morning, good afternoon, and good evening to everyone, including strangers.
2. The Number of American Flags
One thing is for sure in the United States: you always know you’re in the United States. In most houses, markets, dealerships, restaurants, and even in-store bathrooms! There’s always at least one American flag nearby. I’m from a relatively small city in Santa Catarina, and I don’t know if it’s like this in the rest of Brazil, but here, we only see this amount of Brazilian flags during the World Cup or another major event, so imagine my surprise to see myself surrounded by red, white, and blue everywhere. It was strange at first, but after a while, we get used to it and even find it odd when there isn’t one.
3. The Taste of Corn
This one will be very unusual, but just to give you an idea, I love corn. Every summer, I eat corn on the cob with salt and butter and simply think it’s the pinnacle of Brazilian cuisine. It had been about two months since I was in California when I finally went to a barbecue where there was corn on the cob, among other well-known American delicacies such as hot dogs and burgers. My eyes shone when I saw it, and obviously, I served myself a beautiful cob. I was really surprised when I bit into the corn and discovered that, in fact, their corn is sweet, very sweet. I pretended to be used to it and finished my cob à la Willy Wonka, but I was sad because I expected it to be the same as in Brazil. So, the tip is, if you’re going to eat corn in the States, know that it’s very sweet!
4. Same-Day Delivery
This may not surprise those who live in places like São Paulo or Rio and have access to fast deliveries because the sites in Brazil have warehouses in the same city. But for someone like me who has had to wait over a month for a national order, having same-day deliveries was like traveling to the future! On sites like Amazon, you can even order something like a washing machine or a refrigerator in the morning and receive it before the end of the day. Besides being fast, in most cities, delivery people leave deliveries in front of people’s homes, and no one takes them! Crazy stuff for a suspicious Brazilian like me.
5. Big Brands Everywhere!
Last, but not least, we have the big brands that are everywhere in the country. From New York to Los Angeles, you can always find a Starbucks to grab a coffee, a Walmart to do your shopping, or a Target to buy anything from clothes to food. These are companies that have franchises even in the most remote towns or stop on the loneliest roads. In my city here in Brazil, we also have big supermarkets and stores, but the number of small local businesses is much higher than in the United States, which surprised me a lot. On the one hand, it’s great to know that you can always find the same products anywhere, but on the other hand, the number of small businesses or businesses made by people in the region is significantly reduced.
That was just a little part of my experience there, I’ll share more with you soon! I hope you enjoyed and learned more about American culture. Now, tell me: Have you ever been to the United States? What surprised you the most? Leave it in the comments below for us!
Until next time, stay curious, everyone!
