Culture Shocks in Europe

by Win Young (Canada)

I didn't expect to find Germany

I was a student travelling on a budget, and the first long distance trip in my life was to Europe. My experience in Europe was far from my expectation as a shopper. As a Canadian, I didn’t expect to find incredible culture shocks because my belief was that Europe and Canada are both part of the western society and therefore share similar lifestyle. What I found shocking was that their cultures are different in many respects. For one, money was required for everything, including washroom and water, in Europe. I took a European Accent Tour in 2002, and the starting point was in London, England. Firstly, I expected London living to be full of glitter and glamour because it was a financial hub and was where the aristocracy resided in many of the historical romance novels I read. I didn’t expect to find London to be plainer than I had imagined. However, it did give me a sense of history in my tours of the Windsor Castle and Kensington Castle. I also saw many old red-brick buildings during my train ride from Heathrow airport into London. Thus, London gave me an impression of being a very ‘old’ city. We began our tour in London and drove across the borders into Europe. Along the way, we made brief stops at gas stations or convenient stores for a quick break and to stretch our legs. Our tour guide informed us about payments for the use of washrooms at these locations. We should pay the attendance inside the washroom for looking after the cleanliness of the facility. The attendance is like a janitor and who makes a living through collecting a fee for service. I thought she was joking at first because the washroom was part of the store. Lo and behold, the attendance passed us hot towels or napkins and ensured things were clean in the washroom. I did pay, and the experience didn’t end there. I experienced something similar in the Netherlands. To use the washroom in fast food restaurants like McDonalds, I had to buy food first before they gave me the key to the locked washroom. Moreover, I had to pay for packets of ketchups. After these experiences, I do love and appreciate my country, Canada, more. A few years later, I went back to Europe for a business study tour. I didn’t expect to find more culture shocks. When I visited the Munich University in Germany and talked to some students, I didn’t expect to find that they once had had a free education. No wonder they were complaining to me at the time of my visit that they had to pay a whopping €500 tuition per year. I had to put on a poker face for that meagre amount compared to my tuition. Furthermore, I didn’t expect to find that Germans love their beers more than water. I saw a man holding a bottle of beer in his hand while sitting on a bench in the park early in the morning. The price of water or an orange juice in a restaurant in Munich was almost thrice as expensive as a pint of beer. Shocking isn’t it? I get water for free in restaurants and from fountains in shopping malls. I didn’t expect to find more culture shocks after my 2002 trip, but I did. As I crossed into Madrid, Spain, I didn’t expect to find little to no restaurants open to serve lunch at noon. It was way past our normal lunch hour before my friend and I found a restaurant open for lunch. Later, I discovered that Spanish people don’t start their lunch hour until 3:00 p.m., and their meals could go on until midnight. One thing I’ve learned from these trips to Europe is never to take things for granted, and the grass is NOT always (perhaps NEVER) greener on the other side. So, appreciate where you are and what you have in life.