March 2nd 2024.
Upon moving to the United States with her family, British mum Caroline was taken aback by the size of her car. She even shared a video with her 720K TikTok followers on her account MummysFlippinHouse, where she expressed her shock at the differences between her home country and America.
One particular instance that caused Caroline to "freak out" was when a waiter took her credit card to process the payment at a restaurant. In the UK, payments are usually done at the table to prevent fraud. Caroline found this process strange, and she even joked that she would follow the waiter to make sure they didn't take too long.
She also pointed out the use of signature and chip and pin payments instead of contactless, which is more common in the UK. This brought up the topic of tipping, which is a major part of the hospitality industry in the US. Caroline didn't mention it in her video, but tipping has become a controversial issue, with some waiters demanding higher tips due to low salaries.
Experts from StressFreeCarRental.com stated that while 10% tip is acceptable in most countries, it is recommended to leave 15-20% in the US, as tips make up a significant part of a server's salary. Caroline also mentioned that in the UK, most payments can be made through one's phone, making contactless payments more convenient.
Moving to a different country also meant learning about its laws and regulations. Caroline was surprised to find out that each state has its own laws, in addition to federal laws. She joked that she thought everything was decided by the White House. Another aspect that caught her off guard was how proud Americans are of their home states, with different mentalities and views.
While there were some cultural differences that took some getting used to, Caroline also found some things that she loves about America. She mentioned her love for big cars, Chick-fil-A, and the Minnesotan accent. She also appreciated the American hospitality when her neighbor welcomed her with a bag of popcorn, something that she joked would never happen in her country.
However, there were also some things that she found challenging, such as the sensitivity of Americans. She mentioned that everything is taken very literally, and people will argue about simple statements like "the sky is blue." She also had a love-hate relationship with the convenience of fast food, with the abundance of drive-thrus in the US compared to the UK.
In the end, Caroline asked her followers to share their experiences of moving to a different country and what surprised them the most. She noted that it was a learning experience for her to adapt to a new culture and that she has come to appreciate the differences between the UK and the US.
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