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11 Things That Surprised This Woman From New Zealand When She Moved To America

It’s not surprising that different countries have different customs and traditions. Things like fashion, food, buildings, and the way people live could blow someone’s mind if they have never seen them before. Culture shock is a term that perfectly describes how you feel when you move to a new place.

Jazz Thornton, a TikTok user, had some cultural changes when she moved to the United States. She shared her experiences in funny TikTok videos. Read on to find out what things in the US shocked her.

More Info: TikTok

#1 School At 7.30 Am

Image source: notjazzthornton

The first day of school will begin at 7:30 in the morning. Are teenagers awake at 7:30 in the morning? Where I come from, school starts every day at 9 a.m. That means you have to get up at, like, 6 or 7 in the morning. I didn’t get out of bed until about 7:30 in the morning. Who decided that teens work best at 7:30 in the morning?

#2 ‘i Really Wish I Had An Accent’

Image source: notjazzthornton

So, I was talking to an American the other day, and she looked me straight in the eyes and said, “Man, I really wish I had an accent.” I just talk like everyone else. Which made me say, “Ma’am, you do know that the United States isn’t the main character, right?” Everyone who isn’t American can hear that you have an accent.

#3 It’s Really Expensive To Have A Baby In The USA

Image source: notjazzthornton

The baby’s birth cost about $50,000. You’re getting into debt because of these kids. Hospitals in New Zealand are free of charge. So you could stay there for about four months after that and not pay anything. We do pay taxes to cover that, of course.

Jazz is a well-known fighter for mental health who also makes films and writes books. The 26-year-old woman’s job is to make people aware of and teach them about sensitive mental health problems that many people have. Because of this, she and a friend of hers started a group called Voices of Hope. Jazz tries to make people believe in themselves and have hope that things will get better, and it likes doing this. Through her videos, she likes to tell people about this.

#4 The Price That Is Displayed Is Not The Final Price

Image source: notjazzthornton

I bought a dress today, and when I went to pay for it, the price tag was like $10 more than what it said on the tag because they added tax later. Then, when you go to restaurants and other places, taxes and tips are added, so nothing is the regular price. If that happened to me in New Zealand and I went to pay for something and it was more than what the price tag said, I’d be like, “I’m sorry, what?”

#5 Tipping

Image source: notjazzthornton

Tipping isn’t even a thing where I come from, which is, again, America with all its math. How do I figure this out? What should I give to someone? The minimum wage in New Zealand is $20. That’s for a grownup. In the U.S., it costs $7.25. Taking into account that our currency is much weaker than America’s, it comes out to $14.10, which is double the minimum wage here. But also, do tips make people more money?

#6 American Portion Sizes

Image source: notjazzthornton

Now that I’ve been here for two weeks, I’ve learned that a lot of your sizes, like the large, are really big. Where I come from, I’m not used to it. So I thought, Was this really that big? So, is it tonight? So I said, “Okay, I’ll get a small.” I bought these things tonight. Please, are you pulling a joke on me? This is how big my hand is. This is my box of noodles.

#7 Dogs In Stores

Image source: notjazzthornton

So you’re telling me that in America, you can bring your dog into places with you? Like, guys, I was at H&M yesterday, right? And there were as many dogs as people in the store. I couldn’t be happier. We don’t have this in New Zealand, but I need it. So long as I can pet all the dogs, I’m happy.

#8 Scam Calls

Image source: notjazzthornton

I just recently got an American phone number, and the day I got it, I got about four scam calls in one day. And now they just get scam calls every day, several times a day. I think I got about one scam call every two months in New Zealand.

#9 Burger And Sandwich

Image source: notjazzthornton

Can someone tell me why this is called a burger and this is called a sandwich? If it’s made of meat, it’s a burger. Whether it’s chicken or a sandwich, it’s on a bun.