Living Abroad | Culture Shocks | Canada | France
Reverse Culture Shocks I Experienced in Canada After Living in France
After living in France for so long, every time I go back to Canada, these are the reverse culture shocks that I experience the most often.
Tax isn’t included in the price
When I came back to Canada this summer, I had a layover in Montreal and went to a Starbucks. I pulled the exact change for a cake pop and when it was time to pay, I was actually surprised that I didn’t have enough change in my hand. I completely forgot that tax isn’t included in the price.
I really don’t understand why the tax isn’t included. It would make shopping on a budget so much easier.
When I shop in France, I can do math in my head as I pick up different items and know exactly how much they’ll be at the register.
Tipping culture
When I go out to eat in, I rarely tip more than a couple of euros in France. Tipping is not really needed here because people are paid a livable wage.
It’s not so much that I forget that tipping is a thing in North America, I’m well aware that we have to tip, but it’s just shocking how much we’re expected to tip. Even tipping 20% now is only considered a decent tip, and we’re supposed to tip more.
In Canada, when I go into any place that sells food, there’s always a little cup near the till that’s labeled “TIPS”. I want to clarify that I don’t have anything against tipping, it’s just surprising how many places have a small tip jar. I go into a self-serve frozen yogurt place and there’s a little tip jar even though I did most of the work myself.
It’s actually a little weird how we’re just expected to tip to compensate for their low wages. Tipping should be an option, not a requirement. And thhe pressure needs to be on the employer to pay a decent wage, not on the consumer to suplement the low wage.
Portion sizes
In France (and likely most of Europe), portion sizes are much smaller. And once I get used to those sizes, they seem normal. When I go back to Canada, I can rarely finish the plate of food that I get at a restaurant and I have to ask for a to-go box.
But the plus side of that is that I get more for my money. I’ll get to bring that extra food home and I usually eat it for breakfast the next day.
The fruit is shiny
I went to the grocery store with my parents the other day, and all the fruit was weirdly shiny. I forgot that a big part of washing the fruit was removing the waxy layer that makes it look appealing. But in my opinion, shiny fruit just looks weird and unnatural. I’d rather my fruit look the way it’s supposed to.
Massive cars
In Europe, countries are old and cities are already well-established. That means that the roads tend to be pretty narrow and the cars reflect that. All the cars are small and if you have a bigger car, it won’t fit on the road as easily and it’ll be even harder to find parking spots to fit in.
I can often cross the road in around 5 steps but when I go to Canada, the lanes are wide and there are several lanes going each way so it can take a little while to get across.
Final thoughts
I grew up in Canada so all of these things were normal for me. It wasn’t until I left and experienced a different culture did I start to notice how weird some of these things are.
I usually write about travel, living and studying abroad, and personal development so if any of that interests you then you should follow me! And if you enjoyed this article then you might also enjoy these:
