These aren’t biggest culture shocks, but shocks none the less. To me (Indonesian) the first time to:

Australia

• I hardly understood what people were saying at first. There weren’t any problems in campus, but when you started to venture to the city on your own, some people started speaking with thick accent and so many new vocabulary to me.
• When they let bush turkeys roaming around campus and first thing came into my mind was that some vet students forgot to close their cage.
• When a bus driver scolded me because I was waiting for the bus on the wrong bus stop but tried to stop him on the other stop. To be fair, there were 2 stops and each only roughly 20m apart and the signs weren’t clear enough (well at least for me who had only been there for few days).
• When I found Indomie billboard in campus! And Indomie products at major stores, not just Asian store. So happy…

USA

• when we (3 Indonesians) were really hungry and it was Sunday when we arrived (a lot of shops were already closed at the time), we found a pizza place that still opened and decided to order extra large as we were really hungry. Apparently, the portion size in USA were different. Even the medium size pizza more like large pizza back home. We ended bring some of it back to dorm.
• The first time I went to the cafeteria at university. The server asked me what kind of meat I want and if I wanted rice/fries on the side. This confused me because in Indonesia, they will automatically put rice first, then ask what kind of lauk (sides) we want, which will be meat/fish/chicken/veggies etc.
• When someone started to say how are you to me, but never giving me the time to tell him/her how I really was doing. To be honest, I didn’t know how to respond to this question so there were silence for several seconds usually. Should I tell him I was sad, nervous or should I just say I’m happy? Later I found out that it was like greetings and you don’t really need to describe your whole day experience.
• When there are nobody to tear off your ticket at studio doors in cinemas. Full disclosure, we managed to watch 3 movies with one ticket.. Not my best moment, I know.
• I was confused when my friend said the temperature was really nice since it was only in the 60s. I was like WTF? 60s? Apparently USA doesn’t use metric system. And this doesn’t stop in temperature. When someone asked my height, I automatically answered in cm instead of feet and inch. And when I tried to use ft and inch, I counted 1 ft is equal to 10 inch instead of 12, adding to miscalculation ;) And don’t let me start on weight, gallon of milk (vs gallon of water in Indonesia), etc.
• When they said my campus is in a 2nd biggest city in the state but it was merely 500.000 people, while Jakarta is easily 10 million people at any given time.
• Very limited bus service (time/route) and definitely no ojek (motorcycle taxi) to make my life easier…
• When a friend was surprised when I said I’m muslim and double check if it was true, and all those time I thought my hijab gave away my religion. It seems that if you’re not Arab/Pakistani looking than you can’t be Muslim.
• When a friend argued that it is not okay to breastfeed your baby in a restaurant even if the mother wear a fabric/some kind of cloth to cover the breast and automatically her infant’s head because it’s considered vulgar, while a billboard downtown showing models in a very skimpy bikini hugging a male model in speedo is perfectly fine. It is the other way around in Indonesia.
• When talking about skin color and body weight can lead to heated discussion, while in Indonesia it so common to say that someone is skinnier/heavier/darker/whitier if you haven’t seen those people after some time. Or we use those description to describe people without any ill-intent.
• when any kind of forms ask for my race. Unless it is census, no forms in Indonesia will ask your ethnicity.
• when it costs 50 cents - USD 1.5 for 1 mango. And you can easily get 1 kg for the same price back home. It really makes me appreciate the tropical fruits I have access to in Indonesia.

Croatia

• when I found out nobody check if you have valid ticket and/or if you have punch in your ticket in bus/trem. A friend once tried to cheat, and survived.. hahaha.
• when I found Indomie in a store and it was made in Serbia of all places, and they do have HALAL sign on the packaging.
• when I found local food was mostly plain (Indonesians love their spices) and the presentation of the food was more exciting than the taste. I was lucky since I stayed in dorm and had access to kitchen, so we can cook ourselves. Also, why is it that the more expensive the food is, the less the food they actually serve but in much bigger plate?

The Philippines

• when my friend and I approached an officer in the airport to ask some questions. My friend (European) asked in English, and he answered in English. I asked in English, and he answered in Tagalog and just left me afterwards. Perhaps he thought I’m a snob because speaking in English instead of Tagalog? Random people kept talking to me in Tagalog, only after I said I’m not Filipino they started to respond in English. I guess I do look like locals so they thought I’m local.
• There are hotels that you can rent by the hour. And the price is shown at front desk. I’m sure there are such hotels in Indonesia too, but nothing so obvious.
• there are garage hotels available by the hour too. Instead of hotel room, it’s actually a garage with en-suite bathroom.
• When you actually need to take off your shoes for airport scanner. Is it still happen now?

wew.. there’s a lot of culture shocks.. :)