Strange Everyday Things In The US
Weird Things About America for Indians: My First Surprising Lessons Abroad
Weird Things About America for Indians often show up in the smallest moments—things that seem ordinary to Americans but feel strange, surprising, or completely new for someone who grew up in India. When I moved to the U.S. as a teenager, these little details became the background of my life, shaping how I learned, adjusted, and eventually made this place feel like home.
Below are the 10 moments that truly stood out, written with the warmth and nostalgia I still feel when I look back on those early days.
1. The School System Shock
One of my earliest culture shock in the US for Indians came on my very first day of school. In India, the classroom is your world—you sit in the same room the entire day, and teachers move from one class to another. But in the U.S., the bell rings and suddenly every student rushes into the hallways, heading to completely different classrooms scattered across the building.
I remember standing there with my schedule, not understanding why everyone was running. Where do I go? Why do I have to move? Why does no one wait?
It wasn’t scary, but it felt like stepping into a completely different rhythm of life—one where independence is expected, not taught.
If you want to understand how a full day abroad feels after these early surprises, I shared more of those routines in A Day in the Life: Adjusting to Everyday Life as an NRI.
2. Talking to Teachers “The American Way”
Another difference I discovered quickly was how students talk to teachers. Here, you call them by their last name—“Mr. Thompson,” “Ms. Brown.” It felt so formal and cold compared to “Madam,” “Sir,” or “Teacher,” which carry familiarity and warmth back home.
What surprised me even more was how casually students spoke to teachers. They asked questions freely, joked with them, and even disagreed openly. Growing up in India, where we treat teachers almost like parents, this style of communication felt unusual—as if respect was shown differently, not through formality but through engagement.
3. Classroom Culture Differences
Another early shift came from how freely boys and girls interacted. Groups walked together, studied together, ate lunch together, and joined the same clubs and teams. No one looked twice.
Coming from a more reserved environment, this openness felt new—almost like a rule nobody explained but everyone automatically understood.
It taught me early on that the U.S. culture encourages collaboration, confidence, and social comfort in ways that can feel unfamiliar to newcomers.
4. My First Winter at Age 14
The hardest adjustment wasn’t school—it was winter. I was 14 when I saw snow for the first time. The excitement lasted only minutes before the shock hit me: the cold was unlike anything I had ever felt.
But what surprised me even more was the darkness. In November, the sun would set before 5 PM. Stepping out at 4:45 PM and seeing night fall so early felt like the day had been stolen.
Back home, evenings are loud and alive—children playing outside, markets waking up, buses honking, neighbors standing outside their homes talking. Here, the world felt still, silent, and dark before dinnertime.
Even today, early winter sunsets remain one of those everyday American customs that feel unusual, even after years of living here.
For more of these early shocks, I opened up about similar moments in Culture Shock I Didn’t Expect After Moving Abroad.
5. Shoes Inside the Home
If I had to choose one habit that still surprises me, it’s this one: Americans wear shoes inside the house. On carpets. On sofas. Even sometimes near the bed.
Growing up in India, shoes stay strictly at the door. You don’t bring outside dust, mud, or germs into your home. Home floors are where people sit, children play, and guests gather—keeping them clean is part of our culture.
Here, the logic is different: cleaner roads, more carpeted homes, and a belief that comfort outweighs the need to remove shoes. It’s still one of those strange American habits that makes me pause even now.
6. Everyday Convenience Culture
One thing you can’t miss in America is how much life revolves around convenience. Drive-thrus aren’t just for food—you find them at banks, pharmacies, coffee shops, and even some grocery stores.
The first time my family used a drive-thru, I felt like we were doing something secret. Ordering food from the car window felt futuristic and lazy at the same time.
India teaches you to step out, walk around, talk to people, and be part of the environment. America, on the other hand, teaches you to stay warm, stay efficient, and stay moving.
7. Strange Habits at Stores
Some of the things Indians find weird in America appear in everyday places like stores and malls. Automatic doors opening by themselves. Shopping carts that glide effortlessly. Giant parking lots. And huge aisles where you can find twenty brands of the same product.
In India, stores are smaller, crowded, lively, and full of conversation. Here, shopping can feel silent and organized—almost too organized at times. It took me a while to appreciate the calmness.
8. Cultural Rules Nobody Explains
A lot of American life runs on unspoken rules—tiny details that newcomers have to notice on their own. For example:
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Standing in perfect lines
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Holding doors for strangers
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Saying “excuse me” even when no one is blocking you
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Making eye contact while talking
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Smiling politely at strangers
These things seem small, but they shape how people interact. They’re part of why adjusting to American culture feels less like learning rules and more like learning rhythm.
9. What Still Feels Unusual Today
Even after many years, certain habits still feel unusual—for example, eating cold cereal for dinner, drinking freezing-cold beverages in winter, or walking outside in shorts when it’s barely above freezing.
These habits are harmless, but they teach you how deeply culture shapes comfort. What seems silly to one person feels normal to another.
That’s the beauty of living abroad—you learn that your default settings are not the only way to move through the world.
10. The Indian Sounds I Still Miss
Even today, the biggest thing I miss from India is the sound of life. The noise of rickshaws, buses, and village kids running to school. That sound is messy, loud, and completely alive.
Life in the U.S. is quieter, calmer, more organized. And while that brings comfort, it also makes me nostalgic for the India mornings that shaped my childhood.
If you ever felt torn between two cultures, Indian Traditions To Keep Living Abroad explores how we carry home with us even when daily life changes.
Final Thoughts
Weird Things About America for Indians become more than small surprises—they become quiet milestones in your journey of building a life far from home. These everyday moments, whether it’s the way schools work or how winter evenings feel, slowly shape how you adjust, understand, and eventually feel at ease in a new culture.
Later, I realized my reactions weren’t unusual at all. Many immigrants experience the same surprises, and reading pieces like Immigrants Explain What Shocked Them About American Culture helped me understand just how common these moments are when you move across cultures.
Even today, the mix of Indian memories and American routines continues to shape my life in unexpected ways—reminding me that moving abroad isn’t a single change, but an ongoing story that unfolds a little more every day.
