10 things Hungarians find weird about the United States

Here is a list of unique habits that are ordinary for people in the United States, but Hungarians find them quite interesting (if not a little bit odd).

Edina was a prominent figure of Hungarian media for 22 years. She regularly appeared as a host on both radio and TV. She got married to her Cuban husband Alberto in 2004. The pair has two children. Their family moved to Florida in 2015. She started posting videos on YouTube about five months ago. She makes videos about her everyday life in Florida, highlighting their adventures and all of the exciting things that happen to them in the U.S.

Read also10+1 Hungarian customs that everybody else finds weird

Edina posted a video to her YouTube channel in January in which she lists many things she found odd when she first moved to the United States. Even though she has gotten used to all of these habits, she thought that these might interest others who are planning a trip or a move to the U.S.

Let’s jump into her list!

Greetings

Americans usually greet others by saying “Hello, how are you?” However, they are not really interested in how you are feeling; they are just polite. Hungarians, on the other hand, can take this question quite literally and start listing their daily struggles.

Obsession with air conditioning

Air conditioning is on pretty much everywhere on the West coast: shops, restaurants, bars, etc. Better to prepare with a cardigan at all times.

Everything is Huge

Hungarians are not actually used to small portions, but the dish sizes in America are astonishing even to us. Do not be surprised if you order something at a restaurant and cannot finish it, even though you were starving. And it is not just the meals but also packaged goods. For example, you can buy a bottle of wine that is 3 litres, while here wine bottles are traditionally 0.7 litres, but the same goes for anything from chips to fabric softeners.

Quality of service

The quality of service in restaurants might come as a “nicely odd” surprise for Hungarians. Customer satisfaction is taken much more seriously in the U.S. than in Hungary. You will not see bored, rude faces behind the counters like you do here in Budapest for example.

Tips

Tipping work is slightly different in the U.S. than in Hungary. 15% of your total amount is considered the minimum amount you would tip, but 18-20% is usual if you were satisfied. In many places, waiters live off of tips, so if you are satisfied with your overall experience, don’t be cheap.

When the police pull you over

In Hungary, there are no specific rules for when you are pulled over the road by the police. They usually ask for your license and registration, and that’s it. In the U.S., this simple act has hard and fast rules for how you should behave. You must stop the engine completely, do not leave the vehicle, roll down the windows, put your hands on the wheel (they should be visible), and wait patiently without sudden movements.

Pharmacies

Unlike here in Hungary, in the U.S., you can find much more goods in pharmacies than only pills and drugs. They even store particularly unhealthy items like snacks, ice cream, soft drinks, and even alcohol.

Drive throughs

It is rather hard for us to imagine a bank with a drive-through section, but it is quite common on the other side of the ocean. Here, you can see drive-throughs at McDonald’s and Burger King, and that’s pretty much it. However, in the U.S., many other processes are made fast and easy with this option.

Extremely white teeth

Having the perfect smile is a must. People in the U.S. have teeth that are literally twice as white as the whitest shade you can find in Europe. Do you remember that episode on Friends when Rodd leaves the teeth whitener on for a little bit too long? That’s what everybody seems like to us.

Different metric system

How people measure stuff in the U.S. drastically differs from how we measure things here. Instead of Celsius, people use Fahrenheit, instead of km/hour, they use miles, etc. Be prepared and save a couple of online converters for your trip.

Taxes

In the U.S. the tax of goods is not included in the price you see on the shelves. The tax is added to your whole amount at the end of shopping when you are checking out. Taxation is different in every state, so this is how they managed it best. Keep in mind, when you are putting that third bag of M&M’s in your cart.

Featured image: Illustration/Pixabay

Source: YouTube

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