The Antisocial Behaviors
How impenetrable some American accents are. I’m a native English speaker, but being in New York made me feel like everyone was speaking a different language.
Also, how unsocial and lonely Sweden felt. In Ireland, its not uncommon to make small talk with strangers. If you pass someone on the road when walking you’re usually expected to smile at them at the least. It’s the complete opposite in Sweden, I think. People seem not to acknowledge each other, or try not to draw any attention at all to themselves if they’re in public.
A local explained that if he goes to a bus stop and sees someone else already there, he would wait at least 5m away, even if it was raining and the stop was the only shelter. It felt very odd to me.