What is your most memorable cultural shock? 你印象最深的文化冲击是什么？
In summer of 2015, I was in Helsinki, Finland for an internship. Although, I had read that Finnish people are reserved and like tostay within their space, I had not expected it to be this: 2015年夏天，我在芬兰首都赫尔辛基实习。虽然我之前听说过芬兰人比较冷淡而且不喜欢别人闯入自己的空间，但是我没想到会是这样： At a bus stop: You are alone in the shade of the stop and that is your space. No one will come to bother you. 在公交车站：你一个人站在站牌阴影下，而这就是你的空间，没人会来打扰你。
Inside a bus: You enter a bus and see that all the window seats are occupied. You don't have a seat and have to stand. Respect that space! (This is rather extreme, but you definitely get anxious as to where should you sit.) 在公交车内：你上了一辆公交车，然后看到所有靠窗的位子都有人了。虽然旁边还有位子，但是你就没位子了，必须得站着。因为要尊重个人空间！（这很极端，但说到坐哪里，你一定会感到很焦虑。）
You are scared to shout to the driver to stop the bus: I was running to catch the bus and signaled the driver by my hands to stop the bus. I entered the bus and saw all eyes were turned to me. I have never felt so guilty of anything. 你不敢朝司机大喊让他停车：我跑过去拦公交车还挥手示意司机停车，当我上车之后看到所有人都转过来看着我。我从来没有这么内疚过。
I caught my Finnish neighbor sneaking into his room and pretending that he didn't see me in the hallway: 我当场看到我的芬兰邻居偷偷进他自己的房间还假装没在玄关看到我：
There was seemingly no traffic and I decided to cross the road while the light was still red. I looked back and saw a man shaking head in discontent. I waited for it to turn green next time onward. 路上看起来没有车辆，所以我决定在红灯的时候过马路。我回过头看到一个男人在很不满地摇头。所以我等到绿灯了才往前走。
Finns don't like small talk. You ask general questions and a long, detailed answer follows. 芬兰人不喜欢闲聊。你问普通的问题会得到一串又长又详细的回答。
In Japan, during my first week here, I had to go through a medical check-up in the university clinic, a normal procedure for the new students and old ones as well. 到日本的第一周，我在校医务室要参加一次体检，这是新老学生都要经历的常规步骤。 I didn't know where the clinic building was, so I asked another student about it. She told me that she was on her way to the clinic too, and that she could show me the place. While we were on our way, she began asking me where I was coming from and so on; as I was replying to her, I noticed that she was wearing a face-mask, one exactly like this: 我不知道医务室在哪里，所以我问了另一个学生。她告诉我他也要去医务室，她还可以带我去那里。我们走在路上的时候，她开始问我来自哪里等问题，我在回答她的时候注意到她戴了个口罩，就像这样：
I thought that perhaps it was a must to wear a face-mask before going to the clinic, as a kind of protection against some prospective infections. 我以为这也许是因为去医务室之前必须要戴口罩，是一种预防潜在感染的手段。 I asked her: "Is it necessary to wear a face-mask before going to the clinic?" 我问她：“去医务室之前一定要戴口罩吗？” She replied: "No, no… I just didn't do my makeup today." 她回答：“不，不是的······我只是今天没有化妆罢了。”
Squat Toilets. 蹲式厕所。 Found to be the most common type of public toilet in China, I genuinely thought that I would eventually be able to learn how to use these things and become at one with the culture during my two-month stay in Beijing last summer. 我发现这是在中国最常见的公共厕所，我曾经真的以为我总能学会怎么用这种厕所，并且能够在去年夏天呆在北京的两个月里成功融入这种文化。 I never managed to learn how to use them in my entire two months spent in Beijing. 然而我在北京呆了整整两个月还是没学会。
Some friends and I go to a bar to have a few beers before dinner. Beer is expensive in Japan and so we order a couple of pitchers to save a few precious yen as opposed to bottles or individual pints. 我和几个朋友在晚饭前到酒吧喝啤酒，在日本啤酒很贵，所以我们只点了几罐啤酒，而没有选择按杯或者品脱计算，这可以省下点钱。 We finish the beers, ask for the check, get it and leave some money on the table. It came to 4990 yen. We leave a 5000 yen note, thank the waiter and leave. 我们喝完酒，准备结账，然后将钱留在桌子上。总共4990円，我们留下5000円然后离开。 As we are an entire block away, we hear someone shouting behind us, and waving a piece of paper. We quickly realise it is the waiter from the bar. 当我们已经出了店，听到后面有人在喊，拿着一张纸币。我们很快认出是那家酒吧的服务员。 He doesn't speak English, we don't speak Japanese but he had chased us out of the bar for an entire block to give us the 10 yen in change. This is worth around 0.06 (10c USD). 他不会讲英语，我们不会讲日语，但是他追了我们一个街区只为了找我们10円零钱，而这差不多相当于0.06美元。 Tipping doesn't exist in Japan, or even simply leaving a tiny bit of change to save the waiter the hassleof getting you the change isn't a thing. 日本没有给小费的习惯。如果你给了服务员小费，也只会给他们增加麻烦，他们还要将钱还给你。 From there on in, I never tipped and waited for my change everywhere I went. 从那之后，我从不给小费，会等服务员找零钱给我。
I was in Shenzhen, China, and a family stopped me and my wife and asked us (my friend interpreted) if they could have their children take a photo with us. They were visitors from the interior of the country, and had never seen an American before. 我在中国深圳的时候，有一家人拦住了我和我妻子，然后问我们(我的朋友翻译)是否可以和他们的孩子合张影。他们是来自内地，从没见过美国人。 A similar thing happened in Shanghai. This time I was alone walking across the Waibaidu Bridge, and a group of teenage girls asked me (using sign language this time) if I could pose with them for a photo. I was happy to oblige, and I recall them all giggling as the photo was taken. (I wish I had a copy.) 同样的事发生在上海。我一个人走在外白渡桥，一群少女问我(这次用肢体语言)能否跟他们合张影。我很乐意，在拍照时我让他们都大笑。(我期待照片复印件) Another surprise: I was in Pudong (the newly rebuilt area of Shanghai) and I couldn’t find the entrance to the subway (a two stop line between Pudong and the Bund). I approached a man who was walking near me, showed him the ticket I had for the ride, and he nodded vigorously. Then he indicated I should follow. We went about 4 blocks; he pointed to the entrance, smiled, turned and walked away. I had no time to offer him a tip, which (in retrospect) was a good thing because it might have been taken as an insult. I couldn’t believe that he had taken so much trouble for a stranger. 另一个惊喜：我在浦东(上海重建地区)找不到地铁出口(在浦东和外滩之间有停车线)。我询问了一位正在走近我的男士，给他看了我的票，他猛地点头。然后他让我跟着他。我们走了四个街区，他微笑着指了入口处，然后转身离开。我来不及感谢他给他小费，不过回想起来，给小费可能是一种侮辱。我无法相信他可以为一个陌生人做这么多。 Again, similar experiences repeated themselves across China. The friendliness of the people, theircourtesy, and their eagerness to help was wonderful. I don’t know if that classifies as “cultural shock” but it made me think about the US, and how I rarely experience such courtesy in my own country. 我在中国有许多类似的经历。人们的友好热情、热心帮助他人让人感觉很棒。我不知道这是否归结于“文化冲击”。但这让我想到了美国，在美国我很少感受到这种友好。
