Culture Shock Stories | Why We Can't Go Back to the UK After Living in Vietnam
Manage episode 486042662 series 3649858
Ever wondered what happens when two Brits spend nearly a decade living in Vietnam?
Turns out you start preferring chaotic traffic that actually moves, discover that Greg's sausage rolls aren't actually worth missing, and learn that throwing prawn shells on the floor makes perfect sense.
Jack and Adam share their cultural awakening stories from Southeast Asia, exploring how living between two worlds completely reshapes your perspective on everything from healthcare (same-day appointments for £2) to weddings (getting absolutely smashed by 11 am before everyone goes home).
From karaoke at 9 am to rice wine before breakfast, they unpack the culture shocks that first horrify then enlighten, and why they might never be able to go back to British life.
Plus, that awkward moment when your father-in-law nicks your flip-flops and you have to explain why this mortally offends your British sensibilities.
🌏 The Cultural Journey:
00:00 - Setting the scene: two Brits gone native in Vietnam
05:00 - Why throwing shells on the floor actually makes perfect sense
12:00 - How Vietnamese traffic chaos beats British motorway gridlock
19:00 - Health and safety is apparently complete bollocks (who knew?)
29:00 - The bureaucratic treasure hunt vs endless forms nightmare
36:00 - Why you don't see homeless people despite lower wages
43:00 - The community spirit that Britain seems to have lost
50:00 - When being the only white person gets properly exhausting
54:00 - Vietnamese weddings: drunk by 11am, home by lunchtime
58:00 - Healthcare that actually works (and costs next to nothing)
🇻🇳 If you've ever lived abroad and found yourself defending things you once thought were mental, you'll relate to this episode.
Subscribe for more conversations about the peculiar experience of becoming a cultural hybrid.
🌐 Check out temporallyscripted.com for more stories about expat life and the weird ways different cultures solve the same problems.
#ExpatLife #Vietnam #CulturalDifferences #LivingAbroad #BritishExpats #Podcast #Travel #SoutheastAsia #UKPodcast #CrossCultural #talkshow #ukposdcast
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16 episodes