England

Culture Shock at Home – or ‘A Tourist’s Guide to London’

Culture Shock at Home – or ‘A Tourist’s Guide to London’

London is one of those cities that everyone loves.

For hopeful travellers it’s a must-see destination, and many people I’ve met around the world get significantly excited when I say it’s my hometown.

“So you’re from London?”

“Yep, I was born there.”

“Oh! So you’re actually from London!”

“Yeah. Born and bred…”

But after living in South America for the last year, my intricate knowledge of my home city have taken a back seat.

So much so that, when I touched down again on English soil three weeks ago, I had to deal with quite a bit of culture shock.

The problem with London

Arriving into Heathrow felt normal enough. I’d spent a grand total of thirty eight hours in transit since leaving Cusco in Peru, so I barely registered the green fields and small semi-detached houses that lined the motorway. Instead, I was more concentrated on fighting to keep my eyes from closing while explaining a year’s worth of travelling to my dad as he drove us back to South London.

Within days of being back, it seemed remarkable that I’d ever been away. Home life was immediately familiar: sleeping in a single bed at my dad’s house, a purring cat climbing into my lap at every available opportunity, eating a ridiculous amount of Marmite, bagels, English cheese and good bacon. It all seemed completely normal.

Culture Shock at Home – or ‘A Tourist’s Guide to London’

But being back in London itself? That was a different story.

With only three weeks to catch up with as many friends as possible, I found myself racing all over the city in an attempt to fit in with various people’s full time work schedules. And during this constant crisscrossing of London, I began to catch glimpses of this most famous of cities that, as a local, I’ve never noticed before.

It was almost as if I was seeing my home through the eyes of a tourist, and judging it the way any first time visitor would.

A lot of elements and details that were once familiar now seemed acutely foreign; and it just pushed home to me how much travelling has the ability to change you, and to open your eyes.

Time and time again.

#1. People in London are very self conscious

While waiting for a train on a crowded platform this week, I watched a woman playfully scrunch her hair, fling it maniacally over her shoulder then purse and pout her lips, either at an invisible admirer or at her reflection in the glass doors. It was about midday, and I wasn’t entirely sure why she was putting on such a show.

But this level of self-consciousness is a common trait all over London. There’s something about this city that makes people incredibly concerned with how they look.

Everywhere I go – whether it’s waiting at the bus stop, sitting in bars and restaurants, or pushing my way through crowds of shoppers in high street stores – I’ve noticed a huge number of women and men preening themselves, and throwing out surreptitious glances to see if anybody’s watching.

Culture Shock at Home – or ‘A Tourist’s Guide to London’

It’s somewhat like this busker in Colombia (although everyone’s clearly watching him…)

Even the tourists are more self conscious. Many are carrying designer handbags, wearing designer clothes and generally appearing rather smug that they fit into the ‘real’ London vibe.

Except in twenty-odd years I’ve never swanned about the Underground as if I was a fashion model.

Of course, this behaviour is very much present in South America too. But perhaps because it’s so much more blatant out there that I’m more readily able to accept it.

Plus because I’ve spent the last year studiously avoiding wearing make up and embracing the ‘natural look’ (ugh), being thrust back into a very appearance-conscious world again has made me feel suddenly more ashamed of my scattered spots and flushed cheeks. I’ve begun to care about how I look very quickly, and I don’t like that.

Surely an entire year of wearing a minimal selection of clothes and no make up should have more of a lasting impact than just a few weeks?

#2. London turns you into a hoarder

When you’re travelling, you suddenly revert to owning very little – and it can be both quite restricting and incredibly freeing.

And even though I’ve been living exceedingly minimally with thirteen kilos of possessions for the last year, it’s been frighteningly easy to lapse back into having so much stuff in London. Clothes, shoes, bags, miscellaneous possessions – part of me has no idea what to do with it all, but my greedy side has immediately embraced the long forgotten feeling of ownership.

Culture Shock at Home - or 'A Tourist's Guide to London'

For instance, I’m an unashamed bag hoarder. Over the years I’ve accumulated them from every place possible: leather handbags from Italy, cloth bags from India, embroidered purses from Morocco, and at least a couple from South America.

And it makes me feel a little sick to realise that, in three weeks, I’ve been able to switch what bag I use every couple of days.

Then there’s been the sudden opportunity to repack, which has been both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, I know what climates I’m going to be in for the next few months and so can pack accordingly – but on the other hand, I feel an immense pressure to get it exactly right.

There have been so many trips to Boots pharmacy for medical supplies, electronic stores for new SD cards and various travel shops for all the things. Stocking up on what was missing from my initial packing last year has been the most fun activity – but ultimately I’m rather excited to just be back in South America again, where I’ll have to cope with whatever I’ve thrown haphazardly into my backpack.

#3. The whole world lives in London

The amount of people thronging London’s streets is bordering on the ridiculous. Everywhere you look there are crowds; at train stations, on the tube, glassy eyed shoppers wandering Oxford Street and Covent Garden.

A few days ago I realised that at least a hundred people had passed me in the last minute, and yet I’d probably never see any of their faces ever again. And then my brain started to fizz.

But the over popularity of London also has a plus point I’d never been aware of before; there are a huge amount of Spanish speakers in this city. It’s reached the point where I’ve officially become a Spanish language stalker, and discreetly pause my music to eavesdrop on any Spanish conversation I accidentally overhear.

Culture Shock at Home – or ‘A Tourist’s Guide to London’

Fun fact: at least three of these people speak Spanish! (I don’t know if that’s true)

But in just three weeks I’ve also walked behind groups of Italian students, tried on clothes in dressing rooms with Greek families, heard flurries of Hindi in the supermarket and listened to languages I can’t even identify in every other aspect of my London life.

Perhaps being an obvious foreigner for so long in South America makes me more aware of it now, but I’ve never been so acutely aware of London’s diversity before. Not just people from all over the world living here, but active communities of those nationalities springing up.

So even though hearing so much English all the time is a bit of a shock, I know I can still usually find some Spanish if I listen out for it. Although it does make me dangerously tempted to strike up conversation with total strangers, purely on the pretext of showing off my mediocre Spanish skills.

#4. Londoners need their own space – and politeness dictates you can’t disturb it

Sadly, London is cold. And I don’t just mean the brutal January weather, either. Its people are renowned for having the most frosty of dispositions, which can easily make a tourist feel rather uncomfortable.

Long ago I fell into the habit of smiling profusely at strangers when travelling as a means of breaking the ice, and it’s now an intrinsic part of my behaviour. It can work wonders when abroad (particularly with children) but I can’t do it in London. There’s no point.

Culture Shock at Home - or 'A Tourist's Guide to London'

I was sitting on the Tube opposite a middle aged couple, when the man stretched out his leg and accidentally brushed the tip of my boot with his shoe. I mean brushed – the two shoes barely made contact, and I didn’t feel a thing – but the shock and embarrassment on his face was unavoidable.

“Oh, I’m very sorry,” he muttered, averting my gaze. Presumably thinking I was about to glower at him and switch seats for the very indecency of accidentally touching my foot.

The London Underground is filled with people staring pointedly down at their iPhones, Kindles and newspapers. You can’t so much as knock a stranger’s elbow when pushing onto the Tube without engaging in an immediate apologetic exchange – and much of that apology is actually for disturbing that person’s personal space. (If you’ve ever tried to strike up conversation on public transport in London, you’ll know how serious this interruption can be. We Londoners value our personal space like nothing else.)

Of course, the moment there’s any kind of disturbance to the London transport system, like a bus delay or a train strike, everybody starts chattering about the situation in either overly jovial or increasingly dramatic tones, like we’re all the best of friends.

And speaking of transport…

#5. London transport requires time, dedication and patience

My dad’s house is in an area of London that’s particularly lacking in transport links. To reach the nearest train station requires a ten minute bus ride; and once I’ve caught said train I still need to ride the Tube in order to get further into the city.

Needless to say, I haven’t enjoyed the sudden need to allot myself an hour of transit time to get anywhere.

But I’ve noticed further issues with having to use so much public transport. Firstly, it’s hugely overpriced – a weekly travelcard for zones 1 and 2 costs £31 – and secondly, it makes London absolutely exhausting.

Culture Shock at Home - or 'A Tourist's Guide to London'

Watching the train departures board is guaranteed to put you to sleep.

I watched a man fall asleep standing up while waiting for the train. I spot numerous tourists catching a quick nap in between stations. And when I finish dinner or drinks with friends at 11pm and it’s raining outside, I know it’s going to be at least an hour of train/tube/bus journeys to eventually get back home.

It’s made me much more resolved to get myself a bicycle when I eventually find myself back in London. Although that would also require a lot of cycling practice on closed roads first. And probably a very sturdy helmet.

An inability to settle

There’s a bigger problem at stake than just London culture shock, though. I’m secretly worried I’m on the path to feeling like I don’t belong here – or anywhere, in fact. I’ve always loved London: even when I came back after a year spent studying in San Francisco, or six months travelling around Asia, I was happy to be home.

So what is it about a year in South America that’s changed my perceptions so drastically?

Culture Shock at Home - or 'A Tourist's Guide to London'

Firstly, I think a year spent in a starkly different environment than you were raised in is always going to make an impact. It’s one of the reasons we travel, after all: to learn, change and grow from exposure to something different.

But secondly, this impromptu trip back home was never destined to be normal. Instead of slowly settling back into the London lifestyle, I’ve been on a time limit, never allowing myself to properly get into a routine, and constantly thinking about South America.

My three weeks in London was also always going to be about seeing my friends rather than the city itself. Having the unexpected opportunity to enjoy copious lunches in cafes and dinners in quirky restaurants, drinks in bars and cups of tea around a very familiar kitchen table is something I’ve absolutely adored.

Culture Shock at Home – or ‘A Tourist’s Guide to London’

Enjoying a wondrous reunion with two British friends I met when volunteering in Ecuador.

London itself, however? Not so much. Maybe I need more than a few weeks to get into the swing of London again – or maybe I need to know I’ll be hanging around for a lot longer.

Besides, it’s ok to get swept up in crowds from time to time. And looking at the overly made-up faces peering out from underneath umbrellas, looking terrified about the never ending rain and the danger of melting mascara, it’s made me realise I really don’t care about my spots like I once did.

I care more about my friends and my family, and enjoying a few weeks of my cat falling asleep curled up into my shoulder every night.

Culture Shock at Home – or ‘A Tourist’s Guide to London’

Definitely the cutest cat I’ve ever met.

It’s also been unexpectedly lovely to notice the differences in London in a way I’ve never known. I’ve spotted businessmen in black suits with bright red scarves; a street cleaner singing as he sweeps up leaves on a wet London street; a smily face drawn in the dust of a bus door.

I’ve caught the happiness in a Big Issue seller’s voice when I stop to chat and buy a magazine in the middle of the Covent Garden crowds. I’ve been amazed at the girl from South Korea who knows nobody in a central London pub and can barely speak English, but strikes up conversation at the bar regardless.

These last three weeks, I’ve started seeing London the way that non-locals do. Seeing it from a different viewpoint to the way I did before leaving for South America.

And I don’t think that’s necessarily a bad thing.

Have you ever seen your home town from a tourist perspective? How do you deal with culture shock? 

Culture Shock at Home - or 'A Tourist's Guide to London'

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25 Comments

  • Reply
    Kiara Gallop
    February 6, 2014 at 8:23 am

    Being a traveller, a Brit, and someone who visits London often (as I have a friend who lives there), I can relate to all the points you make here! The first photo of Marmite made me smile too as that’s one of the things I miss when I’m away from home. I remember getting back from 6 months in South East Asia and my mum had left a jar of Marmite on the side and a giant block of mature Cheddar in the fridge 🙂

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:02 pm

      Now that’s probably the best treat to ever come home to! I’m on the hunt for a bottle of squeezy Marmite today to take back to Peru. Not sure why I ever thought not bringing any was a sensible idea…

  • Reply
    Turf to Surf
    February 6, 2014 at 11:14 am

    Lovely post – the feeling of coming “home” can be so much weirder than than that of landing in a foreign place. But don’t be worried that you may not fit in anywhere. Take it from someone who’s been on the road for 15 years, met her husband 10 years ago while traveling and has no intention of stopping any time soon, some times you fit into places at different times of your life, depending on what you’re looking for. It may be that you fit in somewhere for a few months or a few years, but I don’t ever see anywhere as my “permanent” home. Nowhere on earth can give me everything I want at every stage of my life. So I’ve grown to appreciate what a place can offer me right now. Until I move on in search of my next home. 🙂

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:03 pm

      Thanks for the morale boost Tasha 🙂 It’s really lovely to think that different places become your homes for periods at a time, until you decide to search for a new one.

  • Reply
    Saki
    February 6, 2014 at 11:42 am

    Excellent post Flora! I can totally understand the culture shock upon returning to your home country. I’ve just moved to London myself (although for short term) to get a feel of the city and it’s very true how reserved people are. I would love to live in South America for a while, I feel it’s in our nature to seek a place where we don’t feel judged and don’t have to worry about our looks. Such is the case with why I left Australia, and people are shocked as to why I would leave such a beautiful country. I moved to help myself grow and learn, starting with London, where I feel more comfortable talking to Aussie expats than Aussies back at home.

    Safe travels!

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:08 pm

      I often find that happening – when you meet people from your home country while abroad you seem to have tons of stuff in common! I think it’s great to experience new ways of looking at your own city though. Just feels a little bizarre at the same time..!

  • Reply
    Lily La
    February 6, 2014 at 2:54 pm

    I’m actually currently in my first year of being away from London, and I’m intrigued about how I feel when I do go back home. Part of me can’t wait – being away from London has made me miss and love it even more! I know a lot of people who have had similar culture shock at home when they return – I definitely look forward to it though! Can’t wait to dig into awesome food over a pint at the pub.

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:14 pm

      There have been too many pints in too many pubs this last three weeks! That, and a heavy amount of cheese indulgence.

  • Reply
    Brenna
    February 6, 2014 at 3:59 pm

    I can totally relate to this – how we perceive home once we’ve returned from a long time away. I see some of these things happening in London, but I think because I live here and am so immersed in my life here, the positive things far outweigh the bad. I’ve actually been overwhelmed by how kind and friendly everyone is here, I expected the opposite!

    It’s always so strange going home again…

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:16 pm

      There are definitely a lot of friendlier people around the city. You’ve clearly been hanging around the right areas! Also exactly – I think living somewhere and being adjusted to that mentality is what sometimes makes all the difference. Because I know I’ve been in a state of transit this month I haven’t allowed myself to feel like I’m settling in again – hence my sudden tourist opinions.

  • Reply
    Caitlyn
    February 6, 2014 at 8:44 pm

    That was a really lovely post to read, thankyou 🙂 I can totally relate to so many of these, especially the eavesdropping. I returned home for a month (to Melbourne, Australia) after three years away at the end of last year, and just couldn’t stop listening to people. Usually I couldn’t understand more than a word or two, but all of a sudden I could distinguish Spanish, Croatian, Polish, etc. Gave everything so much depth! I also loved looking at the architecture in a different light, comparing the styles that were in fashion over in Europe at a certain time that would then inevitably appear on the other side of the world as well!

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:22 pm

      Isn’t it the best feeling when the travels you’ve just come home from are equally present in your home life too?? Also congrats for being able to pick out Croatian from a crowd 🙂 My language recognising skills are mainly limited to Spanish, Italian, German, Russian and French. Then I just have to start guessing…

  • Reply
    Lunaguava
    February 6, 2014 at 9:45 pm

    Gaining a new perspective: that pretty much sums up my main reason to travel far and wide. As an occasional visitor, London was a difficult city to love at first. Each visit made it more appealing though, much helped by the presence of friends. Great photos and lovely read. Good luck!

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      I think having friends in any city is always one of the biggest keys to experiencing the place in a better and fuller way. Glad you found yourself enjoying London eventually 🙂

  • Reply
    Culture Shock at Home – or 'A Tourist's Guide to London' | fast horses
    February 6, 2014 at 10:12 pm

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  • Reply
    Pepe Samson
    February 7, 2014 at 6:26 am

    Interesting insights from someone who has left home, seen so much of what’s outside, and came back. 🙂

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 7, 2014 at 12:19 pm

      Thanks Pepe 🙂

  • Reply
    Carmen
    February 7, 2014 at 7:39 pm

    As an Aussie who spent the last five years living in London and who is now travelling the world, I can completely relate to this post! Although it’s Vegemite I long for, not Marmite 😉
    It’s easy to get caught up in London life and forget about the rest of the world. I’m pretty sure I did that when I lived there – London was the centre of the universe to me. It’s only when you take a step out of the city to see what else life has to offer that you realise how easy it was to get caught up in the rat race.

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 22, 2014 at 4:03 pm

      Ah, the ever present Vegemite/Marmite war..! At least we both understand the importance of vegetable based spread, huh?

  • Reply
    Beatrice
    February 13, 2014 at 12:46 am

    I enjoyed your post and could relate to some of your reflections. I recently moved to NYC after 5 years living in Singapore. I am Canadian. I experienced culture shock and found myself gravitating to Asian culture for comfort. My travels and experiences in Asia have shaped my perspective. The connections, thoughts and reflections I make in conversation with new relationships are heavily influenced by the time I spent in Singapore. Sometimes the re-pat feeling is lonely so thank you for your post!

    • Reply
      Flora
      February 22, 2014 at 4:08 pm

      The re-pat feeling is such a good way of putting it! I can imagine that once I’m back in Europe for the longer term I’m going to be in search of everything Spanish and South American related!

  • Reply
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  • Reply
    Alexandra
    November 21, 2016 at 2:44 pm

    Hi Flora, I found your post while googling ‘reverse culture shock London’ and must say you really hit the nail on the head. I just came back to Europe after a 2 years stint in Mexico, which, to say the very least, is quite different from London. Although they are probably more like at polar opposites of each other. Although not being British, I grew up in the tiny countries that make up the Benelux, which share much of the same attributes than the Islands – perhaps minus the extremely hurried pace of life that characterises London. I loved every second of my time in Mexico, and relinquished a good part of my European identity fitting into the country’s culture. Mexico became my first home in years. Yet I was still regarded as a foreigner, although a very well-adjusted one. I mastered Spanish with almost no prior knowledge and became friends with expats and locals alike. Life was colourful, loud, chaotic but above all, engaging and enjoyable. People there are expressive, warm, and welcoming. They seem more authentic. They are also rather unreliable and inefficient (not all obviously – but as compared to the UK way of doing things), but I feel like they are happier, despite of the problems that plague their country. I felt happier, not having to worry about what to wear as much, and simply not having the means to spend on “stuff”. Life seemed to be about building meaningful relationships with people, enjoying life, eating and discovering… Life’s simple pleasures, really. As you said, the hardest part is people’s coldness. Nobody wants to hear about your amazing adventures, weeks can go by before you see your friends, months before you get invited to someone’s house and basically, everybody is just consumed by their own busy lives. I really hope I can get used to this lifestyle. Would be interested in knowing how you’ve re-adjusted 🙂 Thanks for putting my/your feelings into words.

    • Reply
      Flora
      November 27, 2016 at 9:18 pm

      Hi Alexandra – thanks so much for sharing your story here! It sounds like you’re dealing with exactly the same emotions I did, and to be perfectly honest there are still traces of those unsettled feelings for me over two years after I moved back to London. I’ve now finished my masters and starting to get itchy feet again (and Mexico is one of my potential ideas for some long-term travel again!) – but I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that by so readily moving from place to place over the past decade that I might always feel somewhat ‘foreign’, whereever I am. Not sure how long that’ll last, but we’ll see 🙂 Buen suerte con tu vida nueva en Europa!

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