Damn it ! American mum who lives in Paris reveals the weirdest ‘REVERSE culture shocks’ she faces every time she returns to the US – from food issues to bizarre social interactions
- Isabelle Bertolami, from New York, shared the realities of returning to the United States
- She praised the healthcare system, customer service and even the size of the cars
- And social media users were mesmerized by the mother-of-one’s revelations
An American mum who lives in Paris has revealed the major culture shocks she faces when she returns home.
New York native Isabelle Bertolami took to TikTok to expose the realities of being back in the United States.
She posted a clip praising America’s healthcare system, customer service, and even the size of the cars – among other factors.
And social media users were mesmerized as they rushed to praise the idea.
New York native Isabelle Bertolami took to TikTok to expose the realities of being back in the US
In the clip, which has been viewed over 157,000 times, Isabelle speaks to the camera as she begins, “It’s my reverse culture shock as an American living in France who’s back in America visiting.”
She says: ‘Everyone is so nice – like so nice. It’s not that the French aren’t nice, it’s just that they aren’t nice the way Americans are with small talk.
‘I keep being so awkward like doing the “are you talking to me?” thing because I’m not used to it anymore.
“It takes me back a bit when people come – just strangers – and start talking to you but it’s nice, I like it.”
Isabelle continues: “On the food side, the food here [in the US] is very salty and very sweet. My mouth keeps puckering over a lot of things. In Europe or France at least – it just has less salt and sugar than processed foods here.
“Also, like very painfully bloated since I’ve been here.”
But Isabelle doesn’t stop there, adding: ‘I was super pleasantly surprised when I had to take my daughter to urgent care that it was affordable.
“We don’t have insurance here, so I paid $100 and I think it was $39 to see a doctor and then $12 for a prescription.”
She posted a clip praising America’s healthcare system, customer service and even the size of the cars – among other factors
Isabelle said she was ‘super pleasantly surprised’ when she had to take her daughter to urgent care and praised her for being ‘affordable’.
Turning her attention to fashion, the mother-of-one said: ‘There’s such a difference in the way kids dress here. There are so many Disney.
“They’re a lot more mismatched and my daughter is definitely still mismatched because she dresses herself and won’t let anyone choose what she’s going to wear.
“We realize that in France or where I am in Paris, children dress a little more like adults. Children’s clothing is more like adult clothing.
Isabelle continues: “The cars are so big. I would gladly drive like a gigantic black commuter, but you can’t have a big car in Paris. The parking lot is tiny, it’s impossible.
Discussing the food, Isabelle revealed that she had remained “very painfully bloated” since returning to the United States.
And social media users were quick to praise the idea, writing: ‘Nice to hear great things about America’
She also adds, “Dinner time. Tonight we are going to dinner at the restaurant and our reservation is for five o’clock.
‘My God, customer service. People are so nice. They are so happy to help. I love this. I miss it about the United States.
And social media users were quick to praise the idea, writing, “Nice to hear good things about America.”
Another added: “I love your point of view. It’s so real.
And a third said: ‘Your stories are so interesting! I love to hear the differences.
