The Australian living in Hawaii shares the cultural shocks she hadn’t expected when she moved to America

By Jacky Last updated Mar 28, 2023

An Australian woman who just moved to America reveals her biggest culture shock.

Kira Lemarchal, who is currently in Maui, Hawaii, has been in the states for a couple of months and has already experienced some unexpected differences between Australia and the United States.

The 21-year-old said she was surprised that cars don’t stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings and that Americans don’t know what chicken salt is.

She said she “laughed” when she ordered a chicken burger as Americans call it a chicken sandwich, and she confused her American friends when she put an “x” at the end of her text messages.

Kira added that American Target was “life-changing” and shared some cultural quirks about Hawaii that she’s noticed like the abundance of food trucks and that the nightlife doesn’t start until 11 p.m.

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Kira (pictured), who is from Australia but moved to the US two months ago, shared the biggest culture shocks she’s experienced since moving to Hawaii

“Zebra crossings are not zebra crossings, cars won’t stop for you unless you wait, you can’t walk there like you can in Australia, you’ll be hit by a car,” Kira said on TikTok. section.

The traveler was astonished to find that the Americans did not know what chicken salt was and would put regular salt on their fish and chips.

They don’t call it a chicken burger, they call it a chicken sandwich. “A chicken burger from McDonald’s or wherever with buns, and that’s called a chicken sandwich,” Keira said.

She confused her American friends when she ended her text messages with an “X” or with a kiss.

“X isn’t a thing, don’t text your ‘x’ friends in America, they don’t know what that means, they don’t, they don’t like sign off like we do,” Kira explained.

The 21-year-old said she was surprised that cars don’t stop for pedestrians at zebra crossings and that Americans don’t know what chicken salt is.

Keira loved American Target stores and called them “life-changing.”

They have a lot of cool stuff. They have great brands there, and they have really great swimmers. She said: It’s like a new world.

Some of Kira’s remarks baffled American viewers who were unfamiliar with many of the Australian things she mentioned.

What is zebra crossing?? What is chicken salt?? What is X???? Someone answered help.

One admitted, “I’m not going to lie…it took me a minute to understand what you mean by zebra crossing.”

“What does X mean? Seriously, I don’t get it. Like XO for “kiss and hug”? Why do you need to sign off the script? A third asked.

Australians were amazed at the cultural difference as many were amazed when they heard that chicken salt was an exclusively Australian seasoning.

“The chicken salt is enough to make me turn around and go home,” said one man.

‘Without salt chicken???? The second Australian agreed, I would never go unless I could take a suitcase with me.

All the people of Sydney/Melbourne would be in danger in America then! Another noted that they never stop walking for anyone.

in follow sectionKira shared some of her quirks about America that she noticed during her time on Maui starting with how many food trucks there are.

USA vs Down Under: The Australian expatriate’s nine biggest culture shocks

Zebra Crossings: Cars won’t stop for you unless you wait. You can’t walk there like you can in Australia, you’ll get hit by a car.
Chicken salt: They don’t have chicken salt in the US, you get fish and chips and they only have regular salt
Burger vs Sandwich: A chicken burger from McDonald’s or anywhere with buns, this is called a chicken sandwich
Text kisses: X ain’t a thing don’t text your ‘x’ friends in America they don’t know what it means they don’t they don’t like sign off like we do
Goal: It’s amazing here, like life changing. They have a lot of cool stuff, great brands, really nice swimmers, it’s a new world,
Food trucks: If people want fast food, they go to a food truck, and there are food trucks everywhere on the streets here
Island time: It’s actually a thing, places don’t open until 10am, dinner places close at 7pm. The hours are very short and sometimes they close in the middle of the day to go for a lunch break
Latin culture: There is a really big Spanish culture, they are always playing Spanish music in the clubs and on the radio and everyone knows how to speak Spanish which is really cool.
nightlife: It starts really late here, you don’t usually get to the bars until 11pm which I know is later on the mainland like Miami or LA.

“If people want to take away food, they go to a food truck, and there are food trucks everywhere on the streets here,” she said.

Kira also explained what “island time” is as restaurants and shops open at odd hours compared to the mainland.

“You may have heard of people being on island time, it’s actually a thing, places don’t open until 10am, dinner places close at 7pm,” she said.

“The hours are very short and sometimes they close in the middle of the day to go for a lunch break.”

The expat noticed how many people speak Spanish on Maui.

“They always play Spanish music in the clubs and on the radio, and everyone knows how to speak Spanish,” she said.

“I think Australia is a little behind in that regard.”

Finally, Keira pointed out that people don’t hit bars and clubs until around 11 p.m. when they’re heading out for a night out, and she said she thinks it’s even later in places like Miami and Los Angeles.

In the comments, Americans were quick to point out that many of her experiences are limited to Hawaii.

Hawaii is part of America but if you say you moved to America we are thinking of the continental United States. Someone pointed out that Hawaii has its own culture.

Another agreed that “Hawaii is very different from the mainland United States.”

Keira defended her position, saying, “Hawaii is different from mainland America for sure, but as an Australian who has never been to America and lives with Americans, the culture shock is real!”.