Dancing with Quirks: A Whimsical Journey in the Land of the Free

A while back I wrote about 11 quirky facts about the US — seen through an Asian expat's eyes. That post was a lot of fun to write, and people seemed to enjoy it. So I thought — why not go deeper? Instead of a quick list, let me actually tell the stories behind some of these moments of bewilderment.

Because after more than a year in America, the quirks have not stopped. If anything, I keep discovering new ones :D

The bathroom gap situation

I have to start with this one because it haunts me. After 15+ years in Singapore where public toilet stalls are properly enclosed — floor to ceiling, solid doors, no gaps — walking into an American restroom for the first time was genuinely confusing.

There is this half-inch gap between the door and the frame. You can see people walking by. They can see you. I once made accidental eye contact with a stranger through the gap while I was just sitting there, minding my own business. We both looked away immediately. Neither of us recovered.

I have asked American friends about this, and most of them just shrug. "That's how it's always been." But why? I have heard theories about cost savings, safety, and preventing bad behaviour. None of them fully convince me. Some cultural differences you just learn to live with T.T

Food portions that could feed a family

In Singapore, a meal at a hawker centre is a personal-sized portion. You eat, you are satisfied, you move on. In America, I ordered a "regular" pasta at a restaurant and received enough food for three people. I looked around to see if I was being pranked. I was not.

Sophie and I now routinely split a single entree when we eat out, and we still sometimes cannot finish it. The first time I asked for a to-go box, the server did not even blink — apparently, taking home half your meal is completely normal here. In Singapore, that would have felt strange. Here, it is expected.

The upside? Leftovers for lunch the next day. Every cloud, right? :P

The sales tax surprise

In Southeast Asia, the price on the tag is the price you pay. Simple. Clean. Done.

In America, I learned this lesson at the checkout counter of a Target. I had calculated my total in my head — I am an advertising guy who works with numbers, so I was confident. Then the total came up about 10% higher than I expected. I stood there confused for a solid five seconds before the cashier gently explained that sales tax is added at checkout.

And here is the part that still gets me: the tax rate is different depending on which city you are in. Not just which state — which city. In Foster City, it is about 9.625%. Cross the bridge to San Mateo and it is slightly different. Coming from Singapore where GST is straightforward and included in the price, this felt unnecessarily complicated.

Tipping: the unwritten rulebook

Tipping culture in the US is its own universe. In Singapore, a 10% service charge is added to your bill automatically. Done. In America, tipping is technically "optional" but practically mandatory, and the expected amount varies by context.

At a restaurant: 18-20%. For a haircut: 15-20%. For a coffee: there is now a screen that rotates toward you with suggested amounts of 20%, 25%, or 30% for a cup of drip coffee. I have been here for more than a year and I still feel a tiny wave of anxiety every time that screen turns my way.

The first time I tipped 10% at a restaurant (which would have been generous in Asia), I could feel the server's disappointment. I learned quickly.

Checks. Actual paper checks.

I thought physical checks were a thing of the past. In Singapore, everything is digital — PayNow, bank transfers, contactless payments. When my landlord in America asked me to write a rent check, I genuinely did not know how. I had to Google "how to fill out a check" like a teenager opening their first bank account.

And then I had to mail it. In an envelope. With a stamp. In 2022.

I have since moved to electronic payments for rent, thankfully. But the fact that millions of Americans still use checks for everyday transactions is one of those things that catches every Asian expat off guard.

Turning right on red

This one is actually great. In most US states, you can turn right at a red light (after stopping and checking for traffic). There is no equivalent in Singapore or Vietnam. The first time someone honked at me for sitting at a red light with my right blinker on, I had no idea what I had done wrong.

Now I love it. It keeps traffic moving and it makes total sense. If there is one American quirk I wish we could export to Asia, this would be it.

The pumpkin spice phenomenon

I moved to the US just before autumn, and suddenly everything was pumpkin-flavoured. Pumpkin spice latte, pumpkin spice cookies, pumpkin spice cereal, pumpkin spice air freshener. I walked into a Trader Joe's and counted more than 20 pumpkin-flavoured products on the shelves. I turned to Sophie and said, "Is this a holiday I don't know about?"

It is not a holiday. It is just autumn in America. And I have to admit — the pumpkin spice latte is actually pretty good :D

The return policy paradise

In Singapore, returning a product is a negotiation. You need the receipt, the original packaging, a good reason, and sometimes the stars to align. In America, you can return almost anything, almost anytime, for almost any reason. I returned a pair of shoes after wearing them for a week because they were uncomfortable. No questions asked. Money back.

This blew my mind. My wife and I now buy things with the quiet confidence that if they do not work out, we can return them. It has completely changed how we shop.

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Living in America as an Asian expat is a daily exercise in discovering things that everyone around you considers perfectly normal but that make you do a double-take. Some of these quirks I have grown to love. Some I am still adjusting to. And some — like the bathroom gaps — I may never fully accept.

What is the quirkiest thing you have noticed about American life? Whether you are an expat or a local who has never thought twice about these things, I would love to hear your perspective :)

Cheers,

Chandler