The small details that makes up culture

(ENG) America is big and with a lot of nuances. But I think that I have found a couple of things that holds true for the most part, reflecting some of the smaller, but still important, aspects of culture, both when it comes to living, working and communicating in the US.

  1. The lunch culture is totally different. You might know that people are eating differently than in Sweden, but it is also done much faster and is therefor less important. You will find people at work planning business meetings at 10 AM, 11 AM, noon, 1 PM, 2 PM and there after – all in the same day. “Hey, where is the lunch break?” But it doesn’t exist in the way that I’m used to from home. Lunch is eaten quick, by your desk.
  2. We know that the coffee in the US has improved a lot since Starbucks and others entered the market. And overall: coffee today is better than it used to be. But I’ve learned two things regarding coffee in USA. First, coffee in the offices and that is served to many, like in a conference, is still pretty bad. You could argue that is equally bad in Sweden, but just the fact that it sometimes has the Starbucks logo on it doesn’t make it to good coffee.
  3. Second, I get the feeling that coffee today is more chilled and cold than it is warm. Especially the coffee that is sold at places like Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks. This might be partly because I’m here right now in the middle of the summer, and it’s really hot outside. But I get the feeling that coffee today in the US is more often served cold with whipped cream on top of it, than it is a hot latte or another hot coffee drink.
  4. Mens fashion seems to move slowly here. The trousers that we used to use in Sweden maybe ten, fifteen years ago is till in fashion here in Boston. I doubt that is is different in other parts of the country.