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American woman explains why quiet US streets are a ‘culture shock’ for Indians: ‘Where is everyone?’
An American woman compared empty US streets with India’s busy roads, saying the silence may surprise Indians.
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An American woman who has been living in India has shared a video from the US, highlighting a cultural contrast that many Indians may immediately relate to. Kristen Fischer, who posted the clip on Instagram, showed a quiet residential neighbourhood with empty streets and almost no visible movement around.
In the video, Fischer explained why such a scene could feel unusual for someone arriving from India, where streets, markets and neighbourhoods are often full of people at different hours of the day.
(Also read: American woman shares heartwarming journey of making India her home: ‘Fell in love with India’)
‘You’ll never see people walking around like you do in India’
“This is what a neighborhood in the US looks like. And as you can see, there is nobody around. And this would be something that would be so wild for an Indian to see, coming from India where there's just always people everywhere all the time, and you come here and there's just no one. I know so many Indians who have come to the US, and they're like, "Where is everyone?" People just don't go out here. It's just you'll never see people walking around like you do in India,” Fischer said in the clip.
The video was shared with a caption that further explained her point. “This would be such a culture shock. In India, no matter where you go, there will always be people: people walking, people working, people running shops, or just people sitting around outside. In the USA, most of the time, the streets look completely bare like this. And it’s not related to population. It is the driving culture. Everyone here drives everywhere, so they are seldom outside and not in a car,” the caption read.
(Also read: ‘No place is perfect’: US woman in India shares what she admires and dislikes about life here)
Watch the clip here:
Internet reacts to the comparison
The clip prompted several reactions from social media users, with many agreeing that the contrast between public life in India and the US can feel striking. One user wrote, “This is exactly what I felt when I first visited the US. Everything looked beautiful but strangely silent.” Another said, “Frankly, I absolutely love my country, but I cannot live in India for more than a few months because I cannot live around noise and too many people. I absolutely love my quiet surroundings and, of course, no people unless I want to see someone.”
A third user commented, “That’s why many people from India feel homesick in foreign countries. The loneliness can feel a bit too much.” Another added, “Definitely the biggest culture shock for all of my Indian friends: “Where are all the people?!” It feels so lonely, lol.” Someone else wrote, “This is why Indian streets feel alive. There is always movement, sound and conversation.” Another user said, “It looks peaceful, but also a little lonely.”
(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)
