Cultural Surprise

"Cultural Surprise" by Steve Adams On my first international trip, I was assigned a support role for a machine our company sold to a firm in Recklinghausen, Germany. I was loving the experience, the Autobahn, the food, the traffic light sequencing and even the challenge of communicating with the plant personnel. Everything was a new adventure. That first evening, I got to the hotel, excited, jet-lagged and weary from a full day of work. I called our engineering manager to give my report while also inspecting the lovely hotel that I was in. I was not thinking with a clear mind and my boss was amused as I mixed technical details with the amazement of my new digs. I reached the bathroom and was taking inventory of the facilities when I noticed something wrong. I had a wonderful room, a comfy bed, delicious food, fluffy towels and ample toiletries, but suddenly I blurted out on the phone, “They do not have washcloths!” I learned quickly that things we assume to be normal may not be in other cultures. Support the show #Political/Conservative/Judeo/Christian/Constitutional