Revelations from newbies

A couple of months ago, I moved to the United States. All my life, I’ve lived in relatively close proximity to the US border (in Canada) so I wasn’t a completely naive newbie. But even though US pop-culture, politics, brands, and trends have permeated my consciousness for the better part of three decades, there are aspects of life in America that still stun me.

In my first couple of weeks here, I adopted the term amerishock to describe anything that seemed uniquely American that surprised, astonished, and/or amazed me. The use of the term became a common occurrence and was well-received by those with whom I shared my tales of amerishock. As a result, I was inspired to develop amerishock.com.

The purpose of amerishock.com is to document and share the instances that I proclaim “amerishock!” during my time in the United States. However, as shock value has a tendency to fade with prolonged and repetitive exposure to the stimulus, I anticipate that I will experience amerishock less frequently over time.

That’s where you come in. If you visit the US or move here from another country, contribute your best amerishock moments and I will post them. Oh, and you should follow amerishock on Twitter too.