The Summer Camp Rookie - EP.9: Culture Shock (A Skinned Skittle.)

Added: 2026-05-09

[00:00:04]This is the Summer Camp Rookie, the podcast that's not just for camp counselors. I'm Zoe and I've been to camp twice.

[00:00:10]>> And I'm George and I've never been to camp. So, if you're just sitting there and thinking I don't know what any of these [music] people are talking about, then that's okay because neither do I.

[00:00:16]>> If you know loads, you'll still learn something.

[00:00:17]>> And if you know nothing like me, then you're set. So, let's just do it. Let's go.

[00:00:22]One of the things we do here at Camp America Industries, we very often blur the line between the UK and the US, right? Like that's the whole gig. And that's one of the things we're going to be talking about today. It's a general one this time. We're talking about the differences between the UK and the US culture. Which is quite hard as an Australian. Yes, [laughter] exactly. So, we've got um an Englishman, an Australian, and Sam.

[00:00:41]>> [laughter] >> My name is Sam.

[00:00:43]I'm 28 years of age. We're similar in age, yeah. That's cool. I'm 18 with 10 years experience. My first summer at camp was 2016, so 10 years ago this year. Wow. So, a long time ago.

[00:00:56]Wait, what year is 2016? 2016.

[00:00:58]>> That's even before I went. Jesus. I've done seven summers at camp. So, >> Seven summers, one at one camp and then Oh, you've been to three camps.

[00:01:06]>> camps. Three camps. Three camps. That's one better than two camps.

[00:01:10]There is a really big cultural difference between the US and the UK.

[00:01:13]And at times it can be really fun and exciting and really cool to experience something new. It can also be really daunting to turn up. Like I remember my first time um going to camp and turning up at LAX and you're just hearing like these strong deep American accents telling you to get in line and you're just like, "Okay."

[00:01:31]And you're like immediately like freaked out just from turning up at the airport.

[00:01:39]Welcome to the land.

[00:01:41]>> [laughter] >> Why did that not make you think of that?

[00:01:46]There was a moment there where I genuinely just shut down. I didn't know what was going on. I had no idea.

[00:01:52]I thought you were saying SOME SORT OF INCANTATION. [laughter] I THOUGHT YOU WERE PUTTING SOMETHING SOME SORT OF SPIRIT. You said the first time that you time >> [laughter] >> LAX made me think yeah I didn't That Jay-Z song the New York concrete jungle is where dreams are made of that doesn't make any sense. Concrete jungle where dreams are made of. Where dreams are made of. Yeah New York is the concrete jungle and where dreams are made of. I know I understand that but where dreams are made would be fine.

[00:02:23]Are you saying that the unnecessary of?

[00:02:25]Yes.

[00:02:26]I've never thought about it but now I can't unthink about it. When was the first time you went to the States? Was the first time you went to camp? Yeah first time I went to camp. Was the first time. Over there.

[00:02:36]>> What was your first experience in the States? Like like did it all just hit you in one? Yeah I remember like not not in a cultural sense but I remember the second I got out of JFK.

[00:02:46]And weirdly enough the first thing that hit me I guess it actually is a cultural difference in a way was what the road workers were wearing. It was like high like high vis orange saw these workers just like drilling in the road doing a completely mundane job but I was like I'm here >> [laughter] >> this is real now. That's the moment that made Construction workers. Yeah I've heard like the sewers in New York as well for some reason like really like get people going. You know like the big steaming sewers.

[00:03:11]>> [laughter] >> You know the grates. Yeah but I don't think that's a thing. I don't think it's a thing. When I was in Paris I was wearing like a short dress and walked over a grate and like the whole New York >> What Marilyn? Literally it wasn't good.

[00:03:24]>> [laughter] >> It was very very untanned legs that no one needed to see. Um Thank you. Not exclusive [laughter] to Neil.

[00:03:31]Sorry that's the visual image we've all got now. There's just a difference objectively between the UK and the US because there are so many different personalities within the UK and the US like But even but just like regional differences in culture. Um so someone who is from LA is going to be completely different to someone who is from New York from Texas from Michigan. So So a bit of a sweeping statement to just say "What's the difference UK and American culture?" But there are some things that are like fairly obvious to me in personality differences. Talk more about that. Well, I was going to ask them that. Oh, sorry. Sorry. Talk more about [laughter] that. I'm guest. Humor. Yeah.

[00:04:04]Yeah. Big big transition for me. Yeah.

[00:04:07]Um I guess I can speak for a lot of Brits in this sense. We're quite dry with our sense of humor.

[00:04:12]>> Very sarcastic. Yeah. Very sarcastic.

[00:04:15]It's not obvious that we're always joking about things. So what I discovered my first summer over there was like here I could take the mickey out of one of my friends, right? And they'd just get it. But over there I started doing it and they're like, Dude, that's offensive.

[00:04:26]>> Yeah. I think like it's the bravado.

[00:04:28]It's like the It's the confidence that Americans have. And it's It's what we've addressed in the podcast before where it's like when you go to a job fair for example, you need to meet them where they are where, you know, sell yourself.

[00:04:38]Be be be a bit show-offy and and talk about yourself. You don't need to have that British like take a step back. Like it's not all about you. No, no. I was going to say because like we can say that like Americans have like all of this confidence, but like we can also say from a British perspective they don't have the sort of British like introspective self-deprecation. Yeah.

[00:04:56]Bashfulness. Yeah. That's true. Yeah.

[00:04:58]Yeah. There's the difference. And when you walk down the street, you know, people aren't necessarily saying, or if you sit on the tube, no one's talking to each other. If you sit on a train in America, it's like you want to block your ears it's so loud. No. Like it's so different.

[00:05:10]>> Someone like really annoyed me on the tube this morning.

[00:05:12]>> [laughter] >> Why?

[00:05:13]>> Go on. So you know like when you get on you're supposed to move into the carriage, right? Dude. Well, this lady was not doing that. She got on, stands right on the door and I'm like Well, this other this other guy says, "Excuse me." Yeah, if you tuck in, but she's just stood right in the way. So this bloke says, "Excuse me." She goes, "No, I'm going to stand here, thank you." What? So I was like >> Respect. I [laughter] respect her. No.

[00:05:32]Absolutely not. I'm sorry. Okay. You've got so long now.

[00:05:36]It was It was so bad.

[00:05:38]>> is did you do anything or did you do the very British No, I I said to her I was like it's common courtesy to move into the middle.

[00:05:44]Just be polite.

[00:05:45]>> that's bold. Very American, obviously.

[00:05:47]But she obviously wanted to stand by the door because she was getting off, right?

[00:05:49]And she wanted to get off first like at the next stop or whatever. Don't. We get to Warren Street, the next stop, and the doors opened on the other side, so she had [laughter] to go past everybody. So I just stand in I just stand in a way like a bodyguard. She's like, "You need to move now." The what happens in Japan, they've got like people who their job is to shove people onto trains.

[00:06:11]They like physically they like push you in so so that the doors can close, but I'm sure it's Japan. I've seen videos of it. I enjoy that thoroughly. [laughter] That'd be good, wouldn't it? Yeah.

[00:06:18]Travel, we're a lot more advanced over here than what they are over there. I feel like they're living about 20 years behind the UK. What do you mean? Okay, well take for example like tapping in and out on the tube. They've only just got that on the subway and it's blowing people's minds.

[00:06:31]>> [laughter] >> They think they're like, "Wow, this is so technological."

[00:06:34]>> can't do it in Australia. You can't tap Oh, you'll get there eventually.

[00:06:38]>> [laughter] >> They've still got a guy at the front like with putting a BIG LEVER LIKE >> [laughter] >> THEY DON'T walk anywhere over there.

[00:06:45]They and then there's there's places that don't have sidewalks. I know. In America like I found that really hard.

[00:06:50]Like you just can't just go for a walk without having to walk on the road. And then you've got these massive pickup trucks. That's a culture difference, cars.

[00:06:57]>> [laughter] >> Yeah. Right?

[00:06:59]>> Tell me more about that. Pickup truck, what do you call like a pickup truck here? Like a we we'd call it a ute. What would you call A ute. Are we talking about the ones with the big beds in the back?

[00:07:07]>> Yeah. What do you call it here? I'd call it a pickup truck, actually.

[00:07:10]I actually don't know what I would >> think you call it that here. I don't know if I've ever been in a situation where I have to call >> a van? A pickup truck.

[00:07:15]Maybe you don't really have them here.

[00:07:17]Do you not really have them here? I don't know. I would have called it a truck. We were driving around and it like really freaked me out to try and like stay in a lane when you have these massive trucks next to you all the time.

[00:07:24]They're Yeah, they're scary. It's crazy.

[00:07:26]That is quite different.

[00:07:28]>> [laughter] >> Well, no. I mean like I had a mate who came back from New York like a long long time ago. And like [snorts] he'd never been and one of the things that he said was like, "Mate, everything's bigger."

[00:07:37]Mhm.

[00:07:37]>> Everything's bigger. The cars. It is true. That's not even just a stereotype.

[00:07:41]Everything's bigger in America. The food, the cars, the personalities, and One of the big differences I think I see between the UK and the US and and Australia is in how you spectate at how people watch sport. If I'm going to the footy, like I'm sitting side by side in a way game with someone from the opposing team. I'm going to go with for a drink. I'm bringing a friend with me if they go for the other team. Like it's so chill. You obviously fights happen and like you hate on each other, but like it's not You wouldn't do that if you're watching rugby here. If you're watching rugby you sit together here, but you just cannot put football fans together.

[00:08:13]Crazy. Like we are Brutal.

[00:08:15]>> No, in all fairness, I don't I don't scream it at the players too much because I'm a nice guy, right? Like I would not want to be sat next to a fan of an opposing team because if they score that's going to like infuriate me because you know they're going to like celebrate in your face, right? A goalkeeper is about to take a goal kick.

[00:08:32]You will build it up as he's building it up you go You will go So this is the game we've got to guess which one is the UK which one Exactly.

[00:08:46]And then you can tell me which one tastes better. All right.

[00:08:49]This I think is quite quintessential American and British, like What a word, by the way.

[00:08:54]All right. Sam's got a slightly bigger piece, but go ahead.

[00:08:57]>> [laughter] >> It's so loud with people at the back.

[00:09:06]This one?

[00:09:07]That was the first one?

[00:09:10]Oh, come on.

[00:09:12]Come on.

[00:09:14]>> [laughter] >> Come on, Erica. You're trying to ruin everything. Look at that. It's like chocolate cheese. You can open your eyes now.

[00:09:20]>> [laughter] [laughter] >> All right. So, which one did we like more? Second one. Second one? What do we think they were?

[00:09:31]Uh she's >> I know this because you got a bag of these in the office.

[00:09:34]>> [laughter] >> I mean, Jesus Christ. Nothing beats a mint. Nothing beats a mint.

[00:09:40]>> [music] >> All right.

[00:09:44]>> [music] >> Who wants to drink first?

[00:09:49]Right. What we don't know here I thought it was going to be a mistake.

[00:09:54]>> [laughter] >> It's so weird to watch.

[00:10:01]Okay. Okay, yeah, I'VE GOT IT.

[00:10:03]SAM.

[00:10:04]>> [laughter] [laughter] >> IT LOOKS LIKE A RUBBISH.

[00:10:15]>> [laughter] >> OH MY GOD.

[00:10:22]>> [laughter] >> LET'S LET SAM taste first this time.

[00:10:27]Sam, >> [music] >> put your hand out. Yeah, this is this is a good one.

[00:10:31]>> [laughter] >> I can't watch Sam when he's doing this.

[00:10:38]I can't watch. I just realized there's some people who are just listening to this and they aren't seeing the video.

[00:10:42]Oh yeah, we were meant to explain. I forgot. Okay, here. Give it back to me, Sam. I feel like I might know what it is like taste-wise. Oh Jesus Christ. That is simply lovely. Oh, really? Yeah, simply lovely.

[00:10:56]No, absolutely not.

[00:10:57]Most of them taste like medicine. Ooh, very American root beer. First one was ginger beer. First one was ginger beer.

[00:11:02]Oh mate, you made me drink ginger beer.

[00:11:05]Awful.

[00:11:08]Sorry, it's hard to open.

[00:11:10]Eat it.

[00:11:13]That's a taste sensation. Taste sensation. I don't know what it is.

[00:11:16]It feels like a Skittle. Yeah, tastes like a Skittle. With no skin on it. A skinless Skittle. Is it a skin Skittle?

[00:11:23]That's actually not a bad description.

[00:11:24]All right, hand out.

[00:11:25]Well, no, I don't know.

[00:11:27]>> [laughter] >> First one was sour. Okay. First one [music] was like tastes like a skin skittle. This one tastes like a jelly gem. Okay. It's a jelly gem. I'm going with the second one. Yeah, I also preferred the second one. First [laughter] one was a bit First one was a bit of pain. Yeah. You know what the funny thing is? They switched them, so you each had different ones on each round. So, you both like You both think you're agreeing on it, but you're thinking you're different ones.

[00:11:54]Well, that was one of the weirdest things we've ever done. [laughter] Thanks, Sam. We've only just done a quick five questions.

[00:12:01]Ready?

[00:12:02]>> Hit me. Lake or pool? Lake. French toast or American pancakes? Pancakes. Top bunk or bottom bunk?

[00:12:08]Bottom. Cabin or tent? [clears throat] Cabin. Backpack or suitcase? Suitcase.

[00:12:12]Grilled cheese or chicken chicken tenders? Uh grilled cheese is disgusting, so the other one. Hike or bike? Hike or bike? I'd rather Oh, actually, I don't know. Depends on the day. Quick, quick, quick.

[00:12:24]Bike. Arts and crafts or sports?

[00:12:26]Sports. Journal or camera? Camera. Camp uniform or no uniform?

[00:12:31]As in like staff uniform?

[00:12:32]>> Yeah.

[00:12:33]Yeah, uniform. Crocs or flip-flops?

[00:12:35]Crocs. Walk or golf cart?

[00:12:38]Walk. Walmart or Target? Walmart. Camp chant or camp song? What's the difference? One of them's musical, one of them's not. Like at the football, you could sing a song or you could do a chant. Oh.

[00:12:49]Chant.

[00:12:50]Color war or camp Olympics? Color war cuz I won it. General counselor or activity specialist? General. Horse riding or jet skiing?

[00:12:58]Jet skiing.

[00:12:58]>> This is not fast enough. I don't like horses. [laughter] Chips Ahoy or Oreos?

[00:13:02]Chips Ahoy. American football or soccer?

[00:13:04]Soccer. Kool-Aid or Gatorade?

[00:13:08]Gatorade. Well done. Exclusive stuff.

[00:13:11]>> [applause] [music] >> Now we can say thanks, Sam, for being on the podcast. Cheers, dudes. Hope you enjoyed the river. You are very welcome.

[00:13:18]Enjoy your treats. Yeah, thank you.

[00:13:19]Yeah.

[00:13:20]Bye.

[00:13:22]Sweaty work doing that.