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An American woman who lived in India for 2.5 months with her family shared a list of cultural differences she noticed between the two countries.
Haakenson’s video has accumulated more than 4.5 million views. (Instagram/@wanderlust.haaks)
In a now-viral Instagram post, Anna Haakenson, a mother of two, summed up her experience in nine points. “I took my family to live in India for 2.5 months and this is what I realised,” the text on the video read. In the caption of the post, Haakenson compared life in India and the US, from traffic and food to family structures and affordability.
One of her most relatable observations focused on honking. “America: a honk means someone’s about to lose their mind. India: a honk means ‘hi, I’m here, look out, thanks’,” she wrote.
Food, she noted, also came with a warning. While “spicy” in the US often means mild heat, in India it means “your digestive system is filing a complaint”.
(Also Read: Delhi woman shares five Indian habits she refuses to drop even after moving to US)
Haakenson also highlighted social interactions, saying Americans often mind their own business, while in India, people freely ask personal questions about where you are from and where you are headed. Her post also touched on trash disposal and driving conditions.
“Trash- America: trash is placed in trash cans. India: trash goes… wherever the nearest person decides,” she wrote. “Cars – America: driving your own car is the default and you follow the traffic laws. India: controlled chaos on the road that outsiders would not understand,” she added.
Talking about the weather, Haakenson observed that while the US experiences clear seasonal changes, India largely alternates between “hot, monsoon, and surprise extra heat”. On religion, she contrasted America’s quieter church gatherings with India’s temples and festivals that “take over entire cities”.
Affordability and family life stood out as well. She wrote that while everything in the US feels expensive, life in India is “manageable,” and pointed to India’s multi-generational households in contrast to America’s single-family living setup.
(Also Read: US woman calls out online negativity about India: ‘India has given me more happiness than America’)
Social media reactions
Since being shared, Haakenson’s video has accumulated more than 4.5 million views.
Reacting to the post, one user wrote, “Thanks for sharing the differences you have noticed! Although I have not lived in India, i knew about all these from the couple of time i have visited.”
“Well captured the differences!! In India, people care even if you are a stranger to them,” commented another.
“For weather you should totally visit Northeastern region, it’s kind of cool here,” suggeste a third user.
