Yes

I remember reading one of the guides created by an American University to their foreign student

It goes in such excruciating details to things like dating, etc

I suppose this is for the benefit of students from some forgotten city in southeast asia that may think of getting a goat to impress the ladies

Still, it sounds awfully patronizing sometimes.

It might be because the things that you find obvious, simply aren't so obvious all around the world.

Of course, I just found it funny and as I said patronizing.

They gave the guide to me as part of an interculturality course.

I take it that's not the case in Canada?

It is normal here in Canada for a husband to accompany his wife to the hospital, and has been at least since I was born in the 80s. I think refurb's point is that it's strange to include that in something you give a Canadian moving to the US.

That was my point exactly. Canada and the US share 90%+ of their culture, so it was interesting for two reasons:

1. Why send that kind of a book to a Canadian? 2. It's interesting to read what other cultures might find shocking about US culture.

I'm going to guess that was part of their standard "foreigner moving to the US" package?

One of the parts of that book I remember is that you do not talk to other people while at the urinal.

The only possible explanation I can think of is that such a statement would be targeting the non-Anglo Canadian residents, who may be able to live in relative isolation from what we'd consider mainstream North American culture. Even that explanation seems a bit far-fetched, but perhaps there are semi-detached Asian immigrant or First Nations groups. Interesting anecdote.

Well, in that case refurb's comment is as confusing as the statement in the guide book...