I think I would say that two aspects of cultural differences that I noticed when I came to US were the "Power Distance Index (PDI)" and "Uncertainty Avoidance Index (UAI)", as defined by Hofstede.
In terms of Power Distance Index, back home in my native country, we have reserved words in our language that we use when we address someone who is older than us or is in higher position. The words are different depending on the relationship such as family member or someone at work. Here in US, I noticed that people call each other by their first name, no matter how old the other person is, what is the relationship or in whatever position. It took me a while to get use to this cultural aspect.
Similarly, in terms of Uncertainly Avoidance Index, I noticed that people in US were more tolerant of different views and opinions than people of my cultural background. In my cultural background, we are suppose to stick to the rules or expectations laid down by senior member of society whether it is a family member, someone senior at work or in other senior position. Our individual opinion is subservient to the group's or other senior member's.
These differences translates to different mindset in daily interactions. We behave and interact with people within these cultural constraints and our thinking is molded by such norms.
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