Write about an experience of culture shock, an experience wherein you were shocked by another's behavior -yet it would be considered normal where he comes from- or you shocked someone else by doing something that is considered normal in your culture. How are the two cultures different? Did you learn anything about your own culture in the process? Could you adjust yourself to the new culture, or is it something you could never get used to.
For example, on a ferry traveling from England to Europe, I struck up a conversation with a man from Ghana, Africa. In Africa, people dont' like to raise their voices and they don't feel uncomfortable being physically close to one another. So this man spoke in a low voice and sat with his shoulder touching mine.
At first, I leaned away, feeling uncomfortable being so close to a total stranger. Then I remembered how it was in his culture and decided to try it his way. We sat shoulder to shoulder talking about politics and literature. We didn't talk about anything deeply personal, but the conversation had an intimate feel about it and we always knew that we had each other's undivided attention.
By adjusting myself to his culture, I realized how Americans can seem loud, abrasive and cold in comparison to softer-spoken Africans.
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ReplyDeleteI had a strange experience during my time in Kosovo for the Swiss Armed Forces. We were together with German Soldiers and went out to improve our shooting skills. We took as much ammunition we needed and went to the shooting range and shot it all. If we want more, we just got some more by our ammunition seargent. The Germans were so supprised that we as swiss are very unstrictly in handle of ammonution. The Germans were so much more strict. Everybody have to go to an table and sign that he took 20 bullets. After the shooting he had to bring back the 20 empty bullets and sing up again. In the time I shot 230 bullets my german friend next to me shot 20 and was still searching on the ground for his empty bullets.
ReplyDeleteDuring staying in the US (San Diego), I had seen a lot of interesting, and on the other hand, confusing and strange cultural things.
ReplyDeleteFor example, in my country it's not polite to talk with a people, I mean stranger, on the bus or at the street. Furthermore, it's not polite to talk about salary, cost of the things, sexual topic and a things like that. In my culture it's very rude and impolite. In my opinion, Americans, maybe Californian, opened for all topics.
Also it's not nice to talk on mobile phone or just speak at a public places or/and transportation very loud. It's unusual, when people eat on the street, driving their cars.
On the other hand, it's nice that passengers on the bus, say 'hi' and 'thank you' to the driver. And there is no strict rules about dressing. Everybody is very relaxed here. At SD I can dress like I've never done it before in my country. I like that people don't care about another peoples way of living, dressing and things like that, but in some aspects, I cannot agree with everything.
My culture shock was when I went for the first time in a shop in America. Here, when you go into a shop, they say, “Hello, how you doing or how are you?”
ReplyDeleteFor me it was totally weird because in France when you walk into a shop nobody is going to ask you how you are. In my country you go in and nobody says anything unless you ask them.
So it was a good culture shock but the first time it happened to me, I didn’t say anything. But now I know how it works and I appreciate it.
A few years ago, my cousins from Curacao went to Venezuela to visit me. One friend of mine invite us to his party and he told us that the party was going to start at 10:00 p.m. That day we went to the cinema in the afternoon, then we went to home and my mother asked me to buy some things in the pharmacy. I went to the pharmacy and then I went to visit other friends, I arrived home at 9:30 p.m. that day and my cousins were so angry with me! I didn't understand the reason, but then they told me that my friend was going to be so mad with us because we were going to be late for the party. It was really funny because in my country, and I think in most of the countries, you always go to the parties one or two hours later. But in Curacao it's really unpolite to arrive later to any appointment.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was fourteen I spent six months in Singapore. The first shock was that this city is so huge. Everywhere there are high towers and I think the city has more than ten million people. If you grow up in Switzerland where the biggest city, called Zurich, has nearly one million people, then it's amazing to see somthing like that. To show how small that country is, there are seven million inhabitants in the whole country.
ReplyDeleteThe other thing that really impressed me was how clean the city is. You don't smoke, spit or throw trash on the streets. If you do that, there's a hard punishment for that. It's no relation to America even more to Switzerland.
A few years ago, I have been to Egypt and there was a woman lieing on the beach and she weared no bikini top. The other tourists and the local employees of the hotel were talking, arguing and railing about her. The locals were really angry about her. I wondered why, but my friends told me that it's against their culture and religion and it is not considerate and polite to do that. I think if you go to a foreign country you have to inform yourself about the culure and you have to respekt it.
ReplyDeleteIn Korea, we don't have 'Tip' culture.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was in philippine, I ride a taxi.
After the taxi reached the destination, I paid fee and I was waiting for the change. But the taxi driver didn't give me the change. So I asked for my change. but the driver said it's tip. I was really conffused but after that, I always give them the'tip'
When I went for the first time in the America Club, I was very surprised. Because I want to staying untill 5 am. but they closed 2 am.
ReplyDeleteIn Korea was opened untill 7 am. It was my first culture shock. Becasue I did pay the $15, so I think, I could staying untill 5 am.
I did enter the club at 1 am. Futhermore, anyother club was closed 2 am. I couldn't undrstand at that time.
The other thing, I went to the pharmacy, becasue I was a bad cold. then I did buy a medicine. but they didn't recive a medicine.
They told me " you should waiting a 20min"
It was very crazied. I was very sicked.
In Korea, If I want buy a medicine, I shouldn't waiting a 20min. I will waiting just 1min. It's my 2nd culture shock.
In the last few years, I visited a couple of countries, Egypt, Tunisia and Turkey, where it is normal to negotiate in shops, again and again. In the beginning it was challenging for me to get a good deal in the shops. But after a week it was totally frustrating to haggle every time, in the groceries store, cloth shops, on the beach, for getting beds, and in restaurants. In the Sometimes I did not negotiate, but then I paid really too much, I knew that, but accepted it. I like it more to have normal prices rather than having to haggle.
ReplyDeleteWhen I came here, everything seemed so weird with me. But until now I can not understand why the teenager girls they make up so early. I have a cousin who 12 years old but I always think she is 14 or 15 years old. OMG, can you believe that she always make up evryday even when sahe go to school and not only her but also every American teenager girls. I can not guess their ages and I wondered why they have to make them become older with their ages. That is really not good. And, well, honestly, when I saw them, I really affraid of them. serious. I don not know why but....It really make me scare.....
ReplyDeleteWhen I went to America,I experienced culture shock.
ReplyDeleteIn Japan, every Japanese don't enter the room with their shoes on. On the other hand, American enter the room with their shoes on.Therefore, I felt so dirty that I wasn't confortable.But now I get used to this situation.
In Brazil I can drink alcohol on the beach with my friends but I discovered that in California I can not do that. In Brazil the bars and clubs worked until the day dawn and many times I left a bar or a club 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. but here in the U.S. the clubs and bars close to 2 a.m. The first time I went out with my friends I planned to arrive on the club at midnight and to leave the club about 3 or 4 am ... but I could not do this.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning I did not like these rules but now I understand why they were created and now I know it is better not drink on the beach because there may be fights that can be dangerous for children and others people.
:D
When I first came here, I thougth the roads were very wide compared to my country. In Tokyo the highways only has 2lanes.And we pay about 7dollars eacht time when we go on the highway, so I couldn't believe that it was free. And usually we put our shoes off when we enter in rooms, so it felt difficult but, I got used to it.
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