CULTURE SHOCK: Have anyone ever experience it? What does it mean?
By neelianoscet
@neelianoscet (9615)
Philippines
July 10, 2009 11:45pm CST
My friend have experience culture shock when she work in other country. I ask her what do you mean of that? She told me that their is one scenario she cannot forget while working in The Middle eastern country. She recounts that she was offer a drink and she get it by her left hand. The person beside her told her that she used her right hand as left hand is unclean. The reason left hand is often used for toilet purposes. Aside from language barriers their are many traditions and cultures which she are expose that she rarely encounter at her home. Like, it is forbidden to wear dress that show some skin, practicing your religion, eating pork and to top at all do not ever drink alcohol.My friend really feel sad and feel homesickness. How about you? Have you been in a place where you have a hard time adjusting to their cultures that you find yourself isolated or you get this feeling of losing your own identity? Other people develop dislike and sometimes disgust to the other country cultures develop and even they are already out of their home country. They still practices their own cultures. How do you cope or adjust with cultural differences?
3 responses
@koalapenguin (2707)
• Philippines
11 Jul 09
CULTURE SHOCK is literally you being shocked in a particular culture! haha.. i haven't experienced it yet though sometimes all you've got to do is "blend in" and make friends. In that way, you won't feel left out. I'm looking forward in experiencing it.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
13 Jul 09
yeah, it is a really bit confusing when you feel you are trap in a situation when you have no power to change it but just follow with the flow or else as you says will never feel left out. Some friends of mine cannot embrace the foreign culture as fast as other people get used to a new surrounding. it really takes times and a lot of understanding. Even though they work in other countries away from mother home. They still not forget their cultures and even form an alliance of country community. Like their is a community where everyone meet, cook food and make an activities where the groups involved were compose of the same country.
@koalapenguin (2707)
• Philippines
13 Jul 09
yeah. i just hope i could really blend in and stay with my old culture as possible.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
13 Jul 09
It is really a bit confusing and if you could not adopt it may likely you go homesick.tnx
@flower21 (765)
• Philippines
5 Oct 09
i never done it but maybe local culture shock i meet hundreds likes those who live in the mountain side and tribesmen. They are the one who always not easily adjust to the city life and mostly are ignorant of the modern tools. Thus, they often the victims of culture shock among locals in the country.;D
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
18 Oct 09
These types of people are not used to be expose in modern life styles of living those they would be shock to see the new modern appliances and unable to used it without a proper instructions. Then, they would not be used to dress the way of the lowlanders as the dressing styles is different from the dress style they have while living on the highlands. Thus, when the tribesmen go to the lowlands and live they could adopt the new ways of the modern world and changes their attitudes but some retain their cultures and just assimilate with it.
@jaiho2009 (39140)
• Philippines
13 Jul 09
This a natural reaction when we sees things seems unnatural for us.Let's not go any far apart from our country.Every island has it's own culture differ from NORTH to SOUTH and EAST to WEST.The better way is,reading about the place before heading to, to avoid us from being shocked and for us to prepare ourselves from DO's and DONT's to any particular place we are visiting then.
@neelianoscet (9615)
• Philippines
13 Jul 09
yeah, it is so true. We need not to be ignorant as we are strangers to a particular place and must do all we can to adopt to their lifestyle. I really got worried when i heard from a news that this person go home and got sick or a woman becomes crazy from mauling, abuse or ill treatment. And, if going to trace and find out the reasons behind all of this anxiety. The result of certain surveys indicate that these people are not really aware of the different cultures and may feel uneasy mixing with the host country.
