- Took a three month break from work.
- Taught at the Delhi School of Advertising.
- Stepped out of the country on my own, knowing there would be nobody to receive me.
- Flew for 14 hours (with the help of a Boeing... if only...).
- Tried skiing on my third weekend here.
- Did Snow Walking, wearing special plastic shoes that make you look like a penguin.
- After walking like one for over two hours, had my first fondue.
- Saw a professor get up on the table and jump on it, to demonstrate physical laws.
- Sat on the first bench so I could watch him as closely as I could.
- Went to a pub located on the top floor of the main block of the university.
- Played football for the first time in fourteen years (Oh yes, this qualifies. At least in my book it does).
- And I haven't seen my angel for the last 4 weeks.
Friday, February 23, 2007
for the first time
We all live in our little comfort zones. We take solace in conformity. Often building walls that stand in the way of new thoughts and different living. So I thought of making a list of all the new things I have done or experienced over the past few weeks and months, just to assure myself it is safe. And I dare say they haven't had any visible impact on my life. I still eat, sleep and fart as much as I used to. So here goes -
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
What you may be experiencing is culture shock - at least that is what we call it in our field. Here is an article that would help.
Blessings - Holly
www.valpo.edu/international
THE INTERCULTURAL ADJUSTMENT CYCLE
As we move from one culture to another, there are some specific stages which most of us encounter while adjusting. Indeed, it would be amazing if people could leave their communities, their families, and their homes and go abroad for a period of time without feeling some anxiety. Naturally, the severity and length of the adjustment period depends upon the length of time that you will be away from home and the support that is provided while away. Nevertheless, regardless of how short a time you are a visitor in a foreign country, you can be relatively certain that you will feel many of the emotions outlined in the intercultural adjustment cycle:
2. Arrival / 4. Surface 6. Integration 9. Re-integration
Fascination Adjustment
7. Return Anxiety
1. Pre-departure 3. Initial Culture 5. Mental 8. Re-entry Shock
Anxiety Shock Isolation
1. Pre-Departure Anxiety -- Before going abroad, you will most likely feel quite anxious about leaving friends and family and all that is familiar. Also, there is often nervousness about whether or not you will be accepted into the new culture. During this time many people anticipate cultural differences but have only a superficial awareness of potential adjustment problems.
2. Arrival: Fascination and Excitement -- During this stage, expectations for the program are high and the arrival introductions are overwhelming and blissful in their newness. Especially on arrival, the visitor tends to be the focus of attention and activity. He or she is shown respect and concern which might be quite uncommon in the home country. During this time, it is difficult to convince yourself that anything is wrong with the new culture because it is so new to you.
3. Initial Culture Shock -- The initial fascination, along with the rounds of introductions and parties, will soon fade for a extended period of time. The novelty of a foreign culture usually wears off after a few weeks and most people enter a decline known as initial culture shock. Characteristics of this period are possible changes in sleeping habits, periods of depression, mental fatigue from speaking and listening to a foreign language all day, and disorientation about how to work with and relate to others. Parents should be aware that students tend to feel the need to be in closer contact with home during this period.
4. Surface Adjustment -- After this initial “down” which usually lasts only from a few days to at most a few weeks, an adjustment takes place and the visitor settles into the new environment. Language skills improve so that you can communicate basic ideas and feelings without fatigue, and you will learn to navigate within a small group of friends and associates. A fresh sense of curiosity and eagerness to try new experiences are common.
5. Mental Isolation -- At some point, however, the novelty wears off completely and the difficulties remain. Frustration increases, and a new and more pervasive sense of isolation can set in. Many times this period is accompanied by boredom and a lack of motivation as the individual feels little stimulus to overcome the deeper and more troublesome difficulties he/she may be facing. There may be unresolved conflicts with friends, hosts or peers.
6. Integration and Acceptance -- The visitor finally begins to fell at ease with school interests, the language, friends and society in which he/she is living. Deeper differences between oneself and others become understandable, and ways are found to deal with these differences. Eventually the visitor becomes more integrated into the surroundings and comes to accept his or her own situation and place within the new surroundings.
7. Return Anxiety -- Once a person is well settled in, the thought of leaving familiar friends, faces and the new community raises anxieties similar to those the visitor felt during Stage 1, before the departure. The visitor begins to sense how much he or she has changed because of the experience, and apprehension grows at the thought of returning home to people who might to people who might not understand the “new” person and his/her new appearances and feelings. This is a time of great confusion and considerable pain due to the breaking of bonds that have grown close with no promise of renewal in the future.
8. Re-Entry Shock -- Once the visitor is back home, the contrast of old and new may come as a shock. He or she will probably have changed a great deal while away, and it will probably be difficult for family and friends to accept many of the changes. In addition, the returnee may not have anticipated changes which may have taken place at home, and there is a sense of having to become “reacquainted” with home. The returnee faces the problem of adjusting to being one of the crown again, while longing for the friends left behind. Students returning from overseas study often find that no one is as interested in the details of the stay abroad as they feel they should be. The student experiences conflicts in readjusting to family members and old friends, and is frustrated by the inability to describe adequately the depth and nature of the experience abroad. All of this makes the home surroundings even more depressing.
9. Re-integration -- Final resolution of re-entry shock involves a shift in perspective and an understanding of one’s own society and one’s future development. The returnee must begin to become involved in new activities at home and to plan a life which is built upon the future rather than the past. Once this is achieved, the student will be able to integrate usefully the experiences and learnings of the recent past and be productive in the “new” old life.
Culture shock is perhaps the most frequently contracted disease experienced by persons living outside their home country for the first time. All of us are creatures of habit much more than we realize, and transplantation to another culture results in a loss of those cues which guide our daily actions and decisions. Regardless of one’s tolerance, broadmindedness, and empathy for the new culture, the loss of familiar props will result in some degree of frustration.
Recognizing irritation as a symptom of culture shock will enable you to deal more effectively with the situation. Acknowledge the irritation and ask yourself why this aspect of the culture annoys you but seems perfectly natural and agreeable to the citizens of the host country. Your success in changing the negative facets of culture shock to the positive side of challenge depends on your developing a new set of attitudes before and during your stay. Check yourself periodically with the following list to assess the progress you’re making in intercultural adjustment:
1. Stay curious and eager to learn.
2. Be quick to observe and slow to judge.
3. Don’t be afraid to be corrected, and learn to accept “corrections” graciously and learn from your mistakes.
4. Be generous in showing appreciation.
5. Be adaptable. Try it, because you might like it!
6. Keep a sense of humor, especially about yourself.
7. Go to learn, not to teach.
8. Show a sincere consideration for others.
9. Be cooperative and willing to compromise.
10. Enjoy yourself! If you have been diligent about following one through nine, this should come as a natural result.
Ha ha, everyone should have one such list eh? And you're welcome (for the comment on my blog).
Post a Comment