okay, let’s talk about culture shock
You’ve probably heard the words ‘culture shock’ thrown around whenever people discuss traveling to a faraway land. Probably, a true understanding of what culture shock feels like can’t occur until you live through it. Amazingly, it didn’t hit me until last night around midnight and then it hit like a ton of bricks. There are intense, unpleasant feelings that come along with culture shock – fear, paranoia, frustration, and anxiousness – I guess the result of a series of dramatic changes in surroundings and daily life. It’s a painful, jolting experience to go through. It’s hard to describe, but when you’ve had culture shock, you know it.
Imagine losing the ability to speak, read, write, and most importantly, understand what is being said. It can be overwhelming at first seeing completely foreign characters written everywhere and hearing the unfamiliar sounds of a new language completely surround you, especially after living in a country where English is the dominant language. Everything from street signs, package labels, instruction booklets, and TV shows are all in a different language. Suddenly, simple things like reading a map, hailing a cab, ordering food, or asking how much an item costs become very difficult. When you don’t know the language the culture shock is a bit more in your face. It’s just an ever-present feeling that “this isn’t home.”
When I arrived in Bangkok a couple weeks ago, I was very nervous about going “out”. It was frightening and it took courage for me to actually leave the relative comfort of my room. I just forced myself to go out into the street and reminded myself there’s nothing to be frightened of. I think the reason it hit me last night was that I had absolutely no clue where I was (Bangkok is a BIG city) and I was feeling terribly alone. The best thing for me to do was get up early and get out, so that’s what I did – walked around for several hours until I got my bearings straight, rode the subway and the skytrain, even managed to ride the bus for a few blocks – and now I feel much better.
I don’t know why I didn’t have the culture shock in Nepal. From the moment you step off the plane, you are in a world where very little is familiar. Combine that with jet lag, thin air and smog, streets with no names and gods with many names all conspire to confuse, challenge, and astound … Nepal is definitely not for everyone, but I felt prepared to accept and respect a completely different culture. The people are remarkably beautiful and peaceful, and I felt accepted and appreciated. There were definitely some challenges (lack of modern plumbing, hot water and electricity) and I did have some feelings of being isolated, particularly in the villages, but I did not really have the discomfort that swept over me last night. While culture shock is a vile process to go through, it has some virtues. I think it probably makes you stronger – maybe the more “culture shock” you experience, the stronger you become. That’s what I’m telling myself, anyway.
Tags: Travel
Nancy
I’m glad you are working through it.
Bill
Nancy, I can’t even imagine what it must be like to have everything so unfamiliar and to look around and see nothing to give you a sense home. I’m so in awe that you tackle it by forging out into the crowds to get your bearings. I laugh to think of me ever doing that. I’d be in the hotel room all day for fear of getting lost. Today at work, I put my cell phone in my pocket because I had to walk over to a different building and I was panicked that I’d never find the office I was looking for. Well, you know me and my fab sense of direction.
That’s why I love reading this. I googledGanganagar and got the weather — 105 on Sunday – yikes, glad you’re in the AC, and saw a map, but no pictures.
Now if you had some room in your backpack, you could stash one of the lovely, soft rolls of TP for the next remote village.
Good luck ~ stay safe. cr
I could hardly breathe when I read about your culture shock. I am glad you recovered and made it around the city. Sounds like you already have enough memories to last a life time. Enjoy the rest of your adventure.
Pretty uncomfortable times at the moment. Good for you for confronting them head-on. Culture shock, I think, is how we get to the next level. Beyond the tourist and to the place where we start to truly see the world through the eyes of the people in the countries we’re visiting. That’s the whole point of doing what you’re doing. Perhaps you didn’t have culture shock in Nepal because the whole stay was so absolutely unlike anything you’d experienced before, whereas Bangkok looks like a city that could be anywhere, like many you’ve been in, but at the same time is completely foreign in every way. Not being able to speak the language is a big deal and makes me uncomfortable even in Europe where most people speak English as a second language. Just remind yourself that you’ll be fine and that most people, anywhere, are happy to help if you need it. If you know the Thai words for “no”, “help” and “bathroom” you’ll get by. You’ve already shown tremendous courage to get where you are now. No reason to second-guess yourself. You’ll be fine.
Love you and look forward to hearing about you’re continuing adventures.
Barb
You can do it, Nancy!
I’m looking forward to more posts so I know everything is o.k.
Bill
Nancy,
This is not going well as I keep trying to send and it doesn’t work so not sure what they want in mail area and website area. So, once more and then I have to go!!
I am enjoying your stories though so when you return I think you should be a writer!! You are so good at it. I have had fun looking up the areas you mentioned and how neat they are. We are missing so much by not traveling in those areas but they are different and not used to them. TheChangi Village and Changi Beach was unbelieveable as were the Himalayas in some of the pictures. There was a map I could click on or google areas so that was fun. You probably won’t even get my messages so gotta run. Take care and glad you got over your culture shock. I think it is that all of a sudden certain areas will hit you as being really different and you are maybe a little more lonesome. More later sweetie –
Love ya
Kathy