Culture Shock

Culture shock can be described as the feelings one experiences after leaving their familiar, home culture to live in another cultural or social environment. Many people associate culture shock only with extreme changes of going from one country to another, but it can also be experienced closer to home, such as when traveling from one city to another within your own country. Even the most open-minded and culturally sensitive among us are not immune to culture shock.It is common to experience culture shock when living in a foreign country for an extended period of time. Culture shock is defined as the feeling of disorientation, insecurity, and anxiety one may feel in unfamiliar surroundings. Values, behaviors, and social customs we routinely take for granted may no longer serve us in our new environment. By adapting to a foreign culture, you can overcome your culture shock and develop meaningful relationships with those around you, rather than feeling anxious and confused in your new space.Honeymoon Phase
Much like the glow experienced by newlyweds, this amorous stage is often short lived. Expats have been known to wander wide eyed - taking in the exotic scents, the colourful sights and hypnotic sounds of their new surrounds. The sweet old lady at your local shop is such a darling, the kids playing after school seem so free and vivacious and the culinary delights are never ending.

Negotiation Phase
This phase is littered with realisations. The food you thought was exotic is actually greasy. You don’t understand the people’s body language or gestures. You have no idea why the nice old lady at the local shop got angry at you last week. Her husband is acting weird. You are negotiating with your surroundings and let’s face it – you feel like one of your daughters’s cut out characters stuck onto the wrong page.

Adjustment phase
Some more time has passed. The little old lady at the shops has forgiven you and you know what her husband means when he flaps his hands