Intercultural Competency

I am unsure how I will be affected by culture shock, though I will invariably will be. One hand, I feel like I have a good handle on the 'ropes' of moving somewhere far from home without knowing anybody there. When I left for college I moved to a place much different than my home--the Southeastern US. Everything about this place was weird and foreign, and I had to adjust to that. While that all is true, of course moving to Thailand will be a completely different kind of culture shock. I'll be in a new country, with a new language, new laws, and a completely new way of living. I haven't even really begun to comprehend how different things may be.

As far as homesickness goes, I know that I have a handle on that. Freshman year was really hard for me, and I learned the amount of time I needed each week to dedicate to catching up with my family. For the most part, since I'll have a working phone, communication to back home might not be as hard for me as it is for other people studying abroad. The only major change is the time difference: 12 hours different than TN, and 17 from Hawaii. That will make phone calls and getting timely responses to texts more difficult I'm sure.

I could see myself getting very worked up when I run into cultural differences issues. I can imagine getting mad, not at others, but myself and become more closed off. All of my worries around this (which there are a lot of them at times) I hinge on having a good support system of other international students at my university, and my coordinator to help me work through difficulties.

Intercultural Competency

Whenever I decided to come to Maryville College, I had to keep some things in mind. I knew that the distance would be difficult for me since I had never been more than an hour from most of my family. I am now three and a half hours away from my family by drive and even if I wanted to go back every weekend, that would be a waste of gas and it would tire me after a while. I am glad that I get to have that ability, but when I go abroad, it won't be that easy. My journey thus far has been a steady movement away from where I am comfortable and this will be no different.

I believe that once I get over the initial jetlag, I will be doing my best to make friends even if I have to change my method. I am aware that most British people do not talk about some topics that we see as normal conversation topics, so I will need to be careful about what I try to use as conversation. I don't want to make people uncomfortable after all but I will mostly learn this from trial and error. In addition I will regularly talk to my family so that I have a solid support.

Intercultural Competency

An aspect of studying abroad that I haven't really considered until now is how homesickness will shape my actions: how often I call home, how my diet will change, how my exercise regime will change (to be fair, it is non existent right now), and whether or not I will withdraw from people and/or activities available to me. The biggest thing I can think to do is be prepared to miss home and be shy about reaching out to people while also being prepared to immensely overcome those things. I will have to in order to make new friends and learn as much as possible. I can only expect the best of strongest efforts from myself.

I expect that I may spend a few nights in watching Netflix because I know myself and I know I need my time alone. However, I will watch that I spend a much more significant portion of my time getting to know people and the culture of Córdoba. Spanish language acquisition and culture are going to be my two main focuses while I'm there. To truly emphasize those focuses and maximize my experience from them, I plan on pushing myself out of my comfort zone when it comes to reaching out to people. I will make it a point, as I have said before, to make friends doing some of the things I like to do at home with friends: hiking, running, reading, doing everyday things. I want to make friends that I can keep my entire life and learn from continuously. I'm excited to see how the friends I will make will enrich my life.

When it comes to calling home, I think I will probably call my Mom and Dad each about two times a week at first (and more, depending on how much I have to say) and then once a week as the four months I will be there goes on. Social media will not matter to me during my time there except to keep long distance family updated on my life because I have a lot of family in Washington state (and my Dad has demanded that I teach him how to use Facebook and that I post pictures often haha).

The unexpected effects of studying abroad such as a change to my diet, sickness, and how I will be able to exercise are things I honestly have not spent too much time thinking through. I hope that I do not get sick while I'm there but I know that I have health insurance purchased for my time there for up to a month after school ends. I know I will be taken care of in that aspect. I expect the food to be delicious; I do not expect the portions to be as large as they are here. Frankly, I'm looking forward to that. Lord knows I overeat all the time, which is a horrible habit. I'm also hopeful for exercising that I will be able to find a running buddy and will have a place outdoors to run and a place indoors (probably on campus) to use light weights, do stretches, and use some machinery. I believe I will be more than able to maintain my health while I'm there.

Intercultural Competency

Moving new places always comes with challenges, adjusting to the culture being one of the largest challenges. While Germany and the US have a lot of similarities in the way people act and present themselves, I don't imagine it will be a piece of cake adjusting. 

One of the things I think I will be most uncomfortable with will be the language difference. I have been attempting to learn German and will probably know the very basic aspects of the language by the time I get there. Communication will be a difficult part to adjust to. Since my situation is different than most, I think adjusting to that new lifestyle will be difficult. Although I think that I would have a difficult time with that in the US as well, it will be even more in Germany because I won't have my friends from MC to lean on. I think to help with homesickness and the culture in general, I will try to make friends with other international students that are in the same situation as me. Being able to talk with them about the struggles and accomplishments of everyday life will ease any discomforts I may be having. 

Even though I have traveled before and know how I react to different places initially, I have never been in a completely new culture for an extended period of time, and I look forward to seeing how it helps me grow.

Intercultural Competency

Based on my experiences with culture shock and homesickness abroad in the past, I realize that there are two things that are personally the most helpful in this situation. First of all, making friends. I am an extrovert and thrive off of spending time with people. Because of this, in any setting I can become melancholy when spending too much time alone. For this reason I am going to make a significant effort to make friends and spend time with the other local and international students regularly. I hope to share life with my peers and invest in their lives as they invest in mine.

Secondly, I need to stay busy. I love to be busy and am always bouncing from one thing to the next. If there is ever a rare occasion that I don't have something to do I remedy that very quickly. I will apply this knowledge of myself while I am in China and remember to keep busy and make the most of my time there. I think that if I keep a good perspective and open mind I will successfully combat an overwhelming waves of culture shock. Reminding myself that I want to get the most that I possibly can out of my short time there will help me to reevaluate any frustration that I may have with differences and distance from home. Additionally, it will be important to remember how quickly a semester passes and what a short time that I am really there for. When I realize the briefness of my time in the grand scheme of things, it is easier to completely indulge in my present experiences without being tempted to miss my life back home. I will have plenty of time to return to normal life later.

Intercultural Competency by Jacob

Leaving the American Southeast for the first time will be at once a sincere challenge and an invigorating adventure.

I believe that for purposes of cultivating intercultural competency, the most powerful weapon at my disposal is my state of mind.  Traveling to Sweden with the frame of mind that I will hold everyone I meet and everything I see to my standards and schema of home would be a mistake.  To do that would be to close myself off from this new place- and deny myself opportunity for growth and personal development.  

Instead, I will seek to make myself open to this new land.  Importantly, this is not analogous to allowing my fundamental character to be washed out by new experience.  I do not think that is a genuine concern.  Rather, I should embrace as best I am able the host country and host people.  I should seek to live like them, see society and culture through their lens, and be not afraid of how this might impact my values.  We human beings are, after all, consistently dynamic and fluid beings.

I think that by keeping this open-minded, non-judgmental attitude, I can dramatically improve my intercultural competency.  I believe it will be key to integrate and succeed in the host culture.

I am a valuable person and bring value to my host country just as my host country has a wealth of value for me to discover if only I would allow myself to receive it.

Intercultural Competency

I tentatively say that while of course the culture of the United Kingdom can be very different from the culture of the United States, those differences are not nearly as large or severe as the differences between the U.S. and other countries.  The United Kingdom, from what I (someone who has never been there) understand, is fairly western in culture, just as the United States.  The language in England is the same, and many practices and traditions seem to be similar.

That said, there are of course many adjustments that I will have to make in transitioning to a new culture.  There will be time change to get used to, but (hopefully!) that will not take more than a few days to a week to get fully adjusted to.  Although I have yet to experience homesickness, staying in another country for an extended period of time may invoke it, and I will have to figure out a plan of communication for keeping in touch at home.  Though I do not want to get so involved in what's going on a home that I forget to experience what's around me!  Hopefully, orientation will introduce me to other international students as well as locals so I can have a supportive friend group when going through possible bouts of frustration and sadness.  Another thing I'll need to consider is change in weather.  Although it will not be as drastic as studying in say, Africa, it might be a little chillier in England!  I will need to bring appropriate clothes and research what weather is usually like in that time of year.  I am excited to be able to learn more minute differences in culture and possibly adopt some of them for my own!

Intercultural Competency

In adjusting back to Greece, I think that it will be interesting to see if I transition similarly to how I did the first time I went there, or if returning will be a completely new experience. I think that already being familiar with the culture and having friends and community, I will have an easier time adjusting at the beginning. However, since this trip will be significantly longer, I do expect to experience more homesickness and perhaps a deeper level of culture shock as I continue to learn and immerse myself in the culture. How I plan to deal with the transition is to 1) Seek the help of those around me and 2) Allow myself to stay connected with home. First, I know that I am going to have friends and a support group already around me and they can encourage me and help me adjust back into the culture. They will also push me to step outside my comfort zone and seek out new friends and relationships that can further help me transition and feel comfortable in the new environment. Second, I know that I may be tempted to stay in such close contact with home that I don’t really engage where I am, so I know it will have to be a balance. But I think it is good to allow myself to stay connected with people at home so that I don’t feel completely out of the loop, which will hopefully help with reverse culture shock as well. Overall I am excited to transition back to Greece, even though I know there will be new and unexpected challenges along the way.

Adjusting to a New Culture

I'm definitely nervous about studying abroad - this is going to be my first time ever leaving the country! I don't have any idea how immersing myself in a new culture will affect me - maybe my experience will be all good, but what if I completely freak out? I'm guessing that all in all, I'm going to have good and bad moments as I adjust - hopefully mostly good. One of the biggest things that I think I can do is thoroughly prepare now. I want to try to get as close to the Irish culture as I can, before I even go there. Researching and planning are two of the best ways I know to de-stress about something, and I think that's going to really help me out here. Learning about transportation, money, food, and slang terms are all ways that I want to use try to help me ease into the culture. Knowledge is power, right? On the other hand, I know that it's impossible to find and store every piece of information about Northern Ireland that I might need before I go there - of course, I will find myself in situations where I won't have any idea what to do, and that no amount of Google searches could have prepared me for. In those instances, I think it's just important that I handle myself as best I can and keep my attitude positive by not losing sight of my goals in coming here. I don't expect every moment in Ireland to be perfect - in fact, I hope that a lot of them aren't. I'm trying to expand my horizons, and I think that facing challenges is going to be a big part of that. With the right mindset, I think that problems I run into will only make me stronger in the long-run - including homesickness and feeling out of place in a new city.

Cultural Competency

Living in another country for about five months can be intimidating. Learning a new culture and language at the same time will be difficult and taxing on the mind. Constantly trying to think in another language that I am not fluent in will be tiring and frustrating at times for communication with local people. I will have to adjust to a new way of life in France and learn to juggle my emotions to keep a smile on my face. Transitioning to culture in France will be exciting, but I know that there will be some days where I just want to be in America and in my own culture. To ease this transition, I will have to practice some techniques that I have learned throughout my life to cope. Hopefully, if I become frustrated, homesick, insecure, withdrawn, or otherwise I will take a deep breath and remember that everything is going to be ok. Keeping an open mind to the new cultural differences and going with the flow will be important for me to stay positive and integrate into the new culture. I love French culture, so I do not think I will have problems assimilating. I am a very quiet person and I generally learn by observation. So, I like to try to stay aware of my surroundings and the actions of others when I am traveling so that I can learn what I should be doing or what is acceptable by the local people. Luckily for me, I know that people in France are generally accepting of foreigners who at least are trying to learn the culture and speak the language. Knowing that people will be understanding of my struggles gives me confidence to put myself out there and not be afraid to make mistakes. 

Intercultural Competency by Kelly

When I go to my home country, I expect to notice what I haven’t noticed so far, this can include any cultural differences that I haven’t experienced or what I haven’t  been aware of, differences and similarities of cultures, and uniqueness of Korean cultures. I think knowing Korean history, visiting Korean museums and old places, and meeting my grandparents would help be know more about Korea.

I think Koreans would say that I no longer have Korean blood in my body. Talking with strangers, asking how they have been, using body languages and gestures, paying with separated bills, sleeping over in friends’ house, paying big money for textbooks, drinking lots of soda, and having fast food at least 7 times a week is what most of Koreans don’t but what most of Americans do. Because I came to U.S. in young age, my perception and behaviors are a lot influenced by the time lived in U.S. I am bit afraid of Korean people’s perception of what I think is right and they think that I am different or even wrong.

The adjustment that I will face in Korean culture is gender issues. Gender issues in US and S. Korea is similar but different. Korea still has Confucian ideas that men are superior than women. And there are still jobs that require specific gender. Still the idea of men making money and working outside, and women support men and do the house work are what old people still think. Young generations like my ages start to change their thoughts and ideas about this. They now think men and women are equal that they both need to make money and both need to contribute house work. But still it is cultural difference that can’t be changed easily. Since we now have female president, I expect this issue to be changed socially and culturally.

Changes of the home environment are big changes in my life. I always lived with my family or relatives. But for next semester, I will live alone in one of the college dorm, make my own money if possible, do my laundry, and cook my own food. That would be one of the biggest change compared to how I live in here in Maryville and how I will live like in Seoul. 

Blog # 6: Intercultural Competency in Australia

Maddy Little

Culture shock and homesickness is to be expected, no matter where I would be going. I think it won't be so bad since I'm only going to Australia. I mean, I know it'll be different, but it won't be all that different. The place is a giant melting pot, much like America is. And I've been eager to leave the nest as soon as possible. I caught the travel bug. I'm more excited to get out of here than I am nervous or scared of leaving home. I think if I did somehow get homesick or found myself facing a serious case of culture shock, I'd handle it the best way I can, which is a healthy way. I exercise. I run to keep from stressing out too much. The solid ground hitting my feet is always the same solid ground, no matter where I am. There is always a trail to run on, whether it be the college woods in Maryville College, or the sandy beaches in Sydney, Australia. Instead of overeating, or not eating, or crying, or stressing, or getting depressed, I run. It clears my mind, breathing in the fresh air and taking in the atmosphere around me. It helps my keep an open mind and not over analyze things. And it keeps me hungry for more...food that it. Foodie for life! If everything changes for me when I go abroad, I'll at least have my daily run (or at least weekly).

Intercultural Competency - Australia/NZ

Augusta Phillips

What is one thing you will do to ease your transition into a new culture, and deal with the adjustments you will face?

So when I get nervous or scared about being in a new place, I experience nausea. It is super embarrassing, and strange I know, but that is just the first thing my fear turns into. Having huge changes in my daily routine freaks me out, so I know when I go abroad I am going to have to calm this strange reaction to fear and new routines. I plan on handling this new transition with friendships, work, medicine, and looking at the bigger picture. I hope to make great friends while studying and traveling from both countries. Being around people I will get to know, and being comfortable around them, will make my adjustment so much easier. Talking to people and really having deep conversations calms me down. It makes me feel like I am back at home having tea and talking for hours with my mom. I know if I throw myself in my work, I will not be as concerned with the new routine. The first few days will be hard on me. Adjusting to everything, getting used to the time change, meeting people, finding out how things work, and learn the basics will be new and nauseating to me. But after a few days when I have gotten used to the people and the work, I will be perfectly okay. I know the work I will be doing will be everything I have waited for. Getting lost in studies and information will help me adjust. Another thing to help will be the anti nausea medicine I take. I don't know if it helps me physically or mentally, but it helps! So I will have that as a safety blanket for the first few difficult days. I will probably bring a blanket from home to also help with everything. On days when it get bad all I have to do is look at the bigger picture. One day I will show pictures and tell stories to my children and grandchildren. I will have experience for my job. And I will know what is like to immerse myself in a whole new world. It will be an experience of a lifetime. So whatever I find helps with homesickness and the transition, I will do. Traveling has always been a dream of mine, and know I can live it. I also won't have access to phone or internet, so I will have to adjust to not talking to friends or family the whole time I am there. But I think that will help me focus on school and the new culture. It will take me away from constantly using it like I do now. If I need someone to talk to about anything, there are counselors there. I will have help every second of the way. 

Experiencing Culture Shock in South Africa

by Taylor Smith

When choose to study abroad in South Africa, I really did not take into consideration the negative effects of experiencing a culture so different from what I am used too.  I choose it because I have a strong desire for adventure, and well what country could be more adventurous?  Anyways,  I have began preparing myself for the new exciting encounters that I have in store, but before today I hadn't really planned for the downside of culture shock.  I have however spoke with a couple of people who have traveled/lived in South Africa, and they have given me so great advice. 

My first plan is to be open to the changes that will come my way.  I have realized that just because something is different than what I am used to doesn't mean that it is bad.  In fact, I have experienced a lot of good from trying things out side of my comfort zone.  Although I consider myself to be a very scheduled person, I am planning on forcing myself to roll with the punches.  I believe when in a situation like studying abroad, it is best to be flexible because planning every minute detail could potentially cause me to miss out on an amazing opportunity. 

Ways to cope:
Personally, I am very close with my family, so not being able to speak or see them often is going to be my biggest hurdle.  In order to deal with the homesickness, I am taking tons of photos along on my trip.  I will probably only place a few in my room, but I want to be able to have something more elaborate to turn to.  Along with that I am going to severely limit my amount of phone calls to home.  As of right now I plan to use the internet as my means of communication with home.  I haven't decided if I will use Facebook's instant message, Skype, or just email yet.  More than likely it will be a combination of all three. 

Secondly, I love to eat, so not eating is probably not going to be a problem for me especially since I believe trying the native cuisine is one of the best methods of experiencing a new culture.  However,  I do understand that I may not particularly enjoy the food, therefore I am packing a jar of peanut butter to help transition if I cannot find anything else.  Plus I just really love peanut butter! 

All in all I think I will be okay once I arrive and settle in.  I'm sure I will encounter problems, but what great adventure doesn't? 

Here's to hoping I can roll with the punches!
Taylor Smith

Wanderlust & OTher Adventures: Culture Shock in Finland

So Culture Shock, it plays a huge part in your study abroad experience, especially when you are staying in a new place for a long time, and I've got more than just a few words on the whole thing. The thing is though, I don't wanna bog down you readers on what culture shock is, we all know what it is after all, instead I want to tell you how it is I go about dealing with it.

Firstly, try to find something about the new place you are in and really enjoy and learn more about it! If you find yourself stressed out and feeling like you just hate the whole country then surely if you look at that one specific thing that you really love you should be able to bring yourself out of your funk.

Secondly, bring something that reminds you of home! I've got a few photos that I know I plan on putting on my walls. Bringing something personal and meaningful is important, and sometimes just looking at a photo and remembering that your friends would want you to have fun too is important.

Lastly, don't let your depression cloud your judgment! It might seem like everything is crumbling all around you and all you want to do is go home, but it is not really like that I promise. You might find that something you did out of anger or frustration will come back to haunt you in the end if you are not careful.

Overall, just understand that the feeling will pass. It might seem like your world is crumbling all around you, but you're completely wrong. The world is not going to end just because one day went wrong, you have to be willing to look at the big picture when it comes to culture shock.

As for me? I'll keep moving on. After all, what kind of adventure doesn't have a little problem every now and then?

Blog #6: Experiencing Culture Shock - Greece

             I feel relatively confident that I will not experience too much of a culture shock when I am going around the city or if I meet with locals. I know I can handle the cultural experience; I have been handling that since I was a baby. I actually truly love being away from home, not that I do not love my mom to death but I’ve never truly felt homesick in my life. I know I’ll devour the food when I step off the plane—Greek food is my weakness! It may be because I know my family is only a train ride away that I am not worried about the major things, like if I get sick or if I miss them too much that I can’t bare it anymore. That may be why the thing I am terrified and will be most shocked about is going to school.

 I am not saying the Greek system is horrible, and they whip the students on the daily. What I am scared of is the horror stories I have heard from my cousins and parents—the sorties talking about the sheer difficulty and strictness of the professors. I am not used to that at Maryville College. Yes, I am used to the professors expecting a lot out of me, but not the way Greek professors have been described, as people who, if you disrespect them at all, you’d wish you never met them in your life, not wanting to even make eye contact anymore for fear of punishment. Since this is an American school, I am hoping the stories will not apply to this college. If they do, I think the only thing I can do is to roll with the punches and enjoy my time there as much as possible.

If I experience any culture shock that I wasn’t expecting, I will not let it affect me. Any time I go on a trip my mom always makes sure to tell me, “Elizabeth, if anything goes wrong, DO NOT get upset about it. Step back from the situation and assess. If you don’t, you’ll only be angry and ruin your trip.” To me, that is something I want to constantly do. If something goes wrong and I am upset, I try to get over it as soon as possible because I know my time there is short, so I need to fix the problem as fast as possible. I do not want to spend my entire trip complaining, frustrated, sad, quick to anger, or feeling as if I’m a failure. The main thing I will do to ease into a new culture is to keep an open mind, observe what the locals are doing—as not to offend anyone—and see everything for what it is: completely normal, beautiful, different and unique.

Meandering Paths: Coping with Culture Shock in Germany

Adjusting to a new culture is difficult, even for the most flexible of people. Even with my tolerance of ambiguity in general, I wonder what exactly Heidelberg will be like once I find my way there. Different would probably be the most accurate description, but that doesn't quite capture the emotions associated with it. What if I'm so nervous I stop eating? What if I don't make any friends?

The cure to all anxiety, I think, is an overdoes of optimism. So what if I stop eating? I'll lose weight! No friends? Time for a solo-adventure! But, seriously. I don't think that any amount of anxiety is a reason to avoid enjoying yourself while abroad. It's new and it's frightening, yes, but it's only as debilitating as you allow it to be. But what do you to prevent feeling alone in this great big world?

Find comfort, of course.

Coping is so easy, readers. Those of you who think that the world is falling down around you over one little mistake have to learn that life goes on. Still, there are several ways to find comfort quickly and easily abroad. Here are just a few:

1.) Bring photographs of home. I collect photostrips. Yes, those little things created in photobooths. Old fashioned, yes, but they're a great reminder of how much fun you have with friends and family. More than that, they're easy to preserve and pack: laminate them and toss them in with the rest. Whenever you're feeling lonely, grab a picture and remind yourself those people are back home supporting you.

2.) Bring something that comforts you. I have a blanket that's faux fur that I ADORE. It's warm and it makes me feel at home. I can cuddle up with it on the plane and in Germany, so I'll always have a little part of home with me.

3.) Take a shower and calm down. Sometimes a shower is all we need to relax. Climb into the shower, turn the water as hot as you can stand, and calm down. Cry if you need to. Just give yourself five or ten minutes to have a moment to yourself.

4.) Give yourself ten seconds. In Lost, the reoccurring saying about fear is this, "Ten seconds, and I'm done." Give yourself ten minutes to freak out and break down. Count it down out loud. At zero, let it go and move on. It sounds ridiculous, but it really IS that easy.

5.) Find a comfort food. There's no doubt that the food in your new country will different than that from home. That doesn't matter, really. Find something you really, really, really, really like and use it remind yourself what you like about the country. Look for the silver linings, readers. It helps.

Good luck!

Cheers,
Felicity

Intercultural Competency- Rachel Burton

       I think the combination of implementing frequent "me" time and calling home regularly will be the best way for me to deal with the adjustments and ease my transition into the new culture.  I'm very close to my parents, and so for me, there's nothing more comforting than calling them and venting to them or telling them about how my week is going.  We said that we would make Sunday our weekly Skype date, so that's going to ensure time to release any tension or frustration from the previous week.  I don't predict much needed venting or frustration since I'm going to a country whose culture is mostly like mine, but I'm sure there will be little differences that could add up quickly and put me down for that week or so.  I never give myself much "me" time here at Maryville College because there are people everywhere, in my classes, at my extracurricular activities, and in my dorm room, but I think it will be very important for me to do while abroad to reflect over my emotions and feelings.  I also really want to keep in touch with my friends from back home as much as possible.  I know my three roommates will want to have Skype dates with me pretty regularly, but scheduling a time that works about for the four of us will be the challenge.  Everyone is so busy in college, but I hope to be able to stay in touch with my friends by using Facebook messages.  It is very important to me to keep updated with my roommates and close friends, and they find it very important too, so thank God for technology!
        I think there are many things I can do in my "me" time that will be comforting and relaxing.  Reading a novel, watching TV shows on Netflix and making hot chocolate.  I also want to stay healthy and fit by eating well and exercising regularly.  I will cook most of my meals since we have a kitchen in our dorm and there's no meal plan.  I will try to get mostly healthy ingredients from the grocery store and will try to make large-portion meals that I can get multiple meals out of, for example, pasta dishes that are filling, healthy, and can be reserved.  I plan to run most days of the week.  With the influence of Mary Beth and a set running schedule, hopefully, I will actually follow through with this plan.  Exercising is very important in times of difficulty, because it helps decrease stress, enhance good moods, and keeps you healthy while you're in a foreign atmosphere.
      With the two goals, communicating with my friends and my parents every week, implementing a scheduled "me" time every week, and exercising regularly, I think my study abroad experience will be enhanced, and will make my adjusting to the new culture and area easier.

Relax/Culture Shock!

Taylor King

Blog 6: Intercultural Competency

One thing I will do to ease my transition into a new culture is to relax.  I have experienced culture shock before and didn’t realize I was in culture shock until a few days later when I had time to adjust and become acquainted with the new scenery.   When I experience culture shock in Argentina, I plan on doing what I did before when I experienced culture shock and relax.  I can try my hardest to feel normal and like I felt at home but in the end it will be better to go with the flow and let things fall into place so that I don’t worry myself and cause myself more stress and shock.  There will be changes in eating habits in that I will have “a forth meal” in Argentina.  There is breakfast, lunch, then tea/snack time around five, then dinner around ten or eleven at night.  This means I will be a night owl and will be having some late nights out!  However, I am pretty excited about this part since I stay up late anyway in the US.  There is a possibility that I will get homesick and I will have access to a phone and internet that I can use to contact family and friends back home.  Again, if this happens I believe that it is best not to sit around but to go out with friends somewhere to surround you with social people.  Hopefully I will not get to the point of depression if I get homesick.  I plan to not let this happen!  I have a goal of making as many new friends and social networks as possible so that I will not have time to be sad that I have left my family and friends at home for four and a half ish months.  I tend to get frustrated fairly easily; however, I have a method for relieving my anger which is food!  Whenever I get frustrated, I treat myself to a little something to calm and distress myself.  Whether it be chocolate, a small snack, or a soda, it always seems to help me focus.  I do expect myself to experience a sense of failure here and there during my expedition.  Even though I can speak Spanish, I am not 100% fluent so I do sometimes not understand Hispanic people occasionally.  When it comes to illness, I plan on going to the local clinic since it is close and convenient.  I am planning on NOT getting sick but it is a different country with different surroundings so nobody knows.  My last note is that with my method of relaxing and going with the flow, I do have a restriction.  When the time comes, which it will, when I get so overwhelmed with school or other activities, I plan on stepping away  and withdrawing from the situation so that I do not become so frustrated it ruins my experience.  I will have to deal with adjustments I know, but occasionally one needs a few moments of piece to sort out thought and convince oneself that they can do it!    

Ode to Joy

As the departure date looms ever so closely over the horizon, I am constantly bombarded by thoughts of not getting to eat dinner with my parents. I am constantly reminded that I will not get to stay up until 3 in the morning watching movies with some of my ridiculously close friends. And I am ever so aware of the fact that I will not be comforted by the dark, cool recesses of my room at night.

These overwhelmingly intense realizations successfully shrink me to the size of ladybug.

So the question asks me how exactly will I deal with the teeth chattering, sweat inducing, bone crushing anxiety that I am about to encounter.

MUSIC!

......and other familiar things!

I have realized that I tend to be a typically sentimental person. I will hold on to movie tickets, concert stubs, pieces of paper, and honestly just about any other useless item just because I associate it with some sort of strong memory.

And in that realization I developed, what I believe, to be a pretty decent rationale on how to cope with homesickness, anxiety, culture shock, etc.

If I take a few small items of nostalgia, then I think it will be just enough to keep me sane.

I will be absolutely sure to take my iPod filled with the music that evokes such serendipitous and calming states within my brain. I will take pictures of loved ones. I will take tiny, objects that have no sort of explicit usefulness just to keep next to my desk marked "IN CASE OF EMERGENCY: Look at me for extended periods of time to keep your sanity in an unfamiliar space!"

I think that this will all work because of these objects' familiarity. These objects, both concrete and abstract, do not simply take up space. They create an atmosphere. And this atmosphere will keep me grounded, no matter how lofty or cloudy my head gets. The importance of a familiar atmosphere to me is indescribably important for my physical and mental well-being.

And so, in this sordid, trivial attempt to plant myself in Thailand with only a few sentimental objects, I think that it will be enough to ease my transition into another world.