Culture Shock!!!

it really reminds me of my experience of "being culturally shocked":-)

the language, the food, the way of life, etc i found them all alright because i was easy to get adapted. but i missed my family and friends!!! homesickness almost killed me. but i managed it by making new friends and getting more involved in the family activities of my host family. i knew if something was missing there had to be something to take its place otherwise i would keep feeling bad...

for the difference in culture, by means of daily behaviour and habits, i would only suggest an open mind. always keep it in mind that "it's not wrong, it's not right, it's just different.";-)

Certain aspects of culture shock can be best understood in the context of sense and sensibility. Teachers new to a country need to ask themselves if something is challenging or offending their common sense or the cultural sensibilities. I found that asking myself this question when confronted with issues or decisions regarding food, behaviour or systems provided me with a very workable mechanism through which to interpret each experiences. I also found myself more open to trying new things once I appropriately designated them as issues of cultural sensibility, not common sense.