Comments on: Adapted

By: china1sthand

china1sthand — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:11:32 +0000

I’ve just been glancing through these comments because I’m actually re-launching this blog (chinainside.wordpress.com). I don’t think I previously gave you a very good reply. I remember that time was short then because I had only an evening to write and publish a detailed article, and plan ahead to the next topic(s).
Looking again at your comments, you seemed to be saying that language is an important factor in experiencing and overcoming culture shock. Is that a fair summary? I think I perfectly agree with you there, in that when we are surrounded by a language we understand, the environment would probably be familiar enough to not cause the shock response. (There could well be exceptions to this – I guess it depends on how much familiarity the individual prefers.) Where I think we disagree is that I don’t think the reverse is necessarily true: having no shared language does not lead to shock. It is quite an extreme response to feel shock. I have visited various places where I have not been able to communicate verbally (within Malaysia; Brazil; France) and I felt unfamiliarity and uncertainty – but not a culture shock.
I hope you’re well btw. Always enjoy these discussions with you – as long as I’m not worrying about time! I hope you’re happy and enjoying life

By: Trying To Adapt « China First Hand

Trying To Adapt « China First Hand — Fri, 15 Sep 2006 15:39:21 +0000

[...] When I was later settled in my trip, any reminder of the world I came from would completely make my day. Throughout my entire time in China I never found such a close reference to home as this one from my first full day in China. As you see from the poem below, this coincidence came at just the right time to help me overcome my transition into Chinese life. [...]

By: china1sthand

china1sthand — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 21:20:51 +0000

You’re throwing around various arguments:
1. Obviously language influences culture shock. They are still very different things.
2. I used to think many things were important. When you’re in a sink-or-swim situation where all energy goes on the basics, you realise how little we actually need. Have you been without your needs? Did you die? (These are rhetorical questions so please don’t answer them.)
3. The quote I gave was for culture shock. It exactly describes what I was going through and felt I had overcome. Ergo I had culture shock, and had passed through it. Fini. Over.
Now lets go do something else with our time…

By: Max Hammond

Max Hammond — Fri, 25 Aug 2006 18:06:17 +0000

How did I misquote you? I’m interested in your perspective, but it differs from my own somewhat. My argument is that “needs” are a lot more than food, water, shelter.

By: china1sthand

china1sthand — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 22:47:59 +0000

Mis-quoting the information I have given just to argue with me isn’t a productive use of time.

By: Max Hammond

Max Hammond — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 21:40:24 +0000

I used to describe it like you are landing on mars: things are different in ways you can’t imagine now.

And I maintain that culture shock is a lot more severe when the language is changed. I don’t feel culture shock when I go to a distant and different part of the UK, but I do (or did) when I went to parts of Germany (which are really more like home than parts of Wales are).

The experience of cultural relocation is typically:
* a short period (weeks) of being overwhelmed
* a longer period (a month or two) of being very enthusiastic – everything is new and interesting
* a period of frustration – as you quoted above. 6-9 mo depending on the person
* acceptance. Cultures are different, it takes time to genuinely come to terms with it. I simply don’t believe that this is possible without at least moderate language skills.

I don’t agree that it is small values of need. You can get practically everything you need without saying a word. It takes a lot more planning, but when you have no choice, it can be done.

I need: friendship, interesting discussions, awareness of what’s going on in my local, regional, and global environment. Those are big needs. Small needs – food, transport, accommodation – are ironically easier because they’re simpler, and because when there’s an exchange of money, the vendor makes an effort.

By: china1sthand

china1sthand — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 21:02:08 +0000

Culture shock is different from language familiarity. At this stage I probably knew about a dozen words – so communicating anything was a real achievement! Wow, even by the end of the trip I would have been happy to describe something, however simply I did it.
This is a good link defining culture shock: http://edweb.sdsu.edu/people/CGuanipa/cultshok.htm I used to describe it like you are landing on mars: things are different in ways you can’t imagine now. Your knowledge of the world is completely thrown out the window because what you think a person is, and how you think the world is, isn’t actually the case. As I said, it’s hard to go into much detail. I hope that I can cover some of it in the other articles. This description (from http://www.worldwide.edu/travel_planner/culture_shock.html) puts it wonderfully:

“Culture shock is precipitated by the anxiety that results from losing all familiar signs and symbols of social intercourse. These signs are the thousand and one ways in which we orient ourselves to the situations of daily life: when to shake hands and what to say when we meet people, when and how to give tips, how to give orders to servants, how to make purchases… These cues, which may be words, gestures, facial expressions, customs, or norms are acquired by all of us in the course of growing up and are as much a part of our culture as the language we speak or the beliefs we accept. All of us depend for our peace of mind and our efficiency on hundreds of these cues, most of which are unconsciously learned.
When an individual enters a strange culture, all or most of these familiar cues are removed. He or she is like a fish out of water. No matter how broad-minded or full of good will he may be, a series of props have been knocked from under him. This is followed by a feeling of frustration and anxiety.”
I don’t agree that it is small values of need. You can get practically everything you need without saying a word. It takes a lot more planning, but when you have no choice, it can be done.

By: Max Hammond

Max Hammond — Thu, 24 Aug 2006 18:30:15 +0000

I realise how little language we need.

For small values of “need”, I suspect. I feel lost in a country where I don’t speak the language. One eventually gets used to not understanding, and just lets it all wash over – this is what I suspect you describe here. You accept that you can’t describe anything more than simple, and how slow communication is, and how imprecise.

The thing I enjoy about the other languages that I speak is when after being immersed in them for a week or two, you start to understand without concentrating, and that’s nice.