Hunglish.orgCulture shock has many different forms, this article tells of the kind of culture shock that takes a bit of time to rear its ugly head, so when it does, be sure and be prepared for it!
written by Scott Savoie
There are a lot of misconceptions about culture shock. Most people assume that culture shock is that thing you experience when you go to a new country, see something different and you are amazed. You are astonished at how different things are. But that’s just traveling.
Real culture shock is and annoyance and quasi-anger that can be felt toward the entire culture. I believe this almost never happens to a short-term traveler or vacationer.
The mentality of a vacationer or traveler is "vive la difference" as in "Look, Harold! Isn’t that cute! The children are stealing the hubcaps off the cars! Take a picture!"
Culture shock, I believe, occurs after a few years or an extended stay abroad. It happens when the adventurous spirt takes 'its' vacation. Its occurs when one is tired of overcoming obstacles, tired of being functionally illiterate, tired of dealing with some of the senseless things other people have gotten used to.
For me, culture shock occurs in places like restaurants. From my caffeine-addled American point of view, sometimes things happen 'way' too slowly. The processes seem too impossibly long and tortured. I want to grab the waitstaff at times and shake them. I want to tell them to work a little faster, because I was hoping to get some food on the same day as I ordered it and if they don’t have any I could come back later, et cetera.
Usually I get over it without hurting anyone and I revert to my regular easygoing self, but I often appall myself when I am culture shocked.