Culture Shock Simulation Response Paper
For my field observation, I went to St. Mark's Episcopal Cathedral in Seattle. They have labrinyths there, taped on the floor, and you can go there and walk the labrinyth. You take your shoes off and everyone is completely silent and walks the labrinyth. At first, it was hard for me to maintain my composure because it was strange to be in this room full of strangers walking in silence around and around on these lines. I felt kind of uncomfortable and did not at first realize the point of doing this. However, after a while, it became very meditative and I sank into the rhythm of my footsteps and completely forgot everyone around me and was only concentrating on me and my experience. At the very center of the labrinyth, there is an open space and a lot of people sat there just to meditate or think or relax. When I had first walked in, I was confused by these people, who seems almost trance-like. I felt like I might be disturbing them. Once I got to the center, I realized the calm state that they were in and sat there myself for a few minutes just enjoying the silence. It was a really intersting experience for me. I was not sure what to expect since it was in a cathedral and I'm not a religious person, but it ended up being a spiritual experience for me despite that. I got over my feelings of discomfort and self-consciousness - realizing that no one was looking at me or judging the way I was tripping on my feet in the labrinyth. I definitely want to go back and do it again and see what else I can get out of it.