Week 4 hmwrk
"Everything is nice"
I certainly empathize with Jeanie. The author captures the desultory feeling of foreigners and foreign culture when you first encounter it. Everything seems to happen very quickly, and it's like everyone knows what is going on but you. At first, jeanie acts confused, but willing to try and participate and go with the flow, even up to the point of entering a strange house filled with even stranger people. She tires to adapt, and interact with them, even though she is met with skepticism and what almost borders on hostile curiosity from an old lady (which from experience I know that old people in other countries are some of the worst people to deal with when you first get there. They can make you feel as out of place and wrong as an elephant in a tutu in Antarctica). She doesn't really deal with this well, and tries to retreat to her safe-house where she is with people and things familiar to her, but is stopped until agreeing to return. The story definitely strikes me as taking place during the initial phase of culture shock and adjustment.
1. Just explore and dive right in. The best way to figure things out is to immerse yourself so deeply, to almost strand yourself in a situation where you have to pay attention to local customs and what other locals are doing to get yourself out of your situation.
2. It's always good to do lots of research and try to talk to people that have been there first. Preparing in advance and knowing what to expect are very important to not getting blind-sighted.
3. Expect that you are going to screw up, repeatedly, and often. But don't be afraid to ask for help, especially in the local language. If people see you making an effort they usually are more willing to help you understand their culture.
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." --- William James
I certainly empathize with Jeanie. The author captures the desultory feeling of foreigners and foreign culture when you first encounter it. Everything seems to happen very quickly, and it's like everyone knows what is going on but you. At first, jeanie acts confused, but willing to try and participate and go with the flow, even up to the point of entering a strange house filled with even stranger people. She tires to adapt, and interact with them, even though she is met with skepticism and what almost borders on hostile curiosity from an old lady (which from experience I know that old people in other countries are some of the worst people to deal with when you first get there. They can make you feel as out of place and wrong as an elephant in a tutu in Antarctica). She doesn't really deal with this well, and tries to retreat to her safe-house where she is with people and things familiar to her, but is stopped until agreeing to return. The story definitely strikes me as taking place during the initial phase of culture shock and adjustment.
1. Just explore and dive right in. The best way to figure things out is to immerse yourself so deeply, to almost strand yourself in a situation where you have to pay attention to local customs and what other locals are doing to get yourself out of your situation.
2. It's always good to do lots of research and try to talk to people that have been there first. Preparing in advance and knowing what to expect are very important to not getting blind-sighted.
3. Expect that you are going to screw up, repeatedly, and often. But don't be afraid to ask for help, especially in the local language. If people see you making an effort they usually are more willing to help you understand their culture.
"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes." --- William James