PART 3: Culture Shock

In Part 1 & Part 2 I looked at the preparation puzzle. This time we’ll look at what happens when you get to wherever you’re going. This is a departure from the technical aspect of it all but it’s equally important which is why I decided to dedicate an entire section to it. Part 4 looks at work, scheduling and pay.

Part 1: LANGUAGE
If you choose to go to a country where you are unfamiliar with the language it will be a challenge. I mean an extreme challenge. When I first arrived in Prague I could barely manage to decipher the train station signs. But it gets better eventually. They say that Czech is one of the most difficult languages in the world to learn and from first hand experience I would have to agree with that statement.

But language is only a small part of the shock factor that may overwhelm you. You will be entering a completely strange land possibly. Many things will be totally different from your comfortable lifestyle back home. You will not have the support network of family and friends nearby and it might be difficult to make new friends.

It is not impossible though. Remember you are going someplace where the people want to learn English. Many will be more than happy to chat with you in any capacity once they find out that you are an English speaker. If you manage to fumble your way through several words, phrases or even complete sentences in their language they will generally be more than happy to attempt to do the same in English.

I have found that many people are interested in just sitting and practicing English. I have found many people that were willing to do a language exchange where we would speak for a few hours a week partly in Czech and partly in English. It is a chance to get to practice the language and make some friends in the process.

Part 2: CULTURE
Other things that will be strange, especially if you’re coming from America, include the tendency to be humble in certain regards. The Czech people are at first a little stand-offish. But really if you look at the history of the country for the last four-hundred years you can understand why. Most foreigners that have come into the country have taken control of it. They are a reserved people in public but once you get to know them they will become some of the best friends you will ever have in your life. Each culture will be different. For example a couple Italian travelers stayed at my flat for a week in August and when I opened the door they introduced themselves and then hugged and kissed me. Something I would never expect a Czech person to do.

Every culture and people have their own tendencies. While many Americans would never think of blowing their nose at the dining table, it is a common occurrence in the Czech Republic. Of course many Americans will openly use a toothpick at the dinner table while Czechs will do it but will cover their mouth with their other hand preventing others from observing it. Japanese people normally will not blow their nose in public at all, opting instead to sniffle incessantly. If they cannot contain the mucus in their nostrils they will cover their nose with a hand while it runs down their face. Yes, a true story told to me by one of my students! These are but only a few examples. There are many gestures and commonplace acts that may be offensive where you are going. Be sure to read up on things to avoid any embarrassing social faux pas.

Part 3: EATING
Many restaurant employees outside of the center of a major town will not speak English, or they will but they might not understand you. Many of the people I know who have been living here for years are still unable to navigate the menu which is quite surprising. I am not a master of the language but I know the difference between tomatoes and pork. As I said before, if you attempt to understand the language and use it you might be surprised to find how willing people will be to help you out. If you leave the major cities you will almost certainly be without English speakers and that can be utterly depressing at times. It is extremely important that you attempt to make some friendly contacts, whether at work or in the general public because without them you will simply wish to return home thinking that living abroad is a terrible experience.

If you are a vegetarian you will most certainly have problems in many countries. The Czech diet for example consists mostly of pork, beef and a combination of them. Sometimes they will eat deep fried cheese for a meal as well. I am not saying you cannot find vegetarian meals at the restaurants in the country, I am just saying that it will be difficult. If you really need to you can always head for the tourist centers and there is likely to be a highly overpriced offering at one of the places there.

But your best bet is to work out the grocery store.

The grocery store is easy enough to navigate, after all everything you want is displayed right in front of you. Of course I still had to go to the produce section and look at the names of things so I knew what “mushroom soup” might look like as I couldn’t see a picture that looked right. This is quite helpful. We all know what fruit and vegetables look like, so if you need them in some other format go check out the produce display.

The stores do not carry as much as one might imagine though so if you’re looking for something that you might think is abundant, like say peanut butter, you will definitely be in for a surprise. It’s generally one of the most expensive products in the store, if they even carry it here.

Part 4: DATING
Let’s face it. Part of getting settled anywhere is meeting someone you like spending time with. So it’s important that you’re prepared. Of course I’m usually amazed if I happen to find someone that wants to spend time with me for any length of time (see my other Xombytes: Long Lost Compatriot, It wasn’t easy being my wife, It’s not easy being my girlfriend). I haven’t really found things here to be very different from America. But the people themselves have completely different ideas about life in general so you might be surprised what they might agree to do. I am not talking about sexual acts or anything like that; those are private matters best kept private. But in the public eye things take on a different aspect. Dating co-workers isn’t really frowned upon here. Attempting to massage your partner’s tonsils with your tongue, while riding the metro escalator, is completely acceptable. As are a variety of other things that might have people staring or mumbling in other countries. Many countries have online meeting places as well. They’re not only a good place to meet people but they’re a good place to practice the language as well. I have made several friends using the local online sites that I chat with in both languages from time to time.

Summary:
The best advice I can think to give is to learn the language, whether you begin to do so beforehand or after you arrive. It will help you get settled and feel at home more than any other single act I can think of. While I still get frustrated because I do not understand the majority of what goes on around me I do know how to navigate several important facets of life. Before I was able to do that life was nearly unbearable at times and I thought about returning to America. But when someone asked me about ‘living the dream’ and told me they were ‘living vicariously through my writing online’ I knew I wasn’t going to return.

So hang in there, it’s tough but the rewards are innumerable and the experiences will be with you for the rest of your lives.

Be prepared, shop for books ahead of time so you know where to go and what to say:

Travel books at Amazon

Book on learning and teaching a foreign language

Find great deals on books at Half.com.

Part 4 now posted.