POST 4

• Let's talk about cultural shock. (Define it from your career point of view). 
• Have I ever experienced a cultural shock. 
• How did you feel?
• Give at least an example

Minimun 200 words

Cultural shock is the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing unfamiliar way of life due to a change in his or her life. The unfamiliar surroundings, the strange habits, the way things are valued, even the way people greet each other can all contribute to a feeling of uneasiness and confusion.

That is the way I felt when I remember moving abroad years ago. When I arrived to Costa Rica, at the beginning everything was new but different at the same time. My first shock was the food; they eat rice and beans at every meal. Then, the transportation was a bigger shock; the bus drivers stopped everywhere and even stopped if they were hungry, we, the passengers had to wait in the bus while they were finishing their meal or snack. Costa Rican are also relaxed people, if they do not finish or do something on time, they will leave it for the next day. They say “mañana.” Another thing very different was the street addresses. The street had names, but no one used them. If you had to go to a place, they would tell you the neighbourhood and the numbers of “varas” – Spanish old measurement- from a reference point to go to the address you want it. One day someone told me to go 10 varas north from the monolith in Columbus Avenue. I had never seen one. However, most of the people in the city knew about this monolith which had been demolished many years ago. In the middle of the avenue on the street it was small piece of square which it was this monolith symbol, but to see it you had to cross the avenue.

All of the above examples make me feel unease at the beginning. I felt confuse and did not know how to express these feelings to anyone. After sometime, I got used to this new life and all of this became a lot of fun. Finally, I laughed.