#1
- *Everything* here seems to exist to create profit for someone: your health (or more likely your illness), your poverty, your education, etc.
- There is zero concept of "the greater good" or public welfare here, even when it would make more economic sense to do something collectively.
- In a similar vein, that you put a dollar value on your family's health. I had just started working when my toddler got really sick, and I had to try to figure out "is he sick enough that I can afford the doctor visit?" "Is he sick enough that I can afford a day off work to take him to the doctor?" "How long can I afford his care if it's not just the flu?" etc.
- Given all the above, the conclusion (here come the downvotes) that America is a massive machine designed and perfected to completely and utterly f**k poor people.
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We had the opportunity to speak with a few people who are well-versed in reverse culture shocks. Writer Amy Poulton, who manages the Page Traveller blog, lived as an expat in Hong Kong and had been backpacking through Southeast Asia and Mexico. She has also lived overseas in Thailand and Italy.
As she tells Bored Panda, starting from scratch in a country where you are alone and unfamiliar with the language and culture makes you a stronger, more independent person. In her words, “it makes you a problem solver.”
#5
The biggest shock, however, is the ignorance of the population. The propaganda and political system here are sophisticated to such an extent that Americans will tell me directly and with no personal experience or seeming review of the facts that a for profit healthcare system is the only way to go. They’ll defend and believe that this is the greatest and freest country on earth. They still believe that most countries outside of the U.S. and Europe are third world. They’re still convinced that running everything, including social services, on a profit motive is the only way to guarantee a positive outcome for society. Many believe that China and Iran are the greatest sources of evil since the N**is. They tell me this without ever having been on the Bangkok metro, to a Taiwanese hospital, or seemingly having ever talked to a Mainland Chinese person.
Americans do travel and in great numbers. For those that do, they’re incredibly insightful and open minded. For the majority, however, they live in the biggest bubble of ignorance I’ve ever encountered.
#6
In her experience, Poulton, who is from the UK, says her reverse culture shock happened when she could no longer relate to her home country the same way. As she tells us: “I am no longer connected to my home country in the same way, but I will always be connected.”
“What's funny is that I often feel very connected to other British expats because we share the experience so closely,” Poulton adds. “We have left the same culture and also ventured into this new one, so our cultural references, traditions, and responses to the new are usually the same.”
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In many restaurants in New Zealand you just go to the host station to pay when you’re done, and there is of course no tip.
Siddhi Yoga CEO and founder Meera Watts has a different take on reverse culture shocks, having trained yoga teachers from more than 50 countries and experiencing cultural shifts between Singapore and India.
“Reverse culture shock does not mean that one is losing touch with his or her roots, but instead, it means that a person has grown and has a broader outlook,” she explained. “Having been exposed to the new cultures, you come back with a new pair of eyes that see what you could not see before.”
#10
In the UK you stand to the right if you're stationary so if people are in a rush they can pass on the left.
In the UK Public transportation was quiet and you avoided eye contact. No one would dare blast music without headphones. Not the case in the US.
It's like once you land back in the US everyone suffers from main character syndrome. The entitlement is palpable.
#11
Also, fun fact: Germans call all square, pre-sliced white bread toast. Americans only call it toast when it has been toasted. You do not know how confusing this is.
#12
Watts adds that the “increased sensitivity” that expats experience is “transitory,” and is evidence that a person has successfully adjusted in a foreign country.
“The unease is an indication that you have truly embraced elements of a different culture, and this will enrich and not degrade your identity,” she said.
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I didn't realize the small but pervasive exhaustion and strain that having to drive everywhere causes on my body and brain.
Licensed psychotherapist Christina Kantzavelos, LCSW, MLIS, has lived abroad and worked with clients who have returned after long periods away from their home country. In her view, reverse culture shocks are a reflection of growth while being away.
She adds that the idealization of one’s native country is also common because the brain naturally highlights the comforts of home. As she puts it, it is a natural way of coping with uncertainty.
#16
The guns. The f*****g guns. Why does a presumably civilized society need so many god damned guns?
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So, how does a returning expat cope with reverse culture shock? Kantzavelos advises giving yourself time to readjust while allowing both versions of yourself to exist together. She also recommends staying connected with the people you met abroad.
“Bring parts of your life overseas back home with you, whether that is cooking a dish you loved, listening to music from that country, or practicing the language,” she stated, reiterating that feeling unsettled is not a sign of failure but is simply part of the process of “weaving together all the places you belong.”
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