This is my last post. I’m leaving HNEE in August, so you won’t see me again, except maybe for the occasional lunch in the Mensa on a free day. The blog will be up for some time, after which I will probably use it for something else (recycling, you know — very sustainable!)
Thank you for teaching me so many things about language teaching. I hope some of you have come to like the English language. And, of course:
Daniel
Brian Bilston is an anonymous poet who publishes mostly on Facebook and Twitter. Many of his poems play with words and meanings, like this one:
you took the last bus home
you took
the last bus homei still don’t know
how you got it through the doorbut you’re always doing amazing stuff
like the time
when you caught that train
Check out more on his website, the “Poetry Laboetry“.
Changing scenery, stepping outside your comfort zone, and experiencing different cultures is inspiring and life-changing … but there also is a side of living abroad that can be overwhelming and challenging. The new cultural elements that you encounter may be so different that they seem shocking in comparison to the norms and customs th
at you were used to at home.
“Culture Shock” is used to describe the emotional rollercoaster that someone experiences when living in a new country. It affects anyone from business personnel, to students, to volunteers, to sports stars, etc. Riding the rollercoaster of culture shock, one actually follows a natural pattern of hitting peaks and valleys. The high points of interest and excitement are succeeded by lower points of depression, disorientation, or frustration. Each expat will experience these ups and downs in different degrees of intensity and for different lengths of time. This process is necessary in order to make the transition from one culture to another. Your ability to adapt, the lengths of your stay, and the support systems* you have in place will affect your way of handling culture shock.
By the end of your rollercoaster ride though, you’ll have an irreplaceable perspective gained through experience and appreciation. You may even have difficulties with re-entering your own culture. Typically, the more successful you were in immersing yourself in the country and culture where you have just been, the more difficult a time you will have re-adjusting to your own culture, and getting back into the routine of your old life. You will most likely go through an adjustment process, similar to what you might have experienced abroad. Things have changed while you were gone, and you might feel a little bit out of place in your own culture. Others may expect you to act the same as you always did, but you have changed, and find it difficult to do so. You may wish to just leave the country again as soon as possible! It will take time and patience on your part to facilitate your gradual re-adjustment to your culture.
There are many variables associated with the levels of culture shock but most sojourners point out there is a key skill acquired: having become better at acclimating to new lifestyles and more tolerant to differences, a highly beneficial effect as there will be an adjustment period with every big move in life.
*An expat network that I found to be comprehensive:
https://www.internations.org/about-internations/
Commisceo is a British organisation and a website that offers help with understanding different cultures. The website gives you lots of information about cultures all over the world and some quizzes and questions to test your cultural knowledge. Check it out!
by Alexander, whose family is from Bulgaria.
Dear visitors,
Welcome to Bulgaria. Enjoy yourselves, but please note the following rules so that Bulgarian people don’t misunderstand you.
The most important thing you should know is that nodding your head means ‘no’ and shaking your head means ‘yes’.
The Bulgarian president is Rosen Plevneliev, but you should know that the population don’t like him.
If you travel the country, you should go to Shipka Mountain, a nice place with a beautiful landscape. But you have to be very careful because in the mountains of Bulgaria there are a few venomous snakes and other dangerous animals.
Welcome to Germany,
In Germany you have a lot of freedom as long as you don’t do any harm to anyone.
Please note that you have to pay high fines for leaving waste on the streets. Also, you shouldn’t cross the street if the traffic lights are red.
Sundays are resting days. The Germans insist on their day off on Sundays. It’s not allowed to listen to loud music or cut the lawn on Sundays.
You should eat a delicious Currywurst.
On German motorways you are allowed to drive as fast as you want unless you are in a traffic jam.
Please note that you must always be on time for meetings or work.
Visitors should not address strangers with “du” or “dich”. You have to say “Sie and Ihnen”, which is the more polite way.
Our label is Natural Eco, and our product is Natural Eco chocolate. The consumer of Natural Eco chocolate can be sure about the high quality in cultivation and production. We guarantee that we work without child labour. Furthermore, we offer farmers good working conditions and fair prices. For a healthy product, we use natural instead of artificial fertilisers. Our fertilisers are made from manure.
FairMilk is a label which supports regional farmers. We guarantee good working conditions on milk producers’ farms. Producers should only use organic food for their animals. We also see to it that farmers respect the environment and animal welfare. We ensure that all dairy products are regional and are offered and distributed in the region. We encourage farmers to be sustainable. We try to offer our products at reasonable prices. FairMilk strives to establish themselves on/in the domestic market.
PureBanana is an international certification system for organically grown bananas. We reject all kinds of pesticides and artificial fertilisers because we respect the environment. We guarantee good working conditions and fair prices on producer’s farms and provide opportunities for development. These opportunities include that we work without child labour to afford them a better and fulfilled life. All our trade relations are regularly controlled by certified Fair Trade consultants. We see to it that all our products are in good order and condition.
We are a charity foundation that is mainly accelerating Fair Trade in the Philippines. Our mission is to promote sustainable development through Fair Trade, together with poverty alleviation. For the past 40 years we have been enhancing development towards more human rights while engaging in Fair Trade practices. With a team of more than 60 Philippino professionals running 12 different projects, we try to change the unjust socio-economic system that suppresses people, grabs their land and keeps them in poverty. We do so especially by trading mango products and hand-crafting products from discarded materials. We are striving to maintain biodiversity by growing many different varieties of mango. With our education projects, we are fighting child labour and child prostitution. Simply sharing and distributing natural resources and opportunities will give thousands of people economic benefits of their own efforts.
When you travel to foreign countries, some words and gestures may work differently than you expected. Be cautious!
A blog about the curious things in life: strange incidents, bizarre inventions, uncommon words, useless information, … Check it out!
