2009年04月29日
最新のメッセージ
Let`s have fun learning English together!
*********Culture Shock*********
People back at home often ask if I experienced “culture shock” since coming to Japan. Culture shock can be best described as a sense of emotional anxiety when traveling outside your native region. This usually comes in the form of having difficulty assimilating into the culture you are trying to live in. Fortunately for me, I have had no culture shock! In my 25 years, I have traveled throughout North America (from New York City to Los Angeles), lived in Costa Rica for 6 months, and visited South Korea for 3 months. I have lived in the suburbs, the countryside, a big city and even a rainforest. It would be safe to say that I am used to living in strange and unknown cultural environments and adapting to them well.
I do occasionally get homesick though; I sometimes wish I could hang out with my family and friends and eat American food, but Japan has been a great distraction. There is so much to see and do here and Fuji-shi is no exception. When living in a different country for the first time, everything becomes an adventure. Going to the “conbini” or UNY to buy groceries is an experience in it of itself. The people here have been very friendly and accommodating, many strangers have helped me find train stations, bus stations, decipher schedules and even guide me to my destination. The one thing that is odd for me is that everyone assumes I speak Japanese since I look Japanese, and when I tell them, “Watashi wa nihonjin ja arimsen. Gomennasai”, I often get looks of disappointment. Having never lived in a country where I had no general knowledge of the native language, it has been relatively difficult to have no real means of communication other than my extremely fragmented Japanese.
But this is not a bad thing! If anything, it is encouraging me to study Japanese as quickly and efficiently as possible. I spent the past weekend sitting in Fuji Library for a few hours, studying out of my “Japanese for Beginners” book, patiently waiting for the day when I will be able to truthfully say, “Watashi wa Nihongo ga hanasemasu!”
