Comments on: How To Be A Stranger http://www.ktravula.com/2009/10/how-to-be-a-stranger/#utm_source=feed&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feed reflections on the world Thu, 09 Feb 2012 18:15:03 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Mel http://www.ktravula.com/2009/10/how-to-be-a-stranger/comment-page-1/#comment-362 Mel Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:26:11 +0000 http://www.ktravula.com/?p=2263#comment-362 In 2005 my wife and I went to Germany for a year. I couldn't/still can't speak the language that well. I am a white guy and the Germans are mostly white. But I still experienced culture shock. It hit about the three month mark. I wanted to go home for about 2 months. The only thing that helped me stay for the whole year was a change of perspective. It was a great opportunity. We are actually getting ready to move to Germany. Culture shock is not fun but it is a necessary process of living in a strange land. A good way to cope is to talk to people who have lived in other countries. Our family never really could help us because they have lived in the same small town all their lives. We would tell them about our experiences and they would want to change the subject. Once we found some other people like us we found people who wanted to listen. It was healing. In 2005 my wife and I went to Germany for a year. I couldn’t/still can’t speak the language that well. I am a white guy and the Germans are mostly white. But I still experienced culture shock. It hit about the three month mark.

I wanted to go home for about 2 months. The only thing that helped me stay for the whole year was a change of perspective. It was a great opportunity. We are actually getting ready to move to Germany.

Culture shock is not fun but it is a necessary process of living in a strange land.

A good way to cope is to talk to people who have lived in other countries. Our family never really could help us because they have lived in the same small town all their lives. We would tell them about our experiences and they would want to change the subject. Once we found some other people like us we found people who wanted to listen. It was healing.

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