Here’s an excerpt from a great Culture Shock Report. Actually, it’s written by an expat in Bolivia that isn’t experiencing much culture shock at all:

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

Did you receive any cross-cultural training for your move abroad? If yes, was it before or after the move?

No, but as a Graduate Teacher of Spanish, French, and English as a Foreign Language , I first lived abroad (Spain) in 1976, and am currently a resident in Spain again after returning from Bolivia in 2010. I have been teaching for some 33 years now, half that time in Spain, so for me adjusting wasn’t a problem.

If they speak another language in your new country, do you speak the language?

Yes, Spanish, which I had studied at University and have been teaching for over 30 years.

Were you worried or concerned about culture shock before you moved abroad?

Not at all! For me I get “reverse culture shock” on the few occasions I have returned to live temporarily back in the UK!

How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?

Insignificant, having been residing in Spain for more than 20 years, my move to Bolivia was much easier than for most. Some uneasiness about South America but I had spent 4 months in Colombia earlier in the same year I went out to Bolivia (2009) so I had a good idea of what to expect and was much more confident.

Expats often talk about going through the “stages of culture shock.” Do you feel like you went through these or any other stages as you settled into the new culture?

Having been divorced from my British ex-wife for more than 20 years, and used to being alone, I didn’t experience any of these stages. Of course it helps that I am totally immersed in the Spanish way of life, food, customs, and speak the language fluently!

Do you have any advice or thoughts about culture shock you would like to share?

Learn the language!! Immerse yourself into the lifestyle of the locals. Keep a low profile, especially at the beginning of your stay, and if you don’t speak the language. Keep on your guard, as a “Gringo” you are going to stand out like a sore thumb, so some people will inevitably try and take advantage of that, either by attempting to trick you out of your money, or other items, to robbery or worse.

So, this continues our theme this week of blog posts that highlight the importance of cross-cultural training. Have you shared your experiences with Culture Shock?

A recent article on expats and the importance of cross-cultural training has an almost nostalgic feel to it. Ten years ago, articles like this one from Chron.com (Houston Chronicle) were a dime a dozen. Not so much anymore. We need to be reminded that culture shock can be avoided! Here’s a brief excerpt from the Chron.com article:

So, if people who take the time to get cross-cultural training do adapt more readily to a new country and culture, it’s probably not a bad thing to have articles such as these to remind us every once in a while. I do understand how some people tire of them, but I disagree that they are unnecessary. Expats need to be reminded, and HR staff need to be reassured that they are funding worthwhile services.

Microsoft founder Bill Gates found himself in territory many expats are familiar with – the land of the cultural blunder, per ABC and Yahoo!, (and most every other news outlet around the world). While in South Korea recently, Gates greeted South Korea President Park Geun-hye with a one-handed hand shake while his other hand was in a pant pocket:

Not going to lie… I wouldn’t know that this is an insult in any other country, let alone which one specifically. That being said, the hand in the pocket thing is a bit casual for greeting a head of state. Then again, anyone familiar with even part of Mr. Gates’ story will not be surprised at all. He has always marched to the beat of his own drummer, and I dare to guess that has only been reinforced by his success.

Expats in Asia are getting after home brewing and helping to introduce the craft to places such as Hong Kong and mainland China and Singapore. The article, from WSJ.com, also notes that the practice is outlawed in Malaysia completely.

I found it odd that Japan would be one of the nations that would have relatively strict management, with a limit of only 1% alcohol by volume.

Overall, I think it’s great that expats are finding a great hobby to pursue while living in another country. There are a lot of expatriates that have trouble adjusting to life abroad, and this could be a great distraction for someone while they settle into a new culture. In addition to providing some sense of home, it likely also offers the potential to connect with other people trying there hand at the home brew craft. And when just one friendship can make all the difference in a cultural transition, it is easy to see how home brewing can really be a positive for expats!

Drunken Expats in Shanghai are causing problems. China’s “most international city” is experiencing tensions between it’s foreigners and the local population that would like more peace and quiet at night:

These kinds of stories are gentle reminders to expats everywhere that they are not living at home. The behavioral expectations for New York or London aren’t relevant to what happens abroad, even in a city widely regarded as the most friendly to westerners in China.

Similarly, two expats in the UAE recently had their death sentences overturned for trafficking in small amounts of hashish. Wake up out there!

An expat couple in Seoul, South Korea, teachers both, found their way into the world of entrepreneurship… and in more ways than one. This has to rank as one of my favorite expat stories. You start off as a teacher in a new country, and then…

Style and fresh-brewed beer for expats… what could be better? There is an accompanying video that is one in a series that focuses on the lives of expats.

Here’s an excerpt from a great article written by a British man who fell in love with a woman from Paris and decided to move there:

There is a lot of fun and useful information in this article. People will go through quite a bit once they meet the right person, and that is all the more difficult – and fun – when it involves moving to another country and culture!

An Expat culture shock report about living in Courbevoie, France was submitted a while ago, but it’s still catching the attention of some Expat Exchange readers. Here is an excerpt that provides some insight as to why:

If they speak another language in your new country, do you speak the language? If yes, did you learn the language before you moved or while abroad? If no, are you planning to learn the language?

Not planning to learn the language

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

Just getting used to the French who are always afraid and scared. This is due to their training to be docile to authority. France is run like a civilian military, so you have to do things accordingly, but all is administered by uncaring state agents.

How significant was the culture shock you experienced when you moved abroad?

I merely dislike most of how things are organized in France. I prefer freedom which is lacking here. I still shop by phone in the USA and have everything sent to me. I refuse to shop in France for anything except medical care and food.

Did you “commit” any embarrassing or humorous cultural blunders? If you did and you’d like to share them, please do tell!

I dared to think the stores would be open daily, so often I forget and show up at the bakery when it is closed.

And, of course, there were some comments that followed. A reader wrote yesterday, asking “why go to France if [you] dislike it so much? Not learn the language? That’s a sure sign of this person’s attitude!!”

That is certainly one point of view, but another expat disagreed and wrote that:

I get what everyone is saying about “why go to France if you don’t like it?” and similar comments, but I also think it’s unrealistic to think everyone is going to like living abroad. People move overseas for complicated reasons sometimes, and it doesn’t mean they have to like it. This isn’t a perfect world.

What are your thoughts? You can reply in the comment section in the Expat culture shock report about living in Courbevoie, France.

Here are a few more article on Expat Exchange about Culture Shock:

Culture Shock! by Jim Kayalar.

Culture Shock: It’s the Little Things That Count in the Biggest Ways by Desi Downey

And, externally:

Culture Shock on Wikipedia
Culture Shock on Worldwide.edu.

I found an article about young British expats moving abroad after graduating. They chose to work overseas after graduating and not finding work at home, and many in the U.K. voiced their concerns over this recent trend. The article, written by Lizzie Fane on Telegraph.co.uk, takes another perspective:

An increase in the number of graduates finding their first job abroad should not be a concern. On the contrary, we should be celebrating the fact that British graduates have the confidence to work abroad… an international experience is incredibly valuable for a graduate’s career. They are able to learn the local language, create an international network of contacts, and gain an intimate understanding of another culture.

Lizzie makes an excellent point and it’s one that needs to be considered by those that want a career in many industries. Many companies, large or small, require their managers to have international experience. In many you can only advance so far without it. So yes, young Brits… go abroad and get that international experience. Do it while you are young and have enough of a sense of adventure to do it. And, it will make the specter of having to do it later in life less daunting should it be required of you to do so again. I seem to remember that there is a centuries-old tradition of the British being fearless when it came to seeking their fortunes abroad. Perhaps it’s in the DNA?

Australian expats in Boulder, Colorado got to see the stars of the St Kilda Football Club, which hosted their pre-season training camp in the picturesque foothills city. It’s fun to read about the reaction of having these Australian stars in town and the ease of access to them:

[Mathew Hayward] posed for a picture with Saints midfielder Lenny Hayes, shook his hand and congratulated him on a great career.

“It would be like an American from Boulder going to Melbourne and being able to have a chat to Peyton Manning and have their photograph taken,” said Hayward, beaming. “You’d have to go to Melbourne to appreciate the significance of these guys in our city. These people are household names. To have the experience of looking in his eyes and wishing him well, I would never get the opportunity in Australia.”

As someone who used to live there, I can tell you I completely understand why the Saints chose to hold their pre-season camp in Boulder. So many sunny days in a visually spectacular location.

I wonder if anybody out there in the expat world has encountered athletes or celebrities abroad and what the reaction was like if you approached them? People do tend to act a bit different away from home sometimes, right?