Culture Shock

Every expatriate has to find a way to create a new life in a new culture. When it doesn't go well for any number of reasons, expats often experience "Culture Shock." Please share some of your experiences adapting to a new culture after moving overseas.

Which country are you reporting about?

Select One... Antigua & Barbuda Armenia Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Argentina Armenia Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brit. Virgin Isl. Brunei Bulgaria Burma Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Rep Denmark Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gambia Georgia Rep Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malaysia Malta Martinique Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nicaragua Nigeria Norway Oman Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Lucia Saudi Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Singapore Slovak Rep Slovenia Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Trinidad & Tob. Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan UAE Uganda UK Ukraine Uruguay US Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe

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

Which country are you a citizen of?

Select One... Antigua & Barbuda Armenia Afghanistan Albania Algeria Andorra Angola Argentina Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Bermuda Bolivia Bosnia & Herzegovina Botswana Brazil Brit. Virgin Isl. Brunei Bulgaria Burma Cambodia Cameroon Canada Chile China Colombia Congo Costa Rica Croatia Cyprus Czech Rep Denmark Dominica Dominican Rep Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Estonia Ethiopia Fiji Finland France Gambia Georgia Rep Germany Ghana Greece Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Hong Kong Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Ireland Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Korea Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macau Macedonia Madagascar Malaysia Malta Martinique Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Morocco Namibia Nepal Netherlands New Zealand Nigeria Norway Pakistan Panama Papua New Guinea Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Qatar Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Lucia Saudi Arabia Scotland Senegal Serbia Singapore Slovak Rep Slovenia Somalia South Africa Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Sweden Switzerland Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Trinidad & Tob. Turkey Turkmenistan UAE Uganda UK Ukraine Uruguay US Uzbekistan Venezuela Vietnam Yemen Zaire Zambia Zimbabwe

What is your gender?

Female
Male

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

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?

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

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

Expats often talk about going through the "stages of culture shock." Examples include the honeymoon phase, the irritation-to-anger stage, the rejection of the culture stage, and the cultural adjustment phase. Do you feel like you went through these or any other stages as you settled into the new culture?

What, if any, were some of the changes you noticed in yourself that might have been caused by culture shock? These might include things such as anger, depression, anxiety, increased eating or drinking, frustration, homesickness, etc.

What are some things you appreciate most about the new culture?

What are the most challenging aspects of the new culture?

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

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