Aug

28

Culture Shock

Filed Under Faith & Values, General, Health, Language, Society & Culture, Travel/People & Places | 22 Comments

On my plane journey back to the Land of Crazy Prices (read: Switzerland) last Thursday, I got sick (bleeding nose due to sinus infection and chest pains due to asthma). Maybe, I’m that allergic to my host country; I don’t know.

Anyway, I’m back home after an interesting, action-packed missions assignment in Ukraine where my working knowledge of German and French didn’t really do me any good. I was just glad that I was able to rely on the art of charades, and that I know how to play “Pictionary.” Such skills enabled me to buy goods at the supermarket, photocopy my TESOL handouts, ride the mashrutkas (public mini-buses or vans) en route to desired destinations, travel around Kiev (the capital city) by metro, and eat out at the local food joints.

So never underestimate the power of pantomimes and pictures, especially in a foreign land where English is not widely spoken, and where looking/sounding silly is sometimes the key to basic survival.

I tell you: the Cyrillic alphabet is as daunting as it looks, no matter what travel writers claim (or maybe, I’m just plain dyslexic). I never even bothered to learn it during my unique and challenging sojourn in this country where people have no qualms telling you straight what’s on their minds (case in point: never touch the products you intend to buy in a small store lest you want to be barked at in Russian or Ukrainian by the shopkeeper).

Hearing a steady stream of Russian and/or Ukrainian — or a mixture of both — for seven weeks amusingly made me pine for German and French during my stay in the former Soviet republic. Funny. My Mom said it was a “blessing in disguise” (i.e. to make me appreciate Switzerland better). Well, I thought it was just a case of “overexposure to foreign languages.”

But by and large, the trip to Ukraine was a wonderful experience despite the language barrier.

I will surely miss the following: the fulfilling volunteer work with the dedicated missionaries I’ve met in Kremenchuk, Donetsk, and Kiev; my smart Ukrainian students in my English classes; the overwhelming Ukrainian hospitality and generosity (giving their best even out of lack); the traditional dish Galubtsi (meat and rice covered in cabbage leaves and served with tomato sauce); the hard-working babushkas (grannies) selling their wares — sunflower seeds, flowers, fruits and veggies — on the sidewalks; the eye-catching souvenir treats sold all over Kyiv (the matrushka doll is a must-buy); and yes, the overall cheap prices of products and services.

Life in Ukraine is simple, and this kind of simplicity, I think, is what makes this country extra appealing. I wouldn’t hesitate to go back there anytime, although I had had to endure stinky holes in the ground/floor (public toilets), or keep my cool even when dealing with extremely drunk beggars face to face — be it high noon or late night (Ukrainians love to drink and smoke).

And now, reality bites: it’s time to reformat my brain; to revert to German and French mode. Russian words like “Privyet” (”Hello”), “Spaseeba” (”Thank you”), “Pazhalsta” (”Please”), or “Harasho” (”Fine/OK”) will surely not make sense here in multi-lingual Switzerland. Russian is not one of its official languages.

The transition from one culture shock experience to another is never a smooth path. I need at least a week-long personal retreat to recharge batteries; to be away from the madding crowd. Only then can I function well.

Now it’s time to take my allergy medicines.