Also that awkward moment when "go deep" isn't a weird thing to say if English isn't your first language. But I digress.
Get Settled: Culture Shock
Chances are, you will encounter culture shock as part of your experience abroad. Culture shock is basically an emotional reaction we experience when we are not able to understand, control, or predict the behavior of others. It can be described as "the need for something familiar coupled with excessive irritation from minor frustrations." It occurs when we find ourselves surrounded by new people who operate with different "rules" for using space, managing time, and relating to other people. It is common to feel anxious, confused, or apathetic. We may feel powerless, isolated, and lack our usual self-confidence.
What Does Culture Shock Feel Like?
Everyone experiences culture shock differently. Commonly associated feelings of culture shock include:
• Depression
• Lack of energy
• Unexplainable episodes of crying
• Anger
• A tendency to stereotype host nationals
• Irritability
• Homesickness
• Strong yearning for old friends
• Fear of being cheated
• Recurring minor illnesses
• Decline in work effectiveness
• Conflict and tension among family members
• Compulsive drinking or eating
• Excessive sleeping or isolating
• Seeing everything as negative
I have bolded all of the ones I am currently experiencing, and my roommates are definitely experiencing the rest of them. I'm probably less angry and negative as a reaction to that...a peace-keeping calming coping mechanism.
The Stages of Culture Shock and Adjustment
If you ever watched the cartoon, G.I.Joe, then you’ll probably remember its catch phrase, “Knowing is Half the Battle.” In the case of culture shock, grasping where you are in terms of adjustment may not be half the battle, but it is certainly an important part of it. Knowing what to expect during each of the four stages of culture shock can help you to anticipate and accept the emotional highs and lows that accompany a cross-cultural move. It is also good to know you’re not alone in your feelings and that there is support available to you as you experience culture shock.
It goes on to list several coping mechanisms to help handle culture shock including: know what you're dealing with, write about your feelings, do things that help you remember who you are (ie. talking to friends, listening to your music, reading), stay active, develop small goals (At least for me, I never had the grandiose goals I've heard some people have, like going to a new city every weekend, but since I've gotten here, my day to day goals during the week, which sometimes I can't even meet, are like, do laundry!) and learn about the culture while trying to stay balanced. Staying balanced is the key.
I'm starting to get sick and am very very tired, so I'm thinking now that I need to tip the balance scales a bit in the other direction and try and just take it easy tonight and this weekend. Ugh. First world problems. Studying abroad in France is stressful. I will say though that I think my spoken French is getting better. I find myself speaking bits of it at random intervals, which is really exciting. When you get to a point with a language that sometimes you can express certain thoughts better using it it feels like you've started to get a grasp on it. "Pas de problem" is a very useful phrase which perhaps sort of self-explanatorily means, "It's not a problem." Except in the world of Franglish which is spoken at the College, "Pas de big deal," is far more useful. So holla at 4th Floor South (#notabigdeal).
Another fun tidbit is that I'm sort of trying to figure out a new name to tell French kids we meet, because "Michaela" is really hard to grasp in French. They say it Mee-kah-laa (that is, when they understand me) as opposed to Mih-kay-luh, like how it's pronounced in English, and unlike "Micaela" in Spanish, it's not a name that people have, and they tend to spell it like Mikéla. Miké might not be a bad way to go, pronounced Mee-kay, but that's just "Mike" with an accent, and then Lowi wins and I am forever Mike at Dodge College.
Except that I'm already forever Mike at Dodge College. So that's probably just that.
PS. Be on the lookout for postcards in the mail! There are a few I haven't gotten to yet, but I just mailed like 10 of them, and if you read this, chances are high you're getting one. And if you haven't, you should send me your mailing address, and I will most assuredly send you one. xx
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