Teaching Abroad - Sri Lanka

Ihr Lieben,

die Lieblingsbeschaeftigung meiner Schueler ist "copy". Vielleicht ist es eine Leistung kultureller Anpassung, wenn ich heute mal das gleiche tue. Ich lese ein Buch mit dem Titel "Culture Shock - Sri Lanka". Es spendet mir Trost, wenn mir der Kontakt zu Menschen aus meiner Kultur fehlt. Trevor, der Mitbewohner in meiner Familie, ist vor 2 Wochen abgereist. Ich zitiere also aus dem Buch. um mir selbst zu beweisen, dass ich normal bin. Es geht um Phasen des Kulturschocks. Da ihr ja alle des Englischen maechtig seid, uebersetze ich nicht.

1. Fascination

An initial period of time when everything is new; there are seemingly few problems since everyone is being extremely accomodating and the predominant feeling is one of exhilaration at being at last overseas after a long period of anticipation.

(hielt bei mir ca. 5 Tage an)

2. Friendship

Immediately following the initial euphoria comes the stage in which the need to build a new social structure to replace the one left behind becomes paramount. At this time there is an understandable, but potentially dangerous, tendency to gravitate exclusively to the company of one`s fellow expatriates for friendship, and to take refuge in the familiar - a situation which can easily solidify into the `we-they` syndrome in the third stage.

(war in meinem Fall aus Mangel an fellow expatriates nicht moeglich. Stattdessen versandte ich e-mails an euch, begann den Blog und schrieb SMS, die aber nur bei 2 Personen ankamen. Einiges an Frustablassen holte ich nach, als ich nach 1 Monat mit Trevor reden konnte; die Erleichterung darueber beruhte auf Gegenseitigkeit.)

3. Frustration

... a stage of depression begins, where the problems and difficulties that are inevitably part of the adjustment process seem to outweight any possible, or potential, sense of achievement. The people seem to become intransigent, the physical environment unpleasant and the demands of the job impossible to fulfill, with the result that hostility towards the host country and those who are in authority in it becomes the predominant emotion, and homesickness results - sometimes to such a degree that there is a tendency to decide that the whole experience is not worth it and that an early return is preferable to remaining permanently miserable.

(Diese Phase ist in meinem Online-Tagebuch nicht zu uebersehen. Ich bin dankbar fuer jede Reaktion darauf, weil ich eurer Mitgefuehl und auch einfach den Kontakt brauche.)

4. Fulfillment

Fortunately, altough the previous stage can be very difficult to live through, it does usually come to an end with the growth of cultural awareness, and leads into a period in which the experience of being overseas becomes both fulfilling and rewarding. The onset of this phase stems from a personal realisation and acceptance that the new environment, in all its aspects, is unlikely to change and so that if the experience is to be satisfying it is the individual who must adapt himself to his new environment by learning to operate within its confines...

(!)

Coping with `culture shock` is a common part of the overseas experience and, as such, its symptoms need to be shared rather than suffered in silence. ... recording one`s experiences in a journal and writing letters are also very therapeutic. Remember to tell friends and relatives to write to you regularly, and not necessarily to wait for your return letter before answering. Receiving letters can be very reassuring and allow you to get on with establishing your daily routine without worries.

(Wink mit dem Zaunpfahl an alle, die etwas Zeit uebrig haben)

Herzliche Gruesse von Uschi