Hi, everyone. And welcome back to Happy Hour. 歡迎回來(lái)酒館. Hi, 安瀾.

Hi, Lulu, hi, everyone.

So 安瀾, I mean we’ve both traveled to a lot of places. We've taught language and we are also experienced learners of languages. (yeah) So I thought I propose a topic that many language learners would ask.

What topic is that?

It's not so much about learning a language, but it's more about encountering a new culture.

Oh, okay.

The concept of culture shock.

That's a really interesting topic because you know as you say, we have traveled a lot and no matter how much you prepare when you go to a new place or a new country, everyone gets a little bit of culture shock.

So first of all, let's talk about the Chinese translation of the phrase. You've seen it being translated into 文化沖擊.

Yeah, which is not really a good translation.

It is not, because a lot of people seem to think that culture shock is when two cultures clash, but that's clash of cultures.

Yeah, that's completely different from culture shock.

Yeah. So for example, if you have a multicultural team at work, there might be clash of cultures. But culture shock is when you are thrown into a completely new cultural environment that discomfort that you experience.

Yeah, so culture shock is not so much about the culture itself. It's that feeling you get when you are disoriented, you don't know what to do. You don't know what to expect. You don't understand what's going on. That is culture shock.

I've seen it being translated into 文化休克, you know 休克 is like shock as in your body is in shock. I think that albeit slightly dramatic but that it seems to be more apt.

I think so, yeah.

Because culture shock, it's one of those things that people once they look down on, but people don't treat very seriously.

No, because unless you actually experienced serious culture shock, most people would think oh you know experiencing new culture that's exciting.

Oh Yeah.

And also people would say I've traveled to many places. I've never got culture shock, but that's probably because you weren't there long enough to get culture shock.

Yeah, and when you get culture shock, it's almost like getting a physical illness （yeah）because you start feeling sleepy all the time or you might not sleep at all, you might get insomnia.

Oh, so sleep disorder.

You might feel depressed. You might feel lonely, you might feel sad,

You might even feel angry and frustrated.

That is something that I have felt, in certain situations because culture shock is also that loss of control.

That's very true. That is very true. Loss of control.

Sometimes I tell my students, if I'm preparing for them to go to another country to stay for a while, and I always say that the culture shock happens to people in different ways, for some it could be as soon as your plane lands. Yes.

And then you start to feel like wow, I'm surrounded by all of these signs that are not in my language.

Exactly. I personally find that very, very exciting, but again it's because I've probably not been in that country long enough.

Let's go through probably some of the symptoms of culture shock. So we've discussed about feeling sad, about insomnia and also that feeling of helplessness.

This is something that I've noticed when I get caught culture shock is that even the smallest problem can be overwhelming.

And that makes you feel vulnerable. It doesn't matter if you're a big burly man or you're very capable in your own country, in your own cultural environment.

Once you are thrown in a completely strange environment, strange as in different, it feels like your power has been taken away.

Exactly. I always remember when I first came to China and just trying to buy a SIM card on my own when I didn't speak any Chinese. And something so so basic, but it was so complicated and it was something that I was dreading .

And knowing you, you were probably really nervous and apologetic.

I was.

And you probably felt like a dumb dumb afterwards (exactly), like how... you know I mean logically, you know you shouldn't feel bad about yourself. This is not your land, it's a different language, and it's a completely different culture, it's a different world, but you still can't help blaming yourself. How can I be so stupid? This is such a simple task!

Exactly. So that normally leads to either two possible options. One, you end up trying too hard and you become obsessed with a new culture. You're desperately trying to fit in. You are trying to do everything you possibly can.

Or you become withdrawn.

Or you become withdrawn and you start idolizing your own culture, it’s like oh, they're doing things wrong in this country.

Exactly. And I have seen both and I have experienced both.

Yes.

And you know especially like, I've also seen, like I said I've seen people trying very hard to fit in to the point that they almost seem to turn their back at their own culture. (oh yeah) They seem to be belittling their culture trying to sort of bribe their way into the new one.

Exactly I've seen that so so many times where kind of some people just kind of try to act more like the locals than the locals themselves.

Yeah. for example I've seen foreigners in Beijing trying to be like the 胡同串子, trying to be the 胡同 style, which is I mean it... now I look at it, I think it's cute, but you know sometimes if you look at it from a culture shock perspective, you can sort of understand.

Yeah.

I've also seen overseas Chinese trying desperately to fit in with the non Chinese crowd.

Yeah, because nobody ever wants to be excluded.

Yeah, I think this because human beings are social animals, and you don't want to be withdrawn like if you're by yourself in another country and you become withdrawn, that's it, you are definitely gonna fall into a depression.

Yes.

So having said that, these are all very theoretical, I mean 安瀾, you and me both we have experienced culture shock because we lived in other countries before, especially for you, you've been in china for over 10 years now. Yeah, now I mean I'm assuming you see this as another home to you.

Exactly, you know when I arrive in Beijing, because you know I can go out, I can do just normal things. I have enough Chinese to be able to live a pretty ordinary life. So I can go into shops, I can go and do things that previously were really really difficult.

So what were some of the struggles that you had, challenges that you had when you first started living in China?

I would say language barriers. So I was really struggled with Chinese, really really struggled because I never really learned Chinese in the classroom, my major wasn’t Chinese, so I learned it almost part time when I was working.

More like organically learned.

Yeah, more organically learned. That was the biggest challenge. I don't think I really had any problems with food or eating habits, meal times or anything like that.

Because meal times are not that different. Interesting that you would not say that because for me it's completely different.

Ok.

Obviously I didn't have language barriers because I mean when I lived in the UK, for example, while I spoke the language, still speak the language, I do understand the culture. But food wise that's a big problem. I really cannot eat English food. I am sorry about that.

I know, you’ve said that many many times.

Yeah, I mean I wish I had your adaptability when it comes to food. 我就是那種典型的中國(guó)胃，We call Chinese stomach, I literally would not survive 3 days without rice.

Yeah.

I have to admit that's why food differences were never really a big problem for me. I could literally eat Chinese food every single day.

And then when I go back to the UK i could English food every single day. I've been to those countries and I just eat the local food and I just get used to it very quickly.

You are very adaptable, but I think for Chinese because we have very specific dietary choices, dietary preferences. So I think it's the first thing that you're going to encounter. The first sign of culture shock is often food. Like, for example, you just don't want to eat icy cold cereal in the morning.

I actually quite like that.

Where is my 小籠包? Where's my 熱干面？

Well I did actually have 小籠包 for breakfast today.

But having said that, food differences, it's quite easily solvable. Especially if you can cook or I mean in the UK you don't even have to cook, you can just buy sort of half-prepared meals, prepared meals.

But then again eating habits, meal times that's a big thing for me.

So for example, if I go to countries such as Italy or Spain where people eat later, I find that really, really difficult because I generally eat very early .

When I'm in Italy if I'm meeting up with friends, I was like “so when are we gonna meet tonight?” And they'll be like “ you know what, let's meet at 9:00”.

I said, “9? are we still meeting for food?” And then they were like “oh you know what, we're going to have a few drinks before we have food”.

Yeah, I can't get on with that. So when I was in Italy, I would get hungry about 6 o'clock and I would want to eat then...

You probably get ready to go to bed at night.

Not so much go to bed, but it's just how I eat. I generally only eat two meals a day anyway.

But would you find Chinese food to be too, I don't know savory or spicy, for example, I Beijing is not too bad, but if you would have gone to like 四川, you probably would have a problem.

Probably, but I would say there's enough variety to find food that I like, for me, it's about the time I eat, I would say.