Culture Shock- what is it and do I have it??

I am not a Dr. or expert on this subject but this is the 4th country that I have lived in and am seeing a pattern. Every culture is different. Some places are very similar to America and some are very different. When I first arrived here I absolutely loved the big city. (In case you don't know this I have never lived in a big city like this ever in my life)!! There are so many things to see, places to go, and people to meet. I love to do all of those things so it is a perfect fit! The people are so kind, the food is great and cheap, and I feel that God has sent me here to serve Him by sharing about His love with the people here.

I couldn't possibly experience culture shock--right? I did some research on-line and below is a list of 4 phases of culture shock. I am not sure that I can define myself to be specifically in one of these phases but one thing that i do know is that I am often exhausted here! It is very difficult to listen to people around you speak a language that you don't understand but are trying desperately to learn. I feel like my language study is coming along quite well but after 1 1/2 hours with my tutor I am physically and mentally drained!

Let me give you an example: Today my tutor did a dicatation activity with me. He gave me a sentence with 4 or 5 words in it to write. Now remember i am listening for sounds to write it phonetically and then I also have to listen for tones. I am doing good just to get all of the words written correctly and then I remember oops--I need to have a sign to put above each word so I will need my tutor to say it all again so I can try to figure out the tone. He gave me 5 sentences. I got most of the words correct but did not do as well on the tones. It is really hard for me to hear the difference. He also brought in a Thai lady for me to practice asking questions to her and then answering questions that she would ask me. She does not know English and my tutor would not let me use my notebook. It all had to come from memory and he would help me when needed. It was a great activity and I learned a lot. My tutor is really great at making my learning experiences real. However, after my time is finished I want to take a nap! I remember being tired and needing a lot of sleep when I lived in Slovakia--I think I might be on to something. I cut and pasted the information from the internet below because I thought some of you might be interested in what culture shock really is and the experiences that many of us go through that live in a foreign country. This is one of the reasons why we need lots of prayer!! Enjoy reading!

1. Honeymoon Phase - During this period the differences between the old and new culture are seen in a romantic light, wonderful and new. For example, in moving to a new country, an individual might love the new foods, the pace of the life, the people's habits, the buildings and so on.

2. Negotiation Phase - After some time (usually weeks), differences between the old and new culture become apparent and may create anxiety. One may long for food the way it is prepared in one's native country, may find the pace of life too fast or slow, may find the people's habits annoying, disgusting, and irritating etc. This phase is often marked by mood swings caused by minor issues or without apparent reason. Depression is not uncommon.

3. Adjustment Phase - Again, after some time (usually 6 - 12 months), one grows accustomed to the new culture and develops routines. One knows what to expect in most situations and the host country no longer feels all that new. One becomes concerned with basic living again, and things become more "normal".

4. Reverse Culture Shock (a.k.a. Re-entry Shock) - Returning to one's home culture after growing accustomed to a new one can produce the same effects as described above, which an affected person often finds more surprising and difficult to deal with as the original culture shock.