ENGLISH
Culture Shock by Sr. Chubb
Culture Shock is a documented phenomenon. According to Kalervo Oberg, it is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one's own. I have lived in two continents, three countries, nine cities, and fourteen homes, but in this article I am not going to lecture you on the theoretical aspects of culture shock. Instead, I am going to share three, hopefully funny episodes I have had in the US related to culture shock. Four-way STOP Signs at Intersections. First time driving in the US and I reach an intersection. I have a STOP sign and so does the driver in the opposite lane. OK, everything’s normal. To my surprise, the person to my right also has a STOP sign and so does the person on my left. Now what? Panic! Who goes first? Everybody is stopped and looking at each other. Who is going to go? Is this a courtesy competition? Eventually I figure it out and continue driving not without internally criticizing the STOP system and thinking about how different things are back in Spain. 6 years later, I have yet to see a collision at a four STOP intersection. Something must be working! Double Doors I arrive in the US in August. It’s a typical summer day in vibrant Fort Washington. It’s hot and humid. I am so excited about my new house. I love how close the woods and the Wissahickon Creek are! I jump into my car and drive to Giant. I need tomatoes to make gazpacho. I get back to the house and get out of the car with my hands full of bags. You know the feeling of the plastic bags almost ripping through your fingers, right? Yes, the typical situation where, once you let go of the bags, you have a white mark because of the lack of blood flow. Anyway…I open the first door which automatically slams on my back, trapping the bags outside. I am sweating because of the heat and now my body starts itching because of the frustration. I open the main door. Now the bags are outside, I’m in between the main and double door. I can feel the fresh AC inside. I’m almost in! I push the double door open and in a split second, I manage to pull in the bags. One more step and I´m in! I turn around, proceed to enter the house and this shooting pain goes through the back of my foot. Yes, the double door has slammed against my Achilles tendon. The walking motion helps create a huge wound all the way down to my heel. And yes, it’s summer. I was wearing flip flops. SMH. “These bloody double doors!” I say to myself… These don’t exist in Spain. What’s the point? Definitely a shock!
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