It’s weird to think about feeling culture shock in your own country, because it’s a culture that you know so, so well. Where you grow up and who you grow up around indicates so much of your behavior as an adult and how you interact with people.
So how is it possible to experience culture shock in your own country?
Whenever I return from a trip abroad, I know what Canada is going to be like. I know that it is organized and clean. I know that people wait until they have a walk sign to cross the street, I know that people will wave at you when you let them into a passing lane, I know that people will glare at you (if not confront you) if you litter, I know that cars will stop for you because pedestrians always have the right away, and I certainly know that people will say “sorry” if they bump into you at the grocery store because it’s a habit I can’t kick regardless of how much time I spend out of Canada.
But, despite knowing conceptually what Canada is like, it’s always a shock to the system after being in another country and another culture for a while.
This was especially true for me when I returned from Asia in June. I conceptually knew that the border guards would smile at me, greet me kindly, and welcome me home, as they always do; yet, I couldn’t help but feel slightly shocked when it actually happened. After 8 months of traveling between various Asian countries where almost every single immigration border agent was grumpy and horrible, I felt shocked to have an immediate experience of kindness (please note, I adore Asia despite their grumpy immigration people).
After getting picked up from the airport, we went to Jugo Juice (a Canadian juice brand) to get food. Again, I was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of the girl who helped us. I was taking forever to decide what I wanted (in true Amanda form), and she simply said, “Take your time, it’s no worries.”
How Canadian of her.
After 8 months of dealing with mostly poor customer service in Asia (Japan is the exception to this), it was weird to feel like I wasn’t inconveniencing the girl who was helping us by taking my time choosing what smoothie I wanted.
Fast forward to the first time I walked into a gas station after being away, and I actually stopped and stared at the aisles of products, and thought to myself, “Did they pay someone to organize all these products to face the same way?”
Of course they did. Because, that’s what they do in Canada.
For the first week of being home, I continued to have these experiences. I felt as though I was experiencing Canadian culture like an outsider. Like someone who was visiting for the first time. It felt as though I had read about what Canada would be like, so I knew what to expect, but then it surprised me nevertheless.
The thing that was unique about this experience though was that it went away quickly. I remember experiencing intense culture shock the first time I went to Spain. I spoke barely any Spanish, and I found the culture to be overwhelming, loud, and aggressive. We spent a month in Spain, and by the final week there, I felt like I had somewhat normalized the things around me, yet most things still felt alien.
I experienced the same thing when I went to Asia for the first time. I remember touching down in Bangkok, getting out the cab, and being completely overwhelmed by the lights, the sights, the sounds, and all of the people shouting at me to buy their products or eat their restaurants. I was so overwhelmed by Bangkok the first time I was there, that I barely left the hotel room for 5 days. We spent 6 weeks in Asia that first time around, and it took close to 5 weeks to adjust to the culture, and even then, there were things that I saw and experienced that I am certain will never feel normal or appropriate.
Being that Canadian culture is a part of who I am and how I interact with the world, it’s easy for me to adjust back into the culture, and I think it always will be. However, it was fun to experience Canada as an “outsider” for a couple of days, and experience Canadian things like they were brand new. It also solidified my belief that everyone should leave their home country for an extended period of time. Not only do you get to experience culture shock with new cultures, but you can also experience your country with a different pair of eyes, and that is pretty dang cool!