Culture shock, My experience

Culture shock is an experience a person may have when one moves to a cultural environment which is different from one's own; it is also the personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country, a move between social environments, or simply transition to another type of life.

So, in my own words and experience, Culture Shock is the experience I had coming from Nigeria, a Country in West Africa to Germany, a Country in Europe. I was already an adult when I came to Germany and it was in July.

My first Culture Shock that I experienced was that, on that faithful day, I arrived Germany around 11 °Clock, we had some people that visited us. I was waiting for it to get dark, but it didn’t. It was about 10 pm that it was finally dark. I was so surprised because where I was coming from, it gets dark from 6 – 7 pm. And the next morning, by 5.30, 6 am it is already clear and bright. But unknown to me, some months later when the winter cold seasons came, I experienced another shock. It doesn’t get clear until about 8 am and by 4,30pm everywhere was already dark. This means one goes to work when it is still dark, and you come back when it is still dark.

Going over to another area that I was very very shocked and surprised. In my country, when we greet someone and say how are you? Most of the time you get answers like, “I am fine”, “we are doing well” “I am managing”. It does not really matter what they are going through, you get these replies. Here in Germany, when I ask someone, hi, how are you doing? Most times they tell it as it is. I am fine because………, or I am not so good because ………. They tell you exactly how they are feeling and in which situation they find themselves in. Germans are very open and we are a very secretive or better put, very careful.

Their Food.

I don’t know how to qualify this, whether unfortunately or fortunately, after a month I came into Germany I became pregnant, so I didn’t have time to get used to their food. So, I could not eat Cheese, or yogurt with something inside like pieces of fruits. Or sausages, I was not used to these things, so, during my pregnancy I lost a lot of weight and I had a lot of cravings for the foods I was used to but there was almost nowhere to get them at that time. But today, I love Cheese and Wurst so much that I cannot do without them.

The Fashion still, I must say that now it is much more different. That time, some 18 years ago, many Germans were not very fashionable. What I mean by that is this. They buy quality things that will last a lifetime, but it might not be very colorful or trendy, even in the shops, you don’t find very colorful or trendy things. Nigerians are very trendy and colorful. We had to go to France to do shopping for clothes. Germans are functional in their dressing, but we are more of show off.

Timing

We Nigerians or Africans in general, we don’t keep to time. Germans are very punctual. I could cope well with it, because in my family, my Father was in the military, so punctuality was one of our Watch words. But looking closer to the issue, in Nigeria we have the traffic problems and the Bus System is not as organized as it is in Germany.

Businesses

There is a great difference in the way the businesses are ran, especially the small-scale ones. In Nigeria, you can call the owner of a business even after it has closed, and he will come to sell to you. But here you don’t find such things. But like I said it has a lot to do with the type of Government system been followed.

Language

The German language for me is not a very easy language to learn. The verbs been at the end unlike in English. And without one knowing the language, there is a limit to what one can achieve. It was not an easy process for me but slowly and steady I am getting to where I want to be. In my head, all the setting is in German. I feel me more German.

Some of the symptoms that you might feel when you are going through culture shock are:

Loneliness

Vulnerability

Shyness

Insecurity

Confusion

Homesick

What can help, study the culture, language and people as case maybe, be open and fair and with time you will be a full part of the culture.

Ify