Culture Shock
Everyone keeps asking me if I'm experiencing a lot of culture shock after moving back from Japan. Surprisingly, the answer is no. I definitely experienced culture shock after moving back from China, but I don't seem to have any problems coming home from Japan.
I came straight back to work in the States, although I did wait almost 20 hours after getting off the plane. I think doing the exact same work in both Japan and the States certainly helped with cuture shock, as did having a large group of friends to come back to. I also went right back into Japanese class at Soko Gakuen, a small non-profit Japanese language school near Japantown, which, I'm sure, helps with the biggest difference between Japan and America: the language.
I really miss speaking Japanese all the time. I enjoy learning foreign languages and living in Japan was a great chance to immerse myself in another culture and language. Japanese is so different from English, and it was actually a lot of fun to be polite for a change. I've gotten to the point where I can converse with people in Japanese with a fairly normal conversation flow, which is a far cry from where I was when I arrived in Tokyo.
Coming back, and still attuned to the rhythms of Tokyo, I realize that there are a lot more Japanese people in San Francisco than I had thought. I always thought they were pushed out by all the Chinese and moved down South towards Palo Alto, but they're still here. There are also a lot of students from Japan, which is great for practicing my Japanese and learning more about the culture.
I met a lot of great people in Tokyo, and I miss them as well. Tokyo's a really vibrant city and it's chock full of interesting people pursuing what they love. Whether it be live painting or motorcycle stunting, everyone is very friendly and open. It's a great city, and I would like to live there for real someday, without a set departure date. I will most likely go back for a couple of months this winter just to visit, and then hopefully again at some point in the future.
I highly recomend living abroad to everyone who hasn't done it yet. It really opens your eyes to how different the world is and is a great way to expand your horizons. There's nothing like the challenge of everyday life in another country, and the little joys of mastering some interaction or discovering something new and exciting about your host culture. I really thrive on learning, especially on learning about a new culture, and I definitely see myself living abroad again.
And no, I don't know where, and I don't know what language I'll study next once I master Japanese (hah!), or more likely get comfortable enough with it to want a new challenge.
I came straight back to work in the States, although I did wait almost 20 hours after getting off the plane. I think doing the exact same work in both Japan and the States certainly helped with cuture shock, as did having a large group of friends to come back to. I also went right back into Japanese class at Soko Gakuen, a small non-profit Japanese language school near Japantown, which, I'm sure, helps with the biggest difference between Japan and America: the language.
I really miss speaking Japanese all the time. I enjoy learning foreign languages and living in Japan was a great chance to immerse myself in another culture and language. Japanese is so different from English, and it was actually a lot of fun to be polite for a change. I've gotten to the point where I can converse with people in Japanese with a fairly normal conversation flow, which is a far cry from where I was when I arrived in Tokyo.
Coming back, and still attuned to the rhythms of Tokyo, I realize that there are a lot more Japanese people in San Francisco than I had thought. I always thought they were pushed out by all the Chinese and moved down South towards Palo Alto, but they're still here. There are also a lot of students from Japan, which is great for practicing my Japanese and learning more about the culture.
I met a lot of great people in Tokyo, and I miss them as well. Tokyo's a really vibrant city and it's chock full of interesting people pursuing what they love. Whether it be live painting or motorcycle stunting, everyone is very friendly and open. It's a great city, and I would like to live there for real someday, without a set departure date. I will most likely go back for a couple of months this winter just to visit, and then hopefully again at some point in the future.
I highly recomend living abroad to everyone who hasn't done it yet. It really opens your eyes to how different the world is and is a great way to expand your horizons. There's nothing like the challenge of everyday life in another country, and the little joys of mastering some interaction or discovering something new and exciting about your host culture. I really thrive on learning, especially on learning about a new culture, and I definitely see myself living abroad again.
And no, I don't know where, and I don't know what language I'll study next once I master Japanese (hah!), or more likely get comfortable enough with it to want a new challenge.
posted by Don at 10:51 PM
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