The Mistake Made by Adapting Unfamiliar Culture
The difficulties when I first adapt to western culture
With the accelerated process of globalization, the collision of the different foreign modern cultures brings enormous challenge to us. How to adapt to a unfamiliar culture soon is becoming an important element for the people who want to study or work abroad. The same as others, when I graduate from high school, I go to Australia to try a new life and start my university career. When I first arrive to Adelaide, I find a homestay whose host are Greeks. From then on, I first meet the western culture which is much different from Chinese culture and of course more or less I meet problems and misunderstand their meanings. I find that blend in a new culture is not easy but very interesting. I learn much from that.
Firstly I want to describe the problems in daily talking. My landlord’s name is Michael and landlady’s name is Olga. When I first see them, they let me directly call their name. In china, when you call older people’s name, you must say brother or uncle after their surname. That is a respectful form of address. However in western people more likely to call the name of the people no matter who they are. Even if they are your tutor or boss. In just few days, I am very shy to call their name and instead I call Micheal uncle and Olga aunt. They are very unhappy of that and told me that is misbehavior. Call people’s name directly is very normal in western countries and do not need to be worry about that. That is politely not rude. After that, I try to call their name without any respect words and a few days later I found that I am used to do that and when I study in university I also call my classmates and tutors’ name without any other words. The callings teach me the first lesson of adapting in western culture.
Another embarrassed things is about misunderstanding meanings of some sentences and replying some inappropriate words. One day, my friend Eric come to see and play with me. In order to
With the accelerated process of globalization, the collision of the different foreign modern cultures brings enormous challenge to us. How to adapt to a unfamiliar culture soon is becoming an important element for the people who want to study or work abroad. The same as others, when I graduate from high school, I go to Australia to try a new life and start my university career. When I first arrive to Adelaide, I find a homestay whose host are Greeks. From then on, I first meet the western culture which is much different from Chinese culture and of course more or less I meet problems and misunderstand their meanings. I find that blend in a new culture is not easy but very interesting. I learn much from that.
Firstly I want to describe the problems in daily talking. My landlord’s name is Michael and landlady’s name is Olga. When I first see them, they let me directly call their name. In china, when you call older people’s name, you must say brother or uncle after their surname. That is a respectful form of address. However in western people more likely to call the name of the people no matter who they are. Even if they are your tutor or boss. In just few days, I am very shy to call their name and instead I call Micheal uncle and Olga aunt. They are very unhappy of that and told me that is misbehavior. Call people’s name directly is very normal in western countries and do not need to be worry about that. That is politely not rude. After that, I try to call their name without any respect words and a few days later I found that I am used to do that and when I study in university I also call my classmates and tutors’ name without any other words. The callings teach me the first lesson of adapting in western culture.
Another embarrassed things is about misunderstanding meanings of some sentences and replying some inappropriate words. One day, my friend Eric come to see and play with me. In order to