Just because you’ve travelled a lot doesn’t make you immune from culture shock.
It didn’t take Antonio long to realise his family’s relocation to Brazil was going to be more complex than expected. When his wife, Marion had been appointed head of sales for Latin America they presented the idea to their children as an adventure, one they were all excited to make. Antonio had imagined that living in a completely different place would give him the inspiration to work on a novel. The reality was very different and the whole family was having a hard time adapting to the new life.
Although they overcame the language barrier remarkably fast, it hadn’t been easy for the children to adjust to a new school. For Antonio getting everything in the new house working was frustrating. Workmen promised to come for repairs, but failed to turn up and his writing project was not going anywhere; there were just too many things to be taken care of.
While Marion was on a fast track with her job and very excited doing what she was doing, there were times when she wondered, what was ahead once she completed her present assignment? She also felt disconnected from what was happening at the home office. She spent long hours at work and often came home totally exhausted, making a half-hearted effort to read a story to the children before becoming absorbed by email and falling asleep.
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