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Sweden
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Neath and Keasa about their experiences in Sweden in 2005 |
Neath's experiences |
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Moving
Before I was 18 I had never really been away from home, and I did not know about culture shock. At 19 I finished high school in my province and moved to a big city. This was strange and confusing. Things were different, and I was often stressed. It felt as if people were staring at me when I walked down the street, did my shopping or just sat around. It took time to find my way around the city, and learning how to do things. This made me think about myself and people in the city. How did they feel, what did they think about? Why did I feel so lost? First I tried to keep it all out of my mind, but that made it worse. I began to feel homesick, sad and lonely even though I was living with my relatives. I felt powerless and didn't want to do anything - i felt I had lost control of my life and couldn't study, do housework, or even eat. After a month I felt comfortable. I was now able to let things pass without stress. I started asking myself questions: Why am I here? What do I expect from staying here? Little by little I worked out my answers to these questions, and the stress continued to decrease. Soon, I could start enjoying life in the city. I think my stress was caused by leaving home and lacking friends and habits in my new surroundings. In my home community I could do everything automatically, without thinking, and understood the actions and motives of other people. I never needed to worry before taking on a task, or worry about asking for help.
Culture Shock in Cambodia
In 2005, I was selected for an exchange program with Sweden. This was a six-month program, with three months in my own country and three months in Sweden. In Cambodia I stayed in Battambang province. I could not imagine that it would be so different from the southeast. On the roof of my host family's house, people made bets on the weather, sitting for hours watching the clouds, waiting for rain. I was surprised and confused to hear that this game was common in the area. How, I wondered, can they gamble with the weather, which no one controls? Isn't it all down to luck? How silly for human beings to gamble with nature, I thought. Once my host brothers and sisters explained it to me I eventually started to see it as normal. Culture shock does not only happen in other countries, but can hit us at home. It's something natural, which an open mind and flexibility will help you to handle.
Cold weather and strange food in Sweden
After three months volunteering in Cambodia, I spent three months in Sweden. I arrived afraid of the cold, which many people had told me about. What I was not prepared for was the food. It was very different from Cambodian food. During my first time in Sweden, I was obsessed over the new weather and food. I actually thought, how will I survive in this country if I cannot adapt to the weather and am unable to eat the food? Moreover, I had communication problems. Not knowing Swedish, I could not communicate with the people around me. In particular, I couldn't read signs or understand the local public transport system. This caused me to feel lost when I wanted to go to places on my own. Furthermore, I did not know how to cook typical food. When I wanted one thing, it was wrong, when I wanted another, impossible. I felt like a little kid, knowing nothing and unable to do anything on my own.
Handling the culture shock
I didn't know how Swedes dress. One weekend we all wanted to go to a nightclub. I tried wearing trousers with a large t-shirt and a new long-sleeved shirt. This was not considered normal when going to a nightclub, and my friends suggested that I wear a very short, tight t-shirt. This was frustrating for me, and it was not the only such moment. I was confused. I idealised home and felt unimportant and depressed. I couldn't just let things be and wait for the problem to pass. I tried many ways to fight culture shock. I tried to be patient, joined a library, started learning Swedish, volunteered for community activites, and spent more time having fun. Actually, after twenty days I started to become comfortable with my host culture. |
Keasa's experiences |
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Korea
I was surprised and happy to participate in an exchange program with Korea, my first time flying and my first trip abroad. During the flight I felt butterflies in my stomach and got airsick. Luckily everything was fine when I finally arrived, and I got a warm welcome from Korean friends. I was delighted with the winter weather, which I had never known in Cambodia: smoke came out of my mouth and nose when I spoke or breathed! The problem was the cold. I had to wear a lot of clothes and a heavy jacket to stay warm. My skin became dry and itchy because I didn't apply enough lotion and my hands, feet and lips were cracked. When I went on the stuffy buses - no air conditioner, but heated - I felt sick. Sometimes I had to walk to make a study visit or shop, but since I wasn't used to the weather, it was freezing. This meant I didn't feel like going out at all. I just wanted to stay in the hotel.
Different food
I also had trouble with the food. I could smell the difference between Cambodian and Korean food and the smell made me feel sick even when the food was tasty. I ate fruit instead, and felt too weak to enjoy the program. I was very homesick for the first few days. I longed for Khmer food, hot weather and home. However, a few days before I left, I realized that I like Korea, where my friends are friendly, helpful and kind. Although I couldn't eat much during my stay I had lots of fun. I was excited to go skiing, sledging, and visiting many places. I regret that I couldn't stay and that I missed out on many things since I felt sick so often.
Going to Sweden
Fortunately, six months later I joined another exchange with Sweden. The chance to visit Europe was great. I was very surprised and happy because I wasn't sick on the plane, and had no trouble with the weather. However, the fast train was bad - I felt dizzy and threw up. Once more I had problems with the food. It smelled and tasted strange. The first week I felt sick and vomited when I ate. I got stomach ache, diarrhoea and constipation because the Swedes use milk and spices that I never tried in cooking before. I tried not to force down the food, instead I ate little by little to get used to the smell and taste. Luckily, two weeks later I was used to it.
Walking, walking, walking
I had serious trouble with walking. Cambodian people don't walk often, because Cambodia has warm weather, and I don't like it much. In the beginning I was very unhappy and my legs hurt. I didn't want to go out since then I would have to walk.
Before I thought my English would help me when travelling all over the world, but that's not always true. For instance, Swedish people often preferred speaking Swedish to me. All signs are written in Swedish. Sometimes I felt nervous and frightened not knowing what to do and where to go. I felt lost. Everything was new to me. People around me looked different to Cambodians. The culture, tradition, and environment were totally different.
Some shocks
I was shocked and embarrassed when I saw people kissing in public - this is not allowed in my culture. It also shocked me that so many Swedish women smoke. This is uncommon in Cambodia. I found Swedish prices extremely high and could hardly afford the stay. I dared not buy things I wanted, only those I really needed. The long hours of darkness were a challenge, too. It's hardly sunshine in the morning and the sky becomes dark at four o 'clock instead of at seven o 'clock as in Cambodia. These differences made me confused over the time, and sometimes I didn't even trust my own judgement with time at all. All these things made me homesick: I cried for my family, friends and my country. To feel better, I studied Swedish culture, observing what people do and how. I tried to learn signs by heart and memorise streets, but sometimes I felt like ignoring everything. When I was alone and sad, I called friends or checked my e-mail. I also read my favourite book to pass the time. |
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