Every trip I've taken that involves the words "culture shock," has been more difficult to return from than it was to take. This seems to happen for a few reasons:
1) You've seen some shit
Pardon my being crass, but until you've watched an old woman beat back a charging ram on a dusty African road with no more than a stick you won't necessarily know what I'm talking about (this actually happened, that ram lived on my street and he was a complete asshole). The fact is, that when you travel, you see and experience things that change you. This change may not be obvious or easy to put a finger on, but it becomes pronounced as you try to slip back into your old routine.
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| Artist's rendering of the assailant |
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| The prime suspect. Also, remember the gazebo for bullet number 4. |
2) Life is a little bit boring when you return
Moving to a new country is a difficult experience, moving to a new developing country doubly so. From your morning commute, to finding a reputable food source, every mundane task becomes an adventure. On top of that, you lack the language skills, body language, and cultural understanding necessary to navigate social and commercial interactions. This meant, that successfully navigating your morning commute had the ability to feel like a real accomplishment. Upon returning, the senses of adventure and achievement from everyday tasks are noticeably absent.
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| Boring Alberta Commute |
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| Exciting Ghanian Commute |
3) You're not famous anymore
My roommate will likely attest to how much I disliked being labeled "White Man" on every block while walking down the street, but at least it was an accurate label. Nevertheless, there are some distinct benefits to being a foreigner. You are able to circumvent some social conventions, able to meet people more easily, and generally viewed as interesting simply because you are from somewhere else. I am sure this is not the reality for all foreigners and there are elements of white-male extrovert privilege attributable to the positive nature of the experiences I have. As a result, I was wondering if others might share their perspectives and experiences on being a foreigner.
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If I changed my name to "Obruni (Twi for 'White Man;),"
they would all know my name. |
4) People's priorities seem a little off
When you return from living in less pampered conditions, you appreciate things that are taken for granted by most people. A hot shower? Divine! Pooping shapes again? Made my day yesterday. No ants in my cereal? Slightly disappointed by the reduced protein content of my breakfast, but still very exciting.
This elation is then quickly contrasted with the everyday annoyances that face the people around you. For me, the moment that stands out from recent weeks, was when my friend's aunt began to complain about how the snow had dented the roof of their gazebo. At this point, I had been back in Canada for a week, and was just gaining back my ability to not be asleep on a couch, so the only thought I had on the subject was: "WHY CAN'T YOU JUST BE HAPPY YOU HAVE A GAZEBO!" I know, I know, I lack empathy, it's something I'm working on. The first few weeks are the hardest, but I assure you, I will slip back into being annoyed by everyday things soon enough.
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| I'm assuming this is the gazebo in question |
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| A terrific place for a gazebo |
5) It's unbelievably cold
I'm not sure when I became a warm weather person. I have distinct memories as a child of waiting for the bus in -15 Celsius in a leather jacket. Now, I'm walking in downtown Toronto bundled up in three parkas and I'm still miserable. Is this an age thing or a me a being a wuss thing? Ghana's weather and I got along swimmingly. The heat, the humidity, the beach, ice cold Fan Ice, typhoid. Yup, those were the days. I was rudely plucked from my tropical paradise and dropped in the middle of an Albertan snowstorm...
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| My location on October 2nd, 2014 |
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| My location on October 4, 2014 |
