Are You Culturally Shocked?

 Every culture has their way of living which includes their religion, traditions, customs, beliefs, languages, etc. Consequently, what is appropriate in one culture may not be so in a different culture and appear shocking to some people. I was born in Uzbekistan and later moved to Kazakhstan but I did not really feel a big difference between the two countries.  It maybe due to the fact these countries were a part of former Soviet Union in which all people spoke the same language.

             I have first experienced culture shock when I came to the United States in the summer of 2006. I spent most of the summer in Ocean City, NJ.  Every morning  I passed by strangers who greeted me with a welcoming smile and asked me how I was. That was something that I have never experienced in my country. I have also noticed that these nice people were not just pretending to smile but they were actually sincere. I went back to Kazakhstan in the end of the summer.

            The next year in 2007 I found myself in America again. This time it was the famous “Big Apple” or the New York City which did not stop surprising me.  It was summer.  The first thing I noticed is that there were so many people in New York that represent different backgrounds, cultures, and countries.  Especially, I was shocked to see the way Americans dress and so did my friends from Russia, Moldova, Ukraine,Poland, etc.  Women wore business suits, skirts, dresses and they also wore sneakers , rubber sole clogs with them. I thought that clogs were the ugliest shoes ever. Men followed the same fashion but I guess the way women dress stands out a lot, simply because they were women. Also, it was very strange to see young women wearing boots with a dress. The cowboy boots were not made for wearing in summer which would be designed so that the air passes through them but simply the kind that one would wear in autumn or winter.   

          Finally, a more annoying  cultural shock to me was that most American`s I have met in my life do not know Geography as opposed to Europeans. For example, when I was asked about my country which is Kazakhstan. I would get a very weird reaction like “where? Pakistan? Afghanistan?.....” or the most common respond such as “Have you seen the movie Borat?”. However, I have to give a credit for those who were in Peace Corps and knew a lot. It is just that in my country  we had started learning Geography in sixth grade and were taught to identify the country and its capital. Plus I went to English courses with American teachers Miss Mott from Seattle and Miss Dause from Virginia for 2 years: 2003-2004 in Kazakhstan. One day, we were given an exam which required us to fill in the fifty U.S. states in a blank map. The task was not easy but certainly helped me improve my knowledge about the United States of America before I came here.

In conclusion, I believe that it is important and fun to know about different cultures, countries. Especially, if you live in a diverse  city such as New York which empowers you with the knowledge about many nations, cultures, tastes, humor, food and traditions.