A video worth watching and reflecting upon.
Thursday 22 May 2014
Reverse Culture Shock
It has been a while since I last wrote something that actually went through my head carefully. Not the kind of post on Facebook that just popped in and out of my mind like a passing wind.
It has been 2 years. I couldn't clearly remember the reason I decided to come home this time. Is it just because I wanted to surprise my parents? If so, I think I've done a great job. They're pretty shocked.
As for me, I received a shock too. Something people called "reverse culture shock".
I couldn't get used to the Malaysian-accent-filled English. I didn't realized how strong our accent and slang are. Have I been Americanized in such a short time? I refuse to believe that. Yet I can't deny the fact that I laughed at their accent when I heard some people speaking English at my hometown. Wasn't I one of them two years ago? Even the mandarin here sounds a bit weird. I guess I spent too much time with Chinese from mainland China.
I couldn't get used to the weather here. Taking four showers a day doesn't seem to make things better. My body is always sticky; uncomfortable. Temperatures are high, humidity likewise. Missing the weather in Ann Arbor; cold, but at least I don't sweat and get sticky. Besides, I could always wear a few extra layers of clothes.
I couldn't get used to my home church. To think that I've spent almost my entire life growing up under the influence of this church, I feel really bad for being judgmental now. People stand when they're asked to, raise their hands when they're asked to, read out loud when they're asked to. At HMCC Ann Arbor we're taught not to be legalistic, to worship freely, and to pray fervently. I couldn't do it here at my home church. Yes I'm taught to be secure in Christ, to be shameless for Him; but I'm pretty sure people will turn all their attention to me if I stand up or say amen when the pastor is preaching. Prayer gathering seems so rushed, and worship seems to focus so much on the voice performance. I have to keep reminding myself: languages and styles might be different, but I worship the same God there and here. Please forgive my judgments. It takes time to adapt.
I couldn't get used to the prices of things here. Certain things are so cheap compared to those in the US, while others are ridiculously expensive. Food seems so cheap when I convert the price to US currency. So I ended up eating a lot and paying a lot without feeling guilty. When I saw the prices of houses and cars though, I was shocked. It wasn't this expensive the last I remembered. Cars in the US are so cheap. And they're good. I couldn't find a single Mazda 6 in my hometown, but I see it everywhere in Ann Arbor. I'm forced to accept the fact that the living standard in Malaysia is not as high as that in the States.
I couldn't get used to the way people drive here. It seems like the lines on the road are there for nothing. Cars can cross three lanes at once as long as there's no accident. No one stops at the "stop" sign. Yellow on the traffic light is a sign to speed up.
I couldn't get used to a lot of miscellaneous things here. The internet, for example, is a lot slower than that in the US. Here, people download; streaming online isn't as common. Here, people drink tea; drinking coffee isn't as common. Here, people hang out at kopitiams; Starbucks? No Starbucks at my hometown. Here, people spend their free time at shopping malls. Three out of the ten largest shopping malls in the world are found in Malaysia. And I heard another mall bigger than the largest one now is under construction. In the US, shopping malls are only found in big cities. And they are just shopping malls, not mega malls.
The only things I don't need time to get accustomed to are my family and the food. The rest of the things make me feel like I no longer belong here. It definitely leads to some confusion and internal struggles. What is my calling? Should I stay in the US or not? If yes, how long should I stay? If no, where should I go? Questions after questions swarm my mind, and I couldn't find any answer to them. One thing I'm sure of, is that if God has led me thus far, He will surely lead me on. As to where, what, when, who and how, that's up to Him. He calls, I follow. May I truly learn how to be a follower of Christ - to stand firm on my faith and stay true to my heart.
Whatever circumstances that come my way, You are greater.
I couldn't get used to the way people drive here. It seems like the lines on the road are there for nothing. Cars can cross three lanes at once as long as there's no accident. No one stops at the "stop" sign. Yellow on the traffic light is a sign to speed up.
I couldn't get used to a lot of miscellaneous things here. The internet, for example, is a lot slower than that in the US. Here, people download; streaming online isn't as common. Here, people drink tea; drinking coffee isn't as common. Here, people hang out at kopitiams; Starbucks? No Starbucks at my hometown. Here, people spend their free time at shopping malls. Three out of the ten largest shopping malls in the world are found in Malaysia. And I heard another mall bigger than the largest one now is under construction. In the US, shopping malls are only found in big cities. And they are just shopping malls, not mega malls.
The only things I don't need time to get accustomed to are my family and the food. The rest of the things make me feel like I no longer belong here. It definitely leads to some confusion and internal struggles. What is my calling? Should I stay in the US or not? If yes, how long should I stay? If no, where should I go? Questions after questions swarm my mind, and I couldn't find any answer to them. One thing I'm sure of, is that if God has led me thus far, He will surely lead me on. As to where, what, when, who and how, that's up to Him. He calls, I follow. May I truly learn how to be a follower of Christ - to stand firm on my faith and stay true to my heart.
Whatever circumstances that come my way, You are greater.
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