Culture Shock!

This whole discussion for the beginners came from a post I was writing beginning with something like this...

"Although the Eastern European countries are growing economic power, especially those that have joined the Euro, the prices are still low. Perhaps a serious consideration should be on the fact that a 3 month trip in the East would probably be half of the price as the West. The East poses the greatest Culture Shock for those who have not traveled outside of the US before. "

I may at a later date actually discuss a full out 3 month trip in the East, but I got really interested in discussing Culture Shock instead.

So far, I have only one experience of Culture Shock. For me, it was when I transferred from my plane in Paris and headed towards Vienna. EVERYONE, or so it seemed, had dyed hair on the plane. Businessmen even had strange hair. I was extremely set aback for about 1 or 2 minutes. I questioned whether I was really going to have a tolerable time in Europe. In fact up until that point I had been somewhat uninterested in going. Frankly I had signed up for the Austria Study Abroad program because I was dating a girl and she really wanted to go. I figured it would be a fun time and I even thought about proposing in Rome somewhere, thinking "If I can find a romantic place in Rome..." Imagine that, being able to find an unromantic inch in Rome! Well as many of my friends know, it didn't happen, in fact she didn't even go! We had even planned on touring for 18 days after together with some more friends and maybe even her mother. So now I, the one who thought it might be interesting, was apprehensive about going and given a taste of this interesting(in a different way than I hoped) group of Austrians with dyed hair.

At this point I decided that I would tell my mother I was having a grand time even if I didn't and at least it was only 4 months. Besides the strange hair, everything else that day was great! In Paris, I was forced to go through security again but when I asked if I need to take off my jacket or shoes the woman said no. I could even keep my laptop in my backpack! Then when I finally landed in Austria, it was just after noon and that is the Austrian lunch break, which lasts like 2 hours for some strange reason. There were no passport checkers at that time and I just walked right into the country. I was told that someone would pick me up and they would have an Ave sign, I didn't see anyone out of the terminal with one. I was worried that I went out of the wrong exit, it looked like a mall rather than an airport, too friendly! I waited a while and finally the people started arriving, I must have been the last flight until after lunch because nobody besides myself came out of that exit, which is why I thought I went to the wrong exit.

So there was a couple from Austria that had a cell phone out and I just asked for some help. I had no clue what the deal was with the phone number system they used and just wanted to have someone help me. I really was just wanted them to tell me how the heck to dial the number on a pay phone and tell me if I didn't need to dial some of the numbers, kind of like whether you need to dial an area code here in the States. They didn't recognize the "area" code they said but dialed it anyway! Dr. Healey, the director of the Austria Campus for my school answered and said that Peter from Poland was supposed to pick me up and he didn't see why he wasn't there yet. He also mentioned another person was going to be there to pick up as well a little later. In came this very strange fellow Peter, wearing his Eastern hat and being strange with his Ave sign. Then a little bit later Adam came out and joined us.

Leaving it just seemed very normal, like flying to some new city, granted it was one with very different cars and a lot of snow but a normal new city. We then drove back to Gaming. Adam recalled a few things and told stories and said that Peter was really great. Once we were very close to Gaming we saw some random girl and we stopped because she was an ITI student! It was yet another American, at this point it seemed like maybe the ITI was all Americans.

When I finally got there and Dr. Healey let me call home to say I got in OK and also told me that he didn't have any of the vouchers ready for food or something because I ate on someone else's vouchers that night (I paid the girl back). I went to dinner with the girl and had a soup at Johanna's, which was OK but she said the best food was at Steins. At this point it hit me, I was going to like my semester abroad. It was a full moon that night and it was so beautiful. I tried taking a picture with my really crumby camera but all that came out was a white speck that was the moon. Everything about it made me very very very happy. I remember just about everything from that night even down to the very table we sat at in Johanna's.

I think Culture Shock may occur for those who hate other cultures, I didn't really like dyed hair and that was the only thing that shocked me. All other things were perfectly fine to me. I think that College age is probably the best to go because in college you deal with all the strange people. Once you are an adult you begin to filter out the ones you cannot stand rather than accepting them. So for those first timers in Europe, like Chris, I think you will do fine. Mostly because you are an RA and have to deal with all the strange people because it is your job. Now to go about creating a post concerning the Eastern 3 month tour!