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Culture Shock

Daniel Israel

发布日期: 2020年10月5日

This Travel Writing piece is inspired by something Sir Michael Palin said on his new show: Travels of a Lifetime. It was along the lines of only when he left Europe did he feel that he was in ‘foreign lands where unusual things happened, there were strange smells' and he 'became excited and curious to find out more’.

As a keen traveller, I can identify with this statement, which rings true as I live in Europe and, on the whole, visiting non-European lands (largely non English speaking countries) has been more exciting and meaningful with much more to discover and be surprised about. With unfamiliar experiences, gestures, sounds and much, much more. It’s interesting that some who like travelling stay close to home and enjoy returning to the same kinds of resorts, for example, while others find travelling to be an endless voyage of discovery. The following paragraphs run through several unforgettable examples of culture shock and memorable moments experienced outside Europe.

South America

Discovering the new world would have been more mysterious when explorers such as Vasco Da Gama and Christopher Columbus dropped anchor hundreds of years ago; this continent still has plenty to offer the intrepid traveller. In Brazil, getting by with a few Portuguese phrases (at least) will have to do as English is not widely spoken. Timekeeping like in most of Latin America is completely different from how it is back home. Expect people to turn up late and a whole 1 hour after you arrive is not unheard of. Spontaneity and hospitality are tremendous traits that cariocas (native residents of Rio) have in spades, for example, and some introverts may find this to be a bit much. The beach is like a second home for many and Brazilians skilfully play footvolley, which is self-explanatory. In Salvador in the North East, rituals and customs will educate and amaze you, i.e. candomblé (black magic ceremony) and capoeira (martial arts dancing). While in Manaus, it will shock you to see alcohol-fuelled boats pumping gasoline into the Amazon river and raw sewage on the streets; not to mention at least one large rat scurrying around. The Amazon opera house (Teatro Amazonas) is a sight for sore eyes; something of a mirage near the jungle if you like.

Meanwhile in Argentina, spontaneous tango dancing in areas such as La Boca in Buenos Aires are the norm. In Bolivia as in Ecuador, Peru and Colombia there are indigenous Indians who live in modern societies and have their own unique practices, i.e. chewing coca leaves, wearing colourful costumes and, in Bolivia, the women wear fabulous bowler hats. Fascinatingly, their origin is revealed here: https://travelandkeepfit.com/en/2018/06/29/bolivian-cholitas-and-the-very-weird-story-of-their-bowler-hats/ Further, seeing lovely lamas in the Andes region (which is even served as meat in Urubamba, Peru) and poisonous red caterpillars (that demand respect) in Maccu Piccu stood out. In Ecuador, the shoeshine boys in Quito may beg for money and if they don’t get a penny, they could throw a coin literally right at you. In Colombia, coffee is drunk in a unique fashion; with far more milk than coffee.?Food like tamales are tasty and can be found all over the continent, just as empanadas are everywhere. The country has been through a lot and when there were not so many tourists in 2001, the sense of adventure was ratcheted up. At that time, en route to San Agustin, the army were stopping buses to make sure revolutionaries were not transporting weapons. In Medellin, a soldier showed a bullet wound encountered during skirmishes with FARC. In Cartagena, a female lone traveller took me hitch-hiking (the one and only time for me) to a mud volcano and she was fearless, though when in your younger days, you often don’t think too hard about the consequences of your actions. The humidity takes some getting used to and is not everyone’s cup of tea.

Asia

Modern day Japan still embraces its ancient culture, which is fascinating and guaranteed to give you a lifetime of learning. Starting with Japanese gardens, the level of meticulousness is unparalleled in the western world. Only when you see them with your own eyes, can you appreciate this amazing art-form. The use of space around flowers is key and ma (negative space) fits in with this. Mimicking natural scenery such as mountains by pruning trees is magnificent. Gardeners tend to moss and other delicate gardening matters removing weeds piece by piece by hand and in the hottest temperatures. Nature is given the respect that it deserves. It may surprise you to know that mobile phone use is banned on public train carriages; only on bullet trains, can you speak on the phone away from other passengers in a special compartment. The bullet trains are a marvel of engineering and you can sit down drinking tea in a china cup, and it does not move despite speeds exceeding 300KMPH. As conductors enter and leave the carriage they bow respectfully. Presentation reaches a whole new level from rows of colourful nano pods in 2006 to all kinds of sushi bento (lunch boxes) that have been ubiquitous in any 7-11 or other convenience store for many years. When you are given something, the gesture feels generous as open palms are facing upwards. Sudden acts of kindness are common, i.e. gifts are randomly given to strangers. Sumo wrestling is unique to Japan, and, if you are lucky you can watch a tournament, though these are few and far between. Failing that, you can even visit a gym and watch these athletes training. By the way, they eat 7000 calories a day on average, and, sadly, their life expectancy is between 60-65, 10 years younger than the average Japanese male. Interestingly, Japanese people are very quiet at breakfast in hotels, for example, and say sitting on the train; not a peep, but after work, some workers who have knocked off work are the life of the party and can be quite animated and even noisy; this can come as quite a surprise. There’s far more to add here, but moving swiftly on.

In India, people are very kind and hospitable; it’s not unheard of for a complete stranger to offer his lunch to you, even if he doesn’t have much money at all. People are naturally inquisitive and will ask you plenty of questions; some of which may be personal. If you are sharing a train compartment, for example, then this is common practice. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of taxi drivers when exiting a train station. Pick one and agree on a price to where you’d like to go – otherwise you’ll be followed by a whole host of drivers, which can seem rather intimidating. Read up on the rules if you go to a spiritual temple complex. Especially the largest Hindu temple in Delhi, which is called Akshardam. Ladies are not even allowed to carry a handbag, for example, so you may feel more comfortable leaving your valuables in your hotel room or queuing up for lockers, which entails being separated from members of the opposite sex; this can be problematic as partners may lose each other in the middle of an extremely busy place. One gesture, which involves a shake of the head (aka head bobble) from side to side has multiple meanings such as yes, good, maybe, OK or I understand. Clearly, the context is important for a non-Indian subject in understanding the intended meaning, It is true that you must never shake hands with your left hand, which is used for wiping one’s rear, and this applies to the whole of Asia. Otherwise, it may surprise you to see a cow in the middle of a street with traffic; they will not hurt the cow as it's considered a holy animal. Elephants can be seen walking on streets and standing outside temples wearing face paints. The gnats are sacred bathing spots, but in Pushkar you should be careful of the flower scam. If you were warned about it, then you may have been lucky. Basically, a flower is put in your hand, then you are told to go to the lake for luck and somebody tells you to pay money to have family members blessed. There are variations of it. The divide between the rich and the poor throughout the country is well known and, unfortunately, stops some from visiting this delightful destination. One school of thought is that it is important to experience real poverty to appreciate what you have. Furthermore, you can’t help everybody; so keep that in mind as you may be approached by beggars, i.e. when in a taxi. India has the greatest variety of vegetarian food in the world and has a never ending selection of delicious curries.

In Thailand, when you're wondering around the Grand Palace in Bangkok, don't jump out of your skin if the King walks into the room. Wait for it - without a security detail; the reason for this is that the monarchy is held with the the utmost respect and esteem; basically no Thai citizens want any harm to come to their royals. In Laos, be prepared for scorpions in rice wine; apparently it has quite a kick to it (better than a sting). In Vietnam, (Saigon) you may have to pinch yourself if you see a retired Vietcong Colonel shaking hands and pleasantries with a retired US Colonel from the Vietnam war. The original Vietcong tunnels are really claustrophobic but the touristy ones are, let's say, the watered down version. In Cambodia, you'll probably get grossed out when you see someone munching on a big hairy spider covered in sauce; this is a 'delicacy' where these humungous creepy crawlies are bred in a village called Skuon.

In Indonesia, you can enjoy Hindu customs in Bali like when rose petals are left on a Ganesh statue outside your hotel room and appreciate beautiful Balinese cuisine, i.e. at Bumi Bali in Ubud. Cock fights may raise an eyebrow as may animal sacrifices, i.e. an offering with a goose surrounded my flowers. Hindu priests bless strangers by putting rice on their foreheads to signify that you have prayed. This all contrasts greatly with Islamic traditions such as in Lombok where non-Moslems must remember that food is scarce during Ramadan and must not eat in public out of respect. There are certain kinds of establishments which are only found in this part of the world, i.e. warungs, which are usually small family run cafés or restaurants with a particular look and feel.

In Hong Kong, locals often share a table with strangers (though not in upmarket restaurants) and, surprisingly, English is not spoken by all. Young office workers do speak it, but it can happen that the waiter/ waitress doesn’t. The star ferry is a charming and infinitely reasonable means to get around; it is the only attraction mentioned here that has become part of the cultural landscape of the place. Dumplings and roast duck with plum sauce are local specialities. Tragically, the city is changing as we speak as freedoms can no longer be taken for granted.

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North Africa

Tangier is not very far from Spain and there are some similarities regarding Moorish architecture, i.e. in Granada and Seville. In Morocco, the call to prayer will grab your attention if you’re not used to it. Moroccan mint tea is poured dramatically from a great height. Tagine is cooked in a special dish and preserved lemons, dates, chickpeas and other delights are prevalent here. Be careful which mosque you walk into as non-Moslems are not allowed in them all. If you go to a tannery, you will be handed mint leaves to mask the smell of the pigeon shit. In Marrakesh the main square is an entertainment centre with kids boxing, a dentist on hand to extract people’s teeth and don’t say I didn’t warn you if you see a sheep’s head next to countless barbecues. Henna is popular and it can be used for hair dyes as well as natural tattoos. Alcohol is not readily available, though if you seek, ye shall find; at least in Meknes and Casa you will. In Tunisia, watch where you take your lady for a drink; at some establishments it’s men only, which is guaranteed to cause problems with the uninitiated. They do serve olives as a bar snack, if that’s any consolation. The Bardo Museum shouldn’t just be for culture vultures, it has the greatest collection of mosaics in the world. The Ottoman architecture of the famous palace its housed in is exquisite. Oh - never take a photo of the exterior of the Algerian embassy because it looks splendid, otherwise you may well spend 8 hours in police custody, and, if you speak English and no Arabic, then you may well get to meet the commissioner of the Tunis police force.

North America

In Mexico ‘day of the dead’ is well-known. Muralist Diego Rivera has to be seen to be appreciated, i.e. on the walls in Guadalajara. The Mexicans’ love for spicy food shouldn’t be underestimated. Mole Poblano won’t be found at a Tex-Mex restaurant, nor is it made for a 16 year old westerner’s palate, especially one who doesn’t know that a jug of water won’t help, but yoghurt bread or a sugar cube will do nicely. Authentic guacamole has an almighty kick and the generous helping of jalapenos ensure that heat hits you from the throat upwards in short bursts. In Cuba, food is scarce in supermarkets (at least it was in 2005) but not at tourist hotels and Communist propaganda blares from radios. Drinking rum and dancing on Havana's Malecon boardwalk with locals is pleasurable. Houses are provided free by the state for married couples, but there are restrictions on travel. The US embargo has taken its toll on those with relatives in the US. Despite a veneer of anti-American sentiments, regular folk are quite often openly pro-American, even wearing the stars ‘n’ stripes on their clothing.?In Guatemala, fried chicken places are everywhere, and breakfasts will inevitably include fried banana plantain and refried beans as they do all over Central America. In Hondurus, try not to end up in San Pedro Sula, as it’s known as the murder capital of the world. If you do by accident, then stay inside the hotel and kindly ask the owner to drive you to buy food in his/her bulletproof car. In Belize, if you’re British, you may get cornered by a Belizean history teacher who may lecture you on the past exploits of the British, which may also make you feel bad. In El Salvador, (in 2014 at least) hiking in Suchitoto means being accompanied by a police officer as there have been robberies in the environs; a lady from the tourist office might also tag along for good measure. In Nicaragua, (Granada to be precise), the Hipaca is a horse festival with a difference. The riders swig rum and parade around town as revellers get tanked up taking it all in within a packed square. Along the trail, you are also likely to see giant caricatures of Spanish conquistadors on stilts wildly moving around.?In Costa Rica, it should amaze you to learn that they have no army. They do have miniscule toads that are partially camouflaged on leaves and naughty racoons that will grab your lunch if you leave it unattended. In Panama, always carry your passport and stay away from drunk tourists who urinate in public at night-time and alert platoons of commandos. In Canada, squirrels can be seen standing up, i.e. in Ottawa, though this may occur in other countries. In the USA, Amish county in Pennsylvania is something quite different as bearded males with Swiss-Alsation origins drive horse drawn carriages through town wearing old-fashioned costumes.?