You can't avoid cultural shock...and it's actually good news!

If you have visited a foreign country, you have most likely experienced the phenomenon called "Culture Shock".

I have been passionate about foreign cultures for as long as I can remember, and I have to thanks my mother for giving me the chance to travel around the world, which is a truly life changing experience.

As you probably know, if you have been following me here on Linkedin, I am in love with the Far East, so in the next paragraphs I am going to tell you a bit more about the cultural shocks that I have experienced and how I overcame them.

I am going to share my life experiences in two close but so different countries:

• Let's start from Japan!

It was during my final year at University (International Relations) that I have discovered Japan.

At that time, I didn't know a thing about Japan: I grew up watching Japanese made cartoons, but apart of this I didn't have any clue on what was going to be like to live in Japan for a longer period of time.

If you are wondering why I decided to move to Japan let's just say that, as in many similar stories, love was involved!

Anyway, love stories aside, I bought a flight ticket and I landed in Tokyo's Narita Airport.

The journey to Tokyo could already be described as a cultural shock.

Once I passed the security check and I arrived at the gate, it seemed like I was in another dimension: everyone extremely quiet, you could hear a fly flying, and so was during the 12 hours journey.

I am Italian and I am used to noisy environments. I honestly struggled to keep so quiet (even though I appreciated it).

Needless to say, also the train from Narita Airport to Tokyo was very silent.

My next few months in Tokyo have truly been a life changing experience: everything so organized, very disciplined drivers, beautiful landscapes (Kyoto is a must visit place) and truly delicious street food.

However, once you start to dig a bit deeper, you start to find out also some negative aspects;

1. It's true that they are extremely discipined (except when they must take a train), but definitely too much, almost military style.
2. If you are a foreigner, forget being able to have a decent career different from language teaching. You will always be a "Gaijin", no matter what!
3. To be honest, I think that the Japanese working culture is toxic: too much overtime work, as much as there is people literally dying from too much work! Too much drinking after work: don't misunderstand me, I am a social drinker, I like a few shots, but when this become a part of your daily habit, then it's a big no!

To conclude my short paragraph on Japan:

My adventure started very positively and ended pretty negatively.

• Now let's dig into my China adventure

In 2007, just a few years after my Japanese experience, I decided that it was time for me to go exploring another part of the world.

Same as with Japan, I didn't have any clue on what to expect.

I have studied a bit of Chinese at university, I took some courses on Chinese law, political history and so on, but little did I know that my life was going to be completely changed in the following years.

I landed in Beijing after a long, tiring and very noisy flight.

The sky was unusually blue and the temperature not so low (it was winter).

I arrived in the shared apartment that was going to be my home for the next few months and found a huge mess.

In the next few days I started to explore the city and boy if I was shocked by the chaos.

Pollution, undisciplined drivers, no way of understanding when to cross the road, different food.

My first Chinese experience didn't start very well.

I started to feel anxiety and looking forward to go back home.

However, thanks to some very kind people I met along the road, I was able to change my opinion and I started to see things from a different point of view.

I finished my chinese language course, went back home for a couple of months, and then went back to Beijing, where I have stayed for the next 3 years.

At the beginning I was maybe too naive, trying to control the surroundings, trying to have it my way.

Needless to say, it was impossible.

So I started to see things from a different point of view.

I have accepted the chaos, welcomed it.

I have started to behave like locals and my life quality improved so much that I thought I will never leave that place.

By the time I started to work, my chinese language ability was good enough to enjoy the daily routing and not create misunderstandings with my coworkers.

More importantly I have realized that, even if I will always be considered as a "Laowai", the Chinese society welcomed me with open arms and gave me wonderful opportunities to start my professional career.

My Chinese adventure, far from over, started off with the wrong foot and evolved in a very positive way.

To conclude this article:

No matter where you go, you will always be shocked by how different are other cultures.

Nothing it's what it seems at the beginning: you have to stay for a prolonged time to better understand all the characteristics of a place and its people.

Cultural Shock can be very positive if you are willing to adapt and to look at things with open mind, it can really make you more mature as a person and stronger in your ability to endure difficult situations.