Close to Home, Far from Familiar
I wasn’t expecting things to be all that different. Montreal is a major metropolitan city with everything that I am used to: coffee shops galore, fancy boutiques, and parks. I really believed that everything would just be an upgraded version of Raleigh, NC. But when I walked through those airport doors and out into the chilly Montreal air, I instantly realized that this place was far different than anything I expected.
If I asked you about the first time you experienced culture shock, what would you say? Maybe some of you would say it was the first time you travelled outside the country. Backpacking around Asia or visiting France, perhaps? Maybe you would recall a time that you ate an unfamiliar food, took a new line of public transportation, or tried speaking in another language. Those of us listening would admire your stories and praise your bravery for jumping head first into these uneasy life experiences. We might even say, “Man! I don’t think I could have done that” or “Ish! I don’t think I could have travelled that far!”
But the truth is, you have probably already had a similar experience while close to home. Culture shock is defined as a feeling of discomfort or disorientation when exposed to a new cultural environment. It doesn’t just occur with crossing borders; it can occur anywhere: within your home country, region, state or even city. At least that’s what I’m starting to understand after my summer in Canada.
It started with the little things: T.J. Maxx was called Winners, I traded Provigo for Target, and I took public transportation instead of driving myself. Then came the language barrier. While mostly everyone could speak English, French was everywhere. On the bus. On the metro. In the grocery store. Even in the bathroom. While I spent hours upon hours Googling everything I needed to know about Montreal, nothing prepared me for the immediate immersion into a foreign language.
However, the biggest change for me was the Canadian way of life. It seemed like every person I passed was living in slow motion, treasuring every millisecond of the day. No one was in a rush; people strolled on the sidewalks, happily ate lunch with strangers in the park, and treasured time with friends on flowering terraces. Montrealers worked to live—not the other way around. While pleasantly surprised, it took time to get myself adjusted to this new way of life. I came from an environment where I am constantly on the go, sprinting to class or rushing to work while simultaneously scheduling more appointments to get to, people to meet, and activities to attend.
“Breathing and just living in the moment, taking in everything of this new environment, gave me the greatest sensation of freedom. But it left me in the strangest state of confusion.”
I thought that culture shock only happened when going to faraway places with drastically different cultural, political and/or economic situations than the one I was used to. It made sense when I was taken by surprise the first time I jumped into a Jeepney in the Philippines or when I had to use a squat toilet in Malaysia. So why was I feeling uneasy even though I was still in North America?
However, I’ve grown to believe that even the tiniest change can give you a taste of sweet confusion and perplexity. Of course, this sensation is even more poignant when one moves to a place with a very distinct culture, without having the conveniences and traditions of home to make life easy. In truth, we should value all the changes that one makes when they move out of their comfort zone and into another culture.
There are no limits to culture shock. As good old Wikipedia says, culture shock can be as simple as a “transition to another type of life.” Nontraditional experiences of culture shock are just as important for growth and should be treasured equally as such.
By Mikayla Aguie
Hey! I'm Miky or otherwise known as coffee critic, Disney addict, and travel enthusiast.
Oh! you still wanted to know more about me, well...
1. I probably watch way too much of House Hunters International2. I prefer strolling over running
3. My hidden talent is...still searching