I reckon cultural differences are something you’ll never understand without experiencing them. Why the European way of living is always so attractively fascinating for Asians? Why can the food in different parts of Asia be so amazingly shocking for Westerners when they had it for the first time?
These are all about the culture, and of course, the culture is related to its geography, weather, agriculture and society. The gap between different cultures is huge, it’s not something you could make up with speaking its language and reading its letters. There are so many values, moralities, superstitions and unspoken rules within people’s lives and we can only learn about that by living in.
I didn’t know how to tip when I first arrived in New York, could barely speak English actually. My friend asked the waitress what’s the decent tips after we had our first meal at a brunch place, and the waitress told us a number over the average but we only realized that later, of course.
I remember when I stayed in the hostel in Melbourne, the bar on the basement floor was fully occupied every night, I only walked through it just to get to the laundry machine behind the bar. Guess what? I felt extremely awkward because I didn’t know the way to blend in with new groups. Thought it was lucky that no one noticed me.
I got offended a few times when I started working in retail in London, just because I knew nothing about their sense of humour, and I was surprised that most men let women go through the door first, “lady first “ was actually existed.
I hate to say this, but everything in my hometown seems not too friendly to me for my return. I felt so strange, like I’m such a newcomer, not knowing anything about this place.
The weather is so humid and hot, it brought me skin irritation. The way of communication with people is so different, there were few moments I thought I don’t know my mother tongue and my own people. Only my taste in food is the only proof left to tell me that I’m a Taiwanese.
“Cultural allergy”.
Allergy is when one’s body can’t take certain ingredients, it could be within the food, air or humidity. And it brings all the kinds of symptoms, rashes, itchy skin, sneezing, blocked nose, etc. To put it simply, it drives you crazy because of the unbearable uncomfortableness.
It has almost become the circle, every March would be my new starting point.
I chose to fly to a new place on an ordinary day in March, since those visas were valid for a year or two, it created a circle. I’d be wonder where to go in Summer, putting the new plan in the process through Autumn, having farewell parties in Winter and starting new days in Spring. That’d be the time I got physical allergy and the “cultural allergy”. Firstly, my body would reflect my mental condition, the stress of finding a new job and a place to stay would normally get me some unknown skin irritations. But they’ll eventually go once the new life has settled.
Then there's this “cultural allergy” coming. Feeling offended by careless jokes regarding my identity, getting teased by my lack of knowledge of English or people would just staring at me while me speaking with mom on the phone in my language.
I’d need to watch very carefully how everyone moves within the city. If I paid more attention to observe things around me, it would shorten the time of suffering under the cultural allergy, it helped me to adapt to the surrounding quicker and smoother. And of course, all the hard feelings will go away with time, I’d gradually get used to the new place, and they’d become another piece of precious memory of mine.
I guess I am in that period again, observing how to live in the new place. To be honest, things are not going any easier here, the place I have lived most of my life.
I am keeping my fingers crossed, GOOD LUCK, just to say it to myself.
