Thursday, September 23, 2010
Tacky Tourist Thursday Blog
Life is easy for us in our home country. We know the language, the foods and just how to act. Imagine living in a place totally different from home. You wouldn't be able to read this blog, you would think the food is disgusting and you would probably act inappropriately. Culture is what makes each area different from one another. When traveling, you must be aware of the culture you are traveling too. You could offend someone just by shaking with your left hand or keeping your shoes on in a house. I have a friend from Mexico. He comes to visit at least once a year. The first time he was here, he was in complete culture shock. He wanted to go out for american food, he was in awe when he saw tacos on the menu. He was also amazed when we went to the mall. His views on malls are just stands of knock off products in the streets. He loved the huge indoor mall, but hated the high prices. He tried bargaining with store clerks and they all looked at him like he was crazy. One store actually asked him to leave. Culture makes it very easy to show who is an outsider and who is not.
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I definitely agree that you get so used to your culture and environment that sometimes you don't even think twice about it. However, when you go to a new place, you begin to realize the impact and experience culture shock! The same thing can happen when people come here and you witness them experiencing culture shock. I loved your example about how your friend was not used to the concept of malls and tried bargaining with the store clerks!
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting how your friend was surprised to see tacos on the menu! You make a really good point how culture shows who's an outsider. I'm sure in Mexico, we wouldn't know how to handle a lot of situations, so it's important to try and learn a head of time so we don't get kicked out of stores. Though its a good learning experience haha
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