Have u heard of the phrase reverse culture shock? it took me a couple of years to understand what it means ...as for culture shock, it basically says that international students...or ppl that went overseas, cant get use to the life style, culture, norm , food and basically everything in another country.which, would be a problem international student generally face.
as compare to that, reverse culture shock, is something u'd face, after spending a few years aboard...and..when u get home/got back to home country, u cant really get use to, or find difficulties learning to readapt to what u used to have in ur home country or changes that had happened there.
i am, trying to face my very own version of reverse culture shock. it had been almost 4 months now..but..yeah, i am still learning.
due to some emergency, i made a long distance call to my best friend in autralia. however, i had not much luck in getting him during the first two attempts, however, it gave me an exposure to the australian culture which was all around me half a year ago. i realise that i am lossing more and more of the australian part and becoming more and more localise. i somehow, refuse to accept the fact that i and less and less of an australian.
i still remember how tough it was, to not being able to find all the similar australian food and groceries and everything i use to have back there in australia when i first got home. going to supermarket is a disaster. walking between ailes remind me of those days when i can just hop down to the supermarket(coles) next door and do my grocery shopping. despite the fact that i am staying in a small town in australia, it is equippied with everything i ever needed. despite back to the capital city of my country, something is missing, some how. i no longer see australian wondering around me when i do grocery shopping, nor do i find all the disgusting chinese food...now..i find fantastic local food, but i am surrounded with ppl that speaks mother tounge, and occasionally surrounded with ppl that speaks broken english. despite it was well spoken once in a blue moon, it was full of the local ascent..it no longer sound australian. i remember how depress i was, walking between the ailes, hunting for familiar grocery, that is imported from Australia. DO i, no longer love my home country? i doubt so. i wont pick a stand if australia and my home country were to get involved in a fight just because of my priority towards a certain party..would rather be rational, or , even, not pick a stand. I remembered tears building up and can nolonger hold them back when i saw a stack of Sneakers that is made in autsrlia and imported here...it is so familiar, yet so far away.
i wonder what is wrong with me. had i got too use to the way and the life style in Australia? I use to hate ppl, or overseas graduate that says they cant stand, or they got used to the lifestyle overseas after spending a couple of years abroad when i was much younger. i cant help questioning myself, how can that few years abroad be compared to the place which ppl had spent majority of their life time at? how can few years beat home land? how can ppl simply say they were used to the other place and cant switch back to here, nor could there adapt back to here.
i am now in their shoes, and i am speechless. things...not everything, are describale. i cant seem to put my feelings in words..nor could i explain how difficult it is to readapt... it is, depressing,in short.
