Learning journal #4 - SDLC 105

[Ziwei Liao]

The video “Culture Shock” relates to my own experience as an international student at UR.  In terms of greeting, in my culture we ask people if they have eaten yet as a way of greeting, and we do not actually respect a long and real answer to that. It is similar to English greeting of “how are you” and people don’t really mean to ask your feeling.  They are both just ways of say hello.  Also, culture does not only reflect on words but actions and activities.  In US, people like to keep distance in public and feel uncomfortable when others get too close to them.  However, I grew up in a urban city in China where is always crowded and busy.  People are backed in subway going to school/work.  I am used to have no personal space in the public.  I learned to respect others’ private spaces when I came to US.  I can relate lots of things with culture shock because I used to experience it all the time.  Once I got used to the culture, I felt more comfortable and less worry about offending people unintentionally.