The culture shock video was fairly long and I watched just a part of it, but I though it gave a pretty good glimpse of what cultural shock is. I am able to confirm some of the ideas mentioned in the video.
I came to the US only 2 years ago and visited several cities in the North and South and experienced culture shock every time i moved around. It is astonishing how big the United States is, and how many different cultures within the country you can find. I also have had a chance to be in Georgia, Turkey, and Russia as well as study in international school with people from about 90 countries. This being said, I know what culture shock is, and I have experienced it more times than one can imagine ,and I even do get culturally shock when I go home after being in the US for a long time. It is a feeling of awkwardness and disorientation at the same time, but luckily, I get used to things quickly. Studying with people from that many cultures has taught me to be very understanding, empathetic and inclusive toward other cultures in the world. The important thing when one experiences a culture shock is to realize that every culture is unique and worth embracing, even if you do not understand certain parts of it. I still ask my American friends about small aspects of American culture to make sure I'm culturally educated. Looking back at my other posts, I want to mention again about the importance of reading about the culture of a country and watching videos before visiting or learning a culture and I am glad, that I have been to Turkey and have done significant research about the Turkish culture. I believe, 21st century is a century of diversity and inclusion and it is essentially important to be open to cultures, ideas and traditions.
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