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--------- It Is Part Of The Overseas Passage
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ingapore is a country where people from
all over the world come to live harmoniously with each other. It is a melting pot since
each person brings his life experiences & worldviews here and in the process enrich
the culture of this country. But this "melting" process does not come without
pain or hurt to the new comers. Culture shock is a state of bewilderment, anxiety and
distress as an individual is suddenly exposed to a social or cultural environment
radically different from his own. It happens frequently for the PRC scholars, like us.
Culture conflicts appear not only when we come to school and learn new ways of living
there, but also when we go back to our hostel and share our rooms with our classmates from
different province of China.
When
we were in China, we know how to read street signs. We know how to use the telephone. We
pick up signals when it is time to leave a party, or to change to a different subject.
Usually we get the joke. Much of what we do is automatic, requiring little thought or
effort.
When
we are overseas, the reverse is true. Simple tasks become difficult. We miss routine
things like the telephone directory or living conditions. Things are done differently, or
we can't communicate what we need or want. Moment by moment we suffer the tiniest
anxieties because we don't know how to behave, our actions and words don't get the
expected responses, and we don't understand the messages we are getting. The signs we are
accustomed to are gone. We are confronted with new ways of doing, thinking and valuing.
Our own common sense or logic no longer seems to apply. Anxiety becomes a permanent state
of being. As one expatriate put it: "It's like being in an exam twenty four hours a
day." This is culture shock - the disorientation that causes perpetual stress.
According to Copeland and
Griggs, culture shock can be described as a “ cycle of readjustment”, marked by four
phases (1985. Lennie Copeland and Lewis Griggs). They are:
Phase
1:
The
Tourist Phase.
Taking myself as an example, in
the beginning, I went through an euphoric period, the 'tourist phase', when I took a lot
of pictures and was excited about the move around Singapore. I noticed how surprisingly
similar things in Singapore were to China, and things that were dissimilar seem merely
quaint.
Phase
2:
The
Disenchanted Phase.
Soon elements of the new culture
began to intrude, and they were no longer always enchanting. My curiosity was overtaken by
irritation, impatience, frustration, anger and depression. Minor nuisances became
catastrophic upsets. I felt helpless and drained, emotionally and physically. I began to
complain about the country and local people. Differences became blown out of proportion,
and harsh judgments were made: "These people just don't value human life."
People at this stage show all the symptoms of being under pressure. Some people withdraw,
develop obsessions (about cleanliness, fear of people from other countries, over-eating or
sleeping), or become overtly hostile and aggressive.
Phase 2 lasted for months, and
it was a terrible time.
It affected our adjustment at school, and in hostel.
Fortunately, reactions usually
hit different persons at different times, so that we are better able to help each other,
and we must. Adjustment is a process to be worked on by all of us together.
Phase
3:
The
Pulling-up Phase.
Eventually
I began to learn, to change and to adapt. This is a 'pulling-up period', in which I began
to accept local ways, or accept negative feelings but find better ways to handle them.
Self-confidence returned; I felt less isolated and more comfortable. I can now look onward
and upward.
Phase
4:
The
Well-adjusted Phase.
At
last I came to feel at home and to truly enjoy Singapore and its culture (In fact, it
happened just few months ago). My sense of humor returned, I have made friends, I 'know
the ropes.' I'm now the local expert who can give advice. New comers can now cry on my
shoulder.
Phases may repeat. Sometimes if
you think you need help, you should certainly get it, and know that you are not alone.
Virtually every expatriate, all those seemingly well-adjusted folk you will see around
you, have experienced it. Because the problem is real.
Fortunately,
culture shock is predictable, patterned and manageable.
If you are prepared, you can control it. If you don't take steps to deal with it, it can
be expensive in time, money and heartache.
Now there are some ways to
prepare for your assignment.
1. Gather as much information as you can on
Singapore, past and present. Read about politics and religion, art and literature,
national heroes. You can get these information from Singapore National Library.
2. Learn the fundamental of the language. In
Singapore, Singlish is widely used by the local people. Although it’s not so standard
like American or British English, as a PRC scholar who will spend many years here, we must
know about it. At the minimum, master
pleasantries, and essential questions and phrases you will need so as to function
comfortably in your first few weeks.
3. Study maps so as to get
the feel for the layout of Singapore. Draw your own simplified map showing only the major
roads and landmarks, such as office, shopping, clubs and sights, in the areas where you
will be living and studying.
4. Talk with others who have lived in
Singapore recently. Try to find someone who had a good experience. What positive,
constructive advice can they give
you? Be sure to ask about words or behavior, which are to be avoided. Don't be shy, people
love to talk about their experience.
5. Arrange ways to say
good-bye and to let go of your life here, but plan ways to keep in touch with friends.
Take steps to pave the way for your return home.
Generally speaking, it takes
most of us who has experienced culture shock from six to 10 months to begin to feel at
home in Singapore. So, my new friends, take steps to acclimate yourself, get involved with
new organizations and give yourself some time to adjust the next few years of your lives
here in Singapore. Do realize that almost things tend to work out well. And so if we can
face it in a positive and optimistic way, I'm sure that the door of Singapore will just
open for you!