Culture Shock?

They say after having been out of your home country for several months upon your return Culture Shock awaits you.  I am not sure if I agree with this statement yet or not.  I don't particularly think I have experienced this culture shock.  There are definitely different things I have noticed that seem weird or odd to me.  These things may or may not consist of attitudes, services, and situations that I most like would have not thought twice about previous to traveling the world.  For example, the quality of service in restaurants/ etiquette expected from waiters, or just the rudeness of people in general.  The first restaurant I ate when I returned to the States we were in a big party, so we had about 4 or 5 servers servicing our table throughout the night.  They were all so rude, compared to what I had been used to the last few months.  So in this situation, I was shocked by their lack of kindness and attentiveness.  Granted this wasn't always available overseas, but i never had an intentionally rude server, at least not that I can remember.  Another example is the confrontational nature of people, and how blunt and/or demanding they can be.  Since I have been back in America, people are rude!  It may even be my own family members.  They don't like something so they speak up about it and demand to have it changed or fixed.  This is not to say that I was never displeased with anything I received while overseas, but I either decided to deal with it, as is, or I asked kindly if something could be done about it.  Somethings just are not that big of a deal, and people really need to just take a chill pill!  Which brings me to a side point.  So many people in other countries do not understand the concept of suing someone.  Why are we so down each others throats about different ordeals.  Is something ever really that serious that we need to sue them for all of their money because we were displeased with something?  I do understand the concept and need for suing in certain situations, but we use this "right" so loosely now-days.  We just throw around the ability to sue someone like a toy.  It is definitely not always necessary to sue people in dumb situations.  Sometimes it is your own fault, and you just need to sit back, relax, and deal with it!

Ok, now that I have calmed down a bit.. Maybe I have experienced a bit of culture shock.  I knew before hand that Americans in general can be obnoxious, conceited, selfish, and all of the above.  But it was not until I returned did some of the things that I had not noticed before really catch me off guard.  Like I really had to sit there and think for a moment, this is how people really act?  Was that comment, action, gesture appropriate or even allowed in public?  It really amazed me at times, and I have only been back for two weeks!

Thats another thing that is so shocking.  Only two weeks ago I was in Tokyo, about to depart here.  It already feels like so so so long ago!  I can't believe only a few months ago I had newly arrived in Australia.  I had no idea what lay ahead of me.  I have learned so much from all of the countries I have traveled to in the past few months.  I have learned the differences in behavior, etiquette, lifestyles, mind-sets, religions, beliefs, what is or is not deemed expectable in certain societies, and so many other things that make up each countries culture.  I have learned from Australia to have no worries, and to sit back and relax and let happiness wash over you.  I have also learned from new Zealand to make life an adventure, and adventure can be found in all aspects of life, not only from diving out of a plane with only a parachute on your back. From Malaysia I found that even though we are different that is no reason to not be able to live in Harmony.  From Vietnam I have learned respect for your elders and even your government weather or not they deserve it.  In Cambodia I learned that even though you may not have much, that is no reason to not live your life to its fullest.  Singapore taught me the severity of your actions, and Tokyo (Japan) taught me how to navigate not only the city on my own, but how to navigate and live life, not alone, but on my own.  There are definitely many more life lessons I have learned while traveling to each of these incredible places, these given are just a minor select few.  I am not sure I will ever have an experience like that again.  I wish I could visit each of those places at least one more time, but I doubt I will ever set foot in half, or even all of those countries.  It almost depresses me.  A piece of my heart and my life was left behind in each of those countries, and I will never see it again.

So have I experienced culture shock, you can ultimately make that decision on your own.  I believe I have been shocked by encounters I have not been subjected to in a few months, but I do not believe I have entered a full state of culture shock.  Maybe I have, and I am just in denial.  I guess we all have to figure things out on our own to truly understand its definition or consequence.  But until that epitome of a moment, I am going to get some shut eye and prepare for the adventure (or the completely opposite definition of adventure) that tomorrow holds.  Every day is a new day.