My experience with culture shock

I was a mess. Cursing as I angrily scooted through notorious Taiwan traffic, I jolted to a stop at the 7-Eleven and kicked my kickstand down as hard as I could. Without taking off my helmet, I went inside, ignoring the greeting from the cashier, and headed straight to the goods. In moments I was at the register, staring down the cashier as my Pringles, Sprite, Fanta, M&Ms, and two packs of Hi-Chews were scanned. Once the transaction was over, I stuffed all my purchases into my tired, faux-leather purse and climbed back aboard my two-wheeled transportation.

Within minutes I was letting myself into my apartment, then into my room, where I lay on my bed, checking Facebook and mindlessly consuming my feelings. Soon I was fighting back tears, and then I was crying. Pathetic, gaping-mouthed, wrappers in both hands, crying like my world was ending.

Several pounds later, I finally figured it out: culture shock. My emotions were as predictable as the weather and often changed even more quickly. The one book I’d read that would supposedly help me with my transition assumed my family had moved with me, and it was about as helpful as a hangnail. I’d quote its sage words, which were written back in the nineties, but I threw the book out during one of my “angry at the entire world” fits that come with culture shock.

It wasn’t until I Googled “culture shock” that I finally figured it out. There are four stages, but they’re not a magical staircase I climbed at an even pace until I reached Perfectly Adapted Foreigner Status. I catapulted from one extreme to the next, one minute angry, the next unbearably sad, and the next relatively happy and civil.

It was a mess I had to go through. Once I stopped feeling guilty for my culture shock and allowed myself to handle it however it felt best, I began to feel better. I met others going through the same emotional turmoil and had a group of supportive friends who held my hand through the most difficult times.

Moving to a new place is starting a new relationship, except one partner does all the compromising. For some people, it’s the perfect fit; it’s the relationship they’ve been searching for, and they fall in love. It takes a few tries for other people to find the right relationship and settle into their comfortable love.

My first love was Austin, Texas, but it wasn’t meant to be forever. Austin taught me more about who I was and who I wanted to be. I love that city, and I always will; maybe, one day, I’ll return. Hsinchu has taught me more than I ever expected, but it’s not meant to be forever. It’s a healthy, but challenging relationship, and some days are more emotionally draining than others. I have no way of knowing where my perfect relationship exists, and I’ll likely go through culture shock again no matter where I move, but hopefully next time I won’t self-medicate with sugar and caffeine.

[Photo by David Ramos]

The majority of corporate America gets 2-3 weeks vacation a year. Most people choose to try and save that up over the course of the year and take a few weeks sitting on a beach somewhere, and others save their vacation time up over the course of several years in hopes to cash in on a longer vacation. What happens though when you’ve have a few tough weeks and the stress just builds up and you don’t want to use all of that vacation time? You should consider a weekend escape to refresh your mind and spirits.

There are a few things to consider when looking for a place to escape for the weekend in order to make the most of it.

What’s your definition of relaxing

Personally for me, I have various forms of relaxing. Sitting by the water with a good book is one way to get me to unwind, but a stroll through a few historical museums has the same effect for me sometimes. Learning is my key goal. Your’s may be quite different however, so think about just what it is that you want to be doing with your time.

What is it that you think about doing when you’re sitting at the office wishing you were not working? I bet you dream about driving an Indy car, so why don’t you book a weekend escape at Mario Andretti’s racing school.

Anyone can define what is fun and relaxing to themselves, so figure it out and start planning.

Pick a single location

Its not in your best interest on such a short trip to try and cram in a bunch of touristy activities spread across large distances. Remember this is a weekend vacation meant ease the stress, not accumulate more of it. Depending on what you said based on your definition of relaxation, keep that as your core goal or personal mantra of the weekend.

How long is the flight

If taking Friday or Monday off is out of the question and your weekend escape, its probably not best to spend 9 hours on a flight to Europe each way. Look for destination within no more than 4 hours of your location, and that might even be pushing it on length.

If you leave immediately after work on a Friday you can expect to not get on a flight until at least 7pm assuming you leave for the airport after work. This will put you at your destination between 9pm-1am depending on timezone changes, where you can go to sleep and wake up refreshed and ready to explore first thing Saturday morning.

Leaving can be done two ways. One is to catch a late flight on Sunday back home, or wait until Monday morning and catch the earliest flight available, having prearranged a late arrival to work.

Remember you don’t have to go very far from home to get something different than you’re used to.

Pack light

If you can’t fit a weekend escape in a carry on bag, you’re doing it wrong. This is supposed to be stress free, so why deal with checked luggage and possible lost baggage on such a short trip? Do it right, and pack only the basics. Leave the shampoo, toothpaste, and other liquids behind that you can buy small travel size versions of when you get to your destination. Most hotels have all the toiletries you could ever need, you just need to ask for them. As far as clothing is concerned, you shouldn’t need more than a one or two outfits for just two days, just remember to pack an extra pair of underwear just in case.

Around the world in 5 minutes

Its amazing what we can do in current times. Generations before us had to little opportunity to travel, and if they did, it took weeks to go the places we can go in just a few hours.

This time lapse video was put together by Kien Lam (Its seems as the time of this writing this video sent so many visitors to his site that it crashed) who visited 17 Countries in 343 Days and took over 6237 Photographs.

Keeping up with recording a trip for an entire year without the urge to post your footage until the very end is a feat in and of itself. This is an amazing trip around the world and we’re glad he shared with us. This is a significant feat, traveling for a year around the world, visiting various cultures, recording the process, and its an experience that he will have for the rest of his life to continue to share with people through the various stories he was a part of along the way.

Why are you waiting to start your adventure?

What this means for you is actually pretty significant. In the future, the airlines are going to have to pass along the costs to you, the traveler, in an effort to stay in the air. Airlines have been struggling over the last 10 years to save costs, and governments have been pulled in on several occasions to bail them out. We are demanding customers. We want the cheapest rates, and the best service, and airlines are having a difficult time keeping up.

This new tax is estimated to add nearly a billion dollars in fees in 2011 alone and up to 4 billion per year in 2020. What will the exact increase in prices be? We’ll have to see in the upcoming months, but it is likely going to be seen across the industry as a whole. Airlines that serve the EU on a few flights will likely pass along the costs to all flights, even those that do not fly into the EU. For those companies inside the EU such as Lufthansa, Ryan Air, British Airways, and others, they will likely see more siginificant travel costs.

Lufthansa has openly said that this fee will cost them almost 170 million in 2012 alone. Thats quite a hike.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is agains this fee hike, but has little say in the matter after the EJC ruling.

The US House of Representatives, India’s Aviation Ministry, the Chinese government, and Russian governments, have all opposed the EJC ruling calling it “a direct infringement on the sovereignty” and have threatened retaliative actions. 14 U.S. carriers “will comply under protest” which is a simple way of saying ‘screw off, but we have no choice’.

It should be interesting following how this plays out over the next couple of months, but do expect to be paying a bit more for anything going in or out of Europe in the coming months.

Moving abroad isn’t ideal for everyone. It’s an overwhelming, unsettling, shocking change to your routine. However, it could potentially be the most incredible experience of your life.

The major indicators that I should give life in Taiwan a try aren’t going to be the same for all expats; looking back to early 2010, when I was considering the move, these factors had all been true for me for many years.

Needed a major trip every 6 months

This started in high school, when my parents recognized my worsening depression and let me fly to South Carolina for a week to visit a friend. Every six months or so my wanderlust would explode in a desperate, uncontrollable need to explore.

The year before I moved to Taiwan, I took two week-long vacations: the Netherlands in the summer and Alaska in the winter. Both times I felt the same yearning to escape the confines of Texas.

My credit card company loved me; my bank account hated me.

Looked for greener pastures

In high school I hoped to go to college away from home. After college I applied for jobs in Florida, California, and anywhere else that looked new and exciting. My first full-time job lasted just 2.5 years; I had to get out of the small city and spread my wings in a more culturally-diverse, 20-something-friendly larger city. Once I’d been in Austin for two years, Taiwan came calling. Bored with my job, yet in love with the city, I decided to take the plunge.

Considered a move for many years

When I was about to graduate college, fresh from a five-week internship in the Dominican Republic, I considered moving to South Korea to teach English. Many times between 2005 and 2010, I did research on different places where I could teach, but was always too timid to dive into the decision.

Hated being a tourist

I loathe looking like a tourist. I won’t pull out a map or obviously ask for directions; I will literally go miles out of my way in order to stay independent. In fact, I rather enjoy getting lost. So convincing a local am I that I was stopped many times and asked directions while walking around Vancouver this summer.

Sure, I’ll participate in touristy excursions; I’m not against tourism. I just prefer hostels and homestays over 5-star hotels; hole-in-the-wall local restaurants to chains and franchises. A city’s facade doesn’t really interest me. Show me real life.

Felt comfortable with myself

In Austin, I lived alone for a year, which taught me that I like myself; I’m comfortable being alone. That said, I very much enjoy my circle of friends and love being with people.

Living abroad can, at times, feel incredibly isolating, and foreigners have to be able to handle bouts of intense loneliness. They also need to know how to be themselves and go out and meet new people without being crushed by self-confidence issues. It took me a long time to find my balance in Taiwan, but that adjustment has made me even more comfortable in who I am.

An invitation to fellow explorers

What were your reasons for moving abroad – no matter for how long or to where? For that matter, anyone who’s made a drastic move anywhere: why? What were your “red flags” that you needed to get up and go?

DuoLingo Language Learning

Have you ever wanted to learn a language, but you just didn’t know how, or didn’t have the extra money to take a class or hire a personal tutor?

Just released into beta, DuoLingo is hoping to help you learn that language that you’ve always told yourself you were going to learn. We’ve all tried different learning methods, some more successful than others, but DuoLingo is hoping you will help them translate the web while you learn a language.

How do you translate a language that you don’t know? Watch the above video to get an better explanation, but you start out as a beginner, with the easiest of sentences getting shown to you to translate, and you work your way up over time to more complicated sentences, which means they are trying to keep you at a comfortable level so that you don’t experience the frustration you may feel in a classroom setting where you are expected to keep up or slow yourself down with the rest of the group. If you don’t know words you are being asked to translate, a helper will give you suggetions for the proper translations, and makes note that you may need to review those words later on.

Personally I think that this is a great way to learn a language, and a very efficient way to help translate the web. I have signed up to brush up on my Spanish. After years in a classroom and a couple different trips to Spanish speaking countries and I am still not as confident with my bilingual abilities as I should be so I have high hopes that this will finally help me learn that language.

Make sure to check them out at their website, http://duolingo.com, to sign up and start learning a new language.

Why Medical Tourism?

Medical toursim procedures such as dental implants, lazer hair removal, plastic surgery, fertility procedures, facelifts, and all variety of other elective procedures are increasingly being performed overseas. It’s not limited to the purely aesthetic procedures either. In 2010, consulting firm Deliotte concluded that 875,000 Americans were medical tourists. This is a lot of people electing to fly to another country to endure a procedure that they could have easily have done at home, and this number only takes into account the number of Americans for that year. There are many people from countries around the world electing for similar trips.

It’s really no surprise that people are always looking for the best options, but just what does that mean? Medical tourism is just a simple solution to a supply and demand problem in the medical industry. Each country has slightly different health systems, and because of the economic differences in each region you find that others can perform at much lower costs or shorter wait periods. Sometimes these costs can be as low as one tenth the cost of the exact same procedure in the United States.

The American medical industry is one of the worlds best, but it is also the most expensive, leaving most people unable to afford procedures that they might want or need in some cases.

Imagine the scenario of a man from Illinois, John, who needs a hip replacement. John discusses with his doctor that he has a few more years before it may become to painful to walk because a degenerative issue with his hips. John has a couple options: He could either wait it out and see what happens, he could elect to have a hip replacement here in the US for an estimated $40000 USD, or he could go to India and have the exact same hip replacement procedure for $8000 USD which includes the cost of your airfare and vacation stay. What would you choose to do?

You’re Canadian you say? If put in John’s situation you may have other reasons for traveling abroad for your hip replacement. In Canada, your procedure may be free, but the average wait time for a hip replacement is 26 weeks. If you’ve reached the point of debilitating pain, 26 weeks is a excruciatingly long time to wait. This is the downside of a public health care system, so it is really a choice of time for countries with these systems.

In addition to time and cost to you, there are a few other things that make medical tourism a enticing option. How about the fact that you can spend your recovery on the beaches of Columbia, the jungles of Costa Rica, cruising the Mediterranean after a procedure in Turkey, or enjoying a spa treatment in Thailand. So instead of having a procedure at home, where you’ll likely enter a hospital or out patient procedure center, have a surgery, and spend your recovery in your home with the same slew of distractions that you have every single day, doesn’t having your own personal nurse to help take care of your post surgery needs while you vacation sound?

Pretty good when you take under consideration that your company would likely have you choose this option as well. Rising healthcare cost in the United States particularly have driven not only individuals, but companies scurrying to find the next affordable option in serving its employees needs and meeting healthcare regulations.

What about the risks?

Any decision comes with its own set of risks, but the main ones facing most medical tourism trips is the quality of health standards in your destination. Accreditation is one of the first things you should look into when picking a location. In 2010 there were 383 hospitals that met United States quality standards, so there are a lot of options out there.

The American system is set up in such a way that if you are a victim of malpractice, it is easy for you to file for restitution and sue the doctor responsible for any problems. The same may not be true of other countries, so your protection financially may not be a sound. This is a major contributing factor to the rising costs of medical treatment in the US.

Another issue to take under consideration is that our bodies develop natural antibodies for bacteria and viruses of your particular region. It is likely that you could accidentally contract a disease that your body has no immunity too. This can certainly be the case of traveling to any area of the world where infectious diseases are different than back at home, but hospitals tend to have transmission rates higher than most other public places. Even in the United States, the Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology estimates that each year 2 million Americans become infected during hospital stays, and at least 90,000 of them die. Obviously risks are at home and abroad.

A Visual Look at Medical Tourism

Provided by Mint.com

[Photo by Justin Mclean]

Tigers. You love, respect, and fear them all at the same time. In Asian cultures, tigers are known to represent the virtue of courage. Their rich black and gold stripes are a sight on their own. Tigers are a solitary silent hunter who stalk, rather than chase its prey, representing our quest for the silent peace of the soul. It symbolizes removing all distractions from the mind and being purely focused on the present moment, something I strive to maintain on a daily basis.

I’ve always had a fascination with these creatures. The name ‘tiger’ is taken from the Greek word ‘tigris’, a derivative of the Persian word for arrow, referring to the animal’s great speed. I also learned that most tigers have over 100 stripes. Like a human’s fingerprint, the patterns on tigers are unique to each animal and can be used to identify individuals. The wildlife conservation group WWF says wild tiger populations have dropped sharply across Asia and may soon be wiped out. The WWF says Asia’s wild tiger population numbered around 100,000 a century ago but, due to poaching and human activity, only an estimated 3,200 remain today, about half of them in India. Several Asian nations including China, Nepal, Japan, South Korea and Thailand have endorsed tough protections for tigers in the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The measures commit the countries to enact laws banning the trade of tiger derivatives, preserve tiger habitat, and form a regional network to halt tiger trade.

In September, I decided to take a trip to beautiful Thailand! I definitely had my bucket list, however interacting with some tigers was on my “top 3”. When I arrived in Chaing Mai, Thailand, I did some research and was told I should go visit the ‘Tiger Kingdom.” I was just as skeptical as many are about visiting Tiger Kingdom, given all the controversy and animal right issues. I decided to see for myself and make up my own mind. I hired a tuk tuk for the day and was on my way. It seemed to be one of those things where people either heard about it or didn’t.  When I arrived, I was surprised at the crowd! As I stood in line, we had the option to spend 15 minutes with a baby tiger, the largest tiger (22mos) or both.  I say go big or go home so I went with the big ones! It cost me around $15 and I was ushered to a waiting area before entering.

As we were escorted into the kingdom, I couldn’t help but gasp at all the tigers around.  It was like a jungle with signs pointing to different areas with different sized tigers, all raised in this area and trained to be around people. I walked by all the cages in awe at their beautiful colors, their enormous bodies and incredible eyes. They had such poise and beauty that was truly breathtaking. Soon, my name was called and a trainer explained a few safely precaution before entering into the grassy area to interact with the larger tigers. Then, I headed in! To my surprise I got to interact with 3 22month old tigers, 2 females and 1 male. Took m breath away to be inches from these powerful animals. They clearly have been exposed to MANY people and it was as if I was just another number to them. They hardly flinched as I was slowly got behind them shaking, not quite sure if this was really happening. The trainer kept saying, get closer, lay on him, give him/her a hug, rub his belly and here I am going, “You’ve got to be kidding me!” I couldn’t stop smiling; soaking in this wild experience knowing this was the closest I would ever be with these absolutely beautiful creatures.

Overall, I was pleasantly surprised.  The tigers definitely did not look or act drugged. If you read about tigers in general, you will find out that they do sleep normally throughout most part of the day. It is important to remember these are captive tigers. They have grown up around humans and wouldn’t survive in the wild. The place is very efficiently run and the affection the trainers/volunteers have for the animals is evident. The place is very clean and well cared for. Yes, it’s a commercial enterprise but not at the expense of the animals.

Would tigers be better off in the wild? – Of course. Is it a shame that they have to put up with tourists to make money to keep them and breed them? – Absolutely. But the fact is numbers of tigers in the wild are dropping and while it’s not ideal, the Tiger Kingdom is successfully breading tigers in reasonable conditions (for tigers in captivity).

For more information, check out their website! Cheers!

http://www.tigerkingdom.com/Home.htm

[Photo by Chris Guillebeau]

Learning a new language is a daunting task for many of us. I know that I was a bit nervous when it came to picking out a language school in Xela, Guatemala. With so many choices, try not to get overwhelmed with your choices.

Guatemala is known for their “proper” Spanish. Slow and easy to understand, it is an ideal choice for someone trying to grasp the Latin American Spanish language for the first time. While there is a little bit of slang to pick up, there isn’t much in comparison to the quickness of Colombian Spanish or the more relaxed form in Panama.

We were looking for a school that was not only affordable, but offered a choice of activities and volunteer opportunities available at the various NGOs around the area. Our school of choice was the humble Utatlan Spanish School. At $150/week we got a homestay, 3 meals a day, and 25 hours of school a week (5 hours a day), it was a steal.

During the 3 weeks there I climbed through the cloud forests to Volcano Santa Maria, saw a lake on top of Volcano Chicabal, went to a Xela-ju soccer game, and participated in a traditional Guatemalan dinner (and that is just the tip of the iceberg!). Not only did I come out much more fluent than when I went in, but my teachers, peers, and I discussed culture and politics that made me feel part of the community around me.

If you do plan on heading out to Xela, check out Utatlan’s website, http://www.spanishxela.com/, and make sure to say hello to my hostmom and dad Bilma and Jorge for me!

[Photo by Eric Yeargan]

Do I Tip?

It’s all happened to us. We’re sitting at the table at the end of a meal in a foreign country and we’re suddenly struck with the question “Do I tip?”

Tipping in other countries can be confusing and it all depends on where you are. Don’t think that you are doing the right thing by just tipping everywhere you go. It is not always a good idea to tip where it is not customary. In fact some Asian countries see tipping as insulting. This is also true of many other countries that are based on a hierarchical class system.

Take heed as well that the change you have in your pocket may be worth more than you think. If you are in Britain for instance, that loose change in your pocket could easily be worth $10 USD or more, and you’re trying to leave them on the table after paying for your $14 USD meal just because it looked like a couple quarters. Not only do you look silly in this instance, you just doubled the cost of your meal when a 10% tip would have been appropriate and appreciated. Always check the denominations of change that you are leaving for tip.

Americans are used to tipping between 15-20% on restaurant and taxi services, and are sometimes surprised to find that this is one of the highest gratuity rates in the world. Most other countries where it is common to tip, you will see a rate of around 10% if the gratuity has not already been included as a service fee on your bill. On the other hand, American service workers can also find themselves confused or frustrated when an international traveler neglects to leave a tip. While this does happen, it is more likely that they are following their own customs than berating your services.

Below you will find a general chart for tipping in other countries around the world.

Tipping Chart by Country

Have any interesting tipping encounters? Let us know!