Reverse Culture Shock

By lastresort · Feb 8, 2016 · 590 · 2
  1. Yeah I was one of those too. English teacher in Asia for 15 years. I'm afraid to admit this to people, wondering what stereotype will be triggered in their minds.....weird junkie, sex-addict, child-molester, sexist, loser, unmotivated ,vagrant, time-waster. None or all of the above? :)
    But what I'll focus on here is the utter shock of resettling back in my home country, Australia. Reverse culture shock they call it. The first year back here and I found the customer service poor, Aussies direct in speech to the point of rudeness, and expecting too much from me in conversation. I had become accustomed to being withdrawn, insular and an outsider. Looking back now, it helps me understand why I was attracted to the janitorial industry, or asset maintenance as I someone so euphemistically described it to me once. I could remain on the outside, keep to myself, whilst cleaning. Cleaning is very much an outsider's occupation; the jobs I did anyway. Plenty of time to think. That can be good but it can also be nightmarish when you contemplate how much money you're not earning and how much work the company expects from you for a pittance. OK that's another story.
    I think the problem is expectations. When you return to your home country, you expect things to be easy. No language barrier, better medical facilities, higher standard of living. But you forget that you've aged and changed as a person and so have the circumstances of the country you left.

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  1. Raven484
    It is very similar to what happens to veterans. When I left the Navy in 1992, six years had past, and when I returned home nothing was the same. Old friends will sit and have a beer with you, but basically you have nothing in common with them anymore. Your time away has made you grow as a person, meanwhile back at home, everyone stays pretty much the same. They are just use to life without you.
    It takes a couple years sometimes for a veteran to adapt back into daily life. It took me about four years before I was comfortable with my new job and friends I have made. Some even longer. Did you find that the longer you were home you adapted better? Just curious.
    Raven484, Feb 8, 2016
  2. lastresort
    thanks Raven. You raise some interesting points. I have adapted better over the years but there's a stubborn streak in me that refuses to embrace all things Aussie, including: sport, food, humour, fashion, and whatever is politically correct at the moment. If I can be really critical of myself, I developed a certain arrogance as the ex-pat living in Asia. I looked down on their crazy cultures at the time, but of course grew attached to them as well. A love/hate relationship which is what I have of Australia too. When I was in Japan I marvelled at their ability to get on with each other, despite crowds.Their ability to repress anger, and not dump on others. But I could see that must've caused internal turmoil for them. Japanese are incredibly patient and Aussies are spoilt brats in many ways. Oops sweeping generalisation perhaps..:)
    An example in Australia is Rugby (or Rugby League to be precise). All my family still love this game and I used to love it until going overseas. Now I see it as just another game. Nothing special. I even take interest in American sports now like Baseball and Gridiron. But my family only talk about this sport and cricket. that's basically it. No interest in other countries' sports. I like to think I have a broader view of the world than my siblings but probably only applies to sport. :)
    lastresort, Feb 9, 2016
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