Hello I have been granted the opportunity to “blog” about the USA from another perspective. What exactly is this persective you may ask? I am a new international student who never thought she would experience culture shock in any shape or form within the USA.
The reason being that I am originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and have lived in the United Kingdom as well. What does this have to do with me not experiencing culture shock? I was naive to think because I frequently travel to the USA that I would find it not at all shocking far less surprising in any way to live here.
Let me tell you…I am officially in culture shock.
Yes this lady who has been deemed a “globe-trotter” by her own mother now wonders about little things such as transportation, maps/GPS, British English and American English. How comical as I am considered to be American in the United Kingdom and Europe and I have been accused of being too English or anglocised whilst in this blessed nation of the United States of America.
I do wonder if anyone realises that I am originally from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean hmmm…? This is my first time in Virginia though and it was surely a surprise to me when realisation struck…where is the public transportation? The shops are how far? You mean that I may not be able to walk to them from campus?
Till we “blog” again remember our steps are ordered by the LORD.
Shalom,
Arlette L-M Jeet
Monday, August 30, 2010
Sunday, December 6, 2009
SILENCE!!!
Ok, so for me, I could never come to terms with just how QUIET everything seems to be up here. Is it just me? Or is it as ennerving to others as it is to me? Probably not, else it wouldn't be so quiet: but it IS! That there is the crux of one of my greatest frustrations here in the United States - it's dead!
Alright, granted, there are lots of things that people can supposedly find to do, but yet, they do them in silence as well! You go to a party or a gathering, and yes, there is music, but it is more of a silent whisper just to give some sense of aesthetic pleasure. There seems to be no sort of true musical appreciation or immersement and that is very scary, if not just annoying.
To put it into perspective, in my culture, music and creative expression is something that undergirds everything we do. You go to the mall, there is music. You work in an office, there is music. You drive on the roads, there is music. You walk the streets of the capital, there is music. You go to bed, there is music. Point is, there is ALWAYS music; or at least some sort of sound. So one can gues how much of a shock it was coming to the states where music jsut seems to be but a passing soundtrack to life in the background - barely noticed nor missed if gone.
Still don't think you get it? Ok, let me put it to you this way: imagine that you go and live in a place where there is always sound, always music, always people talking, always noise all of the time - from when you wake up, to when you go to bed - quite annoying/scary I am sure right? You would miss the silence, the quiet and long for it - mayeb even becomming quite irritable and snappy I am sure too, not so? Well, now flip that around; that is how it is for me, ALWAYS being surrounded in silence.... it hurts....
SO well, that said, "doh dig no horrors" (Trini for "pay no mind to it") when I walk around with my laptop or cell phone on blast! It's how i cope - keeping my individual circle/sphere of influence permeated with the sweet nectar that is music :)...
Alright, granted, there are lots of things that people can supposedly find to do, but yet, they do them in silence as well! You go to a party or a gathering, and yes, there is music, but it is more of a silent whisper just to give some sense of aesthetic pleasure. There seems to be no sort of true musical appreciation or immersement and that is very scary, if not just annoying.
To put it into perspective, in my culture, music and creative expression is something that undergirds everything we do. You go to the mall, there is music. You work in an office, there is music. You drive on the roads, there is music. You walk the streets of the capital, there is music. You go to bed, there is music. Point is, there is ALWAYS music; or at least some sort of sound. So one can gues how much of a shock it was coming to the states where music jsut seems to be but a passing soundtrack to life in the background - barely noticed nor missed if gone.
Still don't think you get it? Ok, let me put it to you this way: imagine that you go and live in a place where there is always sound, always music, always people talking, always noise all of the time - from when you wake up, to when you go to bed - quite annoying/scary I am sure right? You would miss the silence, the quiet and long for it - mayeb even becomming quite irritable and snappy I am sure too, not so? Well, now flip that around; that is how it is for me, ALWAYS being surrounded in silence.... it hurts....
SO well, that said, "doh dig no horrors" (Trini for "pay no mind to it") when I walk around with my laptop or cell phone on blast! It's how i cope - keeping my individual circle/sphere of influence permeated with the sweet nectar that is music :)...
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Public Transport?
One of my first surprises coming from India to US is the near absence of public transport system, esp. road in Virginia Beach. In India, all cities and towns are well connected through public transport – road and rail. Not everyone in India has a car, so people rely on public transport a lot.
In the US, I had imagined that surviving will be easy without a car as there will be good public transport through which I can get to see lot of places. All such wishful thinking came to a grinding halt when I realized there is not much of road transport here. I realized I cannot even go to church, get to a grocery store without a car.
Thank God, I found so many helping hands in this country – friends, the Office of the International Student Services, classmates, etc. they were there for me whenever I needed something. This never became a problem.
In the US, I had imagined that surviving will be easy without a car as there will be good public transport through which I can get to see lot of places. All such wishful thinking came to a grinding halt when I realized there is not much of road transport here. I realized I cannot even go to church, get to a grocery store without a car.
Thank God, I found so many helping hands in this country – friends, the Office of the International Student Services, classmates, etc. they were there for me whenever I needed something. This never became a problem.
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