5 TIPS TO BEAT CULTURE SHOCK IN CHINA

Consuming insane amounts of YouTube videos is not adequate emotional preparation for a new life teaching English abroad. There's something acutely different about actually being the only expat inside a jam-packed metro in China, and seeing a picture or video of the same scene. I'm taking nothing away from the importance of arming yourself with as much information as you can about your future medium to long-term home. It's a necessary exercise that gives us a sense of intangible peace that the more we “know” about the “unknown”, the better we'll be able to cruise through our near futures. Yes, information has its' place, however emotional preparation is a little trickier to navigate.

What does culture shock really mean? Well, to put it quite simply, there will be days you just want to hear a familiar language, or you miss your family and the food you're used to. Suddenly you find yourself in a setting where on a normal day strangers constantly stare and take photos of you. Adjusting to this new cultural environment will have its' challenges. There is no cut-and-paste formula to prevent culture shock. What we can do is prepare ourselves, by deciding in advance that we're going to make a habit out of choosing to manage our perceptions and experiences constructively.

In this post, I have collected the best five tips for dealing with culture shock from my co-workers at EF. If you follow these steps when you arrive in China, culture shock may no longer be a concern.

“I'm from a very close-knit family, where everyone is always in each others' faces. I was particularly grateful that I wasn't alone when I arrived. The presence of my onboarding group helped with the anxiety I felt about the possibility of being alone. Luckily I made friends within that initial social circle. Together we've explored the city and offered emotional support to each other. I'd say I've found my Shanghai family.” -Ashley Brown, EF English First Online

“I was so afraid to try the new food, it's so different from what I'm used to. I spent so much money eating at places that were somewhat familiar to me. Not a sustainable habit! I let my guard down eventually, with the help of a local co-worker. This made it easier because she knew how to order and read the Chinese menu. Over time I learnt to say the names of the dishes I enjoyed, so I now regularly eat and enjoy some local food.” -Carmen Davids, EF English First Adults School

“After my third week in Shanghai, I was ready to pack up and go back home. It was all so overwhelming. I had gotten lost so many times using the metro. I was struggling with the students in the class. I couldn't understand why strangers were always staring, all the while missing my family. It was all too much. One day I just started crying in the staffroom and my DOS pulled me aside to ask what was wrong. After we spoke, I was reminded that there was an entire support structure available for every challenge I was facing. I was trying to be superwoman, and do everything alone from fear of coming across as weak. I've since learnt to ask and sincemy experience has been better for it.” - Alex Perry, EF English First Kids and Teens

“Not knowing where anything is, is inconvenient and it can be frustrating when you need something urgently. To deal with this I decided to get to know the city on foot by walking the streets. I challenged myself to exploring every stop on the metro line. Every week on my day off I would get off at a random station, choose any exit and just walk. Throughout the day I would eat whatever was nearest when hunger came around. I found shopping malls, museums, bookshops, bowling alleys, English libraries etc. Now, I know exactly where to go when I need a certain kind of entertainment, restaurant, gadget etc.” - Tom Miller, EF English First Kids and Teens