Culture Shock -- Yugo Konno

 

Since I began my stay in New Zealand, I have experienced some culture shock, although I have not experienced any major stress. I would like to describe them below. 

 

The first culture shock I experienced was a number of toilets. In New Zealand, we can only use toilets in large shopping malls or public toilets. However, I can use them in convenience stores in Japan. Also, bathrooms in New Zealand tend to be dirty and smelly compared to those in Japan. 

 

The next thing that confused me was the hugs. Since I came to New Zealand, I have often received hugs as a greeting. I have already gotten used to it, but at first I was surprised every time, because nobody does hug in Japan. 

 

A third thing is that I am often asked about my thoughts. In my native culture, it is not a good idea to ask for one's opinion in public, especially about politics or religion. However, since coming to New Zealand, I have often been asked those kinds of questions. This is a bit difficult for me because I am not very good at telling people what I think. 

 

All in all, I have felt stress from some cultural differences since I came to New Zealand, but these experiences are very important to me because I believe that these are valuable experiences to learn during studying abroad.