Job Discussion Forums

carnac · Posted: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:26 am Post subject:

Why I'm here: to explore strange new worlds. To seek out new life and new civiLIzations. To boldly go where Ah ain't never split infinitives or dangled prepositions before.

biffinbridge · Joined: 05 May 2003 Posts: 701 Location: Frank's Wild Years

Zaneth has correctly highlighted the fact that us Brits were the pioneering whingers abroad.I would like to point out however that in those days we were travelling as all conquering imperialists,hell bent on plundering the world's riches.As such whining was a facade designed to lower the morale of the locals and to convince them that we were superior beings.In short,moaning was a form of psychological warfare...nay... even a stealth weapon so we're excused from the said charge because we're clever buggers.

Deconstructor · Joined: 30 Dec 2003 Posts: 775 Location: Montreal

I agree with Roger. Complaining is cathartic; digging deep inside and realizing the truth, adjusting and being fair to oneself and to one's new enviornment demands strength at a Neitzschean scale.

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

Phew! Thelma doesn't picar her palabras!

nomadder · Posted: Fri Mar 18, 2005 8:35 am Post subject:

I think a bit of complaining can be healthy as a survival strategy even if you've been in the country for years but the best cure is to go home and you'll realize you remembered things differently from what they were and that you like things in the other country more than you realized and then the shoe will be on the other foot and you'll be complaining about your home country. And then...? Crying or Very sad

thelmadatter · Posted: Sat Mar 19, 2005 4:57 pm Post subject: graham

graham... does that mean your a fan of mine or that youre about to faint???

SueH · Joined: 01 Feb 2003 Posts: 1022 Location: Northern Italy

I think the general principle is the one from the British army - 'If the men[privates/grunts/booties/enlisted men/squaddies] aren't having a good moan about something, there is something seriously wrong'.

It's when venting is silent (or non-stop) that it is significant.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

I agree SueH. To quote Stan Lee, through the character of soft-spoken Manhattan Detective Stan Carter from a long lost Spiderman issue.

"It's the quiet, unobvious nuts you have to watch out for."

Shortly afterwards, Peter Parker discovers that Det. Carter is actually the Sin Eater, a nasty, religious-nut serial killer.

grahamb · Joined: 30 Apr 2003 Posts: 1945

I'm sure I haven't the faintest idea, Thelma!

Celeste · Posted: Mon Mar 21, 2005 12:04 am Post subject:

I know when I am culture shocking hard because I start to feel annoyed at things that are not so terrible (People keep bowing! The food is so mundane! I can't stand how I have to stamp in wiht my personal seal every morning rather than just sign in!) and elevate parts of my orignal home from trailer park gauche to revered status. (My kingdom for a bag of ketchup chips! Oh how I miss the drugstore with all of the good cheap cosmetics! I wish I could get a good tofu dog!) That said, it doesn't happen constantly, and having lived abroad before, I am better able to recognize the symptoms of culture shock and to take things in stride. I find just by recognizing that I am having a culture shock moment (or phase) helps me to deal with the feelings and it passes more quickly. I have been in Japan for nearly 3 years now, and I still get it. I know people who have been here for 10 years or more who still have these moments. Those who are not so in touch with their emotions do not recognize that it is their own perception that is causing this, and they truly believe that the host culture is terrible - that is for the moment that they are having those feelings that htey are trying to suppress.

My husband and I came to Japan for a myriad of reasons. Some of the big ones- we found ourselves in a rut back home, we wanted to have one last foriegn experience before having kids, we needed to save money, we wanted to be in Asia again but not in Korea again... I'm sure there are more reasons that I can't think of right now. Our 3 year contract is coming to an end this summer and I have mixed feelings about going back to Canada. I can't wait to start the next adventure. I look forward to buying a house and having kids and I want to get a dog, and we are going to start a homestay/tutoring business. I will miss living here. I will miss my students and my friends. I wish I could stay here longer and just concentrate on studying Japanese (I plan to continue studying when I go back to Canada, but that too will be a part time endeavour) but alas this is too expensive a place for me to live for a year or more without being gainfully employed.