An Experience of Culture Shock - Gift

    Moving to a new country can be exciting and difficult, especially when adjusting to a new culture. My move from Thailand to New Zealand brought several surprises, or "culture shocks."

    The biggest shock was that people in New Zealand drink tap water directly from the sink. In Thailand, we do not drink tap water because it can make us sick; we buy bottled water instead. To make sure it was safe, I asked my host family and looked up information online. Within a week, I felt more comfortable to drink tap water.

    Another surprise was how people clean dishes. In Thailand, we use sponges and always rinse off the dishwashing liquid. Here, people wash dishes with scrub brushes, dry them with towels, and do not rinse off the soap. I asked my host family, and they said, “It is safe because it is natural, and I’m 46 years old right now, but I’m still alright.” This made me stun for a moment. It took me 1-2 weeks to get used to this, even though I sometimes still smell the soap on the dishes.

    Next, the toilets here do not have bidet sprays, which we use in Thailand for better hygiene. Here, people use only toilet paper. I knew this a little bit before coming, so I brought a portable bidet spray from Thailand. It took about 1-2 weeks to get used to this.

    Another culture shock is that shops in New Zealand close early, and people go to bed by 9 PM. In Thailand, shops stay open late, and 7-11 stores are open 24/7. I was a bit scared because I like to eat snacks at night. But I found that this is good for my health because I can't eat snacks. I adjusted to this in just 1-3 days because my host family made big dinners that kept me full at night.

    Lastly, people here bathe less often. In Thailand, we bathe twice a day because of the hot weather. Here, people bathe once a day or even 2-3 times a week because it is colder. It took about a week to get used to bathing once a day in the evening.

    Overall, these cultural differences were hard at first, but I managed to adapt with time and an open mind.

 

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