This article was previously published in the Fall 2018 print edition of The George-Anne Reflector Magazine.
Culture shock is when a person experiences a different cultural environment that is not like their own.
Georgia Southern University has a multitude of opportunities for you to branch out and meet international students by joining the International Club or going to International Conversation Hour (ICH).
At ICH, you get the opportunity to meet a multitude of people, from senior citizens to freshman in college.
I decided to test out the waters at ICH and see what it was like to experience the United States for the first time from an international student’s point of view.
Life in Statesboro, GA
Vivian Gao, a student from Hong Kong, said, “It’s definitely different, especially in Statesboro. In Hong Kong there is a sea of people, while here in Statesboro it is not as crowded as well as not very city, like in Hong Kong.”
Ying Chen Lu, a student from Taiwan, said, “Taiwan greeting culture is something that would need to be known when negotiating in Taiwan. When greeting one another in Taiwan, the most common greeting is a handshake while keeping your head down to show respect. Here everyone is very nice, and they all smile and say hello. It is very welcoming here in America.”
Samuel Nwaobi, a student from Nigeria, said, “Most people would think oh wow, [Nigeria] is very hot and sandy. Well, yes, it can be sandy at places, but Statesboro is hotter than Nigeria. People always give me crazy eyes when I tell them that I always break a sweat outside in the Statesboro heat, while in Nigeria, my home it stays around 90-76 degrees year-round.”
On American Food
Nwaobi said, “You go to a restaurant and you order food. What you get next is what you eat in lunch and dinner together. The meal sizes in the U.S. are massive. Thank God they invented the to-go boxes. In Nigeria, we have Naija food, like African-American soul food, generally tends to be more intensely spiced than European American cuisine, and Naija food, like soul food, uses techniques like frying meat and using all parts of the animal for consumption.”
Ying Chen Lu and Yu Chia Chang, both from Taiwan, said American food is very different from Taiwanese food. They said they often home-cook their meals, which usually contain meat, plenty of seasoning and a grain, like rice or rice noodles.
Experiencing America
I asked David Olatunde what meeting Americans for the first time was like. “Well, at first it was awkward because they just think I’m just a regular guy, until they hear my accent. I mean you are roaming around and random people passing by greet you with a smile. But with time, you get used to it. It does make you feel special sometimes.”
Yu Chia Chang said, “Taiwan is considered a harmony-oriented culture. We do not believe in being rude to others, we save face. This means Taiwan tries live in relative harmony with their environment. America is trying to seek and control their natural and social environment. The religion is also different. We respect everything around us, because everything has purpose and life. Here in America, I feel like it is not as heavily pushed.”
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