Cultural Changes

I went to this cultural integration seminar today and learned about the warm culture of Nicaragua and what it means to be here cross-culturally. Most of it I figured I already knew from the training in Mexico, but we did a portion on how you respond to changes, whether going to another country or to another college. It talked about how at first it is fun, and you love the new environment and what not. Then, after time sets in, you begin to fight the culture a little bit. Often you criticize the culture you are in or want it to be like the culture you were used to. This is followed by flight, where you seek another culture behind the culture you are in. You do this through doing things you used to do or trying to connect a lot to people you used to know. After you work through all your differences, you begin to fit into a new culture. It was interesting to see how that cycle happened to me differently in two different countries, and the amount of time it took me to find a place of fitting. I think whether you are living out on your own for the first time or going to college for the first time, it is not wrong to want to seek the old things you were used to but the amount you dive into them and live in them will prolong or shorten your time to find comfort in a new place.

Major Differences Between Mexico and Nica as of now.

-Mexico did not have a grocery store in the town. Nica has at least 5.

-For two months I did not watch TV in Mexico. Last night, I was able to watch the Clemson/Alabama game in English.

-Mexicans ate a very wide and tasty variety of food. Nicaraguans eat rice and beans with meat periodically.

-In Mexico, I thought we dug big holes. In Nica we dig bigger ones. ( See attached Pictures)

-In Mexico, I lived with 20 people my age. In Nica, I live with orphans 0-4,12-17 and women over 40.

Similarities to follow.