Cultural Shock (choc culturel)

When people move to another country, they go through differents feelings and thoughts called "cultural chock".

4 stages have been described :
- The honeymoon period : life in a new country seems so great, it is all new and exciting, you feel free and curious.
- The rejection period : the excitement wears off, you are thinking about packing up and going home, you miss people, food and shops from home, with loneliness, resentment and low self-confidence, possibly you use drugs and alcohol (am I going too far ?).
- The adjustment period : life becomes more normal, you get a real understanding of the culture.
- The acceptance period : happiness returns, adjustment is getting better and better, you feel comfortable.

The reasons of your moving are important and may affect the process. But generally, you just can't avoid it. And it's not such a bad thing, if however you overcome it, because you can attain a better stage with a realist understanding.

I think I am still at the honeymoom period... maybe I've just started the second stage, because sometimes I feel strange and worried. Ok, every day I feel like being in vacations... but what's next ?  And sometines it's exhausting to speak another language, because you need to concentrate a lot. It's confusing too, because you don't feel yourself, you can't have the same sens of humour, you don't dare to say what you would say if you were in your country, and often you just feel stupid ! Because you can't express what you want, because you can't explain cleverly your work for example... it's hard to stay confident. We are a couple and I guess it's easier, we can share it and laugh at our mistakes and others blunders. We are also laughing at us a lot during the english classes, which is certainly helpful for me.

Some people find that, once they have adapted to life in a new country... reverse culture shock can happen when they return home !! Not comforting ;)