Culture Shock Much?

What is "Culture Shock"

The definition of culture shock is the trauma you experience when you move into a culture different from your home culture. You will experience this everywhere. It includes a communication problem that involves the frustrations that come with the lack of understanding; the verbal and nonverbal communication of the new culture, it's customs and it's value systems. The differences that people may experience include lack of food, unacceptable standards of cleanliness, different bathroom facilities and fear of personal safety.

Just remember the entire world is not out to get you and you'll be fine. Also make a local friend or some one who has done all this before and can show you around. That helps alot in over cumming culture shock. Once you get past the shock of it all, in comes the home sickness.

According to CNN's Report by Derrick Ho on Home Sickness, its defined as "distress and functional impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from home and attachment objects such as parents." Its no so much about home but more about leaving your routines and everything else you know.

Below are some tips mentioned in to article that can help students deal with home sickness.

Here are tips that might help if you're experiencing homesickness:

1. Stay engaged. Take part in college activities or even freshman camps to forget about homesick feelings and make new friends.

2. Establish a personal routine. "If you are someone who goes to bed early and everyone's staying up late, it's OK to go to bed early," says psychologist Josh Klapow.

3. Do something to feel closer to home. Write a letter, look at a family photo.

4. Talk to someone. Seek out people who either understand what you're going through or have similar feelings. Pity parties in this case aren't a bad thing, says Klapow. "It's sort of like a grief support group."

5. Time flies. Think that time is actually pretty short to make time go by faster.



Here is also some advice for parents, here's how not to make matters worse:

1. Avoid expressing anxiety. Your homesick freshman is not your sounding board. Instead of saying how much you miss him, express optimism about the experience your child is going through.

2. Write instead of call. Phone calls can backfire. "Parents hear their children sobbing, children hear their parents sobbing," says psychologist Chris Thurber. "That real-time contact with home exacerbates homesickness."

3. Find a friend. Encourage your child to look for friends and the support of a trusted adult. This can help ease the transition.

4. Don't make a deal. Promising to pick your child up if homesickness sets in only decreases your child's likelihood of success in the new environment.



I also have some tips of my own considering I've been through the whole transitioning thing a couple times.

• First, if possible, have a parent or older sibling come with you to the new environment. I call this my "Welcoming and Settling Committee". This does not mean that they are there to do everything for you. In fact, quite the opposite. They should accompany you with the understanding that their role is moral support ONLY! As the student of the school its your job to meet with all the people you need to meet with, and get all your business done your self. Parents should act like a shadow who is only there to support the student in what ever decision they make and may only step-in in extreme cases where the child cannot express themselves correctly or are being trampled upon by others. (Thank you Mummy everything looks great. Your ability and experience as a mother helped me when I needed it the most. I've gotten everything else covered myself but what you did was amazing and I'm really grateful! ^.^)

• Secondly, I recommend a transitioning period. If possible, arrive a week before Move-in day. Scope out your surrounds. During this period relax and take a break but also visit the University and walk around. get a feel for everything after all this will be you home for a little while. I've always taken three days to move in. The first day I visit, collect my keys, and go shopping for what I need. I move in some of my stuff but continue living in the Hotel. Slowly on the second and third day I spend more time in my room, unpack completely and become familiar with my surrounds, decorate and settle myself. The night of the third or fourth day is when I actually begin staying in my new room. By this time, I like to be the only one left in the country. If my family is still there I think things along the lines of "Why am I here I should be with them!!!!!!!! ARRRHHHHHhhhhhhhhh!" Overall I would drive myself crazy. but when they leave I know I have to do this by my self and that I can. Success!!!

• Another important thing is to always keep in mind why you are there. I have an overall goal that keeps me going, do you? As Martin Carter said "I do not sleep to dream, but dream to change the world."

Lastly, just remember, billions for people have done this before you and have been through it all. Millions more and doing it right now with you. You are not alone. Ask for help if you need it. And Buy a big bag of KitKat and give out free candy to everyone on you floor to make friends quickly.

Peace and Love all!!

How To Pack A Suit Case

Now that you've got all your essentials, you need to get them to Barbados. Here's how to do it.

Packing a suit case is an Art Form. Its all about successfully dispersing the weight of the items over two suit cases. Always start with the heaviest items first followed by the most delicate.

Surround delicate items with clothing to protect them. Add clothes last and shape them around and sometimes under in every free space that the bag has.

Always weigh your bags after packing. You scale may not be exactly accurate but it will give you a general idea as to whether or not your bags are over weight and need to be repacked (or if its under weight and can hold more stuff.)

Anything super heavy just put in your hand luggage like a back pack with text books or clothes. Also Remember your back pack is hand luggage but your purse is not, so take over a big one and put things like text books in them.

Always arrive early. I'm talking about being there 3 1/2 hours in advance. Check in online and arrive early to ensure that they give you a little bligh if your slightly over weight. Remember your a poor student, don't be afraid to milk it a little to make sure all your stuff gets on the plane.

The "Almost Complete" List Of Essentials

For any good adventure there are some essentials that you need to take with you. Going on an exchange to a different country is no different. After talking to some people I've made a complete list of everything needed for this trini (or anyone really) to survive in Barbados for four months.

Here goes.

Clothes

• T-Shirts, Tops, Vests, Tanks, Halters, etc. (something to cover the upper part of your body and enough of them to last you for a minimum of two weeks.)

• Pants, Jeans, Shorts, Rips, Skirts, etc. (something to cover the lower part of your body, again enough of them to last you for a minimum of two weeks cuz when things get stressful you will not want to do laudary every week.)

• Underwear, Thongs, Bras, Boxers, etc. (for three weeks, don't ask questions about this one just do it.)

• Sleep wear

• Swim Suites (at least three, you WILL be going to the beach alot!)
  

• Shoes

1. Flip Flops - About four pairs. If your coming from away Old Navy has really nice pairs for like CAD$3.
2. Sneakers because there will be a day its really muddy or a day you want to go adventuring and need them.
3. Dress shoes and Heals

Toiletries

• Shampoo and Conditioner

• Cream

• Sun tan lotion

• Deodorant

• Shaving cream and razors

• Tooth brush and tooth paste

• Feminine Products (you know what I mean and pack enough for your stay because they are expensive to buy.)

• Soap or shower gels

• And anything else you may use
  

Utensils
If your anything like me and need to cook them I recomend bringing your own stuff. It saves you money and allows you to feel more comfortable cooking in a strange kitchen when you have your own stuff.

• 2 Plates and 2 Knives and Forks in case you want to cook for someone special or your lazy and don't want to wash dishes.

• 1 Large noon-stick frying pan

• 2 Sauce pans

• 1 Baking pan 9"x14" (good for Brownies, Cake, Cookies, Chicken and other baked meats, oven baked potatoes etc. Basically everything you want for dinner can be thrown on this then put in the oven to cook. Use Foil and there is no mess and no work either.)

• 1 Cookie sheet (good for toasting thinks like Ego, Bread, Pizza, Cookies, etc)

• 2 Wooden spoons (or plastic)

• 2 Sharp Knives

• 2 Large Metal spoons, 1 slotted

• 1 Measuring Cup

• Potato Peeler

• Metal Grater

• Oven Mitts

• Kitchen Towels
  

Again there may be some other things you may want to bring, (like I must have a muffin tin, and a hand mixer, and magiC bullet but these are the basics to living alone.)


Food
Bring some to at the very least cover you for the first three days. You will be very busy and may not get to the market for a while.

You can bring ONLY COOKED AND FROZEN food into Barbados. Frozen Lasagne is usually a good idea.


Miscellaneous
Other important things include things that you would never think of, such as:

• Towels (1 for the beach and 1 for the shower)

• Bed sheets and pillow cases

• Curtains if your like me and need pitch black to sleep

• First Aid Kit

• Chocolate to help you get over the shock of it all.

• Posters or Items to decorate your room.
  

That's about it really. Bring along anything else that will make you feel at home and once you got everything on the list your good to go. The major problem is getting it all to fit in two fifty pound suit cases.

The Intro - What's Really Going On Here

When I was little and people asked what I wanted to bee when I got older and my answer would be "a cartoon character". When I got older, and was finally able to differentiate fiction form reality and know that anime was not real I realized I wanted to create it. To share the joy it brought me, that blissful emotional escape, with others.

I realized this when I started high school and since then started planning to make my dreams a reality, but like any good adventure story there were always some struggles along the way.

Some where mid way through high school I realized that I'm not really that artistic. Okie, I can draw kick-ass backgrounds and landscape, and design in general is soo my thing, but when it comes to the actual characters, I know what I want but just can't draw it. *deep longing sigh*

It was around this time that I realized I was so much better in the story department. Not to brag, but my imagination far surpasses even the most unimaginable. Angels and dragons, fairies and demons, memoos and bopbops, and a world so far removed from anything seen that simply and completely radiates peace and joy. Your welcome to join me if you want.

Well back to the original train of thought.

So when I was younger and finishing high school I decided that I wanted to go to university. To me, it seems pretty important to be qualified for something...right? But more importantly learning more about myself and what I want to do.

After seeing my parents pay for my brothers and sister to go to school I really didn't want to be that much of a bother. Lucky for my as the heroine of this story, a mystical wizard called the government gave all the nationals of the country the gift of free tertiary education. So off to the University of the West Indies I went.

Having the strong desire to travel and experience life I applied for an international exchange to York University in Toronto, Canada. It was one of the single most amazing experiences in my life. Being on my own for a year and doing everything a big city like Toronto had to offer was a great growing experience.

I met and made friends with people from all around the world which is great considering I want to continue traveling.The next stop on the list is Barbados.

After reading some fine print and having some excellent lobbyists in the international office who were there for my behalf, I applied to and was accepted as an inter-campus exchange student to the Cave Hill campus of UWI.

That's pretty much where the next part of my story starts.

Two weeks to go and then I'll be off another adventure. I hope it will be just as awesome as all previous excursions.

Here's to life, and a life worth living.



My mantra always in my mind, "I do not sleep to dream, but Dream to change the world." - Martin Carter.