response to culture shock

           When I arrived in Barcelona last summer to be on tour in several Europe countries, I was surprised that sunset goes down too much late even though it is on similar latitude as Seoul. My honeymoon stage, the stage of being joyful to be in a totally unfamiliar place, in Barcelona started with bright summer evening. Anyway, I could get to my lodging safely, gazing the sun slowly sinking. The hostel I stayed in was managed by a young Korean woman who was enchanted with Spanish life style that left her homeland.

           About 9 O’clock in the next morning, either the host or no traveler was awaked. While most of Korean people generally rush around to scan famous tourist attractions, those I met in Barcelona hostel were seemed very relaxed. By their favors, I tried an extra sleep in 2 weeks after I had traveled in Europe. I kept late hours and enjoyed a leisurely meal like other ones did. After the meal, I strolled the Ramblas street near my hostel. Vendors would barely open the store or make their first sale of the day at almost afternoon.

           I thought it was the first time to be compelled live with laziness, however, living like a real Spanish people was not that tough to adjust that I had an optimistic temperament inside myself. As a three-night traveler, I didn’t have serious problems in attempting to Barcelona. What I could call similar to the stage 3 was the idea of time which made me feel embarrassment as I had experienced in the Spanish morning. Supermarket closes 3 p.m. to 5p.m. as I already read in many guidebooks. People in Barcelona are a lot more dynamic after 9p.m., eating dinner with family and drinking late at night.

           Getting out of busy daily life in Korea, I experienced a real culture shock. For a short trip to Spain, I haven’t confronted such a new cultural environment that shook what I believed is universal notion into disparate one and even caused me identity problems. Instead, I tried to be the way Spanish people live and see. I spent my days in Barcelona by Spanish time, taking naps in on the beach and drinking Sangria with friends I met there.

 (This story might not directly fit into what the writer of the essay we read. Actually, I haven’t experienced such an episode like examples in the packet in that I didn’t have quite a long stay in foreign countries. Well, but not always do people feel disharmony with different cultures. My case could fall under this. )