For most travellers, culture shock is very real. Sometimes, one does not get any warning that one is about to experience something that will change one’s perspective of the world. Culture shock isn’t always a negative feeling or experience. It can be an indication that one is growing as a traveller and as a person. These new experiences stretch one’s mind about the world. Different languages, cultures, customs are just a few ways a travel culture shock can exist.
This reminds of the first time I left the shores of my country Nigeria for a month vacation in China. Before I went to China, I had heard talks about how different Chinese culture is from the rest of the world but I didn’t believe it. How could such a modernized country have such vastly different cultural beliefs and lifestyle from the western part of the world? I decided that I had to find out for myself. To be candid, within 24 hours of arriving in Guangzhou, I knew everything I heard about China was real.
I remember arriving at the airport in Guangzhou on 22 May, 2015. I had been pre-informed that I’ll have to take the train into the city, but I wasn’t sure how and where to take the train as I had misplaced the contact of my tour-guide, who was also a friend I had met at a training in Lagos, Nigeria. After hours of fruitless search for the lost contact, I approached a man in uniform and asked: “Where do you take the train?” To my surprise, he did not speak a single word in English. He spoke quickly in Chinese and when he saw my confused face, he smiled and bowed, which I found very strange at the time.
I approached more people but I met the same language barrier problem. I remember walking up to a lady who looked less Chinese but more like a European. She was sitting alone and I had thought she would help me. When I approached her and asked if she could help me get a train, to my dismay, she stood up and walked out angrily without uttering a single word to me. I can’t say what really pissed her off, but I guess my inability to speak her language must have.
Eventually, I was able to find someone that was able to guide me to where I needed to go. If my memory serves me right, his name was Chu Chong Lee. He ran a local Chinese bar and spoke little but intelligible English. With his assistance, I bought ticket for the train and went over to the time schedule and saw that the train wouldn’t arrive in 5 minutes. In my head, 5 minutes was like at least 10 minutes. But little did I know, in exactly 5 minutes, the train arrived. I wondered when are trains or buses ever on time in my country!
My inability to speak to anyone while on the train, coupled with the difficulty in finding someone who understood English made my first two days in Guangzhou almost miserable. In fact, I didn’t enjoy the beautiful city and its rich and diverse cultures until Tunji, my friend and tour guide showed up at my hotel room on the third day of my arrival. We were able to connect each other via email.
Another shock I had in Guangzhou was at a popular restaurant where Chinese food is served. I have had few Chinese dishes in Nigeria so I thought I could eat any Chinese food. I ordered fried rice with grilled chicken from the menu presented by the waiter. After 4-5 minutes, the waiter brought the food and I settled to eat it. I took my first scoop but it tasted very differently from the Chinese fried rice I had been eaten in my home country. My friend who had been watching my reaction told me that the Chinese rice served in other countries is different from the one served in native Chinese restaurants. According to him, the Chinese rice I had been eating in Nigeria had been modified to suit our taste bud. I didn’t find the taste of food palatable at all. To make matters worse, I had throat irritation as a result of taking the rice and other dishes I tried.
Although my earliest experiences in Guangzhou were discouraging, I later found the city fascinating as my friend Tunji took me to some amazing places. One of such amazing places I visited is the Canton Tower. The tower is a landmark of Guangzhou. It is about 600 meters tall and it’s a site to behold at night as it illuminates the scenery with colourful lights. Another fascinating place I visited is the Shamian Island. The island is separated from the mainland by a small canal. According to history, Shamian Island used to be an important port for foreign trade from the Song to Qing dynasties. The island is also like a small European town in the middle of China, perfect for a walk for an hour or two.
Despite the mixed experiences I had in Guangzhou, the realization that my English that I cherish so much and have been speaking all my life made no sense; had no value and no longer served me, was the most shocking. For me, coming to terms with the fact that no one understood me made me emotional. I felt useless. I wondered how could such a modern country not speak English!