Culture Shock!!

This afternoon, we began class by playing a game. It was a simple card game where you win tricks by having the highest number in a suit or by trumping it with a certain suit. We got used to the game by playing it for a few minutes, and then our instructions were taken away and we were told that we could not verbally communicate with each other. That’s when things started to get entertaining. After playing in silence for five minutes, we were instructed to determine who won, and to move to another table based on if we won or lost. We were still supposed to be silent. At the next table, my partner and I began playing with another team. To our frustration, the other team began cheating and stealing our tricks! They kept making motions at us and indicating that we were playing wrong. It was all quite fun, and we were laughing the whole time. It was hilarious, and I would have loved to have it on video. In a moment of humility, I ceded the game. The next round, with a new team was much better. I finally came to the realization that everyone had slightly different versions of the rules, so we quickly, though silently, agreed on a new set of rules and played.

All of this fun and games was an illustration of what culture shock is like. Basically, when we go into a new culture, we are not only handicapped by a lack of knowledge about the language, but a difference in the way the game is played. The big difference between the game and culture is that culture goes so much deeper, down to the very worldview of individuals.