Have you moved to another country, one with a completely different culture?

Question

Than what you were raised in.
How big an adjustment was it and how long did it take you to feel comfortable in your new world?

Answer 1

I moved from the US to Tunisia over 5 years ago. It was a BIG change for me!

In the US there are millions of restaurants, stores, theaters...Basically a thousand choices for anything you want to do. I was not outrageously out of control, but I wasn't conservative either. I had a tongue piercing and a tattoo, I would go partying with my friends on the weekend, and I'd go out for drinks with friends a few times a week.

When I moved to Tunisia, things were very different! There is usually just 2 major stores (mainly selling groceries and a few other items) in big cities, and not at all that much in entertainment the way I was used to. People here value family above all things (which is something that I really love), and they lead a relatively simple life. In the bigger cities there are discos, and other forms of entertainment, but people here usually go out to a café when they want to meet up with friends. The country is not completely conservative, but not exactly liberal either. I wound up taking out my tongue piercing as a gesture of respect for my husband family and those around me (nothing I could do about the tattoo). As for the language, I just thought it sounded so neat! I was so excited to learn Arabic and picked it up in no time. I actually found it easier to learn Arabic that I did to learn French!

I'm a very outspoken, self-confident, direct, truthful, open, and independent person. I noticed that here people tend to keep things to themselves in order to spare the feeling of others. In my personal opinion, I don't agree with that because then you are not being truthful to yourself or anyone else. It is also because of this that there is a LOT of gossiping that goes on here, between both men and women.

Once I learned how people acted in public vs how they act in private, I began to understand things more. I understood the meanings behind what they did, even if I didn't agree with them. I actually became very comfortable in my new life very quickly and easily. While there are things I don't agree with and things that I dislike (but you can find that anywhere -even in your hometown), there is so much more that I love.

I love the emphasis on family and the fact that this society is such a great environment to raise children. You can go out to a café and let your children run free without having to worry about someone kidnapping them or harming them. Neighbors look out for one another and are regularly sharing food with each other. People will drop everything and run to help anyone that is in need. When you walk down the street it is normal for people that you don't even know to say hello to you and ask how you're doing. There is such a closeness here that so many people (at least in the US° have forgotten about because they are so concerned with having freedom and independence. To me, freedom and independence has become about knowing I live in an environment that is safe and happy for my kids and the rest of my family.

Answer 2

i circulate to wager you're no longer American by skill of the hostility I experience on your narrative. i'm American, i do no longer anticipate immigrants to act "American". as long as they pay their taxes and make a contribution to society, who cares what they do. I do sense that if a individual is going to circulate here to become a citizen they ought to a minimum of have a functional english vocabulary. i in my opinion do no longer like it whilst an immigrant drones on and on approximately how u . s . sucks and their united states is lots extra useful. in case you pick to be an American citizen, then you somewhat must be estimated to savor the liberty you have here.