Culture Shock

While I feel like a relatively experienced traveller and I expect differences when I travel (or move) to another country, my recent move to Ukraine has brought out the best and worst of culture shock. Culture shock, for those of you who don't know, is the psychological adjustment process you go through when experiencing a new culture. As with any process, there are stages. Culture shock normally follows these phases, which vary depending on the degree of differences in the culture:

1. Wonder and excitement

In this phase, usually upon arrival, you are intrigued and filled with excitement about the new culture.

2. Frustration

This usually occurs when you are starting to settle into the culture. This phase is characterised by feeling misunderstood . Exciting differences begin to lose their luster and one begins to recognise what he valued about his native culture with greater clarity.

3. Depression and feeling stuck

The low point. At this point, one may feel angry and hopeless. He may not have any interest in his new culture and may contemplate leaving, or really leave! There is often resentment toward the new cultures differences and a sense that one can only feel normal again in their native culture.

4. Acceptance

If one makes it through frustration and maybe a jog in depression, one usually comes to accept the new culture and truly appreciate the differences. They begin to feel understood and hopeful for their time in the new place. In the words of a Matador writer, "the whole experience began to feel like a coherent whole instead of a random collection of aimless madness."

Culture shock happens to most everyone and is more challenging for some than for others. For me in Ukraine, I feel like I am entering the acceptance stage, at least in some areas of my life. I think that on my first trip to the Ukraine I spent the whole month in wonderment --- mostly from having travelled for that length of time before to other countries and known that I would be going home, so I never got frustrated. Upon returning, however, I started immediately in the frustration stage, mostly for not speaking any Russian. But, I also made many faux paus (whistling indoors, etc.) and felt very misunderstood and different. I wanted to greet strangers and smile at them on the train, no one smiles back. I began to despise how pushy people are at the market or in the metro --- there is much less personal space. And, I got really upset at the difficulty of finding, what in the USA are, common cooking ingredients. Many times, I longed for a peanut butter jelly, chocolate chip cookies, Campbells soup! It even got so bad that I justified eating at McDonalds --- twice! And, despite having Rick here to help as well as finding a good comfortable job and apartment, I still spent a week or two depressed, angry, and questioning whether I was in the right place. But, about 10 days or two weeks ago, I started feeling like this new world was "coherent." I can now understand much more of the language, am getting used to its sounds, and feel much more inspired to practice or study. I also feel increasingly independent and powerful in the face of many unfamiliar customs and traditions. I am beginning to feel like I can fit-in here. . . even without Jiffy :D

So, now that I am in an appreciative mood, I wanted to share some quirky, strange things about Ukraine that take a little getting used to ---but I think I like it!

First, most meat here is bought and sold fresh. You can go to most markets and you should expect to find whole chickens freshly butchered, whole rabbits with a little fur still on their paws, and various other parts and proportions of entire animals just cut and drained. This was not too strange as the markets in Peru were very similar. What surprised me was the fish market. Fish, in Ukraine, is a staple. Most men's favourite dish is in fact whole salted herring, potatoes and vodka. While I was in the market two weeks ago, looking at the selection of processed, frozen fish, I became very disappointed because the variety was miniscule as opposed to the USA. I had never done it before, but I decided, although a bit intimidated, to try to buy fresh fish. I walked over to the fresh fish market and was pleased by the variety. Some fish are kept in cold water, some are dried and stacked, some lay on beds of ice. As I surveyed the options, alone (Rick was buying vegetables), I turned and my heart skipped and adrenaline pulsed into my system. Naturally, I stopped, backed up and found Rick. As calmly as I could, I told him: the fish are still moving! He smiled and walked over with me, helped me get a fresh salmon steak, and bravely check to see if the fish who was flopping had died yet. A week later, while fish shopping alone, I was expecting such things. And so, today, when the plastic bag in the cart next to mine began hopping, and the owner muttered "oh bojsha. . ." (Oh geez.) I laughed.

Also, things that have only one color in the States, here can come in many colours. Our toothpaste for example, bought for is cheapness and its soothing properties, is spring green. I blinked a few times when I put it onto my toothbrush the first time. I have gotten used to it, but the colour inspired me to utilise the "soothing properties" for another purpose --- it reduces swelling and redness on pimples, so I also use my toothpaste as a facial treatment. :D

Our toothpaste

It is green.

This is how I use our toothpaste.



Finally, despite, some of these quirky differences, there are a few things that are much better here and they surprised me. Public transportation is the first --- the metro stations in Kiev are extremely clean, and well decorated (marble and chandeliers and fine art in some). The second and favourite, is the quality of food for the low price paid. Everytime I come home from the market, I feel like a bandit. I can buy all fresh herbs and spices (you can buy them in bulk so you only pay for what you need), fresh fruit and vegetables, fresh fish, cheap whole grains, etc. Although I miss American comfort food dearly, I can't complain too much because each week I am eating food that is healthier, tastier, and far cheaper than many of the equivalent options in the US. The food here has been inspirational.

These are my groceries for this week. They wouldn't all fit on the counter, so this is only representative :D

In the photo I have from L to R:

1. small head fennel 2. handful button mushrooms 3. shallots 4. garlic 5. cucumbers 6. radishes 7. jar tomato paste 8. orange 9. more radishes 10. scallions 11. fresh parsley 12. fresh dill 13. fresh spinach 14. bowl of fruit (apples, bananas, mango, pomagranate, lime, lemon, kiwi, more oranges) 15. tomatoes 16. fresh salmon steak 17. fresh mint 18.fresh whole grain bread 19. grapefruit 20. carrots 21. zucchini 22. tri-color peppers 23. onion 24. more garlic. . .I am in heaven

Food I make with such ingredients:

Baked Herb Tilapia and Stuffed Peppers with Wild Rice

Tonight's Dinner: Mediterranean Chicken Stew and Vegetable Market Salad ( recipes and photos courtesy of Martha!)

I don't blame you if you are jealous. . . :D

Best to all. --- Kim

P.S. Rick lost his new, expensive toy: a mini-LED flashlight with a battery that shuts off rather than slowly dying. He was distraught over losing it. . . until he found it:

"Who do you looove? Said, who do you looovve?"