The Shock

What defines a culture shock? It's not just that you act a different way from the other culture. It's also not understanding it.

I know I had a huge problem in Paraguay about not being treated as equal to men, and that also got me into a lot of trouble. I could absorb other manners and ways of life in Latin America, but this inequality between men and women got me extremely furious. I was also regarded as "trouble-maker" by the exchange organisation because of this.

I also could not understand the catholic religiousness of Paraguay. I also had some conflicts with that, especially because I'm not religious at all and I'm not part of the church institute.

I was young when I went there, and I thought that I was right about everything.
I came from this progressed Scandinavian country of wealth, equality, no corruption and safety. Comparing Finland and Paraguay made me also understand how lucky I actually am to be born in Europe. I have had choices in my life. Not that many people in the world have that, especially in Paraguay.

What defines a culture shock? It also not understanding it, but also accepting that there are other ways of life.

-Johanna