Culture adaption

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One of my international students today relayed the sweetest compliment to me. His wife (also one of my students) thinks I am the most kind-hearted person she's met in the US. *big grin* heehee! I am very flattered!

It also makes me feel sad about all the culture shock and stress that people feel when accommodating to a new culture. Everything you've learned about how to act, what to say, how to treat others, to ask or not... all those subtle clues are now wrong in this new context! It's hard to be confronted at every turn with another culture telling you that you are not acting right. It makes me want to take all newcomers under my wing. Never-mind that it's impossible...

I just hate to see anyone lost or confused or out of their depth. Cultural understanding, that's my thing. I used to think I should be an ambassador. One of my ex-s once told me I should have been a diplomat, but I don't think he meant it as a compliment. Does it hurt that I notice nuances of non-verbal behavior? I've learned to adapt and fit in to some unusual circumstances in my life. I'm proud of being able to do that, but sometimes I wonder if it's really a talent or actually a weakness. Holding onto your identity while others tell you that you should be something different, now that's an interesting challenge.

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