At the age of 16, I went to Australia as an exchange student and lived with a host family. Even though I had made some preparations, the culture shock was still 1 .
During the first months, which is called the "honeymoon phase" of culture shock, I was super 2 to be in a different culture and found everything 3 and exciting. But soon, things started to feel 4 . Differences became more apparent and frustrating 5 populated my head: "I wish people would just be able to speak German for one day! "
"I wish public transportation would…" These thoughts were of course highly 6 . However, they're part of the "negotiation phase".
Over the next few months, though, feelings of adjustment and belonging gradually 7 . I developed my own routine, learned to adapt to the 8 , and made many new friends. I had slowly and unknowingly 9 the "adjustment phase". I had adapted my own behavior and learned to 10 new ways of thinking and attitudes. My English had improved 11 !
Things started to make sense and I 12 Australian culture better and better! That was a major 13 for me personally. Every day I felt more 14 with my new home. I adopted many new traits (特性) while also 15 earlier ones from my home country. This process is called the "mastery phase". My happiest moment was when my dear friend one day 16 during a conversation: "Jude, you 17 just like us! You're an Australian now!" I had transformed from a silent timid German to an almost accent-free bicultural Australian/German.
The 18 of culture shock are different for everyone and can cause different behaviors and 19 . But one thing is for sure though: Culture shock cannot be avoided and 20 is the first step towards adapting to a foreign culture.
