I did an exchange with Czechia for a year. When I got back home to the West, and met the Czech girl who had taken my place, she complained to me "your pancakes here in the West are so thick! I miss our pancakes so much!"
I did not have the heart to tell her that Czechs make crépes but call them 'pancake-y'. What she thought was cultural was merely linguistic.
It's impossible to underestimate - all the hidden corners and springs that hide and lever a culture.
Great post. I recently came across a situation with someone from abroad who now lives in the U.S. for at least a decade and the person still assumes things and basically stays in an erroneous mindset without knowing. I think it takes a certain cultural intelligence to see people closer to how they truly are.
Exactly! You can take either place from my post, and it will apply to any other country. And yes, cultural intelligence is the key, those lacking it, might end up regretting their relocation.
A funny example:
I did an exchange with Czechia for a year. When I got back home to the West, and met the Czech girl who had taken my place, she complained to me "your pancakes here in the West are so thick! I miss our pancakes so much!"
I did not have the heart to tell her that Czechs make crépes but call them 'pancake-y'. What she thought was cultural was merely linguistic.
It's impossible to underestimate - all the hidden corners and springs that hide and lever a culture.
Great post. I recently came across a situation with someone from abroad who now lives in the U.S. for at least a decade and the person still assumes things and basically stays in an erroneous mindset without knowing. I think it takes a certain cultural intelligence to see people closer to how they truly are.
Exactly! You can take either place from my post, and it will apply to any other country. And yes, cultural intelligence is the key, those lacking it, might end up regretting their relocation.