How To Overcome Culture Shock and Find Your Way In A Foreign Country.
- Post Written by John Kairupan on March 8, 2010
Why do I feel so good, calm and relax lately? Why am I being treated so kind by people who are essentially strangers to me? Why is it that I feel so much happier?
Here is my experience related to this topic. Some of you might have read my earlier post on Success And Happiness Is Both The Journey And The destination in which I said that I will make my dream a reality. Well, I did it! And it has been almost four months that I have been traveling throughout South America – Peru, Chile and Argentina. I’ve learned a thing or two about adapting to a foreign environment, mostly by trial and error, and sometimes with disastrous results.
When it comes to being an outsider, I think there are several different ways to experience a new culture and to avoid culture shock. First of all I have discovered 3 types of travelers and have divided them into these categories – the missionary, the tourist and the participant observer.
Missionaries go wherever they believe they’re needed. They often have some sort of religious belief. They may find a few others who agree with their belief but the majority, especially those who come with some kind of a personal mission, are likely to fail. This is because there is generally a one-way communication, with the outsider (missionary) doing all the talking.
Tourists are basically observers. They come, look around and say: “show me what you’ve got, thanks, and adios amigo.” That’s fine some because when you have little time and no personal contacts or genuine connections, it’s pretty hard to move beyond the tourist stage.
What astonishes me though is the number of people who come to live in a foreign country and never move beyond the tourist phase. They form fancy ghettos of like-minded, like-cultured, like-speaking folks, and even though they may have traveled from one end of the country to the other and are able to tell you where all the best stores & restaurants are, they never really experience the culture and engage the people. They have a one way communication with the tourist on the taking end.
Participant observers are those who interact with a new culture and who try to understand the differences they encounter and to fit in when possible. It does not mean abandoning one’s own culture, but rather adapting in a way that enriches the lives of all involved. Participant observers learn by showing one’s willingness and desire to learn from the locals. They become interested in sharing their traditions and exchanging ideas. Instead of being selfish and self-centered, they fully embrace a new culture with openness. They are the most likely to overcome and even avoid culture shock.
Here are a few tips I can offer anyone who truly wants to participate in a new foreign country and prevent culture shock. >> Read More
Zip Zap Circus – A Wonderful Inspiration and Idea becomes a Reality for Kids
- Post Written by Jai Kai on March 2, 2010
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The Zip Zap Circus creation is a great success story of how one man turned his passion for circus and aerial arts into a program to help thousands of street kids. Through his inspiration, idea and actions one man and his wife were able to ignite the passions of underprivileged children who like all children desire a way to create, express themselves and have fun.
In Capetown, South Africa, the free circus school for kids was opened in November 2008. Called the Circus for Social Change, this was the dream become reality of the co- founders, Brent van Rensberg and his wife Laurence Esteve, who wanted to create a safe and caring environment for these underprivileged South Africa kids where they could respect, love and trust each other.
Brent was an international circus performer for 16 years and on his return to South Africa in the early 1990s at a time when violence surrounded the first democratic elections, wanted to see how he could make a difference.
Brent recruited kids from his old high school, from a black township and from a shelter. A year later, the first batch of students – white, black and mixed – drove up on the back of Brent’s delivery truck with ropes and mats for their first performance at an art festival in Capetown, SA.
Sixteen years later, many kids from broken homes and slums, who are involved in drugs, gang warfare and alcohol, have a chance to build a new life in a beautifully constructed circus dome of their own.
The children learn discipline, social skills, how to work in a team, and most importantly to trust each other. When they are flying through the air, it does not matter if they are rich, poor, black or white, they have to fully trust that their friend on the trapeze bars will catch them.
Zip Zap supports itself through regular shows and international tours, more than 20 to date, and has won so many fans that several of its performers go on to sign contracts with other international circus troops. such as the internationally renowned Cirque due Solei.
Brent and Laurence are inspiring social entrepreneurs in their courage, their vision and their unstoppable commitment. Despite returning to a home in deep turmoil during the rebirth of a nation, they took a path down where few ventured – to heal deep scars of a racially divided nation and to help build a new generation of young leaders through play, dedication and teamwork.
If you know of anyone who is pursuing their passion, creating change and making a positive difference in others people’s lives, we would like to hear from you and feature them here on sharingsuccess.tv (please send me a tweet).
The Key To Building and Maintaining a Successful Relationship
- Post Written by Jai Kai on February 27, 2010
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“It is not the magnitude of our actions but the amount of love that is put into them that matters. “- Mother Teresa
People often ask how do you develop and sustain a happy and successful relationship with your partner, spouse or family. I have found that the real secret to this is through the act of selflessness – giving selflessly.
Practicing selflessness means serving others with love – without a motive or self interest. When you serve others without expectations, conditions or needs you will find a great joy in this giving and you will create long lasting relationships.
Being selfless is an act of joy because you appreciate, love and respect the person you are giving to. Consider this next idea…
Think of someone you truly respect, admire and love – whether it’s your favourite singer, sports star, teacher or guru. Perhaps it is someone you worship such as Jesus, Buddha, Moses or Krishna. Now imagine what it would be like if this person asked you for something – let’s say…some water to drink. Would you not jump of your seat and serve them the purest, freshest, water you had in the nicest glass or container available? Would you not serve them selflessly with complete love respect and joy?
These people may not be available to you to serve but what about the people you are surrounded by. Do you not feel the same way about them? Is your wife or husband not as important as your favourite celebrity or the person you worship? People always put others they don’t even personally know on a pedestal. They fail to recognize the divinity or greatness in the people they are closest to.
You should start creating success in your relationships by giving selflessly to your family – your spouse, partner, children and pet. Think and acknowledge them as someone you respect, admire, love and worship. Sometime we take our close family members for granted – we get lazy, distracted or become unaware of their beauty and divinity.
Remember the old saying, “give and so you shall receive.” Nothing could be truer than this. Even if it seems that you have gained nothing, the act of giving itself, whether it is material goods, your loving words or energy is a joyful and blissful experience. Recognize this. Feel this.
On a personal level, you will gain more success by expanding yourself – your love and energy. Everything is a source of energy, and love through giving is the greatest kind. Learn to expand your love and energy by continual acts of selflessness starting from your partner and family, to your community, to your nation and eventually the entire world.
“I am grateful for my wife and son. I acknowledge and appreciate the truth, the beauty, the wisdom and the divinity within them. I enjoy loving them, understanding them, listening to them, participating with them, nurturing them and serving them selflessly. They are the reason for my personal and spiritual success.”
Photo by horizontal.intergration
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Canada’s Success – What do Americans Know about Canadians?
- Post Written by Jai Kai on February 23, 2010
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With all the excitement and hype about the 2010 Winter Olympics here in Vancouver, Canada, there has been much rival and competition between the friendly neighbours of Canada and USA. Being Canadian, I feel very close to our American friends and visit there often – mostly for vacations.
For years Canadian citizens have complained that the majority of American citizens don’t know nearly enough about Canada. While I suspect this may still be true after the 2010 Winter Olympic, this video above by Tom Brokaw on NBC puts our relationship into perspective. The images are beautiful, the writing is outstanding and the feeling you are left with is uplifting. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Note: Canada has enjoyed much success as a quiet and humble nation. This pre-recorded short film aired on American TV prior to the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver. The presentation here is a Canada/USA perspective you won’t see every day. Enjoy!