Culture Shock of a Different Sort

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In preparation for traveling abroad I had to attend a couple of orientation sessions organized by my school. They warned us of the affects of culture shock like it was a disease. My family told me that this would be a life changing experience and my mother insisted that I call her everyday to confirm that I was still in fact alive. (Sorry I haven’t done that yet, mom). Anyways, contrary to what everyone warned me, I love China. The people are beautiful and nice. I’m not afraid of the food and besides only a few awkward bathroom encounters, I feel comfortable with the pushy, fast pace, lack of personal space, lifestyle that Beijing has to offer.

My culture shock is of a different sort.

The other day, after visiting the trendy Euro bar with Martha’s friend of a friend, Funky, we stopped at a DVD store where everything was less than 2 USD per disk and it was all American films and TV shows. It was pretty neat; however, I made one fatal mistake.

While looking at the DVDs I noticed that one of the labels was incorrect and so I nonchalantly pointed it out to my traveling companions. The thing was that is was a Star Trek TV series DVD. The label said Deep Space Nine when it was in fact Enterprise. I just thought it was an interesting example of how trustworthy the DVDs to be purchased were. Okay, so I know I’m a nerd. I mean I’ve never even seen either series in their entirety, but the captain from Enterprise was Sam Becket in Quantum Leap and I love that show. Okay, so I suppose that’s not much better, but it was one of the only shows on after school in my youth so of course I watched it.

So it’s established, I’m a nerd. I blame my father. Other kids went fishing with their fathers, or played ball, or went hunting. We would watch the SciFi channel.

So I guess being a nerd was news to my traveling companions and I think they were shocked that I had hid this fact from them for so long. Anyways I reminded them that we go to WPI which isn’t exactly hip central. I mean at least I’m not a WOW playing larper. Or a smelly pocket protector, taped glasses wearing nerd. I don’t get drunk and debate math equations (sorry Nick). I mean, we go to a school where kids call crossing from opposite corners of the street of a four way “nussing it” after the hypotenuse; where kids are petitioning to call our new dormitory on campus Picard Hall. Let's face it, WPI is pretty nerdy.

Anyways, after explaining this fact to them (in less words of course) there response was that they played rugby and didn’t hang out with nerds. I mean, really? I’m sorry I hang out with all sorts of kids, regardless of how many magic cards they may or may not own.

Well, I don’t know if it was that incident or something else I may have done, but since that I’ve been finding it hard to get along with my traveling companions. I mean, sometimes I feel as though sometimes everything I say is wrong. And I’m trying to be positive and nice, but it certainly doesn’t help that I’m so paranoid about it. I mean, it’s rough. There are only the three of us for two months and they already knew each other. They live with each other back at school and have been best friends since freshman year. I don’t have the luxury of knowing their pet peeves and sublet nuisances.

It’s not easy being the third wheel all of the time. This was not the culture shock I was prepared for and I don’t know how to remedy this situation. I would much rather take the hole in the ground toilets with no paper over having to prove I’m cool any day.

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