Wanderlüst or Büst

Preemptively fearing that we would flounder here, our director presented us with a mathematical plot depicting the “stages of cultural adaptation” during orientation. Consequently, a sarcastically meticulous self-examination of our current stage of cultural adjustment has quickly become an ongoing joke within our microcosmic group of seventeen Americans. Take notes from the premed students – a sine curve can save your life. Culture shock, for example – and evidently a favored topic of discussion by Russians – can be split into four subgroups:

The (Voluptuous) Phases of Cultural Adaptation. Courtesy of http://www.sjsu.edu

1. The Honeymoon: You have arrived and are fascinated by the language, the people, and the food. You are so excited, not even jet lag can hold you down (!).
2. Frustration: You become critical of your host country and the culture because you cannot understand it or are confused by it.
3. Adjustment: After some time has passed, you begin to feel more comfortable and competent in the culture. You have positive feelings about interacting with the host nationals.
4. Adaptation: You have a deep understanding of the role of the culture in people’s lives and can accept differences. You interact effectively in the host culture and you may have adopted some of their values and customs and made them your own.

*Stages liable to fluctuate daily.

Superfluous scientific constructions aside, this social diagram need not be entirely rejected. In fact, it can be quite helpful analyzing oneself overseas – that’s the whole point, isn’t it? Learning about yourself away from home is one of the reasons we leave in the first place. But when my director – a fellow human being, may I add – affirms that, “About three weeks in,” I am “going to ‘trough’ and feel wildly frustrated and/or misplaced in the Russian culture,” I cease to take plotted points for human psychology.

“The Gates to Cultural Acceptance”

The truth is, in St. Petersburg, the challenge is not studying, but living abroad. The good news is that the novelty of this country does not dissipate quickly. Russia is a place with an absurdly beautiful population, where there are 24-hour flower shops, and where the Pizza Hut serves slices on ceramic plates. Government regulation of the St. Pete water supply ranks as “ineffective, if not negligent…” (http://www.businessweek.com/), and with the unavailability of clean tap water to quench our thirst (coupled with the constant consumption of diuretics), we are perpetually dehydrated…and easily drunk. Do you realize how many documents we have to carry on us at all times to be legally roaming students on visa? And this cathedral doesn’t even have wifi. (Side note: my host mom gave me five different types of honey to try last night. Need I say more?) It is all wonderfully confusing – and historically so. On a winter trip to Moscow during World War II to speak with Stalin, Winston Churchill allegedly witnessed Russians soldiers eating ice cream in the snow and commented, “These people will never be defeated.” Case and point: I don’t think a graph can explain that.