Eye & Pen: Lifestyle, Travel, Photography and Literature
  • Main
  • Blog
  • Topics
    • Accommodations
    • Bucket List
    • Cheap Travel
    • Culture
    • Essay
    • Destinations
    • Inspiration
    • Interviews
    • Narratives
    • Personal
    • Photography
    • Restaurants
    • Reviews
    • Safe Travel
    • Travel Planning
    • Trip Update
    • Weekly Wanderlust
  • Photo Gallery
    • Photo Gallery – All Places
    • Photo Gallery – Aruba
    • Photo Gallery – England
    • Photo Gallery – Europe
    • Photo Gallery – Iceland
    • Photo Gallery – Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Italy
    • Photo Gallery – Northern Ireland
    • Photo Gallery – Other
    • Photo Gallery – Scotland
    • Photo Gallery – USA
  • Services
    • Blog Coaching
    • Graphic Design
    • Hire Brandon
    • Advertising
  • About Brandon
  • Contact

Culture shock

6/7/2013

6 Comments

 
Picture
(Photo by © Brandon Elijah Scott / Eye & Pen)
The streets are aligned with little makeshift stalls of shops and fruit wagons, and there are tens of thousands of people going here and there, and every which way. Everyone is speaking a different language, and some with a different dialect, and you begin to feel alone. You stick out like a sore-thumb, the shop keepers yell and taunt and tease, trying to entice you on their product – no, his product, or theirs, what about this one or his?! “My friend, my friend, cheap price, best price for you, my friend!” You continue forward and each step is labored, as it requires 100% concentration or else one mistaken step could send you falling to the ground or vice versa, tripping someone else. One step over a stack of wood boxes, another step off balanced, around a child, then a pause for a group of people who are crossing your path – and you’re inadvertently pushed into the middle of the stone path, and WOAH! STOP! A motorbike comes whizzing by, barely missing you.
There are certain parts of the world that will completely blindside you with culture shock if you’re used to a ‘Western’ lifestyle (for example: Turkey, China, and various parts of Africa and South America). You may have watched a few movies and read a couple of books ahead of time, but there’s truly nothing that will completely prepare you for each and every place of the world that you will experience throughout traveling. I’m writing to you from Marrakech, Morocco. This is my first time in Africa, and is coincidentally the first time I’ve experienced such a large cultural change. I’ve toured large parts of Europe, North America and the Caribbean, and while parts of the Caribbean are similar in some ways, it didn’t prepare me for what I experienced the moment I wandered from my taxi into the Jemaa el-Fnaa square, and finally wandered aimlessly, lost, through the chaotic alleyways of the souks.

While nothing will truly prepare you for major cultural changes, it’s important to take a breath and gather your wits about you, because without, you may not survive the experience, let alone, with positive memories. Be sure to find accommodations, perhaps far away from the serious madness, like a place of refuge. In very busy and loud places around the world, it’s near impossible to take some time, where you can gather your thoughts and get in touch with yourself. Throw out your predetermined expectations and take things as they are. The first hour for me in Morocco was a bit dramatic, but after some time to let the experience sink in, I learned to quite enjoy myself in this new culture. One of the best parts of getting to know and feeling relaxed in a crazy atmosphere like this is to understand the locals and why they do the things that they do – I spent hours watching the locals, I watched them eat and drink and buy and sell and pray and interact together. With such introspection, I realized many things that made my time easier, and I knew what was happening and why. My time here in Morocco is beautiful, and I will be sure to come back again, to spend more time living in this different lifestyle.
(This piece was written by Brandon Elijah Scott and originally published on HostelsClub.com)
6 Comments
Lily La link
6/8/2013 05:50:29 pm

Very interesting to hear about your experience in Marrakech. I, like you, haven't really ever felt a major culture change when I travel (usually Europe and Asia). I'm sure If I travel to Africa, I'll have the same feeling as you do. It's different, but it also seems very exciting! Hope you have a good time over there.

Lily

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/2/2014 11:05:56 pm

It is very exciting. There is something about being out of your comfort zone that gives you this excited butterfly type feeling in the pit of your stomach. I love learning and exploring. When I am in a new place surrounded by a different culture, I feel most at ease believe it or not. :)

Reply
Rachel link
8/2/2013 07:50:50 am

I know just what you mean from my travels in Africa, Egypt and China. But after the initial shock, I love that strangeness, and then the process of figuring where that feeling of strangeness comes from. Thanks!

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/2/2014 11:07:32 pm

Yes, the process of figuring things out is the best part of being out of the comfort zone.

Reply
sweetnsavory link
8/15/2013 12:41:00 pm

Nice post! I really like how you described the markets and your experiences in Morocco! I haven't really traveled but liked your post! Cheers and check out my blog sometime and leave a comment as well :) Thanks

Reply
Brandon Elijah Scott link
1/2/2014 11:08:28 pm

Thank you. Do you have plans on traveling in the future? Where would you like to go?

Reply



Leave a Reply.

    Sign up for my VIP email list:

Picture
Picture

Article Topics

All
About Blogging
Accommodations
Bucket List
Cheap Travel
Culture
Destinations
Discussion
Entertainment
Environment
Essay
Fine Art Feature
Gear
General
Giveaway
Green Living
Guest Posts
Inspiration
Interviews
Lifestyle
Luxury
Narratives
Not Recommended
Other
Personal
Photography
Restaurants
Reviews
Safe Travel
Trip Planning
Trip Update
USA Road Trip
Video
Weekly Wanderlust

RSS Feed

Monthly Archive

November 2021
September 2021
May 2021
April 2021
March 2021
February 2021
January 2021
December 2020
October 2020
September 2020
August 2020
July 2020
June 2020
May 2020
April 2020
March 2020
February 2020
January 2020
December 2019
November 2019
October 2019
September 2019
August 2019
July 2019
June 2019
May 2019
April 2019
March 2019
February 2019
January 2019
December 2018
November 2018
October 2018
September 2018
August 2018
July 2018
June 2018
May 2018
April 2018
March 2018
February 2018
January 2018
December 2017
November 2017
October 2017
September 2017
August 2017
July 2017
June 2017
May 2017
April 2017
March 2017
February 2017
January 2017
December 2016
November 2016
October 2016
September 2016
August 2016
July 2016
June 2016
May 2016
April 2016
March 2016
February 2016
January 2016
December 2015
November 2015
October 2015
September 2015
August 2015
July 2015
June 2015
May 2015
April 2015
March 2015
February 2015
January 2015
December 2014
November 2014
October 2014
September 2014
August 2014
July 2014
June 2014
May 2014
April 2014
March 2014
February 2014
January 2014
December 2013
November 2013
October 2013
September 2013
August 2013
July 2013
June 2013
May 2013
April 2013
March 2013
February 2013
January 2013
December 2012
November 2012
October 2012
September 2012
August 2012
July 2012
June 2012
May 2012
April 2012
March 2012
February 2012

*Disclaimer: All blog posts featuring products, reviews, or suggestions for products or services are governed by our Disclosure. Products were received free to review, so to provide authentic opinions and content for our readers. The opinions and ideas in this post are the writer's own and are uninfluenced by any other person or business. We receive no compensation for product reviews. Links within non-product review posts may be sponsored.
Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.