Can you suffer culture shock in your own country?
The dictionary defines ‘culture
shock’ as “the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are
suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes.”
(OED). It wasn’t until a Facebook friend remarked that not only was I dealing
with my new role as MiL’s temporary carer, but was also dealing with the
culture shock of having returned to the UK, that I gave the matter any thought.
However, a quick Google revealed that it was, in fact, a real phenomenon, more appropriately
named ‘reverse culture shock’, being the effects of returning to your home
culture after becoming accustomed to a foreign one. Research even suggests that
it is “more surprising and difficult to deal with than the original culture
shock.”
View from the cafe at Essex Wildlife Trust Abberton Reservoir Centre |
Over the years, I’ve read many social media posts discussing the pros and cons of life in France, comparison of the two countries and reasons why people may or may not yearn to return to the UK. Many folk do seem to have a rose-tinted view of their adopted country (according to Wikipedia this ‘honeymoon period’ generally only lasts three months, though I’ve known people still in this state after several years). Maybe it’s just that they can’t see things on their own doorstep that jump out at us, or the things that bother us are of no consequence to them. I’m reminded of my late mother who could never see the litter piling up in her street, perhaps because, for her, it was still 1952 and she did not wish to acknowledge the change to the area that had come with the passage of time.
There are good things and bad things
about both countries and their cultures. Or, as Mr VV likes to say, France and
the UK are both bat-shit crazy, but in different ways. Certainly, since we adopted
the vegan lifestyle, living in rural France began to throw up many issues. Two
things, in particular, stand out. First, the sheer difficulty of obtaining
vegan-friendly food, whether it be a trip to the supermarket where the choice
was limited, a meal out for which choice of location and menu was limited, or
even just going for a simple coffee. Our second issue, and one that hampered
our life to an extent that we’ve really only realised since not being there, is
the Chasse. Over the years, we have had many run-ins with the chasse and its
fraternity. From outright threats to us and one of our dogs from a chasse neighbour,
to coming face-to-face with the barrel of a gun on a Sunday afternoon walk along
a designated public cycleway. From October to March, in France, we simply
stopped walking anywhere.
One remarkable thing we have
noticed is how much happier the dogs seem to be here in the UK. In France,
Bumble always trailed behind on her walks. She got so bad that we even got her
a doggy pushchair for days when she just refused to budge. Here, she is pulling
on the lead, charging ahead across the green and enjoying afternoons sitting in
the window watching the squirrels. Even old Dylan has a new lease of life,
currently on no drugs at all and enjoying two walks a day. Maybe they no longer
feel our stress about walking in the countryside, constantly on the lookout for
loose chasse hounds and bullets.
So, after eight years away has it
been a shock to return? Perhaps a little, but not in a bad way. Maybe it did
take a few trips to Sainsburys to get my head around the sheer volume of vegan
food available and the choice. The roads are busy, but we can enjoy a Sunday morning walk without encountering anyone
dressed in orange brandishing a shotgun. The smallest café serves at least one
type of plant milk, there are several dedicated vegan eateries, and virtually
all pubs and restaurants have several vegan options. There seems to be no
stigma attached to veganism either. Many folk dislike the shopping culture in
the UK, where going shopping has become a leisure activity, but, there’s no
need to join in. There’s a growing trend of environmental awareness, from recycling
to zero waste shops, and a move toward less not more consumption.
Yes, the roads are full of potholes,
there is litter on the verges, everyone seems to be in a hurry and driving an
enormous four-wheel drive. But, you can actually get things done, people turn
up when they say they will, the staff in shops are friendly and helpful. I
appreciate that we may be fortunate with our location, in a particularly
pleasant village with a shop, two pubs, plenty of walks and not far from the
sea (though I still have not been to the coast yet). However, any culture shock
was surely short-lived and we seem to have slipped easily into a comfortable
routine. Even driving on the 'wrong' side of the road seems normal now. After a month in our ‘Hut’, the next task is to search out our ‘tribe’
and get involved in some local activities.
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