Wherever you live, you have to work with and establish relationships with people. Each of them has something in common, namely culture.
Culture itself is essential in people’s lives since it influences every aspect of life such as views, mindsets, values, and many others. Building solid relationships with others means that we are trying to understand their views.
Carissa Velda, better known as Carissa, shared her opinions on cultural understanding and exposure. She understood the importance when she went to the Czech Republic for the Global Volunteer program at AIESEC in Zlín and was interested, particularly, in joining the EDISON Project. There, she was assigned to teach primary and high school students regarding school materials and Indonesia’s cultures, alongside other Exchange Participants worldwide. The reason why she’s interested in joining was that she wanted to learn more about the culture of the Czech Republic. In addition, she also has an interest in contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) number 4, which is about quality education.
After passing the interview stage, Carissa got a preparation seminar from AIESEC in Prasetiya Mulya. There, she listened to many other Exchange Participants who shared their stories when they experienced the Global Volunteer program. Many Exchange Participants talked about their struggles, especially in terms of food and host families. Some thought that their host family didn’t quite suit them, so many felt pretty uncomfortable when they volunteered.
After arriving in the Czech Republic, Carissa admitted that she didn’t feel so foreign because she went there with some of her friends. Although she didn’t feel lonely, there’s still a strange, daunting feeling that is certainly normal when someone lands for the first time in a new country. Other than that, she said that she also had jet lag, which she said was an obstacle.
She told us that the nature of the people in the Czech Republic is individualistic, just like Europeans in general. But according to her experience there, people are very friendly to her and also willing to help. What’s more, only a few of them are fluent enough to speak English, so there was a language barrier that makes it difficult to communicate between her and the people there.
Throughout her few weeks’ experience in the Czech Republic, specifically in the city of Zlín, Carissa made lots of friends and great memories. But most importantly, she learned about the importance of understanding other cultures. As mentioned above, Carissa experienced several culture shocks and jet lag when she arrived. Luckily, she went there along with some fellow Indonesians, which made her feel closer to home. On top of that, the locals are super welcoming to them as well as the other Exchange Participants from countries, such as China, Morocco, Taiwan, and more. It didn’t take her long to finally feel comfortable in the once foreign city.
Being exposed to such an unfamiliar situation was definitely not easy. Still, Carissa believes that it is essential to have a positive view of everything that she comes across. Besides that, she constantly reminds herself to be open-minded and be willing to adapt to changes. Although meeting new people could be scary at first, Carissa mentioned that opening up and making friends is crucial so the culture shock won’t hit you as much.
Overall, Carissa felt that her time in Zlín was such an eye-opening experience. She was immersed in the diversity, which really forced her to step out of her comfort zone. In the process of meeting new people and adapting to new places, she learned a lot about other cultures, hence enriches her with new knowledge and turned her into a much more open-minded individual, with better understanding and awareness of the latest situation in other countries aside from her own. She also got the chance to sharpen both her hard and soft skills, namely presentation and communication skills, which will come in handy when building networks and basically making friends with anyone. That being said, Carissa believes that exposure and understanding of foreign culture are important, and taking part in an international exchange could be a great way.
Being thousands of miles away from home would always be a nerve-wracking experience and sometimes would make people lonely. But one thing to remember is that you were there for a reason. So stay curious, stay hungry, and make sure every moment is worth the distance.
Words by: Regina Natalia & Victoria Liv