July 20, 2015

Culture Shock! And The Porcelain Throne

Welcome to Culture Shock! The new series that named itself. Join us as we learn, grow and share all about new found social/cultural behaviours and expectations through our world exploration. These are our thoughts, observations and lessons on respecting and behaving in a foreign culture that may just leave you laughing and crying at the same time.

For those of you who have not yet experienced the shear adventure brought to you by ‘the squat toilet,’ allow me to paint the picture for you.

First Encounters

I entered a restroom stall outside a temple in Lukang, Taiwan and in that moment, much to my horror, I was slapped with a very dark reality. Western style toilets were a thing of the past with my homeland, Canada, now at the other end of the world. While I had managed to avoid encounters with a ‘squat toilet’ throughout my first week in Asia, mainly Hong Kong, it was now time to accept the unavoidable truth. Long gone were the days I had sat comfortably in the middle of the night after staggering all clumsy and groggy to my porcelain throne. Going forward I would be expected to bend my knees and hover over a hole in the ground. Continue reading →

Posted in Travel
Tagged Asia, China, Culture, Culture Shock, Hong Kong, Nomad, Squat toilet, taiwan, Toilets, Travel Like a Local, Travel skills, Travel tips, Travel Tuesday
2 Comments

July 13, 2015

Culture Shock and the Chinese Driver

Culture Shock! Welcome to the new series that basically named itself! We’ve just landed in a new continent that is about to challenge us in completely new ways. Some will undoubtedly be intriguing and funny little things we’ll have to adjust to. Others will surely be frustrating or beyond comprehension. Finally, there will be cringe-worthy moments certain to have us questioning why we ever left the comforts of home in the first place.

Each article in the series is intended to be an opportunity to learn, grow and share. It is our collection of observations and information from the different cultures we visit from our subjective anthropological perspective. We never intend to shame or shed negativity on anyone else’s way of life. Wherever we can, we will do our best to understand and explain how to respect and behave in a given place. Though sometimes, we may only be able to share on what NOT to do, as we figure out life as a local through our embarrassing mistakes and faux paus moments.

Culture Shock and the Chinese Driver

China seems to encourage their citizens to drive scooters, or electric bikes as they call them here, by having designated lanes and even putting up these little shade huts so that drivers don’t have to endure the sun while waiting for the traffic light to change. (Neither one of these things is respected much but it’s nice to see the effort ) Guilin, Guanxi, China – Karina Noriega

There was only a single moment where the words got caught in my throat.

“Let me out! Right effing now!”

April and I are on our way to the Longji rice terraces of northern Guanxi province in China. It’s the rainy season, hot and humid since arrival, but so far we’ve been spared any downpours on our first week in this country. That hasn’t been the case in the mountains. The potholed, winding road, barely a lane and a half wide curls between rocky cliffs and a raging river below. The pretty waterfalls all us passengers admired as our minivan first started climbing away from the highway have now turned into raging drenchers flying out of the vertical walls above us and straight onto the road. Ahead of us, a landslide caused a massive portion of the road to collapse into the river. From my back row point of view, it is clear that the remaining asphalt has no solid mountain beneath it. It is only a matter of time before it gives way completely, and we are about to drive over it. Continue reading →

Posted in Travel
Tagged Backpacker, Budget Travel, China, Culture, Culture Shock, Female Travel, Travel, Travel Learn Share, Travel Like a Local
4 Comments

June 4, 2015

Culture Shock! And The Sorry Complex – Hong Kong

Welcome to the new series that basically named itself! We’ve just landed in a new continent that is about to challenge us in completely new ways. Some will undoubtedly be intriguing and funny little things we’ll have to adjust to. Others will surely be frustrating or beyond comprehension. Finally, there will be cringe-worthy moments certain to have us questioning why we ever left the comforts of home in the first place.

Each article in the series is intended to be an opportunity to learn, grow and share. It is our collection of observations and information from the different cultures we visit from our subjective anthropological perspective. We never intend to shame or shed negativity on anyone else’s way of life. Wherever we can, we will do our best to understand and explain how to respect and behave in a given place. Though sometimes, we may only be able to share on what NOT to do, as we figure out life as a local through our embarrassing mistakes and faux paus moments.

Pandamonium! Arriving in Hong Kong — Karina’s Extraordinary Life

Culture Shock! And The Sorry Complex

To kick off the series I definitely want to poke fun at one of the most famous stereotypes we deal with as Canadians. Most have heard the jokes, especially if you watch ‘How I Met Your Mother’, about how apologetic Canadian culture is. That’s saying it nicely I guess. Most jokes state that you could punch a Canadian in the face and spill their beer and said Canadian would apologize for running into your hand and offer to buy you a drink! I’d be willing to bet that has never happened, but to a certain degree, absolutely, we apologize for everything. It’s more of a reflex than a heartfelt “I’m sorry”, and most of us may not even think about it, but that absence of acknowledging that you may have possibly, in some minor way bothered, obstructed, touched or dismissed another person has become a very loud silence since we arrived in Hong Kong. Not once have I been apologized to for anything here! Not even when the airline lost my bags!

Continue reading →

Posted in Travel
Tagged Asia, blog, Canadian, China, Culture, Culture Shock, Hong Kong, Sorry, Stereotypes, Tradition, Travel, Travel tips, Travel Tuesday
16 Comments

April 1, 2014

Freedom Rider

It started like any other day, waking up in a strange world full of opportunity and discovery with no plans or expectations. What it became, a 2 day expedition; just me, my backpack and a shiny new rented Honda I recently learned to ride, into places seemingly unseen by any foreigner or wanderer.

Past the rice paddies, rivers and waterfalls. Past countless villages inhabited by more than 20 different Ethnic tribes, through the NPA; massive jungles tangled high into the mountains of Northern Laos, following exhilarating hair pin bends that swayed my body in a rhythmic motion over the hills and through the valleys. For hours, with the road at my command I went in and out of paths big and small meeting villagers along the way. Continue reading →

Posted in Travel
Tagged Backpacking, Border crossing, China, Golden Triangle, Luang Nam Tha, motorcycle, Muang Sign, Solo, South East Asia, Thai Lu, Tribes
3 Comments

Karina's Extraordinary Life

Around the World by any Means

Tag Archives: China

Culture Shock! And The Porcelain Throne

First Encounters

Culture Shock! And The Sorry Complex – Hong Kong

Culture Shock! And The Sorry Complex

Freedom Rider

It started like any other day, waking up in a strange world full of opportunity and discovery with no plans or expectations. What it became, a 2 day expedition; just me, my backpack and a shiny new rented Honda I recently learned to ride, into places seemingly unseen by any foreigner or wanderer.

First Encounters

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Culture Shock and the Chinese Driver

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Culture Shock! And The Sorry Complex

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It started like any other day, waking up in a strange world full of opportunity and discovery with no plans or expectations. What it became, a 2 day expedition; just me, my backpack and a shiny new rented Honda I recently learned to ride, into places seemingly unseen by any foreigner or wanderer.

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