In this podcast, I share with you my culture shock stories.

TRANSCRIPT:
     Welcome to the first episode of “BADIA: Being a Desi in America”.
I’m your host Noor ul Iman, and today, I am going to share with you my three biggest culture shocks in America. Have you ever experienced a culture shock? Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone when they are suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. I was born In Pakistan; and at the age of 14,  two years, ago my family moved to the  United States. Our first few days in this country are still some of the most memorable days of our lives.  Although we were enjoying the newness, and the change in our lives, there where a lot of things in this new culture that confused us.
     My first culture shock was how informal American youth are with their elders like parents and teachers. In Pakistan, students have very formal behavior with teachers. Teachers are addressed as Sir or Madam, and students show respect by standing up when the teacher walks in. I didn’t expect for the schools here to be any different so when my Spanish teacher walked in the classroom I stood up for her, waiting for her to greet me and tell me to sit down, (just like I did in Pakistan). When I realized that no one else was standing, I quickly sat down. I was so confused about why nobody was standing up. Also, whenever a teacher asked me a question, I couldn’t help but stand up to answer the question. It was probably funny for my class fellows to see me stand up again and again in the class, but it was like a habit of mine to stand up.
     Another thing that surprised me is the friendliness of the American people. American people are nice and polite. Chitchat or small talk is a big part of conversations here.  Pakistanis don’t chit chat; so they won’t ask you how your day is going unless they really care about your day. Walking down a street, you’ll notice that strangers smile at you.  They’re not smiling because they are happy or because something is funny; they smile because it’s polite.  
     My third culture shock was American Humor. Jokes are very different in Pakistan. They are just random, short funny stories. In my first days here, I was unfamiliar with “puns” and the “knock, knock” jokes. So, while my friends laughed at these jokes, I would just stand there awkwardly trying to figure out what was so funny.
Here’s a knock-knock joke that I still don't find funny
Knock knock.
Who’s there?
Voodoo.
Voodoo who?
Voodoo you think you are, asking me so many questions?
 What’s so funny about this joke? I don’t understand.  
Now, after two years, American culture is pretty normal to me.  I like how students can be informal but still respectful with their teachers. Being friends with your teacher means that your class is much less boring and you can have fun while learning. Chatting with people is still hard for me but I believe it’s a good icebreaker and a good way to start friendships. These were some of my experiences being new to the American culture and I’m sure a lot of people can relate to them. There are so many beautiful things about American, as well as Pakistani culture and I am very grateful to be able to experience them. My advice to someone experiencing a culture shock right now is to just relax and enjoy your weird days because everything will be normal soon and then, you will remember these moments and laugh because they are always so fun to remember.  
Thank you for listening to this podcast and have a fantastic rest of your day!
Bye

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