Tag Archives: immigrant

The overseas culture shock

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Culture shock for new immigrants abroad

“The wise adapt themselves to circumstances, as water moulds itself to the pitcher” ~Chinese Proverbs

The culture shock is the feeling of anxiety and emotional discomfort that an immigrant suffers when moving to another country or another place with very different culture, customs and social environment.

No matter how open minded we are, it is hard to ignore the differences around us when we first venture out to an overseas place. Be it as a student or as an immigrant, the vast difference in culture and customs is a part of the new encounters, and the early experiences in a new land.

The surroundings and the social settings of the new country are always dramatically different for a newcomer. Everything that was once taken for granted in home country is up for recalibration: the language, the accent, the skin color, the dress code,…. Everything is new; everything is different. The phone works differently; the food is not the same, the traffic laws are confusing…

All of a sudden, our own way of life, our own way of speaking and our own customs become a foreign concept in the new land. This radical change and the sudden differences everywhere in the new country is what we call the culture shock.

This culture shock basically comes from the significant differences in the cultural and social settings as one migrates from one place to another. These resulting effects of all this could include anxiety, confusion, lack of direction, the feeling of not knowing what to do, or how to do things in a new country…. Not knowing what is appropriate or inappropriate, what is accepted and not accepted etc. are the daily dilemmas.

Migrating to another country is an adventure that involves many ‘ups’ and ‘downs’ – the culture shock being one the very first ‘downs’. :(

The feelings and symptoms of culture shock: This mental and emotional phase of confusion from culture shock comes with many new feelings. Depending on the personal tolerance or attitude, the feelings may include: Continue reading →

Crossing the language barrier abroad!

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“The language barrier is probably the most difficult and takes the longest to overcome.” ~ Stephen Lee

Most of the times, the phrase ‘Language barrier’ refers to the difficulties people face during communicating if they don’t speak the same language; or if the speech or accent is too different to communicate effectively.
Almost everyone who ventures out to the worlds far-far away, the language barrier is one of the many hurdles encountered in the new land. For people migrating from India, even though they speak and understand English in most of the cases, the communication problems still exist. The fact is that spoken English in America or other Western countries is not the same as in India. The style, the slang, the acceptable norms….everything is different. One is bound to feel out of place in the beginning of this overseas journey.

The key issues surrounding the language barrier and the best ways to approach or alleviate them are:

The language knowledge: Knowledge of the English language is the most important step toward adjusting and adapting to the English speaking culture and society. The understanding of grammar and sound knowledge of vocabulary are necessary to build a reliable foundation for any language. For people from India, this is not a major issue because most of us learn English in school and have a good command of the language itself.

The ‘thick’ accent: The accent is natural; this is how we talk and speak in our native country growing up. The Indian accent of English –commonly called ‘thick’ accent- is very different from the way they speak English overseas. While there are ways to soften the accent or dramatically reduce it by practice and with conscious effort, it takes time to lose the accent. For details on this topic, refer to the previous post titled ‘A self-help guide to lose your accent!’. Continue reading →

Tips on buying a house in USA or Canada!

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Tips on house hunting abroad – in USA or Canada!
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Have money? Like shopping?…

When it comes to housing today, it is a ‘buyer’s market’. ‘House for sale’ signs are multiplying in every neighborhood; with lots of sellers eager to sell. It is a good opportunity for those who are looking for house.

The process of finding and purchasing a house can be fun or a headache, depending on the circumstances or how you approach it. In most of the cases, the main reason for a house purchase is:

  • upgrading to a house from an apartment,
  • moving into a new area due to job or business or family reasons,
  • buying a house for renting out, or as an investment.

Regardless the reason, the house buying process is quite similar in all such cases in USA and Canada. Many of these steps or commonsense rules also apply for rest of the world as well.

Here are the key factors and main steps to consider before and during the house purchasing process:

Selecting the real estate Agent: The house hunting in itself is an adventure. Some people try it by themselves, while others hire a real-estate agent – the realtor. A good real-estate agent is instrumental to finding the right house and closing the deal smoothly and efficiently. A real-estate agent can simplify the whole process to an art. So, it is very important to hire a good and reliable realtor. Make sure to interview -yes, interview- multiple agents and ask all the appropriate questions including:

  • their qualifications, experience and background,
  • do they work alone or in a team?
  • their track records or success rate,
  • knowledge of the area,
  • overall chemistry or easy to work with,
  • Any other factors that are important to you: For example, possible issues of the language barrier etc.

Many Indians hire a realtor from their own community while others prefer a professional strictly based on the qualifications.

Know your budget:How much are you willing to spend, or how much can you afford, is always a good question to ask. There are many online tools that can help with calculating the monthly mortgage amount, and other expenses related to house buying and maintenance.

Mortgage pre-qualification: It is important to make sure that you are able to secure the financing for the house. Talk to your bank or a mortgage expert/broker, and find out how much mortgage you can get. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the loan amount, and the resulting monthly payment. Continue reading →

California legislature passes the kirpan Bill for Sikhs!

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California satae legislature passes the ‘Kirpan bill’ to support Sikhs dress code

Most of us -from India or those of Indian origin- need no introduction to ‘kirpan’. It is a small blade that resembles a sword in shape, and is carried in a shoulder strap. It is one of the Sikh articles of faith, or a religious symbol that Sikhs wear after baptism. Over the years, many Sikhs have been questioned and arrested overseas for carrying a kirpan. The police, for example in USA, can compare the kirpan to carrying a concealed weapon if they don’t know the Sikh tradition.

In an effort to recognize the Sikh dress-code, the Californian state legislature unanimously passed a bill to train law enforcement personnel about Sikhs and the religious significance of ‘kirpans’.

Summary and the excerpts from the bill:

“SUMMARY:Requires the Commission on Peace Office Standards and Training (CPOST) to create and make available to all law enforcement agencies a training component on how to recognize and interact with a person carrying a “kirpan”.

Excerpts from the Bill:

“Sikh Americans form a vibrant, peaceful, and law-abiding part of the United States community. California was one of the first places that Sikhs settled in this country over 100 years ago. Today, California is home to a large number of the Nation’s 500,000 Sikhs….” Continue reading →

10 Tips on English pronunciation and accent improvement!

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Key tips on English pronunciation and accent improvement for people from India:

This post focuses on the specific difficulties that people from India encounter when speaking English, or during pronunciations of certain parts of English speech. For overall accent reduction and how to lose your accent, refer to the posts at the bottom of this article.
Based on common observations by everybody and feedback, here are some of the main problem areas, along with the tips to improve them:

1. The pronunciation of ‘Rs’, ‘Ts’, ‘Ds’ is not clear or hard to understand/distinguish:
‘T’ sound almost like ‘D’:T in some parts of American speech is supposed to be less crisp. It should sounds more like a ‘d’ in many cases, especially between vowels. Katie is pronounced almost like KaDie, water like waDer.
‘R’ pronunciation: There are varying observations on the sound of ‘R’:
-Let the sound of R flow; don’t put too much stress on this sound especially in the middle or in the end of a word.
-Don’t totally chewing up the sound of ‘R’ in other cases. Practice the stress on this sound, and listen to how your American/English friends use it. In ‘Robert’, the stress is on first R; let the second ‘r’ flow, without any pronounced stress.

2. ‘Vs’ and ‘Ws’ sound: This is a common problem for many Asians and Europeans, so don’t take it personally. There is a clear difference between ‘w’ and ‘v’ sounds. Even though most of Indians understand the difference, the distinction is often not carried out in spoken English. Let us try this:
-For the sound of ‘v’, place lower lip gently on the upper teeth and say the word. Don’t press it hard, you should be able to exhale through, while making the sound. Most of us find this hardest to get used to.
-For ‘w’ sound, it’s a different than ‘v’, the lips are supposed to be rounded and puckered like when we say ‘u’, and with no contact between the teeth and tongue. Move your lips in the forward direction as you vocalize the sound.
-The key distinction between the w/v sound and the ‘B’ sound is the fact that the lips are closed when we start to vocalize ‘B’. Continue reading →

LIFE IN CHINA…..A new place..A new culture!

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This is a guest post from d. mirpuri– an Indian in China , sharing experiences and thoughts about living in China .

China is much like India . This is the place where you’ll see fields still being plowed by an oxen while the farmer chats away on his mobile as he works – just talk when u walk baby!

Executives dressed in fake chinese made Armani suits and louis vuitton bags dash between high-powered business meetings.Yet, they always spend their Chinese new year with LAI-LAI (grandma) at her village home where she keeps poultry, grows plum (Indian bear) trees, has freshly ground chilies (they don’t use much masalas), and cooks spicy tofu-chicken (mapu-tofu) in her kitchen wok over an open fire. The youngsters play basket ball, the oldies practice thai chii (exercise) in the wee hours of the morning or soon after dusk.They can be found in any garden. Non chinese are always welcome to join them.

In China , you can see bullet trains passing by the donkey drawn carts; skyscrapers towering over old Buddhist temples. It is here that you will see that the poor have nearly next to nothing, and the rich have all. With its booming economy, life in China can be both richly rewarding and incredibly frustrating. Continue reading →

30 Tips on the art of small talk!

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Communications Tips (NRI and ESL Tips): Small Talk – how to carry-on a conversation effectively.

“Conversation should touch everything, but should concentrate itself on nothing.” ~ Oscar Wilde

I have written before on the importance of small talk . Small talk is a conversation, chit-chat or an informal discussion without any specific topic or subject. Small talk generally is not a problem if we are among our family and friends; there is always something to talk about. However, once we step into a wider social circle, it may become challenging at times to keep the conversation going or even start a conversation. Here are some of the tips on how to avoid uncomfortable situations, and carry on a small talk in all types of social settings:

1. Be a good listener: Pay attention and listen to what others are talking about. Good listening provides additional understanding about the people we are communicating with.

2. Introduce yourself if needed: Introduce yourself first, especially if you are in a new to the gathering, party or event.

3. Take queue from other’s conversation: This helps with the continuity of the discussion.

4. Ask questions…small ones: Questions or clarifications are important to understand the others involved in the conversation. The questions could be about the discussion going on, or general questions to ‘get-to-know’ the company. Continue reading →

The imprortance of small talk

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NRIs and ESL Tips: Importance of small talk in a conversation

Don’t tell your friends about your indigestions: “How are you!” is a greeting, not a question.
~Arthur Guiterman, A Poet’s Proverbs
 

Many of us, especially those with English as a second language (ESL),  often struggle with social communications and the language barrier. However, this article is written for anyone who may need some extra help with improving their communication skills.
Small talk is a conversation just for the sake of conversation. It does not have to have any specific topic or agenda. The small talk is considered a very important part of our overall communication or daily interactions with others.

Small talk is a big deal:  The small talk is important for so many reasons:

- it is essential for a smooth and effective communication with anybody we talk to.

- it creates a good first impression.

- it leads to a  lively and friendly conversation.

- if you are a good ‘small talker’ you will come across as an open and more friendly person

- it is an essential tool for effective interaction in any social settings.

- it leaves a lasting impression on the other party.

- it gives you more confidence as a speaker.

Parts of conversation:

In terms of overall conversation, small talk is very important throughout any communications. Following are the key functions of a small talk in any speech or discussion: Continue reading →

10 most uncommon business ideas for overseas!

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NRI Tips: Most uncommon or non-traditional business ideas to consider abroad

“If you have an apple and I have an apple and we exchange these apples then you and I will still each have one apple. But if you have an idea and I have an idea and we exchange these ideas, then each of us will have two ideas.” ~ George Bernard Shaw

There are some popular business ideas for overseas, including the one discussed in 10 most common businesses to start abroad. Now, here are some not-so-common ones. This should get you thinking, to make your own choice – from these suggestions or perhaps even better ones of your own based on your knowledge, skill and circumstances!  sxc1088992_glass_bangles

1. Indian fashion accessories: Consider an online or local store to sell Indian fashion accessories including glass bangles, simple Indian jewelries and other beauty items. This can start at a small scale and expand as the business grows

2. Pet care and grooming: A place to take care of pets including grooming, styling and domesticating. If you love pets, may want to look into this one. Continue reading →

A self-help guide to lose your accent!

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NRI Tips: A complete guide on accent reduction and English language accent improvement!

Talking is like playing on the harp; there is as much in laying the hands on the strings to stop their vibration as in twanging them to bring out their music. ~Oliver Wendell Holmes

This is the final segment of a series of articles written on how to lose your accent. This article includes a brief summary of earlier posts, tips based on personal experiments with different approaches and some additional tools on accent softening.

Before we start, it is very important to remember that:

-Our success or failure depends on our commitment. However, it is easier to make a commitment toward a goal, if we know that ‘help’ is around the corner - ’help’ such as this information.

-Nobody can help us better than ourselves.

With that in mind, the information below is a self-help or a guide on accent softening, accent reduction and how to lose your accent ultimately:

Accent is normal: We all have accent, it is the way we speak; it is the way we used to talk in our neighborhood growing up. It only becomes an accent when we leave our neighborhood and go far away where they speak differently. Even within the same country, the same language is spoken with different slang, and in different style. Have you ever seen a white person in India trying to speak Hindi? Now, that is an accent; it is more than an accent – most of the time it is a slaughterhouse :) ! So don’t feel too bad if someone tell you that you have a ‘thick’ accent. This is normal. You can read more about accent basics in this linked post.

How to lose or soften your accent: The main process and methods are detailed in the post titled ‘How to lose your accent’. It has received some very good reviews all around. Out of all the segments mentioned here, if you have time for only one article, this is the article you should go to. The process of accent softening – as outlined in the linked article – involves following key steps:

a. Break the habit of old speaking ways

b. Be a good listener Continue reading →

10 most common business ideas to consider abroad!

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NRI Tips: Common Businesses to start overseas!

There are many ways to make a good living abroad, business is one of them.  A business operation and ownership is not for everybody, you have to have an aptitude for ventures, willingness to take risks and understanding of different aspects of operating a business. Depending on your ambitions and circumstances, it may become an around-the-clock run that comes with huge rewards and big downsides. Along with the day-dreams of prosperity to follow, you and your stakeholders – family, partners, and investors – should also understand the possibility of losing your shirt.
For those, who have done their homework and understand the pros and cons of opening a business, here are some of the most common ones to consider:
1. Indian Grocery store: In the USA, Canada, England and other courtiers with Indian diaspora, there is quite a bit demand for Indian stores that carry common grocery items used in Indian cooking. This kind of business is ideal for the area with high concentration of Indian population. Continue reading →

How to make a really good living abroad! – $$!!

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NRIs Tips: How to select work and financial options overseas to make real money

As I discussed before, there are many good reason to go abroad and then there are some bad ones too. Most of the main reasons to leave India and go overseas are directly or indirectly linked to the search for long term or short term financial gains and prosperity. By end of the day, it comes down to MONEY. :) sxc_money_series_51
However, the often overlooked factor is the poor planning behind all this. If we are sacrificing so much, and put up with so many new hurdles and challenges, we should at least have a solid plan to find the right occupation or business. 
The plan may vary from one person to another depending on personal strengths and weakness, but it is important to have a plan towards reaching our financial goals; how we are going to succeed in our mission toward prosperity.
There is all kind of job planning info available, but most of them are more generic career plans for local individuals planning their goals, not for immigrants, Indians or NRIs. As a part of the basic plan, it is very critical to outline and understand:
- What kind of jobs best suit your skills and needs?
- Would you consider and take a position that is less rewarding as a back-up plan?
- Would you consider a career change or downgrade if things are not working out?
- What are the other options or choices to consider as a back-up?
- Is going back to India one of the options?

Depending on how you answer the questions above and any other personal circumstances, you can then decide on the best jobs or best options to support your financial plan abroad. Here are some of the main options to consider for a suitable and rewarding job or business, to make real money:

  1. Find your dream job – Plan A: The best possible scenario is to look for a job that meets your skill sets and then finding one. If you are a computer engineer by trade for example, then first preference should be to search for a job in that field.  There are lots of online and local resources to help in this area. Make sure to take a look at the  job-search tips detailed in a separate post linked here. Also check out the common online resources such as  Career Builder, Yahoo Careers and Monster.com. If you find one, especially in this economy, consider it a major achievement.

    2. Continue reading →

13 Unlucky reasons to go abroad!

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NRI Tips: Worst reasons to leave India and go overseas!

As discussed in a previous article, there are many good reasons to go overseas; but there are plenty of bad ones too. Some of the worst reasons to go abroad are:sxcparadise_torn_paper_white

  1. Illusions of Paradise: The overseas land of riches may be rich, but it is no paradise by any means. Especially for a new immigrant, the challenges could be overwhelming.
  2. Blind Job hopes: With global recession everywhere, the unemployment rate in Europe and America is highest in decades. The demand for foreign work visa is actually down.
  3. Second try might work: If going abroad did not work the first time and nothing has changed, the chances of better encounter on second try are minimal.

    4. Continue reading →