A small but rapidly growing proportion of Asia’s population is made up of expats. Although these migrants perform diverse roles, the day to day experience of living in a foreign country, where they may not even be able to read basic script, is a commonality that they all share.
We spoke to a group of EU citizens who made the decision to move to Asia to find out how the relocation had impacted their lives. What struck us was that, in spite of the varied reasons our interviewees had for leaving their home countries, all of them were overwhelming positive about the experience.
James chose to make the jump when he was offered a fellowship abroad. However, he also embraced the opportunity for the life experience it represented, telling us that, “I wanted to travel and experience other cultures and it was a good opportunity to do so.” Similarly, Cannelle undertook internships in South-East Asia Dubai, hoping to gain a greater understanding of other international cultures. Amy who had also been offered a promising internship, had previously spent time in Vietnam during a gap year and was eager to return. Unlike the rest of our interviewees, Samantha didn’t have a direct reason for moving to Asia, but chose to work in the east with the hopes of ultimately improving her career prospects.
For westerners moving to Asia, and indeed vice versa, perhaps the biggest initial hurdle to deal with the culture shock that comes from uprooting yourself into a totally alien environment. In fact, Professor Hiroaki Ota has actually identified a transient psychological condition known as ‘Paris Syndrome,’ where an individual is driven into an altered mental state by the disconnect between their expectations and the reality of the new surroundings. The condition takes its name from the fact that it is said to afflict Japanese visitors to Paris in particular.
Fortunately, all of our respondents appeared to have experienced any significant psychological issues, however Frenchwoman Canelle in particular seems to have suffered from the culinary shift, telling us that she had resorted to pouring milk in her food to lessen the spice. Intern Amy in particular seems to have thrived on the shift, stating that once she had got over the initial impacts, she had channeled her culture shock into, “self-discovery and trying new things.”
Whilst things will be different for every expat, the time it has taken for our respondents to begin to feel at home in Asia seems directly proportionate to their ability to communicate in their new home.
For Samantha, who based herself in Anglophone nation Singapore, it was very easy to socialize and make new connections. Language barriers continue to pose a problem for Amy, but nonetheless she has managed to make some local friends and achieve a balance between expat and non-expat life. She is however quick to point out that she is far from fully integrated. Study abroad student James adopted a different tactic, making friends with other people on his program to gain a sense of belonging in his new city.
Aside from obvious issues such as language and gastronomy, our interviewees pointed out that local differences in factors such as body language, script, and gender relations could all pose problems of their own. Cannelle, who is currently residing in India, explained that whilst in France she would often embrace her acquaintances, in South Asia, “hugging can cause misinterpretation of friendliness,” which had caused some initially awkward moments.
However, regardless of the challenges and tribulations, all respondents seemed to be embracing the highs and lows of adapting to life in Asia, and hopeful that they will reap the benefits of relocating in the future. As James pointed out, living in a country so different to one’s own is truly a once in a lifetime experience, and despite the stress, he wanted to embrace every second of the journey.
