Moving to another part of the world can be exciting! It can also hold some frustration. When you experience a new culture – a good advice is to just take it all in. Try to leave interpretation and judgment behind for a while, until you learn more about the rules, norms and values. It will save you some emotional rides. I know it sounds easier said than done, but from the top of my head I can think of situations where I have felt indignation and later learnt that there was no such intent behind. It was just a matter of cultural difference.
This is not only valid for expatriation but for all encounters with a, to us, new culture.
It’s so easy to misinterpret what is said or what is meant when living in a foreign country! I remember well when I first lived in Kenya, and two Kikuyu girls were hiding on my porch from a torrential rain. They did not want to come inside. I offered them a cup of chai, tea, and one said, “I don’t mind.” I felt rather taken aback, thinking, well, if you don’t mind, why should I? Of course later I learned that it meant, yes, please. 😉
Yes, it’s so easy to feel hurt. Nuances & language as well as how we act in different cultures take us there sometimes! One thing I often hear in Sweden is that people try to speak Swedish when shopping and the sales person answers in English, which make people think they can’t speak correctly & are not appreciated for their effort. A Swedish acquaintance working at the check out in a grocery store told me once she was hurt because she would speak English as a customer service but felt she did wrong. She could not understand why. She thought customers would appreciate it.