Philippines Cultural Fatigue Examples

Philippines Cultural Fatigue Examples

Philippines Cultural Fatigue Examples
Here are simple examples of cultural fatigue here in the Philippines. A person will experience varying degrees of cultural fatigue when they travel, from small annoyances to a shock.

Nobody can escape cultural fatigue, you may find yourself feeling,
“I am tired, something just ain’t right.”

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Philippines
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Monday, October 5, 2009
Vote and send Andy to a New Country
Buy the Same Gear as Andy uses… Sold at three times the price, sorry.
Philippines Hotels
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Causes of Cultural Fatigue
My mind is trained to expect certain things to happen, this is automatic no conscious thought required. When I am required to think, I slowly become mentally fatigued.



Example One of Cultural Fatigue

List of Adjustments I need to make or accept:

1. No Hot Water
- I needed to accept, or wait about 15 minutes for the hot water to travel from the central hot water tank to my room.

2. Faucets handles turn wrong directions
- Every time I tried to turn on or off, I need to check myself; I actually walked away a few times with the water running.

3. Laundry Soap
- I am carrying laundry soap just in case I cannot find a laundry.

4. Drain Plug
- Funny problem, truly it is abnormal to even have a way to plug the drain, however, this hotel did have a plug of sorts. I needed to twist it vertically with my fingers to open. The problem was this, it kept closing. If I were not careful, there would be standing water in the sink that did not drain.

5. Shave with Soap
- I purchased a small container of shaving cream in the huge supermarket of Robinsons Mall, It ran out, I must return to a very large store to grocery to purchase again, and it is difficult to purchase in small convenience shops. In the USA, I use an electric razor. I like to use a single blade razor, however very difficult to purchase, I must accept the double bladed disposables.



Example Two of Cultural Fatigue

List of Adjustments I need to make or accept:

1. The floor in the shower does not tilt or flow towards the drain there is standing water in the shower. Standing water causes an increase in insects and other slimy problems.

2. Corner protrudes near the shower head; I cannot just stand under it and shower.

3. This large garbage bucket is a backup water system, or for some cultures it can be a way to take a dip shower. I appreciate a backup water system. Sometimes these are full of disgusting water, sometimes they are left empty. The hotel provides no instructions as why it is there. I filled it up so I would have water for a dip shower ready to use.

4. Dipper
--- These dippers are used by people to pour water down the back of their butt to clean after using the toilet. I am not going to explain all the problems, I carry my own dipper.

Conclusion

I needed to make nine cultural adjustments just to use the “Restroom” in America, the “Toilet” in Europe and the “Comfort Room” in the Philippines.

If you tally up the complete list of adjustments needed in the course of one day here in the Philippines you would be astounded. Just a trip from Indiana to New York City could cause a person to say,
“I needed to go home to relax.”

Solution
Minimize the cultural adjustments needed, and maximize your activities that energize your self-esteem.
(Oversimplified, but essentially correct.)

I heard a great quote the other day about the Philippines,
“The women anesthetize the men.”

I do not have a small Filipina girl in tow; I am 100 percent aware the Expat men here need these women to survive emotionally

People ask me what I like about the USA, I will say,
“Fitted Sheets.”
The rule of law would fly over their heads.

I give thousands of small travel tips; there is a reason for these travel tips. I have been able to travel for almost 12 years continually moving, continually changing locations.

When I misspell a word, or write a sentence awkward, backwards or as a sentence fragment, this causes you to think and is a variation of the cultural fatigue.

By the way, the hotel I was explaining was owned by an American, sometimes they go native.

Philippines Cultural Fatigue Examples