What We Have Here.... is a Failure to Communicate
Posted by
Wazit
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Posted in
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Posted on
7:09 AM
Now that Mental Health attachment is already over, it's now on to Child Health attachment. Too bad that the whole of the first week is all lectures and such, but then again it's a good way to catch up on the developmental milestones of children. I remember it being shoved into our brains sometime in IMU.... and the only thing we have to remember is cooing, babbling and what not.... came out in exam somemore lol So, yeah not much comments about Child Health until sometime next week I think, when I will be officially in the wards (I hope). Today I will talk about something which has been highlighted to me quite a number of times recently, and I myself have felt it too.
Cultural differences.... it's once for me a negligible issue. Oh, but how wrong I was for it is actually a very big hurdle indeed if one is to study/move abroad for the first time. What me and a few friends around UK has noticed is that we don't really mix in well with the locals. Don't get me wrong, they are all a nice lot, helpful and friendly. But it doesn't help much in fostering a friendship if there's not much of a common ground in the first place. I remember back in Malaysia where me and my friends can bullcrap away for hours till the house come home, and we still won't be done! Whilst here, I can hardly maintain a conversation for more than 5 minutes. Such stark contrast, I would say...
Well, there are actually are few main reasons that I felt was hindering the conversation flow... Firstly, many a times, the topic of conversation among the locals are about drinking. Something like this...
'Oh you know yesterday... X actually drank a tad too much and was like sick all over the carpet'
'Urgh... had too much to drink last night... and I have a bad hangover at the moment'
'My level of drinking fluctuates a lot! Sometimes I can finish off a few bottles of wine and sometimes I can only drink a few mugs of beer!'
Well, the list goes on and on... so you get the drift. How could I, a person who rarely drinks at all, contribute anything into this conversation?
Secondly, they always have some activity planned for the night/evening. Either a rave party, a drinking session, house party, you name it.... So, every once in a while an awkward situation will pop up where one of the locals will be nice enough to initiate a conversation with me.
X: So did you do anything yesterday?
Me: Oh, nothing much. Basically stayed in my room surfing the Internet or studying. (I'm lying. Most of the time, I actually playing games or watching shows. Just not enough guts to admit it)
X: Oh.... *silence ensues*
Now... let's repeat the scenario with two locals instead.
X: So, did you do anything yesterday?
Y: Oh yeah, went to the rave party last night. Did you go?
X: Oh yes! It was a wonderful party last night. Drank a tad bit too much last night though. (Notice the topic of conversation shifted to alcohol)
Y: Yeah. Z was totally hilarious last night. Her face was all red and she was babbling like a baby.
See the difference? It's no wonder the Westerners know alcohol-related diseases like the back of their hand (Something I was made aware of recently). I still have some productive conversation from time to time, but the incidence is quite scarce. Well, that's all the complaining I'll do for now. Don't want to end up sounding emo. Till next time!
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