CROSS CULTURE EXPERIENCE

This game was sent to us via a Girl Scout email chain letter. The source is unknown, but it's such a great activity that we had to include it here! If anyone knows who it originated with, we would love to give them credit!
Your family has decided that they can no longer live in Canada. There are no jobs and the prospect of finding jobs in very slim. Your family has discussed where to move to and because one of your neighbors moved to India last year and was able to find a job the decision has been made to move your family to India. They have chosen you to go ahead, find a job and someplace for them to stay and they will follow you in about 6 months. The day has arrived for you to leave and you have said your good-byes to your family and friends and are now seated on the airplane waiting for take off. The person sitting beside you says: "Is this your first trip to India? You reply, "Yes" and the person says " what do you know about India?"

1. Write three things you say:

You have a very smooth flight to India, when you arrive at Customs, you hand your passport to the Customers Officer, he shakes his head, says something you do not understands, points over to another Officer and you have to haul all your stuff over there you do not understand anything they are saying to you.

2. What do you feel?

They finally appear to be satisfied with your passport and you are allowed out into the people filled airport. You look all around and cannot see anyone that even looks vaguely familiar. The family who moved here last year are suppose to be here to pick you up. You cannot find them.

3. What do you feel?

You have waited two hours and you no idea what you should do. You just sit and wait. You look around you at the people in their strange clothes, with their strange language that you cannot understand.

4. What do you feel as you look and listen?

People seem to be looking at you strangely and you begin to worry about what to do if these people do not come soon. As the people look at you...

5. What do you think they are thinking?

The family you have been waiting for finally arrive, full of explanations as to why they are late. They take you to their home, which is only a very small apartment and tell you that you are welcome to say there for a few days until you can find a job and a place to live.

6. What do you feel?

7. What do you want them to say?

They tell you that they know of a place that is hiring and that they will take you there the next day to see if you can get a job.

8. What kind of job do you expect to get?

The company says yes they will hire you and that you can start the next day. It is a shoe factory and you will be cutting out the leather for the tops of the shoes. You are to stand at a machine which has very sharp blades and if you do not move the blade very accurately you ruin the leather and the shoe cannot be made and you could possibly cut yourself very severely. You are not sure that you understand exactly what to do as the person who explained your job did not speak English very well and was very hard to understand. You worked in an office back home and have never had to stand all day to work.

9. Briefly list your impressions of your first day:

The other people in the factory are not very friendly and because you cannot speak their language you are finding it difficult to make any friends.

10. List your efforts:

You have been looking for a place to live, because there is not enough room for you at your friends. You have two choices. You can move in with a family who are from Canada or you can move in with an Indian family.

11. Which do you choose and why?

You are taking language classes at night and trying very hard to learn to speak their language but there are so many dialects that you find you cannot understand anything. You try very hard but feel you will never learn the new language. You get to work one morning and they tell you that they have made a rule that says you must speak their language and that you can no longer speak English at work.

12.a. What is your first thought?

12.b. When would you find yourself breaking the rule?

Christmas is fast approaching, Your family will not be with you for Christmas but the family you live with is very friendly and will help you get through Christmas.

13. List two other times when you would feel homesick?