Culture Shock
Phinc! : {finkk!} (Verb). To desire to see change, consider the role to play in that process and stay committed regardless of delay.
Culture Shock! This is the term used to describe a personal disorientation a person may feel when experiencing an unfamiliar way of life due to immigration or a visit to a new country or move between social environments.
For the most of Friday I was in culture shock. The funny thing is, it happened as I was on my way back to what should be familiar territory and culture. Permit me to give you a few highlights from that day. I am certain that a good number of people reading this will experience the same shock even though they currently are in Nigeria.
I was on a connect flight from London to Lagos via Paris. The first half of my trip I used to get over the emotions of finishing a long over due holiday, having to return to work and leaving family I had not seen in years. Exchanging flights wasn’t much of a task and we had about an hour thirty minutes to wait before we began to board the plane heading for LAGOS. It was surprisingly a short wait. Time flew by so fast. We were called to board and then that’s where it started. A policeman shoved me a little and went past me. Four young black men and a team of people who looked South American followed him. Some minutes after that these young men began to create a scene. Story is they were being deported from Venezuela. They shouted at the top of their voices in pidgin, French and Spanish saying they would not let this flight leave till their personal belongings where returned to them. I seemed to have been the only one concerned about this. Every other person either laughed or went close to find out what was going on. “What where these boys doing all the way in Venezuela?” I asked myself. Is it not impossible to have the life you dream in Nigeria? Doesn’t Nigeria provide the opportunity for young people to be more?
Little did I know that these ones would be the least of the problem on the flight. For the next six hours we went from a serious fight between two women, to the entire back of the plane getting drunk and wasted, to loud conversations between aisles, to people refusing to sit when the plane was landing because they needed to use the toilet. The man in the sit across the aisle from me said this about the disorder, “Abeg, leave us make we celebrate. We are almost in Nigeria. There’s no light and nothing works jor. Lets enjoy ourselves jare.” At this point I froze.
Culture shock! This term I use to describe the disorientation I had when experiencing an familiar way of life after recently seeing a different one where the system works and the people understand that each of them play a role in making things work.
My mother used to say to us as kids that ROME was not built in a day. I learnt early in life that if I wanted to see certain results next week I had better begin to make the right moves today. Today is the reason that tomorrow will be as we dream it. There is apparently so much that the Nation and its leadership currently do not provide to make living easy as it in other countries. But whilst we play our role in ensuring that these people are accountable we must create the change we want to see in our businesses, families and sects. We must begin to think right, desire it and put our hands to the plow… TODAY! Today is tomorrow’s platform. Be a part of the Nigeria we all want to see.
I hope this got you to PHINC!
NIgerians, self included, can be some of the most unruly people I've ever seen. Wow!!!
Must’ve been one rowdy plane. Orderliness is something the average Nigerian doesn’t understand or even embrace. Quite pathetic, really.
Exact similar experience. I didn't know. Sat at the back right in the middle of the drunks and unruly people. Kept demanding for more wine and beer continuously. Scared poor waitresses hurrying about timidly not knowing how to stop the coming chaos. One even touched an air hostess on her backside. When she got upset and called the captain, another Nigerian said in his defense: "Please don't be angry, it is how we are: it is normal to touch our women where we come from!" :-O I never felt more furious or ashamed. I looked around, and I am so certain there must have been kidnappers and criminals on that flight. I cannot imagine there were none of such. So I fumed and did not get involved. Now I know where to sit, and have mastered the art of seat selection by looking online at the seats most likely occupied by decent families I guess are with kids. The whole situation is sad. Really sad
I cry… Having my own little culture shock… Presently in dubai, where everything works.
Hilariously shocking…and true! Our excuse for being that way is, "we are Nigerians". No. Smh.
I dread flights with Nigerians on it. I am a Nigerian but I do not behave in the least bit like one(given our stereotype). Im so different from them people go into mild shock when I say I am Nigerian, It might not be a compliment to my nation, but it is a compliment to my person.
We are totally unruly and classless and i"ve felt almost uncontrollable urges mid-air wanting to throw some people off the flight especially when they are drunk, why cant you just drink your alcohol and sleep for God's sake??
Awesome and apt
I haven't experienced it firsthand but heard too many stories for it not to be true