Vodcast # 30 - Responding to Cultural Shock by Gurjeet Chima

As more people are moving to different countries these days, the word - cultural shock is being used widely. It’s basically when we experience a different culture, one that is unfamiliar to the one we grow up in.

When Gurjeet first travelled in China, she experienced a shock, which made her feel like her personal space was invaded. Grown up in Hong Kong, while travelling to China & India, she felt like due to large population, people there did not quite understand the concept of personal space. They will bump into people without apologizing, squeezing into elevator without waiting for another one.

But Gurjeet wants to share how different people react to it differently. She noticed 2 directions - either feeling irritated or laughed it off. For Gurjeet, it’s the latter one. She thinks she learns to see the world from a different perspective. Also, this allows to be more comfortable in an uncomfortable situation. She does believe if everyone has the ability to see things from different perspectives, multicultural societies would work much better.

#CulturalShock #Perspective #GurjeetChima #Culture #Travel #Multiculturalism

About the speaker:

Gurjeet Chima is a media and entertainment practitioner with a focus on cross cultural collaborations. As a second generation Indian in Hong Kong, she advanced her education in Beijing with a Distinction in Chinese Language and Culture followed by a Master's Degree in Translation and Interpretation at the University of Bath, UK. Being fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese, English, Punjabi and Hindi, she is a rare professional with rich cross-cultural experience and a global perspective. Ms Chima started her career working for the United Nations as a simultaneous interpreter before moving on to Walt Disney Inc in the same role. She has also worked for international corporations such as BBC Studios, Film Business Asia, Variety and is currently leading the International Markets at Penske Media Corp. Having created and maintained partnerships with Chinese, US, Indian companies, she continues to work in this field to promote exchange of ideas and cross-cultural collaborations.