This book was written as a means to teach how important it is to understand the way other cultures live; without a true understanding of the diversity that is between cultures, it can result in conflict and misunderstandings. This book is meant to be an aid to the reader about how to show compassion and truly care about one another; not caring about any differences in skin tone, hair, or dialect, it is about what is on the inside that makes the person whom we really are. When we think of others and behave toward them in the same manner we want them to act towards us, this is when we truly do our part in making the world a better place to live. The coming pages of this book are going to show you, the reader, just what it takes to learn how to study and live in a foreign country. How to get along in a culture that doesn't really understand about the ethnicity you come from; and how you can do your part to learn about the culture and ethnic beliefs of the country you are about to embark upon. The first step is to learn about "culture adaptation". What some like to refer to as "culture shock" isn't really shocking at all--it is just an uneasiness felt when coming face-to-face with an ethnic group that we don't completely understand. This uneasiness goes away as we familiarize ourselves with the people and learn about their culture. When we choose to study abroad in a land that is far from home, we must make every effort to remember we are visitors in their home, and we must respect and learn how to abide by their customs and value system. Remember that the baggage we carry to a foreign country isn't just the luggage that holds our clothing and personal belongings that we brought with us from home; we also carry an invisible baggage which is our "cultural baggage". This cultural baggage is the values and behavior you bring with you that is common to people of your culture. If you are in touch with your own cultural beliefs, you will be able to see how different they are to the culture of the people you are visiting, and this will help you in understanding how to get along with and adapt to the differences. When in a different land from our home, we need to realize that the things we think are "normal" may not be perceived as such to the people we are visiting. Try to read as much information as you can find available on the country and its people before you step foot on the soil of a foreign land. By doing so, you will familiarize yourself with the customs and beliefs of the people you will be living with.
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