As an expatriate, when you are given an overseas work assignment to travel to a new country, you may not know what to expect. Most may think that this is an extended holiday that will be enjoyable and may be blinded by the emotions of being paid to go abroad. For example, there is a popular expat forum where young workers abroad meet and discuss the fact that they clearly aren't having as much fun abroad as they thought they would. “Culture shock, a term first popularized by anthropologist Kalvero Oberg, refers to the psychological disorientation experienced by people who suddenly find themselves living and working in radically different cultural environments” (Ferraro, p. 198). Many graduates are increasingly choosing to study, live and work abroad in search of a professional career, success and adventure while they are there. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Meeting people in a foreign environment and in a foreign language is a real challenge because many of these young expats may make acquaintances, but not friends and end up living a solitary life, living out of suitcases and five-star hotels. Furthermore, many of them are not prepared and do not have a good expatriation package or support package. This is why it turns into misery and longing to return to one's home country and a constant missing of one's friends, family and what their life was like before traveling abroad. For example, an expat named Jon Perry went abroad to Singapore and feels like he is no longer on an extended vacation and has been there for three years and feels that this is enough to start missing home. Also, for him the security of having a 'gang' wasn't there for him, so he was worried about the first few months and that he might feel lonely. Being single can make the experience more daunting than dating a partner. Overseas assignments can be very lonely for anyone, especially young professionals. The only thing set for these expats is their job when they go abroad. So meeting people in a foreign context and in a foreign language is a challenge for everyone and even the most extroverted types often suffer from chronic shyness and inhibition. “Adaptation to different cultures implies the desire to go out and explore the cultural landscape” (Ferraro, page 210). When you don't know anyone, the only three choices you have are: going to a restaurant or bar alone, staying in your apartment to watch a foreign-language TV show, or working overtime to avoid finding yourself in an empty place. and lonely house, which can trap you in a vicious circle. Expats working for Shell in the Netherlands are considered luckier than others because the article mentions that in addition to briefings before departure and back in the host country, the company sponsors the 'Outpost' Network which assists expats in daily life . Furthermore, it is mentioned in the article that Margaret Malewski believes that this strategy is also not effective enough. He believes that in an ideal world, employers should make an effort to recognize the challenges of expat life and continue to adapt their packages to reflect the changing profile of their expat populations. He points out that it is also up to employees to find out about their destination before they arrive, pointing out to the employer that they would be happy to have a cheap studio flat in the city center and use public transport, but in exchange they want a monthly flight.
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