Assignment #3

To change or not to change...

When I first came to Russia I thought that I know so much about the country and the people - due to the fact that my culture and upbringing is very similar - but this is not so. To be honest I did not think that I would personally change so much.

A part of my culture is kissing people close to you, like friends and family, when saying greetings or saying goodbye. Here, this also takes place. Bartering does not work at shops, but when at market places, I definitely do my best (Unfortunately I am not very good - I can manage to get about a 10-15% discount).
Oh...funny story - I was looking to buy a Manchester United, Ronaldo T-shirt for my cousin in Lithuania and I seen a teenage boy wearing it, so I asked: Where did you buy your T-shirt? He answered: In Azerbaijan. That was a loss of hope for me, so I left his stand. About 5 minutes later, a man approached me and said: Go and ask him for the T-shirt, he will sell it to you! I found that a little weird - that a person is willing to sell the T-shirt off his back to me!!!

Anyways back to the changes.... Now during rush hour, I stand very close to the "yellow line" when I wait for the subway, and once the train arrives I push through other people to get inside. You have to do that here, you have to be assertive so that people dont push you around - otherwise you will have to take the next train.

When I walk into a store, before standing in the line, I wait and decide exactly what I want, then I tell the cashier clearly what I want (because they tend to be inpatient when you are indecisive and take a long time to order). Before I used to speak more softly and very polite- now I am am more assertive in the langauge that I use, I speak loud, clear and straight to the point so that there will be no misunderstanding. I think this a very good quality that I have obtained.

In the beggining, I used to come to work looking very professional, but the environment here at Oxfam is very relaxed and not soo overly sophisticated, so I began wearing nice jeans and t-shirts (The look that I am used to and feel most comfortable in).

Digging deeper...
Effective communication is so important in life. In the beginning at work, I was not getting much feedback so I decided to ask for feedback instead of waiting for it. Sometimes, it was negative feedback and I learned to take it in and work with it. Other people around us see our negative side much more than we do ourselves, so feedback is a large part of the personal growth process. I learned to look at my actions and my work more critically, considering all possible outcomes and consequences of my actions at work and outside.

I learned to accept Russian people and the culture here. Before, sometimes people seemed rude, irritated, and cold at times. But I was able to look beyond that and I realized that sometimes this is just the way they are, this is their norm and I must accept that.

I am very attached to my family and my life in Canada. A lot of people do not realize what they have until they do not have it anymore. My experience here made me think about how lucky I actually am to have what I have and all of the possibilities that lie for me in my future.

Future sucess lies in the ability to learn, and change from your mistakes and from others. This is what I am working with, and will continue to work with in the future.