Desi Downey is the author of the book NiHowdy, her recently published account of her six years in China as a trailing spouse. We appreciate Desi sharing her first impression of her adopted country. Scroll down for a link to purchase the book. Neon. Lots and lots of neon. That is one of the first things I remember about China. When I was presented with the opportunity to live and work in China I jumped at the chance, even though I was both terrified and thrilled. And maybe just a little …
Five Stages of Culture Shock
I just finished reading a truly excellent article over at Expat Exchange. In Culture Shock: It's the Little Things that Count in the Biggest Ways, author Desi Downey identifies five stages of culture shock: Honeymoon/Tourist Irritation-to-Anger Rejection/Regression Integration/Assimilation Reverse or Reentry You can read the entire article here Downey went to China with her husband, sent there by his company. As she describes it, "One of the first things I noticed about China was …