Culture shock is a feeling that a person experiences when facing something that is totally different from what he or she is used to. Students who study abroad are likely to get culture shock. Almost all of them go through the same experiences.

In the first few weeks, they are amazed by the new place. They believe the culture there is much better. But after a few months, this is when things get challenging. They have been used to their new habits, so they find troubles such as using a different language and getting used to dealing with the people around them. At this time, most of them start to miss their own culture. When about 6 months have passed, they finally start to get comfortable in their new place. It is said that it takes a year to fully get used to a new culture. By this time, they think of the foreign culture as their own culture.

What is even more interesting is that most students who study abroad experience culture shock when they return to their own country because they have been used to the foreign culture. This proves that even the common things could cause culture shock a few years later.

The Semmering Railway is famous for being the first railway to cross the Alps with the highest slope in Europe. Nowadays, the railway is famous for its remarkable structures and beautiful landscape. Many tourists from all over the world visit Austria to enjoy the railway. Karl Ritter was the man who started the construction of the Semmering Railway. His skills have been praised for more than 150 years.

Karl Ritter was an engineer who designed the railway, but he was not a railway engineer originally. When he was forty years old, he studied in the US for 1 year because of its advanced engineering technology at that time.

The Austrian government had a hard time to construct the railway in the Alps because it was extremely difficult and no one had accomplished it before. But Karl submitted his idea to the government that fully used locomotive technology. It took time to get accepted. The government was not sure how to start with something that had not been done before. But in the end, they accepted his idea. The 1848 revolution was enough reason to make the decision. With people’s high needs and expectations, the Semmering Railway project was started in 1848.

There are a lot of great inventors who have not been famous in the world. Karl Ritter von Ghega is one of them.

He was the man who designed the Semmering Railway in Austria. This railway is famous for being the first railway constructed through the Alps. This construction project was a challenge because of the steep slopes and high areas in the location.

When Karl Ritter von Ghega was 18 years old, he began his career as a railway engineer. To improve his skills and knowledge, he traveled to the USA for a year because the country had the most advanced engineering technology at that time.

The Austrian government had a hard time to approve the construction of the Semmering Railway because constructing a railway in high mountains, like the Alps, was extremely difficult. So, Karl submitted a plan that would make the most of locomotive technology to the government. It took time for them to accept his proposal because nothing like this was ever accomplished before. In the end, the government accepted his proposal because the revolution in 1848 was enough reason to make the decision. With people’s needs and expectations, the construction of Semmering Railway started in 1848.

“Doctors without borders” is a non-governmental organization that has been operating since 1971. As a non-governmental organization, they have the policy to help anyone who needs help in spite of race, religion, and political views. One Japanese woman, Tomoko, joined this organization and she shared her story. As a result of working in the field as a doctor, she found the meaning of life.

She experienced a lot of difficult situations in the country where she was sent. She put a lot of effort in understanding the local culture to avoid confusions that might lead to trouble. Also, she was required to make decisions immediately with limited equipment, staff, and time. Many people were waiting for her treatment and some of them did not have enough time to wait and be saved. One time, she had to make a decision not to help one person so she could save others. No one knows if it was the right thing to do, not even her.

She found that it is important to put one’s ideas into action if he or she believes it is right. One should not hesitate to be part of the minority and follow one’s feelings when making decisions.

Basho was a famous Japanese poet. His travel book, “The Narrow Road to the Deep North”, is translated into English and is known all over the world. In his book, he described life by making poems based on his experiences with nature.

Basho thought he had to take to the road in order to write poems. In fact, he did not have a permanent home. He was fine with nothing more than a place to sleep and a pair of sandals. He also thought it was good not to have a plan so he could go wherever he wanted. Nature was his inspiration in making poems, so he spent his life traveling.

In the end, he realized that nothing is permanent in this world. According to him, everything is constantly changing as it follows an eternal cycle. As a result, he cast away all his stuff believing that material things are only transient. He found pleasure in being one with nature and he thought it was the most valuable in life.