Podcast Summary – ehoui! Episode 44: Les chocs culturels, partie 1
Host: Virginie Cutulic
Date: May 31, 2021
Episode Theme:
Virginie shares a deeply personal account of her cultural shocks and adaptation in foreign countries—primarily focusing on her time living in India. Departing from her usual format of grammar and vocabulary, she dives into stories, emotions, and firsthand observations, offering both language learners and culturally curious listeners rich insights into the challenges and surprises of living abroad.
Overview
- Virginie details her experiences of living in four foreign countries (England, India, Turkey, and Mexico—plus her current life in the USA).
- This episode, partie 1 of a cultural shocks series, focuses on her 9-month stay in Calcutta, India, and the stark differences she observed there compared to France.
- The episode is delivered in a more natural and rapid French, as Virginie intentionally speaks in a storytelling mode to aid advanced listening comprehension.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. Virginie’s Background and Reasons for Travel
00:40 – 03:30
- Shares her hesitance to discuss her personal life publicly but wants to foster connection and enhance oral comprehension practice for listeners.
- Describes her stays: England (21 years old, au pair in Bath post-licence), India (Master 2 stage), Turkey (work trip), Mexico (5 years at Alliance Française), now living in the USA.
- Motivation to go to India: “C’était parce que c’était un stage qui était payé par l’ambassade de France... En France, les stages ne sont pas payés... J’étais payée 550 euros, en Inde, c’est parfait.” (05:45)
- Explains French expressions (e.g., “pas terrible”, “que dalle”, “être la reine du pétrole”).
2. First Cultural Encounter: The Arranged Marriage Conversation
24:40 – 27:15
- Recounts flying to India and sitting beside an Indian man who preferred his parents to arrange his marriage.
- “Pour moi, imaginée comme française, mariage arrangé, c’est vraiment à l'opposé de ma culture... il disait, mes parents savent ce qui est le mieux pour moi, donc je préfère que mes parents choisissent.” (27:10)
- Highlights her shock and the cultural distance on topics like personal freedom in relationships.
3. Initial Arrival and Training
27:15 – 29:30
- Arrival in New Delhi: Week of training at the French Embassy with 40 other French interns, emotional separation as each is dispatched across India.
4. Defining the India Experience: All or Nothing
29:40 – 31:30
- Cites a reading: “Le voyageur est soumis, lors de son arrivée en Inde, à un choc culturel qui semble obéir à la loi du tout ou rien. C’est la séduction ou la répulsion.”
- "Pour moi, l’Inde, c’est tout ou rien… J’avais beaucoup de changements d'humeur… parfois super bien, parfois totalement déprimée.” (30:30)
- Describes her struggle to communicate her experiences to family/friends due to the profound difference.
5. Cultural Integration Attempts
32:20 – 35:00
- Desire to blend in: Quickly buys Indian clothing, gets salwar kameez tailored, explains importance of dressing codes (covering shoulders/legs).
- "Je voulais vraiment vivre comme une Indienne... Les codes vestimentaires en Inde sont très très importants. Je ne voulais pas... ne pas respecter les codes..." (33:40)
- Expresses irritation at tourists flouting local customs.
6. Sensory Shocks
35:30 – 37:30
- Smells: Spices, street food, sewage, stagnant water; intense and sometimes nauseating.
- Sounds: Constant, loud noise, traffic, honking.
- Crowds: “C’est un pays qui est très bruyant parce qu’il y a beaucoup de monde.” (36:30)
- Challenges of using public transportation — “Je vivais à l’indienne… Je prenais le bus, je restais debout… parfois je devais sauter du bus.” (37:00)
7. Safety as a Woman in India
38:00 – 39:00
- Acknowledges India’s dangers for women but states, “J’ai eu beaucoup de chance. Je n’ai eu aucune mauvaise expérience en tant que femme… jamais un homme ne m’a touchée ou agressée.”
- Attributes safety to behaving with confidence and knowing where she was going.
8. Climate and Daily Life
39:00 – 41:00
- Struggles with heat and humidity in Calcutta: “Vous sortez de la douche, vous êtes complètement trempée.” (39:30)
- Food shopping and cooking are complex for foreigners unfamiliar with local techniques and ingredients.
9. Communication and Navigation Difficulties
42:30 – 44:30
- “En Inde, les gens, pour être gentil, ne disent jamais non… Ils préfèrent te dire des conneries plutôt que de dire non.” (43:40)
- Navigating Calcutta without street names and smartphones; frustration at receiving misleading directions.
10. Weddings and Social Rituals
45:00 – 49:30
- Attends a traditional Hindu wedding, learns about astrology influencing matches, and the exhausting, multi-day celebrations.
- Culture shock at size and style: “En France, un gros mariage, c’est une centaine d’invités... En Inde… c’est rien du tout.”
- Observes the fatigue and pressure on the bride—“sur les photos, elle n’était pas très souriante parce qu’elle était fatiguée et très stressée.” (49:00)
11. Castes and Social Divisions
50:00 – 52:50
- Details meeting a Frenchman married to a Dalit ("intouchable") woman, experiencing extreme poverty.
- Expresses her difficulty in understanding the cultural importance of having a son, and shock at young children eating raw chili.
12. Personal Anecdote: The Fake Roommate
53:00 – 57:00
- Shares a cautionary tale: Contacted online by a prospective female roommate, only to be conned by a man using a fake profile.
- “J’étais folle... Il me prend vraiment pour un jambon.”—explains the slang, “prendre quelqu’un pour un jambon.”
13. Exhaustion and Reflection
57:00 – 60:00
- Describes the fatigue that comes with life in India: “C’est un pays qui fatigue énormément… il y a toujours beaucoup de monde, partout, partout...” (58:40)
- Notes the constant gaze as a white woman and relief at returning to France after her stage.
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- “Je me rappelle, au début, j'avais beaucoup de difficultés à écrire à mes amis, à ma famille, parce que… tout était tellement différent. C’était vraiment un autre monde.” (31:00)
- “J’ai essayé mais bon, c’était pas possible [de passer inaperçue à Calcutta].” (35:00)
- “En Inde, les odeurs sont très, très fortes... des épices, de la nourriture, parfois ça me donnait la nausée.” (36:00)
- “En Inde… on ne montre pas ses épaules, pas ses jambes... pour moi c’était très très important, ne pas mettre de jeans, ne pas mettre de choses qui montrent les épaules.” (34:00)
- “Il me prend vraiment pour un jambon.” (55:50) (Explains this as being considered a fool.)
- “J’étais très contente de retourner en France parce que j’étais fatiguée. C’est un pays qui fatigue énormément.” (58:50)
Timestamps of Key Segments
| Time | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------| | 00:40 | Virginie on sharing her personal story | | 05:45 | Reason for choosing India: paid internship | | 24:40 | Arranged marriage shock on the flight to India | | 27:15 | French interns’ arrival and orientation in Delhi | | 29:40 | “Tout ou rien” in India—emotional rollercoaster | | 32:20 | Attempting to blend in, buying Indian clothes | | 35:30 | Sensory culture shocks: smells, sounds, crowds | | 38:00 | Safety and confidence as a woman | | 39:00 | Climate struggle: humidity in Calcutta | | 42:30 | Navigation and communication frustrations | | 45:00 | Attending a traditional Indian wedding | | 50:00 | System of castes, meeting a family in poverty | | 53:00 | The fake roommate anecdote | | 57:00 | Cumulative fatigue and relief upon returning to France |
Language and Tone
- Virginie’s tone throughout is open, candid, and sometimes humorous.
- She frequently explains French slang/expressions in context for language learners.
- Natural, flowing, occasionally rapid French, peppered with real-life anecdotes and honest personal feelings.
Closing Thoughts
Episode Takeaways:
- Living abroad, especially in culturally distant countries, brings profound shocks both big and small.
- Core cultural differences—family customs, city life, personal space, and values—can dramatically affect one’s experience.
- The ability to adapt, remain curious, and laugh at mishaps is crucial to thriving abroad.
Virginie’s main advice: Embrace the differences, respect local norms, and be aware of your limits.
For listeners: This episode is particularly rich in real spoken French, cultural insights, and practical vocabulary—highly recommended for advanced learners and anyone curious about the cultural adaptation process.