Cross-cultural shock

Culture shock is a term used to describe the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within an entirely different culture or social environment a different country.
Culture shock can be described in stages. When a person first encounters the new culture, feelings of excitement may dominate. However, negative perceptions of the culture and its people may soon intensify, leading to feelings of withdrawal from the environment. For example, the traveler may spend excessive time alone or with people of the familiar culture. Feelings of emptiness abound during this low period.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culture_shock#External_links

When I first arrived to Mexico, I did not experience any cross-cultural shocks. On the contrary, I thougth it looked too much like Europe, like Spain. Now that I think back on it, my first days in La Selva Lacandona did have something of a culture shock: I did not know how to behave at all, felt scared and timid, felt completely ´apart and strange´, not knowing why I had come here, and rather would stay in my bed than wake up to these new world.
When I found out people are just people, I started enjoying my encounter. But everytime when returning to the other Mexico of the cities or in the houses of the rich, I experience another small culture shock. Mostly with mild feelings with anger and criticism: how is it possible to complain about not being able to buy the newest car, when at one hours drive, people do not even have toilets (not even the dry compost ones)? I am suprised with myself, when I am so annoyed with the rich children, who nag about the slow performance of their playstation, I´d would like to hit the spoiled brats. How much better the simple children of the communities...
Idealization is also part of culture shocks?

But ok, this happens to me in the Netherlands as well. After an afternoon talking to `illegal´ immigrants, I cannot even enter an average supermarket without feeling completely out of place.

When I go back to the Netherlands I will probably experience the reverste culture shock,
of boredom, restlessnes, reverse homesickness, not understanding why on earth Dutch people work unrelaxed etc. I know this a little from coming back from Spain two years ago, and then I still took part of Spain with me home ;-)
It is not for nothing that I still have not posted my application letter for an internship in the Netherlands. I secretly dream of doing an intership in Uganda or Ethiopia. WAaaaaaaaawww..... where is the girl of two monts ago, that longed back home, determined to be in the Netherlands for a while? Be there when ther new niece or nephew is born, thinking how good a Dutch intership would be to open up job possibilities, that I should finally finish my studies... That I should try to contribute something to my own country´s problem causing behaviour, instead of telling others what to do...
Mmm they say life is long (why do I always feel I am in a hurry then?) and that Uganda and Ethiopia will not walk away. Could at least try out to stay half a year in my little ´frog´ country, I suppose. Or at least, untill all parasites have gone ;-)