Monthly Newsletter
April and May 2020
As we face further extension of the “stay at home” requirement, many of us are missing our friends and usual activities. I certainly do. I’d been very positive and busy exploring things to do in my “new world” and suddenly I was crabby, tired, a little angry and impatient. As a former Cross-Cultural trainer it occurred to me that what I, and probably all of us, are experiencing is something called “culture shock.” That term may be familiar to some of you and not to others. We usually think of it when we are going to live in a foreign country but it can extend to other situations.
By definition culture shock
“ is the feeling of disorientation, insecurity and even anxiety that results from being continuously in a new and experiencing an unfamiliar culture. The causes of culture shock are wide and varied and they depend heavily on how different the new culture is from the traveler's old, familiar one.”
Well, that certainly describes the situation we are all in right now, even if we didn’t choose to go on this journey. There is a certain predictability about “Culture Shock”. Most people usually go through 4 stages. People have their own time tables and coping skills . I have attached examples of some of the common experiences and coping skills. Studies have shown that retaining your sense of humor and sense of perspective are among the most important skills at times like these.
Another coping skill is trying something new, so below are a number of things you may want to consider doing.
Karen Magee- Koski has provide a great resources for thing to do from the comfort of our homes. It is quite extensive. Check it out. The document "Activities" is below.
New Member Virtual Coffee
Time: Apr 28, 2020 10:00 AM
As we haven’t been able to meet our new members, I will be sending out an invitation to members who have joined the IWC-Valencia in March and April to meet for a Virtual Coffee and to get to know each other..
Monday, April 27 at 11:00
MINDFULNESS SESSION
We are pleased to announce that we are hosting a unique mindfulness session on how to cope with uncertainty in these unprecedented times. I do ask that you RSVP directly to me by Sunday the 26th so I can let Kate know how many people to expect.
Kate Greenslade is a certified mindfulness facilitator and coach. She helps people to live the lives they truly want, with less stress and more joy.
Kate will run the session over Zoom on Monday 27th April at 11:00 CET.
It’s free to join the session but you will need to RSVP to secure your place.
You’ll be able to ask questions in the comments box or in person depending on how many people there are. You’ll also be able to choose whether to have your video on or off during the session.
It’s a great opportunity to learn some simple, practical ways to cope with stress and anxiety. Something we could all do with at the moment.
HOW TO JOIN THE SESSION
To join the mindfulness zoom session please click on this link
https://zoom.us/j/95064018033?pwd=b3pkZnYrZDlraTlYZTlZOHJwQ2ZTUT09
Then enter this password: 055349
FIRST TUESDAY COFFEE
Tuesday, May 5, 2020 10:00 to Noon
Yes, our monthly first Tuesday coffee mornings will restart on Tuesday, 5 May, any time between 10 AM and Noon – only this time, make yourself a cup of coffee, turn on your computer (or iPad, or tablet, or SmartPhone) and join us for a virtual get-together on Zoom! Our coffee mornings are always a pleasant time to catch up with old friends and make new ones, even if we can’t be in the same room together! This is a women-only event and all are welcome. You do not need to register.
Never used Zoom before? No worries! Just copy the password below (beginning 4 May, Zoom will require passwords to enhance security), click on the link, and follow the directions that appear on your screen. Note: this works better on a computer or iPad, but a phone is okay if you prefer. (If you’d like to do a trial run before then, please just contact Phyllis So (Phyllis.so12@gmail.com; WhatsApp +34 605 11 76 32) or Jane Buck (forjbuck@aol.com; WhatsApp +34 672 22 84 27) and they’ll be happy to help you out.)
Join Zoom Meeting
LINK: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/3586065030?pwd=OU5qb3FMV1ozRzl4VWp1MDQzc3BCUT09
Meeting ID: 358 606 5030
PASSWORD: 1SfspW
Spanish- English Intercambio
Paca Pascual has offered to do a intercambio for those who might want to be interested.. Paca can be reached at 963 670 706, 677 6277 718 or at email. Pasna3@ext.uv.es .
Please take good care of yourselves. Hope to see you all when we are once again allowed to resume our normal activities. Until then, I hope we will be visiting virtually.
Susan V. Kaplan
President, IWC-Valencia
Culture Shock Activities