Living in Asia

Cause

The people don't speak English, or if they do, it isn't in the same local flavour that you are used to, and it sounds 'funny'. They often ask you, "Are you the American?", but you're South African. You can't communicate naturally with ordinary people in shops and on the street. The people look really different to what you are used to, too! They stare at you. You find yourself (if you're Caucasian, I don't know about others) staring at the colour of your skin disbelieving how white you are, and how you're different to everyone around you.

 It seems obvious to state, but it doesn't mean anything until it HITS you... Then you realise: "I am not in my home country". Honestly, everybody goes through this; some hit the wall harder than others.

Other contributing factors include, eating out all the time (poor diet); sudden change of diet; sudden change of alcohol drinking regimes; sudden change of sleeping patterns; stress; not having social and personal reasons to be in that country (ie: no intention of exploring and touring or other)

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