By now the sojourner is in an acute state of distress. The host culture has become the scapegoat for the natural difficulties inherent in the cross-cultural encounter. Culture shock has set in. Not everyone will experience a severe case of culture shock, nor will all the symptoms be observed. Many people ride through culture shock with some ease, only now and again experiencing the more serious reactions.
Most people begin their new assignment with great expectations and a positive mind-set.
If anything, they come with expectations which are too high and attitudes that are too positive toward the host country and toward their own prospective experiences in it. At this point, anything new is intriguing and exciting. But, for the most part, it is the similarities which stand out. The recent arrivee is usually impressed with how people everywhere are really very much alike. This period of euphoria may last from a week or two to a month, but the letdown is inevitable.