MAY WRITING PROMPT | A-CULTURATED
I Never Thought People Could Experience Culture Shock in an Uber Car
The confusion of culture shock at home or abroad can lead to discrimination
I hovered over the toy cars on my screen, waiting for a driver to accept me. They must have known I was running late, because the time it took to connect to a car felt like a lesson from the universe saying: “next time, call the Uber earlier.”
Arpitkumar will be arriving shortly.
I raced downstairs and found Arpitkumar sitting patiently in his deep blue Peugeot. I opened the back door and was greeted with a soft “Boa tarde, Maria?” (Good afternoon, Maria?)
I could barely hear him, his voice sounded like it was hiding behind a wall, just barely peeking out of the corner, yet he was kind and polite. As I fastened my seatbelt, and jumbled my bag, keys and coat around the backseat, I heard his faint voice again.
“Sorry did you say something?” I asked.
“Oh — no, no” he responded with an embarrassed, timid smile, pointing to his ear piece.
He was having a conversation with someone else, in what could only be defined as a whisper. He continued to speak on the phone for the…
