10 Years Living in Canada, Emir Mahira Was Shocked by Traffic Jams in Indonesian Streets

Kapanlagi.com - Since graduating from elementary school, artist Emir Mahira continued his education at a secondary school abroad until he completed his studies at a university in Canada. After graduating, Emir finally returned to Indonesia after 10 years of studying abroad.

Having lived abroad for a long time, Emir felt embarrassed when he was in Indonesia. Especially seeing the life in his own country which was very different from the country he had been living in for the past 10 years.

"There was a sense of embarrassment too. There was, I mean there are values abroad that we can apply here too. Lessons that maybe in a country that is now more advanced economically, we are still imitating," Emir said in the Senayan area, Central Jakarta, on Tuesday (13/6/2023).

"There is a sense of pride in coming back here. But I realize that I am actually given responsibility, I was given the opportunity to study abroad, and whatever I learned there, I bring back here," Emir continued.

1. Experience Culture Shock

In addition, Emir also experienced culture shock when he started living in Indonesia again. One of them is about traffic jams that he rarely encountered when living abroad.

"The most shocking thing is the traffic jam. Traffic jam is something that is a virtue. So be patient hahaha. Another one is riding an escalator. I studied in Canada, left is for people who don't want to walk, right is for those who want to walk, so it's clear," said Emir.

"If you want to go up quickly, go to the right, if you want to be patient, go to the left. Here, we take turns. If there are couples, they have to walk side by side haha so it's just a small thing," added Emir.

2. Getting Used to It After a Year

Fortunately, it didn't take long for Emir to adapt to his new environment. After a year, he finally started to feel comfortable living in Indonesia.

"I started to find the frequency after a year. Because I'm also far from my friends in Canada. I also don't have friends here, so I can be more comfortable here," Emir concluded.

(kpl/aal/lou)