This is a story built on the four phases of culture shock. I've taken some liberties on social culture and interactions but I hope you'll like it.
3301, John is traveling to Abraham Lincoln, an Orbis Station around Earth. He’s going to work at one of the landing pads. Born on Earth, it’s going to be the first time he visits space and a space station.
8/7/01
I arrived at Abraham Lincoln two days ago! It’s bigger than I ever could have imagined. The rectangular opening to the docking bay looks so small when you see it for the first time so far away. It’s only when you get close, passing through into the station, you get a real sense of scale. The dock’s center chamber is amazing! When you look up, you’re actually looking down on the other side. The air and water here is completely clean and fresh, all processed through top-of-the-art filters and reused. Everything from the food to the lighting is made so we can be as productive as possible. Crisp white light help keep us alert and focused and the food are sized perfectly for our individual needs to stay in top shape.
The people here are amazing. I haven’t made any close friends yet but I’ve met a couple of workers who seem nice. It’s the everyday meeting that’s really great though. Because everyone is living so closely to each other you need to be nice. It’s the best rule I’ve ever witnessed. Not one single person has looked irritated or down.
There are no difference between Earth States up here. We all belong to Earth and the Federation. You really get an understanding of our place in the galaxy.
The hours are a bit hard getting used to. Since the station receives traffic from the whole Earth, being one of only three around the planet, it never sleeps. Sure, I can turn of the lights in my room but there are always the sounds. This is probably common a problem for all who comes here for the first time, I’m sure I’ll get used to it in no time.
20/7/01
Metal! Metal everywhere, the floor, the wall and the ceiling. I miss nature, colors of green and blue in the summer transitioning to yellow and red. Here’s it’s always white, shiny steel.
Trapped in this lifeless tin can, we’re just too many! This facade of niceness is killing me, no one’s allowed to be even a little down. There are no real connections like there are back home on Earth. Instead of having the meaningful relationships between people there are we’re greeted with a fixed and lifeless grin. Luckily I’ve found a couple of friends who’ve been here as long as I have. I fit wasn’t for them I would surely have lost my mind already. The artificial, fake air symbolises everything wrong with this place, with it’s unnatural “cleanlyness”. Even the water doesn’t taste “real”, it doesn’t taste like anything really, too clean.
I miss home. Finding myself always looking down on the round blue globe as the station orbits is both beautiful and lonely.
2/8/01
I’ve now been here for a couple of weeks and I’m finally getting used to everything. Sure, the water and air is still fake but I gotten to appreciate the healthy aspects of it. There’s is a kind of security in knowing that every breath of air is going to be as good for you as possible. And even though the water is tasteless and boring, you know that you’ll never get anything bad in you. I have started to get to know my colleges. Steve, who’s been here for five years (!) have shown me around a bit. The “always smiling”-attitude I couldn’t stand before do have it’s good sides. It’s a kind of fake it til you make it, in the end you become more positive. It can still be hard reading the subtle differences when everyone are so “happy”.
5/10/01
Finally got 3 days of vacation and rented an Eagle to fly down to Earth. It was nice finally breathing real, fresh air again. Being in space for so long makes you really appreciate nature and all it’s beauty. Visited the White House Memorial in Old Washington DC, as well as visiting family. After so many weeks of station life it’s refreshing talking to people without the need to mind your facial expressions and tone of voice. It’s funny though how everybody elses expressions looks exagurated after being used to the controlled life-style on Abraham Lincoln. I think people on earth would do well with a little more controlled way of socializing.
17/4/02
[...] Two more days up here and then I’m going home! Going to be nice returning to the sureface.
23/4/02
Been home for a couple of days now and it’s not as I thought it would be.
I find myself being misunderstood all the time, just because I don’t make ridiculous faces, everyone thinks it’s ok to just walk right over me. Reading earlier entries in my journal, I really pity the man I was before. He didn’t understand that controlling your expressions is the very basics of showing people respect and consideration. How I ever could think this was normal will always be a mystery to me.
The irony that this place, which I before so longed for, now seems so boring. On Abraham Lincoln, people from all around the world visited in the thousands every day! The blend of culture was fantastic, and the camaraderie between everyone was something I had never experienced before.
The really hard part about moving back planetside is the smell. I never noticed before how the city stinks. All the sweaty people, the car exhausts, garbage and trash, it all smudges everything in the city. I remember how I loved the parks and smell of nature but since I came home I have to stick my face in a flower to even notice a hint of “nature”. It’s just strange to be in such an alien world when it’s “home”.
3301, John is traveling to Abraham Lincoln, an Orbis Station around Earth. He’s going to work at one of the landing pads. Born on Earth, it’s going to be the first time he visits space and a space station.
8/7/01
I arrived at Abraham Lincoln two days ago! It’s bigger than I ever could have imagined. The rectangular opening to the docking bay looks so small when you see it for the first time so far away. It’s only when you get close, passing through into the station, you get a real sense of scale. The dock’s center chamber is amazing! When you look up, you’re actually looking down on the other side. The air and water here is completely clean and fresh, all processed through top-of-the-art filters and reused. Everything from the food to the lighting is made so we can be as productive as possible. Crisp white light help keep us alert and focused and the food are sized perfectly for our individual needs to stay in top shape.
The people here are amazing. I haven’t made any close friends yet but I’ve met a couple of workers who seem nice. It’s the everyday meeting that’s really great though. Because everyone is living so closely to each other you need to be nice. It’s the best rule I’ve ever witnessed. Not one single person has looked irritated or down.
There are no difference between Earth States up here. We all belong to Earth and the Federation. You really get an understanding of our place in the galaxy.
The hours are a bit hard getting used to. Since the station receives traffic from the whole Earth, being one of only three around the planet, it never sleeps. Sure, I can turn of the lights in my room but there are always the sounds. This is probably common a problem for all who comes here for the first time, I’m sure I’ll get used to it in no time.
20/7/01
Metal! Metal everywhere, the floor, the wall and the ceiling. I miss nature, colors of green and blue in the summer transitioning to yellow and red. Here’s it’s always white, shiny steel.
Trapped in this lifeless tin can, we’re just too many! This facade of niceness is killing me, no one’s allowed to be even a little down. There are no real connections like there are back home on Earth. Instead of having the meaningful relationships between people there are we’re greeted with a fixed and lifeless grin. Luckily I’ve found a couple of friends who’ve been here as long as I have. I fit wasn’t for them I would surely have lost my mind already. The artificial, fake air symbolises everything wrong with this place, with it’s unnatural “cleanlyness”. Even the water doesn’t taste “real”, it doesn’t taste like anything really, too clean.
I miss home. Finding myself always looking down on the round blue globe as the station orbits is both beautiful and lonely.
2/8/01
I’ve now been here for a couple of weeks and I’m finally getting used to everything. Sure, the water and air is still fake but I gotten to appreciate the healthy aspects of it. There’s is a kind of security in knowing that every breath of air is going to be as good for you as possible. And even though the water is tasteless and boring, you know that you’ll never get anything bad in you. I have started to get to know my colleges. Steve, who’s been here for five years (!) have shown me around a bit. The “always smiling”-attitude I couldn’t stand before do have it’s good sides. It’s a kind of fake it til you make it, in the end you become more positive. It can still be hard reading the subtle differences when everyone are so “happy”.
5/10/01
Finally got 3 days of vacation and rented an Eagle to fly down to Earth. It was nice finally breathing real, fresh air again. Being in space for so long makes you really appreciate nature and all it’s beauty. Visited the White House Memorial in Old Washington DC, as well as visiting family. After so many weeks of station life it’s refreshing talking to people without the need to mind your facial expressions and tone of voice. It’s funny though how everybody elses expressions looks exagurated after being used to the controlled life-style on Abraham Lincoln. I think people on earth would do well with a little more controlled way of socializing.
17/4/02
[...] Two more days up here and then I’m going home! Going to be nice returning to the sureface.
23/4/02
Been home for a couple of days now and it’s not as I thought it would be.
I find myself being misunderstood all the time, just because I don’t make ridiculous faces, everyone thinks it’s ok to just walk right over me. Reading earlier entries in my journal, I really pity the man I was before. He didn’t understand that controlling your expressions is the very basics of showing people respect and consideration. How I ever could think this was normal will always be a mystery to me.
The irony that this place, which I before so longed for, now seems so boring. On Abraham Lincoln, people from all around the world visited in the thousands every day! The blend of culture was fantastic, and the camaraderie between everyone was something I had never experienced before.
The really hard part about moving back planetside is the smell. I never noticed before how the city stinks. All the sweaty people, the car exhausts, garbage and trash, it all smudges everything in the city. I remember how I loved the parks and smell of nature but since I came home I have to stick my face in a flower to even notice a hint of “nature”. It’s just strange to be in such an alien world when it’s “home”.
