Transcendence wrote:
"What about something along the lines of living in a foreign country for an extended period of time. Especially a country that doesn't speak English as a first language. I lived in China for a year and while it was easy to meet and get to know other foreigners, I found it difficult to meet and really get to "know" people in the community. Language and cultural barriers can be difficult to get past. What advice do you have for "integrating" into a foreign society?"
I don't think there's an easy way to do this. To integrate into a foreign community requires learning the language. Here in Thailand I speak a little Thai and I have several Thai friends, but they all speak fluent English. So a lot of the "real Thailand" is closed off to me. By learning the language, you understand how a people shape and frame their world - and of course, learning it takes many years to get to that point. it's only through language you can develop any depth to friendships, and any sense of trust too.
In the short term, I guess putting yourself out there and doing as many activities as possible where the locals, rather than expats, go so that you meet lots of people is a good start. It can be hard work if you don't speak the language but the effort will be ultimately rewarded, even if you have a lot of frustrating false starts. And of course, it helps you pick up some of the language too.
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