One might come across a bit of culture shock when one goes to a different culture, particularly from the West to the East or vice versa. But technological novelty might give you some help, as reported in the news from University of Portsmouth:

A mobile phone game developed by academics at the University of Portsmouth will be used to help international students cope with ‘culture shock’ and university life in Britain - including moments of cultural awakening such as going to the pub and watching people being affectionate to each other in public.

The game is called C-Shock, and is developed by academic and games technology expert of the University Nipan Maniar who arrived in the UK from India five years ago as an international student. And, the game is aimed to help students from other cultures to adapt themselves to British culture.

The game’s opening scenario is a student’s first day at university in the UK. The student is shown a map of the campus and is given tasks to find specific locations. Clicking on images along the way warns the student about what to expect in terms of culture shock - for example, it is acceptable for students to drink alcohol and it is okay for people to display affection in public.

It is also reported in the news that the game is at its final stage of development and will be available for downloading later this year.

The student foreign exchange program does more than just foster intercultural education - it also forges lasting friendships.

Reported  by Xinhua on March 30 –An American living in Beijing was awarded the title of “top ten volunteer of 2006″ on Wednesday, becoming the first foreigner to claim the honor.

David Tool, better known by his Chinese name Du Dawei, has been voluntarily correcting misleading English signs throughout the Chinese capital during his six-year life in the city.

Upon accepting the award, Du Dawei said he wanted to act as a bridge between the Chinese and English culture and smoothen communication difficulties brought by language barriers.

The “top ten Beijing volunteers” awards were initiated in 2004, aiming to recognize outstanding social volunteers from all walks of life.

330,000 people have voted through the internet this year.

Other honored volunteers include Tsinghua University student Liang Suhui, who is a long-time volunteer teacher for migrant children, and ophthalmologist Han Song, who works to provide free treatment to rural patients.