Shyness

Being an individual who experience multi – cultural society developed my shyness

when our family decided to go back in the Philippines and live here for good. I was born in
Italy which is very different from the Philippines in terms of dealing with people. I may say
that Filipinos are more conservative in nature. They are more sensitive that if I say a word
which is not acceptable to them, they will refrain from talking with me again. Though we
never failed to visit the country regularly especially during school breaks, my experiences
such times are not enough to cope – up when we finally decided to settle here. I was afraid
to express myself because of language barrier. I thought that people around me will judge
me for not understanding the language and not able to speak it fluently. During my high
school days, I was the shy type of student but eventually, as time went on, I was able to
cope – up.
College is a different thing. I decided to enroll in a university quite far from the
province where I live. I was afraid because I thought that most of my classmates will come
from the city or from NCR who are very confident especially in communicating with others.
I believed that they are more liberated when it comes to expressing themselves and
because of that, my shyness was triggered. A simple lady who grew up in a province cannot
be at par with them.
But the pandemic turned the table. We all experienced online classes. My shyness
somehow subdued because it is a different thing when you just need to communicate with
others online instead of face to face. Then the classes begun. In accomplishing our tasks,
most of the time we were grouped. During group discussions, I was shy to express my
opinions afraid that they are wrong and that my group mates who are more experienced
and knowledgeable will judge me. These instances made me not sleep because I know that I
can share a lot but because of my shyness, I was not able to do so. But then came an
instance that most of us did not have an idea about the task we need to accomplish. I
decided to take the chance to give my school of thought about the topic and I was
astonished that they listened and accepted them. That was the first time when I overcame
my reticence. Until I was in third year that I completely overcame diffidence. I am now
participating actively on discussions and I am not afraid anymore to share my thoughts. I
even tried to communicate with my professors whenever instructions for tasks are vivid. I
always get positive response from them that I realized that if I will not be confident enough,
I will not succeed. I enrolled in a tourism course and eventually, my future job is to have
discourse with people with different cultures and belief. Therefore, I must be confident
enough in dealing with them.