Name : Nurul Fuaida

Student’s ID : 170203087

Subject : Cross Cultural Understanding

Movie: “Jilbab Traveler, Love Sparks in Korea”

Link : https://www.iflix.com/title/movie/76286

I will write a brief synopsis first. The story starts with explaining the background of Rania’s
(The lead role) life. It explains about her family, her childhood, her dream, and how she’s
gone through to achieve her dream. Then the next transition comes when Rania is phoned by
her mother telling Rania that her father is hospitalized. Rania returns to Indonesia right away
and she tells her father that she won’t go travelling until her father is feeling well. But
Rania’s will againsts her father. Her father wants Rania to travel as much as she wants
without thinking his condition. He suggests Rania to go to Baluran, the place where her
parents both find love. Rania goes to Baluran and meet Korean man named Hyun Geun there.
But not long after that she is shocked by news about her father who has passed away. She
goes back to her hometown and stay there for a while. There goes Rania’s story about her
dream to travel a lot like ibn’ Bathuthan and her love.

The implication of culture shock that is experienced by the character is first shown by Hyun
Geun. The night after she met Rania, he, his friend and Rania must stay in the same guest
house. At that time, Hyun Geun who is quite drunk offering Rania a bottle of soju (Korean
alcoholic drink), but Rania refuses. Hyun Geun is taken back, he considers Rania’s act as an
impolite toward someone who offers her a drink. It means Hyun Geun is not fully adapted
with local culture, he still thinks that rejects someone offered means impolite. And as for
Hyun Geun, being drunk is not something to be taken seriouly; it’s just a daily habit, perhaps.

The other culture shock scene if I may consider is when Rania knows that actually Hyun
Geun is a Korean Muslim. She is shocked by the fact he is Muslim but he stills drinks an
alcoholic bevarage. Then, Hyun Geun’s friend explains that is something he does because of
his rebel behaviour.
Moreover, as the movie goes, I do not find any culture shock event that I can analyse. Even,
when Rania comes to South Korea for the first time, Rania doesn’t seem like she go through
the stages of people who experience culture shock. That is probably because she is used to
travel a lot, and she knows how to cope it.