Adjusting back to the States after having lived in a much different culture for the last three years is a bit weird. I spent so much time trying to aquire another culture/language and now I feel like those skills are completely useless! Here are a few silly examples...
-I can sucessfully use, and give advice on using, a Turkish toilet ("squaty potty").
-I can talk the produce market workers down to a reasonable price when buying tomatoes by insulting his products.
-I can navigate all forms of public transportation in another language and spot possible theives.
-I can drink strong Bosnian coffee several times a day and still fall asleep with ease.
-I can chop wood and cook a three course meal on a little wood stove.
-I can make my own pancake syrup.
-I can drive and park a van on roads smaller than an alley with ease.
-I have developed a taste for roasted goat and sheep cheese and meat paste.
What is a girl to do with these useless skills!?
Showing posts with label Culture Collision. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Culture Collision. Show all posts
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Culture Collsion
It happends all the time... You live in another culture long enough that you momentarily forget what is normal in your own culture.
I was flying last week and was seated next to a young mom and her 15 month old baby. She was nervous because the baby was really fussy. When the child began to wail I really wanted to help. That is when it happened...I thought to my self, "I know! I have a chocolate bar in my purse!" Yes... I really contemplated giving chocolate to an 15 month old who I don't even know!!! Just how many American cultural rules does this break?!! Then I started laughing at how horrified I had been for at least a year in Bosnia as strangers offered my children candy....even my littlest...who was barely one year old. I'm still chuckling about this culture collision.
In America a "good" mom protects her child from any possible or theoretical danger... including not permitting chocolate at very young ages.
In Bosnia a "good" mom does nearly anything to keep a child happy...including permitting chocolate at very young ages.
And the search continues... how to be a "good" mom...
I was flying last week and was seated next to a young mom and her 15 month old baby. She was nervous because the baby was really fussy. When the child began to wail I really wanted to help. That is when it happened...I thought to my self, "I know! I have a chocolate bar in my purse!" Yes... I really contemplated giving chocolate to an 15 month old who I don't even know!!! Just how many American cultural rules does this break?!! Then I started laughing at how horrified I had been for at least a year in Bosnia as strangers offered my children candy....even my littlest...who was barely one year old. I'm still chuckling about this culture collision.
In America a "good" mom protects her child from any possible or theoretical danger... including not permitting chocolate at very young ages.
In Bosnia a "good" mom does nearly anything to keep a child happy...including permitting chocolate at very young ages.
And the search continues... how to be a "good" mom...
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