culture shock

"How's the culture shock since you've been back from Thailand." I don't know what it was about yesterday, but I think I was asked that question a dozen time. It must have been that I was meeting lots of new people.



I went to my first Columbia Football game yesterday. Yes, Columbia has a football team. I answered that question a couple times yesterday too. But they're not much to write home about. I went with a friend on my hall and a bunch of people in her program who I haven't met before. Really nice girls. We got there early enough to do a little tailgating. I even met the Columbia Mascot.



And last night I went out in the west village to a cute wine bar with Elizabeth, my friend since 1st grade, and a bunch of her friends.



So I figure I should come up with a sound bite for answering that question. It's hard to explain each time. The jist of what I tell people is, no, I haven't had culture shock. I mean I haven't been agonizing over and upset with american culture.

They say coming back to America after Peace Corps provides for more culture shock than initially integrating into Thai culture. But I think that since I was expecting such a rough time it hasn't been that bad. I was prepared.

And also I realized along the way that my experience returning to America doesn't reflect on my experience in Thailand. I mean to show myself and everyone home how much I loved Thailand and how integrated I was in the culture I don't have to hate American culture. I can love them both.

I always have a miserably hard time with transitions. Moving to San Francisco was really rough and starting my job at Mission Dolores was also extraordinarily difficult. I'm sick of having a hard time with transitions, so I simply made up my mind that this time it would be different. This time I wouldn't have a difficult transition.

The hardest thing is that I'm afraid I'm going to get run over. I did such a good job training myself at roads to look to the right (at traffic driving on the left side of the road) that I get all confused at streets here.

I've been loving the food options here in America, and honestly haven't been missing thai food much. That's what I figured would be the hardest. But I've been able to make what I want pretty easily. Once after about 2 weeks home I was feeling a little sick and had a craving for a dish, moo dang jaye, so I went to a thai restaurant, but they couldn't make it for me. But who can complain when diet coke is readily available everywhere.



I've also committed myself to appreciating a hot shower everytime I take one. And I still get a kick out of filling my waterbottle up right from the tap.

How to I turn this into a sound bit?