Alright, I can’t avoid it anymore. As much as I didn’t want to be a crabby-cakes, the time has come. I am, as I believe they clinically diagnose it, in “Culture Shock”. Therefore, friends, the following content of this blog may not be suitable for some readers (actually, that’s not true. I’ll keep it totally “G”... well, “PG”). Parental discretion is advised.
Hmmm... I kinda just vented on Elijah (shout out!), so I’ll try to remember my list of grievances, its not very long. Okay, everything is different which can be immensely frustrating. One would think that there would be some similarities between San Diego and Barcelona, as they have so many physical similarities: such as being situated close to a boarder, being on the coast... near the same latitudes, functioning as bilingual cities, etc. Nope. The cultures are completely different. I can’t even compare it to a city in the US because... I just can’t. Which, at first, was the coolest thing ever, but now its incredibly handicapping, as it makes it near impossible to relate to the logic of the culture. Again, I wish I could explain it better, but I can’t. I really hope that made sense.
I guess it’s kinda like being forced to learn everything over again, down to how to use the shower, and open the dang door (boo, skeleton keys!). I’m not exaggerating. Like I said, everything is different. Simple, everyday tasks, suddenly become unwanted learning experiences and great frustrations, because the host culture can’t believe someone could be stupid enough to not know how to use the freaking toilet, and the person on the receiving end of some less-than-helpful, sarcastic instructions gets just plain overwhelmed. No, I did not cry over a toilet. That would just be sad. Although, I did almost throw up on an escalator... but that’s another story for another time. No, I was not motion sick.
Actually, to be quite honest, most of this stuff seems really silly to get my panties in a knot over... I think it’s just the combination of having to learn how to play a new game in a new place without the “cheat-sheet” option and being away from everything familiar... absolutely everything. I know that this is just one step towards becoming acclimated to a place that I might even regard as home one day, but right now I feel a bit like that pansy I dug up in the garden and moved to a more spacious pot. ...kinda wilty and pathetic looking. Hmm... Do they make Miracle Grow Liquid Quick Start Plant Food for people?
Classes are going great. Extremely difficult, but great. The exam placed me exactly where I should be. Looking forward to getting into a routine with the academics, and getting used to my new surroundings. Hope to hear from you all soon. It really helps, I promise. OH! and I’m looking for postage stamps. So, something may or may not come in the mail sometime in the near future.
Love you!
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1 comment:
I'm sorry you're hitting the culture shock so hard so fast. It's a necessary evil, though, and hopefully this means you'll come out of it faster. When I was in Scotland, I found it easier to deal with by becoming really good friends with a bunch of Brits, so the culture was basically just an extension of my friends. I hope you make some great Spanish friends soon!
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