I happened on this article by chance and fell in love. This says so much about the mindset of people in the United States and this attitude of being able to adopt what they want and like about a culture or country and treat the rest like trash. Kudos to the author. My personal situation and permanent residence may have changed drastically, but I still love El Salvador, and all that is has given me. The people there deserve better, and I thank God that there are still individuals willing to point that out.
Read This if You Love Pupusas
Monday, March 21, 2016
Friday, March 18, 2016
Reverse Culture Shock
The phrase was thrown at me by a friend as I lamented about the cost of bagels. Reverse culture shock. This is a real thing, and is what happens when you spend so many years outside of your comfort zone that a return to it literally puts you into shock.
I keep starting sentences in Spanish, even at the library (yes, a library card is a priority for me) and then have to stop and start all over again when I get that confused look.
We have some health issues to deal with too. I guess the stomach didn't like the sudden influx of "foreign food" and is still refusing to process it at a normal rate. Reverse curso is equally frustrating as its Salvadoran counterpart. Juanito even spent a day at the ER, puzzling the doctors with an array of symptoms that I know just to be a normal part of the mosquito virus process. This country is doomed to extinction if Zika ever hits as hard as it has hit Central America, but that's another topic for another day.
And speaking of Juanito, he has finally been enrolled in school. A process that I was hoping could wait until the new year, as I don't necessarily think it's a great idea to thrust him into this so soon after so much change. Yet that is law of the land, and since waiting out the last few months of the school year at home in ES was no longer an option he will have to deal with it.
Which leads me to the topic of US bureaucracy, and the circle of paperwork that is needed for just about everything. How is one supposed to show proof of address if no one will mail you anything without a proof of address? It's a vicious cycle that no one who has never left here for an extended period of time can ever understand.
But again, it's baby steps. Library card? Check. Phone in my name? Check. School? Check. 3 things down an a seemingly million left to go. At least I got the gumption to start blogging again.
Reverse culture shock, on top of shock. I keep staring at that corner and wishing to hide in it with my thumb stuck in my mouth until all of this shock finally wears off, until a new normal finally kicks in.
Baby steps....
I keep starting sentences in Spanish, even at the library (yes, a library card is a priority for me) and then have to stop and start all over again when I get that confused look.
We have some health issues to deal with too. I guess the stomach didn't like the sudden influx of "foreign food" and is still refusing to process it at a normal rate. Reverse curso is equally frustrating as its Salvadoran counterpart. Juanito even spent a day at the ER, puzzling the doctors with an array of symptoms that I know just to be a normal part of the mosquito virus process. This country is doomed to extinction if Zika ever hits as hard as it has hit Central America, but that's another topic for another day.
And speaking of Juanito, he has finally been enrolled in school. A process that I was hoping could wait until the new year, as I don't necessarily think it's a great idea to thrust him into this so soon after so much change. Yet that is law of the land, and since waiting out the last few months of the school year at home in ES was no longer an option he will have to deal with it.
Which leads me to the topic of US bureaucracy, and the circle of paperwork that is needed for just about everything. How is one supposed to show proof of address if no one will mail you anything without a proof of address? It's a vicious cycle that no one who has never left here for an extended period of time can ever understand.
But again, it's baby steps. Library card? Check. Phone in my name? Check. School? Check. 3 things down an a seemingly million left to go. At least I got the gumption to start blogging again.
Reverse culture shock, on top of shock. I keep staring at that corner and wishing to hide in it with my thumb stuck in my mouth until all of this shock finally wears off, until a new normal finally kicks in.
Baby steps....
Thursday, March 17, 2016
Undisclosed Destination
Elvis has left the armpit... That is what my FB post read to a select few as we sat in an airport waiting for a connecting flight. My new post would read "Elvis has left the right armpit for the left one" had I known at the time what our undisclosed destination looked like.
Leaving was a bitch, and involved the help of a few GREAT friends (you know who you are) that helped with places to stay, airline miles, food, and huge amounts of support all while staying very quiet about our plans. I will never be able to thank them enough for the help they provided in helping us leave.
Did I leave with my tail between my legs? No. My head is held high knowing that I did the absolute best I could for the people I care about and once there was nothing more I could do, I left. I left before something even worse than what already had, happened to the one person I care the most about. I dare anyone to try and tell me now that I am selfish or don't care about my kid. Unless you have personally gone through the horror movie like type shit that we just went through, you have no ground on which to base your judgement on.
Am I sad? Of course. That was our home for a long time. We miss having a home now. We miss being able to wash clothes every day, and the mangoes. and Lucy and her puppies. Certain things and people I can't even think about without tearing up. But life moves on, and slowly but surely we will too.
Leaving was a bitch, and involved the help of a few GREAT friends (you know who you are) that helped with places to stay, airline miles, food, and huge amounts of support all while staying very quiet about our plans. I will never be able to thank them enough for the help they provided in helping us leave.
Did I leave with my tail between my legs? No. My head is held high knowing that I did the absolute best I could for the people I care about and once there was nothing more I could do, I left. I left before something even worse than what already had, happened to the one person I care the most about. I dare anyone to try and tell me now that I am selfish or don't care about my kid. Unless you have personally gone through the horror movie like type shit that we just went through, you have no ground on which to base your judgement on.
Am I sad? Of course. That was our home for a long time. We miss having a home now. We miss being able to wash clothes every day, and the mangoes. and Lucy and her puppies. Certain things and people I can't even think about without tearing up. But life moves on, and slowly but surely we will too.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)