Sorry, no picture from last week. We didn't have internet (and therefore no facebook, blog, email, skype, facetime, vonage phone, or...my latest while-I'm-feeding-Molly perusal...pinterest) for just about a week. So, I suppose I could cheat and post a picture from last week, but instead I'll share an interesting thing about life here.
A picture paints a thousand words. A lack of picture may just drive home a point.
Things take a lot of time. In a relational society (not time/task-oriented like the good ol' US of A), you can call to get your internet fixed and you will hear "Yes, Madam, of course, no problem. We will fix it in the morning." And as you wait for the service man to show up (which he doesn't...not at 8am, not at 10am, not all day), you can either a) accept the differences of this kind of society and appointment-keeping and see this not as rudeness or promise-breaking but simply as a difference or you can b) get more and more frustrated with each passing minute and feel like your day was wasted and take it out on your kids and husband because all you really want to do is check your email, update your status on facebook, blog your thoughts, and call your friends back in the States and then feel guilty about your dependence on such things. Guess where I landed?
So, eventually, yes they fixed the problem. But it took 6 days, many phone calls, and much worrying over [really truly!] nothing. Here, though, is another reality of culture shock and ethnocentrism and...sigh, my own heart. I wanted things to be "normal" (aka just like in the States). I want to have everything I need right at my fingertips. I want control. I want to thrive in two worlds...and it's getting harder.
A picture paints a thousand words. A lack of picture may just drive home a point.
Things take a lot of time. In a relational society (not time/task-oriented like the good ol' US of A), you can call to get your internet fixed and you will hear "Yes, Madam, of course, no problem. We will fix it in the morning." And as you wait for the service man to show up (which he doesn't...not at 8am, not at 10am, not all day), you can either a) accept the differences of this kind of society and appointment-keeping and see this not as rudeness or promise-breaking but simply as a difference or you can b) get more and more frustrated with each passing minute and feel like your day was wasted and take it out on your kids and husband because all you really want to do is check your email, update your status on facebook, blog your thoughts, and call your friends back in the States and then feel guilty about your dependence on such things. Guess where I landed?
So, eventually, yes they fixed the problem. But it took 6 days, many phone calls, and much worrying over [really truly!] nothing. Here, though, is another reality of culture shock and ethnocentrism and...sigh, my own heart. I wanted things to be "normal" (aka just like in the States). I want to have everything I need right at my fingertips. I want control. I want to thrive in two worlds...and it's getting harder.
No comments:
Post a Comment