Things I missed
Seattle tap water
the smell of winter
cheese that isn't queso fresco
salt and vinegar chips
Netflix Instant
my cat
breathing deep and tasting pine trees
sourdough bread
baking cookies
the public library
Things I miss
yuca chips
sun
the ability to travel across the country for less than $10
speaking Spanish
the sunset in Intag
being able to buy a three course meal for $2
the abundance of pirated DVD stores
Things that are just weird
throwing toilet paper in the toilet
the fact that it's dark from 4pm-7am
not being visibly "different"
adjusting my stomach to American bacteria again
riding a bus without hearing Pitbull or traditional Ecuadorian music
Showing posts with label culture shock. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culture shock. Show all posts
12.12.2011
7.04.2011
Culture shock
The weirdest things about the US after a month in Ghana:
1) Driving home from the airport on a road that's completely paved with no potholes, no tro-tros, no signs proclaiming the benefits of a relationship with Jesus Christ and nobody trying to sell me phone cards, water sachets or plantain chips.
2) Saying "Good morning" to someone and getting a curt nod in reply as opposed to a smile and reply of "Good morning, how are you?"
3) White people. Everywhere. In very excessive numbers.
4) Going outside and having the air smell vaguely like spring or car exhaust, as opposed to the pungent combination of street food, sewage, warm rain, diesel fumes and humidity (which I love, by the way).
5) Being able to pay for things with a credit card.
6) The lack of color, on people's clothes, storefronts, signs and vehicles.
7) Brushing teeth with tap water. Also drinking tap water.
8) Paying 2-3 times as much for non-local produce that barely tastes like whatever it's supposed to.
9) The quantity (less) and type (non-tropical) of vegetation.
10) The realization that I didn't clean my room at all before I left, since I had less than 24 hours between getting home from school and leaving for 7 weeks of international travel.
1) Driving home from the airport on a road that's completely paved with no potholes, no tro-tros, no signs proclaiming the benefits of a relationship with Jesus Christ and nobody trying to sell me phone cards, water sachets or plantain chips.
2) Saying "Good morning" to someone and getting a curt nod in reply as opposed to a smile and reply of "Good morning, how are you?"
3) White people. Everywhere. In very excessive numbers.
4) Going outside and having the air smell vaguely like spring or car exhaust, as opposed to the pungent combination of street food, sewage, warm rain, diesel fumes and humidity (which I love, by the way).
5) Being able to pay for things with a credit card.
6) The lack of color, on people's clothes, storefronts, signs and vehicles.
7) Brushing teeth with tap water. Also drinking tap water.
8) Paying 2-3 times as much for non-local produce that barely tastes like whatever it's supposed to.
9) The quantity (less) and type (non-tropical) of vegetation.
10) The realization that I didn't clean my room at all before I left, since I had less than 24 hours between getting home from school and leaving for 7 weeks of international travel.
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