Perpetual Change

Thoughts about being at home

Over the course of the summer, I was home for two short trips of 72 hours or less. These are some of my thoughts and the events that caused them. I don’t know if I would call them culture shock, but they have something of that flavor.

People here wanted to know what I told you about Ukraine; what you asked; what was my favorite meal. They also commented after my trip in February, that it was obvious that the weather had been good because I was sunburned. That comment only lasted a week, and in fact, I was only a bit tan, but they don’t have a different word.

On the plane from Warsaw, Poland (pronounced Varshava in Polish), there was a German and a Pole sitting behind me. They started talking in their common language- English- in stereotypical accents. They spoke about Speedy Gonzalez, Chuck Norris, and the Cheesecake Factory. It was quite funny, really. They talked about how Americans complain about high gas prices when comparatively they are so low there, and how so many drink coffee all day, and how they don’t get the fascination with Starbucks and the like. It was their fascination with America that I couldn’t quite get.

This and other events (like KatieTarr/Schuessler’s fabulous reception dinner) got me thinking of my American food favorites – Apple pie, dorritos, rice crispy treats, chocolate chip cookies, oatmeal cookies, barbecue sauce, lobster mashed potatoes, ricotta cheese (OH, it is so good!!!), root beer, turkey, stuffing, meatloaf, pumpkin pie… I also greatly enjoyed nice wines at Katie’s dinner, and getting to see a much waited for movie, in English, on the big screen. I was so happy Pirates was still playing. We take such little things for granted. I will fight for our American cuisine which everyone is so quick to say doesn’t exist.

People in the keys spontaneously burst into song, much in the same way as characters in musicals… or Ukrainians who have been drinking a bit.

While driving in the USA, I made SO many u-turns. I realized I don’t miss those or 8 lane surface roads (of course this was outside of Atlanta, one of the worst American cities for traffic).

I made SO much trash, and ate so much junk food – chips, soda, milk shakes. I probably had more in those few days, than the whole last year I lived in the USA, but I also realized how much garbage and packaging comes with it all. I did get to enjoy fresh bagels, ice tea, and publix subs.

In the Publix Grocery check out (oh, how I love Publix) in Marietta, GA, I was struck at the ridiculousness and friendliness of Americans. Where as if you ask a Ukrainian, he will tell you how to get to something that he isn’t even sure of himself; I asked where the closest movie theater was; Sando had told me, but I am in the habit of asking at least two individuals because of the Ukrainian fact above. Also, I was amazed at how far he said the closest one was. Well, this distance made it hard for the check out girl to describe it, until a bagger came over to try to help. Hearing their discussion and disagreement of the best way, another teller joined in. By the end, 6 people were trying to all give me directions by committee! It was very nice of them but a bit of disaster, I tried to wrap of the conversation politely, and then I ran away. I found it with Sando’s directions, after a few more U-turns.

I stopped at the library for free internet which was so fast, but you are only allowed 30 minutes.
We weren’t lost yet as we went to the wedding in mountain country NC, but it was late and dark, so we stopped to ask at a local gas station just to get a better judge on distance. Well they weren’t too sure, but these boys with a thick accent said they knew and that we should just follow them, because they couldn’t explain (see story above and feel free to comment on Americans inability with directions). Well, they veered quickly from the directions we had and were going very deep into the dark mountains. At one point they pulled over and asked the road name again, argued a bit and then turned around to take us even deeper in another direction. We got a bit scared, and I still thought I knew where we were, so Sando drove slower and slower over the twisty roads, which was easy to do, and they were going quite fast, and when they disappeared around a far curve ahead, he quickly did a nice 3 point turn and we gunned it back. We got there fine, but we were pretty scared they would come following us for some sort of redemption.

The hamburger scene from the Pink Panther is hilarious. People here are always complaining that Americans don’t eat well and like hamburgers too much, but actually going to a MacDonald’s in this country is a much coveted and celebrated event.

Meagan and Claes Bell’s wedding was so beautiful. Just had to say that. Oh, and Brutus (their big boxer dog) at the reception was a perfect touch.

I always have more trouble returning to Europe by plane. In Atlanta I waited 1 hour and 40 minutes in the check-in line. In Miami, they tried to convince me that my reservation had been cancelled because I had never flown there in the first place! They actually asked if I still had my boarding pass stub from the flight over! How else would I be standing there?

The London airport had a book by a prestigious publisher that said Ukraine has a city called Leningrad, and that English is the US official language.

posted by jjs @ 1:55 AM