Reentry

In the last entry, we talked a little about what culture is. You can imagine how difficult it is to enter a new culture, understand it, and try to live in that new culture, but what happens when you return to your home culture? That's today's topic.

If you live in a different culture for a while (even just a month), you'll probably start to see the world from a different perspective. Once you get used to different ways of doing things, you may find yourself adopting those new ways as your own. When you reenter your own culture, you may experience what's known as reverse culture shock. Your home culture will seem strange. You may become frustrated because you've become accustomed to your new culture. You may wake up in your own bed and not know where you are. You may forget how to do things, or you may try to do things according to the rules of your new culture. This can be embarrassing.

I only spent a week in Panama, so I haven't had too much trouble reentering my culture here in the U.S. There were a couple of things though that I noticed today, and I've had lots of experience reentering my culture after spending lots of time in other cultures.

First, I had a hot shower, which is something I never had in Panama. It seemed really weird that the water actually got hot. Cold showers in Panama weren't a big deal. It was so hot and humid all the time that cold water felt great. The hot shower was amazing, because I have been freezing my butt off since my plane landed at 9:30 last night, in a very brisk 40º. I was used to the weather in Panama, which was 95º and very humid. Remember back in January, when 40º felt like summer? Not any more.

I started to turn the stove on this afternoon, but I couldn't find the matches. Wait, what? What do you need matches for? Stoves in Panama are not self-lighting; you have to turn on the gas and then light it with a match or a lighter. Since I had been cooking nearly every day in Panama, I just got into the habit of reaching for a match to light the stove. On the positive side, I don't have to worry about singeing my eyebrows off any more.

Those of you who had me in class today might have noticed that I was a little tired this afternoon (traveling for two days straight really takes it out of you). I went to the vending machine to look for something with caffeine. I pulled change out of my wallet, only to realize that I only had Panamanian coins! Panama uses U.S. bills and U.S. coins, but they also mint their own coins. Panamanian coins are in the same denomination as U.S. coins (one cent, five cents, ten cents, twenty-five cents, and a dollar coin which is quite popular), and they work in machines exactly the same as U.S. coins. The problem was that I only had dollar coins, and the machine didn't take them (I really love dollar coins, by the way, and I much prefer them to dollar bills--one of the things I love about other money systems). I had similar problems when I came home from Mexico; I had a pocket full of centavos, which didn't do me any good. I was really frustrated when I realized that I had become accustomed to a different money system.

In the same vein, even though Panama uses the same currency as the United States, there are some differences in how money is used. First, no one will accept anything bigger than a twenty dollar bill. In some places, people won't even accept bills that large. Second, you'll be expected to have exact change, or at least something close to exact change. In the U.S., no one expects you to have change, and most people have a jar somewhere in their house full of pennies. Spare change is often considered a nuisance. In addition, prices in other countries are round, and in the U.S. prices tend to end in .99. When I came back to the States, I bought a bottle of water in the airport that was $1.99. I stood at the counter, trying to dig up 99 cents, because I was used to making exact change for everything I bought. Needless to say, the woman at the counter was not happy, and the people behind me were a tad exasperated. I finally realized how absurd I was acting in my own culture, and I sheepishly handed over $2.

I've also had some trouble using English again. I spent a whole week speaking Spanish, and even though English is my first language, I find myself forgetting words, making mistakes, and mixing in lots of Spanish. When I came back from Mexico, I forgot the words for peach, watermelon, dust, and dish. In Panama, I had some trouble in the middle of the week trying to explain different kinds of foods to two Canadian girls I met. They asked me the difference between a batido and a licuado. A batido is made with ice, fresh fruit, milk, and sugar. It's not exactly a milkshake because it doesn't use ice cream, but it is cold and creamy and quite tasty. A licuado is similar, but with no milk. You can also ask for a licuado "natural," which is just fresh fruit and ice with no sugar. The problem is that I was looking for English words for both of these things--no English word exists for either one ("smoothie" is the closest thing, but it doesn't show the difference between a batido and a licuado, both of which are a bit thinner than a smoothie).

Then the Canadians and I decided it was empanada time. Empanadas are dough with some kind of filling that are then fried. They're a little different everywhere, and the ones we bought in Panama were made with a corn dough, which I'd never had before. There were several choices of fillings: queso, pollo, res, or bacalao (cheese, chicken, beef, or "bacalao"). I ordered bacalao; I love bacalao. The Canadians asked me what it was, and I couldn't remember the English word. It's a kind of fish, and I could describe it, but I couldn't remember the name of the fish at all. It's cod, by the way, that has been salted and dried, then reconstituted. It's really fabulous. Even if you can't remember what it's called in your first language.



Finally, I experienced something that I've experienced in a lot of other countries. I tend to stick out a lot when I travel in Latin America. I am very pale and I have very European facial features. People tend to look at me a lot. In addition, in some places it's customary for men to make comments to women in the street. That can be unnerving, but after a while you get used to it and it's not a big deal. The problem I had was that I had really become used to people staring at me, making eye contact, and making comments to me. When I came home, I went to the grocery store and I felt like everyone was being rude to me! No one made eye contact, no one looked at me, no one said anything to me. I felt like everyone was ignoring me. Their behavior was perfectly normal for our shared culture, but it was very strange for my new culture. I eventually got used to grocery store interactions again, but I've never forgotten the feeling of being out of place in my own culture.

The really cool thing about experiencing other cultures is that you often find new and exciting ways to do things. You might find that there are things about other cultures that you like so much that you begin to adopt those practices. That's exactly what's happened in my family. My brother and I speak Spanish to each other, despite the fact that we both learned the language as adults. We watch "El Clásico," a soccer match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, every time it's on TV, and we eat tapas de jamón ibérico y manchego, a kind of food from Spain. Those are simple examples, but they are things that were definitely not part of our home culture.

The process of entering and experiencing a new culture, then returning to our home culture is difficult, but it's the kind of experience that helps us appreciate our own culture even more.

Culture

It's time to talk about culture. What does that word mean? Culture is hard to define, even for people who study it.

Often, when we think of the word "culture," we think about things we can see, touch, or hear--food, music, festivals and celebrations. But if that was it, culture would be much easier to understand, and those tangible things don't explain why people experience culture shock or misunderstandings when they go to a new place or meet new people.

It's often the case that we find it difficult to adapt to new places or new groups of people--even people from our own general culture sometimes have misunderstandings. Think of a time when you thought you knew what someone wanted, but it turned out that they wanted something quite different. That was probably a cultural misunderstanding, and it happens all the time--everyone's family has slightly different ways of doing things, just like people from different countries have different ways of doing things.

This "way of doing things" is a big part of the word "culture." In order to survive, every human needs the same basic necessities: food, clean water, clothing (yes, that's an arguable point, but we'll keep it on the list), shelter, and each other (we depend on each other whether we like it or not). How people go about getting these basic elements is one way of identifying culture. There are lots of views on what constitutes culture, but this way of talking about culture will do just fine for now; we'll look at some other ideas later. As long as you have food, clean water, clothing, shelter, and other humans, you'll be okay. How you organize all of that, though, is up to you and the society you belong to. Your method of obtaining and organizing these elements may be different from how I do it. And that's perfectly okay.

Food and Water
In our culture (assuming we share the same culture), we shop at the grocery store, or maybe we keep a garden to obtain food. Most of us have access to clean, running water on a regular basis. We may cook our meals or buy them already made from stores or restaurants. We may eat our food alone, with our families, or with friends. We can use food to celebrate major events that we consider important--holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, Spanish class parties (remember, our idea of what's important will be different from others' ideas). In some cultures, people use food to express love--that's why my grandma always tries to put more food on my plate. She loves me! I understand that's why she pushes more food on people, but others might find her behavior rude or uncomfortable. I can't imagine anyone turning down my grandma's chocolate zucchini brownies, though. They are made of magic.

Clothing
In our culture, clothing is not optional (just to make that clear!). Clothing isn't just to protect our bodies from the elements, but to make a statement about who we are. Even if you don't care a whole lot about your appearance, I bet you prefer certain colors to others, and I bet you prefer certain kinds of clothing to others. Whether you realize it or not, you make a statement about yourself every day with the clothing you choose (and most of us have the privilege of choice, as well, which says even more about our culture). How you care for your clothing is also telling--do you wash every piece of clothing every time you wear it, or are there some things you wear more than once before washing? Do you use a clothes dryer, or do you air dry your clothing? If you air dry your clothing, do you hang it where the neighborhood can see it, or do you have a more private place for drying your clothes?


Shelter
It's not just the building, but also who lives in it. Do you live with relatives or friends? Do you plan on moving out when you graduate from high school? Does your extended family live with you, or just your immediate family? Do you live in an apartment, above a business in town, in the country, or in a duplex? Is your roof flat or pitched? Do you have your own room or are you expected to share with others? Which room in your house is the most important room?

Everyone needs shelter, and different cultures have different ideas about how shelter should be made. In some parts of Latin America, for example, it's common for families to live in houses that are close together, and to have a fence or some kind of wall around their houses. It's also common to have a small yard or patio, and in warmer climates windows are left open all day to ventilate the house (so it may not be customary to have air conditioning).

Depending on the culture, it may be normal for many family members to live together--aunts, uncles, grandparents, parents, children, cousins. It may be common for everyone to sleep in the same room. It may not be common to have beds or to use blankets. It's all a matter of custom and preference.

Building materials may be different, as well. Our region has 4 seasons, so we have to be prepared for snow as well as 90º heat--that means we try to build our houses to withstand many conditions. In other climates the cold is not a problem, so houses may not be insulated, or they may have tile floors to keep things cool.


Each Other
This is the most complicated element that humans need for survival, and the most difficult to understand. The relationships that we have with our families and friends may be incomprehensible to others--how we create, define, and maintain relationships is culture-specific.

What does it mean to be a friend? Is a friend just someone to pass the time with, or is a friend considered part of the family?

How we interact with others is a huge part of our culture--how we address them, work with them, rely on them, which language we use, how much personal information we share, and a million other factors.



These are the most basic elements of survival. It's no wonder, then, that we have trouble understanding others, even if they seem very similar to us. The most important elements of culture are the things we can't see: our thoughts, habits, customs. These are things that are difficult to explain, and when we meet other people whose thoughts, habits, and customs are different from ours, we may find that we unknowingly offend someone. Likewise, others may unknowingly offend us.

So, how do we avoid cultural misunderstandings? I'm so glad you asked. I've had a lot of experience with this, and I can honestly say that the best way to learn is not to be afraid to make mistakes. Still, there are ways to avoid mistakes and learn about others.

1. Keep an open mind. Remember, "different" isn't wrong, it's just different.

2. Be patient. Sometimes it takes a while for us to realize that we've made a mistake, or to figure out the solution to a sticky situation. It's worth your time to patiently work out the misunderstanding so you can use that new knowledge the next time something comes up.

3. Be polite but don't be afraid to say how you feel. Politeness will be different for everyone, but do your best to show courtesy to others. At the same time, don't be afraid to say what's troubling you--you can't fix a problem if you don't identify the problem. Open discussion may feel awkward at first (depending on your culture!), but if you really want to learn and know about people, be prepared for some awkward moments. It'll either get better or you'll get used to it. In my case, I'm just used to being awkward all the time--but I learn a lot!

4. Ask questions. If you don't ask, you'll never know. People will tell you if they aren't comfortable answering, and you can do the same.

5. Respect others' choices. Whether you agree with them or not, everyone makes decisions based on their culture (even if they're not aware that's what they're doing). Culture is one of the most important things humans have--it's our way of identifying ourselves and making sense of the world around us. So, when someone makes a decision or acts a certain way, they're doing it in accordance with whatever culture they identify with. That may not be your culture, and you may be puzzled by others' actions and attitudes. The good news is that no one's asking you to judge them, so you can relax and enjoy knowing people for who they are, rather than who you think they should be.

This is a lot to take in, especially if you've never thought about it before. Even if you never plan to interact with people from other cultures (good luck with that!), these ideas are useful. Like I wrote above, everyone does things just a little differently, and a little variety is wonderful. Understanding others will help you understand yourself, and that's what many people consider the point of being human: understanding who we are.

The Art of Waiting

If you are traveling, and particularly if you are backpacking, chances are you'll spend a lot of time waiting.

You'll wait in line to buy bus tickets, you'll wait on a bus in traffic, you'll wait to check in to a hostel, you'll wait for a flight, you'll wait when your flight is delayed.

There is an art to waiting. Some people are good at it. Some people aren't. Some people are used to it, and some are just naturally impatient. I like ot think that I'm a patient person, but even I have my limits. Here's how I make my life worthwhile when I have a long wait ahead of me (like my bus trip this week that took 16 hours...)

1.) Journaling
That's what I'm doing right now, in fact. As I write, it's 5:45 p.m. I left my hostel at 8 a.m. today, and I've been waiting on various buses, in ticket lines, and in traffic since then. I'm on a bus right now traveling from David to Panama City, and we've been sitting in traffic for the past three hours. So I know what I'm talking about.

Journaling is an excellent exercise that I recommend for any time, not just when you have nothing better to do. Journaling gives you the chance to organize your thoughts, reflect on your day, resolve issues, and it's just good therapy.

I journal all the time when I travel (maybe because I need a lot of therapy?). Journals are a great way to relive your travels, sometimes even better than photos, and you know how much I love photography.

2.) Reading
Maybe it's not your activity of choice, but it certainly does help to pass the time. Reading's good for you, too--it helps develop sustained associational thinking (i.e., you're forced to think deeply about stuff for a long time). There's nothing like a good story to keep you entertained when the screaming baby behind you makes you want to tear your ears off.

3.) Sleeping
I bet you didn't see that coming--what teacher encourages you to sleep when you could be reading, or studying Spanish, or doing mental math?

But seriously, this merits a mention. YOu shouldn't just sprawl out wherever you are and start snoring. If you find you must nap in a public place, such as a bus, a train station, the airport, the beach, or wherever, there are some things to keep in mind.

First, if you have a bus or train to catch, set an alarm. It would be rather sad to sleep through the departure you've waited so long for.

Next, keep in mind that you are in

public. Do not invade others' space, do not slump or sprawl about inappropriately. People will likely trip over you or just generally be disgusted with your lack of courtesy.

Finally and most importantly, always know where your stuff is. A friend of a friend once fell asleep on the beach in Brazil, and someone took everything--she had to borrow money for the bus ride home, and she had to ride that bus barefoot and in a bikini. Keep your passport and wallet on you at all times, preferably attached to your clothing somehow, and out of sight. If you've got your backpack with you, find a way to strap is on while you sleep. If you're in a place where you can lay down, you might put everything against a wall and curl around it. Check the floor first so you don't lay in anything unsavory.


You might think you'll never do any of the crazy stuff I've been describing, and you're probably right. Just in case, though, it's important to think through everything. If you think it's awful to sleep in a bus station, imagine waking up in that bus station and all your stuff is gone. Worse, no?

Ultimately, waiting won't kill you, and the more relaxed you are (and the less whining you do), the happier your life will be, no matter how long it takes to get where you're going.

6:15 p.m., still in traffic... I think it's time for a nap.


Other helpful hints:
- always have a bottle of water (you'll lose your place in line if you try to go buy water)
- don't rely on electronics to keep you entertained. You may be in a place where it is a very bad idea to flash electronics of any kind. Plus, your battery might die.
- I know I've said it before, but BYOTP. And hand sanitizer.
- Always take a jacket, even someplace warm. It can double as a pillow, or the AC might be turned way up, which is the case on Panamanian buses. You never know. 12 hours on a highly air conditioned bus can be miserable.

Plan what you can, go with the flow, and don't be a doofus.

Hola a todos,
I have many stories to share with you today. Many, many stories.

I decided yesterday that I wanted to spend a few days in Chiriquí. I was supposed to travel with my friend's mom, but she got sick so I decided just to go by myself. I left the house in Panama around 10 am, made it to the bus terminal by 11, and got in the longest line I have ever been in to buy a bus ticket. There were so many people that there were news reporters taking pictures and writing stories about the congestion in the station. Seriously, I might be in a Panamanian newspaper right now. It took 2.5 hours just to get in sight of the ticket window.

This is where the story of Eddie the Gringo begins.

Just as I was getting near the window, a guy came up to me and said, "Do you speak English?" It had been three days since I'd spoken English and he caught me off-guard, so I said that I did. He spoke no Spanish at all and he was completely clueless about how to buy a bus ticket. Trying to be nice, I helped him get a ticket. There were hundreds of people buying bus tickets to the city of David, so as soon as you bought your ticket, you had to go straight to the waiting room, and buses were constantly boarding. So that meant that because I helped Eddie the Gringo buy his ticket at the same time that I bought mine, he had the seat next to me.

Time out. When I travel in Spanish-speaking countries, I only speak Spanish. I don't speak English unless I have to. It's safer that way, and it's just plain polite to speak the same language as the people around you when you can. Also, I don't speak to strangers, no matter what language they speak. At the very least, I'm very selective about the strangers to whom I speak.

I thought that once I helped Eddie the Gringo buy his bus ticket that my job would be done. No. Eddie the Gringo insisted on talking to me. Here's a tip, guys: it's okay to ask general questions about people's travel plans, and it's best to ask where people have already been if you want to make small talk. But when you ask people details about their plans for the next day, you're being really, really, really creepy. Eddie the Gringo was creeping me out big time, asking about where I was going and where I was staying. This is an example of when lying a little bit is okay. I told him I was meeting friends in Potrerillos, a small town near the town where I was actually staying. Never tell complete strangers your detailed travel plans, even if they seem really awesome. Eddie the Gringo was not awesome in any way.

In general, Eddie the Gringo was just plain creepy and overwhelmingly clueless. He didn't know how to do anything in Spanish, and he didn't even know how to ask people for help in Spanish. What's worse, he never even tried. Please don't be like Eddie the Gringo.

In the waiting room of the bus station, there were people wall-to-wall waiting for buses. I had to wait for the attendant to shout the number of the bus that was printed on my ticket. This is why knowing your numbers in Spanish is important, kids. I also had to check a bag on the bus, and when I got to David at 1:30 in the morning yesterday, I had to wait for my number to be called. Seriously. Study your numbers.

It also helps to know the alphabet in Spanish. I had to call a hostel in Boquete to make reservations, and since my name is not a common name in Spanish, I had to spell it over the phone. I also had to spell my first and last name when I bought my bus ticket. Seems like something really simple, and it is, but it could save you a lot of trouble just knowing the alphabet.

The bus ride to David was only supposed to take 8 hours, but with the incredible amount of traffic and some wicked rain, it took 10 hours. I'll make the next moral of the story brief and to the point: always carry your own toilet paper. Bus bathrooms will not have TP. Bus station bathrooms will not have TP (unless they're the kind of bathroom you have to pay to use, in which case they will have TP). But in general, always always always BYOTP. My friend's mom gave me a roll of TP before I left her house. Best present ever. The end.

After the bus got to David, I still had to find my way to the town of Boquete, about 45 minutes away. I had planned on arriving to David around 7 p.m., but with the traffic, I didn't get there until 1:30 a.m. That meant that there was no public transportation to be had, so I had to get a taxi. A friend who is from Boquete told me that taxis should cost about $18 from David to Boquete. I asked a taxi driver how much he charged for the trip, and he told me $30. "No, gracias," I said. "$25," he replied. I asked around, and the cheapest I could find was $23, probably because of the late hour. It's pretty normal for taxi drivers (or anyone, for that matter) to raise their prices if they think they can get the money out of you. If you can, check around and see how much things should cost before you try to go somewhere.

Finally, I made it to my hostel at 2:30 this morning. I know I've talked about hostels before; they're dorm-style rooms, and you rent a bed for the night. I was shown to a room where three other people were already asleep. The moral of this leg of the trip is to always pack your most important stuff at the top of your bag so that you don't wake everyone else up by digging around for a toothbrush. I knew that. Just making sure that you do.

So there are some general themes here.
1.) Plan ahead as much as you can. Ask how much things should cost, think about what you'll need when you get to your destination, take an extra bottle of water in case an 8 hour trip turns into a 16 hour trip.
2.) If your plans don't work out, go with the flow and don't stress about it. You'll get where you're going eventually.
3.) Don't be afraid to ask questions and try doing things on your own. If you don't, you'll have trouble getting anywhere and you'll constantly have to rely on other people. Don't be like Eddie the Creepy Gringo.