Nonetheless, it is with bittersweet feelings that I write this blog and Act I Finale, Part 2: Brussels, for such is the time of year that students undertake departures. For graduation, for travel, for finishing school work, and for beginning new endeavors. The departure of one particular friend today has me particularly sad, but I keep trying to remind myself to think to think in the long term: propagate beginnings, minimize endings.
Ok, I know that's a bit cryptic and I shall return to that topic in the next post, but first I bring you my culture shock. With gladness, I bowed out of Oxford for five days to make a quick jaunt home for Tony's wedding. I reckon five days was a bit too quick for my liking, but with the end of term, I had been unable to foresee the importance of my being in Oxford. Believe it or not, I believe the five months that passed between January and now were the longest period I had ever been away from Herndon, not to mention out of the country. (Tangent: I am incredibly impressed with how Jenna handled this year given that she is only 21, has significantly less travel experience than I, and essentially went to school down the road from her home; a huge jump to spend a year abroad!) Upon returning to the States, however, I was surprised to recognize that I was undergoing a bit of US culture shock! Me? Culture shock? On returning home?
Well, it is true. The underlying gratefulness I felt of the whole weekend was that home was exactly as I had left it. From the house to my parents and friends, things seemed to be very pleasantly in place exactly as I had left them in January. I even felt happy to sit in a traffic jam on the Washington beltway, sweating bullets with the window down, jamming to music while the A/C (aka the 'air con') sat idle. This was a huge relief given that the last five months have seen plenty of moments of both joy and anguish; a brief calm during a tempest on the sea of Oxford life.
So what culture shock was in store? Start with the fact that my best friend was getting married. It had previously been noted that we have known each other for over 18 years - almost three quarters of my life time! The wedding was held at the Comus Inn, a quiet countryside inn with a picturesque vista of nearby Sugarloaf Mountain. I was slated to play my cello at the wedding, so (while I didn't exactly know what repertoire I would be playing until the dress rehearsal) I joined the other groomsmen for a rehearsal evening in Maryland. For any music enthusiasts out there, I ended up playing the entire first suite of the Bach Unaccompanied Six Suites for Cello, Air on the G String (also Bach), Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, and Mendelssohn's Wedding March from A Midsummer Night's Dream. The entire wedding was really nice - although a bit toasty - and everyone had a fun time at the reception. It was great seeing all the guys again and selling off the first one into
The first cultural thing that really struck me was that I am, in fact, picking up British vocabulary. Matt had to pick up his trousers from the tailors, but - I kid you not - when he announced that he was going for a drive to pick up his pants, I had to put serious thought into why one would get his underwear fitted for a wedding. On several occasions, I absentmindedly said cheers to waitstaff and service employees; I even discussed being knackered from jetlag yet keen to go for a late night walk. I don't think my accent has altered at all, but the alteration in vocabulary is quite interesting. I kind of like it, especially where as it has yet to incur many strange looks!
Not every shock was beneficial, however. It was on Saturday that my parents and I wandered into a Giant Foods grocery store. Of course, giant is merely the name of the store, but I quickly realized how apropos it was. Aisle after aisle of Giant was stacked high with foods. The sheer number of varieties of everything simply boggled my mind. Clearly it was a far cry from Tesco, where one is lucky to find a single variety of the product they desire, not to mention six. If I ever complain about not being able to find something to eat in a US grocery store, please slap me. Wait... please don't. It was a figure of speech.
The other bit that was rather shocking was the portion sizes. I have grown quite accustomed to eating in the UK, where everything is served at a smaller, more reasonable size. In contrast, when the groomsmen and I went to lunch at "Copper Canyon Grill," the restaurant was just as big as the meals. I had a massive western-style burger (if putting slices of rib on a burger isn't big and American, I don't know what is. For the record, I thought the ribs were replacing the burger, not supplementing it. *groan*) and a portion of fries. Swiftly assessing that my meal would end up in my lap if I tried to pick it up, I made the obvious decision to tackle my burger from a European perspective: with a knife and fork. Yes, I was ridiculed (especially given that I have adopted the "Continental" style of cutlery etiquette) for my manner of burger consumption, but I actually had the least amount of residual mess of the group... so I highly recommend using a knife and fork on your next burger!
One more thing. I have had a theory this year that I now believe bodes true. In addition to the quantity issues named above, I realized that food in the US is produced with significantly higher artificial preservatives and other junk than food in the UK. How do I know? I eat much more junk food in the UK than I do at home, with negligible side effects. In contrast, my US restaurant foray definitely did not appeal to my stomach in multiple ways... though my taste buds were, indeed, very happy. Net recommendation: eat like a Brit.
Thanks to everyone for a very special weekend at home! Really looking forward to the next opportunity, which will come.... who knows when?
Oh! Just one more thing! On Sunday afternoon before I caught my plane, the results were posted for the MCR elections. Believe it or not, I found myself a presidential job! Through nervousness to excitement to steady anticipation, I have spent the past week preparing to take office, which I have since done. No worries, I stopped short of turning a Keble room into the oval office (some wanted me to) but I have started to work on my cult of personality, or whatever they call it.
And now to the big finish...
2 comments:
Yes... going abroad for an extended period of time really resets your ideals of "normal". Perhaps you noticed that when you returned from China that "everyone is bigger". I was used to seeing over the top of the crowd in Japan, but not here in the US.
Now, the key is to learn from all these differences and embrace what makes sense for your life. You have a wonderful opportunity to challenge all that you thought was "correct".
Congrats on the election... Mr. President.
Yes, I certainly understand what you're talking about. I think there is a big difference between spending six weeks vs. six months abroad though. After China, the reacclimation was relatively quick - my mindset even during the trip was that it was a short term, temporary cultural experience. I did not allow myself to detatch from what I knew in the States. From the UK, however, the shock was more pronounced because 1) I have been in England for such an extended period 2) I recognize that this is my new long term home and 3) by allowing myself to detatch from the US, I became aware of these American cultural differences upon my return.
Thanks for your comment!
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