The "Shocking" Part of a Culture

Fairly recently, I received an email from a friend that said I must have not gone through culture shock while here, since I haven't really talked about it. Please let me set the record straight. I'll be the first to tell you that, yes, I have indeed gone through culture shock while here. Please don't think that I'm some super woman or crazy "Wonder-Woman" type missionary. The truth is I'm human. And I'm dealing with certain things here that I still shake my head at, but that I constantly have to tell myself, "It's not bad, it's just different."

So let me be honest with you and tell you what my heart has seen and my mind has thought, but what my mouth has not complained about yet. But oh yes, I have complained it all in my head :)

1. The heat: I'm from Pennsylvania. I love the seasons, especially the cooler seasons...like snow. And here, there's about as much chance of snow as there is for me to see a flying monkey. Actually, it's probably more likely that I would see a flying monkey around here.
2. How they line up or lack of: so you know how we line up...like in a line at the grocery store or waiting to pay for our gas inside the gas station. Well they don't line up here. So for the first couple weeks, people kept butting in front of me! It drove me crazy. I felt like saying "excuse me" but I didn't know how to say that in Thai. And it's probably good because lining up isn't a rule here and it really isn't rude to "not" line up. So now I make it my goal to get as close to the person in front of me as possible...without letting them smell my "foreign-ish-ness" smell ;)
3. It bothers me that Thai's can read the faces of foreigners so well. They say the "western" face is the easiest to read, so as I'm going through smelling different things and learning different things, I also have to make sure I don't give too much away too much with my face. And that's like impossible for me because I can be so dramatic, especially when I'm going in through culture shock in a new culture! In addition to this, it bothers me that I can't read their facial expressions at all. But I'm praying God brings me wisdom with that in time.
4. It bothers me that I "smell" to them: Yes, foreigners smell to them. I smell to them...I'm just smelly. And I pride myself on being clean and having good hygiene. But they've got amazing noses here. So when my feet get dirty or I've sweated a couple buckets of water, I'm thinking...I must smell like a toilet to them.
5. It bothers me that there are ants that crawl into every piece of the food I buy. Literally (unless it's in the refrigerator) there will be an ant in your food within 5 minutes or less. They're everywhere.
6. It bothers me that I'm always being bitten by mosquitoes: And I always end each day with about 5 new mosquito bites. I'm beginning to question if I'm the only food source for the mosquitoes here in Thailand.
7. The Where Do I Find Clothing My Size Problem: Where is the "Girls with Hips" clothing store? I mean, come on, I'm an American who eats well, loves chocolate, doesn't skip meals, and did I mention who loves chocolate ? I've got me some hips...and a butt (we don't need to emphasize that though). So as my 4 pairs of capris wear out, I'm thinking...I might need to find some new capris around here. But all the capris I find here make it about halfway up my calf. Perhaps I should try men's shorts? Or a paper bag?

BUT, I LOVE...
1. I love that there's air conditioning here to enjoy (that's one thing I've never been thankful for, but I am now). And I love the breezes that sweep in and cool me off when it's hot as it is now.
2. I love watching Thai people interact with each other and I love their outrageously funny laughs and great senses of humor.
3. I love that when you look into the eyes of a Thai person, you see something deeper. Even though I can't read them, I can see that there's something more that I'm missing. And I just want to get to know them and see what they see.
4. I love how Thai people smell! They smell so good. It's always a mix of fruit, flowers, and baby powder. It's wonderful, and I love it.
5. While I don't love anything about the ants, I love that I've learned not to waste the food I buy. I've learned to guard all food with a vengeance. And did you know that in some countries, next to the toilet is a little squirter (to, you know, "hose" off after you go to the bathroom). Guess what I use that for...that's right...ant target practice :) It's very effective!
6. I love that there are geckos here to eat the mosquitoes. I consider them my other "roommates".
7. I love that Thai people have a unique sense of style. So that when the capris don't fit, there are a ton of other options to try out. Perhaps it's time for me to start rocking the skirt.

So yes, I have gone through culture shock, and there are a ton of other little things that have grated on my nerves after a while, but there are also a ton of things to love about this amazing country and the people in it. And God is good at taking off the blinders of my own culture and helping me to appreciate the diversity of another. Praise the Lord for that :)

This guy, whom I've named DG (Darn Gecko), is a Tokay Gecko. They're beautiful and they're nocturnal so this guy loves to come out at night and croak as I'm about to fall sleep :)