The Other Side of the World

Well, the official cross-cultural adjustment graph says that I should be over the "honeymoon period" with Tanzanian culture, and moving onto the "irritability stage." It's funny, the Tanzanian culture is not grating on me. Power outages are fine. Heat is fine so far. Swahili does make me feel inept and lost sometimes. But I love the geckos, produce, and transportation.

There are other cultures though. The culture of my house is pretty good; we're still getting to know each other, so sometimes I'm a bit lonely, don't know how to interpret situations, or if I can suggest adjustments on little issues like grocery shopping. Broadly, we enjoy each other, share humor and frustrations, and most importantly, meals:). The culture of the school is also generally good. We pray together. The kids are amazingly unique and engaged. There is flexiblity. I will post photos of last week's International Day soon. It was an amazing event. I have felt some "irritation" at school though, which makes sense, since it's the culture I'm immersed in the most. The flexibility, though good, can be a challenge. For example, the report cards aren't set in stone... so I get to design my own report card... but that means I have to put in all the extra think time to design a report card. Sometimes the irritation at school is just that everything is new, so I don't feel competent as a teacher. Sometimes the children talk too much (don't faint with surprise). I am so thankful that I can bring all these issues to my Father, privately and with others. And, I am thankful that there are no terrible issues. However, all rolled into one experience, I'd say I feel struggle recently.

And then, to get to that cute photo, I do miss all you across the ocean! The photo is a Skype session that my mom and brother projected on the wall at his Portland, OR home. That's my mom kissing me on my cheek, all the way from the other side of the world! It's lovely to have the home communication and love and letters. Some days it's bittersweet. I remember feeling known by others and knowing what to expect, but that's not how I feel here! Sometimes I see a picture, of friends or of a beach that looks like the Pacific Northwest, and it just hits me. It can really tire me out emotionally and physically. But, today was a good day. I did feel competent and the kids were fun.

So that's a taste of the ups and downs. If you're curious, the official graph says "adjustment" and "adaptation" are the next two stages. Then, in two years I'll get to "return anxiety!" So stay tuned for the ride.