We have now been in Germany for one month! It's been amazing to look back at that month and see all of the ways that God provided for us. But, we've recently been starting to feel the effects of home sickness and isolation. This is completely normal and our pre-field training prepared us for when the "culture shock" would hit. One of the ways that they encouraged us to deal with the difficulties of culture shock is humor.
We're lucky that unlike other more "exotic" missions locations Germany has an abundance of American conveniences. There's a decent Mexican restaurant about fifteen minutes from our place. You can get Oreos in the grocery store downtown. Pretty much everyone and their mom speaks at least some elementary English. CNN is one of the channel selections on German cable.
Popular fast food chain restaurants are one of the more ubiquitous American cultural expressions you find in Germany. For some reason, Germans love the preprocessed soy-ness of a Big Mac. For us, these restaurants provide an American oasis during especially difficult periods of cultural adjustment. In fact, the type of restaurant corresponds pretty well to how depressed and miserable we are. So, without further ado, here's our scale of cultural transition depression as measured by American fast food restaurants:
Level 1: StarbucksAt this level, you're just beginning to feel some of the effects of cultural shock. You generally still enjoy being in your new home. There's still some of that freshness and excitement of being in a new place. You may have had one or two days of loneliness where you watched a couple hours of Larry King Live on CNN because you really wanted to hear someone speaking English. But, in general you're doing pretty good. Starbucks is a great oasis for this level. It's a cafe, so it's still kinda cool, but the prepackaged familiarity makes you feel at ease. Tall, Grande, Venti translates into any language!
Level 2: Pizza HutImagine it. You've been living overseas for about four or five months now. You've started to pick up the language to the point where you can get around. Then, you have one horrible day. You get chewed out by a police officer for not stamping your tram ticket. You spend three hours in a department store looking for a stupid butter dish! And, you accidentally tell the lady sitting next to you on the bus to have a good pickle. You are still proud of the fact that you're living fairly successfully overseas, so you don't want to go too American, but you need something familiar. Pizza Hut provides the perfect respite. It's still thoroughly American, but vaguely ethnic enough to allow you to soothe your battered ego.
Level 3: McDonald'sAlright, now we're into serious cultural shock territory now. This level is particular potent because it represents a real compromise of morals. Places like Starbucks and Pizza Hut you would frequent occasionally if you still lived in the States. But, you have refused to eat at McD's since you out grew the Happy Meal. There's something about those soy burgers that should give any moderately health-conscious adult pause. But, now you're really feeling the culture shock. In fact, most of your sentences begin with, "The reason I hate [insert host country]..." You find yourself collapsing in a heap of tears about 2 or 3 times a week now. You need some serious American-ness. The freaky red clown and his fat purple friend come to the rescue!
Level 4: Kentucky Fried ChickenIt's over now...you've reached the bottom of the barrel. At one point you lock yourself in your bedroom, shut the window blinds, and watch all 7 seasons of Gilmore Girls straight. You start looking into plane flights back to the U.S., and every airplane you see overhead you wonder if it's going to New York. One day, you're walking through your town and you see the Colonel staring at you from across the square. You then think something that you have never thought before in your entire life: "I've always wanted to go to Kentucky..." That's when you know that you've reached bottom. You run across the square and gorge yourself in low grade chicken meat and hush puppies. When you've reached this stage, you can take heart. You know that you've come through the worst of culture shock. After you get over the embarrassment of the scene you made at KFC and the indigestion from 2 lbs of fried chicken, you have no place else to go but up. It signals the end of the worst of your cultural adjustment.
In case you're wondering, the other day we went to Starbucks, so we're still at Level 1 right now. We'll keep all of you updated on our descent!
Total comments on this post (3)
HAHAHA!! Love it! Thanks for sharing the scale in a language I can understand. I have already been to to McDonald's, but by-passed the Pizza Hut phase and have not yet reached the KFC phase. Can't wait to join for a visit to Starbucks! (the don't exist in this area)
bThese are great! It will let me know how to be praying for you as you go through the different levels. Hopefully they won't be too painful for you. What does it mean if you haven't left the states and you still find yourself craving any of those items??? Hmmmm be kind when you answer lol
Okay, my site mate and I sat here and laughed our "po"'s off over this! The worst part you ask? We don't have these restaurants in Mongolia. But what DO we have? GUT & GUETSIG brand!! Yup! That's right! The Wal-mart brand of German food is available in Mongolia! And it's the fancy stuff you get here!
IT'S GOOD AND GOOD FOR YOU!
Love you guys!
xoox
