Sorry for the poor posting lately. We went home to the US for a bit. Between irregular internet access and cute nieces/nephews, I didn’t update as planned. Now, we are at home and are both sick. Our germy, jet-lagged heinies are planted on each couch and drinking tea.
This past year has been filled with changes. Here are some of the things we have learned:
- Certain actors become much more bearable when dubbed in other languages. Although I generally avoid watching David Hasselhoff like the plague, I enjoyed watching Knight Rider dubbed Spanish.
- Seeing other ways people live has helped us to better understand American culture and how we are products of it.
- Shockingly, not everyone is as loud and expansive as we Americans are. When we were in the US, we were a bit overwhelmed by the size of stores, malls and parking lots. I guess it is a sign we are adapting.
- What my dad said is true, only boring people are bored.
- He was always a good packer, but I have learned how to be a much better one. I can now make it a week with only a backpack!
- There are all kinds of different ways of communicating. As Americans, we tend to be more direct, linear and explicit. Others are more indirect, circular and/or implicit (putting responsibility for understanding on the listener). People aren’t going to change for you, so you’d better learn how they express themselves so you can understand what is being communicated.
- If someone does a bad job cutting your hair. Do not let them be the one to fix it. Trust me on this one. If you expressed dissatisfaction with their work, they may bear a grudge. If they bear a grudge, you don’t want them with scissors anywhere near your hair.
- Try not to complain. Regardless of whatever pickle you may be in or frustration you may have, there is always someone who has bigger problems. What seems like a big deal at the time usually isn’t a bit down the road and you will feel like an idiot if you’ve made too big a deal about something small.
- You can’t treat your partner too well (especially if they are one of the only people you know on the continent).
- It makes you feel a lot better when you understand why people do things so differently. Getting yelled at for crossing the street the wrong way becomes a whole lot easier when you understand where they are coming from.
- My photos are improving. Despite regular practice (due to Geneva‘s high cost of living) my cooking has not. On side note, the war with my oven continues with no end in sight.
- We are still working on perfect mastery of conversions, but we’ve definitely learned some conversions (metric, Celsius, currency, etc.).
- Lots of times, we call things learning experiences because there isn’t anything more positive we can say about them. Change is difficult and stressful, but it is also a huge opportunity to learn and grow. Plus, change is inevitable. You may as well learn all you can and try to enjoy yourself along the way.
schwingeninswitzerland 