My trip to America!

As many of you know, I just returned from a holiday trip to America!  I quickly settled back into life in Dreketi, and it honestly feels like I never left, except for the heat-shock to my system that is.  While I was home the most common question I got was “does it feel weird to be back?”  The answer is no.  It didn’t feel weird being back in America; it just felt like I was living a double life.  There were however a few things that stuck out as especially culture-shocking:

Cleanliness

By far the most impressive thing about America is how clean it is!  Everything from the streets, to public restrooms, to grocery stores, to people’s homes are spotless.  There is hardly any trash along the roads and sidewalks, and even in shops, the aisles are always clear and the merchandise is properly stocked.  Homes, including their inhabitants, are always nicely picked up and clean, almost to a fault.  In Fiji I thought it bothered me how dirty things always were but after being reminded of the alternative, I think I like living in a world where life is messy. 

Cars

There are so many cars!!!  It’s unbelievable.  Everywhere you look, there is a car whizzing by, and you can’t escape them.  And with the sheer volume of cars, comes traffic and highways which are, on their own, slightly terrifying.  Cars also mean instant gratification.  If you want something, you go out and get it, which is a privilege that I think most Americans take for granted. 

Phones

Everyone has a phone and they are constantly using them.  In some ways this definitely annoyed me.  There were many times that I would be sitting at a table and notice the conversation die down only to realize its because most people at the table had turned to their phones.  I like being able to discuss things in person, without someone whipping out their phones and “fact-checking” whatever it is we were debating.  On the other hand, in a place like America, phones are much more necessary than they are in Fiji.  In such a huge place, directions and coordinating via phone is often necessary, not just a nice convenience. 

English

It was weird hearing English spoken everywhere I went.  In Fiji, it is easy for me to tune out all the noise around me because usually its in a language that requires a lot of focus for me to understand.  In America I found myself constantly surrounded by strangers’ conversations, all of which I understood, and therefore had to eavesdrop on. 

Prices

Prices were surprising in both directions, some things were unbelievably cheap (alcohol, dairy, candy, food), others were very expensive (restaurants, taxis, clothes).  I also didn’t appreciate being reminded that things like sales tax and tipping where a thing that existed. 

Concrete

There is just so much development in America.  There is so much concrete and steel everywhere and in the few pockets where there is still open land, they’ve started construction to build new shopping malls and parking structures (to keep the insane number of cars as mentioned above). 

Options

America is the land of options.  If you go in a grocery store, there are a million different types of sandwich bread to choose from.  If you’re hungry, there are hundreds of restaurants to pick from.  If you’re bored, there are tons of activities just waiting. 

Customer Service

Waitresses, shop clerks, and even taxi drivers are all about customer service.  If something wasn’t satisfactory it comes out in their tip and therefore they work extra hard to keep customers happy… a concept lost in Fiji. 

Looks

     On multiple occasions, I found myself saying, “Everyone here looks so fancy.”  Things like style, appearance, and personal hygiene go by the wayside very quickly in Fiji, and I like it that way!   In almost a year and a half in Fiji I’ve never done my hair or had it cut by anyone that wasn’t another PCV, only worn mascara on maybe 3 occasions, and I’ve never spent more than 2 minutes getting dressed in the morning. 

     Alone-ness

I specifically say ‘alone-ness’ and not ‘loneliness’ here because I don’t want to say that America is lonely, it absolutely is not.  Surrounded by my longtime friends and family made me anything but lonely, however because there is such a different community structure, it is much easier to be alone.  In Fiji I am constantly around people, even when I’m alone at home, I hear people calling my name from outside, stopping by for tea, or dragging me along to some event.  It’s a type of community where even though you are alone, you never feel like it.  In America, even though you aren’t alone, you can easily feel like it. 

Moce!

Elizabeth