Culture shock

What do you do when you're up at 2:25am, jetlagged and hungry? Eat cereal and blog.

I returned less than 24-hours ago from a WONDERFUL, short, sweet trip to Pittsburgh to meet my new niece, Eliana Joy. A post on the trip with pictures to come soon.

This post is my reflections on my brief visit to the great U S of A. For some reason (probably because I was unaccompanied by minors), I felt a much stronger wave of culture shock upon returning home. It could have been intensified by the fact that I was in a new place (not the familiar MN and CO with friends and family that we visited in the fall); this was my first visit to Pittsburgh.

I was soothed by the beautiful roads, sane and orderly traffic, functioning infrastructure, relative peace, quiet and calm of a bustling metropolis, noted absence of livestock, etc.

I was awed to bathe in drinking water.

I was bowled over by the aisles of Trader Joe's and Target. Row after row after row of options for dental floss (rarely available here, often requires a trip to a pharmacy), ceramics (not cheesy silkscreened patterns), seasonal decor (I have never wanted to buy Valentine's decorations with such fervor), and toys. I confess I wanted to buy everything and nothing... at the same time. I was dazzled and repulsed by the excess. Good for the family budget, I was somewhat paralyzed and mostly bought just the items on my list (excepting a splurge at the One Spot for fun treats for the kiddos).

A trip to a wonderful part of the city called "The Strip", blocks of great ethnic markets, restaurants and neat independently-owned businesses left me with the same feelings. I was delighted by all the offerings but a little overwhelmed, too, and not even able to process all that was available.

Shopping in India is so different in so many ways. There are very high-end items available for about twice their cost in the US; in my absence, Shae and the kids visited a new mall with Tag Heuer watches for $8,000. Groceries (local) are generally less expensive, while imported items (crackers, cookies, etc.) are 2-3x the US price. Because there are so many expats (one report claimed 50,000) in Bangalore, there is a remarkably good array of options compared to other parts of India... but it also depends how much you want to pay.

My strategy has been to try the local brands, enjoy the great produce and not purchase imported items except for special occasions (cheese for Christmas Eve, e.g.). I think that's why I was hit by waves of longing for our favorite US treats (letter cookies from TJ's, wholegrain crackers, beef jerky, blueberries, cottage cheese, ANY cheese--feta, blue, Brie... oh the list goes on, parasite-free lettuce and other greens, Kalamata OLIVES, etc.).

I've written mostly about food here, but my thoughts are analogous to many other areas.

And I conclude with the cliche you've been waiting for: in sum, I realize how fortunate we are in so many ways in the US. I am humbled by how many things I've taken for granted. Part of me feels like we don't need the insane number of options we have, part of me is comforted by and grateful for them. As we near our 1-year mark in India, I am glad to have come and will be very glad to be returning to the US. More thoughts on my surprisingly deeply-rooted Americanness to come.

Thanks, dear readers, for following my musings.