I arrived back in the US on Wednesday afternoon. Since summer of 2009, I've spent a total of 3 weeks in the US. Not a lot of time = a lot of reverse culture shock. Things that make you say whoa.
Food. Yogurt containers are HUGE here. Eggs are sold in cartons of 12, not 10. My hand fits in the Pringles can. What happened to the Princeton McDonalds? TWO DRIVE THRUS? Whoa. Why are there no rolls of toilet paper sitting on tables? Where is the water dispenser? The cashier handed me my change with her left hand! Why am I the only one who bows? Princeton has an Italian restaurant? Surprising. It sucks. Not surprising. No one pushes me. No one stares at me. As I pass by, children don't say "foreigner! HI!"
But home is good. This week I
-ate pumpkin shaped Reeses
-carved a jack-o-lantern
-watched the WORLD SERIES, stupid Cardinals, but still, American baseball is SO much better than Korean baseball.
-went to Wal Mart
-dried my clothes without using a drying rack
-went to the post office and did not have to use any explanatory gestures or a note written by my coworkers explaining what I needed
-ate apple cider donuts
-went to an apple orchard
-inhaled deliciously fresh air
-FALL COLORS! Perfection!
-ate sausage
-cuddled with my cats
-drove a car
Before coming home, I went to Istanbul for a few days. LOVE IT AND LOVE MY AWESOME HOSTESS. I am trying to post pictures on Facebook now, and I will post about it here sometime. Right now, I am not sans computer, so it makes all that stuff a bit hard.
Oh Korea, I want to eat kimchi jjigae, ride the subway, and walk around in blissful oblivion. But home is super sweet, and I am beyond excited for Thanksgiving. Bring on the turkey.
3 comments:
wait. princeton has an italian restaurant?
We are happy you are home, Laura, and your dad is THRILLED the cookie machine is back up and running. When the pie machine is reactivated, he can die happy!!!
Mom
I think if you bowed the the people working at McDonald's, it would blow their minds. They would never get over it, and it might inspire them to want to get a more "respectable" job, thus leaving it unstaffed, which in turn would make the business suffer. Thus, you would be the downfall of the Princeton McDonald's and Clark would never forgive you. You better not bow. :)
I can't wait to see you next week!
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