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Saturday, April 30, 2011
Mexico is a very Catholic country, so we had the whole week off for Easter (most of the elementary/high schools had the week before and after Easter off).
Fortunately, my time off coincided perfectly with the wedding of a good friend from college, so I was able to make a quick trip back to the USofA.
My first destination was North Carolina and it made a great transition back into the US. I've mentioned before how, overall, Mexicans are very friendly and welcoming, which is exactly what I felt upon entering the good ol' South (the Southern accents and Cook Out milkshakes don't hurt either).
During my days in the US, I became more aware of some cultural differences that have become the norm for me while living in Mexico. At the wedding I found myself thinking "Everyone looks so natural. I'm surprised they're not wearing more makeup for such a big event!" And then I laughed at myself that the (sometimes excessive) amount of makeup many Mexican women wear -- especially for an event-- now seems normal to me.
Once again, I became one of the shorter people in most groups, whereas in Mexico I'm a relatively normal height -- and sometimes I even feel tall! I also found myself walking "slowly", whereas I often feel like I'm running in comparison to the normal walking pace in Mexico.
My stomach still isn't completely adjusted to Mexican food (3 stomach infections last semester, luckily none so far this semester though I've been more careful about what I eat). However, I realized it has been toughened up a bit when I was the only one of the group not to get sick after eating at a particular restaurant.
I loved breathing clean air (Mexico City has improved it's air quality over the years, but still isn't exactly what I'd call clean air) and all the Spring flowers in bloom. I did miss hearing and speaking Spanish, though it was nice to speak English. I did have my "Spanglish" moments though, such as referring to "readings" as "lectures," based on the Spanish word "lecturas."
Though I was in the US for 10 days, the time flew by -- mostly because I didn't stay in the same place for more than 2-3 days, moving between North Carolina, Maryland and Virginia. I wish I had more time with everyone, but I absolutely loved my visit!
Labels: cultural differences, Rotary, travel
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