A Humbling Experience

Who’d have thought that I would experience India-Egypt culture shock, as opposed to Canada-Egypt? Well, apparently Janaki had that one figured out, but neglected to mention it. Anyways…

Living in another country is a humbling experience. Plain and simple. The root of my culture shock appears to come from not being the “master of my domain,” so to speak. When I left India, I felt like I could do/get anything I needed. Involuntarily, I expected the same thing to happen in Egypt.

And then, BAM. Reality checks are often the most painful, aren’t they? Everyday I have to keep reminding myself, “I’m not in India anymore, I’m not in India anymore.” Easier said than done, I might add.

But what was it about India? I still can’t figure that one out. Lifestyle, I guess. I left wanting never to come back. I left feeling fully satisfied with my time there, and not wanting another bite. I lived 8 months in Canada paying only lip service to the chai stands and shavers of Incredible India. And then I come here, only to realize that I want the carefree Indian lifestyle back. I never thought I’d say that. Ever.

Then again, I’ve only been here for 2 ½ weeks. What’s the rush? I can’t expect to be Egypt-proficient in that time. But because I feel like I’m integrating at light speed, that expectation persists. Instead of starting at the proverbial shallow end of the pool, I’ve cannon-balled into the deep-end without a lifejacket (did I mention that I sink). It makes sense, when I think about it, because I’m a sucker for cultural integration. I want to try all that’s crazy and different where I am (hence fasting for Ramadan). If I wanted to eat at a nice restaurant, I would’ve stayed at home, for example.

What I’ve learned is that they key to living in a foreign country (especially if you’re there for some serious cultural integration) is integrating at your own pace. If you’re going too fast, slow down. If you’re not doing enough, don’t let the traffic stop you.

For me, I think it’s time to slow things down and get back to writing my book.