We’ve all heard about people telling us about a culture shock if we go away, which naturally I did have when I went over to St Lucia. What people don’t tell you is the reverse culture shock hitting you when you come back; bumping at you sideways so you end up on the floor saying “Oww, whatdya do that for”?
Maybe I’ve been too used to always seeing cheese flavoured crisps, but since when did crisps have weird, posh sounding flavours? Roasted Chicken and Thyme, Thai-style Chili; When did cold-calling change from being a person reading from a script, hoping that you were going to say the magic words to them so they could pounce and sell you this dream product, to an automated service that starts off with “Please do not hangup”?
Walking around Tesco’s getting food reminded me of a scene from the film, “Moscow on the Hudson”, which some of you may recall was an 80′s movie with Robin Williams as the lead role, who defects from Russia and stays with this American family. He offers to go to the store to get some food and sees row upon row of coffee. His feeling of overwhelming awe at shelf upon shelf stacked with all these different varieties and the amount of coffee is something, that at this time, I can honestly and truthfully say I can personally relate to. The richness and wide variety of produce is overwhelming!
All the little things aside, even after being back for a couple of months, it’s still weird and strange with a small pinch of surrealism for added measure. Now that I’m back, I’ve found that there are things that I used to take for granted, that I now can appreciate alot more.
There’s still some moments where something occurs or someone says something to me and I have to pause for a brief moment to recollect my thoughts.
The most scariest thing I’ve noticed about myself since I’ve been back? I’m walking faster. Not around the house, that would just be stupid, but when I’m walking along a road or around the town centre, it’s like I’m on a mission.
:o)
