Chock-full of Shock

We’ve had some big transitions in the last few weeks, and so have made a list of some of the biggest culture-shocks we’ve had back in the States to help answer this common question. Play grounds. Playing with kids at the playground and taking a few minutes to realize they’re high pitched squeals are in English and I should be able to understand them. Green grass between our toes. Cheese on lots of things. Ham. The first meal we had back in the States was tasty ham, and our adopted child, Zig-zag, said he wanted “ham” right away. We were surprised to then learn that ham is the word for any meat in his native language, despite the fact they don’t eat actual pork in his culture.

Stores full of things at good prices. "Zig-zag" tried on a used bike helmet (painted like a duck head) and then wore it around the rest of the day calling it his hat. Water, and all the different words we have for different types of water, has also been surprising. We drive by a river, or a pond, or a lake, or a pool, or someone using a sprinkler, and "Zig-zag" says “look, water!” Then he also says he wants water a lot when he’s thirsty. He only uses the one word for water in his culture- where as we tell him all the different words we have for all those different situations.

-- El Padre