Life between the cultures

I've been writing on this blog for over two years now, and I've noticed one large development in my writing since the first posts in May of 2008: the absence of 'God' language. In reflecting upon this a little further, I feel that the fact that I no longer write things like, "I'm so blessed." "I am the vessel through which Jesus proclaims his love for the Czech people." Or, the heavily clichéd, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” is because it's utterly and completely cultural on so many levels. We Americans have the stereotype of always wanting and needing a 'Happy Ending', so that all stories or avenues of thought, we often glaze over with rosy pictures of fluttering butterflies, peppermint candies and large smiles. And, to tell you the truth, 'God talk' in this sense has become, at least for me, another manifestation of 'Happy Americana': it seems that by putting the 'God' stamp at the end of every single thought or situation that one lives through or wrestles with, is a fairly simple--and righteous--way of saying, "I don't really know what's going on, and, frankly, it could be bad--but, it'll be all good with...JESUS!"

My goal in this post is not to make those of you back home who do write with 'God' on your mind feel guilty about it, because, in reality, if I hadn't been able to come into contact with another cultural expectation of how Christians are suppose to act in real life, I would still, probably, be writing with 'God talk' at the end; the situation is this: if everyone around me is talking about God in a very tangible, up-front way, then I too will speak about God in that way; if everyone around me is quiet in their faith, and does not speak about God openly on the street, then I too will not speak about God so 'openly'. It's a form of cultural adaptation. I need to do it to survive. The only problem is, is where does this leave me in my relation back to my home culture, the culture where it is completely acceptable, and in many cases, necessary--at least if you are a Christian--to speak with "God", "Jesus" or 'God Bless you' on the tongue?

No, this is a question not just about how I will adjust back to American Christianity again, but it is a question of’re-entry', of 'reverse culture shock'.

To tell you the truth, I'll probably never go back to speaking about God in the 'evangelical-I-want-to-change-the-world-and-God-is-my-avenue-through-it-so-I-want-all-of-you-to-know-about-it' way. Personally, I do find it to be on many levels a very immature response to feelings, emotions, reflections and situations that can't just be thrown under the, "I'll be fine, God is with me" talk. What if the situation is not so good? What if I really do dislike that person? What if I really am becoming consumed by envy, jealousy, greed and disregard? What if it does seem that the situation is under no one's control and only looks like it will get worse and worse? What if I really feel alone? What if--ugh, God forbid--I actually can't do it...? Ironically, before I beat myself up about the fact that I'm taking God out of my daily life, I'd like to remind myself of the fact that 'God talk' doesn't actually bring us closer to realizing the relationship between our personal faith and our outward works; to the contrary, its a veneer of relevancy that shields ourselves from true, active engagement of our faith.

But, back to the cultural stuff:

From living over seas, there are two main ways in which people change: first, is contact with the newly-found culture; the second is the putting into context of the home culture. Both of these experiences are challenging in their own right. In the beginning of any one's international travel/residence, one has to adapt and find a comfortable medium between their new culture and their old one: language, life style, habits, social customs, weather, animals and natural surroundings have to become comfortable; one has to find a way to make all that is 'new and disorienting', 'familiar and understandable'. This period, at least for me, lasted about one year, with many ups and Downs in between. Consequently, this second year has been full of instances where I've known that my life in Policka is comfortable--I wouldn't say easy, just comfortable. Subtly, due to the constant bombardment of the foreign culture and the pressure to adapt, mindsets and opinions begin to change--I would say that this phenomenon is always happening under the surface, but goes unnoticed with all the 'practical' adjusting that needs to be done. Subsequently, after about 14 months of residence, one realizes that they are no longer the same both in habit, but more importantly, in thought. The problem with this, however, is when the residence in the foreign culture comes to an end, and one must embark back home. For me, it's coming, and I know it's going to be difficult.

The Czech Republic is a far cry from living for an extended period of time in a place like Malawi, or Cambodia, where both the lifestyle and historical/cultural traditions are completely separated from that of Western Civilization--the standard of living also plays into this. But, for me, there still is a palpable feeling of, "I'm not really that 'American' any more." And, it's true. Many people think that the return home will be much 'easier' than the adaptation that was inherent in learning a new culture's ways and language, but I know that that won't be the case, because my thoughts and opinions, which are firmly rooted in the cultural context of my life in the Czech Republic, will now make me a little more than foreign back in my home culture: the English language will be everywhere, the pace of life and work will change, food options and meal times will not be as regular as in the CZ, socially acceptable practices like having alcohol during lunch break will not be so 'okay', habits of mine will have to change, and attitudes will be hard to get a handle on.

Not to mention the fact that I will be sad that I'm physically separated from my friends back in Policka...

I know that some of you might be thinking, "Well, what concrete things is he talking about?" "What kind of person will he be, and how have his opinions really differed from mine?" And, I don't have answers for you, because we can't have a conversation face-to-face about it. But, I would like to list off for you a few of the life-style habits I've developed while living in the Czech Republic that I hope I would be able to maintain when I'm back in the United States:

1. Recycling: I found it really hard to believe how much waste we actually do create in the United States. Here in Europe, they really do a much better job of being conscious about the environment (maybe it's because their land mass is that much smaller, so when they throw away EVERYTHING, they actually see the trash dump on a more regular occasion). I mean, here is a list of the things that Jamie and I recycle every week: tea bags, paper, yogurt containers, milk cartons, mouthwash bottles, wine bottles, beer bottles, and composting. It was really strange for me when we were back in the United States and I just wadded everything up, plastic and all, and threw it into the can.

2. Public Transportation/bikes: I haven't driven a car in almost two years. I love the feeling. When I need to get somewhere, I either get on my bike and ride (sometimes quite a long distance), or I'm patient and I wait for the bus of the train to take me there. I've found out that this really does save me stress and money. And, I don't use tons of gas. I remember being back home in the US this past summer, and after nearly three weeks of driving, I turned over to Jamie and I told her, "I can't live this lifestyle anymore." And, it's true. Why do we need to drive to work when it is only 5 miles away? Why do we need to drive around town, when we can just as easily all fit into one car? Why do we need to personally take our car to Philly, when there is the seldom-used train connection? Not to mention, it's better for your health to ride your bike or walk, than to sit on your butt.

3. I would like to socialize over beer and wine more often. I think the traditional, American stereotype of people who like beer and wine as being alcoholics is completely ridiculous. For me, there are few more intimate places to get into a good, in depth conversation with someone than in a winery or in a nice, cozy pub.

4. Learn another Language: the reality of life in Europe is that language must be dealt with. Europeans learn them. They talk about them. They love them. I mean, we live fairly close to Quebec, so why not try to learn Quebecois? Or, why not learn Spanish? After all, nearly 15 percent of our population speaks that as a first language.

5. Cook at home: most Czechs have all their meals in the house, and, while it is easier for them to do so, because their work life is not as hectic, I still think that we Americans should get back to our roots and make some genuine American Apple Pie, or steak. It would really cut down on our obesity crisis, and we would know EXACTLY what we're putting into your salad, or our chicken pot pie.

6. Plant my own garden: it's amazing, but every little inch of space the Czechs have, they plant a garden, where they grown their own vegetables. Not only is the food better and fresher, a garden also gets you outside and exercising in the sun. I'd like to take a stab at it.