You know, some things never change no matter what culture you're in.....like trips to the dentist.
Not long ago I was experiencing a really bad toothache and decided that I needed to have a dentist take a look at it (the dentist also happened to be one of my classmates at the training school). As I was sitting in the dentist's chair getting mentally prepared to hold my mouth open for a couple of hours while my friend poked and prodded at my throbbing tooth, I was quickly reminded of how much I hated going to the dentist as a kid. Holding my mouth open for what seemed like hours, biting down on bits of plastic that shot into my gums so that an x-ray could be taken, having different tubes in my mouth that sucked water or blew air, and being poked, pinched, scraped and tugged inside my mouth all led me to believe that I should avoid dentists at all costs.....unfortunately, I couldn't this time.
My friend examined my teeth and after a while called her assistant over. They started speaking to one another in Tagalog, pointing at my teeth and looking deeply concerned. Their faces said it all. Then she spoke again in Tagalog and it went something like this: "blah blah blah blah EXCAVATOR blah blah blah.....blah blah blah DRILL blah blah blah....."
Suddenly it was like I was a kid again. I didn't have to understand much Tagalog to know what she meant: this was gonna be PAINFUL. And it was.
Turns out I had 2 cavities that were deep and needed to be filled. Two-and-a-half hours and many prayers later, it was over. My friend said that it was a really good thing that I came in when I did because if it had gotten down to the roots, it would've been extra extra painful. Yeah, good thing.
It's true, some things never change...
But, the amazing part about it was that my friend blessed me by doing the job for free! God is good :)
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Culture Shock
So I've been living in the Philippines for a little over 3 months now and according to cross cultural statistics, I can anticipate entering the "culture shock" phase of living overseas. Typical signs of culture shock include homesickness, loss of interest (appetite, sleep, concentration, etc), fatigue, anxiety, guilt, and anger. Honestly, I think culture shock came early for me because I feel like I'm just coming out of it. The holidays made being away from home much harder and there have been times where I've experienced some fatigue, anxiety, and loss of concentration. But I feel like I'm beginning to hit my stride once again as adjustments in my perspective and expectations have been made.
It's true that since arriving here I've been introduced to a number of differences in the way life is lived ranging from the superficial (like proper toilet use), to the super deep (like conflict resolution in the non-Western world) to the supernatural (like saint worship and honoring the dead). Even within a metropolitan city like Manila, the multiple layers of cultural differences have in some ways been mind bending and disorienting. For example, I'm not used to the sheer numbers of people everywhere you go in Manila and the lack of personal space. Even when there is space, Filipinos tend to congregate together in one group and they don't seem to mind it at all--something that my individualistic/Western style has had to adjust to. While at the same time, I grew up in a home that reflected more of an Asian persuasion in thinking than an American one. The longer I'm here, the more I see some of my deeply held values being more readily lived out in Asian culture. It's fascinating how much you can learn about yourself when you live among those who are different from you.
Another observation that I've made as I live with roommates from the Southeast Asia Region is the necessity of eating meals together to build relationships and a sense of community. (Asians can eat!) I'm sure this principle is true for nearly every culture, but it seems to be especially true for Asians. Eating and enjoying food together goes a long way in building bridges to their hearts. Lucky for me, I enjoy eating too!
It's true that since arriving here I've been introduced to a number of differences in the way life is lived ranging from the superficial (like proper toilet use), to the super deep (like conflict resolution in the non-Western world) to the supernatural (like saint worship and honoring the dead). Even within a metropolitan city like Manila, the multiple layers of cultural differences have in some ways been mind bending and disorienting. For example, I'm not used to the sheer numbers of people everywhere you go in Manila and the lack of personal space. Even when there is space, Filipinos tend to congregate together in one group and they don't seem to mind it at all--something that my individualistic/Western style has had to adjust to. While at the same time, I grew up in a home that reflected more of an Asian persuasion in thinking than an American one. The longer I'm here, the more I see some of my deeply held values being more readily lived out in Asian culture. It's fascinating how much you can learn about yourself when you live among those who are different from you.
Another observation that I've made as I live with roommates from the Southeast Asia Region is the necessity of eating meals together to build relationships and a sense of community. (Asians can eat!) I'm sure this principle is true for nearly every culture, but it seems to be especially true for Asians. Eating and enjoying food together goes a long way in building bridges to their hearts. Lucky for me, I enjoy eating too!
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