...seeing as there's barely anybody around here to speak it with, and words like "metro-vat" and "perekhod-ing" don't have much relevance in a small town like Amherst anyway. So are other reverse culture shock symptoms I thought would last longer: the mentally rehearsing what I'm going to say to clerks and waitstaff five or six times before I say it, the amazement at being able to understand what people are saying in movies without even trying. Although come to think of it, "Brokeback Mountain" put me right back in Russia mode with its badly-in-need-of-subtitles Heath Ledger. (Other than that, the movie was good. I'd take Ledgyllenhaal over Brangelina any day.)
I have a feeling that the last symptom to go will be the one I didn't even expect: the weird feeling of trepidation I get before running the shower or turning on the gas stove. This is due to four months of having to light a match before doing either of these things. Now the idea of a stove that lights itself or a shower that gets warm by itself just sort of creeps me out.
Sunday, January 08, 2006
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2 comments:
I totally still rehearse what I'm going to say to clerks and waiters, too! I hadn't thought about it as reverse culture shock, though; I just assumed I was self-conscious talking to people or something. But I think you're right--it wasn't always this hard, was it?
I would have loved to be able to study abroad when I was taking German. I imagine it's so much easier to pick it up when you're immersed in it, rather than sitting in a classroom. That's awesome that you had that opportunity.
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