Where we were: Mexico City, population 30 million, working in impoverished communities with vulnerable children and families. Very dry climate, very communal and vibrant culture.
Where we are: St Andrews, population 16,000, a very wealthy town and “elite” university, very wet and cold climate, indvidualistic (though warm) culture.
The culture adjustment process between these two extremes is [...]
Archive for the ‘Cultural differences’ Category
28 Oct
Where we were, where we are
29 Sep
If only I had a picture…
The other day we saw a tricycle car. A car with three wheels – two in the back and one in the front center. What?! Yes. And it was a normally sized car. Small, but not that small. Who knew you could drive a car with three wheels!
Actually, almost all the cars are small here. [...]
5 Aug
You know you’ve crossed the border into the US when…
…you see this sign in your hotel bathroom:
10 Jun
Adjustment
Living in Mexico – a different culture, language, way of doing things – has taken some getting used to. However, I was reflecting the other day about some things that I actually have gotten used to (which, upon arrival, I was sure I would never adjust because they are so different from my home culture).
1. [...]
30 Apr
Who Sneezed this Time?
There’s an old saying: “When the U.S. sneezes, Mexico catches a cold.” I would guess that some Mexicans would resent this statement, but it points to a relationship of Mexico’s dependence, economically and otherwise, on its giant northern neighbor.
But with the spread of the swine flu from Mexico to the US, look who sneezed this [...]
28 Apr
Bedtime? Babysitter? What are those?
Last week the Armonía community bade farewell to Carlos Pacheco, a volunteer who has been here for the last five months; and we did so by going to a favorite restaurant in town called The Frog Pond. In good Mexican style, we arrived for dinner around 9:30 PM. At that time, the restaurant was mostly [...]
27 Apr
Do you Like “Hass Music?”
We were sitting at the dinner table the other night when one of the students asked me if I liked “Hass Music.” I sat there with a questioning look on my face, when suddenly it dawned on me. He meant Jazz music. (In Spanish the “J” is pronounced like the English “H” and the “Z” [...]
31 Dec
A Question/Dream for the New Year
Tonight is the first time that I will welcome in the New Year from a different country. Indeed, this is the first time in my life when I will be living in another country for the greater part of a year. Our time in Mexico has already helped us to develop a global vision of [...]
27 Nov
Barbeque or Barbacoa?
Last night we celebrated the birthday of one of the Mexican students, and we decided to make Mexican barbacoa. Originally we thought this might resemble American barbeque, but we were quite wrong!
There are many different versions of barbacoa, but following the tradition of these students who live in rural Oaxaca, we pureed the husks of [...]
11 Nov
Reflections on Cultural Fluency 3
One cultural difference I have encountered multiple times already is the tendency for my Mexican friends to talk openly about each other’s weight in a way that I would never encounter among even the closest friends in the U.S. One day when some of the students were talking about who among them was fat, and [...]
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