Culture Shock!!

I am going through some serious culture shock this week. I know I couldn't wait to get home and now it feels like I can't wait to go back to Africa. I have seen the way most of the world lives and I can't take it back. My mind constantly makes comparisons even when I try to push them away. Here is what I have noticed so far:

1. HD TV
I am embarrassed to say that we have 5 TVs in this house for only 3 people and all of them are HD. I didn't have access to HD in Uganda. I know it is available, but it is expensive and would have required me to buy a dish. But I never saw HD tv there (except on my computer) and I just can't avert my eyes. It looks so crystal clear! My tv also looks bigger because I have watched smaller tvs.

2. On Demand TV/DVR/Netflix
Uganda doesn't have "on demand" services and I truly missed them. I love to be able to catch up on a season with the click of a button. I also missed my DVR. I would download shows, but I would have to pay for the downloads and some of those shows took up a lot of data. It is a little known fact that Netflix, Hulu, etc. don't work outside of the U.S. So, I had to have a few friends help me to figure out a way around and use other sites. My current favorite series is Orange is the New Black. I watched it last summer and absolutely loved it. I just finished season 2 today and hope there is another season coming out next year. It is shameful to say, but I have wasted so much time watching tv!

3. Food
I really, really missed fresh foods like lettuce, spinach, and colored peppers. They have greens in Uganda, but they are rarely served as a fresh salad. They do have cabbage, but most people serve it already dripping in oil or mayo. I can't get enough salads, but it is causing my stomach to sound as if I have drummers competing for the loudest title. I am not sure who is winning, but I am annoyed with the gurgling already. We had really great fruit in Uganda, so I miss pineapples, bananas, and avocados. They tasted so fresh and the ones here just don't do it for me. I have not gone grocery shopping yet because my beautiful roommate had all of my favorite foods for me already stocked, but I did stop by Schnucks to fill a prescription. I was incredibly overwhelmed with the new products and HUGE variety. Just the cheeses alone cause my head to spin!

4. Internet
I can't get over the speed of internet here and the availability of wifi. There was even wifi at the doctor's office today! What would takes hours to load in Uganda takes just a few minutes. I can even watch You Tube when I click on it instead of waiting for it to load. Crazy! My ipad rarely worked in Uganda because the wifi signal was so slow, but it works awesome here. I can even see my newspaper every morning on the ipad! One of my favorite features on the ipad is the ability to download popular magazines from my library. I could seriously be a spokesperson for the library because I think this is one of the coolest features they have added.

5. Cleanliness
Everything is super, super clean here. I mean everything. There is no dust or dirt. The roads are clear of debris and potholes. I could not get over the cleanliness of the clinic I went to today. It was literally sparkling. I don't think I noticed this before I left.

6. People
I have only been home a few days, but I have already seen a lot of people. When they see me, they usually ask how was it or say tell me about your trip. But it is very hard for me to speak about 10 months of life-changing events in just a minute or so. Most peoples' eyes glass over once I go past a minute or two. I know people are trying to be polite or they are just curious. It is so hard for me to explain things I have seen because they are so different from here, almost like night and day. One of my friends adjusting back to U.S. life complained that her friends were quite petty and talked about their iphones or complaining about being so fat and needed and work out. Those things are so trivial compared to life or death circumstances we saw on a daily basis. I am very fortunate to have great friends who are really support and genuinely love me, but I was at a party earlier this week and the girls were talking about upgrading their iphones. If they only knew how the rest of the world lives. I held my tongue and listened, but for those of you who know me well, it was quite a challenge.

7. Comfort
Everything is built for comfort here from air conditioning almost everywhere to the smooth roads to instant foods to my amazing dishwasher to my computer-like washer. I never noticed it before until I lived in a place with no air conditioning where I didn't have a car (most people don't). I am constantly cold, but I think it is just because my body is not used to the air conditioning. I NEVER felt ac in Uganda except at the U.S. embassy. I also can't get over how the traffic moves so smoothly WITHOUT a single traffic officer. They seem to be on every corner in Uganda. The roads are nearly perfect and there are no potholes. Some major roads are just rock and dirt. Even today when I had a simple procedure, the doctor numbed the area, yet when I had the larvae extracted from my face in Uganda, there was no numbing. I am also amazed the instant foods. I made pancakes from scratch just like I did in Uganda, but I can literally get anything I want by popping it in the microwave or going through a drive thru. Mind blowing! There are so many things that save us time like a washing machine or dishwasher. Most people in Uganda do their own laundry, but I can put a load in the machine and do other things while it washes for me. I HATE washing dishes, so I missed my dishwasher terribly. So different.

Overall, I feel like my transitions has gone smoothly. I am sleeping well, but waking up about 6:30 a.m., which makes me angry. I am also struggling with the time change because I can't talk to my friends when I want to because they are sleeping. I know I will adjust and jump right back into my life. But hopefully, for the next month or so, I can relax and visit with many people.