Talk about Culture Shock....
Posted by SwissCheese at 1/27/2007 4:53 PM and is filed under uncategorized 
... man, what a week! It's been an incredibly exhausting, invigorating, exciting and eventful conference.
I must admit, I'm a bit overwhelmed with culture shock now that I'm back in Anguilla.
So let's just get straight to the point, here are the top ten things I've missed while away:
1. The four most incredible people on the face of the planet, I have the absolute joy of calling my KIDS!
They are beautiful, bright, full of life and void of judgment. There is nothing that can bring you to tears (of joy) as quick as those eight little arms and their shining faces that look like they just saw Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, when it is just you, returning from an 11 days long business trip.
2. The person that makes it incredibly hard to sleep when I'm gone because my bed contains "just" me. He's been known to put up with a bunch of crap from four revolting kids when I'm gone, and he always pulls it off somehow, in the midst of broken cars and leaking water systems.
3. The ocean!
It's never-ending, powerful, full of life and beauty, you can eat and drink from it and it's sound is the most tranquil noise on the planet, other than the silence between great friends. You can snorkel and float in it and there is nothing like walking along it's shore.
4. Fresh, colorful flowers which I get just about every day around here because someone we shall call number 2 trained them very well.
5. Lime tea from the bush in the front of my house.
For some reason, and even though I am a coffee drinker, it is the most calming substance that never fails to improve my mood, even when it's already in good state.
6. Being home - enough said!
7. My kitchen/cooking/baking!
Since we've moved to a place without fast food or affordable restaurants (as in they're all four stars and above and we have a family of six) I cook at least once every day. Since there are no chain grocery stores, it's fresh fruit and veggies from the market, fresh fish or lobster from when 'number 2' goes out. There is no red meat here and I bake out own bread and make our own yogurt and it's difficult to go from that to a hotel room without any food, or food that is full of artificial crap.
8. The perpetually happy, honest and free spirited people of Anguilla.
This was the first thing that struck me when I got back, ever at just the airport in Anguilla. People here laugh out loud much more than Americans and are free enough to dance and sing, loudly and proudly, whenever they feel like it. I LOVE that!
Happy people also equals "safe" people, which is part of the reason why there is no crime here and the kids can roam the island whenever they want, including at night. We have yet to lock our doors too, which is freggin awesome if you ask me!
9. The sun
Like sweet kisses it warms your soul and I hear does something with vitamin D to make you happy too. Besides, if you have plenty of sun, then the item below becomes obsolete...
10. Having to wear a bunch of clothes.
Shoes and a bunch of clothes are over-rated. Not that we run around naked here (ok, perhaps the kids do from time to time) but let's just say it's just not that important, which in turn makes shopping mostly obsolete (I hate shopping) and doing something like name brands is definely not big on the list here. Besides, skin is beautiful and Anguillians aren't as prude, so put on your swim suit and take off your shoes!
Addendum:
11. Anguillian Skies
I just walked outside and realized what I was missing from the list. The skies here are the most colorful, wonderous I've ever seen and the sunrises and sunsets and cloud formations are breathtaking. At night the number of stars is infinite and their glory endless. I do vividly remember standing outside in Orlando, not being able to find more than a handful of stars and I can't wait to see my little friends again out tonight.
Just to be fair, here is what I will miss from the US:
1. Water pressure.
I usually spend a few minutes every day while in the US marveling at the instantaneous and unlimited hot water, as well as the water pressure that exist there. In Anguilla we're not connected to city water and we only have water that collects from the rain here. So if you run out, you're out of luck!
2. A Maid!
My house looks like hell almost all of the time and being on the immaculate Disney properties for a while was quite nice.
3. A nice car/nice roads.
In Anguilla there is a lot of rain and soft soil which equals pot-hole hell. Couple that with out beat-up hoopty mobiles and it makes for a shaky ride. To illustrate, if you put the stereo on full blast in the front, you can't hear it at all in the back of our old 12 passenger Toyota taxi.
4. Potable water
As I mentioned, we have rain water, which has to be boiled first and quite frankly I almost forgot that I did this, up to 6 times per day, until I got in my kitchen this morning. Oh well, back to the boiler...
5. A clothes dryer, which we don't have, which means we put up about two loads per day on the lines in the back of the house.
6. Access to anything and more importantly anyone, anytime you want it.
While I more than willingly gave up Wal-Mart, I do miss being able to meet people I need to talk to or go see clients a bit more easily than I can now. Would I trade? Heck no, but it was worth putting it on the list regardless.
7. A hot tub.
Even though we didn't find it at the convention until the very last day, it's as close to floating in the ocean as it gets, so I'll take it as a temporary substitute.
8. Face to Face time with my friends and colleagues (tiny sample of such people pictured above)
It was awesome to be able to hang out with people you just adore/respect and want to or already work with. I will miss that tremendously and I suspect withdrawal in the next few days is imminent. Positive feedback is never as well perceived as when the other person is looking you in the eyes, and vice versa, negative feedback is more easily dealt with in person as well as it gives you a chance to "hear" more than the other person's words, but also body language etc.
9. Lack of mosquitoes
Since nobody sprays chemicals in the environment here, there are tons of mosquitoes, which all seem to LOVE my blood to the point where nobody else in the family gets stung like I do - UGH!
10. A decent radio station.
Addendum:
11. Lack of Sand
We just got back from the beach and as usual, the car, the kids, the towels, the house, the beds, the dog and all furniture is covered in sand. It's in your ear, your scalp, your eyes, between your toes and in all the places the sun don't shine too.
I'm still buzzing from the week's events and will likely need a few days to calm down and adjust to Anguillian time again. Luckily I have a few boxes of Mozartkugeln, incredible memories and an unlimited amount of lime tea and little kids hugs to tide me over.
I must admit, I'm a bit overwhelmed with culture shock now that I'm back in Anguilla.
So let's just get straight to the point, here are the top ten things I've missed while away:
1. The four most incredible people on the face of the planet, I have the absolute joy of calling my KIDS!
They are beautiful, bright, full of life and void of judgment. There is nothing that can bring you to tears (of joy) as quick as those eight little arms and their shining faces that look like they just saw Santa Clause, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, when it is just you, returning from an 11 days long business trip.
2. The person that makes it incredibly hard to sleep when I'm gone because my bed contains "just" me. He's been known to put up with a bunch of crap from four revolting kids when I'm gone, and he always pulls it off somehow, in the midst of broken cars and leaking water systems.
3. The ocean!
It's never-ending, powerful, full of life and beauty, you can eat and drink from it and it's sound is the most tranquil noise on the planet, other than the silence between great friends. You can snorkel and float in it and there is nothing like walking along it's shore.
4. Fresh, colorful flowers which I get just about every day around here because someone we shall call number 2 trained them very well.
5. Lime tea from the bush in the front of my house.
For some reason, and even though I am a coffee drinker, it is the most calming substance that never fails to improve my mood, even when it's already in good state.
6. Being home - enough said!
7. My kitchen/cooking/baking!
Since we've moved to a place without fast food or affordable restaurants (as in they're all four stars and above and we have a family of six) I cook at least once every day. Since there are no chain grocery stores, it's fresh fruit and veggies from the market, fresh fish or lobster from when 'number 2' goes out. There is no red meat here and I bake out own bread and make our own yogurt and it's difficult to go from that to a hotel room without any food, or food that is full of artificial crap.
8. The perpetually happy, honest and free spirited people of Anguilla.
This was the first thing that struck me when I got back, ever at just the airport in Anguilla. People here laugh out loud much more than Americans and are free enough to dance and sing, loudly and proudly, whenever they feel like it. I LOVE that!
Happy people also equals "safe" people, which is part of the reason why there is no crime here and the kids can roam the island whenever they want, including at night. We have yet to lock our doors too, which is freggin awesome if you ask me!
9. The sun
Like sweet kisses it warms your soul and I hear does something with vitamin D to make you happy too. Besides, if you have plenty of sun, then the item below becomes obsolete...
10. Having to wear a bunch of clothes.
Shoes and a bunch of clothes are over-rated. Not that we run around naked here (ok, perhaps the kids do from time to time) but let's just say it's just not that important, which in turn makes shopping mostly obsolete (I hate shopping) and doing something like name brands is definely not big on the list here. Besides, skin is beautiful and Anguillians aren't as prude, so put on your swim suit and take off your shoes!
Addendum:
11. Anguillian Skies
I just walked outside and realized what I was missing from the list. The skies here are the most colorful, wonderous I've ever seen and the sunrises and sunsets and cloud formations are breathtaking. At night the number of stars is infinite and their glory endless. I do vividly remember standing outside in Orlando, not being able to find more than a handful of stars and I can't wait to see my little friends again out tonight.
Just to be fair, here is what I will miss from the US:
1. Water pressure.
I usually spend a few minutes every day while in the US marveling at the instantaneous and unlimited hot water, as well as the water pressure that exist there. In Anguilla we're not connected to city water and we only have water that collects from the rain here. So if you run out, you're out of luck!
2. A Maid!
My house looks like hell almost all of the time and being on the immaculate Disney properties for a while was quite nice.
3. A nice car/nice roads.
In Anguilla there is a lot of rain and soft soil which equals pot-hole hell. Couple that with out beat-up hoopty mobiles and it makes for a shaky ride. To illustrate, if you put the stereo on full blast in the front, you can't hear it at all in the back of our old 12 passenger Toyota taxi.
4. Potable water
As I mentioned, we have rain water, which has to be boiled first and quite frankly I almost forgot that I did this, up to 6 times per day, until I got in my kitchen this morning. Oh well, back to the boiler...
5. A clothes dryer, which we don't have, which means we put up about two loads per day on the lines in the back of the house.
6. Access to anything and more importantly anyone, anytime you want it.
While I more than willingly gave up Wal-Mart, I do miss being able to meet people I need to talk to or go see clients a bit more easily than I can now. Would I trade? Heck no, but it was worth putting it on the list regardless.
7. A hot tub.
Even though we didn't find it at the convention until the very last day, it's as close to floating in the ocean as it gets, so I'll take it as a temporary substitute.
8. Face to Face time with my friends and colleagues (tiny sample of such people pictured above)
It was awesome to be able to hang out with people you just adore/respect and want to or already work with. I will miss that tremendously and I suspect withdrawal in the next few days is imminent. Positive feedback is never as well perceived as when the other person is looking you in the eyes, and vice versa, negative feedback is more easily dealt with in person as well as it gives you a chance to "hear" more than the other person's words, but also body language etc.
9. Lack of mosquitoes
Since nobody sprays chemicals in the environment here, there are tons of mosquitoes, which all seem to LOVE my blood to the point where nobody else in the family gets stung like I do - UGH!
10. A decent radio station.
Addendum:
11. Lack of Sand
We just got back from the beach and as usual, the car, the kids, the towels, the house, the beds, the dog and all furniture is covered in sand. It's in your ear, your scalp, your eyes, between your toes and in all the places the sun don't shine too.
I'm still buzzing from the week's events and will likely need a few days to calm down and adjust to Anguillian time again. Luckily I have a few boxes of Mozartkugeln, incredible memories and an unlimited amount of lime tea and little kids hugs to tide me over.
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