“I chewed and chewed and then I gave up and choked on it”

When living abroad, the W curve of culture shock and adjustment is often discussed. The crux of this theory is that people experience highs and lows and then settle into their new surroundings. Then, when one goes home, the readjustment process produces the same highs and lows. What is less talked about it the fact that you may experience cultural highs and lows many times in the same day, or even hour.  Yesterday, this is what happened to me.

Early Sunday morning, my entire group got a bus to Nyanza, where I will be living for the year.  The school I will be teaching at had offered to let us do our teaching practicum there with adults and teachers in the community. I was so excited to get off the bus. The people were friendly, there was one main road, and the Brandt guide had been pretty correct when describing a the town’s “Wild West” feel.  Kelly Jo (our amazing field director) had wrangled a a great price in the nicest hotel in town. Then they ran out of normal double rooms and were forced to give me and Jo (my roommate) a huge room with a TV (4 channels!!) and a balcony. The entire group was totally jazzed.

Jo/ Michelle Obama on our balcony

Then we set off for the orphanage near my new house. Kelly Jo and I decided to stop in to my house and say hello to the peace corps volunteer living there. I found out last week that my school had agreed to let a 68 year-old peace corps volunteer live in the house with me.  She isn’t teaching at my school, but a nearby one and apparently the headmasters had decided this was the best plan. So we knock on the door to meet  my new roomie Sue. We had been there 2 minutes when it became apparent that she had no idea I was going to be living there too. So Kelly Jo and I had to break the news to her. She was very nice about it but clearly shocked.  It does represent pretty serious communication break down, and I was put in the position of feeling bad about something clearly not my fault. But, I got into my good attitude bubble and walked to my school with Kelly Jo to meet my new headmaster. Jean was incredibly sweet (and an hour late) and said I was his new daughter. His English is quite good and I tried to speak in French but he didn’t seem interested. I got a nice feeling from my school and set off for the orphanage. Jean walked us there, stopping to greet everyone we passed (headmasters have high status) The orphanage is beautiful, set over a lot of land and green hills. It is run by an Italian priest who spent the afternoon playing volleyball with the kids. I told the priest I would be back next week to play with the babies! (My school year got pushed to Feb so now we have 2 weeks in between end of orientation and the start of the school year). My friends from WorldTeach were high on my town and the orphanage and everyone told me how much they wanted to come back all the time and visit. I had a hot shower at the hotel and headed down to dinner.

My School

Anna and Ernestine

We decided to eat at the hotel as there is a TV and the African Nations Cup was starting at 7:30. We sat down around 6 and ordered around 6:15. The food came at 8:11 by which time we were all delirious with hunger. It was a brutal 2 hours.  I had ordered a croque madame pas de jambon and they brought…. a hamburger shoved in between 2 pieces of untoasted wonder bread spread with 1000 Island dressing with a few fries on the side which presented a serious problem as I do not eat meat in Africa unless served it by a Headmaster or King.  I thought about bursting into tears but decided against it, ate the bread and any french fries I could get my hands on. Everyone else was having a similar experience with their food and the gloom over the table was palpable. Jo ordered goat brochette (kebab) which she could barely get down. In fact, I looked over at one point and it seemed she had given up on getting it down. After she was breathing again, the immortal quote “I chewed and chewed and then gave up and choked on it” was born.

Susan and Jo gazing at bread scraps we unearthed in our room during the epic wait.

Susan, Jo, Meghan and I decided that instead of going to bed feeling low, we would play a round of yuker and then pass out. We laughed about dinner and the rest of the day. I went to bed feeling slightly overwhelmed by the reality of my situation but hopeful and positive. And then I woke up with food poisoning.

PostScript: I won’t have as much internet access in Nyanza (I think) until I am at my school fulltime which has wifi. My plan is to write my entries on my computer and then post them all when I get internet.

PostPostScript: Il plurait dans ma chambre. The rain flooded the balcony and subsequently our room today.