Top Five Curiosities about This New Life

I seem to always have conversations with people who have a story to tell about a time they went on some grand adventure, and I really don't have much to say in return. I went to college, got a job within a week of graduating, and have worked more overtime than I've had days off. It was the American dream, but not my dream. I didn't really follow the status quo in high school, so why start now? Over the summer, I was presented with a huge choice: stay with my current teaching job with the students I loved, or change paths to a job that requires a new language and foreign work visa. As much as I will miss my students, it was time to let them go - it was time to embark on that journey to finally gain some global understanding.

In January (fingers crossed), I'll leave this life for something the complete opposite. If the world were a book, South Koreans would be my foil character. I'd have to live under a McDonald's box not to learn anything or evolve in any way. Right now, I don't have any expectations about how I will change - just questions about what I'll encounter. Here are the top five that I hope will be answered on this journey...

1. What's for lunch?
I won't hide it: food is a huge Audrey-motivating factor. As a die hard foodie, I'm looking forward to some new cuisines to replace the ones I'm leaving behind. Fortunately, I wasn't raised a picky eater - a good friend of mine somehow survives on a diet of chicken fingers, french fries, cheese pizza, and fried rice (nope, never a hamburger, and you can forget anything green) - but at what point will I not be able to handle what's put in front of me? I'm approaching this new cultural diet with a small amount of apprehension and a huge excited curiosity. Eel? Alright! Sea cucumber that's still slightly alive (yes, that's a reference to a fellow Aclipse member's blog), bring it on! Food is such a major part of any culture, so limiting diet may result in a loss of experience.

2. Which references are not cross-cultural?
President Bush (the first) thought he was flashing the peace sign in a gesture of goodwill, but was pretty much giving many parts of Europe the finger. He had a whole team of advisors and assistants up on etiquette all across the world, but still managed this snafu. Imagine what damage I'll cause when left to my own devices - gestures and phrases that I use without thought may have a huge consequence in another country. I'm sure I can measure the countdown in minutes (or seconds, depending on who's sitting next to me on the plane). Hopefully, it'll be something that makes us all laugh - like the friend of mine who thought she was using excellent Turkish when informing the bus driver that he'd reached her stop, but was really announcing to her fellow passengers, "Look at that cow!" Whatever the damage, I can only respond in typical Audrey fashion: blush, laugh, probably cover my face, apologize profusely, and ask for an explanation (which, of course will be followed with more laughter). :)

3. How do teenagers compare across cultures?
Adolescence is the second time in a person's life that the part of the brain that processes long-term benefits and interpersonal understanding goes under construction (the first being when we're toddlers - and anyone whose worked with teenagers can probably see the connection :)). In America, it's pretty obvious that teenagers are going through this, and understanding that they're not selfish or lazy. I'm about to enter a culture in which hard work is always expected and student-to-teacher rudeness is unheard of. If we're all humans and our brains develop the same way, how are the Asian students coping with this?

4. What will happen to my perception outside of the homeland?
Americans have a lot of patriotism, which has quickly become this belief that our way of living is the right way. This idea has become pretty obvious with the spread of "democracy" and "capitalism" with the intent to improve lives in foreign cultures, but are they really the best ways? Although McDonalds and Starbucks can be found all throughout the world, they haven't made enough of an impact to turn foreigners into American copycats. Right now, many Americans are battling against universal health care, but if many other countries are healthier under more socialized/government-controlled health care, then are we fighting against the idea because it's un-American, and not because of its merit?

5. Is it really a small world after all?
Question four was pretty negative and focused on our differences, but I also want to learn about our similarities as, for the most part, this will be a positive experience. As mentioned in the third question, we're all humans, with the same physiology and basic needs. European cultures aren't too foreign because that's where from - but we didn't have regular contact with Asians until quite recently in our history, so we've evolved into very different peoples. From what I've learned, politeness seems to be cross-cultural, as does a curiosity, rather than a barrier, about new people and ideas. Friendship is a universal need, which has created a global enjoyment of having fun with your pals.