Comparisons between here and India are inevitable. I'm doing my best to not let them overwhelm me and to be present here. But, for kicks, here's what I've noticed.
--Being able to speak even a little bit of the language makes such a huge difference in my experience. Being able to respond in kind when someone greets me on the street feels huge.
--A lot of the students were initially overwhelmed by the traffic, but for me it was so tame in comparison to India. There are lanes! People stay in them! I don't fear for my limbs when trying to cross the street. And I'm mostly grateful that they drive on the right here. I still haven't shaken the habit of looking right twice, so now I just look both ways an excessive number of times, which probably isn't the worst thing in the world.
--I stand out here so much less. White skin is not the norm, but it's definitely not the rarity like it was in India. And since I'm living here, I'm getting to know my way around and definitely am starting to feel, and hopefully look, a lot less like a clueless tourist.
--I have not been asked for my picture once. It is fabulous. Of course, as I was walking home today thinking about all this, I got catcalled, but I just smiled. That's something I get in the US and while it's definitely not my favorite, it feels manageable.
--I am definitely out of the Grinnell bubble. As small and limiting as it can feel sometimes, it's a wonderful place to be and I miss it and the people.
--I don't know how to end this. I've settled in here way faster than I thought was possible. Things are generally quite good. And my family has a cat, so it will all be okay.
--Being able to speak even a little bit of the language makes such a huge difference in my experience. Being able to respond in kind when someone greets me on the street feels huge.
--A lot of the students were initially overwhelmed by the traffic, but for me it was so tame in comparison to India. There are lanes! People stay in them! I don't fear for my limbs when trying to cross the street. And I'm mostly grateful that they drive on the right here. I still haven't shaken the habit of looking right twice, so now I just look both ways an excessive number of times, which probably isn't the worst thing in the world.
--I stand out here so much less. White skin is not the norm, but it's definitely not the rarity like it was in India. And since I'm living here, I'm getting to know my way around and definitely am starting to feel, and hopefully look, a lot less like a clueless tourist.
--I have not been asked for my picture once. It is fabulous. Of course, as I was walking home today thinking about all this, I got catcalled, but I just smiled. That's something I get in the US and while it's definitely not my favorite, it feels manageable.
--I am definitely out of the Grinnell bubble. As small and limiting as it can feel sometimes, it's a wonderful place to be and I miss it and the people.
--I don't know how to end this. I've settled in here way faster than I thought was possible. Things are generally quite good. And my family has a cat, so it will all be okay.
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