vs.
As I am a so called point 5 I often feel like a "cultural hybrid". I first happened to know when I fully conscious went to Kenya last year and especially as I got back to Germany.
Before I couldn't picture the meaning of a cultural shock. To me it sounded more like a rumour or an illusion. Now I understand what people ment by talking about it... Imagine it took me about two weeks to get myself back to german life! The life I was living for 17 years, the life I always thought I was satisfied and happy with.
For me it was some kind of depression like I had fallen into a spaceless hole. There was this feeling of not belonging to my "father"country anymore and desperation, because no one could comprehend how my emotions were messed up. It was worse being left alone overtaxed with all those impressions. At this time I thought I can't be happy again in Germany.
These days I get this slight feelings again - every single time I remind myself of being attentive instead of taking my surrounding for granted. (Kenyan life feels so normal to me - normal business :D). Although I'm prepared this time it's like I can see how it'll hit me again when I go back after nine months. Fear appears when I start thinking and comparing about Germany.
You might wonder what the aspects for the cultural shock were/are.
I'll try to make up a comparison to visualise how I see both of my countries from different perspectives. Therefore I decided to pick out 10 topics I find important. This will take me some time to formulate. See how it'll develop in the next days and weeks.
Please keep in mind that this is just my point of view, which should indicate that there's no correct or false. Don't judge me...
1. People
2. Mentality
3. Religion
4. Security
5. Politics
6. Education
7. Prices
8. Music
9. Food
Germany
German food itself is great! No doubt about it. But nowadays people use a lot of conservatives, stew/cooking cubes, frozen materials. We are used to buy a lot for storage, which is very wasteful. There's hardly no time you won't find a full fridge/freezer or at least some left overs to create a whole meal.
Common food in Germany:
- BREAD - mostly we eat bread in the morning AND in the evening ("Abendbrot" = eveningbread) with:
- cheese, ham, nutella, butter, marmalade, honey
- pasta, pizza, (pan)cakes, potatoes (dumplings, salad, pommes frites etc.)
- sausages, schnitzel & spätzle, maultaschen (filled pasta squares)
- salad/lettuce, french beans, cabbage, russel sprouts etc.
Kenya:
When people assume chips here are fastfood I start laughing. You can see how the potatoes get washed, peeled, sliced and fried! To me it's as fresh as most meals here are. People just buy the specific things they need for cooking a meal. It's mostly ecolo(gi)cal, money- and waistsaving.
Common food in Kenya:
- untoasted toast (which doesn't make sense) with:
- margarine (blueband), peanut butter, marmalade
- ugali, chapati, mandazi's, chips, rice
- nyama choma, pilau
- cabbage, njahi, sukuma wiki, spinach, githeri
P.s.: Since last week we are three german volunteers in the children's home. First thing I realized: I can't identify myself with them. Compared to them I'm so kenyan (or they are SO german). I think my kenyan side is stronger than the german one...
Oh at this point I want to quote my cousin: "Now you're not the mzungu anymore. Now you're the white kenyan."
I guess so...
