Apples to Apples

Sorry for the long break in posts, it's been a really busy several weeks. I had a week of midterms (did really well on all of them!), a week of being incredibly ill, 3 weeks of adventures, and a week and a half of playing catch up to all the things I neglected. I can't wait to tell stories and show pictures from my adventures, but that time is not yet. Soon, I promise.

Today, though, I have some interesting observations. We were all told before going abroad that we would experience culture shock at some point. I don't really feel like I've experienced culture shock yet. I don't even really feel like New Zealand is all that much different than what I am used to. And most surprisingly, I have only felt a little homesick a handful of times, which for me is a huge deal, because even when I'm in Oregon I ache for Denver almost daily. Here, though, things are good. I'm more relaxed, less stressed, happier, and I'm really enjoying it. When I do get homesick, I've got letters and notes from my friends and sisters that I can read and feel better. Thanks to the wonderful people who've sent me packages and letters, it means the world to me!! Anyways, this is not the point of this post.

Last night, I was hanging out with a group of people: 2 Americans, 1 Canadian, 1 English girl, and 4 Kiwis, and we decided to play Apples to Apples. We had a great time, and those who'd never played caught on pretty quickly. It was an interesting experience though, because I had never noticed how American that game is. It never seemed particularly American to me, because I wasn't paying very close attention and I understand most of the references to people, places, events, etc. that come up in that game. Last night was the first time that I felt so conscious of my identity as an American, and it was a strange feeling.

Other than the fact that there are some differences in words and phrases, or lifestyles, or foods (like Feijoas-- I had never heard of a feijoa until recently... I might have a new favorite fruit), most of the time I feel pretty connected to the culture here because it isn't very dramatically different from my own, but during our game last night, I realized that there really are a lot of subtle cultural differences that weren't previously very obvious. For example, cards about "The South" or "The Midwest" or "Watching football" all have different meanings in the States than here (and could even be quite meaningless here), and it took some getting used to when Zoe, Shevelle, or I played cards we thought were particularly funny and no one else understood the joke. Of course, those differences seem obvious now that they are on my mind, but I guess assuming that everyone else would understand was awfully ethnocentric of me.

It was a really fun evening, and we all had a great time, but it really made me stop and think about how there are things that I know about my own culture that I assume everyone else knows, and made me wonder what subtleties exist in New Zealand that I don't know about and don't acknowledge. How can I be more aware of these, and what can do I do minimize my cultural ignorance in times like that? It wasn't too big of a deal, but it did give me something to think about.

Anyways, I'll update soon with pictures and stories, so stay tuned. Over and out.