Ok, don't get me wrong. It was great to be home and to see family and friends again. I'm happy that I was able to see most of my extended family and to at least talk to a lot of my friends. Visiting Bethany again was great-being in a place where people understand what it's like to come back from being overseas for a couple years is always refreshing! But I think I'm developing that "3rd culture" that's usually talked about in reference to MKs. I'm becoming a 3rd culture kid.
I've been back for just about 30 hours. But I've already experienced a bunch of familiar things that were subtle "welcome back" points (you could also call this "you know you've been overseas too long when these things make you feel at home...").
-the not-so-refreshing smell of the polluted air.
-the trickle (if you can call it that) of water that you're expected to shower under.
-having to leave the bathroom sink running during your "shower" so that there's enough water pressure to kick the hot water heater on.
-a "hot" shower that's really only lukewarm, at best.
-the loss of my "personal bubble" of space
-squatty potties (need I say more?)
-the LANGUAGE- man, it's nice to hear it again (and speak it!)
-packed-beyond-capacity buses. And elevators. And, well, everything.
-the food!
-the poor english on signs.
I'm sure there's more. So far, these are things that have made me smile. They're not always things that make me smile, but they're things that are "welcome home" indicators...kind of like cheese and snow and christmas decorations when I went back for the holidays.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Prayer for a friend
This is a video I've had in my head for the last 6 or so weeks. I'd been trying to "think" of what to share with others here about me being overseas. When I heard this song, it summed up so much of my overseas "life."
I know the song is about lifting up a friend, but to me it says more. It's about living life (as a friend) with someone, and laying yourself, your values and your...whatever out for them to see. And there are times when they struggle, they fight, and they reject all of that and all you can do is lift them up.
All the people in the video are people I've known in the last two years. They've been in my heart one way or another- mostly as good friends. Some are people I knew more from a distance- a parent of a friend, a vendor that I'd visit regularly, classmates.
So this video was a picture I had in my head and the other day I finally put it together. I think it was a good outlet for me. Let me know what you think! Oh, just a warning, there are a lot of words at the beginning (too much according to my brothers)... but I really liked the verse, so I didn't want to shorten it...although I did have to lengthen the instrumental part at the beginning, so it's a little weird. :s
I know the song is about lifting up a friend, but to me it says more. It's about living life (as a friend) with someone, and laying yourself, your values and your...whatever out for them to see. And there are times when they struggle, they fight, and they reject all of that and all you can do is lift them up.
All the people in the video are people I've known in the last two years. They've been in my heart one way or another- mostly as good friends. Some are people I knew more from a distance- a parent of a friend, a vendor that I'd visit regularly, classmates.
So this video was a picture I had in my head and the other day I finally put it together. I think it was a good outlet for me. Let me know what you think! Oh, just a warning, there are a lot of words at the beginning (too much according to my brothers)... but I really liked the verse, so I didn't want to shorten it...although I did have to lengthen the instrumental part at the beginning, so it's a little weird. :s
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