After living in Peru for over two years, I arrived home during the first week of December. Leaving my site was the hardest thing I've ever had to do. I'm not complaining; I'm just stating the facts. People cried. I cried. My host-brothers actually sobbed. A dozen women and girls accompanied me out of my site on moto-taxis, blowing whistles and horns the entire way. The whistles were a bit much but I appreciated the gesture. Leaving was obviously something I had to do but that didn't make it any easier.
Then I got home and lived for two weeks as an anti-social being, holed up in my parents' house with random forays into society to run errands with my family. Nothing about the U.S. overwhelmed me as much as one might suppose. I expected the shopping malls. I expected the SUVs. I honestly was feeling a bit guilty about not experiencing the typical effects of reverse culture shock. I was starting to feel like maybe I was just forgetting Peru too quickly.
Then, I actually left my house and started interacting with other people. Little did I know that I had just been living in ignorant bliss. Apparently, the vast majority of the privileged U.S. population is living in ignorant bliss of another kind because they don't truly seem to care about anything going on outside of their own lives and certainly nothing going on outside of their own country. Hence, what follows is a bitter parody of the SNL segment "Really?" which, unlike the SNL version, has no intended humour.
Really, you think I want to listen to you talk about how a meal is just so much nicer with a fine, pressed damask napkin?
Really, you're really going to check Facebook on your portable phone machine in the middle of our conversation? Really?
Really, you bought your young children Motorola Droids for Christmas? I don't even know what those are. Really.
You seriously think you need to replace your HUGE television with an even more GINORMOUS television? Really?
You're actually going to talk about yourself for, oh, 3 hours and not even bother to ask how I've been? Well, that REALLY happened.
You really think that the way you live doesn't have implications? Really?! You don't think that just maybe you really aren't entitled to everything you have?
REALLY?!
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8 comments:
Shit. I'm nervous to come home in April. I haven't come home once during my service...
I haven't gone through anywhere near what you have, and these people still make me crazy. Silly phones and facebook. Overrated. Reallllly overrated. And just plain rude a lot of the time.
I'm going to miss your commentary. It's provided a lot of insight into another culture. I hope to keep following you in your new adventures:)...Matt's mom
Hi Karen: We really enjoyed having you at Christmas - we actually planned the whole event around your schedule because we really wanted to see you. By the way, the napkins were from Target and I went to cloth napkins just because I have given so much thought to all the things your mom and dad tell me about the environment and I listen to the issues that they tell me you and Kelly have brought up - it has had an impact on me and my behavior - small steps. I thought I conveyed that to you but it obviously was not clear - I was very overwhelmed by having the entire family over for dinner and the night - also very nervous. Also had very limited time with my kids that day. Sorry you did not go away with a good impression or feeling of the holiday spirit. I love the gift you gave me and am planning to hang it on the wall. Please understand that most of us do not have your experiences and are learning as we go along. Yes I do say really - I actually picked it up at a 10K training - I have not watched Saturday Night Live for years - can't stay up that late.
We all enjoyed seeing you - sorry we did not ask you more about your experiences- it was so hectic.
Look forward to future posts
Mary
Really, Karen we certainly did not mean to offend you in any way. It sure looks like some of your comments are directed at Mary and I. What can I say? Yes, I want a bigger TV. And yes we use cloth napkins but not to be snooty but to not waste paper. Is that wrong in your view? We just wanted everyone to have fun and enjoy the very limited time we had together.As you know there have been a lot of wasted years. We really loved seeing you and honestly and, yes, really appreciate and support the work you are doing in Honduras and did in Peru. We wish you the very best in Honduras and beyond
Love, Uncle Kirk and Mary
Really, this blog was a perfect written description of the feelings that overwhelm you (having just gotten back from the 2 most influential years of you life) and that are so hard to put into words. Words have never been strength of mine so I can appreciate how you always seem to capture the feelings and the moments perfectly and help people understand a world that is a million miles away from their own reality.
Hopefully, when people read this post they will realize what being home must be like for you after such a life changing experience. Maybe, they will even take a moment to think about why you feel that way. The way that you lacked many of those amenities for 2 years and not once felt like you were missing out. The way that many of the families in the world have none of that and couldn't care less because they have each other, and that is enough for them. In your 2 years, they shared the little that they had with you and asked for nothing in return.
So, hopefully, people read this and realize that it may be difficult to come back to the U.S. where people are so focused on having the newest, the biggest, the best of everything and lose track of the things that you have come to realize really matter.
Thanks for the blog.
Hello Karen,
I'm a Peace Corps volunteer in Senegal and am trying to contact volunteers from Peru who are working with or have worked with improved stoves.
I saw a number of projects on the Peace Corps Partnership Project site from Peru and found your blog through a google search.
If you have time, could you tell me about what kind of stove you used and if you did any work with chimneys? I'm trying to start a stove project in Senegal, probably w/ stoves from StoveTec. My email address is mburnim@gmail.com
Hope you're having an alright time adjusting back to the States! Best, thanks,
Michael Burnim
Health Education Volunteer
Senegal
Hi, Karen,
We are hoping you will continue to blog while you are in Honduras. Your dry wit helps us to understand the situations that you encounter and your reactions to them. It also helped to have visited you and Susan in the countryside..the better to picture things. I know that Susan really misses you in Peru..we are waiting to hear that she has finally settled in in Chiclayo. We look forward to visiting Peru again in May. I am working on learning Spanish on my own, so maybe I can slowly converse with Susan's family there. I understand that your mother is speeding along, taking classes..so good for her! Hope all will go well with your 3rd year. Sharon (Susan's Mom)
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