I've been debating to myself when to FINALLY write about this...sigh..... the time has come. As a Lietuvė that grew up most of her life in the United States, I'd like to elaborate my thoughts on a "humerous" "interpretation" of culture shock that I have experienced both living in the United States, and more specifically my heart country of origin, LIETUVA. These reflections I hope aren't TOO offensive....if they are it's probably because your innner European & Russian self is taking itself too seriously...(pun intended...oh wait maybe it doesn't even cross over...ya neznayu xa xa)
Life is competition........from my observations I get this general vibe that everyone is competing with one another. It's like we want to be better than our fellow brother and sister that is seated next to us. It's like we ALWAYS have something better to say than them. It's like we SMILE when they fail, and we hide our tears when it happens to us. It honestly sickens my stomach how competitive living in this society is like...seriously? What happenened to simply embracing each others differences and living life together in harmony and helping each other out? From a perspective of a "semi" "outsider", It REALLY does look strange and kind of pointless. But then again, I understand that history has alot to do with it as well. Simply surviving these days in this part of Eastern Europe & Russia is a metaphorically speaking a "bloody battle" that must be fought with the entire heart, soul, mind, body and spirit day in and day out. Living in this part of the world is definitely NOT for the weak at heart.
The heart and soul of who you are will simply be murdered if you choose not to stay strong.
NEVER.SMILING..........This is where thee American comes out in me. I FREAKIN LOVE SMILING. It comes so naturallly to me. From the goodness of my Lietuve sirdis, I enjoy being warm and welcoming towards humanity. That is simply who God has created me to be. Taip, I enjoy smiling to my close friends, people I don't know, smiling on every street corner of Europe and Russia. IN Jesus name AHMEN. THat's my SWAG, it's what I do......but then culturally some people look at you like "BLOODY FOREIGNER.....BLOODY FOREIGNER" and you're like, dang, that haunting poetic European/Russian look was so terrifying......where's my mommy? So it's kind of funny when you promise to train yourself in the educational field of "The Master of the Arts of How To Not Smile: In European Public: cause that's just.....AWKWARD.........Don't get me wrong, I do have THEE most haunting Lietuve death stare, and I take FULL advantage of it in it's appropriate moments......
ENGLISH VOCABULARY: So when I came to Lietuva....I thought I spoke......"English". You know, for a Lietuve that lived in the United States most of her life... you think her English would.....you know, be somewhat understandable towards Eastern European/Russian society.....Some examples of phrases I have sworn over the grave to NEVER repeat in this part of the world...cause they (as I have tramatizingly experienced) DO NOT cross over on this side of the world. and are simple...."SOCIALLY." "AWKWARD."
"Hey bro, WAZ UP?!?!"
"Dang, I like yo swag"
I'm SO FREAKIN Tired...
FREAKIN this FREAKIN that (you get my point, don't use FREAKIN....)
ah FREAKIN men (it's a struggle, one of my favorite all time slang phrases)
I LOVE BLYNAI, I LOVE LITHUANIAN AIR, SKY, TREES, ARCHITECTURE!!! (one simply DOES NOT "love" things that are not alive....HUGE social taboo....)
Or let's say for another example I was talking with someone and said " My cat died".......seriously? are you kidding me? What kind of English is that!?!?!??! I feel like everything I say has to be ELABORATED in a very highly proffesional manner as if EVERY conversation I have is being addressed to to the president of France. "My royal cat named Sashalina, Dancija Chernvoya the 8th, was an ever so lovely orange feline who lived such a great legacy to the age of 23. She was a descendant from one of Lithuania's first king's pet's and her rare royal blood was passed on from generation to generation."
DANG....that was one hell of a cat....
At the end of the day, one of my greatest passions in life is to simply live in international communities and really get to know people, their lives, hearts and stories. I really enjoy learning from all the beautiful culturally awakward moments that happen to me a million times over on a daily basis....I hope that this reflection in a way, get's you thinking about culturally how you grew up and how living in an international society has affected that......
Life is competition........from my observations I get this general vibe that everyone is competing with one another. It's like we want to be better than our fellow brother and sister that is seated next to us. It's like we ALWAYS have something better to say than them. It's like we SMILE when they fail, and we hide our tears when it happens to us. It honestly sickens my stomach how competitive living in this society is like...seriously? What happenened to simply embracing each others differences and living life together in harmony and helping each other out? From a perspective of a "semi" "outsider", It REALLY does look strange and kind of pointless. But then again, I understand that history has alot to do with it as well. Simply surviving these days in this part of Eastern Europe & Russia is a metaphorically speaking a "bloody battle" that must be fought with the entire heart, soul, mind, body and spirit day in and day out. Living in this part of the world is definitely NOT for the weak at heart.
The heart and soul of who you are will simply be murdered if you choose not to stay strong.
NEVER.SMILING..........This is where thee American comes out in me. I FREAKIN LOVE SMILING. It comes so naturallly to me. From the goodness of my Lietuve sirdis, I enjoy being warm and welcoming towards humanity. That is simply who God has created me to be. Taip, I enjoy smiling to my close friends, people I don't know, smiling on every street corner of Europe and Russia. IN Jesus name AHMEN. THat's my SWAG, it's what I do......but then culturally some people look at you like "BLOODY FOREIGNER.....BLOODY FOREIGNER" and you're like, dang, that haunting poetic European/Russian look was so terrifying......where's my mommy? So it's kind of funny when you promise to train yourself in the educational field of "The Master of the Arts of How To Not Smile: In European Public: cause that's just.....AWKWARD.........Don't get me wrong, I do have THEE most haunting Lietuve death stare, and I take FULL advantage of it in it's appropriate moments......
ENGLISH VOCABULARY: So when I came to Lietuva....I thought I spoke......"English". You know, for a Lietuve that lived in the United States most of her life... you think her English would.....you know, be somewhat understandable towards Eastern European/Russian society.....Some examples of phrases I have sworn over the grave to NEVER repeat in this part of the world...cause they (as I have tramatizingly experienced) DO NOT cross over on this side of the world. and are simple...."SOCIALLY." "AWKWARD."
"Hey bro, WAZ UP?!?!"
"Dang, I like yo swag"
I'm SO FREAKIN Tired...
FREAKIN this FREAKIN that (you get my point, don't use FREAKIN....)
ah FREAKIN men (it's a struggle, one of my favorite all time slang phrases)
I LOVE BLYNAI, I LOVE LITHUANIAN AIR, SKY, TREES, ARCHITECTURE!!! (one simply DOES NOT "love" things that are not alive....HUGE social taboo....)
Or let's say for another example I was talking with someone and said " My cat died".......seriously? are you kidding me? What kind of English is that!?!?!??! I feel like everything I say has to be ELABORATED in a very highly proffesional manner as if EVERY conversation I have is being addressed to to the president of France. "My royal cat named Sashalina, Dancija Chernvoya the 8th, was an ever so lovely orange feline who lived such a great legacy to the age of 23. She was a descendant from one of Lithuania's first king's pet's and her rare royal blood was passed on from generation to generation."
DANG....that was one hell of a cat....
At the end of the day, one of my greatest passions in life is to simply live in international communities and really get to know people, their lives, hearts and stories. I really enjoy learning from all the beautiful culturally awakward moments that happen to me a million times over on a daily basis....I hope that this reflection in a way, get's you thinking about culturally how you grew up and how living in an international society has affected that......
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