Spoiled

I’ve been thinking recently about being a “spoiled American.” And we really are spoiled. I think it’s a bit disappointing for some things (like that our fruits & veggies have to be slathered in pesticides so that they are pretty enough for us to eat) and awesome for other things (you can find practically anything in a store somewhere). At Little Troopers this morning, we were talking about eggs. Some of the moms won’t buy their eggs in the German stores ‘cause they still have poop & feathers on them. They don’t wash the eggs here, so they last longer and don’t need to be refrigerated for shipping or in the stores. You wash ‘em, they’re just like any other egg. Oh, except that they’re good eggs. My parents raised chickens while I was growing up, so I know good eggs. They’re the ones with the bright, orangey yolks… if you’ve ever had organic, farm fresh or even free range eggs, you probably know what I’m talking about. They are about a gazillion times yummier than mass-produced, barely-yellow-yolked American eggs.

What America does really, really well is retail. Sunday closings are hard to get used to, and even harder to enjoy. I’m annoyed because I have such a hard time finding the things that I want. I saw a glue gun at the grocery store a while ago and snapped it up because I was afraid I might not see one again! I’d love to come across a Target, Michael’s… or something that was open past 8pm. Near where I lived in Denver, there was a 24-hour Home Depot, for goodness sake!

I’ve also been thinking a lot about languages & cultural expectations. I’ll admit… I’ve been there, trying to order at Chipotle and feeling slightly annoyed that the person who barely speaks any English at all is the one who is incorrectly assembling my meal. I have thought, “Don’t put them on the line until they can at least understand words like ‘chicken’ and ‘just a little.’” This whole experience is changing my perspective on that. For one thing, the whole thing about how long you’ve been here vs. how well you speak the language. Christina over at An American Expat is on the other side of it from me (people are impressed by her German skills for her 5 years here, in case you don’t go over to her blog… or don’t spot what I’m referencing), but I have found myself wishing I could tell everyone I communicate badly with, “Hey, I’ve only been here for 5 months.” And it makes me wonder how many people I’ve had interactions with back home who were in that same situation. Then there are people who try as hard as they can but simply cannot absorb the language. It’s not all laziness and ethnocentrism.

We are officially trying for baby #2. :) If you know me or have been reading the blog, you’ll know that makes me very happy. It still freaks Guitarman out a little, but even if we conceive right away, the baby wouldn’t be due until March. He’s worried about me having to go home early and him being stuck here or something. March makes it pretty likely that he’d have found a job by then. Touch wood.

The commissary has been out of corn tortillas for like 2 weeks. They are one of the few foods that I haven’t been able to find in any of the local markets, and they are a serious food staple for me. I usually eat one with my breakfast (tortilla, egg, beans, cheese) every day. It’s starting to annoy me.

And because I have a very cute kid who I probably don’t talk enough about (for his far-away family and friends who read this), here’s a photo of from today. Last month we got him one of these bikes with no pedals… it took a little cajoling on my part, but my theory is that it’ll help him learn the balance and steering of a bicycle without having to worry about the pedaling part. Then when he’s a little older and can pedal, it’ll all come together easily.