I loved this essay! It’s so interesting to read reflections on US culture with a European perspective. I love how you tied all of your observations back to consumerism too it’s like every custom in the US was created and/or popularized to sell more stuff
Thank you! I may have been slightly influenced by "The Day the World Stops Shopping" by J.B. MacKinnon and "Capitalist Realism" by Mark Fisher, both of which I'd highly recommend!
Laura Anne , on the 2nd of January 1990 I arrived at the Philadelphia airport following a two year sojourn on La Isla Bonita . On my flight North , the passenger cabin was filled with Spanish except when the stewardess took my order and brought me my whisky . Upon arrival as I walked from the gate I felt the Spanish fall away ; first slowly and then suddenly all and every word was English . It was such the eerie sensation , I stopped in my tracks . The sensation was visceral ; the thought in my mind a shudder ; " I'm experiencing culture shock in my own country ." And so I was and so I did for the next few weeks in so many and several sundry ways , great and small .
Good observations. I have one of my own. I noticed something in your note. "Note: The following observations are not necessarily unique to the U.S., but it is more prevalent there, especially compared to my experience in Greece." It's the word, "there." Assuredly you used "there" instead of "here" because you were back in Greece when you wrote. But, where's home? Is there a little more there there or here there? There you go.
Yes, the wording was because I wrote this in Greece, not the U.S. But thanks for your observation and question. I do think we can and do create a bit of home wherever we go, and this sense of home comes from the people and the community. Some places are harder than others to access this. And although I'm very grateful for the ability to move about the world somewhat easily, it means my home is scattered across the globe.
Another great read! I’ll have to check out the story of the magic thread.
It's a very short story! Here's the link: https://www.scribd.com/document/183944732/French-Tale-The-Magic-Thread. It changed my little developing brain tho haha
I loved this essay! It’s so interesting to read reflections on US culture with a European perspective. I love how you tied all of your observations back to consumerism too it’s like every custom in the US was created and/or popularized to sell more stuff
Thank you! I may have been slightly influenced by "The Day the World Stops Shopping" by J.B. MacKinnon and "Capitalist Realism" by Mark Fisher, both of which I'd highly recommend!
Laura Anne , on the 2nd of January 1990 I arrived at the Philadelphia airport following a two year sojourn on La Isla Bonita . On my flight North , the passenger cabin was filled with Spanish except when the stewardess took my order and brought me my whisky . Upon arrival as I walked from the gate I felt the Spanish fall away ; first slowly and then suddenly all and every word was English . It was such the eerie sensation , I stopped in my tracks . The sensation was visceral ; the thought in my mind a shudder ; " I'm experiencing culture shock in my own country ." And so I was and so I did for the next few weeks in so many and several sundry ways , great and small .
It's certainly a strange experience. Thank you for sharing.
Good observations. I have one of my own. I noticed something in your note. "Note: The following observations are not necessarily unique to the U.S., but it is more prevalent there, especially compared to my experience in Greece." It's the word, "there." Assuredly you used "there" instead of "here" because you were back in Greece when you wrote. But, where's home? Is there a little more there there or here there? There you go.
Yes, the wording was because I wrote this in Greece, not the U.S. But thanks for your observation and question. I do think we can and do create a bit of home wherever we go, and this sense of home comes from the people and the community. Some places are harder than others to access this. And although I'm very grateful for the ability to move about the world somewhat easily, it means my home is scattered across the globe.
A fun commentary.