Culture Stress

It happens.  Culture stress.

Statements about "these wonderful people"  get shortened to "these people"... and all the things that once endeared the peoples of your new home to you begin to grate on your every last nerve.

Even after a week of vacation, we are experiencing perhaps the most evident culture stress we have yet faced in our year overseas.

There are times lately when we look around and think "if they'd just let me handle this myself, we could eliminate ALL these gross inefficiencies, and we could all go home earlier... (We have thought this at 1) the airport... 2)  the grocery store... 3) the convenience store near our neighborhood... 4) when sitting in traffic....

The secret to all of this is to think to yourself "This isn't stupid... this isn't wrong... this is just different... and they have been doing it this way a looooong time and it works for them."  then you find ways to make it work for you to.

Except sometimes everything comes to a boil at once and you just can't. And you think to yourself ... wow, these people and the way they do things...

Case in point for me this week.

We moved into our house 3 months ago.  We signed a 'pre-order agreement for internet.
We were told there was no internet, but there might be in 2 months.
After two months we went back and filled out MORE paperwork because 'it will be soon!'
At one point we were told 'you will have internet by the end of this month' (May).
At one point we were told 'you will have internet by the end of this week (1st of June)
At one point we were told 'you will have internet - tomorrow or the next day (1st of June)
After 2 months internet was installed in the neighborhood, (alright!!)
Our neighbor, after moving in for ONE week got their internet and modem/box.
The company didn't have any more boxes and had to send off for more - just a few days.
Two weeks later, our box is in and they ask us to come do MORE paperwork with our IDs.
Everything is ready, they say.  We'll just need to let your installation process 5 days.
AND THEN... payment.
It turns out they only accept Indonesian credit cards (local).  This is a thing overseas.
We can't get a local bank card til we process our new long-term visas.
She says 'well you can do a local bank transfer (this is a BIG thing overseas... all the time)
except, I say, we can't get a local bank account (see above reasons about visas)
BUT, I said, I have CASH.  Everyone likes cash.
Except the internet company.  They can't accept cash. I'm told this happens because of issues of trust with employees.
I ask, how can I pay?  She recommends I go to my daughters school (which is now closed for the summer) and ask one of the other parents to transfer the money for me.  (This is EVERY month... we have to pay this way every month)

I remained as calm as possible - and walked out VERY culture stressed. In the end I had a friend transfer the money... and sometime NEXT week they might turn on our internet (but next week is the end of Ramadan and it is possible nothing will happen til afterwards)

But such is life overseas. It's not wrong - just different.  You just have to learn how to live with it. We have dealt with internet and cell phone companies that can't understand online payments (this one gets me... their business is online media and they can't accept anything BUT cash?).  We have had friends who wanted a pepperoni pizza.  They were told flatly "we don't make pepperoni pizzas".  But after seeing a list of available toppings our friends asked "can you take a cheese pizza and add pepperoni on it?"  They say 'Oh, yes, of course, we can add to the cheese, we just don't make pepperoni pizzas.

Critical thinking and getting outside the box are difficult steps here - and it's not WRONG.  it's just different.  It's not WRONG... i's JUST different.

I'm just going to keep telling myself that... it'll get better... just give it a day or so.

Blessings to you all!