Monday, April 30, 2007

Going home

I doubt that anyone actually reading this blog don't know we'll be going back to Sweden in July (and L in August).

Not to much to say about that. I'm happy about it, I will miss some stuff and don't miss even more.

What I have noticed since it was finalized:

1. My willingness/ability to cope with the cultural differences have been spiralling steeply downwards. Before Belgian friend J was leaving at Christmas I asked him how he felt about it. He said "I try not to think about it. I did that when we left Vietnam, and it just pissed me off". Now I know exactly how he felt. Like when Yaya C disappeared. A year ago I would probably have tried to smooth things over to make it work again, now, I just don't care anymore. Or yesterday when one of the baggers smashed my olive oil against my car. It took them 20 minutes to replace it. A year ago that would be (slow, but yet) service. Now it's just irritating. A lot of things go from quirky or cute or different or "when in Rome..." to plain annoying or incomprehensible or "...get out while you still can" .

2. More often than not, when you tell Filipino friends or acquaintances or just people you happen to meet, you often feel that you've offended them. Like when I went to see J's doctor for a check-up on the TB. Suddenly the air was filled with a notion that I was not really there to check up on my son, but rather I had taken some time off work to come down and insult him, personally.

There, not a single joke. I'll get back on track soon.

/J.

3 comments:

Ola said...

Jag visste inte att ni skulle flytta hem. Men det låter bra, vi får ses när jag kommer till Stockholm (hyfsat ofta fortfarande, iaf 2-3 ggr/år). /Ola

Unknown said...

Dear Lone Gopher, sorry to hear you are going through the same shit as I did at the end of our Vietnamese days. Maybe spend your days as if every day if your last one and bloody hell, buy an entire new wardrobe for your whole family! European prices are insane...
Good luck,
Jef

Lone Gopher said...

Sorry Ola, you're in kind of a special category (i.e. not my immediate family or friends from down here).

Thanks Jef, I'll take one day at the time. We're already in to buying clothes, shoes, toys to last for a couple of years. Hope things are well in France. Heard about the new president today. The other one seemed better in my eyes, but I haven't been following it that closely.

Cheers
/J.