There’s that moment when you are abroad….when something brings your culture and a foreign culture together. And, in that moment, you connect to the environment around you on a deeper level. That moment grounds you in the place you’ve chosen and suddenly, you don’t feel afraid.
However, that moment does not have to be serious. In my case, both of the ones I’ve experienced were quite funny.
Story 1: March 28th, 3pm
As I casually stalked and took pictures of the best and worst outfits on campus (for a future blog post ;P ), I noticed this group of handsome fellows standing in the middle of the Student Union (where the co-op bookshop, “Lollie Shop” and all of the food is located…And yes, they say “lolly”, which means candy…and not just lollypops—chocolate bars and everything in between).
The group of athletic looking young men began chatting and I started to listen from my position about 10 feet away once the word “Boobs” resonated in the court. The conversation proceeded like this:
Guy 1: “Well, I was in class and this hot girl I had never seen before walked in.”
Buddies: “Oh yeah?”
Guy 1: “And she had huge boobs and I started to wonder why they were so big. I mean, they looked disproportionate to her body.”
The buddies went on mumbling about what it could be and then they came up with a solution.
Buddies: “Man, it must have been the bra.”
Nice, I thought. I mean, a girl can't just have big boobs. She HAS to be tricking everyone with her bra (Which most of us girls do…ladies, don’t deny)
This is what boys ponder about. -_-
But, there was more.
They started judging every girl that walked by. One, in particular, who had her back turned towards them and was buying something from the fruit stand on campus.
Buddies: “She has a nice body.”
Guy 2: “Yeah, but it’s the face…gotta look at the face.”
Guy 1: “Yep- she has a big nose.”
Then, they all looked at each other with the facial expression of disproval; this girl was indeed not attractive enough to pass their ‘full package’ standard.
This conversation sparked some thoughts about the similarities between Americans and internationals. I thought about my St Patty’s Day.
Story 2: St. Patty’s Day 2012
I was reluctantly going crazy in the 3 bedroom apartment where I live with my family every…single…day.
So, I made friends. Great friends. One from Canada, the other from Ireland, and one who is first generation Australian.
After our night of fun-filled frenzy subsided, we strolled the streets and spread out looking for cabs in downtown Brisbane. The streets were barren, except for the occasional loitering of a drunken one-night-stand couple. As I stood on the sidewalk, something inside me outstretched my arm straight up in the air. Then, I shouted. “Butt Scratcher!!” and my friends replied with an equally jolly “Mmmm Butt Scratcherrrr!” (Sorry- Family Guy reference. YouTube it :) )
My heart smiled. Even from different parts of the world, our culture collided.
Looking back, I’m sure glad they watched Family Guy, otherwise I would’ve definitely looked like a freak of nature.
Lessons Learned Today:
I gained confidence. Even going internationally, you still find the same ol’ judgmental men and you still will have current cultural references that span globally.
It was actually relieving to overhear their conversation. Even though it was harsh, it was normal. For that little moment, The University of Queensland almost felt like Virginia Tech.
This sense of security helps me believe that:
I will find amazing people to have as friends.
Everything’s going to be okay.
There will always be something from my world that will connect me to a new one.
And that I will love all the differences that make every day an adventure.
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