Frustrations

First I want to preface with some positives and then manuever into the more dreery subjects of it all. I am enjoying this trip on many levels, it has opened my eyes to many things I like and don't like about the American culture I'm used to. I had an understanding that this trip would be difficult, I had no misconceptions that it would be an expierence like none I'd ever had before. But that being said, frustrations follow. A small one would be learning a new keyboard. Just a little jump of joy that makes me really happy is the apostrophes in my words. Seems really small to most people, but that is a keyboard feet that has been figured out!
On a larger scale, this is a complete new culture and dialect of Spanish. Very few people are going to understand this on a personal level, but learning a new culture is draining. Add in a language barrier and a misconception of who people from the US are, it is a whole new level of learning. For example, looking at a menu and being completely lost is not a fun feeling. Shopping at the Disco(the food store) is a cultural learning adventure. It produces many funny stories and great looks from the Argentines, mainly fear for the first week. To end this uplifting paragraph, it is obvious we are from the United States by the way we dress and act, the English only gives it away more. That has been the part that has taken real time to get used to. At no point in this trip am I going to look like I fit in. At no point am I not going to be at a higher risk of robery because people assume I have nice things from the country I live in.
But all of this is totally ok, and something I have grown to live with. I have learned that I am proud of who I am, but not in an obnoxious way. Walking down the street and chanting USA is not a correct way to show pride in where I come from(I did not have to learn this by expeirence). In fact, it is totally ok to have multiple frustration in learning how to do daily life here. Learning every small thing have and will continue to be expierences that I cherish. Just today I walked into the bakery by our hotel and waited until my friend said I had to grab a number. The workers were already ready to make fun of me. Second blanked on my spanish and then walked to numerous wrong counters. I'm pretty sure the lady gave me the wrong change, but I was ready to be out. Frustrating in the moment but pretty darn funny to look back on. Pretty darn funny for my friend to laugh at me while it was happening in fact.
How would I sum up learning a new culture in one word? Humbling. Nothing I have learned has been of my own strength and accord, but on a grace giving God who takes care of me in situacions that are 95% laughable after they happen. It was foolish of me to ever thing that living here would come natural in 6 weeks. I"ve embraced the fact that every day brings a new challenge. Currently I am working on the fruit stand. What is the difference between those two oranges? Mmmm what did she just say to me? I think that that one has less pulp. . . Every day is a work in progress.
If anything, I have come to love having the excuse that I am clueless to most processes. When I am honest and open to the fact that I need help, I have found that people are more willing to help me. The people want me to learn so that in the future I don't look so much of a fool. When I exhibit a humble attitude the learning expierence becomes part of the adventure, not a negative factor of the trip. Laughing at myself has never been something I have struggled with, but it has become something that I have learned to do regularly as opposed to occasionaly.
My mother asked me today if the stress was overwhelming, I had to think about my answer for a little bit. But in all reality, the Lord has prepared me for every hardship that I have come in contact with. So many expierences from Chicago help me here ironically. Just being in a big city has helped me learn how to deal with trains, buses, with out constantly looking like a tourist. Even with the team that is here, they are all wonderful and super suportive. I feel like I've known them much longer than three weeks.
So has the trip brought frustration, yes plenty. But over that it has brought learning expierences I wouldn't trade for the world. Being in a place where I can only rely on the little conversational spanish I have and realizing that it always ends up ok reveals that I am being taken care of. I feel more blessed than anything, blessed to be humbled and seeing God provide every step of the way.