reverse culture shock

You always hear about people experiencing culture shock, but I've always found that it's the reverse culture shock that I struggle with. Just to clarify, reverse culture shock occurs when you return home to your native culture.

It's hard readjusting to life here where we can buy what we want when we want. We whine and complain about stuff that is horribly trivial. Listening to my kids complain about the food on the table.

You spend this time working alongside and getting to know kids and adults that struggle everyday to get one meal of rice or bulgar wheat with fish oil. They might earn $2 a day if they're lucky and have the right skills. And the kids... In Liberia 50% of the population is under the age of 15, they've only had peace for 3 and a half years, do the math. All they know is war and poverty. Think about talking to a 13 yr old describing being put into a line and the person next to him being shot dead. And that's not even the worst of the stories. It blows your mind.

And then you return to the US where all the magazines are talking about diets, and Britney, and on and on. People at work are complaining about photocopies being folded wrong or running half an hour late. This could be a long list. My cup of coffee and breakfast sandwich the other morning was the equivalent of a weeks wages.

Some days I hate being an American.