Lessons learned from the outback

Sometimes it hits me, quite painfully actually, that we have been here for just over a year and there are still situations where I make cultural faux-pas. I guess I assumed this would not be hard for me. I grew up in Germany, right? This should be easy. But lo and behold I suck at this. 

There are so many times when I say the wrong thing or do the wrong thing and afterwards I just cringe at my stupidity and cultural insensitivity. At our cultural assimilation class, we were told that we can expect some extra grace during this first time, since we are foreigners and might get away with a few things. But time and time again I feel like this might not apply to me since people assume I should have no problem in that field. Well, I do. So extra grace required, right here please.

I’ve started watching a show on NETFLIX. It’s from the 90’s and takes place in the Australian outback. Do I need to say more? It speaks for itself, that John refuses to watch it with me because it’s too 90’s. It’s about a cattle ranch in the outback, run by just women. One of them, the lead characters half sister, had been raised in the city, but after inheriting half of the ranch after her father’s death returned to country living. And she sucks at it. She does not know how to behave, what to say and not to say, or how to act around the animals. This gets her into quite some trouble. It’s funny of course but also tragic and quite unfair because this isn’t really her fault. She is just ignorant of how things are done in the outback. She does not know any better, no one has taught her the proper “country etiquette”. I can relate to her. It seems that whenever I get confident and think I got stuff figured out, something comes along to throw me off my game. I wish there was a pause button in everyday life. A button I could press and put everything on hold,  get an experts opinion, and then proceed with my day. Sadly there is not. There is only GRACE and FORGIVENESS and I am in need of a lot of those now a days. 

And as the show progresses, you root for her, she really makes an effort to belong, to learn from people and to step out of her comfort zone. And this is why we are here. I too will learn. I want to. I want to belong. I care about the people here, therefore I want to see the world through their eyes. This is a learning process and I know I have people in my life who cheer me on and root for me and celebrate the small victories of cultural assimilation me with.

Other than that, we are doing all right. I am sorry I have been neglecting this blog for quite some time. Life is busy and gets in the way of leisurely sitting down with a cup of tea and writing deep meaningful blog entries. So for now, this is all you get. Ramblings about the outback.