Happy Memorial Day to you all!
*thanks tumblr*
I hope you all had a wonderful holiday weekend! I'm getting a late start on posting this week, as I have had tons going on lately. Lucky for you a good bit of it deals with new products for the Embellished shop! I will report more on that soon, but in honor of Memorial Day I thought this would be the perfect moment to start a new series: Heart Divided.
Upon arriving here in France I immediately (and naturally) formed a list of everything I missed from the States. Now that I've been here for 8 months I have a second list of things I know I wish I could bring back with me when I finally move home. I hope you enjoying learning a bit about the goods of other cultures, and learn to also appreciate the wealth that rests around you!
Memorial Day was of course Monday, I realized this...Sunday night. There are lots of things that I just don't have pushed in my face on every billboard anymore, therefore I am constantly playing catch up. For all the recent political changes, entertainment buzz, and even little things like American Idol, I have to devote time to researching to try and stay adrift in my own country. There aren't commercials on TV in France like in the States, the commercialism is much more played down. That of course has good and bad points, but alas I will unavoidably cover those very soon.
On the flip side, it is really interesting to be cognizant of so much that goes on outside the States. I feel much more informed, much more intellectual, and as an educated person I enjoy learning other people's cultures and points of view (whether I agree with them or not).
What's your International Know-How?
2 comments:
I think after all these years over here, i've got enough "international know-how" -- oh, let's just scratch that and call it what it is for me, "savoir faire" -- to write a book. I met with an English friend last week who was stunned at how much I know about bureaucracy, government, taxes, life, and it stunned me too, because I didn't realize that this sort of information is that valuable to anybody. It's not that it's worthless information, but it's not the type of information that's going to earn you loads of money or make you rich and famous. It'll maybe save you from a few grey hairs and a couple hours of frustration.
I don't find it as hard to follow american news/current events but I think that's because even before I left I had news feeds that I read every day. I think it's possible to live in a country and still have no clue what's going on -- anywhere you live, you have to want to be integrated. And it's true that at some point, you also have to let go of your first culture a little bit in order to be able to experience your adopted culture as profoundly as possible.
Awesome thought from both of you. I never thought of it that way. Thanks :)
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