An Outsider’s Expectations

I was reading Lovely Dharma’s blog this week and in a recent post she brought to light some things that I’ve often thought about regarding desire for people around here to have all things USAmerican – clothes, shoes, computer gadgets, music, etc.

Her post led me to think about these things again and I started considering what my expectations were regarding a cultural experience before I came here. I think many ex-pats who find they are moving from a more developed country to a lesser one are somehow wanting or expecting a more simplified life experience. I know I was. In many ways, I have gotten this and in many ways I have not.

So let’s consider my specific situation so I’m not called out for generalizing. I’m in a smaller town, most of my friends have been to the US or really want to go, and other friends and acquaintances from the company my husband works for have been to the US (Kentucky) or want to go for work. So maybe my perception on this solely comes from the place I’ve been planted in, and the people I’ve been planted among, here in Brazil.

Considering that I was coming to a smaller city that does not even exist in the minds of most visitors to this country, I was expecting a really authentic experience different than anything I had at home. What I found when I got here was a situation much like what was described in the blog post I mentioned earlier - USAmerican music blasting in every car and on every corner, my husband’s coworkers asking us to load our luggage with laptops and iPods when we traveled to the States, them traveling to the States and having three suitcases full of stuff to bring back.

Between the iPods, Nike Shox, Wii and computer gadgets I often have the feeling that many Brazilians want this stuff much more than many people I know in the US. It is something that I can’t understand and perhaps I can’t understand it because I’ve always lived in a place where these things have been overly abundant.

It is true I have many of these things myself. Except for the Nike Shox which I think are the ugliest shoes on the face of the earth. I still can’t understand how people can turn their noses up at a pair of comfy Crocs and then buy an atrocious looking pair of tennis shoes with something resembling a space ship on the back. And while we are at it, I have zero interest in ever owning a Wii. Don’t understand that desire either. Okay, rant over.

When I think about all these things Brazilians are buying when they travel to the US I start to think about my travels and what I seek out when I’m shopping in other countries. It really could not be more different. Except for the unique t-shirt, I am always looking for artisanal things that will remind me of the place I visited; a wool scarf in Ireland, a woodcarving in Jamaica, paprika in Hungary, chocolate… everywhere.

I want things that represent the travel destination. Then I consider, well, maybe the shoes and MP3 players are what represents the US to Brazilians. Then, of course, I think – how sad, how very sad.

It is sad to me that when my husband’s coworkers travel to central KY (which is an area full of history and culture), they spend their time crawling through the mall trying to find their size in the latest name brand tennis shoes and picking out which color of iPod to bring back. All the while they are missing out on bringing back a piece of local art, visiting the local farmer’s market or sitting in a coffee shop and trying to understand our café culture. It is disappointing to know that they stop in an Applebee’s for a burger, classify it as USAmerican and start missing their rice and beans when they could have eaten at a KY owned restaurant and experience a hot brown or country ham and tried some world renowned bourbon.

I know that there are different kinds of travelers in all different countries. However, from my current perspective it is overwhelming how most people I know around the world travel for culture, but for people around here that travel to the US is not about the experience. It is about stuff.

It is probably our evil marketing in the States and how we are so good at telling people that you are cool if you have stuff. Although it still baffles me how this message has gotten all the way to little Maringa when much more important messages (wear your seatbelt and put your kid in a car seat) have not.

I won’t lie, hearing US music and having McDonald’s when I’m incredibly desperate for an association with home has eased my homesickness on more than one occasion. I do consider what it would be like if I had been completely cut off from everything I know as familiar. It would have been difficult for sure.

However, when I look back at my expectations I think I was hoping for a less materialistic, less high maintenance experience and I have not gotten that. I’ll never cease to be amazed by the fact that some days it feels like I could not be further away and isolated from the US and other days I feel like I haven’t even left at all.