Lovin' It and "Dislike" it

There have been a lot of up and downs in our readjustment to American society, especially for our children.  Our middle boy still refuses a lot of American food, poor kid, but will gobble up rice and beans, which we serve a few times a week.  I was just thinking about how when we first came back, there were very few things I liked about living here.  But that list has grown the more time we've spent here, including:

waist-high counters, as opposed to close to my knees (a slight exaggeration, but not by much!)

smooth roads

fairly bug free houses

hardly any mosquitoes

libraries

museums, parks and all the free resources for kids

the doctors don't attribute my kids' sickness to superstitions

space (such as lawns)

lots of different cheeses!

free wi-fi everywhere

english-speaking church

not feeling like fish in a glass bowl (we hardly ever get stared at here....hardly)

understanding the cultural rules (although we don't always like them)

having lots to do....sometimes too much!

not having to worry about the electricity or water going off while showering

not having to fill up lots of buckets with water for those times 

BUT...I still struggle with some aspects of living here.  Things I "dislike":

the busyness (too many good things make it hard to say no, and make it hard to keep priorities straight 1. God, 2. my spouse and myself and 3. my children)

the constant go-go (nobody seems to know how to just hang out and relax, you have to always be doing something while conversing, the conversation is rarely the main point)

scheduling ahead...I still struggle with looking at the calendar.  I almost never looked at a calendar in Nicaragua, but people don't schedule ahead.  They come by the day before or that day to invite you to a birthday party.  

I miss my pila (concrete washboard).  it made scrubbing cloth diapers, washcloths and small clothing items so quick and easy. 

lawns.  I am still surprised when I drive around and see so much space, so many big lawns.  It feels strange to me that people spend so much time, energy and money on something most people don't really use.  While half the world is starving.  It feels very strange.

It's hard to hear people complain about being "poor" when they have a vehicle, cable, internet and a place to live.  They sleep in a bed all by themselves.  Our housekeeper in Nicaragua shared a twin bed with 2 other people.  And this is normal.  

There is no perfect culture.  Just like there are no perfect  people.