Tuesday, February 28, 2006

28 February 2006

No matter how long you live abroad, you still retain some connection to where you come from. There is always some mental comparison being drawn between "us" and "them," which sometimes weighs in favor of "us," and sometimes in favor of "them." Your perception of who "us" is and who "they" are may change, but the comparisons are always being made. Even the most well-adjusted expats still retain some ties to their homeland, and it's not always obvious in advance what people will hold onto to remind themselves of where they come from. Just a few examples off the top of my head...

Music. When American bands come through, over half of the audience is American. I went to see Death Cab for Cutie with a few friends, and we heard more American English than Swiss German while we were there. On a side note, Swiss concert-going behavior continues to stump me. After the first couple of songs, the singer, Ben, suggested that a couple right in front of him should get a room, since they seemed to be enjoying themselves so much, and it was really distracting him. Over the course of the concert, he referred to them repeatedly, commenting that they were still making out like they were the only ones in the room, asking how much they spent on Chapstick, wondering if the people behind them were watching them or the band, telling them that they were being disgusting. And yet they continued. I don't know if they didn't understand what he was saying (unlikely, since the Swiss speak good English, especially if they are young), or if they just didn't care. I think most people would be embarrassed enough to stop groping and tongue-jousting, but then again, the Swiss are often shockingly willing to make out with each other in very public places. Park benches, picnic blankets, tram stops, concerts, the city is one big bedroom.

Junk food. Yes, I miss all sorts of good food from New York and from home: Ethiopian food, tapas, Chinese food, sushi, Korean BBQ, but when friends visit, I find myself hoping that they will bring the most random junk stocked by American grocery stores: Kraft Mac & Cheese, Cheetos, pudding mix, red Jell-o, microwave popcorn with lots of butter, sugary cereals, beef jerky, Reese's Miniature Peanut Butter Cups, flavored instant oatmeal, Tang, Fruit Rollups, Pop Tarts... And then there are the things that I wish they could bring that just wouldn't survive the journey: green mint chocolate chip ice cream, cheddar cheese, sourdough bread, and so on. I leave one of the culinary capitals of the world, and most of the things I crave can be found at any truck stop in Nebraska. I live in Cheese Country, and half the foods I crave contain what can only dubiously be described as "processed cheese flavored product."

And then there is the chocolate debate. I grew up on Hershey's. I got it in my plastic pumpkin at Halloween, I bought it at the store, I went to the theme park in Pennsylvania. Hershey's meant chocolate and chocolate meant Hershey's. The Swiss categorically refuse to recognize Hershey's as chocolate, saying that it doesn't taste like the real thing. And it's true that Hershey's isn't like Swiss chocolate. They taste different enough that you wouldn't necessarily think of them as being from the same candy category. But I still eat both. Swiss chocolate lives up to its rep. It is rich and smooth and creamy and decadent, and you feel sick after eating a whole bar, but it's worth it. But Hershey's, well, you can eat two bars without feeling ill, it just isn't that rich. It's no longer entirely synonymous with chocolate in my mind, and maybe it isn't as decadent, but it tastes like home, if the States are home. Swiss chocolate is starting to taste like home, too, if Switzerland is home.

Other people define themselves through politics and language. I define myself through junk food and candy. Mmm... processed cheese flavored product...

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