US hangover

Our friends Missy and Luke penned this term - US hangover. Definition - how you feel after spending a good amount of time in the US and all the freedoms you have and the amenities you are used to. Feelings are frustration and being generally annoyed.

I think there is a reverse feeling when I get to the US after being in China. Like how annoyed I get when I land and US people are in general a lot more rude than Asians. Like how I have to drive myself around and stores are so far away. Like how much weight I gain because serving sizes in restaurants are so large and I feel guilty not cleaning my plate. And of course all the good junk food that I am able to get my hands on in the US. Also, having to clean and do my own laundry (although Gigi and Grammy helped me with that a lot :))

So coming back, I am annoyed that I just can't jump into my own car and drive myself to church. I am annoyed that Carrefour (grocery store) doesn't consistently have the product or brand that I like to buy. Same goes for Pines market which is easier to get around in and less crowded than Carrefour but a lot more expensive. I'm annoyed with the fact that my laundry is hung outside to dry because I have a washer dryer combo that is the size of a small bucket.

But after a couple days in both countries, I get used to life as life as an American expat. It's nice to have a driver that can drop you right at the entrance when it is raining and pick you up right at the entrance so you are not wet at church. It's nice to get good service in restaurants without someone expecting a huge tip (although we do tip).

Some things that I am putting my foot down this year on......no more doing dishes in the sink. We have a dishwasher and in 2 years have never used it. Xiao Ju doesn't like to use the dishwasher and just wants to wash by hand. Which is okay during the week, but on the weekend when we have friends over and I cook, I use every pan in the house (just like Gigi) and with my closet sized kitchen, I can't wash and go easily. But she uses it for storage, so I just can't use it easily. Stopped yesterday...I used the dishwasher. Not sure how the dishes came out, need to look. Not sure if I used the right settings or not.

We have also requested another dryer. This way Xiao Ju can be doing do two loads at a time and I won't have laundry draped everywhere in my house in the winter. It will be another bucket sized machine, but will help.

Enough of my rambling!