My New American Cultural Awareness

So everyone says that the more you learn about other cultures, the more insight you have into your own. Today, I was sitting in class and started considering all of the things I am coming to see about American culture since being here. As I followed a group of Gambian students today, and had to force myself to slow down, it occurred to me how much of a hurry Americans are always in, how fast we walk everywhere we go. As the students moved to one side to let me pass, one smiled and asked me "Are you okay?" Everyone here asks you if you are okay, people on the street, people you don't even know. Americans don't usually worry about the well-being of strangers they pass in their day-to-day life, and they certainly don't smile as much. Here, I feel rude if I keep to myself on the bush taxi instead of having a conversation with whoever I am sitting next to. That's the other thing I noticed on the bush taxis, how much personal space Americans prefer to have. Once, I was on vacation at Niagara Falls and found myself sitting next to an Indian woman on the bus. I was very uncomfortable with how close she sat to me, and how little personal space I had. But here everyone is like that, and you just have to accept it. As I get used to it, I find it almost comforting that there are places in the world where strangers are not held at a distance.

Some of my other observations on Americans (or at least on myself as an American):

1- We like schedules, planning ahead, and having things laid out in black and white. One of my professors today negotiated with the class as to the best way to set up the project that we will be doing. To me, the lack of clarity was overwhelming, and I wished that she would just hand us a syllabus with everything laid out neatly.

2- Americans aren't all that helpful. Now, I know there are plenty of helpful Americans, but I have truly been shocked by how helpful strangers have been to me as a foreigner here. I honestly don't think this would be so true were the roles reversed.

3- Americans eat a lot. All the time. Especially dairy and chocolate. I observe this because I am always hungry here and am seriously craving a Hershey bar and a big hunk of cheese.

I'm not saying that American culture is "good" and Gambian culture is "bad," or vice versa. Obviously, they are just different, and people will have varying perspectives on how positive or negative the differing aspects of any two given cultures are. However, I do think its beneficial to think about the norms in American culture and see how they affect my own behavior and what I am comfortable with.