Monday, June 16, 2008

Cultural Lessons From the Redhead


Welcome to cultural lesson number one. Keep this in mind the next time it is 100 degrees and you are without an air conditioner. Did you know that Montenegrins believe that sickness can be traced to two distinct causes: drafts and not wearing house slippers?  They will not let you keep 2 windows, a door AND a window, etc. open at the same time. For example, if it is 100 degrees outside, you will only be able to roll down one window in your car.  No more. Another example: you can open one window in your room, but only if you close the door first. I badly misinterpreted this belief. I was assuming a closed door meant the same that it did in America: stay out! If I had followed my cultural expectations and “stayed out” every time the door was closed, I would never have had any opportunities to talk with my host family. It has been the little things like that that have been the biggest surprises for me.

I’ve had the opportunity to take pictures of the absolutely beautiful surroundings. Pictures could never do it justice, but I’ll share one anyway. Imagine gorgeous mountains plunging straight into a ridiculously blue sea, decorated by quaint towns made of stone. Above you find my favorite of the bunch. You can’t see Herceg Novi (where I am staying), but you can see the Bay of Kotor and the mountains.  You should be able to find this area on a map if you wanted to.

I have also had the opportunity to begin learning about the culture. Like many cultures, there is usually not a distinction between personal beliefs and cultural expectations/traditions. The dominant religion is Orthodox, but the majority do not attend any sort of weekly worship service . It is a big change from the “church on every corner” found in the bible belt.  Out of an estimated 40,000 natives, there are an estimated 5 believers in the area.

I'm looking forward to spending 2 more weeks here, but am afraid the time will go by too quickly! I hope all is well on your side of the world!

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to know everything is going so well. I just emerged from the freakin' desert so this was the first chance I had to check in w/you. Love you!

sandy said...

Hey Kat!
Glad things are going well. The pics look awesome! Let us know if you have specific prayer concerns. We are praying for your protection, safety and a positive acclimation to everything. Yea for toliets and running water--that is a biggie! :-)
l♥ve ya!
Sandy

Jen Yirak said...

it's beautiful! I hope you can stay cool despite the draft rules :) I love you!