Sunday, July 6, 2008

Leaving Montenegro




Greetings Friends, Families, and Random bloggers!

Well, time has definitely flown by! I am sad to report that I will be leaving Montenegro tomorrow afternoon. The next 13 days will be filled with plane rides, jet lag, and different culture extremes. First, I will be landing in Athens, Greece for some days of reflection and relaxation. After that, I will be spending time in Thailand and Hong Kong. The plan is to land back in Dallas on July 20th. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time in Montenegro. While I am excited to see what lies next in this unreal summer, I am sad to be leaving here. In addition to enjoying the beautiful countryside, I have had some incredibly hospitable hosts. This would include the native Montenegrins and especially the non-native workers I have met in the area. I have been humbled by their selfless dedication to make me feel at home. I hope and pray that I'll have the ability to show the same hospitality to someone else in the future.

The last 2 weeks have been filled with teaching English classes, spending time with believers and non-believers, and traveling about the area. My passport has been getting some "love" going to various cities in Montenegro, Croatia, and Bosnia. It has been an eye-opening experience to visit these areas. It is embarrassing to admit (but I guess I'm going to admit it anyway) that I was expecting this area of the world to look war-torn and deserted after the unrest the last 20 years. Well, my expectations were completely blown out of the water. I'm convinced that Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro contain some of the most beautiful sights and people in the world. My two favorite cities (besides Herceg Novi) would have to be Dubrovnik, Croatia (where the above picture is from) and Sarajevo, Bosnia.  Both were filled with beautiful country sides and wonderful cultural and historical roots. I'm so thankful to have had the opportunity to see parts of these countries and would love to visit them again another time.

To close out my time in Montenegro, I'd like to share just a few of the cultural differences I've noticed. I thought it would best do to a comparison between the way I think and the way most Montenegrins think. So... I hope this gives you a good idea of some of the cultural differences! 

Me: I should never see 60 year old men and women wearing speedo's and bikinis.
Montenegrins: You should wear as little wet material as possible when swimming. One pieces will make you sick, giving you kidney disease.

Me: If the sign says you're open from 8-5, you're going to open from 8-5.
Montenegrins: Sure, we're open from 8-5, but I want a coffee break. So, too bad, we're closed for the next 30 minutes. 

Me: Its rude to tell someone they are overweight upon meeting them.
Montenegrins: What if they don't know? I'm only helping them.

Me: I need to have 10 things accomplished to have a productive day.
Montenegrins: The most productive thing I will do today is spend time talking with friends and family over coffee.

Me: Air conditioners are God's gift to mankind.
Montenegrins: Stay away!!! Air conditioners will make you sick!!!!

Me: Redheads are God's gift to mankind.
Montenegrins: Redheads are tourists. Therefore, I will stare at them continually.

Me: Walking around with wet hair during the summer feels good.
Montenegrins: Do it and your face might get paralyzed! 

Me: You should walk on sidewalks and drive on streets.
Montenegrins: You should drive on sidewalks and walk on streets.

Me: When driving in a car, there should be at least 5 feet or at a guard rail between you and huge cliffs. 
Montenegrins: Guardrails are for wussies, and I'll let you reverse on the cliff until you get to the spot where you'll have "at least" 2 inches from the cliff to let me pass you. 

All kidding aside, I admire the Montenegrins for the priority they put on spending time with family and friends. In their culture, nothing is more important.  I think us busy-body Americans (of whom I'm the worst!) have a lot to learn from them. I'll let them keep the bikini's and speedo's, but I hope I can bring their practice of making time for people back to my world in the states.

Till next time- 

-Kat

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

wonderfully and cleverly put, Kat :) I just cannot wait to talk to you in detail about all of this. I love you and hope that your next couple of weeks are safe and smooth and exciting.

Anonymous said...

Best entry yet. Great insights again. I especially like the part about the value Montenegrans place on spending time w/one another. Can't wait to talk to you soon. Loves.

Anonymous said...

Oh my! I can't believe it is almost time for you to be back in Dallas again! give us a call when you have some free time! I want to see all the pictures and hear all the stories. (we will be on vacation until the 26th, though) :)

J Stu said...

redheads rock! loving the rich content. keep it coming!