This move is fun and glamorous, but it has had some rough patches as well. Sometimes I think I have "gone around the bend". Who does this?
1)Most stores close around 6 pm and aren't open at all on Sunday. Most of the stores don't accept the debit or credit card we have, so we have to withdraw cash every time we want to purchase something. (Probably has saved us money since it is such a hassle).
2)I haven't seen any drive-thrus and only one "fast food" looking place called Quick Burger. (I lied, I saw a McDonald's here too, but still don't consider it food so can't technically count it). I now know why most people are so skinny here.
3)Pretty much everything seems harder. I know it is a learning curve. The thing that makes this move the most difficult is watching my kids. I want to expose them to more of the world, different cultures and ways of thinking, but it is hard to watch the struggle and I worry about the looming date of school.
The kids miss their cousins and friends terribly. They are always asking when someone is coming to visit us. Today I was told by 2/3 of the children that they have decided to move back home because they want to be with their dog Sadie again. I told them that we don't have a house home, but that our home is wherever we are all together. I also tried to explain AGAIN that their Uncle Marc was very nice in taking Sadie to live with him and his dog Joey. That hasn't helped much. I feel a coup is on the rise.Logan is reading this next to me and would like to add his name to the list to move back to the US. I told you there are rebellion forces at work. Does that make us Darth Vadar? "Logan, Shea and Hayden, we are your parents". NOOOOOOO! they cry in unison.
©ColleenFisher
Hey Colleen, thanks for the link to your blog. I recognize the culture shock. I've experienced it myself, several times. At least you have Belgian chocolate, right?
ReplyDeleteSorry it is so hard on everyone. It is 'funny' I guess that the things you list are some of the reasons I MISS Europe SO MUCH (though stores are open later in Sweden). I also miss walking everywhere, or taking the bus or train, like having cities that are truly pretty with a vibrant core, meeting people on FOOT.
There truly is a bell curve to culture shock, though, if that is any consolation - culture shock is not present right at the beginning (first few days, a week), but quickly there is a steep incline (I'm guessing you are there) that eventually plateaus and tapers off.
Hopefully you will find the PLACE for you to be and be more at peace.
Also, something to keep in mind, if you didn't already know this: children who are exposed to COMPREHENSIBLE input of a new language do better in learning it, rather than the forced sink-or-swim method of complete immersion which most often leads students to not remember nor learn ANYTHING for a long time because they just can't understand anything.
I am actually getting my Masters in Bilingual Ed right now (so that qualifies me to speak about this??), and ALL the research says the same thing: teaching a new language with the native language along side is the MOST effective method. Another good option is to teach language 2 using comprehensible input (simple vocabulary, slower speech, context embedded and visual clues, etc). Kids who have a solid and well developed native academic language (which I'm guessing yours have, because you and Brent are both highly intelligent and verbally skilled) do BETTER. And encouraging your kids to read and develop their English skills concurrently is KEY to both retaining English as well as becoming better at language 2. (There is a lot of misinformation out there because of the Immigration politics in the US as to what actually works best to teach a second language).
Also, skills transfer. Teaching kids to read in their native language first and then the foreign language works best. I'm guessing even the youngest is reading? I know this is a true principle because the better my kids become at reading in English, the better they are at reading in Swedish, despite the systems being very different. Pretty wild.
Just thought I'd share those things, for the heck of it. So if you are offered English speaking assistance in school in ANY capacity say YES (I know the Scandinavian countries all offer this to foreign students, but not sure about Belgium).
CYBER HUGS from American soil. Hang in there. Things will get MUCH, MUCH better, Colleen.
Send me an email with your address once you get it firm, and a short list of favorite American treats, and I will send some to ease the pain.
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