Wow! It has been far too long since I have posted anything on my blog. Keeping up with a full time job and a 15 month old boy will do that to you I guess.
I think about how my blog originally started with all of the quirky bits I was learning about my new home. Everything stood out to me and seemed peculiar. After 3 years, it takes a little more to turn my head. I no longer stare at women wearing saris or hijabs. I have become accustom to the sounds from the mosque as the call for prayer is made 5 times each day. (It actually helps me keep track of the time without looking at a clock.) Fewer things stand out to me. That leaves me thinking. Do I still stand out as much as I did?
In some ways, I have become assimilated to the culture. I still dress in my very western style and my pale pigmentation is a pretty instant giveaway that I'm not a native. However, I can great people in French and Creole and I no longer order my street food "sans piament" (without chile). At the local grocery store the checkout girls recognize me and if my son isn't with me, they always ask about him. I feel comfortable almost everywhere I go and am driving a 5 speed while sitting on the wrong side of the car and driving on the wrong side of the road fairly easily. I get cold when the temperature drops anywhere below about 20 degrees (approx. 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Yet, I am always very keenly aware that I am not Mauritian.
I still don't shop at the local market on Wednesday or Saturdays. I wouldn't save any money by doing so. One look at my pale complexion and the price always doubles. When there is work to be done around the house, my husband always has to speak with the handy person doing the job so that there isn't any "extra" work done for a premium. I am guessing no matter how long I live here, these things will probably not change. I sometimes wish I had a special ID or a tag I could wear that says, "Not a tourist". I wish I could tell everyone that I really live here, all the time. I am employed by a Mauritian company. I am not rich just because I am white. But at the end of the day, I'm not really sure it would make a difference. After 3 years, I still stand out as much as I did when I landed.
I think about how my blog originally started with all of the quirky bits I was learning about my new home. Everything stood out to me and seemed peculiar. After 3 years, it takes a little more to turn my head. I no longer stare at women wearing saris or hijabs. I have become accustom to the sounds from the mosque as the call for prayer is made 5 times each day. (It actually helps me keep track of the time without looking at a clock.) Fewer things stand out to me. That leaves me thinking. Do I still stand out as much as I did?
In some ways, I have become assimilated to the culture. I still dress in my very western style and my pale pigmentation is a pretty instant giveaway that I'm not a native. However, I can great people in French and Creole and I no longer order my street food "sans piament" (without chile). At the local grocery store the checkout girls recognize me and if my son isn't with me, they always ask about him. I feel comfortable almost everywhere I go and am driving a 5 speed while sitting on the wrong side of the car and driving on the wrong side of the road fairly easily. I get cold when the temperature drops anywhere below about 20 degrees (approx. 70 degrees Fahrenheit). Yet, I am always very keenly aware that I am not Mauritian.
I still don't shop at the local market on Wednesday or Saturdays. I wouldn't save any money by doing so. One look at my pale complexion and the price always doubles. When there is work to be done around the house, my husband always has to speak with the handy person doing the job so that there isn't any "extra" work done for a premium. I am guessing no matter how long I live here, these things will probably not change. I sometimes wish I had a special ID or a tag I could wear that says, "Not a tourist". I wish I could tell everyone that I really live here, all the time. I am employed by a Mauritian company. I am not rich just because I am white. But at the end of the day, I'm not really sure it would make a difference. After 3 years, I still stand out as much as I did when I landed.
