Ponerse el individuo incómodo, eso es mi tarea

Nietzsche said: "To make the individual uncomfortable, that is my task."  Apparently, he was the first proprietor of studying abroad.  There exists a unique conflict while living on foreign soil in that the ultimate goal (to some) is to successfully digest and adopt cultural norms from an alien country to render themselves invisible to the local eye.  Such a lofty dream is impossible, but some consolations can be achieved.  It is possible to learn the language and the social mores, however the most perfect imitation of a foreign culture will unfortunately always be just that: a mechanical rendition portrayed but never quite completely internalized.  To be injected into a foreign culture is to be exposed to new food, language, and custom, however it is also an opportunity to lose oneself.  The richness of an inter-cultural experience lies in this unique opportunity to stray from one's mold and effectively overcome the dogma which plagues so many of us.

Torre de la Vela

This proposed goal brings us back to the opening quote.  After several weeks of stumbling blindly across Granada, it is slowly becoming clear to me that the most memorable and worthwhile experiences are those which make my skin crawl or my heart race.  There is a very obvious attraction for us terrified Americans to the Burger King near the office or the Dunkin' Donuts a block away.  However, while it may be convenient and familiar to order a Whopper, it should remain obvious that wandering another block to a local diner would be much more interesting.  Perhaps having a complete fish on my plate is a particularly daunting prospect, but no one can argue the value of this momentary feeling of self-doubt.  I may not learn to fillet a fish, so I may leave with an empty stomach, however I will feel more satisfied than I could by eating a greasy hamburger.

I would like to relate an anecdote which is as follows: A small group of Bucknell students went to a bar and sat down to socialize.  Only one person ordered a drink and the rest of us remained talking.  After a few minutes, the bartender approached and reprimanded us for our actions, declaring them rude and typical of spoiled American students.  He told us that not ordering a drink was a way of insulting the establishment.  Although the message was meant to inform rather than castigate, the biting sting certainly dampened the mood immediately.  Rather than leave the establishment, we decided to order Cokes and remain seated.  The bartender, an Irish man with no reservations, was quick to explain his motives and even offered us the drinks on the house.  He meant to teach and prepare us for future outings, rather than milk us for a few Euro.  Those few moments of uncomfortable silence and uncertainly were clearly essential to our education.  Although we could have left the bar unscathed, we decided to sit and get our ears chewed a bit.  In the end, we retained the dignity to be able to return to the bar whereas otherwise, we would have had one less establishment to frequent.

The true irony in the story is that a Spaniard commented on the events stating that is in fact not rude to sit at a bar and not order a drink.  It is certainly culturally maladjusted, but locals will simply recognize the "guiri" flavor and dismiss it all together.  Apparently, even a man who has worked here for months and years can still misinterpret the cultural norms, another testament to the complexity of society.

Generalife

I have to apologize for the long break in blog entries, as well as the sudden return with such strange style.  I decided to stray (just this once) from the typical and attempt a more profound writing.  I promise to return with more structured accounts of personal experience and observation.  Although this entry is a bit more philosophical and based on mere musings of a culturally confused college kid, I believe my sentiments can all be summarized quite well by Peter McWilliams who suggests to "be willing to be uncomfortable. Be comfortable being uncomfortable.  It may get tough, but it's a small price to pay for living a dream."

L'Alhambra