Two Sides to Every Coin

May 9, 2010

On Friday one of the boys at the home asked me to guess "heads or tails?" I guessed wrong. Today I am reflecting upon the fact that nearly every cultural difference that I encounter has two sides - the frustrating side and then the side where I see the positive of a perspective different from my own. Last evening I began by being annoyed with how the 7:00PM meeting time turned into an 8:30PM departure.We were waiting and waiting for the rest of the people to arrive. At first it was at an Outdoor Mall which was a nice setting to wait. But then we moved to a gas station and I found myself very uncomfortable there as I saw other crowds of youth around, looking our way every time that they passed. I imagined a major gang hold up or something which of course did not happen. My problem was that I was tired by 8:00PM and I had hoped to be heading home by 10:00PM. As the time ticked away and we still had not left, I decided that going in a separate car so that I could leave early was not sufficient, I would simply skip out on the evening's activities.

But that is where the cultural perspective from El Salvador which seems to say that a large group sticks together, no matter what, kicked in. The plan had been to go to an area outside of the city where there are lots of little Pupusa restaurants (Pupusas are rice or corn tortillas filled with beans, cheese, and/or various other things and are one of the most popular and cheapest foods around) and a nice view of the city. Travel time and the wait for the food would have been significant enough that it was not worth me going, only to leave by 10:00. One or two other persons wanted to leave at an early hour but not as much as me. When I said that I would not be going along after all, someone proposed the idea that we go to a pupusaria in one of the neighborhoods nearby. They asked if I would go if everyone stayed closer and I said yes. And so the group gave up the plans of going to the pupusaria with a view and settled for a nearby one, all so that I could be a part of the group. Whether we would be as quick to do that in the United States, I am not so sure. I was touched by the group's decision to stay close and enjoyed some good conversations before leaving to get some sleep. Everyone else proceeded to a cafe at the gas station where we had been before. I needed sleep, especially when I awoke at 5:00AM for no reason. That is why I cannot stay out late.

I hope that I can see both sides of the coin in every cultural difference that I encounter because I know that one culture is not better than another. We all have our strengths and our weaknesses and therefore much to learn from each other.