Expatriate Perspective: A Tale of Two Cultures, My Experience as a Trailing Spouse
One of MSI’s Strategic Services Directors had the opportunity to interview a recently returned expatriate regarding her experiences as a trailing spouse who had lived in two overtly different locations, Guadalajara, Mexico and Geneva, Switzerland. Not surprisingly, Lori related that there was much that was dissimilar between the two cultures; however, there were many instances she cited in which the overall consequences of being a foreigner in a foreign land seemed to cross all cultures.
When asked to describe a few examples of the differences, the first that came to mind about life in Mexico versus life in Switzerland was that the Mexicans are warm, welcoming, smiling people, whereas the Swiss are closed and cold. Lori said, “Mexico is unruly and loud, while in Switzerland there are rules for everything – it's illegal to cut the grass on Sundays or during lunch hour, homes' windows must have curtains, hedges have to be trimmed a certain amount by a certain time of year, lest the neighbors report you to the police.” She went on to relate that the Swiss are known to take a good idea and legislate it. For example, there is a law dictating that chimneys have to be swept annually. In contrast, Mexico's laws, as described by this American expatriate, seem like mere suggestions to follow. Lori later intimated, “… all one needs is a pocket-full of pesos to remedy any transgressions south of our border...”
After living on these expatriate assignments for some time, Lori began to feel that there were many notable similarities of expat life in Mexico and Switzerland. For example, other expatriate wives were the dependable source of information, comfort and friendship, no matter where she lived, no matter where they were from originally. She summarized this bond by saying, “I will always cherish my international assortment of friends from far-flung places.“
Lori said that the old adage, “A picture is worth a thousand words,” held true when trying to describe how to have your hair cut, colored and styled when language is a barrier. She also fondly recounts that meals the world over are slower, and include more conversation, and more time-consuming preparation, than in the U.S. “Eating tamales at the home of the woman who spent two days preparing them, or eating a multi-course French feast in the home of a wine maker, is not an experience that can or should be rushed.”
She missed some conveniences of American life, describing an incident when she was eight months pregnant, trying to pay utility bills in person in Guadalajara. Lori joked, “…who knew that 'the check is in the mail' is a uniquely American phrase?”
Lori’s spirit of adventure carried her through these two disparate expatriate assignments. The challenge of learning new languages and acclimating to new customs helped her empathize with those going through, or about to enter into, these exciting experiences. As many trailing spouses have admitted, the opportunities afforded them because of their husband’s assignment abroad helped them grow and thrive beyond what they may have experienced had they stayed home. While there are myriad differences in world cultures, as Lori can attest, there are still many similarities when one is the stranger in a strange land.
Posted on 08/14/2009 in Global Mobility | Comments (1)
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