Unforeseen Challenges

In the beginning of orientation we were told about culture, how at first we may be in love with the place (Honeymoon stage) but then trickle into a frustration period, understanding period and then a long time down the road (longer than 4 months) we could begin to feel acclimated. So far actually I feel I have been dealing quite well with it. Sure some locals get annoying when they try to rip you off (universal everywhere), but I just take it light hearted, knowing this kind of stuff will never really end.

No, what I found to be really challenging thus far is actually a few of the guys I live with. A huge component to this semester is the politics of the Middle East. This is something that my mind is not really wired for so it. Most nights I come home and there are 3 guys always discussing politics. That is fine in itself, but it so hard sometimes to hear just what they are talking about it. It is hard to hear some of the generalizations two of the guys have on nations, on people groups, on women. I believe it is just narrow-mindedness and ignorance, but that can be so draining even if I am not taking any part of the debate.

Something that hurt me was the other night. My roommate was talking about me because I was flossing with a threading thing (because I have a bottom retainer) and also had folded some of his laundry to use our drying rack. When my roommate said something like, “Isn’t my roommate so interesting?” in a nice tone, the guy replies with, “yeah, it’s because he’s a gay Californian”. Though I think he was just making a generalization on the “liberal” state of California, I still found that to be so offensive. I was caught off guard, I couldn’t say a single thing even when my roommate asked me if I was just going to take that. What can I say to something that was so ugly? Something that I personally find hateful, whether he was trying to label some of my behaviors as that of a gay person or making gay people something derogatory.

This kind of attitude makes it hard for me to want to come home. Luckily there is another flat of guys that are awesome and seem very open and loving compared to this place. Hopefully things will change, opinions will deconstruct and a worldview will change. It’s only been about a week in.