I officially feel like a foreigner in my own country. I guess it was in the making. After all, I have now lived abroad over 10 years now. It is funny how I am very connected to US culture from afar but when I jump back in a couple times per year, the daily rituals almost feel as foreign as Chile did to me when I first arrived. I never thought it would become “reversed” a decade later. That being said, it is totally refreshing to rediscover the US through new eyes. Even if I am a foreigner now in my home land, it certainly brings a new vision and appreciation of this place where I grew up.
Fall: This is my first fall in the US since 2001. It is so beautiful. The colors of the trees changing and seeing all the houses decorated for Halloween. I am having constant nostalgic flashbacks to childhood trick-or-treating and that earthy smell of recently fallen leaves. Bonfires, s’mores, apple cider. That has been such a treat since in Chile, we are engulfed in a poof of spring pollen as we head towards summer.
Variety everywhere: So many brands, products, options for things I didn’t even know I need. For example, last night making dinner, I asked my brother if we were going to steam green beans. Instead of pulling out what I thought would be a steamer, he had some new ziploc steamer bag that miraculously zapped rinsed veggies into steamed ones in 3 minutes. Silly old antiquated me suggesting to do it the “old fashioned way” (and sans plastic-microwave, which freaks me out—doesn’t it make food less nutritious?). The scope of variety can make small tasks like grocery shopping seem overwhelming (40 kinds of soy, goat, and greek yogurt, say what?). However, this is precisely why much of the world (me included) loves to shop in the US.
Processed Food: I am seeing a real lack of veggies here, generally speaking. There is so much processed, ready-to-eat food (if you can even call it “food”) everywhere. Even a lot of the “healthy” “organic” stuff at Whole Foods is still processed, ironically. I guess beyond organic, I am more into the true sense of whole foods (not the store) right now. In Chile, we eat primarily from the vegetable and fish market. Not a trace of anything with corn syrup in our house, nor any ingredients that are “instant”. The precut veggies cracked me up. Do people really not have time to chop up a zucchini? Are they that overworked, stressed out or just lazy? The crazy part is to maintain my mostly fruit/vegetable-based diet is at least 3-4x more expensive than if I would just eat the junk food. How is that possible? It’s exactly the opposite of Chile where I fill my frig with fresh food for next to nothing. That is really alarming. The quality of food determines everything: energy levels, health, mood, essentially your quality of life!
Big, Bigger, Biggest: Holy portion control. I know the doggy bag is completely acceptable but I forget how big the portions that invented the doggy bag to start (at least 2-3 servings). In that vein, the highways, cars, and streets feel so gigantic. Smart cars would look like mosquitos on these highways.
Ethnic Food: When I get off the plane, the only thing I can think about is ethnic food. Literally, jump from country to country every day: Mexican, Vietnamese, Thai, Indian, Chinese, repeat. I also appreciate good breakfast food (brunch!) on the weekend where humble waffles, french toast and pancakes are elevated to God-like status and bathed in Maple Syrup. So far, Mexican checked off for the Chicago leg with taquitos al pastor at this taco shack. Had sublime Argentine empanadas last night at my event at the University of Chicago Booth Business School
Real Coffee: Everywhere. Nescafé in sight? Negative, negative…
Information at your Fingertips: I am having iPhone envy being back in the US. My blackberry seems so, er, functional. The way you can find anything and navigate on the iPhone is awesome. When I asked my brother for a map of the city, he fell on the floor laughing. O-k-a-y. Similarly, the amount of books and bookstores (and no paperbacks for US$25 like in Chile!) is amazing. Anything you could ever want to learn or know is right there, now! And if you can’t find it, it is a 2 days away via Amazon. God bless the US.
More dispatches from Chicago…
