An Epiphany

When I first moved in with my host family, I encountered a major problem. However, with time, I realize now that I was the problem. I seem to have come across a cultural learning experience.

The first morning with my host family, I was served an amazing breakfast of eggs, rice, beans, fresh fruit, and warm bread. As I am a self-proclaimed food addict, I had a strong feeling that I was going to greatly enjoy this place. Until the food was set in front of me.

My cup of coffee was dripping wet. My fork and plate were both wet. I noticed that Hilda had simply rinsed the dishes off from the night before and was now serving me food on the unsanitized dishes. Wondering where Ashton Kutcher and the cameras were, as I was sure I was being Punk'd, I sat there with the conflicting desire to eat the food, and utter disgust at the dripping wet and seemingly unclean utensils I was given. As I frequently do when I am uncomfortable and unsure what to do, I looked around to see what everyone else was doing so I could mimic their behavior. To my surprise, my housemate (who is a veteran at studying abroad) nonchalantly dug into the feast, seemingly unaware of the health hazards of the unsanitized dishes. After weighing various possibilities in my mind ("Should I ask if I can empty my plate of food, wash my dishes again, and then re-fill the plate with food?" "Should I ask if I can move back on campus?" "Should I eat the dog food instead?" "Should I give up and go home?"), I took a deep breath and dug in.

The food was great, of course. But throughout the meal there was the unsettling thought in the back of my mind that I was using silverware that had not been through the dishwasher, and had hardly been given a soapy scrubdown.

(Above: The "clean" dishes)

Weeks have now passed, and I couldn't help but notice that I am not dead. I am not sick. I have not accumulated any type of diseases or health problems. In fact, I am thriving!

Which makes me wonder... Have I been living a life fearful of germs in vain? The unfortunate answer is yes.

Living in Costa Rica is making me realize that many of the cultural differences I am experiencing are not abnormalities of Costa Ricans, rather, they are oddities of myself and my own culture. I am looking forward to finding out what else is weird about myself through this adventure.