Cultural blunders of a Hald-returnee

By now it's safe to say that I have landed pretty well after returning from Kenya. Sometimes I think I have even landed a bit too well, and so I try always to be on my toes about keeping my internationalism. But in any case, I am now at the point where I can look back at my reversed culture shock and laugh, and I would like you to laugh with me:

Cultural blunder #1: Stopping in the security control in Amsterdam to have a chat with the security guard about the very interesting new high-tech security system, only to have a folder shoved into my hands and politely be asked to keep moving because I am blocking traffic.

Cultural blunder #2: Saying very loudly that "those wazungu over there smell like cheese!!", only to discover that they were Swedish and understood very well what I was saying.

Cultural blunder #3: Standing up when my friend's mother came into the room, shaking her hand and giving her a hug, even though I don't really know her very well.

Cultural blunder #4: Saying very confidently together with my Norwegian friends: "I am so happy that I'm a Christian, it makes life so much easier!!".

Cultural blunder #5: Wandering around Bergen for 3 hours trying to get hold of a bus card, frustrated to tears because it's expensive, people move to fast and noone is willing to take the time to help me out.

Cultural blunder #6: Smiling intensely at people in the street, only to have them walk in a big circle around me. 

Cultural blunder #7: Shouting at a beggar in the streets of Bergen that he should put on a coat because it's raining and he'll get sick.  

And some from my beautiful team mates:

Cultural blunder #8: Audhild and Ragnhild walking around Amsterdam holding hands and not understanding why people looked at them funny untill they remembered that in Europe there is this thing called open display of homosexuality.

Cultural blunder #9: Miriam standing in line at Starbucks, her eyebrows almost touching the roof. Now how is it possible that the clerk didn't know that raised eyebrows means "yes" in Kenya?

And now, reflection time:

Because who am I to call these blunders? Who says these are things that should be laughed at, forgotten and shrugged off? Of course, from time to time I have been frustrated, and I have frustrated others. But at the same time I think some of my "blunders" are very much needed in this cold corner of the world. And so this goes out to my fellow former Hald students:

If people are still laughing at you, looking at you weirdly or getting frustrated with you, don't be discouraged! Only dead fish follow the current, remember?

(This is the first thing that appears when you google "crazy")

I hope people will never stop looking at me as weird, stupid or crazy; because crazy people change the world! 

Song recommendation of the day: Lifehouse - Fool