If you’ve never had beans in your scrambled eggs, you
probably just read that title and said, “Yuck!” It’s not nearly as bad as you
think, in fact, many of the foods that I’ve eaten while living in Colombia are
a little off-beat to what I was used to growing up in the Colorado Rockies, but
most of them have been treasured experiences. Besides differences in cuisine, I’ve
also had plenty of cultural experiences that have expanded my mind and added
new colors to the pallet with which I paint.
Living Abroad Has Enhanced My Craft as a Storyteller
The mere thought of living abroad and in a culture that is
vastly different from your own probably terrifies you. Initially, it was pretty
scary for me too. I had the advantage of being in love with a local (Paisa) from
Medellin, Colombia, who happens to speak enough English so that my bad Spanish
doesn’t leave me entirely helpless. But I had to do a lot of learning and
growing as a person in order to survive; growth and learning that enhanced my
craft as a storyteller.
I’ve Developed Broader Thinking
I never saw scrambled eggs with beans in them in any
restaurant I’ve ever visited in Medellin and I defy you to find one that serves
them. Had I seen that on the menu, I wouldn’t have ordered it anyway. I would
now. Traveling abroad and observing different cultures have a great benefit
when it comes to broadening our perspective. My first few visits to Colombia
had that effect on me, but it wasn’t until I took up residence that I truly
developed broader thinking.
Broader thinking involves asking and answering “why?” to a
lot of very confusing customs that you simply won’t encounter when you’re only
a visitor. Why do the natives put beans in their scrambled eggs? Why do they
shoot off fireworks for 30 minutes to an hour at midnight on December 1st?
(For more about some of my questions and experiences during my first year in
Medellin, check out Chulos,
Chuzos and Hotdog Condoms.) In answering those questions, I’ve learned to
start thinking outside the box.
I’ve Become More Focused on Communicating
I knew decent Spanish when I first started visiting
Colombia. It had served me well as a visiting traveler and I hadn’t had a lot
of difficulty communicating my wants and needs. The people of Medellin, however,
don’t speak Spanish. Yeah, I know, yes, they do, but they speak a dialect that
is based off of Gaelic Spanish rather than the typical Castilian Spanish. To
make matters worse, they have their own local idiomatic tendencies that defy
any form of logic. It’s hard enough for a visitor, but I’m in a relationship.
I’ve always prided myself on being a good communicator. I
use plenty of colorful metaphors, similes and allegories to help people
understand what I’m trying to say to them. Most of the clichés that we use in
English simply have no equal translation in Paisa (Medellin’s form of Spanish).
Most of my usual clichés have been forced away from me and I’ve been forced to
stop relying on them. I have, however, learned some new, Paisa clichés that in
literal translation are very useful in English.
I’ve Enhanced My Harmonizing Skill
Just as harmony in music enhances the colorfulness of the
tune, learning to harmonize with the people around you tends to enhance the
color of your own life. Harmonizing with those around you involves trying to
draw together commonalities. When you’re living within a foreign culture,
finding those commonalities isn’t easy, but they are there and finding them
adds richness to life that goes well beyond your typical experience.
What I learned is that I have some cultural similarities
with the people of the Antioquian (Medellin and surrounding communities) region
that I don’t have in common with people from different regions of the United
States. There are some typical, “American” experiences that aren’t shared by my
Colombian neighbors, but in finding common ground between us and harmonizing
with them, I’ve learned how to seek similar ground with others that I work with
or with my audience.
I’ve Learned to Appreciate Things That I Once Took for Granted
Here are some of the things that I took for granted while
living in the U.S. that I miss dearly in Medellin:
·
Going out for bar-b-cue, Mexican food, or
ordering in a real pizza or real Chinese food.
·
Traffic moving in an orderly fashion with
everyone staying in their lane and waiting their turn to cross the
intersection.
·
Walking across a street in crosswalk without
having to worry about getting run over by a motorcycle, car or bus.
·
People that speak English
·
Movies in English
·
Chili without beans
·
Numerous different types of grated cheeses;
especially jack and cheddar cheeses
Yes, I realize there are a lot of references to food in my
list. This certainly isn’t an exhaustive list of items that I miss. They are
enough to illustrate things that are so common in the United States that we
hardly ever think about.
How does learning an appreciation for things that have been
taken for granted enhance storytelling? Most writers take a lot of these and
other small, seemingly thoughtless items and experiences for granted. I search
for those things and insert them into my stories to add the colors, flavors,
smells, sounds and textures that create a more profound experience.
Conclusion
Living abroad has enhanced my storytelling craft by teaching
me to develop broader thinking, be more focused in my communication, enhanced
my skill in finding things that I have in common with my audience and has
helped me learn not to take so many things for granted. Those enhancements make
me much better at not only telling my own stories, but being able to tell yours
as well.
Why do Paisas put beans in their scrambled eggs? It goes
back to a time before they had adequate refrigeration. The leftovers they had
from meals the day before, if they had any, were mixed into their breakfast
the following morning. They have refrigeration now, but they discovered that
they like beans in their scrambled eggs; you might like them also, but you won’t
know until you try them. Let me tell your story.