Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Am I pampered?

Am I the "pampered" American? Noone has used that word or come at in a disrespectful manner or anything but there have been a couple of occasions where people say something like "Man, you couldn't like where I'm from." Whether it's people I've met from Africa, smaller Asian towns, the Middle East, or anywhere else, we will be talking and they will discuss some condition that I would be disgruntled with that is completely normal to them. It started month ago when one gentleman was so shocked that America has standard central air conditioning in houses that he seemed to think we were wasteful. When people ask me about things I haven't adjusted to here in Malaysia and one of my answers is cold showers, as my bathroom at the apartment doesn't have the water heating unit required to get hot water in this country. This is usually followed by a look of shock as if hot water should be treated as a delicacy. When I walk into a bathroom, I don't like to see the floor serving as a big puddle, which is very common here. Part of it is drainage, part of it is that many use the hose in the stall instead of toilet paper (which gets everything wet). Call me stuck up, but it just doesn't strike me as the most sanitary. Not feeling it. Furthermore, I'm having trouble considering it normal if I come home to ants all over my living room or roaches all over my kitchen, even when it's clean. Once again, just doesn't give me that 'sanitary' feeling. If my electricity or phone bill has been paid, I expect it to stay on. I'm not a fan of random rolling black outs or dead phone times. Is that so much to ask? I expect quality dairy products, very hard to find here. I expect quality fruit juice for cheap. I know products which have to shipped from America will be more expensive, but it gets ridiculous. Why is a carton of Florida's Own juice (a middle of the road juice company) which costs $1 in Atlanta cost RM 25 (or $8.35 or so) here. Be reminded, I get paid in Malay ringgits, so RM 25 hits the pocket like $25 in the US. I'm coming to find that the American lifestyle of technology and convenience is seen as "the dream" for a reason. It's not promised. I appreciate it more now. I miss WalMart, Best Buy, Waffle House, IHOP, American sports bars, Marshall's, TJ Maxx, and many more American establishments more than I could have imagined I would. LOL. Selamat malam, let me walk to the gym and get a decently warm shower.

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