Culture Shock

Sarah and I

Rebekah with the infamously large meal from Panda Express.

It's as big as her head!

Playing Just Dance before they crashed due to jet lag.

My sisters have grown in the last 3 months, I swear. Here a little staircase for comparison--me with 3 of my sisters, two cousins, and my uncle to help show Rebekah she's still got a bit of growing to do.

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My family is here for a visit. If you've been reading this blog for a while, you know that's a momentous event. My family isn't the kind you get together with on Sunday afternoon after church. Visits require a lot of time, effort, and financial outlay, and they don't happen very often, so when they do happen, we make it worth it.

So, yeah, the parents and 4 little sisters are in the U.S.A. for a few months. Part of the time, they'll be living with Angel and I, and part of the time they'll be staying with other relatives.

It's been a privilege to spend some of their first few days in America with him. Listening to their reactions to everything new they encounter is hilarious. Angel stopped at a Panda Express for lunch on the way back to our house when we picked them up. They bought one meal and one pop to share for the family:

MaryGrace: "What is this?" {editor's note: It's a crab rangoon.}
Anna: "Is there tofu inside this wonton? What? It's cream cheese? Who would put cream cheese in a wonton? That's so weird!" {editor's note: Crab rangoons are very foreign.}
Dad: "This meal is gigantic! This pop is gigantic! Good thing we only got one! Who could drink and eat all of this by themselves? Well, besides Isaac or Angel?"

At the grocery store: Dad calling Mom, "Come here! Come here! Look, this ham is only $11! And they have ranch dressing! And caramel dip for apples! And sausage! And cans of stew!"
(For context, if you could find a ham of that size in Malaysia, it would probably have cost $50+. My Dad was thoroughly entertained by the foods available at Aldi's. Just wait till we take him to a large supermarket.)

We drive past a Target. Nobody was talking, but Sarah pipes up: "That store is called Target because it probably sells archery equipment."

My sister is assigned to bake cookies. She is somewhat startled by the carton of eggs found in the refrigerator:
MaryGrace: "Rachel, is it okay if I use these eggs in the cookies? They're all white."
*Sarah runs from the living room to the kitchen at high speed.*
Sarah: "Where? I want to see the white eggs! Wow!"

At a red light, turning onto the road where my dad lived for nearly 10 years.
Dad: "So, Rachel, am I allowed to turn right here?"
I'm just not used to my dad asking questions about traffic rules.

ALL THE TIME:
Mom: "I'm so cold!"
(We turned the heat up to 70 degrees for them, gave them blankets and space heaters and they're still freezing. What to do with these tropical island dwellers?)
 
They crack me up.

If you have people coming to visit you in your hometown, what do you try to do with them?