My culture shock is acute and may never leave me. In Peru, for instance, we were concerned with our own beauty, whereas here I am concerned with the beauty of my house. There are obvious explanations for this shift but I think the best explanation is less obvious: here it actually is within the reach of the middle class person to change the look of their surroundings, whereas there it is only within reach to change the image in the mirror. This theory is rather thin – I may not be as good a theorist as I once was – but it does chronicle my evolving and I now suspect permanent state of culture shock, and my heightened awareness of this.
I have in the past gone into strange states as a result of changing places, but I have never identified these as culture shock so easily as I have my present feeling of ostranenie. A friend once told me my ability to see the strangeness in everyday life was very strong. Also, an anthropologist I met once while traveling told me he could hardly believe I had not trained as an anthropologist, I was so attuned to seeing and then interpreting cultural nuance in context. I am in overdrive on these things now because both Peru and Louisiana are so foreign; I am too far from any reference point I might perceive as “neutral,” i.e. familiar.
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Meanwhile for the hurricane, there are some recently arrived foreigners, New Orleanians, and also some New Orleans Yankees in Professor Zero’s court. A New Orleans Yankee is a professor or other professional from the Northeast now working in New Orleans. These people have numerous recognizable characteristics which I will enumerate at another time. Now I will only mention the hurricane preparedness activities of all these people, as they are very entertaining.
Recently arrived foreigners. Several are men who have done military service in their countries of origin. We were concerned about them because they are new, but in fact they were ready first. The moved books and DVDs to the second floor, encased documents in plastic and placed them in well organized mini-binders, and packed backpacks with identification, cash, flashlights, batteries, camping equipment, ropes, and enough clothes, water, food and kerosene for four days. These backpacks are standing by the doors of their apartments. They have extra mattresses blocking their southern windows from the inside.
New Orleanians. They prepare in a realistic way, using good judgment. But if they were in Katrina they are very nervous and keep second guessing themselves. “I probably should have evacuated. I hope I was not wrong to stay. It is expensive to evacuate and I can only afford to do it a couple of times a year. I hope I was not wrong to stay. I probably should have evacuated. I have been too nonchalant about hurricanes in the past. I hope the predictions are accurate. I hope the city is not annihilated. I hope I was not wrong to stay.”
New Orleans Yankees. They have heard about, if not experienced directly the unavailability of supplies in New Orleans the weeks after Katrina. They are therefore concerned that other Louisiana towns will run out of food this week. Some are concerned that Louisiana towns other than New Orleans may not be large enough to have full service supermarkets.
Axé.
coldhearted scientist وداد 
I’m glad it was not as bad as it could have been! Fascinating about the preparations! I remember that all those years of living in the Bay Area, we’d talk about “the big one” but I never prepared for the earthquake adequately (radio with batteries, flashlight, water,etc) and here in MN I have not prepared adequately for the tornadoes, although I do prepare for a possible car breakdown in sub-zero weather by having supplies in my trunk.
I should do something like put all my important docs/policy numbers, etc in binder that could be grabbed in an emergency.
We’re on perpetual alert in Hawaii and are always careful.
I’m digesting what you say about beautifying onself in the absence of much in the way of a home or possessions. But I think it’s Latin, or at least Latino/a. The domestic is more of a northern European thing. Even not well off people in the north try to make their domestic surroundings as nice as they can afford to, whereas Spaniards, at least as I see it, are indifferent to domesticity.
H – Latina, this may be. Also French. J – yes, it’s great that N.O. still exists. I have decided to be ultra ultra prepared all the time, the hysteria of shopping at the end and the results of even moderate underpreparedness are low in creature comfort. I *hate* not having electricity (at home I don’t have it now).
We didn’t have the Internet or phone for a couple of weeks, as somebody tore through a wire when they were digging. It really slows you down. Not having electricity would be even worse, unless you were used to it somehow.
Hey, glad you are doing okay.
It would be interesting if all people were interested in their own beauty, rather than in what they have. There are a lot of hidden advantages to a more poverty-stricken life. The greatest one is that it draws the focus back on oneself, making one determined to be the best one can be — mentally, physically, and so on.
At my age, my tolerance for discomfort is very low. I also need to eat certain ways and get enough rest and sleep. My effect on others, my need to beautify self or surroundings, even the desire to please, are not what they used to be.
Gettin’ on, I guess.
I’ve lived in the Caribbean for ten years and always have culture shock when I visit the States, which is rarely. The abundance, the relatively vast scale of things, the massive insect-like crowds bent on consumption always strike me as unreal. Like you, I’ve noticed that things (like cosmetics) that are expensive here are relatively cheap there. I did find one exception to this rule:, a particular brand of sunscreen that is made in the States but costs less here than it does in Miami. Go figure. As in NO, we also have to be vigilant about hurricane preparedness. So far I’ve been through 2 major storms and lots of minor ones, and must say I’d willingly go without electricity if I could have running water instead. When you have no electricity, you go to bed when it gets dark and eat very simply. When you have no water, it is easy to become demoralized.
In any case, thanks for the great posts about your trip to Peru; glad Gustav did not bother you too much.
Yes, no water is the worst! I’m not too bad without electricity if I have enough other supplies. Now I even have an oil lamp, as well as a battery powered camping lamp … this is in addition to the flashlights and candles … and I have ordered a battery powered fan. With windows open and a fan (and insect repellent) and light, I’m fine without air conditioning and refrigerator (not all food requires refrigeration, there is some fresh food you can keep out)!