What's similar

People. We know by default that I am the last person on this planet with the naive belief that everybody is like her. Like me. This results in me not being able to understand how can somebody not like a butter-mustard sandwich, Nick Hornby, the smell of freshly roasted coffee, sleeping in, or Dr. Carter. I have now grown to accept that there are people appreciating Stendhal and Scorsese, but still cannot get over the fact that some people don’t like cheese.

Surprisingly, with all these expectations, I still get surprised when it turns out, that people are really similar. Not to me, but to themselves.

I don’t know why I expected that I will find something different here, other behaviours, different reactions, different expectations. I am the first to tell myself and anybody else around, that at the end of the day this is only a job like any other, and I don’t believe that there is anybody in the world who jumps out of bed every single morning, joyfully shouting „yeah! I can go to my awesome work today again!”.

So I was surprised that everything is like I always thoguht, and people aren’t very different.

Really. Some are addmittedly here for money only, and some who are driven crazy by those who are here for the money. Some came here convinced, or for professional challenges, but now they don’t know anymore why they are here – probably for the money, or because they can’t imagine themselves anywhere else. Some take seriously what they do, and they are good at it, and I can look at them with the big admiring eyes  - it is fascinating that it depends on them whether the soldier with the baby blue beret has the proper medical kit and knows when and how to use it. (Eventually somebody competent could have a look at my mirrors as well.) Best is of course to be around people who know what they do, but also know that it’s just a job and don’t take themselves too seriously.

Usual expat-routines can’t be avoided of course. Introduction follows the way too familiar pattern of what’s your name, where are you from, which section you work for, and chances are, nobody will remember your answer to the first two in five minutes.  The term „geographically single” needs no further explanation, but it’s worth mentioning, that it is even more striking when you hear „my wife told me to stay another 3 years, the kids need to finish school.”

No surprise in experiencing that I’m not always accepted as a grown-up.  I’ve arrived only two weeks ago afterall, it’s my first mission, I’m a girl with the big admiring eyes; some people can’t imagine that I’m not doing my nails every morning. I support those perceptions with my heels  (brought two pairs but will soon collect another two) and my button rings. Whoever wants to categorize me based on that, can have it. I was told the first week „you’re not gonna last 6 months here, I can tell from your face” , but also „don’t worry, you’ll be fine”.

People find me with impossible questions, but it’s part of my job, and I’ve known for long that impossible questions have nothing to do with somebody’s geographical location or nationality. I correct my colleagues’ English, and doesn’t respond very well if they try calling me before 8. :)

Oh, and I live with somebody else’s husband yet again!