Who Says Choices are Overrated?
Last week Emily of Don’t Call Me Gringa wrote about the overwhelming choices expat women face. No, not choices about where to live, which cave to explore or which new food item to devour, but rather the overwhelming selections that welcome us back home.
photo credit: TheTruthAbout…
Maybe it is a gradual thing, like expat’s Stockholm, but I think we get used to the choices, or in many cases, lack of choices in our adopted countries, so much so that we don’t even realize what we are missing.
I was interested to see how Emily compared the choices available in California and Santiago and was a bit surprised to see that apparently, even Calabria has more choices than Chile. That being said … we don’t have many.
The last three times I visited the US, I wandered through Walmart in wonder at the sheer number of choices of breakfast cereal, cappuccino flavors and tampons.
I marveled at the medicine options, the diversity of coffee machines, the variety of storage bins.
And I must admit … I longed for them.
A couple of months ago, my husband and I purchased a new mattress. Without any prior research, we went to the store, selected a new mattress, paid and arranged delivery-all in less than 30 minutes. While that may seem enticing to some people, I felt cheated. I missed the shopping and selection experience. I missed having the debate over the choices. I missed sitting on different mattresses and picturing them in our home.
We had three choices-cheap, average, high quality.
Seriously.
I’ve mentioned how I miss Ziploc bags, affordable peanut butter and properly-sized clothing and have been crucified by would-be expats for wanting Velveeta cheese for my quesadillas, but the truth of the matter is, everything in life is a trade off.
As expat women and men, we choose to live in another country. We choose to experience new cultures, new traditions, and new, and unequivocally foreign, ways of life. It is our choice.
And I am happy here.
But will someone in America-please!-try that new Kellogg’s Raisin Bran Extra cereal and let me know what they think. I am coveting it from afar.
What other sacrifices do you think expats make in order to fulfill their dream of living abroad?
* This post is written on behalf of AffordableCallingCards.net. Click here to read similiar posts written by other expats in the ACC expat community.
*** I’d like to send out a very special birthday wish to my favorite Texano, who is turning NINE years old on October 17. Auguri Cole! ***
I miss marmite, twiglets, mango chutney and (this may only make sense if you’ve lived in both the UK AND France)Thai green curry…
Those are some interesting things there. I can’t imagine EVER finding them in Italy.
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Surprisingly in Oman, I can get virtually everything I want from UK at a cost, even English bacon.
In Spain, I missed Branston pickle, Walkers Salt & Vinegar crisps, and Tetley tea-bags.
In both countries I have missed Sherbet Lemons and Lemon Bon Bons, both types of sweets (candy for you Americans).
I miss the variety of food, too. And today, I am really missing jelly bellies! ha ha
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I loved this!
To be honest I don’t miss American food things that much since I was raised with Italian food.
What I DO tend to miss is the diversity in cuisine – being able to hop over to the Thai restaurant or maybe have Vietnamese or perhaps French food. All in the same block.
Ok and Adam’s 100% Natural Peanut Butter.
But when I lived in Argentina I missed so many Italian things like good olive oil, a good selection of cheese, food with flavor. I also missed Altoids quite a lot and sent for them regularly.
In Italy I’m missing yerba mate, which is an Argentine drink. I know there is yerba at a store here in Perugia (!!!!! YAY!!!!!), now I just need the gourd and the straw.
Oooh, is that the little drink that they serve in the wooden cup thing? We have a friend who was born in Argentina who brought us one back!
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Cherrye,
Bill stands in awe in at the choices in the pasta isles of the italian supermercati…..hehehehe
Ha. I see new types of pasta every time we go to the store. Peppe doesn’t even know half of them.
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That’s true. I forgot to look at it the other way around.
Choice of wine and cheese in France – wow! (So long as, you know, you wanted a French product…)
You could say the same thing about Italy – “as long as you want an Italian product!” Yes, the choices in THAT respect are abundant!
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When I was a kid we used to take trips to the US (from Canada) to visit family and I was always amazed by the size of grocery, drug stores, and the amount of stuff they had. Over the years, (due to globalization & new trade agreements) more and more American brands, chain stores, and marketing styles have crossed the border (causing the demise of some local stores/brands, but some Canadian companies have expanded to the US).
Personally I prefer less choice. More choice means more time, and more money spent. UNLESS, you’re in Buenos Aires and you’re trying to shop for underwear. Where do people buy their intimates there?
So funny-many expats in Italy complain about the same thing. I’m actually *very* lucky about the lingerie here. Blue jeans? That is another story!
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Interesting post! I have to agree with the side of “too many choices” here in the U.S. I don’t like having to make mundane decisions and less choices mean less time spent making the decision.
Of course I can understand how frustrating that can be when you can’t find something that you need. But all else aside, who needs 100 bags of chips to pick from.
I think we are looking at two extremes here – maybe somewhere in the middle is the best bet?
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