tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post546273117046179672..comments2023-10-06T01:42:29.046-06:00Comments on Coffeegirl's Community: Chickens, Cookies and CultureUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-82271629572574045872009-04-25T23:05:00.000-06:002009-04-25T23:05:00.000-06:00Our co-worker told us about the first Christmas, s...Our co-worker told us about the first Christmas, she decided to do a cookie exchange for a women's activity. She was mortified when the ladies all showed up with boughten packages of cookies. Many did not have an oven at the time let alone know how to make home made ones. <br />I still remember the first time I made no-bakes (my husband's favorite) for a snack for the youth and NO ONE ate any except him. Now, so as not to offend me, the girls all took one, wrapped it in a napkin and told me they were taking them home to share with their mom's. Too funny! Live and learn...apparently, they do not see items containing oatmeal as a treat!<br />Beth...we get the same thing here on the Baja about eating or drinking cold things in the "winter" too. <br />I also have some crazy stories about differences in caring for babies.Phil and Pattiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10227369197900635014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-80438938105654884972009-04-12T22:23:00.000-06:002009-04-12T22:23:00.000-06:00E.T. - love the idea of offering a choice. It sou...E.T. - love the idea of offering a choice. It sounds like a great solution. Maybe you could blog about it and give a few examples of how you do this in real life.Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18228465663336628118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-52423738569272674242009-04-09T02:26:00.000-06:002009-04-09T02:26:00.000-06:00I love it!!Your post reminds me of two things I've...I love it!!<BR/><BR/>Your post reminds me of two things I've learned while serving Him here in Asia.<BR/><BR/>1. Don't ask for a yes or a no, offer a choice. (Hey, sounds like a good topic for a post on my blog...!) I read this in a book, and then tried it out in real life. I found it works!<BR/><BR/>My Asian friends don't want to say no to me. So if I ask them a question, and the only answer I've allowed by how I phrased the question was 'yes' or 'no', they'll feel so much pressure to say yes, because they really don't like saying no. And if they don't want to say yes, they'll move away from me in the relationship.<BR/><BR/>2. Let others keep their culture. I love it that you know this and practice it, even though I agree brownies sound so much more lip-smackingly good! (Obviously in this situation, neither brownies nor chicken are anti-Kingdom!)<BR/><BR/>3. (Ok, yeah, I thought of another one as I typed). As you teach, reduce your reach. Lessen your control as they grow in ministry.<BR/><BR/>Your post illustrated this ministry concept excellently.<BR/><BR/>Have a blessed day in Him!!Annettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09654926532191234884noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-83790789378072264662009-04-08T20:22:00.000-06:002009-04-08T20:22:00.000-06:00Sometimes you just smile and bit your tongue.My pr...Sometimes you just smile and bit your tongue.<BR/><BR/>My problem is that is is culturally normal for everyone to drop by and visit if they hear someone is sick. While that is fine for a broken leg, it is the worst thing they can do during flu season. They all catch it and spread it.<BR/><BR/>And - when I'm sick, I want to rest! I know that is unusual, but I do. I actually want to go to bed and sleep, and not sit up and serve tea to ten people who come to sit with me. That is what is harder for me. I can bite my tongue about the strange ideas about sickness they have, but when my husband says, "why are you upset, everyone loves you, that is why they are visiting.", all I want to say is, "If they really loved me, they'd know I was sick and wanted to sleep!!"<BR/><BR/>I've just learned not to say that I am sick. I am very quiet about it. I am sick on the sly.Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18228465663336628118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-53955491646032156212009-04-08T16:09:00.000-06:002009-04-08T16:09:00.000-06:00Regarding what Beth said about not eating ice crea...Regarding what Beth said about not eating ice cream on a cold day, I've found similar ideas in at least a dozen countries - you probably have, too. Don't sit on the steps, don't eat things that are cold, don't turn on the AC. Sometimes the explanations seem quite reasonable and recognizable (button your coat or you'll catch your death of cold), other times they seem misguided, superstitious (keep the windows closed because the wind carries in the jinn). I think when I have struggled the most is when =I= am sick and local friends try to tell me why or cure me with explanations and methods that fly in the face of what my mother always taught me. <BR/><BR/>Maybe you moms have run into this one - strangers coming up to you on the street to give your baby big, sloppy kisses. Tough stuff, culture shock!Martihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04492242951732140223noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-24670528490495046152009-04-07T15:57:00.000-06:002009-04-07T15:57:00.000-06:00Ok. I won't eat ice cream if it is cold, not unle...Ok. I won't eat ice cream if it is cold, not unless I have a source of heat! Not because I will get sick - ha! Simply because I am ALWAYS cold! I try telling God that He perfectly designed me for warm climates, but He stuck me up HERE!!! Where it snowed today!!! In APRIL!!!Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18228465663336628118noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-48590668868991348332009-04-07T10:38:00.000-06:002009-04-07T10:38:00.000-06:00We had a Christmas banquet for the youth this year...We had a Christmas banquet for the youth this year. I was asked to bring the dessert. I brought sherbet and cookies -- nice light end to the meal, right? NOBODY (except the MK's) ate the sherbet. You see, you don't eat ice cream when it's cold out (even if you have 30 people crammed into a small house and are sweating profusely) because it will make you sick! (not MAY make you sick, WILL make you sick -- Why we gringos aren't always sick is a mystery). =)Alan & Beth McManushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18302406278511895369noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-39560185292252859572009-04-07T10:16:00.000-06:002009-04-07T10:16:00.000-06:00So glad someone else gets baffled by this cultural...So glad someone else gets baffled by this cultural stuff! <BR/><BR/>Recently, I've been providing snacks for teacher in-services and was told to stick to just the typical stuff that they like to eat - which is much more work. So, I've done that, but last time also brought 4 loaves of zucchini bread - which 12 people rapidly consumed and then asked for the recipe. <BR/><BR/>I think I'm going to try something else new for the next in-service!<BR/><BR/>Enjoy your blog!Richelle Wrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04083189929795613771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-51865907675108162542009-04-07T10:13:00.000-06:002009-04-07T10:13:00.000-06:00Sounds like their concept of "work" is probably di...Sounds like their concept of "work" is probably different than ours...they probably look forward to spending the time together preparing the chicken, not really even considering the early hour or the "work" involved. :) My MIL (who is Venezuelan) is very much like that...<BR/><BR/>I've learned that in the Latin culture (and others), the process of doing something can be just as important as the result. For example, the fixing of the meal is just as much a social time as the meal itself. That's why when you arrive for a meal invite, it's not a big deal if the food isn't prepared-everyone just visits or pitches in to help, whereas in the American culture, the food should be fixed by the time the guests arrive so that full attention can be focused on the guests, not food preparation. In many areas, it is still hard for me to "think outside the box" of my culture...Rebecca Conduff Aguirrehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00328658355319045462noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-16091218620987101462009-04-07T09:54:00.001-06:002009-04-07T09:54:00.001-06:00I can so relate! In Mozambique, they cut whole ch...I can so relate! In Mozambique, they cut whole chickens in half to grill them. We were having a church anniversary celebration and needing to feed 500 people. I suggested we cut each chicken into 10 pieces and each person would get 2 pieces because we couldn't afford for 500 people to have a half a chicken each. They looked at me as if I was from another planet. We did it my way, but they made sure to make many comments about it as we sat cutting the 50 chickens into ten pieces each!Rodger and Lynne Schmidt Mozambiquehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05586469981359538717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-492639645209123392009-04-07T09:54:00.000-06:002009-04-07T09:54:00.000-06:00I love that story! So cute and I'm sure so many o...I love that story! So cute and I'm sure so many of us have lived through something similar! :) I think you take a nice balance between presenting your ideas and fitting into the local culture and it certainly must endear you to the people there.Shilohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00685484529067710610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-411824753254576862009-04-07T08:53:00.000-06:002009-04-07T08:53:00.000-06:00Yeah, they don't get the dessert bake sale idea so...Yeah, they don't get the dessert bake sale idea sometimes. :) The church we attend here likes to do "potlucks". Something they picked up from their American friends. They will do them maybe once a month and they tell everyone to bring food and we share,etc. The first time they didn't know what to do! They are used to having someone serve their plate up for them and handing it to them. Serving yourself "buffet style" was strange for them. Plus the ladies putting it on didn't know how to make it work. And there was barely enough food! Potluck and just enough food to barely feed people doesn't quite match in my idea of "potluck". I think over time they eventually started to get the hang of their own style of Potluck but I still laugh inside every time we join them. :) <BR/><BR/>Reminds me of today. My son ran to the store to buy some bread for our breakfast and he told me when he got home "they only had bread from yesterday". That is what they lady told him and of course he bought the bread, something a Peruvian would rarely do. It's even hard for them to buy bread that was "from the morning" (horrors! :) ). <BR/>Culture....ya gotta laugh.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06032620902769189552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3540836636573399097.post-75776431518130668952009-04-07T05:45:00.000-06:002009-04-07T05:45:00.000-06:00Don't feel bad. I've found out that many cultures...Don't feel bad. I've found out that many cultures are not so in to deserts as we are. I'd be quite happy to skip lunch altogether and just eat cookies! - A fact my husband and his relatives thoroughly do not understand.<BR/><BR/>ha! - and my security word to type in is "unique".... ok...Elliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18228465663336628118noreply@blogger.com