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I’m battling my arch nemesis, strep throat. Whenever I’m run down, my throat is my first line of defense. It probably stands to reason as I love to talk!
In fact, the whole family has been struck by this nasty bug. Let me tell you it’s no fun to beg a five- and three-year-old to drink shockingly bright pink medication. And I have another five days to go. Somebody give me strength…
Being sick makes you crave strange things (or maybe not so strange) like double, nay triple, chocolate cake and fried green tomatoes.
Chocolate is the cure-all of many ills. Fried green tomatoes are tasty; they’re sort of tangy, salty and sweet and appeal to my struggling taste buds.
Ask my friends in the Capital District, NY and they’ll tell you I’ve been obsessed with green tomatoes ever since I found a pack of four at Price Chopper with instructions on how to prepare them the proper southern way.
They were on the shelves for a few weeks and then disappeared and I’ve been on the hunt for them ever since.
Search no more as green tomatoes are plentiful in my neighborhood supermarkets. I’ve already cooked three batches.
Being sick can bring you to your knees, especially dealing with tiny ants and big creepy-crawly bugs.
Imagine a cross between screaming woman in B-horror movie and maiden warrior armed with ant spray in one hand and flying bug spray in the other in the best tradition of a John Woo movie, and you get the picture of how I’m coping with pest control.
Being sick makes you introspective. So how’s it going for us after almost two months of living in Nashville, Tenn.?
I can attest there’s such a thing as “Relocation Stress Syndrome.” It’s something akin to having the rug pulled from under you – very “topsy-turvy,” as we say in England, meaning confused and disordered.
Yes, I’ve felt no small measure of anxiety, stress and confusion, and most of all I miss family in England and the friends and connections I’ve made throughout the Capital District.
After eight years in Guilderland, I knew where things were; my life had a rhythm and grove.
People who write about change are right. Change is something many find hard to deal with. I’ve moved before, but it gets harder with young children and as I get older.
Two months seem like a lifetime when you miss friends. The kids have been resilient adjusting to a new environment, but even they ask to see their old buddies and can’t comprehend that we can’t hop in a car to see them for a play date or buy a plane ticket just like that.
It’s hard not having an immediate support group, especially the women (my “Coffee Mates”) I’ve been meeting every two weeks for the last five years.
But, you can be resourceful when pushed. I’m still “seeing” my coffee mates and joining in the conversation courtesy of Wi Fi, Skype, two computers, webcams and microphones – although, on my end, my spare room/office/warehouse of unpacked boxes doesn’t do it for any kind of coffeehouse atmosphere.
How hard is it to make new friends? I’ve sat in the park or Chick fil-A with the children and smiled at people. I’ve gone up to people to ask a question and hoped the conversation would continue.
You’re the new kid in town; the new student at the playground trying to break into established groups unaware of your existence.
I’m thankful a handful of women returned my smile and reached out a hand of welcome to me. I’m thankful for their emails and phone numbers, and offers to provide more information. They are, perhaps, the first tentative connections in my new network.
I thought culture shock would only apply when moving between countries, but it also applies to when you move between states.
I’ve gotten used to the overcoat of being British Chinese and adopted north-easterner. How do I now absorb what it means to be a Nasvillian and add a new layer to my identity?
In case you were wondering, not everyone goes around wearing cowboy hats and listens to country music, despite Nashville’s image as Music City.
I’ve been told there are plenty of recording artists and celebrities out and about, but Nasvillians are nonchalant about their stars.
Seriously, though, I wouldn’t know a country music star if they tapped me in the face. Hand on my heart I can say I won’t make the faux pas of asking for an autograph.
And yes, I’ve witnessed famous southern hospitality.
Outside my local YMCA (Maryland Farms), a woman immediately came over to help me clean up after my daughter vomited on the front steps of the building. I was so grateful, but she said no thanks were necessary; she’d been there with her children and quietly went along her way after she disposed of dirty towels.
Even asking for directions seems to be easier than up north, perhaps because Nashville is one of the top five friendliest cities, according to a contributor of the Today Show.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24843322/
Finally, I’m beginning to appreciate my pleasant surroundings.
Nashville is full of rolling green hills and interesting geography. My immediate area is slightly reminiscent of Guilderland, Voorheesville, Altamont and the Helderbergs.
Settling into a new place takes time and I can’t possible achieve in two months what I've built up in eight years in the Capital District.
Every day, my husband reminds me to be patient. A lesson I’ve yet to master.
SUSAN S. CHEUNG
