Cultural Revelation

So, as I have my foot out the door of Panama, I feel like, through all my cultural experiences, I can put a big summary on why sometimes it is so difficult to live in another culture. I think that I resigned myself to dealing with alot of the small cultural things, but never really felt that this little things could possibly cuase some of the overwhelming frustration and anger I felt at certain points, directed towards certain people. In my education that prepared me for "church and world" (don't get me started on that), we were told over and over that cultural adjustment, cultural sensativity are the means of living your life in this day and age. We never we given the chance to think that maybe other things came into play when adjusting to a new culture. I mean, not to beat a dead horse, but could cultural reasoning really be the only force flaming the flame of my rage against Latin Princesses? I think not.

In a past blog, I made references, to money mattering. The only thing I have to say today is that money really does matter. I think the key to understanding cultural differences lies in part in our ability to understand social differences.

Let me explain: The things that really drive me nuts about Panamanian princesses are not really limited to Panamanians or even Latino/as in general. The things that drive me nuts about Panamanian Princesses are universal to the upper class. Whereas in my social upbringing, the middle class was status quo and keeping up with the Jones was a cultural norm, there was always a distinguishable line between those who lived within the middle class and those who seemed to struggle with a sense of entitlement, becuase well, there life was nothing but entitlement. That middle class, where people are still educated and work for what they have and can feel proud about what they have accomplished and what they have earned, doesnt really exisit in Panama. Not that their arent hard workers or a working class, but the disparity between working class and upper crust is strikingly huge! In Panama, there is no middle class buffer that seperates the uber-rich from those who struggle every day to put food on the table. In the city especially, you are decked out in desinger suits or destitute. BMW or Bike.

So all the little things that usually get filtered out of our existence by our surrounding middle classers are right in your face here in Panama. The over dependence on daddy's credit card. The way they seem to whine every time they open their mouth. The inability to identify with any kind of work ethic. The inability to control or discpline kids when the maid is not around.

Unfortunately, this kind of life is what most of the middle class I grew up in aspires to. Racking up debt to wear the latest PAris Hilton Purfume, buy the most expensive cars, and drive our self into the ground with hottest most expensive car. It just screams Great Gatsby all over...you will never be one of them! And seeing how annoying they are, how they can't seem to live outside the limelight or away from their bank accounts, why is that what we aspire to?

So anyways, I degress. Money does matter. Maybe I cant claim that I know everything about Panama and maybe I can't write or talk about every little cultural idyiosncracy, but I realized alot of the cultural adjustment that I haven't been able to make is not cultural at all. Its social.

So for all those times I have written off pushy women and selfish men as a cultural flaw of Latinos and Panamanians, I apologize. That right, they're just rich. And them being so intrigued with themselves and the image and the rights their money gives them was not filtered out by the non-existant middle class here in Panama.