Culture shock: term used to describe the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within an entirely different cultural or social environment such as a foreign country. It grows out of the difficulties in assimilating the new culture, causing difficulty in knowing what is appropriate and what is not. This is often combined with strong disgust about certain aspects of the new or different culture.

Today was a busy day. First we walked the babies to school and then when we got home I started school. I couldnt stay awake though, because.. well, I'm addicted to diet dr pepper, and I went cold turkey when I moved here. There is a store across the street from our apartment but it only has pepsi and coke, dr pepper is rare here. So we took a taxi to the big grocery store and I bought 4 dr peppers. The taxi driver that we rode with on the way home played american music in his car, I guess he thought I would tip him or something? He played James Blunt &some other american bands, we just laughed at him.

Then at noon we went and got the kids from school (school only lasts from 8 to 12:30 here) and then a bunch of americans came over to the apartment that they know and they speak english so it was nice to talk to them. We went to eat at applebees at the mall, which is considered a very nice restaurant here...Mostly people with money go there. Good american hamburger, mmmh. After that me, eva and the girls walked around the mall. We went to the pet shop. Stuff is cheap there. Like the iguanas. I had been looking at getting an iguana last year but they were kinda expensive, here theyre kinda cheap. Then we went to a jewelry store that is called "La tienda de dolar" which means Dollar Store. It had stuff for girls like jewelry and makeup. I told each of the girls that they could pick something out, they were so excited.

We just took a taxi home and now I'm about to do some more school, (ok mom? :)

This is Charlotte in the taxi.