apples and oranges

I realize I haven't blogged in a while and this is partially to tell you that I won't be for a while. These next two weeks are crazy with exams and finishing-up things a few parties and not to mention absolutely chock full of people. Nothing like a little change to spice life up. Whew!
I had promised myself that by the end of this school year I would be fully versed in American interactions. Having only just managed to get the hang of Spanish social graces and happily begun stretching my wings, coming back to the States has been... interesting. I want to say hard, but that is not exactly the word I am looking for.
My purpose this school year was to scope out how Americans interact with one another, and what I needed to change. In order to do this, and in order not to get hurt next school year when I will have to completely re-adapt for the second year running, I decided not to spend much time or effort making friends. I wanted to watch people instead. I've discovered, belatedly, that in order to really observe social interaction in real time, you have to be in the midst of it. Oops. At any rate, I got so miserable toward the middle of the year that I started to talk to people anyway. I figured I had already seen enough to start off with. And it was after a few months of talking with people and building relationships that I began to question whether the whole culture thing really mattered all that much. I watched a French kid integrate, and he did just fine. Granted, he's very unusual, for a French person, but still. I watched my sister integrate, and she has the same sort of relationship with people in her grade now as I had after 3 years with my Spanish friends- and she was more Spanish in Spain than I ever want to be. Then the receptionist at the dentist's (of all people) said something that I've been turning over in my head: "Everyone understands a smile, no matter what their culture is." Granted, I think that it is a slanted view of things; after all, Europeans don't smile much, and get creeped out if you smile at them at the wrong time, say when you pass them in the street. However. There is a truth inside this statement, I think, which is that people, no matter where you go, are people. And you don't always have to do a lot of translating to get that across.
Still, my personal tips to anyone coming over from Spain would be:
1. Don't make too much eye contact during a conversation. People tend to feel like they are being scrutinized rather than respected (if they're an acquaintance).
2. Always say "hi" and/or wave when you cross paths with someone you know. And smile, of course. Always smile.
3. When someone new comes into a conversation, don't try to establish that you are already "in" with the present crowd by bringing up all the memories you have in that group. It just makes you look silly and rather self-centered. (yes, this is from personal experience. :P)
4. We can always make more rules of interaction, but in general, just be nice to people and build 'em up instead of tearing them down. In America, people aren't always out to get you. Often they're willing to accept you and like you on the spot, no period of trial required.

Well, it's late and I must sleep. I was reading some very interesting stuff today in DEAR (Drop Everything And Read. neat little program) on sleep in a stray psych book... anyway. must stop there.
Happy Wednesday.

p.s.: Tomorrow (wed.) is the day that the Chorus gig I arranged will be going on, so if you guys wanted to pray about that, I'd much appreciate it.