I have now entered into a new culture that I will be in the rest of my life. I officially became a member of this third culture on August 16th when on the banks of the Cape Hatteras beach, I squeaked out a "Yes!" to Dominic's question of, "Will you marry me?"
Im not going to be in Thai culture, nor I will just be in American culture anymore. I will be in Thaimerican culture. Or in Amerithai culture. Or what I prefer, Sherri Phengchard.
I got to explore more of my third culture when I was enjoying my breath of fresh air while home for 3 weeks. I know that my third culture will always have spice, in many senses of the word.
Twist. Twist. Twist. Shake. Shake. Shake. These sounds of my family's black pepper grinder were the constant soundtrack to our family dinners while I was in Waxhaw. No matter what we ate, whether it was a roast beef sandwich, omelette, pizza, or pancakes, Dominic needed some sort of extra flavor to go on it. His Thai tongue yearned for it. Yet it seemed no matter how much pepper he ground on his food, it was never enough. So the rest of my life, I will always be looking out for Dominic that there are ample spice supplies wherever we go, or perhaps it will mean buying a pepper mill to throw in my purse, just in case.
When I first got to my house in Waxhaw on August 2, my feet had this strange desire they had never experienced in America before. They wanted me to take off my shoes right at the door before I took a step further. So I obeyed. Then I scampered through my old house, peeking at my old room and seeing what improvements my parents had done to the house the year I was gone.
But what my eyes couldn't get over was the shoes factor. My parents were still wearing their shoes, in the house. They hadn't left them at the door. My house seemed normal, not too different from before, but seeing my parents wear shoes in the house, which they had done my whole life, was something my mind couldn't digest. Taking off my shoes when I get inside a door, is a small Thai spice I get to add to my life forever.
I saw my visit to America as the way a person who has trouble seeing views the world after laser eye surgery. I had seen all of it before a million times, but now, through Dominic's myriad of questions about everything I never thought twice about (mailboxes at the end of the driveway? how are houses built? you can refill your drinks at a drink station as many times as you want? police drivers drive around at night patrolling? how nice of them!), America looks brand new.
I have come to realize that not many people are like me, or Im not like many other people. All over the city streets of Bangkok I see white foreign men with beautiful Thai ladies at their sides, but seeing white women with handsome Thai men at their sides is like seeing a ladybug in my office in the middle of December--an unexpected but refreshing change of scenery. I don't mind being part of the minority though. Im slowly discovering the art of being who God made me to be and not comparing myself to others. It is really quite freeing, once I get the hang of it.
Dominic's Thai culture, his past, his personality, has already taught me so much. I love how we sharpen each other, like iron sharpens iron: softening the harsh edges, and toughening the weak spots. Im eager to be shaped into more of the woman God wants me to be.
I feel so blessed to spend the rest of my life with Dominic.
Actually, I think I'm the most blessed girl in the world. :)
