Adulting Abroad
As a sociologist, living in another country further proves that reality is a social construction where the rules are agreed upon by the majority and those that deviate are punished or shunned by those who follow said rules. As an American I know the rules for different situations and circumstances around social interactions but here in Fiji the lines are blurred. For example, riding the bus in America I know that if a row of seats is empty I sit in the middle seat to give the illusion that someone can sit with me while hoping no one does. On the buses I ride on my island, Vanua Levu, you can stretch out and nap on the bus ride until someone wakes you and gets in the seat. In America if someone has headphones in on the bus that means they want to be left alone, but in Fiji it just means try harder to get their attention. Lines are a free for all and customer service is a success when you get your supplies in a timely manner. This isn’t to say that one country is better than the other, it’s just to show that we learn different rules for navigating life and we should be more tolerant and understanding these differences to create harmony on the world