4th and 5th month check-ups
Since the move delayed my monthly check-up post, I decided to combine two into one.
As the months are starting meld together, I am reminded why I wanted to document these little milestones. I don’t want to take for granted all the effort my family and I made to get settled here. This will be good information to have if and when we decide to do this again, as well as help us appreciate what we have been able to accomplish.
So, for the past two months, I’ve noticed the following:
- The cost of living has increased a bit since we arrived. It’s happened faster than we are accustomed to, but the prices of staples have stayed the same. I have now begun negotiating my taxi rides because I figure it can’t hurt. The one time the driver wasn’t willing to budge, I moved on to the next cab.
- Having had to take my 2 year-old to a Spanish-speaking pediatrician and understanding most, I think I have made a lot of progress with the help of my course. What I find has also happened is I am more confident. If I don’t understand someone, I am embarrassed to ask them to slow down or repeat what they say; especially since Caraquenos are notorious for talking really fast.
- The kids are learning Spanish must faster than I anticipated. My daughter tends to blurt things out in Spanish randomly and I think she gets to hear a lot of it even though she is not in a Venezuelan school. My son of course, goes between the four at any given time. We’ll see how he continues in the next year.
- It has sunk in that I live in Caracas, Venezuela. As my days have become more routine and I know more what to expect, it has become a reality. I think I am feeling about ambivalent about it right now, but isn’t that always what happens when the honeymoon phase is over?
By the way, contrary to popular belief, Venezuelans do not hate Americans; or at least I have yet to meet one. I think there are lot of misconceptions about Americans anywhere you go, but living here is far from what I suspect it’s like for an American in Baghdad.
Overall, we’re still going strong 
Tags: Caracas, Caraquenos, Cultural Adaptation, Culture, Expat Families, Expatriates, Getting settled in foreign country, Venezuela
