My guest today is author, Jenyfer Matthews. After the recent upheaval in Egypt, she’s currently in the United States. She’s finding some subtle changes now that she’s back home. She explains below. Don’t forget to check out her newly released books as well!
I’ve lived abroad for just over a decade and in that time have traveled to more than ten different countries, yet I’ve rarely experienced any culture shock except when I come home to America to visit.
That may sound strange, but think about it: it is pretty obvious that when I travel to Asia or within the Middle East that I am not a local. No one really expects me to know how to do things or how to get around. I’m a foreigner and people are more than willing to cut me some slack as a result.
It’s a different story when I come back to America. Unless I actually go around explaining my background to everyone I run across, people just assume that I’ve been here all along, keeping up with the various technological changes that have occurred. For most of you, these changes have occurred so gradually that you didn’t notice them. For me, every year it’s like I took a time machine to the future and am utterly lost. Self check-out, digital signature pads, DVR, smart phones, GPSs – even just dialing a phone number can be a struggle! The list goes on and on – I’m sure there are many things that I don’t yet know I don’t know how to do.
I go through this every summer when I come back to visit, but I can ignore a lot of the things I don’t understand once I get to my father’s house, deep in the north woods, because aside from his Direct TV connection, life in his home and the surrounding area is pretty simple. Besides, I’m usually only in the country for a month. Circumstances are a little bit more extreme for me at the moment, having evacuated my home in Cairo, Egypt on February 1st. My husband is back at work in Egypt but my children and I will very likely stay in America for the rest of the school year and the summer at the very least.
American cities being what they are – spread out – I decided I needed a car. Renting a car is too expensive but I didn’t want to commit to a lease either. The friend that I am currently staying with offered me the use of her car, but I wanted a bit more independence in at least one area so I went shopping for an inexpensive used car. My target budget made it a discouraging process to say the least (I guess I’m out of touch with what things cost too!) but in the end I found what I consider to be a gem.
It’s a 2000 Volkswagon Golf with the original stereo: a radio and cassette player.
Ironically, I left the US for my life abroad in 1999, so buying this car is a bit like picking up where I left off, technologically speaking. While this car has plenty of bells and whistles for its vintage, there is nothing that I am unfamiliar with except a manual transmission, but I’m learning. Unless I buy an iPod and an adaptor (unlikely), I’ll be finding a few radio stations and catching up on newer music, filling another gap that has developed in the last decade. Many of the “classic / oldies” will be new to me!
Funnier still? The friend I’m staying with actually still had a couple of mixed tapes that I’d made for her 20 years ago and returned them to me to use in the car. To say I never expected to see or listen to these cassettes again is an understatement – I don’t really even remember making them! Anyone up for some Eurhythmics, B52s, or C&C Music Factory?
I have the feeling I’m going to have a lot of fun in this car. I love it for another reason as well: coincidentally, two of the three heroines of my three contemporary romances have Volkswagons. Considering I feel like a character from a story myself right now as I flounder around trying to find my footing, I find this interesting. Hmmm…maybe I can use this sometime…
All four of my books are available in multiple formats from All Romance Ebooks, on Kindle, and if you purchase your copy from Smashwords.com this week you can get an extra 25% off until March 12th. Visit my website for more information and excerpts.
My guest today is 
