Really, was it THAT long??

I now live in Yogyakarta, my hometown where I was born some twenty-something years ago. I just recently moved back from Sydney, where I did my masters degree for 2.5 years (phff... too long!!).

Now that I'm back, uhm, you see... it's not the same as it was before. Many of you might have come across the word "REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK" before, and uhm, the exact thing is what I think happened to me when I came back.

It's not that I am shocked or anything, it's just that, uhm, okay okay, i am. But not shocked about how hot and humid it is in Indonesia compared to Sydney, or surprised i am to see how everyone now seems to have the same hair colour. Nor am I unsatisfied with the "wild traffic" here. It's not that.

It's actually more about my attitude. And probably about my personal views and opinions. I realize now that I do not longer have those manners I used to have (as a matter of fact, I was shocked when I unconsciously handed over something to my own mother with my left hand... i really don't know when i started to get this un-Indonesian habit).

We are all expected, as we return home, to be able to readapt back. To adapt the changes of our surroundings, that's not too hard. It's only a matter of time, and we'll get used to it anyway. Different climate, for example. In my experience, it only took me less than 4 weeks to then feel 33 degrees as normal and 27 as cold (cold, not only cool, but cold). Adapting to the way we should drive in the new traffic conditions takes even shorter time: 4 days. (but to slow down my speed to less than 40kms/h on city traffic: 1 month :D)

Being able to hand over cash without worrying that we might make mistakes (or being handed cash without having to examine the coins and notes very closely): i think 1 week?

These all just flow naturally, and everything will be just fine in no time.

However, the hardest thing that I felt to change was attitude. It's HARD to change your attitude, or uhm, kebiasaan as we Indonesians say it. Especially if it's already planted deeply in your head, or even heart. I have to admit, i might now have developed some un-Indonesian attitudes.

One simple example. My last blog entry was about Suharto. Many people might think that I have total lack of respect to the deceased and his family, while actually I was just expressing my views of the truth, irrespective of the unfortunate circumstances.

Phfff.... please help me on this.

I'm still working hard to change my personal attitudes so that it is accepted within my own family (parents), and yet I feel that's so hard to achieve.

Seriously, has it been THAT long that I lived in Sydney far from my parents?? :-(