We're visiting my parents in the US at the moment and I had a moment of reverse culture shock last Friday. My girl is attending three weeks of Kindergarten at the elementary school around the corner from my parents' home. We are doing it so that she has 3 weeks exposure to Southern English, has someone to play with, and, to be honest, so that we have a bit of down time with only the Little Nut.
Friday was her first day and it was a full day of assessment with pick up time at 2:55. I got there at 2:45 and there were already about 50 cars in the pick up line for the K-6 elementary school! At first I got in line but then I thought, why am I waiting in line when I could park in the parking lot and walk up to get her? I should just park and not be lazy, right? So I did.
And the sky promptly opened up and a deluge poured forth for the next 45 minutes. And I was in my car. In the parking lot. 20 yards from my child. So I walked through the deluge, got soaked within one minute, arrived at under the awning to be told that I could not pick up my child on foot but rather I must stay in my car and pull around. What?!?!?! We were planning on walking over on nice days and picking her up. For that I apparently must get special permission from the office. Imagine my surprise. And worry that my child wouldn't know what was going on and would be scared running up the line of cars trying to find my parents' car that she might or might not recognize. In the end they called out her name on the walkie-talkie when I finally made it around, she ran out in her little herd of 6-8 children, looked adorable, heard my call, and got into the car safely. But I am still disturbed by this very strange episode of culture shock.
