An Important Lesson

Many times, a Westerner will come to Africa with the view that he or she is the expert and others have to learn from them.  Often times it is the locals who teach the Westerner something. 

When I was in Mozambique, the greetings protocol used to make me INSANE.  This especially happened when I wanted to get something done.  I really didn’t care how your goats were, I wanted to get in, get what I wanted from you and get out.  There were important things to do in Mozambique which didn’t involve sweating it out in some dark meeting room.

However, time has changed my view on the protocol required in African contexts.  Yesterday is my case in point.  As many of you who have followed me on Facebook or talked with me recently, you know that I am helping out a Namibian friend here with the social media requirements of her business.  It’s proven a daunting task.   She’s sometimes very mistrusting of people she doesn’t know (me) and technology she doesn’t completely understand (Facebook).  So it’s taken almost a month to even get her to trust me.

Yesterday, we had 2 hours set aside to work on her Facebook page and put together a fundraising campaign.  However, the first hour was spent just catching up.  This is something that I only noticed later worked very well for us.  She now trusts me so much that she is sending me her banking information to get her all set up with the fundraising campaign.  All we had to do was ask each other how we were.

Interesting what happens when you slow down.

Ian

PCV

Those three little letters can mean so many things. Many times as I said them over the years, I would mix up the last two items. I would naturally start calling them PVC's and now that I think of it, it could be fitting that we are compared to toilet plumbing. But I digress. I'm writing this today because I've had one of the best weekends out here with three lovely ladies who I worked with in Africa. They all live in the Bay Area and are just fabulous people. It was like we saw each other yesterday when in reality I hadn't seen them in 2 years almost. I love that about people who you meet overseas and have an amazing experience with. It is something I am thinking alot about as my brother transitions back from 14 months in the UK. It's the longest he has lived overseas and I am nervous for his re-entry into the US of A. It's not that I don't trust or believe in my brothers abilities, it's that I know how hard it is and this is where culture shock comes from. When someone goes overseas, you are expecting "weirdness." When you come home to your "home" country, you are not necessarily expecting the weirdness of it all. That's when the big Shock sneaks up behind you and hits you over the head. "Oh YEAH! YOU THINK ENGLAND AND AMERICA ARE THE SAME!! :::::bam::::" Good luck.

Now to bring myself back to the title of this post, PCVs are a strange breed. You willingly sign up to go live in a hut in a third world country for 2 years - electricity and running water optional. Sanity is lost along the way too. Shouldn't that be the first sign of telling us we've lost our minds? But no, we truck on...most people finishing two years, some people finishing three years of service. Last weekend, I noticed how that will ALWAYS be a huge part of me. There were three of us out at the bar in the Castro and it was as if we never left. And naturally the conversation topics were the same.

Is it still sad?

I've been around a lot of death in my life. It has always been a major feature in my life. Maybe that is why I don't really fear it. I just don't. It's part of life. However, when I got home tonight I got some bad news from across the pond. A good dear friend died about 2 weeks ago. She lived in Pinner, NW London and was one of the kindest women I have ever met. Her name is Katharine Young and she died at 101. She was the mother of a friend of my mother. I used to go and visit her in London whenever I was there. Last time I was in London, she had her 100 birthday and I wanted to visit but she was not home. The family took her to Spain for the birthday celebration! She's been in and out of my life for many years and I always enjoyed watching some of those crazy gameshows with her.

What I'm wondering now. She lived a full life. I mean not many people really make it to 100 years! She touched so many people and I'll always remember her. All these good things about this woman that lived THOUSANDS of miles away...

Why is it still sad?

PS. I HATE the term passed away or passed. Don't know why...

I'm so dizzy

My head is spinning. I've got 2 days left at work, 5 days left in my town where I've spent the past 3 years of my life. I've got 10 days left in a country that has taught me so much more than I could have imagined when I signed to dotted line all those years ago. I've got 27 days left on a continent I don't know how I'll get back to and as the saying goes "never leaves you." I thought when I left for Germany in 1999, I'd find myself, I thought when I left Friend's World I'd find myself, I thought signing up for Peace Corps, I'd find myself (that worked a little better as many of you know!) and now as I'm leaving I wonder if I'll find myself. But as one of my dear friends said here, one thing ends another thing begins... at least I'll never be boring at dinner parties. :)

P.S. I'm so thankful for all my friends of the years who have kept in contact with me and hopefully will for many years to come.