An Education

Notice the amazing drawing skills.
The beautiful sunset tonight.
Hmm hmm hmm, where to begin.
Back to the 24th. Visiting all the non-profits was amazing! I might have already said this, but I think I just planned out at least the next five years of my life. Room to Read- one of the most amazing organizations. I love the fact that they educate young women specifically as it has been shown that when girls are educated, they have a bigger impact per person on society. And the people were beyond cool. Then there are about three foundations I want to work with. After that of course, I plan on going back to GCY to work, both in the office and as a team leader. By the way, the GCY staff are about the coolest people in the world. Erin tells me the most ridiculous stories about her Peace Corps time in Saint Vincint, Adri is one of the kindest people ever, Will is always akward and goofy as all getup, Abby just makes me feel like I am in the presence of greatness, and Graham is beyond interesting. To say the least, I would love to work with them. Oh, and Rachel is at least top five in the smartest people I have ever met, and wickedly sarcastic.

On the way back from our 15 hour day Ian, Gaya, Laura, and I fell asleep quite soundly in the far back of the 16 passenger van, and hopefully I shall recover that picture to show you all. To say the least, we all went to sleep quite fast when we got back to IONS.

Friday, the 25thish.

So tomorrow (which is now today), our team leader, Rachel, is leaving for Senegal in order set everything up for this group. Because of this, we had our official debriefing today. So some tidbits maybe?
-there is a caste system, but not like the one in India. It is set up so that people are caste by linage to a job, say being a musician or blacksmith. Free men have the ability to work for their own living.
-Originally people in the cities of Saint Louis, Dakar, Goree, and Rufisque were considered honest french persons, and they took pride in this.
-There are three servings of tea after dinner. Usually young men around my age make the tea.
-For gender, there is equality in difference. There are also generation differences. There are gendered items, like the food pot that the other sex cannot touch. So men just dont touch the food pots because only the women cook the food. While Senegal has a patricarchal society, at a womans wedding, her mothers brother gives her away, not the girls father. Also, the grooms family gives the brides family a 'brideswealth' which is like a dowry, except it is the groom giving it to the brides father because he is taking away someone who would be serving the fathers family.
-Poligamy is allowed, but a man may only have 4 wives, and each one must be treated equally. The only way for a woman to make sure her husband does not take on another wife is to make him sign an agreemant before the marriage.
- In Senegal, time is all relative. When you set at time of 9am, you're not late till 1pm.
-People shower 2-3 times a day. They love to smell good, so they use tons of perfume and cologne, yet they dont use deoderant.
-You cant walk in front of someone while they are praying unless there is something between the two of you, ex. a pair of shoes, because you will come between them and God.
Oh, we had a fashion show this morning! We had to dress in a normal work day clothes, an outfit for meeting NGOs, and an outfit for a religious meeting. Sadly, I have to get a pair of leggings because one of my dresses is a half an inch short.

Saurday, 26th, meaning today.

This morning we had cultural adjustment training. Basically, Erin told us all about the different stages we will go through one we get in country.
1. Enthusiasm (the Honeymoon)- everything is exotic and quaint.
2. Initial Country & Culture Shock-feelinesgs of dependence, homesickness, no routine, limited language availability.
3. Initial Adjustment- Routines are reestablished, part of the language and culture is now understood.
4. Further Culture Shock-I have post training withdrawal, I'll be alone, and will miss daily contact with Americans.
5. Further Adjustment- almost fully functioning. Everything is going pretty well.

There are then the four levels of cultural awareness- unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence, and unconscious competence.

During this Erin drew a nifty picture of an iceberg as a metaphor for what things you obviously know about a culture (above the water) , and those that are harder(below the water). I have attached the copy that I made of the picture in my notebook. I added the shamoo & laura added the octopus ( for the record, Erin's fish and Laura's octopus would totally not survive in the Arcitc). Oh, and I had to bring up Freud of course.

We then had meditation time with Abby, which was beyond relaxing. My story: we opened doors, and mine was just standing in front of me, clean cut and white inside a frame with a bright 1960's brass knob. As I stepped through it, I entered a clean white expanse, no idea if it was sand or not. In the distance there were white mountains, with the sky just bright enough that it contrasted all the white, but soft like it is on the first day of spring, with the sunlight making all the dust sparkle just the slightest in the air. There was also a square cherry wood table with a dark finish and clean white plate in the middle. And blah blah blah.... Mrs Lindquist...then we had to leave a note on the table... and mine said 'I love.' Possibly left for the Therien? who knows the mystery of meditation. Anyways... our session this afternoon was on solving conflict, basically sticking to the facts, and then on active listening. Mr Carl Rodgers much? It ended up being pretty basic, but flipping hilarious. We all played with play-doh the whole time, and the lady kept saying (as an example of being mean to someone) 'loser, slacker, flaker. In then going through one of the conflicts the quote " Its okay to be wrong.... and you are" came about, and personally I think its quite brilliant.

We then went to dinner, where instead of eating the beyond delicious meals we are now used to, we got a surprise. Walking into the dining area every person had to draw a lot- low income, middle income, and upper income. I ended up middle income. We were not allowed to talk to people in other classes. People in the lower class received one scoop of rice, middle- a scoop of rice and beans, and the two people in the upper class ( Ian and Abby Falik) got to eat the chicken verde & other things that everyone else was eating for dinner. This simulation was set up by Oxfam in order to show the relative poverty and proportions of it throughout the world. To say the least it was depressing, but also eye opening. One of the more prominant things I gleamed from it was a realistic view of relative deprivation. If someone makes $1000 in Guatemala or Senegal, they are considered middle income. If someone makes $1000 a year in America, they can barely buy food for half a year, espcially if they have to support more than one person. It was also hard to reconcile the notions of jealousy of the rich & their food, and guilt over how much more we had than the poor.

That was about two hours ago. I then came back to the dorms with everyone and took the opportunity to work ou and shower. Zuleika, Michael, Victoria, and I are now in the dorms sharing pictures and communicating with people. Everyone thinks you seem like the coolest people, at least from the pictures and what I've said. Love you all, night night.

PS. On the Agenda for tomorrow: focus groups with Wil and then we have interviews with this lady named Linda Mornell, a director of summer search. The guatamalen fellows have already gone through these interviews and the reactions that came from them were: torture, evil lady, and tears. Am I looking forward to it? In the way that I'm interested in what she will say about me, but I'm also a BIT not looking forward to being psychoanalyzed and taken apart. Yay. Goodaye mates.