Imagine for a moment, throwing together 19 people from all walks of life, putting them into a regimented routine for 10 weeks of intensive cultural and language training in an entirely different culture, then whisking them all away from each other to all corners of the country where they are asked to stick around for 3 months without traveling and absolutely no routine or regime. They attempt the language, try and find out where the work is, start questioning why they're there, and finally begin to get some sort of clue. Then imagine bringing them all back together again. It's more entertaining than a Real World Reunion. The people that thought Uganda wouldn't affect them have braids in their hair and have permanent Luganglish. The people that were attached to their homestay family and enjoying the "cultural immersion" are now the most jaded. Relationships that started during training have diminished and new ones start budding with other volunteers. Inside jokes seem to thrive within the language regions, but somehow, we all found each other back at square one- trying to figure each other out and accepting these changes. It's like summer camp and freshman year in the dorm all rolled into a different country. Then, after spending 14 days at each other's necks, out at the bars, and dodging sessions in favor of a scum-bottom swimming pool, we are all hurtled back to site squeezed into vehicles meant for 5 and holding 11 plus 2 in the trunk.
The reason I find this all blog worthy is this: finding the balance in Peace Corps- between the world you represent and the world you find yourself in is in constant flux. The trainings attempt to provide a forum for discussion and "development", but in the end, it feels like I was on a merry-go-round of American culture spinning with Ugandan culture, and then centripically projectiled far away from the epicenter, only to find myself back at site attempting to reconcile the differences. And that- to use another analogy- pretty much covers the first 6 months of Peace Corps, in a nutshell.
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2 comments:
Oh my goodness 6 months. Can you believe it?
Oh the days of Post-PST. I'm hoping you enjoyed it and are ready for the rest of your service. In my eyes, you made it through the hard part - just wait to see how fast the rest of it goes as it will FLY by before you know it. Take care!
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