Eye-Opener: Perceptions of Americans

Had an interesting experience last Saturday.  Gee was it really just a week ago?  Why does it seem like so far back.    Sometimes this feels like the land of "no-time," or like I'm living in a time-warp.  Is it 2013 yet?   Here was last weeks eye-opener.

When new Peace Corps Trainees arrive in country they are assigned Home-stay Families with whom they live during training.  The purpose of this is three fold. 

·      First, to give new arrivals an opportunity to adjust and get accustomed to living in another country while they discover things like how to:  take a bucket bath, clean a latrine, cook on a Sigiri (charcoal stove), adapt to local food and basically ratchet down a first world life-style without self-destructing.  In theory at least, one is placed with a family that speaks the language he/she will be learning for the part of the country to which they will be assigned.

·      Which brings us to the second purpose: to have daily practical experience in speaking the language.  In our training group, the language part was an abysmal failure, prompting PC Uganda to change the whole approach.  Sooooo, the current format has PCVs  assigned to live for three or so weeks with Home-stay families IN the region where they will be living.    This makes a bit of sense. 

·      Finally, being with a host family gives our bodies time to acclimate to local foods, water and climate and do it in a somewhat controlled space where medical is still nearby.  In our group roughly half the group was sick half of the time! 

Since Gulu region is getting ten new Education volunteers, they will be living with families in Gulu Town. That means they need some orientation about what to expect when hosting Americans – most of whom have never lived outside the US except maybe as tourists and that really doesn’t count for much when you will be living like a PC volunteer, not a tourist in a hotel (translate – with amenities).  So last Saturday, I was the volunteer “invited” to meet with host families, do a little presentation on keeping their Volunteer healthy and then fielding questions from a volunteer’s perspective.  All went pretty well and I have to admit – it was pretty enlightening on both sides.  I introduced myself in Acholi, then gave the presentation in English while Moses translated.  Had to go to the market and buy veggies Americans like but Acholis as a rule would never buy: green beans, broccoli, green peppers, carrots….  That’s if they are available, which is seldom the case in the north, once you’re out of Gulu Town and they are rare-as-hen’s teeth even here.  I have only in the last week discovered a sometimes source for broccoli and cauliflower and felt like I’d won the lottery.  Also had to talk a little about how to prepare them!   Me – talking about cooking.  Well - I can boil water, but cooking here has lost a lot of it's appeal.  Anthony Bourdain would have been a better choice… but he’s probably out cooking  bulls’ testicles some where.  We did not address the eating of or preparation of white ants…  ;-)  which are “in season now.”  

                                                                                                 

Toward the end of the meeting the group of about 30 broke into two groups tasked with writing down things they think they KNOW about Americans and what they have HEARD about Americans.  They were told not to “hold back” and – they didn’t.  (BTW, no PC training is complete without dividing into groups and writing SOMETHING down on flip chart paper.  It simply cannot be done. As a rule, Peace Corps volunteers hate these activities because they run the gamut from the ridiculous to the absurd, so I groaned when it was announced.

This time, however, it yielded some pretty interesting (if not disheartening) information and what came from the group was NOT pretty. (God, I’m glad I came dressed properly for the occasion – that was one of the “bads” listed by both groups.  read on…)  Once listed, it was my job to respond to each of these characterizations without gasping, do it in a politically correct fashion and in a way that makes our integration into community easier.   Americans really do have some behaviors that come from privilege, self-esteem and often just a general lack of awareness or exposure to other cultures.  And there just aren’t enough words, time or space to explain some of the cultural differences.   Always an eye-opener to see yourself as others do…  But that’s one of the things this experience provides, a constant mirror. 

Here are some of the not so flattering adjectives that were used to identify Americans:

·      War mongers

·      Selfish (territorial), Greedy

·      Harsh (meaning direct)

·      Not God-fearing

·      Condone Homosexuality

·      Dress inappropriately

·      Loud and proud

·      HUGE (I resent that!)

·      Eat a LOT!

·      Drink and smoke a lot

·      Invade countries for oil, gold, etc

·      Rich

And these are from people who volunteered to host us.  Imagine what those who “don’t like us” might have to say.   Host Families are not actually paid, but they are given an extremely generous stipend to cover food so they can they actually end up doing pretty well.  So while I believe their motivations to host are generally good, one host family in Wakiso did mention that they might just get a cow next time – less trouble and more money that hosting volunteers.   Hmmmm   Well there it is folks.  You want a PCV Volunteer or a cow?  Sometimes I think this may be a hands-down decision – get a cow.  Only two families of this group had every had an American in their homes and few already seemed a bit hostile, but most were open and lovely.

Luckily, not listed were those about Muzungus eating the ears of small children....   or blue eys coming from the devil. A while ago, when  I was at a school in the bush about an hour out of Gulu, a little boy asked me to take my sunglasses off.  When the kids ( numbering about 50) saw my blue eyes that literally jumped back with the look of terror in their eyes, leading me to think there's a not-so-good myth out there about blue-eyed monsters. 

Some other observations made me feel a bit more hopeful ;-)

·      Punctual

·      Curious

·      Know about a lot of things

·      Helpful

·      Like exercise and play sports

·      Organized and methodical

·      Proud  in a good way

·      Generous

·      Have grey hair (can’t argue with that one)

·      Some are friendly

·      Responsible

  

With the anti-Homosexuality Bill about to pass, that particular issue was delicate to address, but well handled by the Ugandan organizer.  It was an interesting cultural exchange and – of course – one of the reasons we are here.   AND… it’s a heads up to see just how other countries perceive us, both good and bad.   In this case, the “bad” were clarified with explanations, but there’s a bit of truth in all.    I admit to sometimes being appalled myself – by Americans and Europeans alike. 

 

One of the topics that always comes up here is that of religion.   Ugandans are very public and fervent in their demonstration of religious allegiance.    When it was explained that just because we don’t attend church (all day Sunday), it doesn’t automatically mean we don’t have a spiritual or religious path and that we consider religious preference a personal matter – they seemed downright relieved  We’re not not all just a bunch of heathens after all.  (I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked “where do you pray.” I explain that “I pray at home…” )   Then Kabayo, organizer of this session brought up the fact that one of the cornerstones of the American system was religious freedom and freedom from persecution on the basis of race, color or belief  - it was an ah-ha moment. And not just for the Ugandans in the room.  It always takes my breath away a bit when I hear our history and constitution quoted by someone here. It’s another one of those things:  that when you live with a convenience or a right, it’s easy to get complacent and fail to appreciate it. It’s the absence of it that brings into high-definition!  

That’s my week in the rear-view mirror.  Getting ready to vacate Gulu for a month and it’s both exciting and a bit unsettling with packing for a month in a backpack, hoping you have everything for any eventuality.  But that's true if you just walk out the door to go to the field.  It’s not like traveling in the states when if you forget something you can pick it up on the other end.  Taking anti-malarial, meds, my steri-pen, camera and a few changes of clothes and that’s it.  Oh yeah - and money.  The Ethiopian currency is the Birr and you can't exchange shillings there.  Have someone to mostly be in the house – a real relief.  Just have to get on the other side of the wee-hours-of-the-morning departure from Gulu and a week in the Annex where the crime rate is up.  It means taking computer, camera, etc. to the bathroom and the shower, which is precisely why none of us are taking  to Ethiopia.  

But – once we’re on that plane – the excitement will set in!!!!  We’ll be on the dark-side-of-the-moon for almost a month.  No computers.  No cell-phones.  Oh Lordy – can we do it?  

Merry Christmas ya’ll ;-)