First, I realized I think my last blog is the first one which I shared what I was doing here. Sorry it took a year to do so! I hope you are now aware of the struggles a health volunteer has to start a project and then face the many challenges of keeping the project alive and ultimately successful. Let's just say - it's hard. I have really learned to be flexible, face adversity and still getting better at being resilient. There is a fine line between flexibility and apathy that I constantly am crossing; it is a fine balance.
This adventure of mine is a constant psychological and sociological exploration. My last blog title was called “One Year as a Foreigner” and I want to open your minds as mine has been opened. I am sure anyone that has lived abroad has a better understanding already, but maybe this is a reminder. Khorixas is about the size of Brenham, Texas – large enough to be a town, but small enough to be aquatinted with everyone. Let's say one day an Indian lady (a small demographic in Brenham) moves into town and starts working. Without ever speaking to her, there are a multitude of thoughts or judgements on her and her character. These judgments are based largely on stereotypes on television and maybe the few Indians you know. Yet do you ever take the time to get to know her or invite her over for a nice Texan American welcome? No, you typically don't. Foreigner is not an endearing word, “invader” and “outsider” are words associated. I am trying to explain this in nice literature terms, but simply put- be nice to the outsider, invite them over or out, have an open mind and don't make judgments.
When I first arrived, I was expecting everyone to invite me over and I would become a part of a big family. Well, this didn't happen – maybe because everyone thought someone else would invite me over or that whites and blacks don't typically hang out together here or people don't really invite, you invite yourself. Whatever the reason, I felt isolated. Since then I have coped and made some friends, but true friendships worldwide are hard to find. With time, I am sure these friendships will grow and become stronger.
I currently live in a sharing society where everyone asks family, friends and strangers for money. Due to white colonizers and television, as a white female I am expected to have a lot of money. As Namibian friends have explained to me, when black Namibians see white people they see money. Because of this I get asked every day by at least five people for money. Not as many people ask me anymore because they know me and my response, “I don't have.” The combination of cultural norms of sharing and the perception that I have a lot of money was an overload of money requests. This was very overwhelming when I first arrived and is something I don't think I will ever really get used to, but I have a better understanding and acceptance of this issue. I realized that I have never really been asked for anything prior to coming here. I only gave with a gracious heart, but have become more selfish here. I am trying to find a balance of my old giving heart and a boundary of being taken advantage of.
Before you make judgements on a persons character on something that bothers you, their actions may be something from a cultural background. The human race is so diverse, let's embrace our own and respect others. Also, let's be nice to the “foreigner”.
Taylor! Thanks for sharing as always. Very eye opening and a great reminder about how we treat those who come from different cultural backgrounds.
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