something I've been learning recently
3 months isn't even enough to fully learn what a culture is like, and know they heart of a country. One of USP students pet peeves as a whole is when people have been in Uganda a week maybe two, and the feel like they know the country.
Because they don't
Would a person who showed up in America, and spent a week know everything about the country, and how it works? Heavens no!, I'm still learning about my home country of America
So why do we believe we do know everything when we visit other countries, I have no idea
For example I know all about the staple foods of rice, pohso and matoke in Uganda. But do I know exactly what area eats what, nope. Heck I even forget the name of the staple food in my rural homestay region of Uganda.
I know a lot about the leader of Uganda, from my class. But do I know how the people of Uganda, outside of UCU feel about him, nope.
I think one of the worse things we can do when traveling across cultures, Is feeling like we know how everything works, and know exactly how to help, and what exactly is hurt.
wake up America..... we don't
To fully understand a person we have to walk in their shoes for awhile
See life from their perspective.
This takes more then a week
and I'm pretty sure it takes more then a month.
Does anyone remember there first semester of college?
I'm pretty sure that you would say that you had a completely different perception of the people you were with from the beginning of the semester to the end, I know I did.
disclaimer: You can fall in love with a country in a week, you can start to see the heart of the people, you can feel compelled to help forever, I'm just saying you can't know a country, you cant fully know the heart of the people
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