Being a "crackberry adict" without a crackberry for well over a week, I have been jealous of the few that have been able to send up pics and thoughts on the fly using their smartphones. But I've just been able to look through the pictures and posts that we have been able to get up here and I'm thankful that Erin and Annie have been able to make that happen. You all should have at least a pretty good idea about some of the highlights of our trip.
And while pictures may speak a thousand words, there is no way that they can convey the feelings and the emotions that we have been experiencing. This program is designed to broaden our experiences and build our leadership capabilities in large part by getting ous out of our "comfort zones". I can assure you that Dr. Carter has not had to work very hard to meet this goal.
From the languages, to the food and from the vendors to the air conditioning, all of us have experienced things that have made us feel awkward, inept, embarassed, frightened, and all the other comfort zone annhilators.
I'll just give you a couple of mine so far:
Language: How hard is it to get an iron in your hotel room? After waking up a little late in Nanning a couple of mornings ago, I realized I didn't have an iron. I promptly called housekeeping but hit a pretty solid language barrier. Next call: front desk. Again, another non-english speaker, but at least she was able to track down somebody who knew a little. I asked the young lady for an iron and she was happy to oblige. Literally 30 seconds later, before I could even pull on a t-shirt, a smiling housekeeper was standing at my door with a comb.
We talked, gestured and even pantomimed ironing, and off she ran to happily fetch what I needed. Not a minute later, again she apeared, this time with a bar of soap. We both apologized (or at least tried) and ran through the routine again, this time with a successful outcome.
This episode really showed me just how difficult even the simplest tasks can be when we aren't prepared.
Freedom: This morning, sitting under a shelter after we had cleared Chineese customs and waiting for Vietnamese immigrations, I realized that I was trapped. Somebody else had my passport, I was in limbo between 2 communist countries, and really had not a lot of control of what was going to happen to me next. No, it wasn't really a big deal, all part of the normal process. But it made me once again proud to know that in my fair home, there is nothing that holds me back. I will continue to have the ability to have free and open discussions with my government and strongly advocate for the things I feel are right.
Trust me, I've got more observations (thanks Journal!) but these were the ones pressing on my mind. Hope to see you all soon!
Adam
1 comment:
Adam, you truly had me laughing out loud with your language barrier discussions. I can only imagine what I would have done in your situation.
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