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One week left until we leave for Uganda.
As we pack our bags and worry over our check-lists, it’s not a bad idea to take some time to reflect before the big tr ip.
I’ve been lucky enough to have some travel experience in the past. A portion of that has been teaching English as a foreign language to Chinese and Japanese students for almost three years now. The people, the conversations, and the sites along the way are each part of my ongoing changing views of the world.
Growing up in the Midwest provided little in the way of cross-cultural interactions. On top of that, I went to a private school all the way through high school, which meant pretty much everyone around me had very similar family backgrounds. Sheltered doesn’t scratch the surface of it. To say that growth from that point was essential, is an understatement.
When taking all of this into account, I would describe myself as someone who is culturally competent. Dr. Brady has given us an article to consider before heading off to Uganda. In it, cultural competence is made of several aspects but the two most important to me are, “continuing self-assessment regarding culture and careful attention to the dynamics of difference”.
These brought to mind one particular occasion, after I had been living in China for almost two years. A friend and I were walking side by side when the path suddenly narrowed to a two-person width. As we approached it, a man coming from the opposite direction reached the same point. The man continued down the center, didn’t slow his pace or spare us a glance, while the two of us stepped to the side. This type of encounter happened daily in this city of nearly 10 million and I resumed walking without a second thought. My friend, who had only just arrived a few weeks prior, was beyond indignant. She insisted he could’ve made space for us to pass by him. Her annoyance struck me. It wasn’t too long after my own arrival that I had made a similar complaint. Now it had become so perfectly clear during my time in China; living with a population of that size turned the notion of slowing or stopping into a completely ridiculous and unacceptable concept. I had learned this without realizing. It wasn’t that manners were lacking, only the presence of practicality.
Constant reexamination of our habits that we often thoughtlessly adhere to (such as how much space is needed for two people) is a necessity. It is from this that we are able to appreciate the dynamics of our differences.
So it is my hope that this Uganda travel-study program will provide me with more facets to consider. Right now, all of my international experiences have been in Asia. If I'm to be able to continually challenge my previously held assumptions, I think I must broaden my involvement in the world around me.
And as related to Speech Pathology, I think actively participating in these dynamics of differences will edify my abilities and views of communication. Even if I were to never leave the U.S. ever again, the benefits will forever be present in my life. Adaptability, openness, as well as the willingness to analyze complex situations from multiple perspectives are tools that I believe will be indispensable as I move forward in this field.
Thanks for reading! I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few of my favorite shots from places I've visited so far:
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