Hi Blogger
Last time I updated you I was going to a Death Cafe, but unfortunately, due to a series of events, I had to cancel. I am still determined to go, so i'll keep you posted.
I'm currently in the United States for a six week fellowship program called the Mandela Washington Fellowship... and it is a very intensive program... my original thoughts were that I could write about it on a daily basis but that turned out to be nearly impossible. We have very long days and compulsory fun days which is rather ironic, but overall we return very exhausted and with lots of readings to complete for the next day.
Americans are extremely different from europeans, so different that I've often found myself taken aback by them. The most interesting thing I've found is that no two Americans are alike, it difficult to make a general statement about them because they're all so different from one state to the next.
In Europe, particularly Great Britain it's general consensus that communicating irritation is a far greater offence than feeling it. We collectively believe that when someone is rude, the right thing to do is to be baffled by his/her behaviour and not communicate our perceived notions of their rudeness, as this would make us rude. In America, this concept doesn't exist.
During my flight from Paris to Chicago, I was seated next to a very old American women of european decent. The lady in front of her decided to push her seat back and what the lady next to me did in response was something I couldn't quite fathom.
She shrieked in what sounded like a wounded retaliation to pain, before the leaning chair in front had even touched her. Her shriek was so loud it made the hairs on my arms rise. The women in front immediately retreated her chair and turned to apologise, to which she received a scolding.
After a couple of hours, the woman in front turned to ask if it would be OK for her to now push her seat back... another bizarre behaviour I did not understand to which the woman seated next to me responded
'No, I'd rather not have you in my face like that!'
I found this very strange, but what baffled me more was that within just two minutes of her great irritation at the woman in front, this old lady turned to me, opened up her right hand to reveal two small chocolate bars,
'Would you like some chocolate dear?'
She asked in a way only a loving grandmother would. I didn't know if I found this hilarious or scary but either way, it was a very interesting first impression of America!
After arriving at Chicago airport we were picked up by a bus and driven to Champaign-Urbana where the University of illinois is. I noticed that when compared with europeans, Americans had larger roads, larger vehicles, larger portion sizes and much larger smiles.
My first encounter with an ignorant American was soon to follow, and ironically, it was our program leader. During his briefing of our team (which is made up of young leaders from all over Africa) he decided to tell us to make sure we 'shower' ... and that the plumbing in the united states was much better than the plumbing in 'Africa' so when we use the bathroom, we should put our tissues in the toilet and not the bin.
I was so taken aback by his ignorance that I couldn't hide it on my face. The sad part for me was that this course is supposed to teach us about 'American democracy' yet none of the other members of staff present said anything. This was the first impression we received of America, and I didn't realise until my fellows and I discussed it later on in the week that some of them were baffled by his behaviour and didn't know if he was rude or if this was the American way and therefore they needed to tolerate it.
During the rest of the week we had the opportunity to meet with some incredible people, none of which displayed any arrogance or ignorance and were very keen to speak with us openly about their work, both the negatives and positives of the American system.
You can follow my adventures here:
http://hindsyaliexperience.blogspot.com
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