| When you first arrive in your assigned country, the first | | | | name in Sudan and other Muslim countries, giving a toy |
| few minutes can be shocking. The air smells different, | | | | bear this name is apparently insulting to Islam, according |
| the people surging around you are likely different, the | | | | to the charges against her. One of the parents of the |
| looks of buildings and storefronts and wares for sale | | | | students complained to police and she was arrested. If |
| may all be different. | | | | found guilty, she could receive many years in prison, a |
| If you are in modern country, such as Japan, you will | | | | hefty fine, and 40 lashes with a whip. |
| likely feel only slightly uncomfortable, as the airport will | | | | So learning something about the culture you will be |
| be clean and streamlined, although perhaps twice as | | | | living in is advice you should take seriously. |
| busy as you expected. But signs will be in English, and | | | | In Central and parts of South America, for instance, |
| you will have no problem navigating through the airport | | | | you might think the culture is Spanish, and that is |
| to the outside world. | | | | certainly the dominant one, but the underlying Mayan |
| If you are in a third-world country, the airport could be | | | | culture is still there, especially amongst people whose |
| a far cry from anything remotely comfortable, with | | | | primary language is Quechua or Aymara. Don't |
| military soldiers everywhere, a crush of people, strange | | | | assume you understand their culture because you |
| maybe even repulsive smells in the air, total chaos. If | | | | know about Mexican or Spanish culture. Do some |
| you are alone, this can be especially intimidating. | | | | research first, so as to help you understand where |
| When I arrive in a new country, I am always surprised | | | | they are coming from, and try to structure your |
| at the first few moments outside the airport. The sky | | | | lessons to fit with their culture. This can be as simple |
| looks different, the air smells different, the chaos of | | | | as changing place names: don't talk about the |
| people coming and going is different. Finding a bus or | | | | Mississippi River, for example, use a local river instead. |
| taxi or jeepney can be a fun experience but it is more | | | | They will associate with that, but not associate with |
| likely to be a trying experience, so it is best if someone | | | | the Mississippi. |
| can meet you and help you get oriented for the first | | | | The beliefs and attitudes of your guest country will |
| trip from the airport to your place of residence. | | | | potentially be different from what you naively |
| Depending on your guest country, and the resources | | | | expected, so research! research! research! |
| available, you may get a private room with a private | | | | As you become accustomed to your new daily |
| bathroom, or a shared room and a public bathroom. | | | | routine, students, and fellow teachers, you will discover |
| The school may look a wee bit different from the | | | | that some of the teachers have become cynical with |
| brochures, which tend to highlight greenery and other | | | | time. They may have been there 20 years, and never |
| colourful aspects. Brochures also don't tell you about | | | | say anything good about the place; they seem to live |
| oppressive tropical heat, or cold winds from the | | | | in a cloud of negativity. You will be eager and fired up |
| mountains. | | | | and enjoying the challenge; they will talk about police |
| Before starting your trip, you should read up on the | | | | purges, stupid management at the school, incompetent |
| culture of the country. For example, in Thailand, people | | | | governments, corruption, and whatnot. The list is |
| would be shocked if you touched a child's head, or if | | | | never-ending. Try to avoid these people. Live your |
| you washed your underwear and hung it outside to | | | | own life, and be happy with the little differences and |
| dry. | | | | challenges that are thrown your way. |
| During my stay in Thailand, I managed a software | | | | In Thailand, the vast majority of people are Buddhists. |
| development project and hired a couple of | | | | They are taught from an early age to meet adversity |
| university-educated Thai women to help. We worked | | | | with a smile. One time, I was waiting under an awning |
| out of my two-bedroom apartment. One moved into | | | | for a tropical downpour to lessen. I watched a young |
| the spare bedroom in the apartment, and the other | | | | lady attempt to cross the flooded street in front of me. |
| slept on the sofa five nights a week. The one in the | | | | She stepped in a hidden pothole, lost her balance, and |
| bedroom said she lived a long way away and the daily | | | | fell face first into 6 inches of dirty water. She stood up, |
| commute was aggravating. Fair enough. But the | | | | brushed the water off her face, and laughed. If that |
| second one lived 20 minutes away by elevated | | | | had been me, I would have been cursing. But she was |
| electric train. I never really understood why she | | | | a Buddhist. She laughed. |
| wanted to live with me. Perhaps I was a father-figure | | | | Meet adversity with a smile. |
| for her. | | | | A good philosophy to live by. |
| One day, I rounded up all the towels to put in the | | | | If your assignment is in a third-world country, find out if |
| washing machine. The women had their own | | | | the school and/or students have basic supplies. In rural |
| bathroom, and the towels were provided by me. The | | | | Peru, for example, there might be one small chalkboard |
| apartment was modern and fully equipped. | | | | for a one-room school, no paper at all, and certainly no |
| One of the women said, "Doug, what are you doing?" | | | | pens or pencils. While that kind of school is not going to |
| I said, "I'm going to wash all the towels in the machine." | | | | have English classes, you can still help them |
| She said, "But you took the white one." | | | | enormously by travelling with two suitcases, one for |
| The white one was a cotton bathmat that had been | | | | your stuff, and the other filled with notebooks, pencils, |
| on the floor in front of the shower. | | | | chalk, small chalkboards, crayons, art paper, children's |
| "Yes, I will wash it with the others." | | | | scissors, etc. Before you start your flight, contact the |
| "Doug, you can't do that." | | | | school and find out if they need these supplies, or if |
| "Why not?" | | | | they can put you in touch with a rural school that does. |
| "It's for the feet." | | | | Those $50 worth of supplies might be more than a |
| Apparently in Thai culture, you don't sully your body | | | | rural school has ever seen and will make a big |
| towels with foot towels. | | | | difference. |
| I said, "Sorry, this is a machine, very hot water, with | | | | Another piece of advice: keep a journal of your |
| detergent and fabric softener. I am going to wash all | | | | experiences. If you have Internet access, create a blog |
| the towels and bath mats together." | | | | and update it regularly. But in any case, be careful not |
| She was unhappy with this, had a strange look on her | | | | to write anything in your journal or blog that is critical of |
| face, like I had said something totally disgusting. | | | | the school management, the local religion, or the |
| After the towels had been washed and dried, I took | | | | government. That journal will be a treasured keepsake |
| one of the bath towels and held it under her nose, and | | | | in future years, and remain with you the rest of your |
| said, "Smell this." | | | | life. |
| She took a whiff and said, "Oh, Doug, smell very good." | | | | After you've been living and teaching for a while in the |
| I said, "That's the fabric softener, it has perfume to | | | | guest country, returning to your home town in your |
| make the towels smell good." | | | | native country can be a jarring experience: culture |
| Then I held the white bath mat under her nose. She | | | | shock in reverse. You became an ESL teacher for the |
| didn't move away, although I expected her to. "Smell | | | | fun of travel, the joy of discovering a new culture, and |
| this one." | | | | now you're back in Wal-Mart or Tesco standing in a |
| "Doug, same same." | | | | queue behind an enormous fat lady with a shopping |
| "Yes," I said, "and now you know why I washed them | | | | cart full of junk. Your mother is glad to see you, but |
| together. In your culture, you wash them by hand, and | | | | you find your town boring, the food bland and |
| would do the foot mats last. In my Western culture, | | | | voluminous. |
| with machines, we put them all in together and they | | | | If you are back for good, and have to get a job, you |
| come out the same." | | | | will probably find yourself bored out of your skull |
| She accepted that. In this case Western culture | | | | working in an office. Your co-workers will have no |
| overruled Thai culture. | | | | interest in your ESL experiences and couldn't care less |
| As I write this in November 2007, a British ESL teacher | | | | about the things you did and the places you went. |
| has been arrested in Sudan, which is a Muslim country, | | | | Pretty soon you will be scouring the Internet looking for |
| for letting her primary school students name a teddy | | | | other ESL jobs; you've got to follow your dreams, |
| bear "Muhammed". Although this is a very common | | | | wherever they take you... |