I think I should start a blog. It will sharpen my writing
skills- help me remember things done and feelings that went along side
them. And share with other people
a bit about living in a part of the world not so well known.
But that will have to wait- until October 31st to
be exact. I was supposed to go to Latin America- so much of what I have done
has more than adequately prepared me for development work in Latin America:
being raised in a parish that has close ties to El Salvador, studying Spanish
in high school, and quite a bit more in college. Studying Abroad and turning 21 while in Argentina and graduating
from the University of San Francisco with a dual degree in International
Studies and Latin American Studies. Following graduation I spent 6 months in
Central America exploring and volunteering. I returned home and decided to
apply for the Peace Corps to solidify, in a way, the time I have put into
exploring and learning about this complex, beautiful, fascinating and yet still
mysterious part of the world.
I turn in my application. I ace my interview and soon get nominated to go to Latin
America with an estimated departure date of August 2012. I am stoked and ready
for this. I follow the Peace Corps’ very precise medical requirements: I get
each tooth xrayed, 8 vials of blood drawn and tested for diseases I haven’t
heard of, pee in some cups, and visit a couple of psychiatrists to verify that
I have the mental stability to serve in the Peace Corps. I become exhausted by
the long and drawn out process this has become… but have committed to it and am
ready, knowing that this is only the beginning.
10 months after turning in my application, I get a letter
inviting me to go work as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) in Jordan. 7 days later
I write them back saying I do indeed accept this invitation. And I could not be
more stoked.
To clarify for those who don’t have their world map handy,
Jordan is south of Syria, west of Iraq, northwest of Saudi Arabia and east of
Israel/Palestine. They speak
Arabic, 95% of the population practice Islam.
The more I read and research this country and part of the
world, the more excited I become.
What about Latin America? Well, Latin America will still be there 27
months from now. My knowledge of the culture will not simply disappear. Nor
will Latin America’s need for development.
For now, I have been given what I believe to be a once in a
lifetime opportunity. US/Middle-East relations are not going to disappear. I
get to experience first hand a culture that I (nor many Americans for that
matter) know little about. I get to work with kids. I love working with kids. I
get to learn a new language and learn about a religion quite different from the
one in which I was raised.
I get to teach others about where I come from. Although I
have mixed emotions about English becoming the global language, I recognize the
importance of learning it and am excited to teach it to others. I come from a society where sex is
openly talked about and women are considered equals in many ways. I want to
help educate others that an independent, powerful woman, one who speaks her mind, does not sacrifice her role as a loyal wife, wonderful mother,
and respectable member of society. I look forward to learning more about gender roles in Jordan and how women actually feel about them. I like to consider myself open minded but know that many of the ideas I have about the Middle-East, and women's' rights more specifically, are based off of stereotypes propagated by the media.
I could spend the next two and a half months doing nothing
but researching the Middle East, but that still would not really prepare me for
this. Don’t get me wrong, I have
already been gifted 4 ginormous books including an autobiography by Queen Noor,
a book on the history of Islam, Thomas Friedman’s From Beirut to Jerusalem (a
history and analysis of Jews and Arabs in the Middle East), and Our Last
Best Chance: A story of war and peace by King Abdullah II. I plan on
reading all of these. But still, I think it can be advantageous that I don’t
know a lot. That sounds silly, but going into a culture thinking that you know
just about everything because you have read x number of books and got an x
grade point average from x university studying x culture can result in
pre-conceived notions and unfulfilled expectations. I like going into this with
a fresh perspective, an open mind. I have no grandiose dreams of
single-handedly solving the world’s problems, but if by the end of my service I
can come home knowing that I have made even the smallest change in someone
else’s life, I will consider my aspirations fulfilled. So here I go, with few
guarantees other than that the learning curve will be high, the food will be
good, and that Seattle will still be here when I get back.
