Over the years I have continued to search for that most perfect and appropriate sound-bite answer. An answer that is quick, to the point, encompassing and thought-provoking, all at the same time.
An answer that can be given in the time it takes an elevator to get from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor of any building. The answer has continued to elude me, until now.
The lightening strike happened in Aura, Uganda. There I was, sitting outside enjoying some coffee and listening to the noises that naturally occur in MSF Compounds all over the world: birds chirping, dogs
barking, children yelling, roosters welcoming in the morning, compound dwellers stirring, the low hum of generators coming from the non-MSF compounds, and guards laughing and gossiping with one another in the exact same way they do all over the world. Just one more perfect morning in Africa. Joining me that morning was David, a welder from Kampala. During a moment’s lull in the morning music, David looked over at me and asked, “So, what is different in America?”
I’m not sure why I didn’t feel that sense of being “whelmed” the way I have in the past. Maybe it was because I did not sense from David any expectations or a desire to be awed by what would be said next. Maybe it was because the question had been asked from a completely different perspective and often, answers are found only after changing your point of view.
When going on a first assignment to Kenya, I was prepared to experience the wave after wave of culture shocks one would anticipate when moving from the US to Africa. In hindsight, the waves weren’t much different from the waves of culture shock I experienced when moving from San Francisco to Albuquerque. In both cases the landscapes, styles of dress, languages, accents, traffic patterns, road conditions, and food, were all quite different. But after a few weeks, one adjusts to their environment. Soon, depending on where you happen to be, it just makes sense to put green chile on everything you eat or it just seems natural to see elephants and antelope off in the distance as you drive to the field office. In time, the differences normalize and become a part of the routine.
Now I find that when travelling, what fascinates me more than the differences are the similarities; particularly the similarities between people from different cultures and backgrounds. Whether at home, at work, in transition, or wherever they happen to be people are fundamentally the same and I just don’t know why I find that so incredible. At home we have family and friends that love us; we have family and friends we love; and we have obligations. At work we want to be respected and acknowledged; we want to make a living so we can make a life; and we want to be challenged so we can grow. In transition, which let’s face it is all the time, we have our own fears, doubts and insecurities yet we never stop seeking, hoping and dreaming. And wherever we may be there is always the potential for belly laughs, crocodile tears, lost patience, gained awareness, and the many other emotions that accompany life.
Don’t get me wrong. The differences will continue to take my breath away. The similarities however give me that sense of being connected to the world around me.
Of course this as an answer to the original question does not meet the sound-bite criteria. An answer like this would generate far too many opinions and if we were in a short building, we would be stuck in the elevator for some time. So, after David asked “how is it different in America?” it took an extra sip of coffee and a few moments to get the answer just right and when I gave David the answer he looked at me in complete awe. “Electricity,” I told him, “all day, everyday”. Originally posted with .www.hrcsuite.com
People who know me have stopped asking “So, what is different in Africa?” They have stopped asking not because they don’t want to know but because they have consistently been disappointed with my lack of an awe inspiring answer. The truth is that I have also been disappointed with my answers. Statistically speaking, not many people get to experience Africa in any meaningful capacity. I however have had the fortunate to have lived and worked in three different African countries. By some standards this experience makes me an African expert. By other standards this experience is insignificant and I should keep my opinions to myself.
When speaking with those who consider me an expert, I feel there is a level of responsibility that accompanies such fortune. This includes sharing the stories and learnings I have gathered along the way, encouraging people to add Africa to their vacation short-list, and perhaps even changing a misinformed opinion or two. Despite having a full awareness of this responsibility, the best response I have come up with so far has been, “Jeesh, where to begin? What did you do last weekend?”
I think the difficulty is that I am quite simply overwhelmed with the possibilities. Each person who asks should be given an answer custom-made just for them that hits at their hot spots. Also, the context in which the question is asked must be considered: are we in line at the coffee shop? Is the roast almost ready to be taken out of the oven and company arriving soon? Exactly how interested is the person in actually listening to the answer and how much time do they have? These thoughts, combined with the endless possibilities and the need for quick thinking just makes it all so overwhelming.
www.catherinecarr.global
#springdeep
An answer that can be given in the time it takes an elevator to get from the 1st floor to the 3rd floor of any building. The answer has continued to elude me, until now.
The lightening strike happened in Aura, Uganda. There I was, sitting outside enjoying some coffee and listening to the noises that naturally occur in MSF Compounds all over the world: birds chirping, dogs
barking, children yelling, roosters welcoming in the morning, compound dwellers stirring, the low hum of generators coming from the non-MSF compounds, and guards laughing and gossiping with one another in the exact same way they do all over the world. Just one more perfect morning in Africa. Joining me that morning was David, a welder from Kampala. During a moment’s lull in the morning music, David looked over at me and asked, “So, what is different in America?”
I’m not sure why I didn’t feel that sense of being “whelmed” the way I have in the past. Maybe it was because I did not sense from David any expectations or a desire to be awed by what would be said next. Maybe it was because the question had been asked from a completely different perspective and often, answers are found only after changing your point of view.
When going on a first assignment to Kenya, I was prepared to experience the wave after wave of culture shocks one would anticipate when moving from the US to Africa. In hindsight, the waves weren’t much different from the waves of culture shock I experienced when moving from San Francisco to Albuquerque. In both cases the landscapes, styles of dress, languages, accents, traffic patterns, road conditions, and food, were all quite different. But after a few weeks, one adjusts to their environment. Soon, depending on where you happen to be, it just makes sense to put green chile on everything you eat or it just seems natural to see elephants and antelope off in the distance as you drive to the field office. In time, the differences normalize and become a part of the routine.
Now I find that when travelling, what fascinates me more than the differences are the similarities; particularly the similarities between people from different cultures and backgrounds. Whether at home, at work, in transition, or wherever they happen to be people are fundamentally the same and I just don’t know why I find that so incredible. At home we have family and friends that love us; we have family and friends we love; and we have obligations. At work we want to be respected and acknowledged; we want to make a living so we can make a life; and we want to be challenged so we can grow. In transition, which let’s face it is all the time, we have our own fears, doubts and insecurities yet we never stop seeking, hoping and dreaming. And wherever we may be there is always the potential for belly laughs, crocodile tears, lost patience, gained awareness, and the many other emotions that accompany life.
Don’t get me wrong. The differences will continue to take my breath away. The similarities however give me that sense of being connected to the world around me.
Of course this as an answer to the original question does not meet the sound-bite criteria. An answer like this would generate far too many opinions and if we were in a short building, we would be stuck in the elevator for some time. So, after David asked “how is it different in America?” it took an extra sip of coffee and a few moments to get the answer just right and when I gave David the answer he looked at me in complete awe. “Electricity,” I told him, “all day, everyday”. Originally posted with .www.hrcsuite.com
People who know me have stopped asking “So, what is different in Africa?” They have stopped asking not because they don’t want to know but because they have consistently been disappointed with my lack of an awe inspiring answer. The truth is that I have also been disappointed with my answers. Statistically speaking, not many people get to experience Africa in any meaningful capacity. I however have had the fortunate to have lived and worked in three different African countries. By some standards this experience makes me an African expert. By other standards this experience is insignificant and I should keep my opinions to myself.
When speaking with those who consider me an expert, I feel there is a level of responsibility that accompanies such fortune. This includes sharing the stories and learnings I have gathered along the way, encouraging people to add Africa to their vacation short-list, and perhaps even changing a misinformed opinion or two. Despite having a full awareness of this responsibility, the best response I have come up with so far has been, “Jeesh, where to begin? What did you do last weekend?”
I think the difficulty is that I am quite simply overwhelmed with the possibilities. Each person who asks should be given an answer custom-made just for them that hits at their hot spots. Also, the context in which the question is asked must be considered: are we in line at the coffee shop? Is the roast almost ready to be taken out of the oven and company arriving soon? Exactly how interested is the person in actually listening to the answer and how much time do they have? These thoughts, combined with the endless possibilities and the need for quick thinking just makes it all so overwhelming.
www.catherinecarr.global
#springdeep
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