Georgetown

Tuesday, June 8, 2010: Day 122

We flew into Georgetown on Sunday and were overwhelmed by the noise, people, and cars.  We met up with some other volunteers, grabbed burgers and fries at the one burger place, and slept quite nicely in our huge hotel with two beds, a flushing toilet, air conditioning, and a shower big enough to hold four people.

We spent the past two days in a cross-cultural workshop with a wondeful woman from headquarters in Washington D.C., volunteers that came in a year or two ahead of us, and Peace Corps Guyana staff.  We discussed challenged PC Guyana staff face in cross cultural training during our PST (pre-service training).  It was great to hear the feedback from other PC volunteers as well as give our own, and to hear the staff talk about their own struggles.  It's no easy feat getting a group of volunteers ready to take on community development with the help of people from another culture. 

We saw a great illustration for anyone working with someone from a different background.  It's a dual iceberg illustrating how below the surface where the icebergs hit, we clash.  It's exactly how Paul and I have been feeling.  Now only is it difficult for us to learn and understand another culture, but for our village to do the same with us.  It made me want to be a part of training next spring with Guy 23.