Cultural Exchange

Sunday, September 25^th, 2011

               When you are living in another country you need to re-learn everything which had long since become part of a well known and fully established “routine.”  Communication, attitudes, daily habits, diet, structure of a workday, cultural norms, and thought processes are all vastly different from what we have become accustomed to.  Despite the frustrations that may come with being unable to ask a simple question, and at times being totally reliant on others, that is the beauty of an experience like this one.  It brings you to a new world entirely outside yourself.  I have travelled to many places, eaten the food, seen the landscapes, and talked to various people from around the world.  However, nothing compares to actually living with those same people and fully experiencing what it is like to walk a mile in their shoes.  Knowing you won’t be going home in a week or ten days makes a world of difference. 

               You are forced to learn.  Communication in almost every aspect is difficult.  You can gesture to indicate that you are hungry, but letting someone know that the hot water in your shower isn’t working is quite difficult.  Things that we often take for granted, i.e., the ability to communicate freely and easily, can be sorely missed.  The expectation to have a workday flow like clockwork runs by the wayside as every day seems amorphous and reactionary.  At home we have the ability to have all of our whims and fleeting desires satisfied; if you want to drink a beer while eating fried chicken, bowling, and watching football, you can surely find an establishment to meet your needs.  Here in Iraq, the availability of options is quite limited.  For 26 years I have known no other weekend but Saturday and Sunday; now, my weekend is Friday and Saturday.  Although it can be frustrating, I would be remiss if it was not difficult.  Frustration is a clear indication that things are truly different, and that is exactly what I was looking for. 

               Having an open mind, always seeking to improve, and wanting to become a “student of the world” are qualities that I admire in others and strive to maintain in myself.  The American way is not utopian, and such xenophobic attitudes should be quickly dismissed.  Every culture has its own strengths and weaknesses.  It is through cultural exchange and dialogue that we can continue to re-define success, hone our methods of attaining it, and challenge our own values to find truth.  I have already learned a great deal from the Kurdish people and there is no doubt that this year will prove to be a worthy teacher.     I can only hope that they learn as much from me as I will from them.