My roommate, Beverly, is from Namibia. We spend hours discussing similarities and differences--scouting uniforms and time zones, electronics and wildlife, governments and money, morning songs and lullabies. She cannot believe that I have never seen the deer-like creature depicted on Namibian currency. "I bet you've never seen these animals," I say, showing her pictures of raccoons, possums, and armadillos. "They are so ugly!" she says. We laugh. They are ugly. "This one curls up into a ball?" "Yeah," I say. When she tells me her brother's hero is Abraham Lincoln, I give her the shiniest penny in my wallet and promise to give her a five-dollar bill the next time I get change.
Maria and Kate from Ukraine have been teaching me some Russian phrases. At first I felt silly when I mispronounce a word, but they understand how different our languages are and tell me to keep trying. I do. I feel amazing when I say the words correctly. I even practice saying the words while I'm in the shower.
These are only a few examples of the wonderful experiences I've had talking to people at this conference. If you want to foster understanding and acceptance in the world, all you have to do is get people from different cultures in one room together. This is what WAGGGS wants to achieve. Now that I have made friends from almost every continent, I want to make the world a better place for all of us.
No comments:
Post a Comment