To know or read more about the creator, check out Ryan's blog
Tuesday, June 17, 2014
Peace Corps The Gambia- Night and Day, by Ryan B.
To know or read more about the creator, check out Ryan's blog
Saturday, June 7, 2014
Transitions; Re-adjustment in the Western World
This post will be broken up into sub-segments organizing thoughts reactions and revelations from post service as well as travel tips recommendations and insights.
"Renewed" in the "New World"
Well, I thought all the tears had fallen. I had a very interesting reaction once we had finally checked into our hostel in Barcelona (Urbany Hostel). We had scraped a few hours of sleep here and there on our Gambia Bird flight (which was great! They served us dinner and breakfast as well as freequent beverages. A welcome change from the discount airlines we normally fly like Vueling). We came back to Urbany because we were impressed with the location accomodation and staff. Marta remembered us and it was nice to feel like we were seeing old friends at a place we only visited shortly over a year ago.
Daniel went down to use the restroom before we ventured out to seek out breakfast. Both our tummies seemed a bit unsettled. As I sat on the soft cushy furniture in the cool (in every sense of the word) atmosphere, I started to feel that all too familiar compulsion, the tightness in the chest, warm stinging feeling in the eyes, the catching of my breath as tears wanted to come.
It's funny, for most of my service I spent hours day dreaming to be anywhere but where I was, imagining it would be better. I guess the grass truly is greener, even in West Africa (but literally greener and plentier in England). It must have all hit me, and continued to do so in waves that it was really over and that we were back. I think part of the tears was fear and unsureness of being back. There were so many odd freedoms living in West Africa allotted that the West doesn't seem to. Mostly the freedom of being an anomolie. No matter how hard you try, you are likely to stand out in any place as vastly different from your home as Gambia can be to the U.S. After embracing the fact that you will always stand out and be a bit weird, no matter how integrated you become, there's a certain relief that you don't have to try so hard to fit in. You are who you are and while you can't express every part of that in certain countries (dress, public displays of affection, etc) you have the peace of mind of knowing that and the comfort to share and hold back as you please.
We walked a block or two away from the hostel and had some breakfast. I was a wreck. The tears had come and continued to fall. I felt like a fish out of water. I didn't necessarily want to go back to Gambia but didn't know what to make of where I was or how to be.
But a balance of bridging that Peace Corps self and former self and post Peace Corps self comes together over time.
London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh (stay out of the dungeons!)
We had there in London four days or so. Cardiff two. And Edinburgh three. Seeing the green country and rolling hills by train as we came into town from Stanstead brought to mind only one word, idylic. It really is. Cute cottages, cottage fences, beautiful trees (even bamboo!), quaint farms and lovely flat boats on the canals or rivers that wind through the country like termite trails on walls.
We were supposed to meet my brother that day but circumstances and fate must have been against us. Without phones, we were unsure of time (even though we were at a train station) and unclear where to go and had no smart phone to guide us through it. But we caught up with him later in London which was fantastic. He took us out to dinner at a pub near the Hard Rock Cafe which we originally wanted but it was too packed.
London was overwhelming to say the least. We were met with grey overcast clouds and rain. We bought an overpriced umbrella we never used and lost it on our bus to Cardiff.
We ambled through parks and busy famous looking streets. Suppressed the urge to say "Salaam Aliekum" every where we went. And treated ourselves to a night out in the theater. We watched The Body Guard from cheapish seats. A fantastic performance with outstanding vocals.
He hit up Soho, of course, and tired ourselves out well and good before reaching Edinburgh.
Edinburgh is lovely as well. Kickass hostel was fantastic with an overly friendly and helpful staff. A fun city to walk though more spread and more hilly. But smaller and more manageable. We checked out the castle from the admission free side, went on a free walking tour and checked out the Cafe famous for housing some of J.K. Rowlings first draftings of Harry Potter.
We ended with a Double Dead tour which I don't recommend. It was interesting history but mostly the tour seems to exist to frighten you. So if you want to be, you can maybe be. It was a bit spooky but I'm pretty sure the ghost noises were sound effects...
Highlights: The Holyrood 9A- A fantastic spot for a delicious burger and micro brewed beer. Cozy pub-like atmosphere near Holyrood Castle
The Bongo Club was super fun. Different styles of music in different rooms. A small cover charge, especially when visiting with a pub crawl from your hostel.
Then for a nice whiskey tasting, try The Albanach. Cozy, nice building on a cobbled stoned street. They have food, apparently. None that we tasted though. We got there late on a cold rain spitting night but left warm from the service and whiskey.
Some tips for eating out- I still don't quite understand the proper eating out etiquette in Europe. In most places it seems that you go up to order for yourself, pay at once, and then bring whatever it is back to a table. That's more for drinks. With food there seems to be waiters and waitresses. At the Albanach though we felt foolish siting at a table looking hopefully up to the kind people behind the bar. Eventually we just went up to the bar and sat down where they were more than happy to serve us. For the bill or check, you always have to ask. Otherwise it never seems to come nor be offered. Whereas my first dining experience in the states, we got our bill right after we got our food.... I think I like the European way better. You feel less rushed and more welcome.
Cardiff was wedged between London and Edinburgh. We just went to visit a friend of mine I met from a CELTA class out of Prague four years prior. Carol and Steve were tremendous hosts to us. It was nice to get into the neighborhoods and stay in a proper home after the hostel.
Greeting is good!
People in the Western world seem to be taken aback a bit when you genuinely greet them and ask them how they are. We have been getting the most positive reactions from doing this. Approaching people with a smile and "hi, how are you?" and meaning it seems to melt any social tension that existed prior to the interaction. Some people brush it off of course but some seem absolutely lifted by the minor social subtle interest. Maybe people are always only asked questions where all forms of "hello" have gotten lost in the rush of finding out what you need to know. I'm not sure. But greeting is good. Just one seems to suffice. It's sad to think how disconnected we all have become to each other in the West. And seems to have some negative outcomes. I'm not sure if the school shootings and what seems to be obsessive drug use is a result of lack of community but I can't help but think that's where much of the depression and social angst comes from. Poorer people seem 50 times happier socially than what I see here in the West.
The Netherlands
Or Lowlands I believe. Water is everywhere! They are the true masters of damming and canal-ing in Holland. It is so neat to see how they have been able to build a city on land that is mostly just above or just below sea level.
Amsterdam is a fun place. We didn't smoke once which was kind of funny but had a fantastic time all the same. We did touristy things like the Rijksmusem and canal boat tour, Hard Rock Cafe, and The Hague (tour of Parliament!).
People in Holland seemed so happy, friendly, and nice. It was quite refreshing. Not that people in the U.K. weren't nice. They were. But they didn't seem as excited to answer questions and be helpful as they did in The Netherlands. Although we met a couple of lovely and overly helpful gals in Edinburgh...
Liepzig, Berlin, and Frankfut
Liepzig is a little hidden gem of North East Germany. We had such a blast being hosted by our friend Erin who is studying at MPI there. Things are much more affordable this end of Europe (ice cream cone for one euro!), people are friendly, and it's beautiful.
Berlin is full of history, obviously. The train system took some time to comprehend but after a couple of rounds we were getting to be pretty good at it. You have the U lines, S lines, buses, trains, etc..
One of the best things we did in Berlin, I think, was the Third Reich Tour. Sadie did a fantastic job passionately retelling the history of Hitler and Nazi occupied Germany, how it came to be, how it was, and how it could be again. The tour took us to monuments erected for the people that lost the most in that time, historical buildings and sites, and ended appropriately in a neighborhood where three golden squares etched into the pavement mention the names of Jews that were taken from their former residence to be held and killed in concentration camps. I highly recommend this tour for anyone. It reminds us that hatred and intolerance still exists today and that if we aren't careful a scary megalomaniac could perhaps take hold again. That it's sometimes too easy to keep quiet and protect yourself as is ones instinct and nature, while others are oppressed and wronged. This happens everyday in fact in various places all over the world, including here in the U.S. as people turn away from people that are different from themselves.
Our last train to Frankfurt was rather sad. Daniel , my travel mate and new-found best friend who I had been serving and traveling together with on and off the last two years, were coming to an end of our adventures together, for now. We treated ourselves and stayed in a hotel in Frankfurt our last night. He left in the early morning and I followed later in the afternoon.
The flight was smooth. After nearly 24 hours of being awake, I found myself in my Mom's arms after nearly 27 months apart. It was a happy tear laden reunion.
Immediate reflections on being home
I was a bit jet lagged but seem to be OK after a day. Any meal out seems to fill me up for 12 hours at the least... much more than what rice could do which seemed to last at most thirty minutes!
I find that I feel I need odd things that are hard to find to feel comfortable including instant nescafe packs and milk powder...
Greeting and a general interest in people still seems to go a long way here.
Driving everywhere versus walking is disappointing but the city of Phoenix really isn't built for walking. But I miss it. We walked everywhere in Europe. Sometimes we took trains and trams but for the most part cities were quite walkable. I think I'll miss that a lot as Fairbanks also isn't very walkable.
Portions in the States are HUGE. Even a cup of tea can be a little kettle and 2-cup size mug!
Wiping with toilet paper alone isn't clean enough... I realized that in Europe too. I'm going to have to keep up the habit of wiping with water. It sounds gross, maybe, but I think it's much more hygienic. Washing with soap and water thoroughly ought to undue any grossness there.
Why it's awkward...
Leaving Peace Corps is just awkward somehow. The best guess I have for it is this-
joining Peace Corps is a bit awkward itself. It takes time to learn the culture, Peace Corps culture even, and new way of life. After some time you get into it and you aren't alone. You go through this with all other volunteers you serve with. Whether you like each other or not you have this community of support. When you leave Peace Corps, you leave somehow changed. You aren't who you were when you joined. You are that plus the little things you adopted from your country of service. And, you are without that strong network of support, so it feels. You are diluted back into mainstream this or that without a strong sense of community which you had in your country of service. Your community is there but maybe they are too busy for you because they are working or doing what they are doing. Socializing is no longer a priority...
It's awkward also because coming back feels all too familiar. It doesn't feel super weird which seems a bit weird. You can easily fall back into it if you like but part of you feels like it betrays the PCV you became to just fall back into things. But I don't think it is. You are always that RPCV. Your service is always in the background of your being in what you do and think without it being the forefront of conversation or the flashy clothes of your attire.
At any rate it can be difficult to find your place again after Peace Corps. One can almost feel that the only community they really belong is the RPCV community. But just as it took time to establish a sense of home abroad I imagine it takes some time to get back into that sense once actually home.
For whatever it means, I'm home for now. May the adventures continue! And may we continue to be friendly peaceful and tolerant of our fellow human beings no matter their traits, backgrounds, or heritage.
Peace.
Some other potentially useful travel tips and websites:
For cheap flights try, Momondo
For trains in Germany go to, Deutsche Bahn
For trains in UK try, Virgin trains
For buses in UK and Europe you have, Megabus
and National Express
Buses in Germany, Meinfern bus
Other travel options though we didn't try it, just heard of it: carpooling
Hostels and hotels: Hostel world
Also couches, Air bnb, and of course you can always try to see what's on Craigslist.
Do your travel research and enjoy your trip!
"Renewed" in the "New World"
Well, I thought all the tears had fallen. I had a very interesting reaction once we had finally checked into our hostel in Barcelona (Urbany Hostel). We had scraped a few hours of sleep here and there on our Gambia Bird flight (which was great! They served us dinner and breakfast as well as freequent beverages. A welcome change from the discount airlines we normally fly like Vueling). We came back to Urbany because we were impressed with the location accomodation and staff. Marta remembered us and it was nice to feel like we were seeing old friends at a place we only visited shortly over a year ago.
Daniel went down to use the restroom before we ventured out to seek out breakfast. Both our tummies seemed a bit unsettled. As I sat on the soft cushy furniture in the cool (in every sense of the word) atmosphere, I started to feel that all too familiar compulsion, the tightness in the chest, warm stinging feeling in the eyes, the catching of my breath as tears wanted to come.
It's funny, for most of my service I spent hours day dreaming to be anywhere but where I was, imagining it would be better. I guess the grass truly is greener, even in West Africa (but literally greener and plentier in England). It must have all hit me, and continued to do so in waves that it was really over and that we were back. I think part of the tears was fear and unsureness of being back. There were so many odd freedoms living in West Africa allotted that the West doesn't seem to. Mostly the freedom of being an anomolie. No matter how hard you try, you are likely to stand out in any place as vastly different from your home as Gambia can be to the U.S. After embracing the fact that you will always stand out and be a bit weird, no matter how integrated you become, there's a certain relief that you don't have to try so hard to fit in. You are who you are and while you can't express every part of that in certain countries (dress, public displays of affection, etc) you have the peace of mind of knowing that and the comfort to share and hold back as you please.
We walked a block or two away from the hostel and had some breakfast. I was a wreck. The tears had come and continued to fall. I felt like a fish out of water. I didn't necessarily want to go back to Gambia but didn't know what to make of where I was or how to be.
But a balance of bridging that Peace Corps self and former self and post Peace Corps self comes together over time.
London, Cardiff, and Edinburgh (stay out of the dungeons!)
We had there in London four days or so. Cardiff two. And Edinburgh three. Seeing the green country and rolling hills by train as we came into town from Stanstead brought to mind only one word, idylic. It really is. Cute cottages, cottage fences, beautiful trees (even bamboo!), quaint farms and lovely flat boats on the canals or rivers that wind through the country like termite trails on walls.
We were supposed to meet my brother that day but circumstances and fate must have been against us. Without phones, we were unsure of time (even though we were at a train station) and unclear where to go and had no smart phone to guide us through it. But we caught up with him later in London which was fantastic. He took us out to dinner at a pub near the Hard Rock Cafe which we originally wanted but it was too packed.
London was overwhelming to say the least. We were met with grey overcast clouds and rain. We bought an overpriced umbrella we never used and lost it on our bus to Cardiff.
We ambled through parks and busy famous looking streets. Suppressed the urge to say "Salaam Aliekum" every where we went. And treated ourselves to a night out in the theater. We watched The Body Guard from cheapish seats. A fantastic performance with outstanding vocals.
He hit up Soho, of course, and tired ourselves out well and good before reaching Edinburgh.
Edinburgh is lovely as well. Kickass hostel was fantastic with an overly friendly and helpful staff. A fun city to walk though more spread and more hilly. But smaller and more manageable. We checked out the castle from the admission free side, went on a free walking tour and checked out the Cafe famous for housing some of J.K. Rowlings first draftings of Harry Potter.
We ended with a Double Dead tour which I don't recommend. It was interesting history but mostly the tour seems to exist to frighten you. So if you want to be, you can maybe be. It was a bit spooky but I'm pretty sure the ghost noises were sound effects...
Highlights: The Holyrood 9A- A fantastic spot for a delicious burger and micro brewed beer. Cozy pub-like atmosphere near Holyrood Castle
The Bongo Club was super fun. Different styles of music in different rooms. A small cover charge, especially when visiting with a pub crawl from your hostel.
Then for a nice whiskey tasting, try The Albanach. Cozy, nice building on a cobbled stoned street. They have food, apparently. None that we tasted though. We got there late on a cold rain spitting night but left warm from the service and whiskey.
Some tips for eating out- I still don't quite understand the proper eating out etiquette in Europe. In most places it seems that you go up to order for yourself, pay at once, and then bring whatever it is back to a table. That's more for drinks. With food there seems to be waiters and waitresses. At the Albanach though we felt foolish siting at a table looking hopefully up to the kind people behind the bar. Eventually we just went up to the bar and sat down where they were more than happy to serve us. For the bill or check, you always have to ask. Otherwise it never seems to come nor be offered. Whereas my first dining experience in the states, we got our bill right after we got our food.... I think I like the European way better. You feel less rushed and more welcome.
Cardiff was wedged between London and Edinburgh. We just went to visit a friend of mine I met from a CELTA class out of Prague four years prior. Carol and Steve were tremendous hosts to us. It was nice to get into the neighborhoods and stay in a proper home after the hostel.
Greeting is good!
People in the Western world seem to be taken aback a bit when you genuinely greet them and ask them how they are. We have been getting the most positive reactions from doing this. Approaching people with a smile and "hi, how are you?" and meaning it seems to melt any social tension that existed prior to the interaction. Some people brush it off of course but some seem absolutely lifted by the minor social subtle interest. Maybe people are always only asked questions where all forms of "hello" have gotten lost in the rush of finding out what you need to know. I'm not sure. But greeting is good. Just one seems to suffice. It's sad to think how disconnected we all have become to each other in the West. And seems to have some negative outcomes. I'm not sure if the school shootings and what seems to be obsessive drug use is a result of lack of community but I can't help but think that's where much of the depression and social angst comes from. Poorer people seem 50 times happier socially than what I see here in the West.
The Netherlands
Or Lowlands I believe. Water is everywhere! They are the true masters of damming and canal-ing in Holland. It is so neat to see how they have been able to build a city on land that is mostly just above or just below sea level.
Amsterdam is a fun place. We didn't smoke once which was kind of funny but had a fantastic time all the same. We did touristy things like the Rijksmusem and canal boat tour, Hard Rock Cafe, and The Hague (tour of Parliament!).
People in Holland seemed so happy, friendly, and nice. It was quite refreshing. Not that people in the U.K. weren't nice. They were. But they didn't seem as excited to answer questions and be helpful as they did in The Netherlands. Although we met a couple of lovely and overly helpful gals in Edinburgh...
Liepzig, Berlin, and Frankfut
Liepzig is a little hidden gem of North East Germany. We had such a blast being hosted by our friend Erin who is studying at MPI there. Things are much more affordable this end of Europe (ice cream cone for one euro!), people are friendly, and it's beautiful.
Berlin is full of history, obviously. The train system took some time to comprehend but after a couple of rounds we were getting to be pretty good at it. You have the U lines, S lines, buses, trains, etc..
One of the best things we did in Berlin, I think, was the Third Reich Tour. Sadie did a fantastic job passionately retelling the history of Hitler and Nazi occupied Germany, how it came to be, how it was, and how it could be again. The tour took us to monuments erected for the people that lost the most in that time, historical buildings and sites, and ended appropriately in a neighborhood where three golden squares etched into the pavement mention the names of Jews that were taken from their former residence to be held and killed in concentration camps. I highly recommend this tour for anyone. It reminds us that hatred and intolerance still exists today and that if we aren't careful a scary megalomaniac could perhaps take hold again. That it's sometimes too easy to keep quiet and protect yourself as is ones instinct and nature, while others are oppressed and wronged. This happens everyday in fact in various places all over the world, including here in the U.S. as people turn away from people that are different from themselves.
Our last train to Frankfurt was rather sad. Daniel , my travel mate and new-found best friend who I had been serving and traveling together with on and off the last two years, were coming to an end of our adventures together, for now. We treated ourselves and stayed in a hotel in Frankfurt our last night. He left in the early morning and I followed later in the afternoon.
The flight was smooth. After nearly 24 hours of being awake, I found myself in my Mom's arms after nearly 27 months apart. It was a happy tear laden reunion.
Immediate reflections on being home
I was a bit jet lagged but seem to be OK after a day. Any meal out seems to fill me up for 12 hours at the least... much more than what rice could do which seemed to last at most thirty minutes!
I find that I feel I need odd things that are hard to find to feel comfortable including instant nescafe packs and milk powder...
Greeting and a general interest in people still seems to go a long way here.
Driving everywhere versus walking is disappointing but the city of Phoenix really isn't built for walking. But I miss it. We walked everywhere in Europe. Sometimes we took trains and trams but for the most part cities were quite walkable. I think I'll miss that a lot as Fairbanks also isn't very walkable.
Portions in the States are HUGE. Even a cup of tea can be a little kettle and 2-cup size mug!
Wiping with toilet paper alone isn't clean enough... I realized that in Europe too. I'm going to have to keep up the habit of wiping with water. It sounds gross, maybe, but I think it's much more hygienic. Washing with soap and water thoroughly ought to undue any grossness there.
Why it's awkward...
Leaving Peace Corps is just awkward somehow. The best guess I have for it is this-
joining Peace Corps is a bit awkward itself. It takes time to learn the culture, Peace Corps culture even, and new way of life. After some time you get into it and you aren't alone. You go through this with all other volunteers you serve with. Whether you like each other or not you have this community of support. When you leave Peace Corps, you leave somehow changed. You aren't who you were when you joined. You are that plus the little things you adopted from your country of service. And, you are without that strong network of support, so it feels. You are diluted back into mainstream this or that without a strong sense of community which you had in your country of service. Your community is there but maybe they are too busy for you because they are working or doing what they are doing. Socializing is no longer a priority...
It's awkward also because coming back feels all too familiar. It doesn't feel super weird which seems a bit weird. You can easily fall back into it if you like but part of you feels like it betrays the PCV you became to just fall back into things. But I don't think it is. You are always that RPCV. Your service is always in the background of your being in what you do and think without it being the forefront of conversation or the flashy clothes of your attire.
At any rate it can be difficult to find your place again after Peace Corps. One can almost feel that the only community they really belong is the RPCV community. But just as it took time to establish a sense of home abroad I imagine it takes some time to get back into that sense once actually home.
For whatever it means, I'm home for now. May the adventures continue! And may we continue to be friendly peaceful and tolerant of our fellow human beings no matter their traits, backgrounds, or heritage.
Peace.
Some other potentially useful travel tips and websites:
For cheap flights try, Momondo
For trains in Germany go to, Deutsche Bahn
For trains in UK try, Virgin trains
For buses in UK and Europe you have, Megabus
and National Express
Buses in Germany, Meinfern bus
Other travel options though we didn't try it, just heard of it: carpooling
Hostels and hotels: Hostel world
Also couches, Air bnb, and of course you can always try to see what's on Craigslist.
Do your travel research and enjoy your trip!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)