How Your Inner Nomad Fights Back

Modern Me: Everyone does it.

Nomad Me: But it's just embarrassing. I could never do that!

Modern Me: But this is America. Poeple do it all the time.

Nomad Me: But no one needs to know what mine look like!

Modern Me: You did it in France. Have you already forgotten that?

Nomad Me: But that was in the laundry room. This is different. Really, I just can't!

Modern Me: Grow up Grace!

This debate took place on Wednesday afternoon. I had just spent $1.5 to do my laundry and was hardly ready to fork over another $1.5 in quarters to use the dryer. So as the complacent global nomad who's all to prepared to "make a plan," the clothesline it was. But after so many years in Africa and especially after living in Islamabad...well...lets just say I was not about to display my...uh...unmentionables.

"Everyone does it." said my roommate. "I mean, it's not like a secret or anything and no one else lives down here."

Inside, I cringed. "I'm sorry, but I've lived in more conservative cultures and I just can't hang my underwear out for all the world to see. That's just wrong." In my mind, I was vividly remembering being 16 living in Kenya and having a male classmate mock my girlfriends who hung their "flags" on the clothesline "like it was the UN."

The inner global nomad is still small voice inside your head. He's ingrained in you. He's inched his way under your skin and is going to dictate your behavior without you even knowing it. The inner nomad represents any collection of habits and cultural norms from any country that decide to stick with you. The inner nomad pricked me several times this past week. I saw several Afghan men this week and I quickly buttoned the top two buttons on my shirt and questioned my use of shorts as everyday attire. I met several Kenyans and instantly returned their question in my own faux Kenyan accent. I saw my fellow student teasing one of our instructors and was aghast at their "lack of respect for authority." I called the trash can, "the bin." I explicitly told people my parents are from upstate New York. I defended the weather in the southern hemisphere. I was ballistic with joy when I found couscous. And perhaps most embarrassingly, I was corrected in public that a "PE-can" is actually a "peek-UN" (how would I know that?).

Yes the inner-nomad can take over. It's not such a bad thing. I've learned to be okay with his chatter. In my own way, I don't want him to leave because if he does, I'll feel disconnected with so many things I value about my overseas life. So I'm just going to hang certain items in my closet to dry.

How Summer Peacebuilders Can be Hilarious

These are some of my favorite SPI moments thus far.

1) At lunch:
Female Pakistani participant holds up a poppy/onion bagel: "What's this?"
Me: "It's a special kind of American bread. It's best if you put it in the toaster. You have to cut it first."
Female participant, frowning: "Help me, please."
Me, after cutting it and handing it back.
Female participant holds the bagel, picks at the inside of the bagel, examines the texture and shudders horrified.
Me: "It's best if you put it in the toaster and we spread this stuff called cream cheese on it. It's really good, you have to try it."
Female participant shoves half the bagel in my hands, frowning: "I don't want this."


2) Discussing movie night for the participants:
Bill: "I have tons of movies at home we could watch, like Princess Bride or Chitty Chitty Bang Bang."
Me: "I hate that movie! It's awful! We can't subject our participants to that!"
Val: "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, really?"
Me: "It's so annoying!"
Bill: "That's it, you're fired."
Val: "Well in the past, participants like to watch a movie that addresses some issue which they discuss afterwards."
Bill: "That's why I said Wall-E."
Val: "Well..."
Bill: "It's all about environmental degradation."
Val: "Or we could post a list of option and let the participants pick what they're most interested in watching."

3) Discussion registration:
Val: "So no one had any housing issues or anything?"
Me: "Nope, I think everyone is pretty happy."
Kevin: "That or you're just intimidating."

4) At registration Monday morning:
Me: "I'm lodging and housing so if you have any problems let me know."
Participant: "Oh!! I already talked to the health person and I told them I'm diabetic but I can take care of it."
Me: "Okay, great, good to know!"

Other semi-comical episodes included:

• My supervisor (or one of three) setting her scarf on fire the opening ceremony
• Accidentally entering the mall through the lingerie section of JC Penny's with several Middle-Eastern Muslim men
• Waiting up till 5am for a faculty member to arrive in from Fiji (this actually wasn't that funny)
• Manning various explanations for room changes ("she talks on her phone late at night"). This is where I wish I'd taken mediation and/or facilitation
• The constant battle with the never ending spring rain (and my bike adventures back and forth from residence, work, dorm, and information desk)
• And last but not least, working in an office with three hilarious people who talk to themselves continually and who's random thoughts intersect in such bizarre places I'm always amused. SPI is the most fun I've had in a long time. And the funny thing is, I'm on staff. I'm actually working.