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.