Think of your favorite celebrity. That one you obsess about and wish you knew in real life. Do you have one in mind? Good. Now get excited. They are moving to your town. What do you do? Stalk them? Try to be their friend? Note their every move and talk about it constantly?
Surprise! You are that celebrity in a small village in Africa. This was a cross-cultural exercise we did during training and its very accurate. As the only white person in our respective communities (for the most part) we are constant focuses of attention. Everything we do is talked about. People start rumors about us, and about the people who associate with us frequently. People try to do us favors to get in our good graces. Or steal insignificant things just to have something that belonged to us. And everyone, everyone wants a picture with you. Even if its on your camera and they will never see it.
This constant attention gives us a real platform to enact change or to enrage locals. In a culture far removed from our own the line between Paris Hilton and Princess Diana is thinner than you might think. Plus, just because she was Princess Di, doesn't mean the tabloids didn't try to come up with all the dirt they could. And when they couldn't they lied.
* Just though this was a short peak into my life. :) *
No comments:
Post a Comment