Living, Breathing, and Eating Isaan

A big part of cultural adjustment, enjoyment, and sometimes difficulty for all of our volunteers revolves around food and the daily diet in a new environment where cuisine, traditions around eating, and available produce differ dramatically from those we are accustomed to. Below, WorldTeach Thailand volunteer Caitlyn Pisarski tells us about the food culture at her site and in her home.

 Grilled chicken, sticky rice & corn

My WorldTeach roommate Steph and I have a pretty sweet deal when it comes to living arrangements. Our Thai roommate, Pi Yok, prepares or buys our food every night so we never have to worry about where to find our next meal after a long day of teaching. This convenience does come with some setbacks (my mind wanders to the night we were served a chopped up and stir-fried frog, or when we were given raw lap, a popular Lao/Isaan meat dish with chilies and herbs) but most days the food is delicious; we even have a favorite dish we’ve come to look forward to, a savory vegetable omelet over jasmine rice, every Friday.

Yesterday, we had a typical Isaan meal (pictured above) which was purchased from the daily market: grilled chicken, a handful of sticky rice, and an ear of corn (though the chicken doesn’t always come with feet still attached!). Sticky rice and grilled meats are staples in the Isaan diet, as are fresh vegetables, soups, curries, eggs prepared in a variety of ways (omelet, fried, hard-boiled), and of course: som tam!

Som tam, rose apples, egg omelet and vegetables

Som tam, or papaya salad, is made with shredded green papaya, tomatoes, long beans, peanuts, chilies, lime, fish sauce, and sugar. It can be prepared with a variety of other ingredients and the papaya may be substituted with vegetables such as long beans or cucumbers. I eat som tam at least twice a week at school and usually once during the weekend. For me it was an acquired taste but I find myself craving it now; I’m also proud of the fact that I’ve graduated from the less-spicy anubaan (kindergarten) Thai version, teasingly named as such by Pi Tuk. I can now tolerate som tam Lao, though it still leaves my lips burning long after I’ve left the table!

One of my favorite things about the Isaan diet is the freshness of the fruits and vegetables. Second favorite thing: availability. Fresh markets are as common here as Walgreens and CVS stores are in the United States. I am also continuously amazed by the bright orange color of the beta carotene-packed egg yolks, a stark contrast to the washed-out pale yellow yolks found in the States. Food has been on my mind (more than usual) since reading Michael Pollan’s In Defense of Food and it’s hard not to draw comparisons between my diet here and in the U.S. It will be interesting as I navigate my way once again through the grocery store aisles after 1) having meals provided for me during the past year, and 2) living in a community where the closest thing to a grocery store is an open-air pavilion lined with local farmers selling their daily harvests. The transition will be note-worthy, to be sure.

Welcome to Guyana!

Our 2010 team of Guyana year-long volunteers just recently arrived in Georgetown, the country's capital, for their month-long orientation. Below, WorldTeach volunteer Alex Berry shares with us some of his first impressions of his new home away from home.

"I have had an eventful first week in Guyana. I left from JFK on Sunday night for a 6 hour flight to Georgetown, Guyana. While Guyana is normally an hour ahead of east coast time, daylight savings time is not observed so there was no time zone change. After a restless flight, the WorldTeach staff picked us up at the airport and took us to the Cyril Potter College of Education, where we are staying for orientation. CPCE is where all teachers in Guyana go for training. I think their experience is a bit different from those of their American counterparts. While CPCE is on the Georgetown power grid, there is no Georgetown city water. Rain water is collected and pumped up to holding tanks where it can be used for showers , washing clothes etc. We have been advised that in all of Guyana, the water is unsafe to drink. Across the street from CPCE is a hardware store that also is certified to sell purified water, so we fill up 10 gallon (roughly) jugs every day. The 14 of us go through about 2 jugs a day! In addition to the water situation, there are no washing machines. All washing is done by hand. We got a brief lesson on one of the first days, but today was the first day I actually did my laundry. It took me about an hour and a half to wash about half a load of laundry.

We've been pretty busy getting prepared for our year of teaching. We've talked about cultural differences, the role of the volunteer in the community, extra-curricular activities, different learning types, evaluating learning etc. We've been to Georgetown proper a few times to get the lay of the land. I think we'll have to go to Georgetown for any hard-to-find items. There are some areas where we've been advised not to go, or at least not to bring valuables into, but I've felt pretty safe on the balance.

images from Anna Regina, where Alex will be teaching

I'm getting anxious to get to my teaching site, Anna Regina. Its about 3 hours from Georgetown, and I'll have to take a cab/bus, a boat across a wide river delta, and then another cab/bus. I think I'll take a taxi the first time, just to help me manage all my luggage. Anna Regina is on the Essequibo Coast, named after the Essequibo River. It is supposed to be a pretty quiet town, which I'm looking forward to experiencing. I'll be teaching math, physics or chemistry. The school, Anna Regina Multilateral School, is supposed to be one of the best in the country. I'll report back with more details once I arrive in Anna Regina in a few weeks.

We have a wonderful group of 14 volunteers, 4 guys and 10 girls. Of the guys, 1 is from England and one is from Canada. I'll be living with the Canadian (Nova Scotian to be more exact). The girls are all from the US, pretty much from all over. There's one girl from North Carolina, so I have someone to appreciate my southern hospitality. Most of the volunteers are going to be placed either very close to Georgetown, up one river or on the coast like I will be. There is one pair who's going to be a little bit in the interior, but I think most of us were expecting to be in more demanding conditions. While I was prepared to be in a very remote area, I think I'll appreciate regular internet access and electricity as the year goes on." 

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[all photos courtesy of John Brock]

Welcome to Bangladesh! Iftar Hospitality

The latest post from Kristen Kyslinger, a WorldTeach Bangladesh volunteer (and alumnus of the WorldTeach Chile program!) gives us a glimpse into her experience celebrating Ramadan in Chittagong, where she just arrived a few weeks ago. Below, her perspective on the holiday, its hospitality, and a few delicious photos of the food she has been enjoying!

"Ramadan: I knew about it growing up, and learned a little about Islamic culture, but never has it been made so real and poignant to me until I came to Bangladesh. I had been so focused on coming during the middle/end of monsoon season, and completely skipped the fact that we would be arriving right before Ramadan.

Ramadan (or Ramjan in Bangla) is a month of fasting during the Islamic calendar year, depending on the cycle of the moon. Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset, refraining from all kinds of food and drink, even water - which is an awfully hard and inspiring thing to do, considering it is Bangladesh and so hot and humid. However, it is a time of self-restraint and good deeds, learning patience and humility and offering prayers to Allah. The five prayers of the day become especially hauntingly beautiful; I listen for them more carefully, and I start to hear the difference. Food and hunger also take on a whole new meaning. Out of respect, we do not eat or drink when we are on the streets, in cars, building hallways and grounds, or anywhere we know there are Muslims.

Ramadan also means we get to participate in the nightly feast known as Iftar. This is the nighttime meal they use to break the fast; it traditionally starts with eating a date, then escalates from there with all kinds of fried goods, rice, meats, and sweets. Buffets are set up along the streets and on every corner, offering pans and huge metal bowls of food to passersby.

Part of Ramadan and the Iftar meal is hospitality. A recent Lonely Planet article about travel during Ramadan said to accept hospitality during this time, because "a polite refusal would be crushing." While Ayla (another WorldTeach volunteer) and I were shopping tonight at Anjan's, we got invited to their nightly Iftar... and we accepted. All shops close for 15-30 minutes for Iftar, and we just happened to be there around 6:30, when the sun sets and the evening prayer goes out. Tania, a store associate and new-found friend, insisted we break the fast with them.

A bag of jalebi, which is deep-fried batter doused in syrup (or as we call it, funnel cake on crack)

a delicious dish made from goat and I don't know what else

Ayla and I took off our sandals and sat with the store associates in a huge circle. They proceeded to pass around boxes of food containing all kinds of goodies, followed by listening to the evening prayer broadcast on someone's cellphone. We then broke the fast, speaking English with Tania and her friends, and even a little bit of Bangla. A lot of the time was spent discussing our past two weeks in Chittagong, their families and work, and laughing during good-natured fun. Several of them had their phones out, taking pictures of Ayla and me - this has become common practice, as anything a Westerner does causes quite the stir. It is all borne out of a nature of curiosity, though, and never malicious.

After we finished eating, we stayed to talk with Tania more. She showed us how to wrap our headscarves, and then we exchanged bracelets as a sign of gifting and friendship - we now have two gorgeous black, gold, and silver threaded bracelets, and there is now a Bengali woman walking around with Silly Bandz (yes, you heard me right, Silly Bandz - a dinosaur and a Sleeping Beauty one, to be exact!). She also promised to invite us all over for dinner one night and introduce her family to us: her husband, Shobuj (who we met at the store), her mom, and younger brother. I cannot wait to partake in Bengali culture; this means I really need to study my Bangla!"

 Several of the male store associates across from me during Iftar

 

Me, Tania, and Ayla with several of the other store associates after Iftar

Namibia meets Katy Perry?

Meredith Baker, WorldTeach Namibia summer volunteer, gave this very special presentation on her last day of school as she wraps up her time in-country. She used Katy Perry's song, "Hot & Cold", as a fun way to teach antonyms in one of her classes. Here she is with some of her all-star students giving a first-rate performance!

"Playing for You to Get Well" in Namibia

Halfway into her year-long service, WorldTeach Namibia volunteer Julia Ho shares her students' heartwarming reaction to her being home sick from school.

"Everyday we are just looking at your house if you coming. Every morning and night I am just playing for you to get well soon."  (R's and L's! R's and L's! Drives me crazy! Sometimes Lucina spells her name "Lucina". Sometimes she writes "Rucina". There is only ONE right way to write your own name!!)

Anyway, I got a lot of "I play for you" letters this week, being out sick both Monday and Tuesday with a fever and stomach pain. I've got a little lonely planet book called "Healthy Travel: Africa" that puts into your head all kinds of terrible illnesses, but all in all it seemed like I suffered from a common 24-hour flu.

I've learned that there would be no way to fake an illness when you live with your principal as well as 30 feet from the school house. As I lay curled up in bed, not fit for human contact, pods of learners and teachers came knocking at my door. The letters were pretty darn cute: "I just want to say that don't worry about the sickness because you are 100% full of joy and loveness and be careful that if you did not taste the soil or leaf of the owamboland maybe you will get soon sick".

Or from crazy Ruusa, who long ago became a favorite (again, I admit some of us teachers have favorites): "If you love this letter God bless you until your death and I will feel like a monkey which was given ten dollars".

I have to say, as I move into my six month mark in country, that I wouldn't know how to manage if this were the time I was supposed to be wrapping things up to head back to the States. In sixth months you get so close to the kids and the community, you've adopted local phrases such as "I'm suffering" to describe being without a pen. You've adjusted to cold showers and sweeping classrooms clean of sand, and politely accepting a plate of tripe. I feel quite lucky that I have six more months to go.

Julia's student, Ruusa

WorldTeach Chile Semester: Day 1 on Site!

Our Chile Semester volunteers who departed in July are now out at their sites! Here, WorldTeach volunteer Ellen Eldridge shares with us a snapshot of her arrival at her site and her new home with a host family in Valparaiso after her group's orientation in Santiago.

Ellen's new neighborhood

• 5:30am: I dragged myself out of bed.
• 6:20am: From bus to bus, we were on our way to Viña del Mar.
• 8:45am: We arrived in Viña del Mar, and the regional director told us where we were headed, which for me was Valparaiso.
• 9:00am: The Valpo group said goodbye to Hannah, Ryan, Maureen, Lauren, Millie, and others from the IAP (Inglés Abre Puertas) program.
• 10am: We dropped off Jen and Steph in their homes.
• 11:00am: We went to my host family’s house, which sits on Cerro Alegre in Valparaiso, where I met my host mother Rosa/Rosita, who is a sweetheart and attentive host.
• 11:30am: I hugged Grace, Kristy, and Roman goodbye.
• 12:00pm: I put my clothes away in my room and started to straighten up mi habitación.
• 12:01pm: Rosa brought me tea on a tray with sugar. Que generosa!
• 12:30pm: Rosio, the daughter, came home from school.
• 12:35pm: We had a large almuerzo of chicken soup, chicken and rice, salad of tomato, cucumber, and carrot.
• 12:40pm: My host father returned home.
• 12:45pm: My host father walked out of the room and Rosio asked me, “Estas pololeando?” or “Are you dating anyone?” I responded that I wasn’t and that I thought it was funny how people had warned me that Chileans love to ask about that.
• 12:47pm: My host father came back and asked me “Estas pololeando?”. Rosio and I both laughed.
• 12:45pm: My host mom Rosa told my host father that I don’t understand much, but sometimes I understand well. While I was sitting at the same table. I laughed, but I don’t think she knew I understood her. Ha!
• 1:30pm: Mis padres anfitrionas went to work, and I sat at my computer while Rosio (mi hermana) played a variety of music including Hannah Montana, Jesse McCartney, the Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato, etc.
• 3:00pm: Rosio and I walked Terri the Terrier around the neighborhood, which he marked about every 10 steps. We talked about her school and how she attends less hours of school so she can study for the courses she has and spend time relaxing. There was a lot she said that I didn’t understand, but I think I gathered the jist of most of it.
• 5:00pm: Cup #3 of tea for the day, yum!
• 5:30pm: I am typing this blog. Yay! Bacán!
• 5:45pm: Terri ran into my room, and Rosio told him to “Pórtate bien” or “Behave Yourself!

 Valparaiso

 The group: WorldTeach Chile Semester July 2010 [photo courtesy of Kristy Hui]

WorldTeach Namibia 2005: Staying Connected

WorldTeach alum Elisa Mandell participated in the 2005 year-long Namibia placement. Today, she is a special policy officer for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, proving her passion for international development is still alive. Below, she writes about her group's recent 5-year reunion in Boston and their steady connection to their experience and to one another.

"This spring, the 2005 Namibia WorldTeach group gathered in Boston for our five-year reunion. Five years – it’s hard to believe that much time has passed since we were all together, finding our way in a new country!  With a majority of the group living in Boston right now it was easiest for all of us to meet there, and people came from Portland, Seattle, Chicago and the New York area for the occasion.  We reminisced over shots of beer at a local beerfest, we talked and laughed over several meals at people’s homes, we walked all over Boston, and of course we had the obligatory dance party which is a mainstay for the 2005 Namibia group – complete with kwaito and Namibian rap.

It was an absolutely wonderful weekend.  There were several things that struck me as just incredibly special, and a true reflection of how meaningful the experience was that we all had together in Namibia five years ago.

First of all, it almost felt like no time had passed.  As a group we picked up right where we left off, and all of us were just so thrilled to see each other and have a chance to catch up on each others’ lives.  I suspect some of this had to do with the bond we developed through a year of intense ups and downs together – learning how to be teachers, adjusting to the norms of our villages, fitting into new communities as foreigners.  We spent hours over the course of the reunion weekend learning about each others’ lives in new cities, grad school, careers, houses, boyfriends/girlfriends/husbands (!), and travels since our time in Namibia.   And yet somehow it didn’t feel like five years had passed.  It’s crazy to realize that in the past six months or so, members of our group had been to Antarctica, Ethiopia, Haiti, Nepal, Korea, Vietnam, Patagonia and of course Namibia.    We clearly had a lot to catch up on!

Second, the laughter was still omnipresent!  This is just a fact of our WorldTeach group – we laughed together from the beginning and I guarantee we’ll laugh together til the end.  That’s probably part of what kept us sane throughout our year of service.  It was such a treat to realize we could still make each other laugh until our abs are sore.

Third, it was still so clear how much our experiences in Namibia have affected each of us – through our views of the world, our career paths, our taste in music, and our travel.  It is a bond that we all share, and I think it has contributed to keeping this group in touch over five years and will continue to keep us connected going forward.  During the reunion we told stories about our learners in Namibia, the connections we still have with Namibian friends and colleagues, trips that some were able to take to visit our Namibian homes recently, and the memories that will stay with us forever."

 sunset in Namibia [photo courtesy of Alana Vogl]