So it is hard to believe it but I've now been here a whole year... and new group of trainees is in and Zac and Colleen are busy training them up (corrupting their minds I'm sure - see their blogs). The traditional dinner out with them will happen tonight, so I'll get a chance to how they're doing and re-remember how completely confused I was and how big everything seemed to me at the time. At trip from the training center to the beach seemed miles... and now it is a fraction of my daily commute. And I couldn't figure out why the kids only wanted mints... (the word "minty" here means candy).
I've definitely learned a lot of useful skills, a lot of rather useless ones too in the larger context. I don't think I'll need to know the proper protocol for paying a man who has just slaughtered a goat in the States, but hey, you never know. But I certainly am glad to have learned all the electrical stuff, how to ground a house is a fun skill, as well as wiring up solar and running your houses power off car batteries (okay, so that might not exactly be useful in the States). And certainly learning how to deal with all the new situations and constantly interacting with a different culture shown me some useful things about people and myself. More than anything else I'm left with massive respect for people who have to move to a new land and start a new home all over again - how difficult for them that must be and how much courage daily life must require even after it has all become routine. I know I get to leave after 2 years, but if you didn't know that... if you had to start yourself over again with people who don't speak your language, understand your gestures, and respect the way you do things - especially little things like how to get on a bus or buy some fruit... I can now imagine a bit better how difficult that would be. It's hard even when people are nice (and here they usually are nice), let alone when they aren't.
But now a year is up and I'm realizing I have to start thinking about what will happen one more year down the road, when I need a new job and all of that stuff. Thinking about how to wrap up projects here so that they hopefully continue okay after I'm gone and maintain contact with friends here.
Invariably, cuz it is me, Role Playing Games, are the answer in my head as to what to do socially. I'll be trying to get a group started with some people in a few months... see how that goes. There are a number of people I know here who are into that type of stuff, but modern geek culture is a pretty new thing here, so it is time for me to help it along :-)
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