Hello everyone,
Today is the last day of my trip. I am leaving at 8 pm, or 9 am eastern time. It is a strange feeling. My cousins and my aunt came over and with my grandmother, we packed my bags. I just watched their car pull out the driveway. I won't see them again for several more years.
The time seemed to go fast on one level, but slow on another. December 24th and earlier feels like it is from the beginning of my childhood, almost like a dream. But at the same time, I remember it very well, and I am ready to go back to America, because in the end, I am a tourist. It's a hard sensation to explain. Once you've been there, you know exactly what I mean. I would like to use this entry to summarize my experiences and give them greater significance.
I have had many little infinities on this trip I am never going to forget, my fondest of which was probably volunteering at the school. After all, that is the central basis for this Immersion. What I found very frustrating about this was the prevalence of political demonstrations, or hortals, getting in the way of education. Right now, the political situation in Bangladesh is not the best. Out of the fourteen days I was supposed to come to volunteer, I could only come in eight, which is, accordingly, not the best fraction. Recently, the government blocked Viber in effort to thwart protesters from congregating, but honestly, they're just going to find another way, so I don't believe it is going to solve anything. But regardless, I enjoyed it. What I liked most about the schools was the children, since they showed enthusiasm and the desire for knowledge, which is where everything starts. They are the center of the future: the ones who will keep the blood of everything flowing. I could see it in their behavior. I said goodbye to everyone today, and did a little interview with the education coordinator, and an interview with the children of Grade 2. It was a touching moment when I stepped out that yellow door for the last time: one foot, then the other.
And I was out.
For a brief overview of my itinerary, I came to Dhaka December 27th, and on New Year's Day, I departed for Cambodia. I returned on the 5th, and had an off day on the 6th. I volunteered at the schools for the next two days, and introduced myself to the children. I took the next five days off on account of the weekend, sickness, and political demonstration. On Wednesday the 14th, I volunteered, and took the next three days off. Finally, I volunteered for the last five days of the trip, from the 18th until today. At the school, I taught in classrooms, and made a lot of teaching materials on the computer. These included Powerpoints on many rudimentary subjects such as colors, weather, animals, the days of the week, and the months of the year. The reason I'm telling you all this is so you have an accurate explicit record about what I did. I took quite an implicit approach in the past three entries, so I want to let you know what I was 'up to' during that time.
One thing I want to address is cultural differences between the West and the East. It is hard to do this without touching on some sensitive topics, such as relationships, respect, and child discipline. It is also hard not to bring my own preconceived notions about these matters into it. I was raised in the West on an individualist outlook. I think it is good not only to question authority, but to understand where it comes from. Over the summer, I was rather harshly reprimanded by a superior one time, and it was enough to ruin my whole day. Even though the person in question was nice to me afterwards, I could never look at him the same way again. That's how soft I am, so you can see what I'm dealing with. I've read several self-improvement books that tell me not to complain about or criticize my subordinates, because it raises resentment in them and doesn't get anything done. So it has been different here. Sometimes, when I heard a teacher yelling at the students, or a house owner reprimanding a maid, I would think to myself, "Why are you being so mean? That person is helpless against you, and you don't need to demean them like that. They aren't your slaves." Sometimes, I would almost get angry at the person who was doing the yelling. But I did as much as I could not to say anything to them about it, because these are deep cultural divides one sixteen year old simply cannot dissipate. I am not a missionary, or an omniscient being, so my job here is not to advocate a certain way of life. It is to help children. You may make the argument that the submissive need to be freed by universal action, but I am not sure it has passed the point where I can intervene with my entirely different background and judge anyone like that. In fact, I'm not even sure I should be writing this here. Another wrench in this argument is that it is the teacher who educates the students, and the house owner who gives the maid shelter, so is the current situation not better than what it would have been otherwise? I have yet to decide. Also, I believe it is never ok to hit anyone, unless it is out of self-defense or for sport. That includes adults, children, and animals. People generally have different opinions here. Not everyone does, but it is certainly more prevalent. They think that kids need to be fixed to do good, while I believe children need to use their inner potential to do good. Keep in mind that I am not trying to say anything is right or wrong, but I am telling what is, and what my inner mentalities are. I am also aware that I am making wide generalizations. But in the end, no amount of debate can truly convince anyone of anything, since we are much too rooted in our biographies to believe anything else. What I've thought about a lot is whether we are in a dichotomy or a continuum with each other, and so far, I've come to the conclusion that we are in both. Yes, I feel a sort of hostility with the leadership style of authoritarianism, and this is not to be dismissed as an illusion, but yet, we are one and the same. We have similar intentions, and I think we can use this as a premise to work together.
The most important lesson I have probably learned from this trip is the value of certain moments. Like I said, I had many little infinities on this trip: arriving, having that discussion on the plane with my brother, reading and writing, spending time at the school, and going out with my family members. The significance of the 'little' things cannot be underestimated, and no matter what something is, you can write at least 400 pages about it. As humans, we are eventually forced to move on, but you shouldn't let that bog you down. You should always make progress by really thinking about all those little black holes of complexity.
Right now, I have to go get my passport photocopied and spend the last few hours with everyone, so in that case, I'll say to you:
Onward and upward,
Ahsem Kabir
Image From:
http://www.santabanta.com/wallpapers/planes/?page=3
Today is the last day of my trip. I am leaving at 8 pm, or 9 am eastern time. It is a strange feeling. My cousins and my aunt came over and with my grandmother, we packed my bags. I just watched their car pull out the driveway. I won't see them again for several more years.
The time seemed to go fast on one level, but slow on another. December 24th and earlier feels like it is from the beginning of my childhood, almost like a dream. But at the same time, I remember it very well, and I am ready to go back to America, because in the end, I am a tourist. It's a hard sensation to explain. Once you've been there, you know exactly what I mean. I would like to use this entry to summarize my experiences and give them greater significance.
I have had many little infinities on this trip I am never going to forget, my fondest of which was probably volunteering at the school. After all, that is the central basis for this Immersion. What I found very frustrating about this was the prevalence of political demonstrations, or hortals, getting in the way of education. Right now, the political situation in Bangladesh is not the best. Out of the fourteen days I was supposed to come to volunteer, I could only come in eight, which is, accordingly, not the best fraction. Recently, the government blocked Viber in effort to thwart protesters from congregating, but honestly, they're just going to find another way, so I don't believe it is going to solve anything. But regardless, I enjoyed it. What I liked most about the schools was the children, since they showed enthusiasm and the desire for knowledge, which is where everything starts. They are the center of the future: the ones who will keep the blood of everything flowing. I could see it in their behavior. I said goodbye to everyone today, and did a little interview with the education coordinator, and an interview with the children of Grade 2. It was a touching moment when I stepped out that yellow door for the last time: one foot, then the other.
And I was out.
For a brief overview of my itinerary, I came to Dhaka December 27th, and on New Year's Day, I departed for Cambodia. I returned on the 5th, and had an off day on the 6th. I volunteered at the schools for the next two days, and introduced myself to the children. I took the next five days off on account of the weekend, sickness, and political demonstration. On Wednesday the 14th, I volunteered, and took the next three days off. Finally, I volunteered for the last five days of the trip, from the 18th until today. At the school, I taught in classrooms, and made a lot of teaching materials on the computer. These included Powerpoints on many rudimentary subjects such as colors, weather, animals, the days of the week, and the months of the year. The reason I'm telling you all this is so you have an accurate explicit record about what I did. I took quite an implicit approach in the past three entries, so I want to let you know what I was 'up to' during that time.
One thing I want to address is cultural differences between the West and the East. It is hard to do this without touching on some sensitive topics, such as relationships, respect, and child discipline. It is also hard not to bring my own preconceived notions about these matters into it. I was raised in the West on an individualist outlook. I think it is good not only to question authority, but to understand where it comes from. Over the summer, I was rather harshly reprimanded by a superior one time, and it was enough to ruin my whole day. Even though the person in question was nice to me afterwards, I could never look at him the same way again. That's how soft I am, so you can see what I'm dealing with. I've read several self-improvement books that tell me not to complain about or criticize my subordinates, because it raises resentment in them and doesn't get anything done. So it has been different here. Sometimes, when I heard a teacher yelling at the students, or a house owner reprimanding a maid, I would think to myself, "Why are you being so mean? That person is helpless against you, and you don't need to demean them like that. They aren't your slaves." Sometimes, I would almost get angry at the person who was doing the yelling. But I did as much as I could not to say anything to them about it, because these are deep cultural divides one sixteen year old simply cannot dissipate. I am not a missionary, or an omniscient being, so my job here is not to advocate a certain way of life. It is to help children. You may make the argument that the submissive need to be freed by universal action, but I am not sure it has passed the point where I can intervene with my entirely different background and judge anyone like that. In fact, I'm not even sure I should be writing this here. Another wrench in this argument is that it is the teacher who educates the students, and the house owner who gives the maid shelter, so is the current situation not better than what it would have been otherwise? I have yet to decide. Also, I believe it is never ok to hit anyone, unless it is out of self-defense or for sport. That includes adults, children, and animals. People generally have different opinions here. Not everyone does, but it is certainly more prevalent. They think that kids need to be fixed to do good, while I believe children need to use their inner potential to do good. Keep in mind that I am not trying to say anything is right or wrong, but I am telling what is, and what my inner mentalities are. I am also aware that I am making wide generalizations. But in the end, no amount of debate can truly convince anyone of anything, since we are much too rooted in our biographies to believe anything else. What I've thought about a lot is whether we are in a dichotomy or a continuum with each other, and so far, I've come to the conclusion that we are in both. Yes, I feel a sort of hostility with the leadership style of authoritarianism, and this is not to be dismissed as an illusion, but yet, we are one and the same. We have similar intentions, and I think we can use this as a premise to work together.
The most important lesson I have probably learned from this trip is the value of certain moments. Like I said, I had many little infinities on this trip: arriving, having that discussion on the plane with my brother, reading and writing, spending time at the school, and going out with my family members. The significance of the 'little' things cannot be underestimated, and no matter what something is, you can write at least 400 pages about it. As humans, we are eventually forced to move on, but you shouldn't let that bog you down. You should always make progress by really thinking about all those little black holes of complexity.
Right now, I have to go get my passport photocopied and spend the last few hours with everyone, so in that case, I'll say to you:
Onward and upward,
Ahsem Kabir
http://www.santabanta.com/wallpapers/planes/?page=3
When Ellen taught in India, on a reservation school in the BR Hills, there was a time when she had trouble getting the older boys to settle down & focus. And these guys had to take the state English exam in order to graduate, so it was important that they learn. So she went to the Head & expressed her concerns. "And this continues even after you beat them?" "I don't beat kids!" exclaimed my nice Western daughter. "Oh, Miss," he responded, "these are boys! They cannot learn if you don't beat them to help them concentrate!" Perspectives vary...
ReplyDelete(She still didn't beat them, but she mastered the credible threat.)