| Remember, you are a Guest,
not a citizen, in your country of service. |
- feel honored to be living
in their country, and let them know this.
- be grateful you can live and
learn the culture, make friends - express your
gratitude.
- spend time appreciating the
culture - there is beauty and reasonableness
in every culture - seek and concentrate on the
good qualities.
- listen before judging - there
are usually good reasons why people do things,
not always obvious on the surface - do not be
hasty in your conclusions.
- check your impressions non-judgmentally with
a trusted local person - if you must state your
views, do so as a description of your position,
not a judgment on your hosts. Be careful to condemn
what you do not understand.
- be humble as you seek to serve
and to assist - it is fairly easy to be condescending,
although unintentionally.
- recognize the significance
of the customs and traditions - some people are
insulted if you imitate their dress or participate
in traditional events, while others are flattered.
- respect the cultural characteristics
and distinctiveness, even if you do not understand
or agree.
|
You cannot learn everything
in a year. In fact, one year living in another culture
may be equivalent to the first grade of living! You’ll
get the basics, but always there is much more to
learn.
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