EIL Intercultural Learning - culture

Nos Vamos! Ecuador in 3 hours time! This is it! :)

Damien Thomsondthomson-4@li — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:09:20 +0000

Hi everyone! I'm Damien and I'm off to Ecuador in approximately ... 3 hours! The excitement! I'm flying to Quito to stay with my host family there for around 5 days before I go to my main homestay in the city of Riobamba, just south of Quito.

Quito is the second highest capital in the world and seems so interesting. It's high up in the Andes Mountains with a mix of the Inca and Spanish culture. I'm really looking forward to seeing what that is like. Riobamba is in the heart of Ecuador. This is the place where I hope to experience real Ecuadorian lifestyle and culture at its best.

I have some great activities lined up including an excursion on Chimborazo (The mountain with the peak that is farthest from the earth's centre,) seeing the waterfalls of Baños and a trip to La Nariz del Diablo (the Devil's nose! - scary right! check it out on YouTube! )

I have a long day ahead of me! I'm flying to Amsterdam, Atlanta then Quito, and on my return I'm stopping off on a tiny little island north of Venezuela called Bonaire (I discovered that almost half of the island is the airport itself!) I've just finished packing and I'm staying up all night so that I can sleep on the plane and because my flight is so early in the morning.

I found out about EIL from a poster that was put up in my school. I was instantly intrigued! I love travelling and learning about other cultures and customs. I told my family I was entering a competition to be an ambassador for Ireland in Ecuador and I got a tepid response. I too at the time didn't realise how incredible it actually is! Then came the interview. This opened my eyes to how much I wanted to do this. The interviews were done so well. It was such a relaxed atmosphere and it was great fun. Just talking to Gary and Ryan, past winners, just made me so excited! It felt like a trip that was made for me - speaking Spanish, living with locals, seeing wildlife and experiencing a different culture, It's right up my ally.

After around a week and half of nail biting and "maybe it could be me's" came the phone call. I remember shrieking down the phone to poor Marian on the other line. I couldn't stop smiling for a long time after that. It took weeks for me to come to terms with it, that I would actually be going. For some reason, it was surreal, I couldn't imagine it being true. Every time I'd say to myself "Damien, you've won, you're going to Ecuador" I'd get the same shock i got when I was first told.

Since then, I have spent my time Googling "Ecuador" and keeping my Spanish up. (It wasn't until after I won that I realised it was spelt "Ecuador". I fell for the common mistake of using a Q instead of a C - Equador! Woops!) I really enjoy Spanish, and one thing I'm particularly looking forward to is being in a position where I have to speak Spanish. I know it doesn't seem appealing but I get a great kick out of it! I'm delighted that I'll be staying with families. It gives a real insight to their lifestyle and I'll have a

My only main concern is getting around the airport. Everything else has me even more excited. My goals are to experience Ecuadorian lifestyle and understand their culture, represent Ireland well, become more adventurous, make new friends and to enjoy this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It will be interesting to see how I feel I have done by the time I'm back. I'm going to give this trip my all and try to do my best in every aspect. Venga lo que venga! :)

I'll blog soon and take lots of photos :D Finally I'd like to give a big big big thank you to Marian, Gary, Ryan and EIL.

Hasta luego!

On Learning to Say Yes!

Rebecca Bourke — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 10:53:53 +0000

Now that I've been home for a week, slept for most of it, and sorted out the inevitable bits and pieces that occur when one is away, I'm ready to start writing about my experiences in Tokyo for the past five weeks (knowing me I'll forget them if I don't!). Taking inspiration from Aran's blog (which I strongly suggest you check out if you haven't already) I'm going to take a stab at writing a bit about Japanese culture, though I have a suspicion my efforts will pale in comparison.

We're all familiar with Mrs. Doyle's 'ah go on, ah go on, go on, go on, go on, go on, go on' skit from 'Father Ted', and as ridiculous and exaggerated as it is, there is a lot of truth in it. Generally speaking, and I do mean generlly, when offered anything by a host, be it a cup of tea or a Jacob's biscuit, the typically 'Irish' reaction is to say 'no' or 'I'm fine, thanks', regardless of whether or not we in fact fancy what's being waved under our noses. To me, this seems perfectly reasonable and normal. As a guest, we don't want to put our host out of their way, would prefer to cause as little trouble as possible. It's almost a way of expressing gratitude, a common courtesy. For me at any rate, it's not a conscious decision, it's ingrained somewhere in the back of my mind; it's automatic. Whenever somebody who isn't a close friend or relative offers to do something for me, the words 'it's alright, thank you' form in my mouth of their own accord. It's quite a distinctive aspect of the Irish mindset, and certainly a contrast to Japan's.

Now, don't get me wrong. I am not saying that Japanese people are greedy and selfish, willing to put others to any amount of trouble for their own benefit, but I am pointing out the fact that their way of showing thanks and appreciation is quite different. Rather than insisting that you don't need another slice of that delicious cream cake, the polite thing to do is, in fact, accept it THE FIRST TIME IT'S OFFERED! In Ireland, when somebody says no, a lot of the time we assume they really want to say 'yes', but don't want to cause trouble. In Japan, a 'no' is taken for its dictionary definition. When you refuse what is being offered by a host, you are saying that you would not like it, that it doesn't appeal to you.

Let's look at it from the Japanese host's perspective: 'Duty' is an incredibly important concept in the Eastern philosophy. When somebody comes to stay with you, it is your duty to look after them, see that their needs are met, and ensure that they have a good time. If your guest is constantly refusing what you're offering you worry that you're doing something wrong, that your planned excursions/meals/relaxation aren't appealing to them. If your guest is saying 'yes, yes, yes' all the time it means they are enthused about your proposals, having a good time and enjoying themselves. You have peace of mind as you know you've done your duty.

It took me a long time to come to this realisation, and even longer to start acting upon it. Actually allowing somebody to pay for my meal in a restaurant, not waving my hands about like a mad person and insisting 'no, no, no' when my host mother offered to use her day off to take me shopping, asking for another glass of iced tea, etc. all these things felt WRONG to me. I felt like I was being rude and demanding. However, as opposed to when I did the Irish thing and 'just said no', it seemed to put my hosts at ease.

So next time you're in Japan (!) think twice before saying no to that second slice of cake...

Expert tuition in the use of chopsticks

Fiona O Leary — Thu, 21 May 2009 10:53:31 +0000

Sampling the culture inclding the use of chopsticks in Hong Kong '09.

Guelaguetza

Piers Meynell — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 20:22:54 +0000

A photo of a local community gathering for a Guelaguetza celebration that take place in the region capital Oaxaca and throughout the state of Oaxaca in Mexico.

Calligraphy lesson

Piers Meynell — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 17:56:44 +0000

As part of 5 days of cultural orientation upon arrival, a group of volunteers learn to write their names.