(Note: This was actually written by Morgan Curtis, but due to technical difficulties, it has been uploaded to the blog for her.)
My initial impression of my foray in into working for a NGO and helping Bhutanese refugees was that of excitement and slight reservation. I had no idea of what I was getting myself into. I didn’t particularly know much about the conflicts that produced the people that I was preparing to help and hopefully empower. All I knew was that I had committed myself to a cause that is of great importance and could hopefully improve the life of at least one person. My first encounter with the refugees was at best awkward and at worst offensive in my view because I was going on a field visit to their homes and observe them during an ESOL class. It felt as if I was an invader, occupying someone’s home and observing them like a colonialist trying to understand the actions and ways of a mysterious group of people. Perhaps my feelings are a little melodramatic but in some ways I did feel as if I was imposing myself by just going and observing a class. In addition to my awkward feelings, I was also late to the field visit by a few minutes so I disrupted the first minutes of the lesson by my tardiness. I knew this was not the best way to make a good impression. However as I settled in and took my seat with the other interns I became a little bit more comfortable.
As time wore on I was introduced to some of the ESOL students and one very active and precocious little girl named Sonia. Sonia was the highlight of my visit. She was incredibly cute and so curious and wanted to impress us with her understanding of English by writing phrases and words in her notebook. A little later we (the interns) left the class to talk about what we had just witnessed and our feelings about the class. I felt that it was a very intimate and close knit environment, perfect for learning a foreign language because a student could receive one-on-one help when they needed it. All in all, I had a great time on my first field visit and I felt that I was an invaluable experience and it helped me understand the Bhutanese students and the pains they are going through to better themselves, their lives, and their families.
My initial impression of my foray in into working for a NGO and helping Bhutanese refugees was that of excitement and slight reservation. I had no idea of what I was getting myself into. I didn’t particularly know much about the conflicts that produced the people that I was preparing to help and hopefully empower. All I knew was that I had committed myself to a cause that is of great importance and could hopefully improve the life of at least one person. My first encounter with the refugees was at best awkward and at worst offensive in my view because I was going on a field visit to their homes and observe them during an ESOL class. It felt as if I was an invader, occupying someone’s home and observing them like a colonialist trying to understand the actions and ways of a mysterious group of people. Perhaps my feelings are a little melodramatic but in some ways I did feel as if I was imposing myself by just going and observing a class. In addition to my awkward feelings, I was also late to the field visit by a few minutes so I disrupted the first minutes of the lesson by my tardiness. I knew this was not the best way to make a good impression. However as I settled in and took my seat with the other interns I became a little bit more comfortable.
As time wore on I was introduced to some of the ESOL students and one very active and precocious little girl named Sonia. Sonia was the highlight of my visit. She was incredibly cute and so curious and wanted to impress us with her understanding of English by writing phrases and words in her notebook. A little later we (the interns) left the class to talk about what we had just witnessed and our feelings about the class. I felt that it was a very intimate and close knit environment, perfect for learning a foreign language because a student could receive one-on-one help when they needed it. All in all, I had a great time on my first field visit and I felt that I was an invaluable experience and it helped me understand the Bhutanese students and the pains they are going through to better themselves, their lives, and their families.
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