Three months after completing our Peace Corps training in Naivasha, Kenya, Cory and I were back at our training camp for a training session known as IST. It just happened to fall over Thanksgiving, a time when most of us were just a touch homesick, thinking about our families sitting around tables stacked with food while we popped malaria pills and fought diarrhea.
When we arrived at IST, our training coördinator, Simon, asked us if we wanted anything special for dinner for Thanksgiving. A handful of people in our group enjoyed cooking and immediately suggested that the cooks take the day off. Instead, they offered to help put together a menu and organize the meal. We all brainstormed what we wanted to eat. Forget the ugali and spaghetti noodles without sauce. We wanted the real deal: A turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing.
I’m a mutt among my peers — a touch of German, a little Scottish, some Native American — but my heritage is basically irrelevant when I mingle with a mix of people from other backgrounds. But in many parts of the world, ethnic and tribal lines are still being drawn, and they’re taking entire countries down as a result.
Learning the local language is key to integrating into a new culture. It’s always a good idea to know how to greet locals with “hello” and “how are you.” You’ll probably want to know how to say “please,” “thank you” and “you’re welcome” as well. And, of course, it’s not a bad idea to know how to ask where the closest bathroom is.
