Training Day 2 - Guelph, ON, Canada

Day two was very informative. It was a lot of nuts and bolts about the program, and logistics. We were treated with visits from two past volunteers in the Leave for Change program. Lisbeth Sider (Vietnam, 2008) and Mike Levy (Botswana, 2008). They both contributed and clarified a lot, answering questions, providing insight and adding a sense of calm.

What an excited group. Everyone is jazzed to get going. Sure, there is a sense of fear of the unknown but that's to be expected. I can't imagine anyone walking into this program is 100% confident in themselves. Well, I hope not.

The mood now seems to be hunger...we want more, need more info, want to do more... our tasebuds have been wetted. It reminds me of the story about a tiger who was raised by goats.

Happening upon an orphaned tiger cub, a herd of goats adopted the cub into their herd and the cub grew up thinking he too was a goat. The cub ate like a goat, bleated like a goat and travelled with the goats. one day an old tiger came upon the herd and killed a goat; the other goats ran away but the young tiger did not sense danger and stayed. The old tiger was shocked to encounter the strange young tiger that behaved like a goat.

The old tiger approached the young tiger and dragged him to a creek to see his refection, but the young tiger was unimpressed with his own reflection. Frustrated, the old tiger dragged the young tiger back to where he had just killed the goat and forced a piece of meat into the young tigers' mouth - horrified, the young tiger spit it out. But, the old tiger made the young tiger eat the meat again and made him swallow. This time, the young tiger allowed himself to taste the meat and for the first time, gave out a powerful roar!

It is called the 'Roar of Awakening' in the discovery that we are more than we think we are. I think we're about to taste a bit of meat...

Here are some video snippits from the day to chew on:

• What is expected of me? Lisbeth Sider (Vietnam, 2008)
• Dialogue on Capacity Building Mike Levy (Botswana, 2008)
• How to make a difference Lisbeth Sider (Vietnam, 2008)
• Good Intentions Philippe Leduc and the 2009 Volunteer group in Guelph, ON

Training Day 1 - Guelph, ON, Canada

This is it. The start of it all. Today was the first day of training. 10 people came from NSCC, the University of Guelph and Deloitte & Touche, all heading to different destinations, Botswana, Malawi, Vietnam and Nepal. Sue, from University of Guelph, is also going to Khatmandu to do some work with a microfinance company. I'm going to work with IDS.

The first part of the day was intercultural training, learning how to appreciate differences, how to recognize the impact of deep-seated values and thinking and behaviour, and how to bridge the culture gap. The second part was a chance to sit down with someone, in my case, from Nepal for a couple of hours to learn about what to expect, what to do, say, where to go, what not to do, and a few basic language tips. It was great. Ajoy Bista was knowledeable (of course), friendly, organized and very helpful. The interesting thing was, after talking with Ajoy, this whole exeprience became real for me. Click here for a video of the discussion with Ajoy.

I do feel more prepared now which is great. The training has opened my eyes to a number of things:

• the cultural values that affect my thinking
• appreciating the behaviour and thought patterns of others with values different to my own, and learning to accept and learn from the differences
• this trip is not just about helping others, it's also about learning more about myself. This is an opportunity to grow as a person.

Check out this video of Kelly Eastlake discussing competencies on cultural effectiveness.

At this point, I'm still green. I've had experiences in the Middle East and Mexico which are valuable but I've not taken the time to reflect on those experiences while they were fresh in my mind. I'm not making that mistake again.

Tomorrow: intro to international development and capacity building, gender and development, scenarios, public engagement plan.