A weekend of debriefing from the Centre for Intercultural Learning in Toronto has provided some much needed closure for the participants of the Cultural Envoy for Exchange Development participants (including me!).
I was able to give a lot of suggestions to improve the program - which was one of my main goals when I attended the session. But I got so much more out of it:
1. Realizing that the Canadian International Development Agency is unrealistic with the short term assignments they send people on. Honestly, how can we change the world in two months?
2. I learnt a great deal on communicating with another culture - even when I am a Chinese born Canadian trying to communicate with the Chinese!
3. Frustrations that I felt were shared among the other participants who went to Jordan, Pakistan, brazil, india, and togo.
4. Found out that dreams and ambitions that we have are laced with deeper values - and that I should try to reach the values, and not necessarily the facade that covers it.
5. Realizing when people say that Canadians are rich, they mean rich in opportunities.
Overall, the psychological analysis, the packaging of our experience (it was not a trip! it was a second life, a life-changing experience!), and the many learnings - have left me wanting more. And because I am rich in opportunities, I will not let them slip by, because how could you face someone with nothing if you do?
1 comment:
your points are so true carol! i was another person during my ceed and it's hard to have to switch back and forth between the old marina my friends and family expect and the new marina i've become. if there's one thing i'm taking back from the debrief it's that realisation and for sure it's gonna help me with my next international xp!
miss you already!
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