Yesterday and today I've been experiencing jetlag like no other! I did not want to get out of bed and in the afternoon I just want to crash!
We were invited to go to a conference the day before and present on the importance of giving- we were all like "What! You want us to present for an hour tomorrow!" It was like how could we say no, so we did it. It was very awkward at first and we talked about our experiences with service learning and how its helping to open opportunities for the future after college, then we split them up into groups to get a more intimate session and have them compose questions that we would then go over as a large group...it was kind of a waste of time because the students already graduated and they are just worried about getting a job...so we were kinda just like "keep your head up." Wish we had known that from the beginning...
Once we were done, they began a video on leadership so we left, but then they ran after us saying "wait, we have a token of our appreciation." They had us come back in the conference room, turned off the video, and made everyone watch them say how thankful they are and how much we did (which was nothing it seemed) and then they made everyone get up for a group photo....in the US they would have been like "oh they left, too bad" and would have kept going on with the program....i felt so bad, but Garey said this happens alllll the time.
Today we went to a protest type event and one of the people we're working with was suppose to speak on HIV in their country. Of course, right before he went on stage he asked us to talk about HIV in the US. We should have known... i couldnt say no but I really just wanted a chance to observe. Anne Marie, one of my friends on the trip, didnt go up, but luckily my other friend Yasmine joined me. Right afterIi said my name the huge crowd started talking and pointing to the back-at the time i just thought they didnt wanna hear me talk so it was kind of embarrassing. It turns out there was someone else's name who sounded like Sarina, but i made mine shorter with the thought that they didn't want to hear me. Yasmine got up and talked alittle bit about HIV in caribbean, where she's from, which was nice.
After another experience of being asked to present and talk, I am now just always going to be prepared to talk in front of large groups, because I am coming to learn that they love hearing foreigners talk about the similarities between the US and South Africa. It'll hopefuly also help me get over the freak out session I have before speaking in front of large groups!!!
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