Embracing the slow down

My first few days have been slow. I’ve started writing a speech, created a presentation, and observed an important meeting. But mostly my job this week is to begin learning the history of conflict here and the philosophy this organization approaches peace with.

Even though I’d like to breeze through a few books on the subjects, I have to keep talking breaks. I have a hundred years of history and a few decades of social justice work to get familiar with. The material is dense, there are so many acronyms, and peace is a subject that is extremely challenging to read from a desk.

Yet, my muscle memory from having a constantly heavy workload is guiding me to rush through this introductory phase so I can learn more, write more, understand more. Keep up with the others. But I’m starting to embrace a change of pace. I am becoming a patient learner; nothing else would do this issue justice.

With at least a hundred years of conflict and continuous struggle, it is be easy to think social transformation is impossible, especially if you are looking for quick, tangible results. Luckily, everyone I work with is full of wisdom and had some candid advice to overcome disillusionment. . During my first lunch, one of my supervisors explained that change is slow. You have to keep knocking on doors and chipping away at blocks. And then when everything is right change will come.

These organizations are working without an end date. No final tournament or competition will come to let them know their work has paid off. Results come slowly and unexpectedly. In their fight to break down violence, they have to be armed with patience.

At the end of an inspiring meeting today, where peace leaders from around the region embarked on a landmark cooperative effort that will take up much of the rest of my summer, the air was filled with an almost palpable excitement. But one rising star of the organization cautioned, “I think we need to remember. We are in Northern Ireland. Things are not going to happen fast.”

I think that’s part of what’s special here.

 

Cross-Cultural Jokes and My First Day

I enjoy laughing and making people laugh.

And for as long as I can remember I have used humor as a way to fit in. I had a trademark joke by the time I was three. I became friends with my third grade teacher because we had similar humor styles. I entered high school knowing no one, but quickly made jokes and friends followed.  Jokes make people feel comfortable and remember the person that made them feel that way.

So today, on my first day as an intern, I was more than a little thrown off when I realized that humor doesn’t quite translate cross-culture. It’s not even spelled the same (humour). I sat at lunch with the director of the organization I am interning for and the director of the umbrella organization over that. These two people are instrumental to peacebuilding here and I was looking to make a good impression. While I listened to the table’s conversation, I tossed around jokes in my head. But couldn’t land on any sure bet. If there’s one thing I know it’s that your first joke cannot fall flat. In fact, I think it’s best if you really vet your first three jokes with a new group. This sets you up for a few failures later, because hey you’re the funny one. I was silent for much of lunch, attentively nodding, smiling and laughing as appropriate moments.  I’m planning on keeping this low-profile until I understand a little more about humor, and about everything.

Two goals have emerged on my first day

Remember to spell a bunch of words the British way

Learn how to make people laugh the British way

They very much believe in starting slow here so today was really easy going.  I met a bunch of people, got a key, and got a desk. I wasn’t expecting that new mac attached to the desk, so that was a wonderful surprise. Looking forward to personalizing my desk a little bit so it’s not so sterile. I’ll be sure to post a picture when it looks more like Emma’s Desk.

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The office fells kind of like a social justice playground. I am interning for an organization called The Junction. They are part of a cohort of twelve community organizations that share offices and collaborate on projects called DiverseCity Community Partnerships. They had me at the pun.  But also, everyone is delightful and working hard to peacefully transform Londonderry. Every Wednesday they host a guest speaker and provide free lunch for anyone in the community interested in eating and learning. Wednesdays are my new favorite days.

 

Post Script: My Aunt made me the best sign for my room. Feeling really at home here

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Post Post Script: I’ll leave you with a view from the kitchen table. Hard not to be in a good mood while eating.

On the plane!

I have a habit of accepting offers my family members throw out without thinking.

My cousin, Nicole, mentioned to me four years ago that if I couldn’t find a job in Chicago for the summer, I should just move to Little Rock with her family. I wasn’t seriously interested. She wasn’t seriously offering.  Until a few months later, when I thought of another summer as a lifeguard, I quickly changed my mind and asked her if I really could move down to Arkansas. She agreed. We worked out a nannying gig and I came down. I spent the next three summers in Little Rock floating between a couple different cousins couches and guest rooms.

And now it’s happened again.

My Aunt had just moved to Londonderry, Northern Ireland when I saw her on a quick visit to Chicago. I mentioned to her getting an internship was a graduation requirement for my major. She told me I should do the internship abroad and live with her for the summer. Though I told her I would think about it, I wasn’t seriously considering it.  But the more the idea festered in my brain, the more any other option seemed inadequate. Solidified by my visit to Londonderry over Winter break, I knew I needed to spend more time there.  A few Skype dates and a few dozen emails later, I am returning to Northern Ireland for eight weeks, this time with an internship at a community peace building organization called The Junction.

I’ll be writing all about my internship and travels on this blog. I am also taking a class about patriarchy so expect at least a few posts dedicated to making women equal.

I’m on the plane to London now and then a short connecting flight will take me to Dublin where my Aunt and her partner James will pick me up and drive me the final 3 and a half hour leg to Londonderry. Looking forward to creating adventures and writing about them here!