First day of Culture Orientation session

About a dozen of us sat in a small boardroom at the University today and participated in a full day session on how to approach foreign culture. Tomorrow will be the second and last day of the workshop.

It can essentially be summed up in four words: Be Open. Don't Assume.

It's pretty basic stuff, when you've traveled before. That said, i found it very informative to see the different ways one can think about approaching a new culture and country. Today was about metaphors, learning games and sociological theory. Tomorrow will be more about Rwanda specifically, and the logistics around getting there and back alive. No problemo. I'm anxious to figure out exactly what needs to be done before i go actually. Put my mind at rest.

At the meeting today were about six student interns (Journalism Grads from Carleton) and four journalists (two from the Star, one from the Citizen and the other i forget). The students will be placed with select news outlets (perhaps paired with local journalists there) and the senior journalists will be going to teach students in the university in Kigali as well as correspond for their own papers in Canada.

That's all i know so far. Oh, 'cept we'll be living in two houses that are rented for us in Kigali. There will be a cook, security and a maid -- all things that are apparently normal for any middle class family in the city.