November 14, 2008

(photo courtesy of www.llama.org/new_groove.htm)

We've been adjusting well to life back in Swavesey since our visit to Norway. Although landing in the UK reminded us both strongly of a funny line from The Emperor's New Groove (which by the way is an old favorite of mine). For those who have never heard of it, it's about a spoiled bratty emperor of a vaguely Incan-like empire. He fires an evil woman who has been working for him, and so she tries to poison him to get rid of him. (Yikes- Disney movies are not for kids anymore!) Anyway her assistant accidentally puts in a potion to turn him into a llama instead. Well at some point in the movie Cuzco (the spoiled emperor) who has been a llama for the entire movie gets ahold of the evil woman's potions and is trying to turn himself back. He ends up going through about 8 different animals, a turtle, a whale, a parrot, and all sorts of things, and then he suddenly turns back into a llama. He says "Yay! I'm a llama again!!! Wait..." The idea that he'd gotten used to being a llama is really quite funny. All of that background to say that when we landed in the UK I said to George "Yay! I'm a llama again!" Going away on holiday to somewhere and then returning "home" and "home" being the UK was so much like Cuzco's experience of being turned back into a llama that I just had to laugh. :) Apparently I've become quite good at being a "llama" here- last night at the Camera Club there was a presenter who is British and was showing photos from his American Holiday out west. He and his American wife went to a family reunion there, saw Yellowstone, parts of Montana, and drove a van around and slept in it like a camper while they were there. None of that may sound strange to you if you're American, but if you could only see the hilarious perspective of a British person wondering why Americans do what we do! He took photos of the large campers that people drive around, and just all sorts of typically American things. I laughed and laughed, and I had a great chat with him after his presentation. My point in all this is that none of the Camera Club folks that I had talked to knew that I was American. :) So when I told people "I quite enjoyed the presentation today, since I'm from the States and it's very funny to see one's culture through someone else's eyes" they were surprised. Apparently I'm a good enough llama to fool most people. But on closer acquaintance I think they'd see immediately that I'm not a llama- I'm too friendly, too helpful, too interested in complete strangers, and too bold to be a British person. :) I had a lovely chat with a woman in her 80s who had come to the club- she was visiting her son Simon who is the club president, and in typical fashion no one spoke to her. It's tempting for me to think at these moments "What in the world is wrong with all you people?!!" but I keep reminding myself that it's not "wrong" it's simply "different." Anyway I had a very nice chat with her, and thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her tour of the local church buildings, and her daughter who lives not too far away, and how much she's enjoyed visiting Swavesey. I was very much blessed. But I definitely blew my llama cover. :) It may seem strange to result to scheming and plotting to form friendships here, but that's sort of how it goes with international work. In our own culture we can be natural and just form friendships naturally, but in another culture we have to be intentional about forming relationships. The Camera Club lot have been a hard bunch, so I've been scheming about how to get to know them better and how to get them to let me into their circle of friends. I've been watching how the club works, and have decided a few things: #1) Come early. I came early last night and half the people were already there by 7:15. I was able to chat with my few acquaintances beforehand, which helped a ton. I may try to get there even earlier next week to help with the actual setting up of chairs and things. #2) Serve people. I've found that in every culture helping people and serving people is a sure way to gain their respect and interest, so I always stay to help with the chairs, and last night I volunteered to help with the tea break- they always struggle to find people to do it, and I blew my llama cover again by publicly volunteering (I'm such a new member that people looked at me with shock.) If I help with tea then I can talk to every member of the club as they come in to get juice or tea at the break, and they will all start to know me. Besides the benefit of having the thankfulness of the club officers who are the core members. #3) Stay late. I decided to try to be one of the last people out of the room, and just keep looking for something to do until there was nothing left to be done. This gave me a great chance to chat with some of the core members of the club, as they are the ones doing the setting up and taking down. Although these are things we have to be specific about doing here, any of you can be intentional like this in your everyday lives as well. It does take a little effort, and you shouldn't expect many thanks (or any at all) for it, but to me helping and serving people is truly it's own reward. This wonderful older lady whom I chatted with last night seemed very excited about a little Christmas bazaar that's going on tomorrow in Swavesey, and I'm going to go in hopes of seeing her again there and chatting with her some more. I'm sure I'll see other Camera Club folks there too- that's my hope at least.