India, Indonesia and Malaysia HOWs Meet in the US
From AFSWiki
Contents |
Introduction
Preceding the 2011 ECA Conference from March 6 - 10 in Alexandria, VA, the three active HOW groups came together to continue their work together in person. Below you will find an account and pictures for each group.
India HOW Group
Both [the India and US] teams worked very hard prior to the March meeting. Drafts of the respective handbooks were exchanged prior to meeting in DC. Once in DC, we revisited suggested changes and additions to ensure an accurate portrayal of the Indian and U.S. cultures. We realized quickly that certain words we use frequently in America have completely different connotations in India. For example, in America some parents ground their children as a way of disciplining inappropriate behavior. In India, if one talks about “disciplining” your child, it implies corporal punishment!
The relationship between all the HOW members had grown so strong over the writing and revision phases that we tackled taboo topics head-on. This is when we could see that intercultural learning solidified the bond between us. No more careful tip-toeing around “sensitive” issues. The trust was there so we could ask freely, discuss and learn about each others cultures. We reached a higher level of understanding of cultural differences while deepening our connections as a team! That's what AFS is all about. When it comes to AFS, my motto is: Every time I get involved with AFS, it changes my life!
Members of the HOW India team for the U.S. are: Team Leader Sarah Yancey, Ann Steffen, Maria Alfaro, Helen Benton and Douglas Jackson. The members of the India Team are Team Leader Sujatha Shyamsundar, Ameet Gohel, Chandrika Cycil, Kashyap Thakrar and Aadil Fahim.
Indonesia HOW Group
The goal of the Indonesia Hosting Orientation Work (HOW) Group is to improve the quality of student exchanges between Indonesia and the U.S. by writing Handbooks for host parents. After meeting with the Indonesian partners in Jakarta in November, members of both teams spent the past few months researching and writing our assigned portions of the Handbook. From March 6 - 10 we met to review what we'd written, this time in Washington, D.C.
The meeting was like a very productive family reunion; we were so happy to be together again, and had so much we wanted to discuss. We reviewed our first-drafts with the entire group, and especially with the partner who'd written the same section for the Indonesia Handbook. We all learned so much, sharing our perceptions and research about Indonesian and U.S. families, then hearing the perspective of those who live that culture. We revised many paragraphs after gaining these valuable insights.
One Indonesian partner couldn't travel to the U.S. because she's near delivery date for her second child. We used Skype to work with her, and even had an American-style baby shower one evening.
Members of the HOW Indonesia team for the U.S. are Team Leader Mary Ann Offer, Roberta (Bonnie) Duyff, Karen Powers, Diana Ziffer and Indonesia YES returnee Flannery Mack. Members of the Indonesia team are Team Leader Diar Andiani, Asmir Agoes, Dwi Setyono, Heidy Indriyani, and Sari Tjakra.
Malaysia HOW Group
HOW Malaysia got together for the very first time to begin our handbook-writing process in Washington DC from March 6 - 10. After a brief overview of the project we began getting to know each other presentations that took advantage of all different kinds of technologies and presentation styles. We had lots of time to work in pairs in preparation for our topic presentations and we we were even able to hear from the Malaysian group members who could not make the trip, Sheena and Azhan, via Skype! They agreed to join us for the first of our presentations that day so that they could give their valuable input about teenage life in Malaysia. The topic presentations, given over the course of two days, allowed us to hear about Teenage Life, Educational Systems, Food and Meals, Religion, Family Life, Holidays and Communication in Malaysia and the United States. These topics generated some very interesting discussions. After we had all of the “facts” we broke out into country groups to talk about what we would put in our handbooks. The Malaysian group came back with a revolutionary organizational system that the American group decided to adopt. The Malaysia group also decided that they might include a multi-media supplement to their handbook to appeal to their audience of Malaysian host families.
Our time in Washington DC wasn't without its fun. We experience different kinds of American cuisine by eating out for dinner at a sports bar, Italian restaurant and a Moroccan restaurant. We also enjoyed a Monuments by Moonlight bus tour with the other HOW teams, during which the bus driver educated us about Washington’s history and we were able to get out and explore the Lincoln Memorial.
On the final day we created a timeline of next steps to serves as deadlines that we will follow throughout the year. Siti and Ruth also met to talk about the details of the next time the group comes together in July. After reviewing our hopes, concerns and objectives, we found that we had a very successful meeting over all and we prepared to switch gears from meeting about the HOW project to going home for some and attending the ECA meeting for the rest. The HOW Malaysia group may only be beginning, but we are well on our way!
