Service Learning #3

After visiting all the times I have, I have noticed a pattern and may be a cultural belief.  Every time I have visited the family from Nepal, they have not been ready before the time we are supposed to start.  They are never early, just right on time.  Unlike most Americans which like to be a few minutes early,  I think the Nepalese value being right on time.  This may or may not be true, but it was just something I noticed.  We are still going through and practicing reading, if they want, we have them write some words too.  I noticed that when they learn a new word, they tend to think of the word in their native language first and then associate the two together.  This may help them learn, by applying it to something they would know, sort of like pneumonic devices.  Since the family has been becoming more and more familiar with us, they are more open to having conversations and showing us what their life was like before coming to America.  Some of the pictures are pretty cool, and it is a very different life back in Nepal than it is here in America, based on what I have seen.  I learned that most of there extended family is already in America, and the rest are currently going through the process of coming here.  This is exciting for them, because they have not seen their family in months.  If I had to go back, I would maybe bring some pictures from my life and maybe go through my life with them so they can see what it was like for me.  We would also work more on person-to-person contact and conversation, this way they can understand how to interact effectively in America.  This would help them professionally and socially.  Being in a new home far, far away from your last one, being social is always rough, but having good social skills could help break that barrier and make the moving process much smoother.  These were just a few things, which we haven’t thought of but could have implemented.  After this experience, I would have learned to show up exactly at five rather than four fifty, because they were never ready for another ten minutes or so.