Well I guess the frontpage picture asks for some explanation this time...Cause NO we don´t normally make that kind of faces...whether you want to believe it or not...
This picture was made after a reunion we had planned last week...and it is a nice example of culture difference that come along once and a while...What pissed us of like that was:
Already uur second day in Ayacucho, we visited the different schools working tourism, one by one to introduce ourselves briefly. Afterwards we sent them an introduction document with more information about the aim of our study, sustainable tourism and the concept of ViaVia, plus an invitation for a meeting to get to know each other better. We wanted to have a nice meeting, with some nice food prepared by Minna, in a relaxed environment to uniquely unite them all. We wanted to welcome them for a presentation about ourselves and the ViaVia and what could be in it for them, followed by a discussion about sustainable tourism (after watching movie about negative effects of tourism). Initiate debate about the situation of Ayacucho, what is lacking and how to solve it.
Unfortunately after sending the invitation letters two weeks in advance followed by enthusiastic reactions, even after a positive and excited confirmation by phone one day in advance, we found ourselves waiting and waiting with a ton of food for people to come…In the end two people of the governmental school (a sign?) came, of which one of them left after 5 minutes to attend another emergency meeting. What did we do wrong? How come they seemed so sincerely keen on coming and didn’t show up or even bothered to call to excuse themselves? Different culture, different way of doing business I guess… After telling our nice experience to other Peruvians, they were not surprised at all and could have predicted it…So why did you then please not tell us anythign?!?.. I guess we are not the only ones to whom this happen. Apparently you need to have a powerful mediator to get people united, especially if you are new in the field and are not known. We should have contacted a covering institution who represents tourism in Ayacucho. However that is exactly the problem, that there doesn’t exist an institution who represents tourism and has the respect of all the players in that field.
But I can tell you we were a bit pissed...because the didnt even call to excuse themselves or anything....and the worse was that it made me start to doubt my knowledge of people...If they seem so sincerely interested and in the end are not...
The worst is that we now again have to take the first step to invite them for another meeting, a second attempt...
Luckily the day after the meeting, one of the three schools called to excuse himself and to ask for a new meeting. The university also seemed interested when we invited them for a second meeting. So the 17th of November we will find out if we will be luckier this time. And hopefully by being more prepared, we will manage to make it a success this time!
Since we still have the idea that, when working together with already existing schools, we will have stronger local roots, our work will be more sustainable and our impact will be bigger, than when starting an own school. We can implement sustainable tourism and even intercultural issues as an additional course in their curriculum or organize an intensive seminar week.
This all to show you that working in a different culture can bring some nice unexpected surprises (of which we actually already had plenty of in Zambia...)
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