In early July I was e-mailed the possibility of an opportunity to volunteer at the Washington DC arrival orientation for the YES students. To my great surprise, the possibility became reality, and on August 8 I flew to Washington DC. Something exciting to take
my mind off missing Nikunj and the others, and a chance to meet my students for the coming year a little earlier than their arrival in our town, as well as looking forward to seeing the energy and excitement of a new group of wonderful kids. I was also looking forward to meeting friends from previous orientations. I was not disappointed.
A total of 360+ students were expected, so the organization and time and thought spent on this arrival orientation by AFS-USA was amazing. At the same time, the first group of outgoing students (from America to other countries) was also present; their departure orientation put together by PAX, and they occasionally joined us and had the opportunity to mingle with students from the countries they were going to. As well, staff from other countries, and YES alumni were on hand to help out and work with the students during workshops.
Of course, only two of my five students were at this orientation--the others were in different (but similar) programs. After arrival and a good night's sleep, I hung around the hotel lobby ( a VERY nice hotel lobby) waiting for the first students to arrive. There was information, bags, water bottles, and name tags to give them, and while we organized that, we kept looking up--when would the first bus arrive? By 9 am, our waiting was rewarded,
and a bus full of exhausted but excited Saudi's arrived from the airport. After a 20 minute scramble of getting luggage put in a waiting area, and matching students with their bag of information and other things, we hit a snag--the hotel rooms weren't ready. This may sound like poor planning, but it wasn't really. We never know how long it will take for students to get through customs, and the hotel needs to give their guests from the previous night time to depart. So as the other busses began to arrive, there were always students hanging around, talking, greeting
newcomers, or just sitting in chairs hoping they could SLEEP soon! This was hardest for the Saudi's who arrived the earliest. As rooms became available, SOME of them disappeared--I'm sure they slept in any room they could. But OTHERS could not be stopped. They were everywhere, all the time! However, things quieted down fairly early in the evening, and by 10, most of us were able to sleep--except the few tired but dedicated staff who settled the midnight arriving Thais into their rooms.
Of course, lunch and dinner had been available, and we ate in groups organized by final destination in America--so I finally met the two students that would be coming to my community--welcome Asana and Aley! And Eurico, Ujang, Nastiti, Karishmabanu, Donkoru, and Christine! Montakarn and Bolkiah had not arrived yet. This was also the first taste of American food for some, and although the food was delicious by American standards, more than a few of the students were not impressed.
The next morning, a delicious (for me) breakfast buffet was waiting for us. The hotel made sure there was no pork--seeing as how most of the students were Muslim, and I imagine most of the rest were probably vegetarian. After introductions and
instructions, we loaded on busses, organized by country, for a trip to the State Department and then to the embassies of their countries of origin. What a pleasure to see all those bright, excited faces, dressed in their finest, ready to meet not only officials of the
American government, but also diplomats from their home countries. The State Department talked a bit about their goals for this program (being Ambassadors for their country here, and our country when they return home), and invited questions from the students. Then it was time to go to the embassies. This is my third time volunteering at an orientation, and the third time I've been assigned to the Saudi group. I sure enjoy the Saudi's! Driving through DC traffic takes a bit of time, and the group started singing. I had been worried about the orientation, thinking that I would be reminded of previous students and be sad. But it was okay--I enjoyed meeting the Indians, the Egyptians, the Thais, Philippinos, Indonesians, and the others. But when the Saudi's started singing! I was unprepared! All the many Arabic
songs that had been sung in my van came back to me--Hussein, Rashed, Kenan, Abdullah, Yosef, and Mohammed seemed to be right there in the bus too, and I was glad that I was sitting near the back with no seatmate. But I recovered nicely, and thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and the kids, and the embassy--especially talking with the people, enjoying the noble portraits on the walls and the dignified diplomat that talked with the students and joined us for the magnificent feast they had prepared for us. (I hope the photos taken on the one camera we were permitted to bring inside eventually finds it's way to me!)
Afterwards, we had a chance to sightsee at the national mall which, as an immigrant, helps me better understand the roots of America.
The kids had an opportunity to try out American currency at the famous Union Station--a train station and shopping mall combined. Unfortunately, there wasn't a lot of time to sight see before we had to get back on the bus and head to the hotel.
Another tasty buffet was waiting for us at the hotel, and we had a "cultural resource time", in which we had a chance to socialize, and to see the peformances which the Philippino and Egyptian groups had prepared. They were amazing! Everybody enjoyed the performances. The energy in the room was so high, as cheering and clapping for various groups filled the air. They may have been clapping for the performances, but I think also for themselves and each other, having finally acheived the goal for which they had been working
towards so long and so hard--arrival in America. They deserved every cheer and all the applause! It's hard to put a cap on all that energy, but everyone was exhausted, and quiet finally came to the hotel as everyone crashed in their beds!
Hopefully most of the students did rest because the following morning was the beginning of an intensive day of workshops. BEfore lunch we covered "Journaling for
Growth" (something I think is extremely important, but I don't think all the students catch the vision), "Being an Ambassador", and "Effective communication with your host family". After Lunch, we listened to Imam Bashar Arafat talk about Culture and
REligion in America, Discussed "Effectiove Communication: Conversation on Faith" (Americans are used to discussing Religion, but apparently most students are not--what's to discuss if everyone around you in your country shares the same faith?") We discussed the Budgetting exercise we did at Union Station, and had meetings with the specific placement organizations that would be working with the students while they were here in America. After dinner there was a short meeting where the procedure for catching the planes the next day (a lot of work to get 360 students on the correct plane all on the same day, all going to different places!!) We still weren't finished--a final workshop on "Presentation Skills" was given, so the students would have some preparation for sharing their culture once they arrived in their cities. Then there was time give to pack their suitcases again, and get ready for departure in the morning. THIS night it took forever to get the halls quiet. It was a time of saying good-bye to countrymen and friends made during orientations here and in their home countries, and I suspect also, a time to hide the nervousness and anxiety about the next day when they would have to face host families and communities alone. But finally, the halls were quiet, although I know for a fact that many of the kids didn't sleep at all in their rooms. I can understand this, but I'm sure it made the next day's travel and meeting of their host families that much more difficult. As a group leader and staff, I didn't actually get to bed until 1 am. And I had to be up at 4 am. I knew I would need some time to recover, not from jet lag, but orientation lag, when I finally got home too. Aley and Asana made it onto their planes fine, although changes in flights resulted in them arriving two hours EARLY in Pasco, while changes in my flights resulted in me arriving about 5 hours LATER. So, no photos of the students arriving! What a day! But everyone survived. And made some wonderful memories. That's as good as it gets!
Let me tell you what I have learned about Asana's family. They are cheerful and honorable. They have a warm family. They are devout Muslims and every time I see Asana pray (and she prays the required five times daily) I see a sweet and humble person who's devotion inspires me and blesses our home. They are grateful people who appreciate any good thing that happens. And they are bold people--they know that things will not magically happen for them--they must ask, and they must work. That said, they live in a home without a kitchen or bathroom, where 8 people live in three rooms, where the floors are dirt, and the shower is a watering can in a grass mat enclosure outside. If they get sick, there may not be money to pay for a doctor, nor is a good doctor easily available--you have to go to a town 70 km away over a badly maintained road. There doesn't seem to be a great variety of food available, and even less during the dry season. Asana's ONE suitcase was the smallest I have ever seen a student arrive with. Knowing of Asana's life, and the struggles she has faced, makes me embarrassed about the small complaints I have. And to think that there are people with even less than Asana has. Of course, I have long known about different cultures, but this time it entered into my heart, not just my head, that the differences between rich and poor are also great cultural differences. These great differences, however, do not stop people from becoming better. Both Asana and the young man whom I asked about competed for the scholarship to come here, and both of them won, against great odds--poverty doesn't take away from the quality of any human being. 
