Peace Corps Goal #3

3. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

That is the third of the three Goals of Peace Corps. I have come to break this particular goal down into three parts.

1. Soaking up the culture
2. Sucking up the culture
3. Drinking up the culture

Soaking up the culture is where you're along for the ride and participating in activities that were unforeseen and unpredicted. You're in the Nike "Just Do It" mode. Example: Today I was at a Christmas party for my faculty and staff from work and we played a game where the gentlemen sat in a circle of chairs and placed an Eggplant in their crotch. Then the women circled the chairs while music was playing and when the music stopped had to snatch an Eggplant or be eliminated. Not much you can do except smile and wait until you're the last one sitting in a chair with two filipina co-workers dancing around in a circle waiting to snatch a phallic fruit from your crotch. Ahh Peace Corps, the things we do to save the World.

Can you see why this game would be funny?

Sucking up the culture is when something's really pissin you off but you just gotta sit through it. Like when you get 'Hey Joe, It's your birthday!' from random drunk people on the side of the street...or random not drunk people on the side of the street. Or a better example is a Mass I attended, where the entire student body/teachers/staff were present, and the Father gave a 15 minute sermon on American Christmas. How we have so much money, how we sit on our material comfort, how we don't have Jesus in school, how we have so much money, how we have forgotten Christmas is about Jesus and Mary, how we have so much money, and how Christmas is Meaningless in the United States. Rest assured, my friends, Christmas to me is not meaningless nor would I be a Peace Corps Volunteer if I was content to sit on my material comforts. Yes Jesus is absent from our schools, and yes Christmas to me is about family and loved ones. Unfortunately, this is part of Peace Corps. Promoting better understanding of Americans amongst people served (Goal #2 FYI), and also a part of why we are here.

Drinking up the culture is quite simply San Miguels, Tanduay, and the eternal pursuit of a Happy Horse.