Thanks.

I was recommended this book by a hearing co-worker of mine about a month ago. After being somewhat skeptical, thinking it was another “deaf” literature book, I was happy to say I could not put it down. I even bought my co-worker her own copy. I was amazed at how enjoyable it was. Not only was it funny and interesting, but the whole “humaness” factor was there as well.

I couldn’t be more pleased you chose to write about this book. Kudos

Reader, I understand what you mean better now by “arrogance.” It’s funny, I don’t think I construe such as arrogance, but as honesty no matter how painful it may be to write or hear. I think that’s quite the opposite of arrogance. I do know how hard it is to maintain one’s ideals in such a hard and foreign place. For myself, I’m not proud of how I handled quite a few situations in Kenya but they happened. And I think that could and would be true for anyone. Josh also shared another saying during his talk at Gallaudet, “Peace Corps is where idealism goes to die.”

And, reader, you expressed a wish for how you wished Josh were more reflective on how his perspectives may have changed afterwards and how you wished he chronicled more about his after-experience in the states. I’m not sure that would have been honest :)

I think that his tale should be taken the way it was because it’s his. And it’s told well. Of course, you don’t have to agree with him (or me :) ).

Swiller meant that in Africa, in the face of such poverty and disease and general hardship, Africans deal however they can, through drink or laughter or both. And Peace Corps volunteers stationed there take a bit of this coping strategy home with them.

anyways - I think Josh has a lot of guts to document his initial reaction to how things were done in Zambia. What he did, the international community professionals would’ve frowned on his conduct and there were few parts where I winced thinking “dang why did you do that??”. He’s never been out of the States and he was in a vulnerable position where the Peace Corps (top down type of organization) gave him a mission that he felt he should undertake. And it’s part of his personality (confronting people) and he admitted he made a mistake with that deaf boy in the school leading him to think america is this and that. And he peppered some retrospective here and there after some situations. That’s my impression from reading the book.

I probably wouldn’t have the guts to admit the similar initial reactions I had when I first travelled, because I’m too seasoned a traveller now with a background in international studies. In a way, it was refreshing for me to read the book to remind me of my origins in travel.

I think both of you had excellent responses to my comment…I think the part that I wasn’t sure about was- did he ever recognize his arrogance? I felt like he hadn’t really recognized it- but then again like Random Stranger said, “I think that the recognition on Swiller’s part came only after the events of the book.” I think one part of the book I would have liked to see more was after he came back to the US and how he views his experience now, in terms of his “attitude.” I guess the issue with the book for me was how it was written in the past- so I wasn’t sure if he was writing it as “I was right to do certain things then” or if it was “this was what I did…and how I view things now…”

The one part that really bothered me (in terms of arrogance) was when he wrote about how he physically treated the mentally (?) disabled hearing boy at the school for the deaf.

Also the other part that I didn’t like was how he had the discussion with the school teachers, I felt like his response was a bit “temper tantrum” and very one-sided with his American views. BUT, I can understand how the discussion may have gone that way, since it takes a lot to be in another country and I’m sure that is what one must go through with cultural adaptation and so forth… But the part I still didn’t like was about how he was with the first example—but then again, maybe he was doing what others do in Kenya with disabled students?

I think the whole “I’m-going-to-save-the-village” part I can understand. I think it was just a few of the “other things” that I couldn’t get past.

On the flip side, I read the book just after coming back from being in Ghana for a month, with a deaf school. So I may have gone into the book VERY biased and “with my own agenda?” And I’m SURE I wrote things that were probably arrogant and ethnocentric, but I am trying to (and hopefully am) learning from those experiences…

That’s where I would have liked to hear about Josh’s “transition” from the old to the new perspectives…but maybe that’s for the sequel? (Smiles).

Swiller says in the closing of a book review: “There was a saying in the Peace Corps around the time of my service. Volunteers who go to South America come back to the States politically active, volunteers who go to Southeast Asia return spiritually aware and curious, and volunteers who go to Africa? — they come back drunk and laughing.”

I’ve a question to ask you what Swiller really means by “come back drunk and laughing.” Did you feel the same when you returned from Africa? If so, why or if not, why? I’m trying to understand about the group of the volunteers.

Paul Auster’s latest book is next on the agenda for me. Of course, after I finally finish my Optimality Theory readings (yes, I just love saying it!).

I hope you get a response to your question. It’s always good to ask questions since it’s a way to learn, grow, and hopefully change!