Meeting Other International Students

As more international students have been arriving on campus, it’s been interesting to meet them. Some jump right in and start trying things. Others have the look of shock for days and are petrified of everything. I think it would be interesting, if not also embarrassing, to be able to see myself when I first came. I’ve been here over a month now and I’m feeling a lot more at ease. I can navigate parts of the area by myself. I feel fairly comfortable around campus. The only thing that can unnerve me and probably always will is the persistent man asking for my phone number or asking me, “his friend,” to come visit. I don’t trust their intentions one bit nor am I interested in anything of the sort. The open markets bother me less. I’m still not a fan of long bargaining conversations. I feel like such a cheapskate when I try to get the price too low. I’ll bargain a bit, but I’m not as determined as other people in my group.

As one who has been here bit, I feel like an unofficial ambassador to incoming international students. When they look lost, I feel the need to ask if I can help them find something or explain the cafeteria menu because it is all in Swahili. I’ve met several students so far that were told to meet at the LINKS office, yet they have no idea where that is, let alone where they are in relationship to anything else of campus.

I think I had the look of shock and probably exhaustion when I arrived in country. I’d almost like to do it all over again to see it with fresh eyes. I can say that I am very happy our program has an orientation like it does. From speaking with other students from different programs, they didn’t get hardly anything as to a country orientation. Even if we only had done the pre-departure reading, we were way ahead of the curve once we arrived. I don’t think I could do what some of these people do. They come alone. The LINKS office drops them off at the dorm and then they are on their own. How overwhelming! I can say we, LCCT, have it good.