Warning: Learning Ahead

In the run up to departure, I'm trying to keep myself from getting over anxious by focusing on the ins and outs of the actual job I'll be doing eventually instead of mulling over whether my toiletries are properly organized. Governessing is going to be daunting and interesting and definitely going to be a rich experience regardless of what happens. Recently, however, I've started wondering about struggles that might arise – like when I went to university in the UK and all the laboratory equipment had different names.

What if teaching a kid to read and write is done differently in Australia? Do they do PEMDAS or is there some other acronym for orders of operation? Will we do world geography or just Australian geography? Colours? Or Colors? While my first reaction was to be a bit worried, I soon got over those nerves in a very simple chat with one of my best friends, Raymah.

We (okay, I) had been postulating how cool it would be if there were buried civilizations in Southern Asia similar to Atlantis, but buried in sand dunes and no one knew they were there. Without even hesitating Raymah told me all about Mohenjo-daro, an archaeological site she'd visited with her school back in the day, which was pretty much exactly what I'd been imagining.

I was immediately jealous. I'd trade all two dozen class trips to the Liberty Bell for one chance to see a nigh 5000 year old city. Not sure she'd appreciate the reciprocal, but I'm sure there are parts of the founding of the US that British kids probably never got exposed to.

All this is getting to a point, promise. This little conversation opened my eyes to a truly wonderful aspect of growing up in different cultures – one that I hope I'll be able to share with the girls I'll be teaching. Not only do I get to experience new people and ideas and views when out exploring, but I get to hear how other peoples experiences/education/culture have shaped their views which could include things I've never been exposed to.

It's a subtle difference. I've only just fully realized it, though I've probably enjoyed seeing the world through other people's experiences and education for a long time.  Catch me at the pub and my favorite game is pointing out differences between language use, cultural practices, and so on. But it's a step further. It's pointing them out, and understanding why they're different – and why different is kind of cool. It's realizing that I'm 22 and created this fantasy lost-sand-dune-buried-city because I'd never learned about a real one, and Raymah was chillin' out in the real thing when she was in primary school. 

So go find people with different perspectives. Listen to them, try to understand and appreciate that while similarity might make you compatible, dissimilarity is the really interesting bit. I guarantee you will have a lot more fun if you just approach most situations sort of accepting that yours isn't the only way things are done.

Watch out though, you might just learn something.