Most of these blog entries revolve around things that I see and do. It's much more difficult to write on a thematic basis, i.e. to assemble and analyze all these tangibles into a blanket cultural observation (albeit one with plenty of exceptions, as most cultural observations are). So here's my observation: many here are so embarrassed about their inability to do something new well, that they refuse to work at it to get better, meaning they never improve.
Now before I go any further (and thus put my foot even deeper into my mouth), I should state that this is a world-wide phenomenom, and is not specific only to Moldova or unheard of in America. But, in this humble blogger's opinion, it is more prevalent here than I've seen in other places.
Some examples:
1. English TEACHERS and many students are embarrassed to speak in English with me, as if I expect their English to be as good as mine and look down upon them because it's not. [Guess I should stop yelling, "Boy are you STUPID!" everytime someone doesn't have perfect subject-verb agreement...]
2. Whenever someone sees me type quickly and I tell them about my computer class and how they could learn to do the same in a relatively short time, many say "I could never do it." Just the other day for the ump-teenth time I was telling some people about a class I had started and that they should come the next day and start learning. Instead, they asked if I would still be here next summer to give the same class. Why not just take it now? Because we missed the first few classes and would be embarrassed in front of the others. So what?!? Who knows what will happen a year from now and they'll probably never be another chance to get virtually free instruction in your own village like I'm offering.
No one is good at anything the first time they try something. If that prevented everyone from trying something new, then we'd still be in the Stone Age.
Most locals are no doubt better than I at maintaining a garden, fixing anything, and speaking Russian, just as I am generally better at speaking English and typing. But that doesn't mean I don't believe that with enough time, instruction, and hard work I could learn how to do all of those things if not equally as well, nearly so. My point is one must believe in oneself in order to achieve anything, and for some reason I see a lack of self-confidence in a lot of situations here.
What is the root cause of this? I don't know. Maybe I'm just overly confident and so I should adjust for that bias. Probably a bit of the problem is I'm simply not cut out to be a great teacher - too impatient. Maybe the communist "government will provide all" mentality is to blame. Perhaps it's an educational system that, with a few exceptions (you're one of them, Luda), largely favors memorization over ingenuity. If any of you out there have thoughts on this, I'd certainly welcome them here.
Since the first step in anything is believing that you can succeed, I sometimes wonder which would have a greater effect in Moldova: (1) all NGOs continuing various projects to improve democratic institutions, bring running water and gas to all parts of the country, update technological practices, give better health education and access to the population, etc.; or (2) give every household a translation of The Little Engine That Could.
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2 comments:
Yeah, here's another example: my host sister patently refuses to cut watermelon. She says because she's left handed, there is no way she can cut it. I think sometimes it's lack of self confidence, and sometimes it's downright laziness.
I don't know if you had this perception in Uzbekistan, but G & I did - "If its never been done or tried before, it won't work," mentality...Argh!
Good luck with your GMATs ;)
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