D-I-E Thu Nguyen - Colombia

DESCRIBE

Friendly and proactive is the adjective I describe Latin America. In my perspective, Colombia is a nice place, at least my study area’s climate, it’s approximately 15 – 20 Celsius degree for the whole year. The people are never hesitated to support and help me. There are some refugees from Venezuela live in Colombia and sell some basic stuff such as coffee, water cake or appliance to earn for a living. I listened to their story and did volunteer in a nursing home. Thanks to those experience, I empathy and widen my eyes about the world.

INTERPRET

There was also an extreme problem happened to me, visa issue as well as the language barrier. Residents in Colombia don’t know English well and some have no idea about English speaking, includes employees who work in international places like the airport and there was no translator who can solve the problem. I did explain about my visa issue due to the instruction of Colombia embassy in Finland. However, they seemed to be misunderstood and locked me together with some people didn’t have any personal documents. I was scared to be sent back to Finland, but the host university helped me out and treated me very well.

For the young generation at my age, some of them who studied in English institute or did experience English speaking environment, they were more confident and express themselves clearly. However, most of the students around me were not used to communicating by English. And when we were doing teamwork, they spoke by Spanish and I felt like I was isolated in the team, they just spoke to me if they thought they had to. There was once when I missed the lab work as they were discussed in Spanish and I didn’t understand at all. I should ask them immediately, but I didn’t because I thought that content wasn’t related to work.

EVALUATE

I think Colombia is not yet an integrated country that everyone welcomes to speak and aware of communication skills. I didn't state they had to speak English everywhere since I was in Spanish speaking though personally, I feel being unrespectful from that behaviour. I accept and respect their culture and language. Nevertheless, this is in the educational environment, to which I was there to extend and exchange my knowledge. Although they did not aware and intend to do that, for me it was quite impolite and non-altruistic to international students. This issue happened in many environments, not just only in the educational area and to many countries. I've not overstated this problem, yet it did not always happen to me there. You just imagine if you are in a foreign country with the important task and local friends even didn’t concern or have eye contact to, and leave you some English sentences told you what to do within the whole group meeting, how do you feel? It was also my mistake that I should tell them to adjust their behaviour and please let me join the group completely. Yet it was also their drawback to disconnect with foreign students. Therefore, to future exchange students who desire to go to Colombia, you should prepare yourself a certain amount of Spanish to be in touch and express you feeling clear so both sides can empathy and modify the conduct.

I still enjoy the time there except the circumstances above. The friends are friendly and generous to me surplus an amazing adventure to enhance my vision of Latin American culture and sightseeing.