Today in class we read a blog entry from a peace corp volunteer that went to Tonga. This led to the discussion that just because we will be going to Tonga and will see that they do things different, doesn't mean that their way of doing things is wrong. And that doesn't mean our way of doing things is right. In Tongan class, faiako taught about the word and meaning behind "palangi" which means foreigner (or white person). Tongans (especially Tongans in Tonga)kind of praise palangi's and think that their way of doing things is considered the right way. I think this is something we will have be careful of, is finding a way to help them without imposing that our way (or the American way) is better. Again, I don't ever want to come off as someone who is coming there to change their way of teaching health education. I'm there to assess, and look at what they're teaching and how they're teaching it. Sometimes I think it is good to keep our judgements or opinions to ourselves, to an extent, because we don't know the whole picture of why they do things the way they do.
In a class activity, we had to write down our expectations for our field study. One of my expectations is to establish a network of people including teachers, health workers, community members, and so forth. One of long term goals is to be able to return back to Tonga and help or work in the Ministry of Health or with health education. Establishing relationships with people there will help me.
I think the field study is another opportunity for us to get more perspective on the world and what's out there. I think that's the fun part of a field study, to learn new cultures and experience different ways of living. Being Tongan, I hope to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of my culture. I don't think there's ever an ending point when learning about a culture whether it is your own culture or not. I know enough of my culture but I feel I don't really know a lot of things. This will be a great experience for me.
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