བཀྲ་ཤིས་བདེ་ལེགས།! Tashi Dalek! This is Tibetan for hello, and in this blog I am using a traditional Tibetan greeting because I am back talking about my research on Tibetan peoples. To remind everyone, I am researching Tibetan mental health practices which is very interesting because not only is traditional Tibetan medicine the oldest system of written mental health methodology, but also it places the mental health above other kinds of health. In order to properly research this I became part of the community, volunteering at a local crafts center and Tibetan culture center. I taught English, and this gave me access to the community in a different way, one that was more comfortable.
People were able to talk to me more freely. I was able to shadow both Tibetan doctors in western medicine and Tibetan medicine hospitals. As well as a volunteer American doctor that works primarily with Tibetan nomads. This was an amazing experience, being so involved in a community that has such a rich culture. I was welcomed to learn Tibetan language, Tibetan traditional paining, and even to come over to Tibetan homes to eat dinner with the family.
These were not things that I thought I would be able to do because I had imagined they had nothing to do with my project. However, much like the medical system, everything in Tibetan culture is connected. I found speaking some Tibetan helped me become more of a trusted person to talk to, even though Tibetans have a culture of not talking about their problems. I also found that there is a huge connection between art, spirituality, and health with the Tibetan traditional art. Finally, being welcomed into a home to experience meals with a family taught me about the importance of the family unit and daily life dietary methodology. I was extremely fortunate to get connections through my SIT program.
However, putting in effort to become more of an insider through volunteer work opened doors to the community that I could never have imagined. I hope that I was able to give as much as was given to me. Everyone was welcoming and willing to help me learn as much as I could. This became difficult when my Chinese faltered, but it was important to keep in mind that people wanted me to understand, so questions were always ok. The Tibetans I worked with are proud of their culture and were excited that I wanted to learn, so they went the extra mile to make sure I understood and got all I needed. Like even teaching someone that thinks stick figures are good, how to do traditional Tibetan paintings.
The problems I faced felt mostly internal, questions of whether my Chinese was good enough to do this, questions of whether my service was sustainable after I left, and finally whether my research was worth-while. The days I needed off to recuperate felt undeserved, and I did not think that my service was good enough. However, after finishing my research, I am realizing that these feelings did nothing but hinder me. People were happy with what I was doing, and everyone needs a day off.
When I am back at GW, I am excited to bring these experiences back and remember that a servant leader’s duty is always to the people they are serving. I work primarily with Life Pieces to Masterpieces back in DC, and I will be happy to serve them in whatever way they see fit. They even have special educational periods and I would be very happy to teach them about my research, Chinese language, or even mental health issues. I have learned all of these things through study abroad, and deepened my experience because of the level of connection one makes through service.
If there is one thing I would recommend about going abroad, is try to serve your new community any way you can even if it is not through any official means, because it is a privilege to be able to study in a different place, and serving will make you a temporary insider into your new, amazing, community.