I thought I would be immune to the hazards of the road, when I stepped out of my comfort zone in Cairo to become a global citizen. I had great confidence in my adaptability to other cultures. I had grown up in a cosmopolitan city, had neighbors of various nationalities and had attended an English high school, where at least six languages were heard during recess. We also had a multicultural media in Egypt: news, movies, magazines, books in foreign languages and social clubs of different ethnicities.
So armed with mega self-confidence, I accepted an assignment with the United Nations in Congo, with high expectations that I would be in charge of my life. My ballooned ego was deflated even before I got there.
Read it at :
http://midlifecollage.com/2013/01/putting-yourself-in-a-strangers-shoes/
“Putting Yourself in a Stranger’s Shoes” received this favorable opinion:
“In an entertaining way, it touches on two very important global issues: a) tolerance toward others; and b) understanding how culture influences the meaning and interpretation of language.”
