Hi Dana

I can relate to this in a way – I myself spent some time in Spain – three months working as a graphic designer and another month working as an English teacher. While working as the graphic designer was a great experience, my time spent teaching English wasn’t so great and as a consequence my time there was cut short – for me it was an isolating time, I didn’t really like the family I was staying with and they didn’t really like me either which caused a lot of resentment. There are many things I wish I did differently, so I guess I’m going to give you the kind of advice I wish somebody would have gave me.

Have you tried speaking to the programme coordinators about your feelings? They are there to help you out as much as they can – it’s only natural for people to feel homesick and isolated when they are staying in a country and a completely different culture than the one you are used to. It’s probably natural that you want to be on your own sometimes but don’t isolate yourself all the time – I spent a lot of time alone which didn’t really bode well with the host family I lived with.

Does this school offer any kind of extra-curricular activities you could maybe get involved in? Could you offer to maybe help out some of the other students with tuition? Are there any volunteer activities in the local community you could get involved in?

Are you living with a host family? Maybe try talking to them about how you feel. If you are staying with a host family, try and communicate with them as much as you possibly can. Are you living with other students or any other people your age?

I daresay being at a school, they are bound to organize excursions or school trips at some point – this would be a fantastic way of seeing more of Senegal?

I guess my advice is just to really immerse yourself in the culture, keep your chin up and try to make the most of it. You were chosen to participate, you deserve to be there and have a wonderful time. Just try to ride it out – think of all the great experiences you will have, the wonderful people you will meet and the stories you will tell when you come home.

I hope this helps, and I hope you get to do a lot of travelling in the future 🙂

Hi Kitsune

I’m currently in the process of setting up my own online art/illustration business – I mostly specialise in fantasy/manga type things. I’m currently unemployed, I haven’t had the best success in finding work since I graduated last year so I decided it was time to try and do things for myself.

I’m hoping this will be the much needed kick in the backside I really need – I need to stop procrastinating and I hope that by running my own business it will teach and encourage me to be a bit more responsible with money. It can get frustrating because sometimes I have too many ideas for illustrations and I just don’t know where to begin, or I start comparing myself to other artists which is a vicious trap to fall into – “Oh I will never be as good as this person…”

I guess the only thing that will keep me motivated once I get my stuff together is knowing that this is what I want to do with my life, and if I don’t get anything done then I’m going to get nowhere.

Best of luck with your first novel 😀

J

Oh yes, I’m all too familiar with being shouted at from vans as well by obnoxious workmen. My guess is they choose to shout horrid things at passers-by just to show off in front of their friends or work colleagues – it makes them appear tough and cool (when it clearly doesn’t). They’re probably cowards themselves, they think they can shout mean things at people and then they are able to drive off with a swift getaway. I doubt they would say mean things outside the van – they wouldn’t have the guts to say those things when you would be standing next to them or if they were on their own. I just tell myself they are a bunch of fully-grown men who still act and behave like childish school bullies, and quite frankly it’s tragic. They probably have a lot of insecurities about themselves and they can only feel better when they are intimidating passers-by.

I don’t think those kinds of people are doing it personally – with the egg-throwing episode which happened almost last Christmas, I don’t think those stupid lads decided to get in their car that day, buy a carton of eggs from Farmfoods or wherever and go out of their way to find me and throw eggs. My dad told me something similar happened to him before in the same area I was nearly egg-ambushed. They don’t know me, I was just unfortunate enough to be there when they drove past me in their Ford Fiesta. Some people just haven’t got anything better to do with their time besides throwing things at unsuspecting pedestrians.

My sister has had bad experiences with similar kinds of people as well – usually lads who honk their horns as they drive past and wolf-whistle (despite the fact I am walking with her as well, wasn’t best pleased about that!) She also had the rubbish collectors wolf-whistle at her while she was on her way to the train station – my sister isn’t the kind of person to put up with that kind of nonsense so she stuck her fingers up at the men, they started swearing at her and shouting all kinds of disgusting, degrading things at her. We phoned the local council to complain about them, and even after the complaint was made they still insist on shouting horrid things at her so we have had to complain about them again. It makes me wonder though, these men think it’s okay to behave so disgusting towards girls yet they probably wouldn’t be happy if other people were to say disgusting things about their wives, daughters, sisters or mothers.

The point I’m trying to make here is, these creeps didn’t go out of their way to launch a personal attack on somebody that day, they are just low-life who are desperate to show off in front of their co-workers. They think they are funny and tough but they are not, they are really pathetic. They are probably so bored with their own lives they have to get cheap thrills by being rude to people. It doesn’t matter who you are, anybody in their line of sight gets shouted at or pelted with eggs. But next time an obnoxious van-driver decides to shout at you again, see if the company’s phone number is printed on the side of the van and report them.

And I wish you the best of luck with the volunteering side of things 🙂

Hi Andrew

I feel the same way sometimes, especially about the kinds of people you described. Still, it’s a relief to know we’re not the only ones who feel that way, yes? I used to hate walking to the shops, especially in my hometown – for some reason I used to have obnoxious lads who would shout stupid things at me as they drive by in their cars (one one occasion they tried to throw eggs at me as well, they missed I might add!) Has that kind of thing ever happened to you?

I’ve encountered many people like the ones you have described – you know when you just think to yourself, “they are not my kind of people”. The more often I think about them, the more I am just overcome with annoyance about them. But it’s not worth getting bothered about it, we all have our own lives to lead…

Yet at the same time I also believe that not everybody out there is completely hopeless. We just have to find “our kind of people” – I’m not saying it’s easy but I do believe they are out there, somewhere…

What are your interests? Have you considered maybe volunteering for an organization which specialises in those interests, or maybe find a club or evening class which also specialises in that particular interest?

I do some volunteering at the public library on Saturday. Libraries tend to be quiet places. Most libraries also do a whole range of clubs, classes, activities and meetings. I also love helping people out – helping them to find a particular book, helping my co-workers tidy the shelves up a bit, helping somebody to use the computer…(And of course the ulterior motive of sneaking a read at the amazing books when I should be doing my work >:D )

I hope this helps 🙂

J