22 Nov - Smiles & Gestures

Last night we refugee resettlement volunteers got to meet the families we will be helping. Sitting and chatting was severely hindered by the language barriers. I managed my "ming ga la bah" greeting in Burmese and someone managed a "thank you", but after that we were reliant on the cross-cultural interpreters floating around the room. There were so many questions I wanted to ask, but we had to try and get a few paperwork issues taken care of and that was hard enough. Both the families I met were so lovely. They are all Burmese but speak two different languages, and have very different needs. I have lived in a foreign country where I didn't speak the language before, but at least I could read the words and sound things out. I cannot imagine how daunting it must be for these families to start their new life here. Simple tasks like getting a phone number are just as overwhelming as trying to find medical care for their children. I am so glad to be able to make it a bit easier for them. To experience a little of what they are going through, try reading a bit of Burmese news site Kwe Ka Lu . I'm working on podcast #2 for December, which will have some sound bytes from last night's meeting and some of my volunteer team members.