The Small Things

I’m beginning to see that my time in China as a Peace Corps is not going to be about fanfare and fireworks, but about the small things.  I have been feeling like I am not doing much in being here, and I just can’t wait to get our English club started (we’ve had to wait because of the military training and the national holiday).  I just feel like once I can start that, then I can get to know more students, and find out where their interests lie and then start other clubs like movie club, music club, and crafts club.  I want to make a difference in students’ lives.  But it’s occurring to me that maybe I have already made a difference and I do every day, but it’s in such small things that most of the time I don’t even realize.

For example, today I went to Wal Mart with Mary and two students, Eva and Alice.  Mary and I were overjoyed to find that Wal Mart has suddenly decided to start stocking cheese on their shelves (a wonderful discovery but also dangerous because it’s very expensive for our allowance, and only a 30-minute bus ride away!).  We bought some mild Dutch cheese, as well as some apples, grapes, and crackers.  Eva and Alice had never really had cheese before because it’s not readily available and not part of the average Chinese person’s diet.  They were really curious to know what the big deal was all about, and why these two foreigners were getting so excited! (Actually, perhaps it was just me that was getting the most excited… I love cheese…).  So we explained that cheese can be eaten in many different ways, and they got to try it with crackers and fruit.  They liked it, but they preferred it plain. 

It occurred to me that this is one way that I am making a difference in the students’ lives, by exposing them to different tastes and ways of eating.  Another thing is that Mary has introduced Eva to coffee and to peanut butter.  Eva even brought home two jars of peanut butter, and her brother ate an entire jar while she was at work! 

Today I shared with Eva a recipe I had found using the wrappers they use to make dumplings but filled with chocolate, peanut butter, and banana slices, all deep fried (so healthy, I know).  She and other students never even thought of making anything other than dumplings with those!

The concept of “making a difference” to me often brings to mind amazing people who’ve had books and movies made about them and who have Nobel Peace Prize medals hanging on the wall.  But this process manifests itself in many different ways, and everything takes time.  I have to remind myself of this when my ambition gets restless and I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything here yet.