"Blessed is he, who expects nothing, for he shall never be disappointed."

For my third project. Action at home - I am having to advertise and promote VSO. This quote is one to live by while overseas. It's the root to everything. From my experience, to the conversations I have shared with family and friends. I wouldn't want to promote any negativity and I wouldn't want to lie because I went through it. Spreading kitty crap only just means nothing is ever really acknowledged. So for example; "It was brilliant, an experience I would do again." You've naturally thought of the best, right? You have already "fantasised" just by hearing one simple sentence.

Rather than bulls***ting, I would say "it was an experience, it wasn't easy but it's up to you whether you're willing to face a challenge." Challenges is one they did explain. The main challenges though, were not the cultural differences in my case, but communication. Not to state it so bluntly but they failed to highlight their own principles but they did highlight how important it is to communicate with everybody and everyone.

Towards the end of my trip, I was well on my own. Communication with the Filipinos is not the same as communicating with somebody from your own country. Naturally. Communicating with the staff was always hectic, stressful and were mainly "feedback sessions." I could say a dozen of things to them and still be greatly disappointed.

Disappointment eventually became so big that I hated it. I hated everything about what I had to put up with that I had forgotten of all the little things that were "good." "Good" in this sense is defined in a way that if I hasn't gone I wouldn't have seen or learnt as much as I did.

Friendship, independence, life skills, leadership, team work, communication, cultural exchange, unity and world view. I gained more than what VSO had planned to start with. Sometimes the unexpected cases, the most disappointed cases are the ones that we gain from the most. So for me, I didn't go to gain independence but more of a global perspective. However, I saw "independence" in others. I saw skills that were so critically needed and how it can have an impact on other people.

To work in partnership or as a team involves communication. Without it, we go nowhere. So for our daily allowances, they fell behind because the communication between two people were failing, therefore affected others. Not asking for somebody's opinion or not talking to them leads to conflict or isolation. Not being able to say "I can't do it" openly means you are affecting your own ability to work with others. Without communication, assumptions arise like a bag of termites!

There is also the meaning of professionalism. I personally feel it cannot be measured simply by following guidelines. The guidlines are set as boundaries, but not to the extent of the team becoming corupt.

What if things do not always go to plan? What do we do then? Do we just say "You are going to have to deal with it, because they are the rules." Deal as in tolerate? To what extent can you ask somebody to tolerate something before they say no? This is not team-work nor shows any form of communication.

Lets go back to expectations? It is like a Diet. The more you feel you've got to lose, the more disappointed you will be. But if you were to take it one day as a time, everything comes at a certain pace and comfortably, people would be able to recognise the difference. If not, they can be easily adjusted by removing a specific ingredient or change the size of a portion. In this case, knowing something was wrong but stressing only resulted in GREAT GREAT disappointment. Being fatter than you were, to start with!!!

Something so small such as listening or communicating with one another could have avoided so much misery. Just like changing a portion size.

This experience altogether...............was it all really worth it?

You tell me....