Comments on: Trains And White Privilege http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/ A deaf American volunteer goes to Sri Lanka to work at a school for deaf children in Matara. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 01:53:23 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: sasha ponappa http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-793 sasha ponappa Sun, 04 Mar 2007 19:43:54 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-793 adam, i'm pining for home... lanka and india.. too far away. thank you for this BEAUTIFUL post. - sasha adam,

i’m pining for home… lanka and india.. too far away.

thank you for this BEAUTIFUL post.

- sasha

]]> By: Julie and Nadia http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-758 Julie and Nadia Wed, 28 Feb 2007 20:04:17 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-758 Ginny, Julie and Nadia here. Missing you heaps and heaps and heaps. Nice to hear that your making a good impression on your collegues, and that your skills are being put to good use. Hope everything was cool after you left, we were extremely worried bout you, hope you've managed to sort everyhting out, but by the sounds of it, you didn't let it get in the way of having fun and learning all the new signs and stuff. Good on ya mate! Hows Rohana hostel. Tell the kids Oaklodge hostel say a big hi. We hope to see lots of photos of you and them soon. All the kids were so excited about your e-mail and can't stop talking about your new bike cinderella. She sounds beautiful. ha ha. Steve say's hi and hope your soaking up the sun while we all get drenched in the rain. Well we hope to hear from you soon girl. Keep in touch. All our love hugs and kisses Julie and Nadia XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Ginny,

Julie and Nadia here. Missing you heaps and heaps and heaps. Nice to hear that your making a good impression on your collegues, and that your skills are being put to good use.

Hope everything was cool after you left, we were extremely worried bout you, hope you’ve managed to sort everyhting out, but by the sounds of it, you didn’t let it get in the way of having fun and learning all the new signs and stuff. Good on ya mate!

Hows Rohana hostel. Tell the kids Oaklodge hostel say a big hi. We hope to see lots of photos of you and them soon.
All the kids were so excited about your e-mail and can’t stop talking about your new bike cinderella. She sounds beautiful. ha ha.

Steve say’s hi and hope your soaking up the sun while we all get drenched in the rain.

Well we hope to hear from you soon girl. Keep in touch.

All our love hugs and kisses
Julie and Nadia
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

]]> By: RLM http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-727 RLM Sun, 25 Feb 2007 20:33:43 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-727 I have a similar experience with dark-skinned individuals domestically and overseas over years. Handful of those people usually come to me - "I love white bread like yours" I gulped and reminded them that the consumption of white bread was not really good for us. They persisted - "I crave white guys!" That is surely a distrubing issue on many levels for the nowaday's global stage where the whitneness is a symbol of purity and human superiority. Look forward to more of your Sri Lanka adventures and misadventures (too). Aha! Thanks a zillion times for sharing your personal journey with all of us in Sri Lanka. Everyone is beautiful regardless of ethnicity, upbringing and physical features! Robert L. Mason (RLM) I have a similar experience with dark-skinned individuals domestically and overseas over years. Handful of those people usually come to me - “I love white bread like yours” I gulped and reminded them that the consumption of white bread was not really good for us. They persisted - “I crave white guys!”

That is surely a distrubing issue on many levels for the nowaday’s global stage where the whitneness is a symbol of purity and human superiority.

Look forward to more of your Sri Lanka adventures and misadventures (too). Aha! Thanks a zillion times for sharing your personal journey with all of us in Sri Lanka.

Everyone is beautiful regardless of ethnicity, upbringing and physical features!

Robert L. Mason (RLM)

]]> By: amanda http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-721 amanda Sat, 24 Feb 2007 21:09:18 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-721 We went through the same thing when we went to Japan. people marvelled at our whiteness, at our blue eyes, but it was sad. it wasn't "oh you are so beautiful", it felt more like they were jealous that we fit some image of perfection - some false idea of beauty. we were better because of something we couldn't compare. it was strange for me in particular because when i was at that vulnerable age of 10-13, i was picked on for being too white. too pale. too ghostly. there it was clear that they were only admiring our whiteness because of some social messages that came with it, just as young women crave thinness here.. that being said, there's also often something beautiful about being an other. Nano once said he often liked the 'white' girls at school, just because they didn't look like the other girls; much like some of us here might marvel at the girl who looks like no one else because she's from India. im curious as to whether part of the treatment although undoubtably linked to whiteness may also be related to how obviously foreign you are and thus a guest. my mother was treated wonderfully in cuba (people even waved at her in cars, etc, like royalty) because Americans don't go to cuba, and so they knew that if she was in cuba then she must be great. some people might have the same idea about you in sri lanka, especially since you are not "vacationing" on some beach. We went through the same thing when we went to Japan. people marvelled at our whiteness, at our blue eyes, but it was sad. it wasn’t “oh you are so beautiful”, it felt more like they were jealous that we fit some image of perfection - some false idea of beauty. we were better because of something we couldn’t compare. it was strange for me in particular because when i was at that vulnerable age of 10-13, i was picked on for being too white. too pale. too ghostly. there it was clear that they were only admiring our whiteness because of some social messages that came with it, just as young women crave thinness here..

that being said, there’s also often something beautiful about being an other. Nano once said he often liked the ‘white’ girls at school, just because they didn’t look like the other girls; much like some of us here might marvel at the girl who looks like no one else because she’s from India.

im curious as to whether part of the treatment although undoubtably linked to whiteness may also be related to how obviously foreign you are and thus a guest. my mother was treated wonderfully in cuba (people even waved at her in cars, etc, like royalty) because Americans don’t go to cuba, and so they knew that if she was in cuba then she must be great. some people might have the same idea about you in sri lanka, especially since you are not “vacationing” on some beach.

]]> By: Karl Ewan http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-718 Karl Ewan Sat, 24 Feb 2007 20:45:48 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-718 Adam, A well-written posting. I had a similar experience while living in Puerto Rico, a Spanish-speaking territory within the United States. It gave me a perspective that I had never seen nor experienced while living on the mainland. Thank you for sharing. Regards, Karl Adam,

A well-written posting. I had a similar experience while living in Puerto Rico, a Spanish-speaking territory within the United States.

It gave me a perspective that I had never seen nor experienced while living on the mainland.

Thank you for sharing.

Regards,

Karl

]]> By: Janis http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-717 Janis Sat, 24 Feb 2007 17:38:16 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-717 Very, very interesting read -- thanks. Although, while I do see your point about that photo, it did strike me that it was exactly the sort of photo I'd see on a blog captioned by, "Here's me, Mahesh, and Manjula at the local Denny's after the USC game! Go Trojans! W00t!" Living in LA warps (or un-warps) one's brain regards race and skin color sometimes ... Very, very interesting read — thanks. Although, while I do see your point about that photo, it did strike me that it was exactly the sort of photo I’d see on a blog captioned by, “Here’s me, Mahesh, and Manjula at the local Denny’s after the USC game! Go Trojans! W00t!” Living in LA warps (or un-warps) one’s brain regards race and skin color sometimes …

]]> By: Rachel http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-715 Rachel Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:57:00 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-715 Hello Adam! First of all, I miss you! :) Second of all, you definitely put this into perspective. White privilege is pretty dominating and much more apparent in other parts of the world. Yet here in America, our whiteness isn't good enough. Makes me think back to the girls' passionate chatter in my workout class over tanning lotions because winter was making them look washed-out. Only if your message was LOUDER! Hello Adam! First of all, I miss you! :) Second of all, you definitely put this into perspective. White privilege is pretty dominating and much more apparent in other parts of the world. Yet here in America, our whiteness isn’t good enough. Makes me think back to the girls’ passionate chatter in my workout class over tanning lotions because winter was making them look washed-out. Only if your message was LOUDER!

]]> By: Dianrez http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-713 Dianrez Sat, 24 Feb 2007 14:49:35 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-713 I had a similar experience in Washington, DC as a practicum student working with inner city Deaf young adults. Many weeks would pass before I saw another white face, and when I did, the thought would shock me: too white! Then another shock: I am white, too!!! Such is humanity. Agree that people wish for different color than they have...I wished to be more tan, some of my clients wished for lighter skin. People are beautiful each in their own way, and skin color should be considered beautiful in all its hues. I had a similar experience in Washington, DC as a practicum student working with inner city Deaf young adults. Many weeks would pass before I saw another white face, and when I did, the thought would shock me: too white! Then another shock: I am white, too!!! Such is humanity. Agree that people wish for different color than they have…I wished to be more tan, some of my clients wished for lighter skin. People are beautiful each in their own way, and skin color should be considered beautiful in all its hues.

]]> By: Barinthus http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-711 Barinthus Sat, 24 Feb 2007 11:47:42 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-711 I just had to chuckle at your blog. During my time in Kenya teaching at Lambwe Valley School for the Deaf, I went through the same experience of being one of only two whites in the entire village. After a while I got used to getting all the attention especially from children who would run and scream "Mzungu! Mzungu!" with their fingers pointing. What I disliked the most is priviledges they would force upon me such as special seat atop their matatus (minivans) or insisting on carrying my heavy baggage for me. Many Kenyans seem to think that whites are weak and incapable of hard physical labor. What I hated the most is having children coming up to me and saying that they want my skin, soft hair like mine and so on. I keep on telling them they are beautiful the way they are and they should be proud of who they are. I just had to chuckle at your blog. During my time in Kenya teaching at Lambwe Valley School for the Deaf, I went through the same experience of being one of only two whites in the entire village.

After a while I got used to getting all the attention especially from children who would run and scream “Mzungu! Mzungu!” with their fingers pointing. What I disliked the most is priviledges they would force upon me such as special seat atop their matatus (minivans) or insisting on carrying my heavy baggage for me. Many Kenyans seem to think that whites are weak and incapable of hard physical labor. What I hated the most is having children coming up to me and saying that they want my skin, soft hair like mine and so on. I keep on telling them they are beautiful the way they are and they should be proud of who they are.

]]> By: Carrie Gellibrand http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-707 Carrie Gellibrand Sat, 24 Feb 2007 07:24:37 +0000 http://www.foundinceylon.com/2007/02/24/trains-and-white-privilege/#comment-707 Adam, you've written such lovely postings and you most certainly write beautifully... I just want to tell you this particular posting just simply left me breathless, wanting more. The way you wrote this... your feeling of being white in a sea of dark skinned people, of wanting to cry because the beautiful children hate their skin, hate themselves... makes me want to cry, too. I can just almost see/feel/smell it all as you write in wonderful detail, the children, the weather, the scents... Is there a way I can go to where you are and volunteer, too? Perhaps one month or two this summer? True biz! Just a short time, I know... short notice, but your blog really draws to me and I'm always happy to see that you've posted something new. :) Do please contact me at www.deafread.com. You can click on my name at the top right side and your message will go to my inbox. Many thanks in advance and hope to hear from you sooner than soon. :) Adam, you’ve written such lovely postings and you most certainly write beautifully… I just want to tell you this particular posting just simply left me breathless, wanting more. The way you wrote this… your feeling of being white in a sea of dark skinned people, of wanting to cry because the beautiful children hate their skin, hate themselves… makes me want to cry, too.

I can just almost see/feel/smell it all as you write in wonderful detail, the children, the weather, the scents…

Is there a way I can go to where you are and volunteer, too? Perhaps one month or two this summer? True biz! Just a short time, I know… short notice, but your blog really draws to me and I’m always happy to see that you’ve posted something new. :)

Do please contact me at www.deafread.com. You can click on my name at the top right side and your message will go to my inbox. Many thanks in advance and hope to hear from you sooner than soon. :)

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