For the last few weeks, I've been on a study trip to ^^^ together with a group within a group. After a few days of introduction, we set out on our field trips in groups of 3-4.Our travel group is set of four very different persons, of varying background, age and personalities.
Forcefully getting to know eachother, spending both days and nights together for 3 weeks, I think we all got some of our expectations smashed, both for better and worse.
K, this shy little flower at first sight, who didn't utter a full sentence until we actually went abroad, totally blossomed as this witty, ironic and charming character as she got more comfortable around us day by day.
On the other hand, T, whom I already on the first weekend of classes togheter back home got a really positive feeling about, turned out to be a pretty negative little soul. Everthing about this trip is dirty, smelly, scary, loud, obnoxious, horrible, dusty, bad-tasting... Even if not uttered out loud, the dismay is still rather noticeable in various eye rolls, smirks, half-faints and gasps. As soon as I realized that in most aspects, she mainly reminds me of "Poor Charlotte" in "A Room with a View", it became a tiny little bit easier to see the comedy of the whole act, but it's rather straining on the perky group mood as the days of travels go by. It's hard to stay positive when the superlatives are only used for the negative.
Yes is "yes.", no is "God No!!!".
Of course, she doesn't see this pattern her self, and gets quite upset if she is pointed out as negative. However, after more than two weeks here, she told us her own background theory to why she feels her expectations for this trip and this country constantly leaves her disappointed:
- She has never ever wanted to go to Asia. She wants this to be in Africa.
I guess I'd be disappointed too.
