In approximately three days, my group and I will set foot in the Port of Spain, Trinidad! I’m tremendously excited about getting to share this journey and my experience with you all through the blogs I will have after this.
As my group and I prepare to depart to Trinidad for Spring Break 2024, many things excite me about this opportunity from a personal, academic, and professional standpoint. From a personal standpoint, the opportunity to experience the Trinidadian culture and awesome weather during this time of the year is very exciting. I have never been to the Caribbean before, but I have many friends who are from the Caribbean countries. As an ethnic Nigerian, I have learned over the years that there are some similarities between the Nigerian culture and those of the Caribbean. I am very excited to try the food and learn more about the history and background of the island through the eyes of the natives. Also, I am excited about the beautiful weather we will experience as we will be there during the dry season of the island. From an academic standpoint, I am excited to see how I will be able to translate the skills I have learned in my classes in Pitt Business over the project for Nature Seekers. We will be utilizing Excel and marketing skills that I have been able to learn in classes such as Qualitative Methods, Operations management, and introduction to Marketing. Also, as a class, we have been able to learn from Professor Meade about some useful skills that we can be able to use in these projects. To be able to see the concepts I have learned flourish in reality and be able to make an impact will be a helpful motivator as I get through the rest of the semester post-spring break. From a professional and career standpoint, I am excited to see how I am able to use the skills from my project management class to interact with the client. In the future, I hope to work on projects and/or product management. This career path will require me to work with the external clients that the product will impact. I am excited to acquire real-world experiences and use this in the future through internships and interviews.
Trinidad and the United States have many cultural differences, especially from a business standpoint. One cultural norm of Trinidad that I anticipate being a challenge for both myself and my classmates and the easy-going nature of the locals and how that may affect us during business meetings. In all parts of life, Trinidad natives are okay with being late but this excludes business meetings. This friction may slip our minds and have us be one “Trini Time” all the time. In the United States, there is an emphasis on the importance of being on time for meetings. Being on time is a sign of deep respect in the United States and this goes the same way for Trinidad. I hope that our group does not run late to any meeting by accident and cause any offense to the locals we will be working with. Another cultural barrier that may cause a challenge for my group and me is the language barrier. Although Trinidad’s official language is English, due to the culture and ethnic mix of the island the variation of English they speak is very different from the United States. The Island has its own version of English called Pidgin English. I believe this difference will be a challenge as it affects how we understand the locals we interact with. More importantly, I hope we do not say anything as a group that may be expected in the United States but view it as inappropriate or offensive in Trinidad.
This global learning experience will teach me so much more than simple academics and way more than what being in a classroom will teach me. A personal learning experience that I expect to learn from this in-country experience in Trinidad is communicating, learning, and growing from an extremely diverse and new cultural group. The United States has always been labeled a melting pot of cultures, but I believe Trinidad will be more unique in this aspect. I grew up in Baltimore, Maryland which is an urban area. I was mostly surrounded by Black and Latinx people but we were all connected by the “Baltimore” culture so there was never a difference noticed. When I moved the Pittsburgh for college, I immediately got immersed in a mostly White population. As I have learned a lot from this experience, we were all connected by the “Hail to Pitt” culture of the University that binds us. Going to Trinidad will be very different for me because I have never had a cultural atmosphere like this before. The Island is very diverse in the fact that many of the natives are of Asian (Indian) and African descent which is very unique and not really seen anywhere else in the world. I am excited to see how I learned from the natives and be able to intertwine myself with a culture that I have never experienced before.
As a class, we have spent the first half of the semester preparing heavily for our Spring Break voyages. We have been able to prepare through various avenues. My group and I did extensive research on the Trinidadian culture and various aspects from articles, a provided book, and other sources. We then gave a presentation based on our findings. This impacted my research on Trinidad heavily and getting to learn from my fellow group mates and their point of view on the research. As a class, we also were able to dive into a plethora of academically validated readings. From these readings, we were then able to have honest class discussions that were filled with the expanding of the topics and the creation of a deeper understanding that can translate into how I head into Trinidad. Two readings had a huge impact on my preparation for this experience in Trinidad. The first is the “Ethics in Project Management” By Craig Brown. Craig Brown himself was also once a student in a service learning opportunity and this reading is from the point of view of the student. The reading explores various ethical principles that will lead to effective project management with the client. Although some of these points seem to be “common sense” discussing with the class the importance and why behind each point. It allowed me to explore how each principle could negatively affect the group, the project, and ultimately the client if it is handled negatively. To view it from the side of the client was very eye-opening and reminded me of the importance of the longevity of the project to Nature Seekers and the Trinidadian community. The other reading that had a great impact on me and will change the way I head into Trinidad is the article “Points of Discomfort: Reflections on Power and Partnerships in International Service-Learning” by Erin K. Sharpe and Samantha Dear. The two authors were professors of the group of students that they led to Cuba for a similar service-learning opportunity to ours. This reading was impactful because it explored the many negative things that can occur during service learning projects for both the clients and the University group. The article explores three “points of discomfort” that were caused by miscommunication, cultural differences, and the reality of being a foreigner in a new country. The discussion attached to the reading explored and created a vulnerable conversation about the possibility that these or similar “points of discomfort” may happen to us, especially since this is the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic that this program will occur. With us being the first group in a long time to go to Trinidad for this purpose this class will only heighten the chances of these discomforts. However, the article also discussed avenues the group when about trying to resolve these issues. I am excited to see how our experience can help the next group avoid these pains.
As I am packing my bags and getting the rest of my essentials for this journey, I am excited to experience the Trinidadian culture. I am both excited and nervous as the days dwindle to the day of our departure. I am nervous because this is my first time going to the Caribbean and I hope that I will able to properly adjust to the atmosphere. On the other hand, I am more excited to see how I am challenged to immerse myself in the culture through food, language, and music. I hope to be able to try the meal called Coo-Coo which is a blend of cornmeal and okra. As I mentioned previously, I am Nigerian and we have a similar meal called Moi-Moi which is made in a similar nature. Though both food and the rest of culture I am intrigued to see if Nigerian and Trinidadian cultures have any overlap.