Hello all!

This week was the busiest week I’ve endured so far. My workload quickly soared from about 4–5 to 10–12 hours a day. NGO work is unique in that it’s very self-determined. I came up with this project idea, and it’s my responsibility to follow up on it. Accordingly, I’ve lost some of the bells and whistles that came from deciding my own schedule.  

I’ve worked out 5–6 days a week with hard weight training consistently for six years, and I’ve never slept harder than after a day of talking to citizens. No experience could have prepared me for this level of people skills. Thankfully, I experienced it early, and my endurance is improving, but it was quite a shock.  

Otherwise, my time with Sherif, Leo, and my nightly calls with my buddies back home have gone very well. Sherif invited me to play *Mario Party* with a few of his friends. Of course, as you all must’ve figured by now, I won 🙂 I’ve lost a total of 8 kg since I came here, and I’m gonna need a new wardrobe when I get home. Also, it’s been extremely fun learning how to cook more for myself. In the fall, I’ll be in an apartment anyway, so it’s better I learn sooner rather than later. This week feels more like surviving than thriving, though I know that will get easier over time. Tomorrow will be a better day—even if it’s not, I’ll say it again.  

Next week, I’m entirely focused on writing a 40-page political thesis based on the past two months. The paper will detail the theoretical and  practical basis, as well as the results of 2 months of work. I will soon be giving a speech on the validity of using loopholes for good, and I cannot wait for the opportunity. I fervently believe in this method, and if my writing can inspire another NGO to help people, that’s a win. 

Regarding this week’s questions, I’ve actually noticed communication preferences. First, no one calls for some reason. I love calls, and I’ve noticed a shift away from calls over time in the US, though when I call here, it’s always relegated to text. Otherwise, most differences regard what’s considered an “acceptable time” to communicate. I see my mother accepting calls at 9:30 PM from work if it’s important enough. As my peers note, after 5 PM, everyone disappears.  

With my coworkers, most miscommunications come from nuance in language rather than culture. We deal with politics and issues that require “it depends” answers, and sometimes context isn’t enough.  

In the first couple of weeks, I would send presentations to my coworkers to read in advance. This actually posed the most miscommunication problems overall. These circumstances, however, were unfortunately unavoidable, as they were universally caused by not reading the materials before our meetings. As well as that, the schedule set at the beginning of the summer has been entirely sidelined in our recent busy weeks.  

It has been incredibly challenging to be a communicator and a leader in an organization focused on plain work. We don’t work in glitter. Most projects are incredibly monotonous and tiring, but they help people. In my opinion, that is always enough. Also, I’ve found that despite being basic, so many of the community ideas are directly applicable to the quality of life for residents of Kreuzberg. It was originally suggested that residents would only say, “Oh, there’s too many homeless people.” I’m relieved to see that the presence of a vote precludes the ability to spread hate in such a way.  

I’ve tried to gather my coworkers around this mentality, with the help of my incredible boss, and have been successful in getting everyone on board. We’ve gotten brilliant project ideas from the neighborhood. A homeless man suggested a glass bin for the homeless to easily collect bottles for grocery rebates. Moreover, a little girl suggested more access to drinking water. It never stops. We had couples bring up extreme neglect from the city cleaners. Outside many homes, there are hypodermic needles just piled up. It’s shocking to see a supposedly “gentrified” neighborhood with such egregious and ignored biohazards. Germany can’t expect families to feel secure if local communities aren’t addressed efficiently.  

As many Americans before me have believed, the correct answer can always be found within the system that already exists. NGOs are in a uniquely advantageous position to assume the responsibilities of the public services that disappeared with Reagan. I hope I can keep this system moving, and I can’t wait to present the idea to other NGOs in the area in my keynote next week.  

Thank you all for reading, and I’ll see you next time!