March 8 

ePortfolio prompt:  Summarize  your “outside experience.” Where did you go; what did you do; who did you meet; how did you feel; what were your strategies for interaction in an unfamiliar place? 

I had difficulty selecting an "outside experience". I really wanted to choose something where I had a new experience and where I felt "othered" or like an outsider in some way in order to attempt to take the perspective of others. I often feel like an outsider. Just yesterday I went to see To Kill A Mockingbird at The Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. The Marx Theatre seats 626 people. There were probably about a dozen people of color, of which I was one. Every time the "N" word was spoken in the play, particularly by a child I felt uncomfortable. Anyway, this was not my outside experience. I just wanted to highlight that it is not uncommon to be in situations where I feel conspicuous. As one half of an interracial marriage, I am sometimes the "only" at family events. Another challenge is that I have a fairly diverse circle of friends that includes people from a variety of backgrounds. I am half Haitian and half Panamanian. I have traveled to Haiti and I am going to visit my parents in Panama for spring break. My sister in law is from Russia. I enjoy going to a range of restaurants and often eat at Emanu http://emanuea.com/  I attend pride week events with friends. What could I do that would be a new outside experience? It struck me that when we discussed events that impacted us, I recalled my cousin coming from Haiti and going to a grocery store on Long Island for the first time. She stood in the aisle with all of the shampoo and seemed frozen. She was not used to so many choices and did not know where to begin. She said, "I just want shampoo." When Ruth suggested a grocery store as a possible experience I knew that was the right choice for me. Going to the grocery store allows you to get items to meet basic needs. It is something I take for granted.  When our children were old enough to stay home alone, going to the grocery store was one of the first things my husband and I did without them. We jokingly called it "a grocery store date." I went to CAM International Market.

As I entered there were several signs and a bulletin board that were not in English. The aisle markers were all in English, but most of the items were not. I decided to make myself walk through every aisle and pick out at least three items that I could recognize. I didn't want to just walk around and leave. That felt rude.  I was the only Black person in the store. At the time I was the only non Asian person in the store. I felt like I was intruding I looked at spices and pastes that I didn't recognize. Aha! - coconut milk. It had a photo and the words in English and Spanish, that was something I could get. Wasabi peas were in another aisle. My husband loves spicy food and we have gotten those before. I got to the final aisle and there were bags and bags of rice. Somehow this was incredibly comforting. When I was a teacher of young children, I used to read the book Everybody Cooks Rice. In Haiti and in Panama every meal has rice. As I went to check out I saw a booble head cat that my sons would like. They collect little figures. I got in line and noticed that there was a credit card machine, but everyone in front of me paid with cash, so I did too. I didn't really have any strategies for interaction. I smiled and nodded if anyone looked at me. I thanked the woman at the checkout. I guess my strategies overall were to look for familiar images, be polite and avoid any assumptions or inserting myself into any conversations.  I am an introvert, so situations where I don't know anyone are difficult. My strategy in most situations where I am new is to find one friend or familiar person to connect with. I was by myself, which made it harder. 

Here are my purchases