In Country Orientation

UK Perspective

I walked onto the bus and sat down beside the first person I saw, which happened to be a very tired Jeffrey. "Ummm, so what’s your name?" was the start the very first stilted conversation I was to have with the Filipino counterparts that evening. It was all a little bizarre and quite artificial in a blind-date-kind-of-way. After settling the Filipinos into their bedrooms things calmed down a little and people slowly got to know each other.

Walking around Streatley

Many things stood out for me at the ICO but perhaps the most influential was the "sharing journeys" workshop. In this we all wrote briefly why we were participating in GXP and with the overlap it showed how much many of us had in common even though we come from opposite sides of the world.

A simulation of Southampton and Eastleigh by Jay and Xenia

On the final night we were placed into our counterpart-pairs, again a very strange situation where people moved all over a makey-uppy map of Southampton in order to find their placements and counterparts. Got paired with Miel and am living in Neville’s house in Cadnam with her which is interesting to say the least…

by Ciara Mc Corley

Filipino Perspective

Half of Team 58 on the way to UK from the Philippines

Manila - Hong Kong - Heathrow. It was a long flight, a first for many of us. With eyes wide opened and jaws dropped low, we continued to take in the beauty and unfamiliarity of the United Kingdom as we headed on to Streatley to meet up with the other half of our team and ultimately, to begin our mission as Global Xchange volunteers.

Our vehicle came to a halt and expectantly awaited our UK counterparts. We then saw a group of smiling, young people, waving at us as we waved back. It was an awkward, exciting, and anxiety filled moment -- to finally see who we've been training to work with for the next 6 months and to meet those who might possibly have the same global and personal perspectives as we do.



The next few days engaged us in a series of intensive training, scratching the tip of what is to be a cultural exchange iceberg. It was humbling to recognize that our differences were all we had in common and that is exactly what we come to celebrate in this exchange. As we Filipinos strive to adjust to the weather and the diet change amongst other things, we accept the warm welcome they have given us and with arms wide open, humbly embrace our new found mates to form one united team. Mabuhay and cheers!

by Chely Vibal