Interview with Lindsey Calhoun, August 22, 2020

Partial Transcript: Today is August 22nd, 2020.

Segment Synopsis: Randolph Adams introduces Lindsey Calhoun. Calhoun describes her life before joining the Peace Corps. She mentions how she grew up in a small town called Beech Island and how her sisters are the reason she went into early childhood education. Calhoun explains that her plan was only getting her degree but she ended up wanting to explore the world. She talks about how she did study abroad in Spain and India, and her trips caused her to want to travel more. Calhoun mentions that someone visited her school and explained that the Peace Corps was a way to defer loans. She explains why she chose China and describes her process of joining the Peace Corps. Calhoun describes her family and friends' reaction to her planning to teach in China for two years.

Keywords: Applications; Beech Island (S.C.); China; College; Family; South Carolina; Study abroad; Teachers

Subjects: Acculturation; Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Education sector; Language and culture; Language and language; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education

Partial Transcript: Next phase would be your pre-service training.

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun talks about her training that took place in Chengdu. She mentions how everyone had to do 8 hours of training and how they were allowed to pick a course of their own choice, and talks a little about the Chinese class she chose. Calhoun talks about an immersive English Class that was taught by her, but Calhoun never learned how to speak Chinese. She mentions how she felt comfortable with others in the large group who were also experiencing the same as Calhoun. Calhoun describes how towards the end of their stay at the hotel, they got to find out their host families. Everyone went to separate universities or facilities to receive their language and tadpole training. Calhoun explains how they got split up and talks a little about how she got assigned to a private university; later on, she talks about her training in Chengdu.

Keywords: Chengdu (China); Chinese (Language); Chinese classes; Hotel; Immersive English classes; Tadpole training; Traveling; Universities

Subjects: Acculturation; Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: And, um, my host mom she was so wonderful.

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun talks about her host family and what she would call them. She says how lucky she was to have her host mom/sister, who was very understanding, and she talks about how her host mom had some experience hosting foreigners. Calhoun mentions how her host family would invite her to explore places in China. She explains to the interviewer how the trainees were assigned to a certain area in China. She mentions how useful the culture sessions were.

Keywords: Host family; Hosting; Sessions; Site placements; Universities

Subjects: Acculturation; Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: --the training was over, what, um--how did your assignment go?

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun explains to the interviewer her disappointment when she found out she was staying in Sichuan and how she felt she wasn't having the same experiences as everyone else. Calhoun talks about her viewpoint slowly changing after hearing the complaints from other volunteers. She talks about a situation where she couldn't find the drain for the shower and received help from her friendship dad. Calhoun discusses a cultural difference she notice when she had a conversation with her friendship dad over gun violence.

Keywords: Apartments; Bathroom drains; Bathrooms; Colleges; Culture differences; English; Friendship dad; Friendship family; Gun violence; Host family; Luzhou (China); Placement

Subjects: Acculturation; Communication and culture; Culture; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Can you give me sort of a, a common work day outline from getting up to going to bed?

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun discusses her work routine and how she sent material to her students. She explains that most of her students are English education majors hoping to become teachers in primary schools. Calhoun also talks about a special class she taught, which was an international education class to share teaching methods she had learned. She mentions lunches she had with her students at the student canteens and talks about the frequent questions her students asked. Calhoun explains to the interviewer a few issues that occurred with past volunteer workers. She describes her work schedule throughout the week.

Keywords: Classes; International classes; Lunches; Primary schools; Student canteens; Students; Teaching methods; WeChat; Work days

Subjects: Acculturation; Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Two questions, just going back, uh, your, uh, your family--friendship family, would that be considered like the host family?

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun explains who her friendship family was and why they were called a friendship family instead of a host family. She talks about the department faculty meetings and her friendship dad communicating with her through WeChat. Calhoun mentions some of the faculty staff she came across. Calhoun discusses the difficulties she went through shopping for food and cooking, and she was taught how to wash food effectively. She talks about how Peace Corps provided water distillers for all the volunteers but it still wasn't a good idea to drink directly from the faucets.

Keywords: Community; Department meetings; Faucets; Food; Friendship family; Groceries; Host family; Issues; Tours

Subjects: Acculturation; COVID-19 (Disease); Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Uh, the total period as volunteer was probably, what? About six months?

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun discusses what she learned during her time as a volunteer. She explains a few stereotypes her students believed and how much her students felt they learned. She explains the constant changes that occurred from the time last time her grandmother visited China. Calhoun talks about common similarities that people in America and China share that brings them closer. She describes some of the stereotypes that are actually considered myths. Calhoun mentions that she learned something about herself that she was unaware of before she volunteered.

Keywords: Changes; Chinese-English exchange; Grandmothers; Learned; Myths; Stereotypes; Students; Travel

Subjects: Acculturation; Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Lindsey, what I would like to do now is, um, move into the evacuation section of the interview.

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun discusses how she learned about the coronavirus outbreak and how it wasn't a big issue at first. She talks about all the volunteers being told that Peace Corps was closing and that they were allowed to end their service. Calhoun mentions that everyone went to travel but still needed to inform their safety health team of their whereabouts and their health. When traveling to Zigong, Calhoun talks about her experience and the changes she noticed throughout the city. She mentions a second trip she took to another province and the issues she came across. Calhoun talks about why she wasn't able to go back to campus and how she had to stay in another city with a friend. She talks about the process it took for her to get her belongings and how she had to fly to Thailand. Calhoun mentions what she did in Thailand and how she was informed she wasn't going back to China.

Keywords: Campus; Chongqing (China); Closed; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Graduated; Home; Illness; Outbreak; Possibilities; Program; Restrictions; Volunteers; Wuhan (China)

Subjects: Acculturation; COVID-19 (Disease); Communication and culture; Culture; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Uh, so we tried to have a, a close of service type training.

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun discusses how they had a closing training and mentions a few concerns she had for the Peace Corps workers. She mentions some of the difficulties all the volunteers had due to leaving so quickly and having to go back to the United States. Calhoun talks about how both cohorts helped one another with housing situations. Calhoun discusses the different emotions she experienced; she also describes some of the emotions the volunteers revealed. She mentions her experience coming back from China, and the negative connotations China and people returning from China received. Calhoun talks about the support she received from her family. She describes how she had quarantined in Thailand, the process of flying back to the United States, and staying with other Peace Corps volunteers for two weeks.

Keywords: Careers; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Experiences; Foreign language; Home; Housing; Job applications; Masks; New York; Overwhelming; Philippines; Quarantined; Thailand

Subjects: Acculturation; COVID-19 (Disease); Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: What have you been doing since you've been home?

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun tells what she did after coming back to the United States. She mentions when Washington, D.C started closing she had to quarantine and stayed connected with the Peace Corps volunteers. Calhoun discusses that she wanted to volunteer again with Peace Corps, but she eventually had to seek different opportunities. She describes an opportunity with South Korea where she teaches English. Calhoun talks about her opinions on how Peace Corps handled everything with the COVID-19 situation. She discusses the issues with Peace Corps healthcare after returning back from China.

Keywords: Abroad; COVID-19 test; Caribbean; Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); Home; Issues; Jobs; Online-schooling; Peace Corps healthcare; South Korea; Students; Teaching; Transitions; Trivia; Zoom

Subjects: Acculturation; COVID-19 (Disease); Communication and culture; Culture; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Peace Corps--Healthcare; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers

Partial Transcript: Now I know you're on another year adventure in Korea. Uh, do you think you're done with Peace Corps?

Segment Synopsis: Calhoun discusses with Adams about wanting to go back to Peace Corps, and she explains what the program means to her. She talks about how Peace Corps still has value in the world. Calhoun mentions how Peace Corps has affected her and how it had changed her perspective of the world. She explains that she feels like an international advocate for peace.

Keywords: Affordability; Beneficial; Caribbean; Closure; Completed; Connections; Effects; Governments; Independence; Mongolia; Organizations; Programs; Service; South Korea; Teachers; Ukraine; Values

Subjects: Acculturation; COVID-19 (Disease); Communication and culture; Culture; Culture shock; Intercultural communication; Language and culture; Language and languages; Peace Corps (U.S.)--China; Training; Travel; Voluntarism; Volunteer workers in environmental education; Volunteers