Language Learning And The Desire To Do Something

"At times like this, after listening for hours to a language which is badly understood, the brain goes into a paralysis; it closes the doors and shuts up shop. I would sit there trying to look reasonably intelligent but feeling completely useless, my eyes glazed, my mouth hanging open, slowly drowning in a flood of strange, soft sounds. Of course, what was happening and what I didn't realize at the time was that I was getting some additional basic training. The first few months he is in a new country the Volunteer's biggest problem is simply communication, and especially on the technical level where he hopes to work. But after the months of training we are too impatient. The days go rushing by; we want to do something."(Living Poor. A Peace Corps Chronicle. Moritz Thomsen. Pg 26)