"The things that PCV’s see and work with are the unknown, the unexpected, the unheard-of, the unteachable, and the unrecorded experiences of life of millions of people who have nothing to say about the shaping of their countries. It is my strong hope that the “important” things will be supplemented with the wealth of knowledge stored up by PCV’s returning to the U.S.
A sad, yet humorous, situation often occurs when volunteers go into a larger town to “get away from it all” after many days, weeks, or months in the backlands. Having arrived by truck, broken-down bus, or even on horseback, the PCV looks for good food and a nice place to stay. He might have saved a little money or received ten dollars for his birthday, and he wants to have a little fun. So he is seen by tourists, politicians, visiting professors, consulting experts and advisers, businessmen, and high—level government people, letting off steam and relaxing from pressure. He is rarely seen hard at work because these other people seldom visit the out-of—the-way places where the work is being done. So they say, “They don’t do anything but sit around the street cafes and drink beer.” Or, “They are a bunch of young college kids out to have fun.” One rather outspoken government employee even told me that “they are arrogant and rude. They think we should all run into the streets and love everyone we see; that’s foolish.”
(The Barrios Of Manta. Rhoda & Earle Brooks)
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