The Diplomatic Dead

I recently was conned into writing an article for Peace Corps South Africa's monthly newsletter. I decided to write a short comparison of the political systems of South Africa and Brazil...just kidding. The following is the longer version of the article:


The pull-your-hair-out days of extreme frustration can unfortunately occur too frequently as a Peace Corps volunteer. The smallest thing—a comment or a misunderstanding—can send your decent day tumbling downwards until all you want is to go home and shut yourself in. But on the bad days (and the good days, too) there are also always those little instances, the random abnormalities, at which you can laugh. From Dolly Parton techno remixes to the antics of a renegade donkey, these minor amusements can be used for your benefit. Seek out and capitalize on all forms of hilarity, no matter how small, and your day may start to look up. Use your imagination and the ample opportunities for day-dreaming to extend a chuckle farther than it rationally should go. A favorite tidbit of mine is the very title of our organization and its unfortunate evolution in meaning.

The term “Peace Corps” was first introduced by Senator Hubert Humphrey in 1957, joining similar ideas such as a “Point Four Youth Corps” and even a “Peace Army” into which youth would be drafted. After then Senator Kennedy challenged students in 1960 to serve their country abroad, I’m sure there were many other names given consideration for the agency (League of Hippies, Axis of Goodness, Draft Dodgers Do Diplomacy, etc.) but Humphrey’s expression stuck. “The Peace Corps,” it seemed, embodied the organization’s overall mission and had just the right amounts of poetic resonance and diplomatic flair. Peace, obviously, sounds like a fantastic goal to work towards and corps connotes something hardcore and official. We are just as awe-inspiring and disciplined as the Marine Corps (but in an idealistic, peace and harmony-loving kind of way).

The Senators Humphrey and Kennedy, however, could not have predicted the PR side-effects of their chosen name. The word “corps” is often unknown in rural South Africa and is therefore, in my experience, subjected to phonetic butchering. Non-native English speakers take the incongruous “p” into dutiful consideration and pronounce it along with everything else. The result: South Africa plays host to the prestigious organization “The Peace Corpse.” In the most dignified manner, we are an organized and deceased body of American citizens. We are cadavers of goodwill assisting local communities.

A further unfortunate result of strange honorifics in foreign languages is that “Volunteer” tends to be dropped from my title. Combine this frequent occurrence with the aforementioned pronunciation mishap and I am officially the “Peace Corpse” of my village. The resulting comic relief can brighten any day. With each invocation, I am suddenly in a cheap zombie thriller, except with less carnage and more cultural exchange. I am the walking dead that teaches maths to children. My favorite moment was when, a few weeks after I arrived, a local pastor explained to the congregation that the community would be hosting a corpse from America for two years. If that doesn’t excite any horror film junkies out there, I don’t know what would.

The metamorphosis of our organization into a nonviolent cadaver was clearly not the intent of President Kennedy, but does no harm (beyond a little confusion) and provides the opportunity for a laugh. When having a less-than-spectacular day, look for the trivial yet whimsical incidents that are inevitable when living in a different country. It’s the small things that tend to make or break a day; don’t let the chance for a private chuckle slip by. Exploit the daily mispronunciations and misunderstandings for the sake of your sanity. And to the community members in our villages: a few words of advice. The corpse has a different background and culture. You may find the behavior of the corpse strange, but don’t be alarmed. Be patient and understanding. The corpse just wants to learn your way of life.