Director of 'Outsourced' experiences culture shock, colloquium continues with minority's perspective
Greg Gentile
Issue date: 9/23/09 Section: News
|
During Jeffcoat's junior year at Denison University he left for Nepal for five months. When he left he was unsure why he was going, but he knew he wanted to go.
"I don't think I was prepared for what was going to happen," Jeffcoat said.
While walking on a rural path in Nepal, Jeffcoat was reminded about how much his white 6-foot-5-inch frame with long hair and a beard wasn't too familiar with the locals, many of who had never seen a white man.
When he came across two young children, they quickly ran away screaming.
"It was like they saw a yeti," Jeffcoat said. "It was the first time I ever experienced being a minority."
Jeffcoat shared many stories of his experiences in Nepal and Mumbai, India. He encouraged students to have similar experiences, and just "get out."
During his presentation, he told tales of fathers asking him to take their daughters back to America, and of the Bhutanese Refugee Camps.
The culture shock was a lot for Jeffcoat to handle he said reluctantly, referring to the nation's poverty.
"It makes you think, how do they feel when they come here?" Jeffcoat said.
The difference in the lives of people in India and America is quite obvious, according to Jeffcoat.
"We Americans are kind of asleep at the wheel compared to the work people do there," he said.
This is where Jeffcoat's travel bug began, and his inspiration for "Outsourced" emerged. He said it was difficult to try and share his experiences with others, so he had to find another way of expressing what he experienced.
He teamed up with George Wing, the writer of 50 First Dates, and together the two wrote "Outsourced."
Jeffcoat used humor to convey a true sense of what India is like for the poorest of the poor to the richest of the rich, showing every stereotype in a way in that all can laugh, but still learn.
Jeffcoat's movie clips struck a chord with the audience in the Chafee auditorium, with occasional outbreaks of laughter.
This brief look at one man's experiences in India had a lasting effect on some of the students in attendance.
"It definitely changed my opinion on what India would be like for a foreigner, " junior Katherine Stott said.
The presentation ended with a few profound words about how close all cultures actually are from Business Professor Ruby Roy Dholakia.
"If you just saw me out, you wouldn't think I spoke English,"she said. "Well I was taught English by the British just how you all were taught English by the British."
The next colloquium will be held Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. in Chafee Auditorium.
Be the first to comment on this story