Jayne Jackson, New Zealand and United Kingdom

"I've come to learn that being a cultural ambassador is not just about the times I've planned to share about my country, but the moments of spontaneous connection which form bonds of understanding and relatedness which span the globe."

Jayne is a second-term VIF teacher with dual citizenship in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. She teaches at Haw River Elementary in Alamance-Burlington Schools, North Carolina.

Being a cultural ambassador in another country is more about the small moments than the big ones. Sure, I've proudly shared with my students much of the love I have for my home country. I've shared books and stories, candy, pictures and maps; shown them colorful money and glistening paua shells; and taught them to say "Kia Ora!" in greeting.

I've shared amongst the multicultural VIF community traditional ceremonies, including the spine-chilling karanga call of welcome, and we've touched noses in greeting, a celebration of the mingling of the breath of life. I've spoken Maori in the library at Haw River Elementary. I've shared Waitangi Day with colleagues and spoken, with snow outside, from a heart filled with the colors of a South Pacific summer.

This is what you might expect by the words 'cultural exchange,' but for me, the most significant cultural exchange has occurred in the everyday moments of ordinariness which fill our lives. Cultural sharing is not limited to school; it happens at the bank, in the supermarket, at tourist attractions, at the gym, at the gas station, at restaurants and even in restrooms.

Cultural sharing is not limited to my students and colleagues but occurs with strangers like the white-haired, white-aproned popcorn demonstrator, women in the rest room line or the young waiter patiently waiting while we figure out what to order in the barbecue restaurant.

Every time I open my mouth to speak and the clipped sounds of my accent startle the other person's ears, I know I'm in for a treat. No matter what I say to initiate a conversation, someone asks, "Where are you from?" I always reply with a smile, "New Zealand."

Inevitably this instigates sharing. Some conversations are full of wonder: "What is it like there? I'd love to go." Some full of curiosity: "How did you end up here?" Shock: "You don't celebrate Thanksgiving in New Zealand?" Or connection: "I have an Ashford spinning wheel from New Zealand!" What unites these conversations is the common desire of two unremarkable people to forge a connection. This potentially unremarkable moment has just become remarkable.

I've had the most fun, inspiring, informative, connected conversations with total strangers in America. I've come to learn that being a cultural ambassador is not just about the times I've planned to share about New Zealand, but the moments of spontaneous connection which form bonds of understanding and relatedness which span the globe. Peace begins - one individual to another.