Interview with David "Dave" Smilon, February 3, 2020

Interview Summary

David Smilon served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines from 1962-1964 as an English as a second language (ESL) teacher. His assignment was remote: he had to travel by boat from Manilla to Cebu, then another 6 hours from Cebu City to the village. He was inspired by his admiration for Kennedy and by his idealism. He taught elementary students, mostly working with other teachers, and lived in a hut that had no electricity or running water with another Peace Corps volunteer. A villager helped them navigate the ins and outs of village life and cooked for them. He had one significant illness, amoebic dysentery. He remembers the warmth of the people most of all. He returned home appreciating and loving the U.S. even more despite its flaws and realizing that in the end, it is family that matters most. He continued teaching all over the world after leaving the Peace Corps.

Interview Keyword

Philippines (Country of service) 1962-1964 (Date of service) Peace Corps-related medical issues Peace Corps issues Peace Corps Volunteer Job: Education Cebu, Philippines John F. Kennedy Amoebic dysentery Teaching English as a foreign language (TEFL) Teaching English as a second language (TESL)

Interview LC Subject

Peace Corps (U.S.) Peace Corps (U.S.)--Philippines Philippines Acculturation Communication and culture Culture Culture shock Intercultural communication Interpersonal communication and culture Interpersonal relations Interpersonal relations and culture Language and culture Language and languages Lifestyles Manners and customs Voluntarism Volunteers

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