The last few weeks have been absolutely amazing. Although I´ve missed home more than I have since the start of my time here, I have also been having more fun than I have. Yet at the end of my trip here, it´s not gonig to be the 27 waterfalls I jumped and slid off of that I will miss. Neither will it be sleeping over at Playa grande or renting a villa with friends for the night. I won´t miss partying in Cabarete and dancing the night away with great company. I won´t lose sleep over any of that nor will I cry at the thought of not being able to do any of that ever again.
As I sat in bed about half an hour ago, I realized that my trip is coming to an end. In two days, I will have been here for exactly three months--the 90 day Beyond Borders immersion experience time. Yet in ten days, I will be back at home by the end of the night. It is a bittersweet feeling knowingthat I finally get all the comforts of my regular life again yet at the same time I will truly miss the vibracy of lifethat I have witnessed thus far during my stay. I sat in bed, listening to music and shedding a few tears over the things that I will, in fact, miss. As much as I dreaded doing some of these things some days, they are what kept me going. I miss going to the pre-school and breaking off into groups with the kids. I miss singing 5 little monkeys swinging on a tree. I miss helping to choose a flag leader for tomorrow. I miss reading with kids and helping them sound out words. I miss helping kids practice for their talent show and I miss playing math bingo. I miss painting the walls and improving my artistic abilities. I miss playing baseball with the kids and I miss watching the laugh during the olympics. I look through my pictures on my camera and I miss Michel smiling in every single picture he is in--candid or not. I know I will miss helping Wilmur throw a dodgeball and screaming 'a mi' over and over again with Arieri. I will miss sitting down in between olympic activities and talking with the greens. I will miss having to explain for the 100th time that I do NOT know Kung Fu. I will also miss having kids throw balls and frisbees at us to earn points in the gauntlet. But through all these things that I miss, I think the common thread is that I will miss being inspired by the optimism and authenthic happiness of the kids.
Camp is what helped pull me through the hard days when I really wanted to be home. I looked forward to being inspired and I hope that I had and have a similar impact on the kids. Today especially, I realized that we are always concerned about 'me'. When is it my turn? Why is my drink not here yet?... the list goes on. Yet today, I also recognized that I hope to live by others. What is a few minutes of my time if it helps others?
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A quick example is when I got to the internet cafe to write this post.. there were no computers and a lady was waiting. The worker here offered me to use the laptop so I didn´t have to wait. Frustrated, the lady that was waiting called the worker racist because she was not allowed to use the laptop during her wait. As a result, I decided to wait as to not cause any problems. I´m sure I could have just used the computer if I wanted to but I wanted to live by example, as I have been trying to.
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I only hope that my time here has left a mark in some way, shape or form. Whether it is in my peers, the kids or the person I say hi to on the way home everyday, I hope that I have inspired them as they have inspired me. I will never know if my time here has made a difference but I don´t think it matters. I will keep my reflections in mind as I spend my last 10 days here in Cabrera and hopefully inspire through my actions.
Don´t get me wrong, I truly enjoyed all the moments I have shared with every person I have encountered along the way here. But I just wanted to pay tribute to the beautiful people that have inspired to be authentically happy. It really is life-changing to witness and I hope whoever is reading my blog will try to live not always thinking about 'me'.
Live and inspire.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
Same Camp, Different Issues & People
Wow. It's been a while since I wrote and a lot has happened in terms of my personal life and with camp. For starters,last Thursday was the last day of camp from the first session which means some volunteers have already left while others are settling in. It's quite the contrast in terms of group dynamics and size--there were 11 of us, 4 left and now there are 16! It's sad that our friends have left but it also means a whole new set of adventures with the new volunteers. It's a little crazy to think the first group of volunteers have already been here for a month and that I leave in less than a month!
Camp has trucked along quite smoothly, some days obviously tougher than others. For Kristin and myself, it has been a challenge thinking of new ideas but we try our best to mix it up. We've been doing different variations of dodgeball, playing some capture the flag and SPUD among other classics like octopus, what time is it mr. wolf and the like. It's definitely harder with the younger kids when they don't really understand the concept of some of the games or are just not too enthused. Sometimes the hardest thing is getting people to want to play out in the sun because apparently Dominicans don't like getting darker. It's funny because all the counsellors are expected to be out in the sun even though we get super dark and-or burn yet the kids just don't want to be in the sun because it is hot... Dominicans rarely burn.
In terms of the number of kids at camp, numbers have dropped and are now at a steady consistent few. Groups are manageable and games are relatively fun with the people who are at camp because they want to be. Fiona was away in Canada for a week a little while back but Anthony did a great job keeping camp running despite a few unforeseen obstacles that took us all by surprise. In fact, I am still sometimes worried about it but there is only so much we can do.
There is lice at camp. It's not super bad such that almost ever kid has it but a few kids have been found to have lice. It means that the wigs and props at drama are not being used anymore and no more touching kids' heads to tell them they're doing a good job. The problem posed a bit of a challenge for us because lice seems to be moreso of a North American problem. If I'm being honest, it doesnt seem to be a concern for Dominicans. First off, many of them have thick hair such that they are not susceptible to having lice. Otherwise, families simply do not have a good understanding of what lice really is. They don't think they can get it themselves or they don't think you can get lice again. Other than that, many Dominican families simply do not care--they don't necessarily have the resources to purchase expensive shampoos to wash their heads and whatnot. So when we found out about lice, we simply told everyone to get their heads checked at home and to not come back yet if they have it and get it treated. The reality is, a lot of the kids probably did not tell their parents and if they did, their parents may not have done anything about it. Shortly after, we found lice in a few more kids but I think the problem has stablizied since then. I really don't know if there will be an end to it but it definitely was interesting to see the concern for lice coming solely from a North American perspective. It's funny how something that bothers and affects us has little impact in a completely different context.
Second unfortunate event that occurred had to deal with some bad luck during a kid's time out. Apparently, they were sat on an ant hill and got bitten many times and had an allergic reaction. Obviously none of the counsellors wanted that to happen nor would we have allowed it if we knew they were sitting on an ant hill. Parents were involved and it really seemed to leave a dark cloud over camp as we were concerned about the impact it would have in terms of kids showing up. Would we have been seen as unusually mean counsellors for a kids camp? Fortunately the issue was resolved and camp has been running regularly since. We did modify our child discipline plan, if you will, to bring all matters to Anthony and Fiona so there is a central area where bad behavior is dealt with.
Aside from those two incidents, camp was super smooth and the song I did was super well received in morning circle. I did baby shark, some of you may know it. In fact, I've had this in the back of my mind for a while so I guess it really has been a while since I've blogged. But the day after I did my song, the kids requested baby shark the next day to the point where they were chanting --El Chino, El Chino...-- it was kind of funny and also very touching. There is always tons of enthusiasm for all the songs and we definitely saw that at olympic day last Thursday to mark the end of the first session of camp. We had a full day of events where the kids were divided into three houses. The oldest with the youngest, the 2nd oldest with 2nd youngest and the two middle groups together. Games were fun and super competitive because everyone wanted to win. It was SUPER close where the teams had 216, 217 and 218 points going into the final event. In the end, the Green & Red team, my team won! It is definitely a day to remember and I am really looking forward to the next Olympic day at the end of the 2nd session.
On a note away from camp, we as counsellors had a baseball day, we have been hitting the beaches still and had a games night at Anthony and Fiona's while Fiona was gone. Again, somehow my team got owned in baseball... maybe it's me? but we had fun nonetheless. Games night at Anthony and Fiona's was excellent as we played the name game again, we should definitely play when I come back to Canada to whoever is reading this. Apparently when I guess names or give clues I sound really mean and kind of like Hitler. I guess we'll see.
The new volunteers arrived this past weekend and we partied pretty hard. There was a party in the park and it was definitely the busiest I have EVER seen it. Presidente, the beer company, was hosting a party with a stage and everything and at first we just went close to the stage and danced together while everyone else kind of watched. It was kind of awkward but at the same time not because we were just doing our own thing and having fun. The next thing we know, they started asking for people to go on stage for who knows what. We ended up getting Mike and Kristin up on stage together and our host mom, Yaniris! It was awesome. Little did we know it ended up being a dance competition in pairs so we all cheered super loud for those we knew but to be honest it was well deserved. Mike & Kristin ended up winning the whole thing and won a flat of beer which we all shared in the park. Dancing ensued at the disco and it was probably the most fun I've had in the Dominican thus far in a single night. It was fantastic.
Going back to camp, today was the first day of the second session, I think I already mentioned. It was odd to start because there were ALMOST more counsellors than kids. Maybe it was the day off on Friday where we didn't have camp, or it seemed like some of the kids thought camp was over because we had olympics on Thursday but it started out pretty slow. Soon enough, fortunately, more kids trickled in and we got into our groups. Taylor, the new volunteer working at Individual Sports with me, jumped right in and we worked super well together. It is nice too that now there are enough counsellors that we have some floaters that come around to both play and help out running things back and forth for relay races and whatnot. We played some pulpo, limbo, cricket and relay races today and had a blast. The week is planned and I'm definitely looking forward to a great 4 weeks working with Taylor.
Until next time... I miss all of you in Canada :)
Camp has trucked along quite smoothly, some days obviously tougher than others. For Kristin and myself, it has been a challenge thinking of new ideas but we try our best to mix it up. We've been doing different variations of dodgeball, playing some capture the flag and SPUD among other classics like octopus, what time is it mr. wolf and the like. It's definitely harder with the younger kids when they don't really understand the concept of some of the games or are just not too enthused. Sometimes the hardest thing is getting people to want to play out in the sun because apparently Dominicans don't like getting darker. It's funny because all the counsellors are expected to be out in the sun even though we get super dark and-or burn yet the kids just don't want to be in the sun because it is hot... Dominicans rarely burn.
In terms of the number of kids at camp, numbers have dropped and are now at a steady consistent few. Groups are manageable and games are relatively fun with the people who are at camp because they want to be. Fiona was away in Canada for a week a little while back but Anthony did a great job keeping camp running despite a few unforeseen obstacles that took us all by surprise. In fact, I am still sometimes worried about it but there is only so much we can do.
There is lice at camp. It's not super bad such that almost ever kid has it but a few kids have been found to have lice. It means that the wigs and props at drama are not being used anymore and no more touching kids' heads to tell them they're doing a good job. The problem posed a bit of a challenge for us because lice seems to be moreso of a North American problem. If I'm being honest, it doesnt seem to be a concern for Dominicans. First off, many of them have thick hair such that they are not susceptible to having lice. Otherwise, families simply do not have a good understanding of what lice really is. They don't think they can get it themselves or they don't think you can get lice again. Other than that, many Dominican families simply do not care--they don't necessarily have the resources to purchase expensive shampoos to wash their heads and whatnot. So when we found out about lice, we simply told everyone to get their heads checked at home and to not come back yet if they have it and get it treated. The reality is, a lot of the kids probably did not tell their parents and if they did, their parents may not have done anything about it. Shortly after, we found lice in a few more kids but I think the problem has stablizied since then. I really don't know if there will be an end to it but it definitely was interesting to see the concern for lice coming solely from a North American perspective. It's funny how something that bothers and affects us has little impact in a completely different context.
Second unfortunate event that occurred had to deal with some bad luck during a kid's time out. Apparently, they were sat on an ant hill and got bitten many times and had an allergic reaction. Obviously none of the counsellors wanted that to happen nor would we have allowed it if we knew they were sitting on an ant hill. Parents were involved and it really seemed to leave a dark cloud over camp as we were concerned about the impact it would have in terms of kids showing up. Would we have been seen as unusually mean counsellors for a kids camp? Fortunately the issue was resolved and camp has been running regularly since. We did modify our child discipline plan, if you will, to bring all matters to Anthony and Fiona so there is a central area where bad behavior is dealt with.
Aside from those two incidents, camp was super smooth and the song I did was super well received in morning circle. I did baby shark, some of you may know it. In fact, I've had this in the back of my mind for a while so I guess it really has been a while since I've blogged. But the day after I did my song, the kids requested baby shark the next day to the point where they were chanting --El Chino, El Chino...-- it was kind of funny and also very touching. There is always tons of enthusiasm for all the songs and we definitely saw that at olympic day last Thursday to mark the end of the first session of camp. We had a full day of events where the kids were divided into three houses. The oldest with the youngest, the 2nd oldest with 2nd youngest and the two middle groups together. Games were fun and super competitive because everyone wanted to win. It was SUPER close where the teams had 216, 217 and 218 points going into the final event. In the end, the Green & Red team, my team won! It is definitely a day to remember and I am really looking forward to the next Olympic day at the end of the 2nd session.
On a note away from camp, we as counsellors had a baseball day, we have been hitting the beaches still and had a games night at Anthony and Fiona's while Fiona was gone. Again, somehow my team got owned in baseball... maybe it's me? but we had fun nonetheless. Games night at Anthony and Fiona's was excellent as we played the name game again, we should definitely play when I come back to Canada to whoever is reading this. Apparently when I guess names or give clues I sound really mean and kind of like Hitler. I guess we'll see.
The new volunteers arrived this past weekend and we partied pretty hard. There was a party in the park and it was definitely the busiest I have EVER seen it. Presidente, the beer company, was hosting a party with a stage and everything and at first we just went close to the stage and danced together while everyone else kind of watched. It was kind of awkward but at the same time not because we were just doing our own thing and having fun. The next thing we know, they started asking for people to go on stage for who knows what. We ended up getting Mike and Kristin up on stage together and our host mom, Yaniris! It was awesome. Little did we know it ended up being a dance competition in pairs so we all cheered super loud for those we knew but to be honest it was well deserved. Mike & Kristin ended up winning the whole thing and won a flat of beer which we all shared in the park. Dancing ensued at the disco and it was probably the most fun I've had in the Dominican thus far in a single night. It was fantastic.
Going back to camp, today was the first day of the second session, I think I already mentioned. It was odd to start because there were ALMOST more counsellors than kids. Maybe it was the day off on Friday where we didn't have camp, or it seemed like some of the kids thought camp was over because we had olympics on Thursday but it started out pretty slow. Soon enough, fortunately, more kids trickled in and we got into our groups. Taylor, the new volunteer working at Individual Sports with me, jumped right in and we worked super well together. It is nice too that now there are enough counsellors that we have some floaters that come around to both play and help out running things back and forth for relay races and whatnot. We played some pulpo, limbo, cricket and relay races today and had a blast. The week is planned and I'm definitely looking forward to a great 4 weeks working with Taylor.
Until next time... I miss all of you in Canada :)
Monday, June 27, 2011
Camp Esperanza
Today marks the beginning of my 8th week here in Cabrera. Last week, 8 new volunteers arrived and joined Carissa, Brittany and I on our adventures together this summer. Sadly, some of the volunteers leave in 3 weeks but most of us are staying for another 7-8 weeks. We are anticipating new volunteers later in the summer too but we have a good group of wonderful people.
As I sit here writing this blog, I feel content. Life has been so good here in the past 7 weeks but it is nice to also have a change of pace. Camp Esperanza started last week.
Every morning I wake up at around 7:30 to get ready for camp. We eat breakfast together, buy our snacks for break time and then head to the camp to set up. It´s amazing because although we have to be there a little early to set up, there are always kids already waiting at the campgrounds waiting to get in. In a way, its nice to know that people are looking forward to the work we are doing.
Camp started last Tuesday and we were told that there may be a low turnout in the first week until word got out that camp has started. Slowly but surely, we reached the highest numbers Camp Esperanza has ever had. In fact, there were more than 150 children at camp one day making some activities difficult to lead. To say the least, dodgeball, limbo, volleyball, relay races or bean bag tossing is all very difficult when there are 30 kids standing there waiting for their turn. A few adjustments had to be made and a 7th age group of kids were made to make smaller groups. Camp is going along smoothly... (except we didnt have camp today because it was thunderstorming in the morning).
A few interesting things have happened at camp. On the first day, one of the girls in the oldest group asked me if I was married. All the kids on the first day were so excited to be there we just kept playing and dancing in the rain. I have also become a LOT more comfortable speaking Spanish since camp has started. To say the least, my spanish commands, especially in the negative have become quite good, haha. Having to explain rules and understanding complaints etc., I have spoken a lot more Spanish recently. I am beginning to love the language once again like when I was first learning it. I think that will only help me :)
Kristin and I work really well together, planning activities, and dividing groups up so they are a more manageable number. To date, some of the favourite activities have been Drip, Drip, Drop (a variation of Duck Duck Goose involving water), Bean Bag Pong(like beer pong), Dodgeball, Limbo and the various relay races that we have had. Weve also learned a few games from the kids that we have incorporated into our arsenal of activities. This week, we´re looking at non-stop cricket, parachute games, volleyball, badminton and some more relay races. Hopefully we don´t run out of ideas... fortunately we only get each age group 3 times a week. If anyone has any ideas for individual sports/games (or even teamy things), please comment as we would love to incorporate any great ideas!
This past weekend, Camp Esperanza also had a stand at Cabrera´s fair. We set up shop by the square nad held games and activities for the kids that showed up. We shot off bottle rockets, made paper airplanes, played some bean bag tossing and washers and just hung out with the kids painting sidewalk chalky things and doing speedstack cups (I did 6 cups in 2.81 seconds!!) It is nice to walk around town and when the kids see us now they stop by and say hi all the time. It´s really nice to see the ocean of smiles.
Saturday was also Christie´s birthday (one of the girls at our house). She had a wicked Minnie Mouse themed party with all the decoratings, a pinata, musical chairs, delicious food and a gorgeous cake. It was a lot of fun being at a childs party and seeing all the kids play. Things got a little out of hand when it was pinata time when all the kids were crowding around almost to the point where they would be hit. When the candy came down, DOG PILE for the candy... it was quite the sight. We also danced a bit with the girls and our host family afterwards... an overall solid day.
As for the group of volunteers we have, we get along great. Everyone has come into this experience with the right attitude and looking to have a great time. It´s amazing when we are all together but some quieter nights of cards with a few of us are fun as well. It´s always interesting when we go to the beach as a group of 11 or so, trying to fit into a guagua and seeing how many people we can fit into one in addition to the passengers already there.
On a more personal note, not that it is very pertinent, I think I may have jammed my thumb yesterday trying to do a handstand under water... it still kind of hurts. I am slowly tanning away but also realizing I look super white if I show my thighs--the contrast is actually quite disturbing. Also, mosquitos seemed to have let up on me. Sure, I still get mosquito bites but it is now at the range of a normal person, haha. I get about 10 mosquito bites or so a week, I think and they do not turn massively red like they used to. Life is good :)
As I sit here writing this blog, I feel content. Life has been so good here in the past 7 weeks but it is nice to also have a change of pace. Camp Esperanza started last week.
Every morning I wake up at around 7:30 to get ready for camp. We eat breakfast together, buy our snacks for break time and then head to the camp to set up. It´s amazing because although we have to be there a little early to set up, there are always kids already waiting at the campgrounds waiting to get in. In a way, its nice to know that people are looking forward to the work we are doing.
Camp started last Tuesday and we were told that there may be a low turnout in the first week until word got out that camp has started. Slowly but surely, we reached the highest numbers Camp Esperanza has ever had. In fact, there were more than 150 children at camp one day making some activities difficult to lead. To say the least, dodgeball, limbo, volleyball, relay races or bean bag tossing is all very difficult when there are 30 kids standing there waiting for their turn. A few adjustments had to be made and a 7th age group of kids were made to make smaller groups. Camp is going along smoothly... (except we didnt have camp today because it was thunderstorming in the morning).
A few interesting things have happened at camp. On the first day, one of the girls in the oldest group asked me if I was married. All the kids on the first day were so excited to be there we just kept playing and dancing in the rain. I have also become a LOT more comfortable speaking Spanish since camp has started. To say the least, my spanish commands, especially in the negative have become quite good, haha. Having to explain rules and understanding complaints etc., I have spoken a lot more Spanish recently. I am beginning to love the language once again like when I was first learning it. I think that will only help me :)
Kristin and I work really well together, planning activities, and dividing groups up so they are a more manageable number. To date, some of the favourite activities have been Drip, Drip, Drop (a variation of Duck Duck Goose involving water), Bean Bag Pong(like beer pong), Dodgeball, Limbo and the various relay races that we have had. Weve also learned a few games from the kids that we have incorporated into our arsenal of activities. This week, we´re looking at non-stop cricket, parachute games, volleyball, badminton and some more relay races. Hopefully we don´t run out of ideas... fortunately we only get each age group 3 times a week. If anyone has any ideas for individual sports/games (or even teamy things), please comment as we would love to incorporate any great ideas!
This past weekend, Camp Esperanza also had a stand at Cabrera´s fair. We set up shop by the square nad held games and activities for the kids that showed up. We shot off bottle rockets, made paper airplanes, played some bean bag tossing and washers and just hung out with the kids painting sidewalk chalky things and doing speedstack cups (I did 6 cups in 2.81 seconds!!) It is nice to walk around town and when the kids see us now they stop by and say hi all the time. It´s really nice to see the ocean of smiles.
Saturday was also Christie´s birthday (one of the girls at our house). She had a wicked Minnie Mouse themed party with all the decoratings, a pinata, musical chairs, delicious food and a gorgeous cake. It was a lot of fun being at a childs party and seeing all the kids play. Things got a little out of hand when it was pinata time when all the kids were crowding around almost to the point where they would be hit. When the candy came down, DOG PILE for the candy... it was quite the sight. We also danced a bit with the girls and our host family afterwards... an overall solid day.
As for the group of volunteers we have, we get along great. Everyone has come into this experience with the right attitude and looking to have a great time. It´s amazing when we are all together but some quieter nights of cards with a few of us are fun as well. It´s always interesting when we go to the beach as a group of 11 or so, trying to fit into a guagua and seeing how many people we can fit into one in addition to the passengers already there.
On a more personal note, not that it is very pertinent, I think I may have jammed my thumb yesterday trying to do a handstand under water... it still kind of hurts. I am slowly tanning away but also realizing I look super white if I show my thighs--the contrast is actually quite disturbing. Also, mosquitos seemed to have let up on me. Sure, I still get mosquito bites but it is now at the range of a normal person, haha. I get about 10 mosquito bites or so a week, I think and they do not turn massively red like they used to. Life is good :)
Thursday, June 16, 2011
(Some) People Always Leave
Quick update: Camp starts on Tuesday so we have just been preparing like mad to get things ready. Lots of painting, moving things to the field and really getting down to the knitty-gritty of actually planning things to do! We have finally gotten some good weather again which has led to a rare sunburn for me, on my shoulders. I got my first haircut in the DR; I went by myself and managed to communicate with Spanish and actions what I wanted haha.. I'm pretty impressed by myself. Carissa and I went around town to get some more clothes cause weve been getting ours super dirty. Recently, we've been hanging out at the park like locals at night and I've found chinola juice... SOOO good (passion fruit juice) from Chori Pan!
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So I watched One Tree hill growing up and Peyton always mentioned that people always leave. In her life, there was never a constant figure. Her mom died at a young age, her dad works in a different town and when her birth mother came to find her, she shortly died of cancer. People always left her -- people always leave.
Here in Cabrera, I've noticed a similar phenomenon. Surely, no one can really stay in the same place all their lives but the Dominican Republic seems to be a temporary stopping zone, or if you've planned to settle down here.. there are still reasons to leave.
Currently, we are sort of in a transition zone between the year-long volunteers leaving because school is over and the new volunteers arriving for camp. In fact, new volunteers arrive tomorrow! My house is getting 3 volunteers tomorrow, and one on Saturday.. I am super excited for the weekend to say the least. It is going to be fun, fun, fun, fun. (Sorry, I just had to make that reference) But since Dan's departure last Sunday, it seems like everyone is on the move. We rented a villa the other week for the night to have a quick get-together with all our friends. Honestly, aside from the Dominicans... everyone at that party was getting ready to leave. We still have 2 more months but we will also leave.
The teachers at a local school, ARC, normally stay for one year. Some like Anthony and Fiona & Kim and Shara move on and start their own projects here from a perceived need after having spent some time in this community. They have started schools here respectively. But many of the teachers leave after one year, minus Justin who has been here for 3 years. What is most surprising for me and really the purpose of writing this blog is the harsh reality of life in Cabrera.
Kim and Shara have a pre-school here. Justin has been here fore 3 years and plans to return in the fall to teach once again. Yet Kim and Justin are heading to the states, Justin leaves tomorrow and Kim leaves soon. We may thing it is to go on vacation but that definitely is not the case. They're both going back to the states to make money. Sounds odd, doesn't it? Teachers here do not make enough money, even if they are foreigners. Their desire to engage in this community is what keeps them here, not the heap-loads of money they make as a foreigner teaching English.
I still do not really understand this concept but it seems to me that teachers should be ale to make a decent living. Yet teachers need to go home to make money so they can last another year here. How is it possible, then, to provide quality education to children if the town which they are serving barely provides enough for them to support themselves?
Dan probably would have liked to stay for a little longer but he had to go home to make money before another other similar experiences. I will leave in 2 months to finish my education, presumably to get a good job and make money. It seems that our world revolves around money and I guess that is why we must leave.
On the other hand, it is nearly impossible for Dominicans to leave the country, or so I've heard. Some say it is extremely hard to obtain a passport, others say it is the visa that is hard to get. Whatever the case, they are somewhat trapped in the world even if they have the means to go elsewhere. People always leave... or at least some of us do.
------
So I watched One Tree hill growing up and Peyton always mentioned that people always leave. In her life, there was never a constant figure. Her mom died at a young age, her dad works in a different town and when her birth mother came to find her, she shortly died of cancer. People always left her -- people always leave.
Here in Cabrera, I've noticed a similar phenomenon. Surely, no one can really stay in the same place all their lives but the Dominican Republic seems to be a temporary stopping zone, or if you've planned to settle down here.. there are still reasons to leave.
Currently, we are sort of in a transition zone between the year-long volunteers leaving because school is over and the new volunteers arriving for camp. In fact, new volunteers arrive tomorrow! My house is getting 3 volunteers tomorrow, and one on Saturday.. I am super excited for the weekend to say the least. It is going to be fun, fun, fun, fun. (Sorry, I just had to make that reference) But since Dan's departure last Sunday, it seems like everyone is on the move. We rented a villa the other week for the night to have a quick get-together with all our friends. Honestly, aside from the Dominicans... everyone at that party was getting ready to leave. We still have 2 more months but we will also leave.
The teachers at a local school, ARC, normally stay for one year. Some like Anthony and Fiona & Kim and Shara move on and start their own projects here from a perceived need after having spent some time in this community. They have started schools here respectively. But many of the teachers leave after one year, minus Justin who has been here for 3 years. What is most surprising for me and really the purpose of writing this blog is the harsh reality of life in Cabrera.
Kim and Shara have a pre-school here. Justin has been here fore 3 years and plans to return in the fall to teach once again. Yet Kim and Justin are heading to the states, Justin leaves tomorrow and Kim leaves soon. We may thing it is to go on vacation but that definitely is not the case. They're both going back to the states to make money. Sounds odd, doesn't it? Teachers here do not make enough money, even if they are foreigners. Their desire to engage in this community is what keeps them here, not the heap-loads of money they make as a foreigner teaching English.
I still do not really understand this concept but it seems to me that teachers should be ale to make a decent living. Yet teachers need to go home to make money so they can last another year here. How is it possible, then, to provide quality education to children if the town which they are serving barely provides enough for them to support themselves?
Dan probably would have liked to stay for a little longer but he had to go home to make money before another other similar experiences. I will leave in 2 months to finish my education, presumably to get a good job and make money. It seems that our world revolves around money and I guess that is why we must leave.
On the other hand, it is nearly impossible for Dominicans to leave the country, or so I've heard. Some say it is extremely hard to obtain a passport, others say it is the visa that is hard to get. Whatever the case, they are somewhat trapped in the world even if they have the means to go elsewhere. People always leave... or at least some of us do.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
The last two weeks.
So it´s been a while since I´ve blogged about my life. In fact, the last time was after the incident with the Black Pearl and Holly´s birthday. A few weeks have passed but not a whole lot has happened. Life has become somewhat of a routine and pleasant surprises with a little more free time.
Since school ended at the Esperanza Project about a week and a half ago, several things have happened.
My host family came back from the United States. Yohaira, the owner of the house, came home with Melissa (12) and Lissa (9). Their cousins, Crystal (12) and Christie (8) also came with them. Life at the house has changed a lot, especially with the noise, the chatter and just a lot more people in the house all the time. It´s a pleasant noise though. It´s kind of funny though--at first, the girls were not allowed to bother us when we were eating because Yohaira wanted to give us some quite time. However, when we would eat, all the girls would come and talk to us. Shortly after, we hear Yohaira come down the stairs and the girls all scatter into different corners of the room. ¨We weren´t molesting them!¨ (Molestar is the verb to bother in Spanish so I guess that´s why they said molest, haha). Things like that cheer my day up and they are a lot of fun. With their arrival, the two boxes of puppies I found upstairs one day became a regular part of the family as well. Each of the girls got a puppy of their own and I enjoy my quiet time reading with a puppy beside my lap. Things at my house are good but they are about to change again. Crystal left about a week ago and Dan leaves on Sunday. The new volunteers arrive on the 18th. I cant wait to see how the dynamics of the house change once again!
Since school ended, we have been helping out at the pre-school two times a week and helping repaint the school and getting preparations ready for camp. The school looks amazing now. We were asked to paint a mural of sorts and to be honest, I was NOT prepared to do that. I would be able to paint if someone asked me to (yay for the reading week trip to Mississippi), but to draw? Never in a million years. Fortunately, it hasn´t been that hard to copy out of a book. We drew in pencil and spent most of last week painting them in and finishing up the walls as well. I hope to get some pictures up eventually...
**note on pictures, Brittany and Carissa´s cameras have magically stopped working--some people say its because of the salt in the air (makes me kind of worried about mine). Mine still works but I don´t have the cords to connect it to a computer, haha. So hopefully when Brittany´s host mother returns with her computer, I can upload some!**
At the pre-school, we helped the kids get ready for Mother´s Day (which is different from in Canada) and had a little party at the school where the kids performed some songs. Other than that, things have been pretty standard and we help out where we can. We have been fortunate enough, however, to be asked to help with some of the evaluations. Whether the kids could count to 30 in English, give the correct letter sound of certain letters and what-not. Sadly, this week is the last week of the pre-school and I think I will miss it. The kids, although a little bit rowdy, are a treat. They are comfortable with us as we are with them and sometimes they come up to you and hug you too. It´s just a great feeling :)
Aside from the hustle and bustle, though, we have been enjoying ourselves too. This week Anthony and Fiona are going away somewhere just to spend the week. They are still in the Dominican but it has been a little bit of free time. So we have been hitting the beaches as much as we can, although it has been raining pretty much every day for the last two weeks.. We headed to Playa Breton, Playa Caleton and Lago Dudu this week so far. They have been amazing days full of fun and a chance to relax. I think it´s our only real time aside from weekends to get some time off. To get there, though, we have been taking GuaGuas which are little minivans, kind of, that stop anywhere along the main road as long as you flag them down. Hop on, and they will stop wherever you want -- a true Dominican experience. I am glad Dan took it with us the first time because I would have had no idea what to do. Since then, we have taken it a few times and aside from cramming close to 15 people into a GuaGua sometimes, they are a pretty good way to travel!
And a quick update about language, I can understand lots! Not because I´m stellar at Spanish though, haha. Ive been cheating a bit with French. One of our friends speaks Spanish and French and I speak French and English so I have become somewhat of a translator with him, haha. I do enjoy the practice of speaking French but I also want to improve in Spanish, hmmm.. it is going to be hard.
Something else that is interesting is that this friend and another Dominican friend of ours noted that I looked Chinese. I told him it was probably because I actually am Chinese. Somewhat stunned, they replied by saying that I was Canadian though. For some reason, it seems that being Chinese and Canadian were somewhat mutually exclusive in their minds. Perhaps they have just not encountered many people with different backgrounds but I just found this interesting.
Sometimes, I also think I look Dominican. Last night, some gringos at BillarZone asked me for another beer where I politely replied by saying that I didn´t work here. Perhaps I am becoming more local-like, who knows. I sure feel like one though...
Since school ended at the Esperanza Project about a week and a half ago, several things have happened.
My host family came back from the United States. Yohaira, the owner of the house, came home with Melissa (12) and Lissa (9). Their cousins, Crystal (12) and Christie (8) also came with them. Life at the house has changed a lot, especially with the noise, the chatter and just a lot more people in the house all the time. It´s a pleasant noise though. It´s kind of funny though--at first, the girls were not allowed to bother us when we were eating because Yohaira wanted to give us some quite time. However, when we would eat, all the girls would come and talk to us. Shortly after, we hear Yohaira come down the stairs and the girls all scatter into different corners of the room. ¨We weren´t molesting them!¨ (Molestar is the verb to bother in Spanish so I guess that´s why they said molest, haha). Things like that cheer my day up and they are a lot of fun. With their arrival, the two boxes of puppies I found upstairs one day became a regular part of the family as well. Each of the girls got a puppy of their own and I enjoy my quiet time reading with a puppy beside my lap. Things at my house are good but they are about to change again. Crystal left about a week ago and Dan leaves on Sunday. The new volunteers arrive on the 18th. I cant wait to see how the dynamics of the house change once again!
Since school ended, we have been helping out at the pre-school two times a week and helping repaint the school and getting preparations ready for camp. The school looks amazing now. We were asked to paint a mural of sorts and to be honest, I was NOT prepared to do that. I would be able to paint if someone asked me to (yay for the reading week trip to Mississippi), but to draw? Never in a million years. Fortunately, it hasn´t been that hard to copy out of a book. We drew in pencil and spent most of last week painting them in and finishing up the walls as well. I hope to get some pictures up eventually...
**note on pictures, Brittany and Carissa´s cameras have magically stopped working--some people say its because of the salt in the air (makes me kind of worried about mine). Mine still works but I don´t have the cords to connect it to a computer, haha. So hopefully when Brittany´s host mother returns with her computer, I can upload some!**
At the pre-school, we helped the kids get ready for Mother´s Day (which is different from in Canada) and had a little party at the school where the kids performed some songs. Other than that, things have been pretty standard and we help out where we can. We have been fortunate enough, however, to be asked to help with some of the evaluations. Whether the kids could count to 30 in English, give the correct letter sound of certain letters and what-not. Sadly, this week is the last week of the pre-school and I think I will miss it. The kids, although a little bit rowdy, are a treat. They are comfortable with us as we are with them and sometimes they come up to you and hug you too. It´s just a great feeling :)
Aside from the hustle and bustle, though, we have been enjoying ourselves too. This week Anthony and Fiona are going away somewhere just to spend the week. They are still in the Dominican but it has been a little bit of free time. So we have been hitting the beaches as much as we can, although it has been raining pretty much every day for the last two weeks.. We headed to Playa Breton, Playa Caleton and Lago Dudu this week so far. They have been amazing days full of fun and a chance to relax. I think it´s our only real time aside from weekends to get some time off. To get there, though, we have been taking GuaGuas which are little minivans, kind of, that stop anywhere along the main road as long as you flag them down. Hop on, and they will stop wherever you want -- a true Dominican experience. I am glad Dan took it with us the first time because I would have had no idea what to do. Since then, we have taken it a few times and aside from cramming close to 15 people into a GuaGua sometimes, they are a pretty good way to travel!
And a quick update about language, I can understand lots! Not because I´m stellar at Spanish though, haha. Ive been cheating a bit with French. One of our friends speaks Spanish and French and I speak French and English so I have become somewhat of a translator with him, haha. I do enjoy the practice of speaking French but I also want to improve in Spanish, hmmm.. it is going to be hard.
Something else that is interesting is that this friend and another Dominican friend of ours noted that I looked Chinese. I told him it was probably because I actually am Chinese. Somewhat stunned, they replied by saying that I was Canadian though. For some reason, it seems that being Chinese and Canadian were somewhat mutually exclusive in their minds. Perhaps they have just not encountered many people with different backgrounds but I just found this interesting.
Sometimes, I also think I look Dominican. Last night, some gringos at BillarZone asked me for another beer where I politely replied by saying that I didn´t work here. Perhaps I am becoming more local-like, who knows. I sure feel like one though...
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Water
Water. I remember 5 years ago at the Pearson Seminar on Youth Leadership, I watched a documentary about Water. Why in the world would we watch a documentary on water? Clearly there is a lot of water in the world and in Canada it is abundant. We are home to some of the greatest sources of fresh water, the Great Lakes, and use water for everything in our life. It wasnt so much about whether or not there was water but rather the privatization of water. Who owns water and who determines the cost of water? What happens when people must pay for the most basic necessity of life? Here in Cabrera, however, Water seems to have a love-hate relationship with locals and myself.
I wake up in the morning and go to the washroom. I wash my hands and go eat breakfast. However, I do not drink water from out of a cup. Instead, I drink from the water bottle that I had filled up from the night before.
I go to the pre-school and work with the kids. At around 10:30, the kids line up to wash their hands so they can eat their snacks. One by one, they go into the bathroom and scoop water from a bucket the teachers saved earlier in the morning.
At the Esperanza Project, I go to use the washroom. The toilet smells bad because many people have went previously and havent flushed the toilet. Its not because they didnt want to but because there is no running water.
After a long, hot day in the sun, I go to shower. Water comes pouring out and it feels so good. Hot water? No. I get used to showering in cold water. To my amazement, once there was no water when I turned the water on to take a shower.
From my day to day activities, water seems to be lacking. Though there is often water to wash our hands with, yet there are times during the day we must live without it. We dont drink water from the tap, not even locals do. So we brush our teeth with water from the big 20L jugs of water. Filling one of those up costs between 20 - 40 pesos, a mere dollar. Why is it that we waste water in Canada when some people live without running water to do basic chores? Washing the dishes requires saving water from earlier in the day...
It seems, then, that water is a valued resource in Cabrera. Before we got here, it was said that there hasnt been a single drop of rain in 2 months. In fact, it has barely rained since January. Recently, however, it has rained almost daily. What is the reaction we see? Not what we would think.
Although water is a much needed resource, it seems to also be a detriment. When it rains, it is as though the whole town freezes. People stay in, dont go to school and life seems to become a waiting game. So as much as water is needed, people seem to not like the rain as much as they need it. Rumour also has it that rain is seen to be a big problem. Dominicans seem to think they can get deathly sick from being out in the rain. I dont exactly know why this love-hate relationship with water exists but it seems to be vitally needed yet also not too welcome sometimes.
From all this, though, I learn about the importance of living with what we have. Sure, not having running water all day makes life difficult but people get by and manage to live. Yet in North America, when something goes wrong we whine and complain because we are deprived of what we have become accustomed to. What is our relationship with our resources and how do we use them to our advantage? Clearly, the consumption of resources here is carefully managed. It makes me think about lent and giving up sweets, Facebook or TV for 40 days. What are those comforts really when it gets down to it? Those are things we can live without because they are our wants. What happens when what is taken away is a necessity? I think we need to look carefully at our realities and challenge ourselves to reduce our individual environmental impacts. What does water mean to you?
I wake up in the morning and go to the washroom. I wash my hands and go eat breakfast. However, I do not drink water from out of a cup. Instead, I drink from the water bottle that I had filled up from the night before.
I go to the pre-school and work with the kids. At around 10:30, the kids line up to wash their hands so they can eat their snacks. One by one, they go into the bathroom and scoop water from a bucket the teachers saved earlier in the morning.
At the Esperanza Project, I go to use the washroom. The toilet smells bad because many people have went previously and havent flushed the toilet. Its not because they didnt want to but because there is no running water.
After a long, hot day in the sun, I go to shower. Water comes pouring out and it feels so good. Hot water? No. I get used to showering in cold water. To my amazement, once there was no water when I turned the water on to take a shower.
From my day to day activities, water seems to be lacking. Though there is often water to wash our hands with, yet there are times during the day we must live without it. We dont drink water from the tap, not even locals do. So we brush our teeth with water from the big 20L jugs of water. Filling one of those up costs between 20 - 40 pesos, a mere dollar. Why is it that we waste water in Canada when some people live without running water to do basic chores? Washing the dishes requires saving water from earlier in the day...
It seems, then, that water is a valued resource in Cabrera. Before we got here, it was said that there hasnt been a single drop of rain in 2 months. In fact, it has barely rained since January. Recently, however, it has rained almost daily. What is the reaction we see? Not what we would think.
Although water is a much needed resource, it seems to also be a detriment. When it rains, it is as though the whole town freezes. People stay in, dont go to school and life seems to become a waiting game. So as much as water is needed, people seem to not like the rain as much as they need it. Rumour also has it that rain is seen to be a big problem. Dominicans seem to think they can get deathly sick from being out in the rain. I dont exactly know why this love-hate relationship with water exists but it seems to be vitally needed yet also not too welcome sometimes.
From all this, though, I learn about the importance of living with what we have. Sure, not having running water all day makes life difficult but people get by and manage to live. Yet in North America, when something goes wrong we whine and complain because we are deprived of what we have become accustomed to. What is our relationship with our resources and how do we use them to our advantage? Clearly, the consumption of resources here is carefully managed. It makes me think about lent and giving up sweets, Facebook or TV for 40 days. What are those comforts really when it gets down to it? Those are things we can live without because they are our wants. What happens when what is taken away is a necessity? I think we need to look carefully at our realities and challenge ourselves to reduce our individual environmental impacts. What does water mean to you?
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Comfort and the Black Pearl
This one is a long one...
To feel at home is to feel safe and to be comfortable enough to be yourself. I think I have found this in Cabrera in a little less than two weeks. In town, I still get stared at sometimes but it has not become a big deal. I simply say Hola and often am greeted with a smile in return. I can walk into any colmado and know exactly what I can get, basically everything. I am comfortable communicating with the locals, for the most part, despite minor bumps and bruises along the way in Spanish. I know where to go if I want to use the internet. I have a place to go if I want a bottle of gatorade. Surprisingly, I am also comfortable sharing a beer with friends on the park bench in the town square people watching like most of the locals here. I also walk the streets at night without light. Sure, it is a little scary from time to time walking in the dark but I know I am safe--people here seem to look out for one another. I was also graced with the pleasure of going for a walk with my host mother the other night. She invited me on a walk with her towards the ocean and I thought it would be just that. We ended up driving to the walk, which was interesting to begin with, but also visiting a few of her friends along the way. The network of communities that I came to notice that night was incredible. I was greeted with smiles and great conversation (as much as we could have in Spanish, haha) and tons of food, desserts and soups alike. I saw life not as a priviledged tourist but in real terms, I got to see what happens everyday. Cabrera may be small, but it already feels like home.
At school, I am also becoming very comfortable. Another week with the kids has been amazing. From a place where I was called ´China Man´at the pre-school, I now go to school and high-five one of the kids almost daily. For a bit, I played games such as -Con Helado- and -Tiki Tahinki-, which I might have previously mentioned, with the kids. They would call me invincible because I literally had a part of my body crossed ALL THE TIME, even when I was walking around. On a different note, kids ask me to help them with their music poster and ask for my opinion on how a dance looks for the talent show. I must say, reading with the kids and just hanging out with them has allowed me to appreciate Cabrera´s diversity more. Connections like those make me feel like I am a part of the larger picture, no longer an outsider looking into a school system.
From a more academic standpoint, Winston the donkey was getting his testicles removed this week so Anthony had to be away for some of the mornings. It was from this that I had been given the opportunity to lead a session with the morning kids. I worked with them, with the help of Miss Holly, in an activity called Sound Detectives where they were to listen for similar sounding parts of a word. I also led a lesson teaching them about rhyming words and how they have the same sounding end combination in a word. But all this learning is not one sided, haha. When helping kids write in their diary, I was reminded that my concept of the sound A was not accurate. I take that seriously and with humility that although I have a good grasp of the English language, I am still faced with the reality of tricking myself into thinking I know something, sometimes. I feel comfortable at school, both academically and socially--it has become a place of learning for both me and others. I have come to love Cabrera inside and out.
Yet I know I do not want to stay in a place of complacency and become TOO comfortable with my surroundings and I want to challenge myself throughout the experience. I guess a lot of it will happen when the rest of my host family returns from the states on May 29th and between the two sessions of summer camp that have yet to begin.
Truth be told, however, I was smacked hard in the face with the reality a few days ago. I came home from lunch, sat down and started eating. I don´t know what came over me but I just started crying. It was inexplicable, and I couldn´t stop. In retrospect, I think I know how it started but am still not sure. I´ve talked about my mosquito bites briefly and as little as they are, they have become a big part of my life. In a crowd of people, I am one of the few that get bitten, and many many times. I have to wear long sleeves at night and I am constantly hitting my legs or moving somehow in order to avoid them. It has consumed a lot of my energy and simply it has gotten annoying and a bit overwhelming. I guess my crying stemmed from a sense of helplessness and the fact that there really is NOTHING I could do. I put on insect repellent 3 times a day and now probably have over 100 bites total. Others who do not put any repellent on are unscathed. This overwhelmed me and I became vulnerable to all the other missing comforts. It was like an avalanche of emotions, one that I did not think I would ever have. I thought I would be fine having lived alone in Quebec last summer for 3 months. The culture shock of it all really hit me.
-- The Incident with the Black Pearl --
I don´t think I was originally going to blog about this but mentioned it a few times as a joke along the way. After the events of last night, however, I think it is important to write about it.
Last night, we went and stayed over at the beach to celebrate Holly´s birthday, another volunteer at the school. It was a big event that was planned all week long, 15-20 people were going, we had great food, many drinks, music, tents, the whole sha-bang. We were all really excited to go and Carissa, Brittany and I were making a cake for Holly at Brittany´s house. However, school ended at 4 and we wanted to leave at around 6. After all the prep and getting ready, last minute purchases and whatnot, we didn´t think there would be enough time for the cake to bake, cool and to finally ice it. We seemed rushed a bit with everyone else wanting to go and ended up getting a ride with Dan, who was leaving a bit later. The cake incident was a semi-disaster: temperatures here do not really let a cake cool fast enough to ice and it stuck to the pan, and was pretty much impossible to ice... we ended up pouring the icing over top.
Brittany ended up going to the beach first with her host family and Carissa and I stayed back and headed to the beach with Dan in the Black Pearl. Now, let me tell you about the Black Pearl. It is a truck made in 1987 that has been sitting in the field for a bit because it wouldn´t really start. Somehow, it started the other day and we got to borrow it to transport us and a lot of the equipment to the beach. It doesn´t accelerate very well, probably going 20-30ish mph max, which was fast enough, I guess. On the way, however, it was extremely difficult to see through a mixture of the blinding sun right in our eyes and the dirty windshield from both inside and outside. There was about 9 km left till we got to the beach, I remember commenting on the road sign when the car seemed to stop working--we were out of gas. I also remember joking at this point about blogging about this--only in the Dominican would we actually run out of gas. Fortunately, we had brought some gas to help start the fire and also for this very purpose. Dan hopped out of the car, filled the tank a bit and we were off... 30 seconds or so in, we hit a mound of sand and rocks on the side of the road on the right side, go over it and head off the side of the road and into a ditch. We were stuck and I guess the car was angled into the ditch. Fortunately, we were all okay except for a few nerves. There was no way any of us could have seen the mound in the conditions, and to be honest, none of the 3 of us did. We are fortunate, in a way, that the car had stopped working or the speed at which we would have hit this random pile of dirt would have made everything a lot worse. We all climbed out of the car from the driver´s door and were unsure of what to do.
Nearly everyone who passed by stopped their cars to help, trying to find rope, a suitable truck and enough people to comfort us and help push the truck back onto the road and out of the ditch. Probably 10-15 minutes later, the car was out of the ditch with the help of many people.
One of our friends saw us on the road and stopped by as well and she offered to drive the rest of the way. The night continued, and everyone had a great time. It was a surreal night to enjoy great company, food and music on the beach and to actually sleep on the beach, tents and all. I am glad it all happened and that everyone was safe. This morning, however, I must have had the scariest ride back. I don´t think I have ever felt so unsure in a car before simply because we didn´t know what would happen with the car, and whether it would make it. We made sure to clean the windshield thoroughly from both sides before driving. The car wouldn´t start for a bit too when we wanted to leave.
We made it most of the way before the car ran out of gas, again. We were literally 10 m away from the turn we had to make back into Cabrera and could even see our friends´ house. This time, we were out of gas because the rest of it had been used to help with the fire. Fortunately, again, the same friend that drove us the rest of the way to the beach was driving by on her pasola and offered to take me to the gas station to get gas. It was the first time I sat on a pasola with 3 people, and let me tell you, it was thrilling and a bit scary. We ended up making it back safe and sound.
--
I tell that story sort of to let you know about events of my life and the realities of life. Most of all, however, I think I wanted to tell that story because of what had happened. The capacity for human compassion in the DR has been amazing. Sure, one or two people may have stopped to help in North America when our car went into the ditch but I think we would have waited to call CAA to help us get out. Here, nearly EVERYONE stopped to help us, not expecting anything in return and genuinely concerned with our wellbeing. I think this speaks wonders about the community that exists here and how everyone does in fact look out for one another. I was blessed to have been helped out and am grateful for all those kind men and women who stopped by to make sure we were alright. There is not always a lot here, but here in the Dominican, people have each other. I think my last week, both from this event and from my visits to people´s houses have showed me that people are truly hospitable and are willing to give of themselves, without asking for anything in return.
This place gives me hope. This place opens my eyes. This place is home.
To feel at home is to feel safe and to be comfortable enough to be yourself. I think I have found this in Cabrera in a little less than two weeks. In town, I still get stared at sometimes but it has not become a big deal. I simply say Hola and often am greeted with a smile in return. I can walk into any colmado and know exactly what I can get, basically everything. I am comfortable communicating with the locals, for the most part, despite minor bumps and bruises along the way in Spanish. I know where to go if I want to use the internet. I have a place to go if I want a bottle of gatorade. Surprisingly, I am also comfortable sharing a beer with friends on the park bench in the town square people watching like most of the locals here. I also walk the streets at night without light. Sure, it is a little scary from time to time walking in the dark but I know I am safe--people here seem to look out for one another. I was also graced with the pleasure of going for a walk with my host mother the other night. She invited me on a walk with her towards the ocean and I thought it would be just that. We ended up driving to the walk, which was interesting to begin with, but also visiting a few of her friends along the way. The network of communities that I came to notice that night was incredible. I was greeted with smiles and great conversation (as much as we could have in Spanish, haha) and tons of food, desserts and soups alike. I saw life not as a priviledged tourist but in real terms, I got to see what happens everyday. Cabrera may be small, but it already feels like home.
At school, I am also becoming very comfortable. Another week with the kids has been amazing. From a place where I was called ´China Man´at the pre-school, I now go to school and high-five one of the kids almost daily. For a bit, I played games such as -Con Helado- and -Tiki Tahinki-, which I might have previously mentioned, with the kids. They would call me invincible because I literally had a part of my body crossed ALL THE TIME, even when I was walking around. On a different note, kids ask me to help them with their music poster and ask for my opinion on how a dance looks for the talent show. I must say, reading with the kids and just hanging out with them has allowed me to appreciate Cabrera´s diversity more. Connections like those make me feel like I am a part of the larger picture, no longer an outsider looking into a school system.
From a more academic standpoint, Winston the donkey was getting his testicles removed this week so Anthony had to be away for some of the mornings. It was from this that I had been given the opportunity to lead a session with the morning kids. I worked with them, with the help of Miss Holly, in an activity called Sound Detectives where they were to listen for similar sounding parts of a word. I also led a lesson teaching them about rhyming words and how they have the same sounding end combination in a word. But all this learning is not one sided, haha. When helping kids write in their diary, I was reminded that my concept of the sound A was not accurate. I take that seriously and with humility that although I have a good grasp of the English language, I am still faced with the reality of tricking myself into thinking I know something, sometimes. I feel comfortable at school, both academically and socially--it has become a place of learning for both me and others. I have come to love Cabrera inside and out.
Yet I know I do not want to stay in a place of complacency and become TOO comfortable with my surroundings and I want to challenge myself throughout the experience. I guess a lot of it will happen when the rest of my host family returns from the states on May 29th and between the two sessions of summer camp that have yet to begin.
Truth be told, however, I was smacked hard in the face with the reality a few days ago. I came home from lunch, sat down and started eating. I don´t know what came over me but I just started crying. It was inexplicable, and I couldn´t stop. In retrospect, I think I know how it started but am still not sure. I´ve talked about my mosquito bites briefly and as little as they are, they have become a big part of my life. In a crowd of people, I am one of the few that get bitten, and many many times. I have to wear long sleeves at night and I am constantly hitting my legs or moving somehow in order to avoid them. It has consumed a lot of my energy and simply it has gotten annoying and a bit overwhelming. I guess my crying stemmed from a sense of helplessness and the fact that there really is NOTHING I could do. I put on insect repellent 3 times a day and now probably have over 100 bites total. Others who do not put any repellent on are unscathed. This overwhelmed me and I became vulnerable to all the other missing comforts. It was like an avalanche of emotions, one that I did not think I would ever have. I thought I would be fine having lived alone in Quebec last summer for 3 months. The culture shock of it all really hit me.
-- The Incident with the Black Pearl --
I don´t think I was originally going to blog about this but mentioned it a few times as a joke along the way. After the events of last night, however, I think it is important to write about it.
Last night, we went and stayed over at the beach to celebrate Holly´s birthday, another volunteer at the school. It was a big event that was planned all week long, 15-20 people were going, we had great food, many drinks, music, tents, the whole sha-bang. We were all really excited to go and Carissa, Brittany and I were making a cake for Holly at Brittany´s house. However, school ended at 4 and we wanted to leave at around 6. After all the prep and getting ready, last minute purchases and whatnot, we didn´t think there would be enough time for the cake to bake, cool and to finally ice it. We seemed rushed a bit with everyone else wanting to go and ended up getting a ride with Dan, who was leaving a bit later. The cake incident was a semi-disaster: temperatures here do not really let a cake cool fast enough to ice and it stuck to the pan, and was pretty much impossible to ice... we ended up pouring the icing over top.
Brittany ended up going to the beach first with her host family and Carissa and I stayed back and headed to the beach with Dan in the Black Pearl. Now, let me tell you about the Black Pearl. It is a truck made in 1987 that has been sitting in the field for a bit because it wouldn´t really start. Somehow, it started the other day and we got to borrow it to transport us and a lot of the equipment to the beach. It doesn´t accelerate very well, probably going 20-30ish mph max, which was fast enough, I guess. On the way, however, it was extremely difficult to see through a mixture of the blinding sun right in our eyes and the dirty windshield from both inside and outside. There was about 9 km left till we got to the beach, I remember commenting on the road sign when the car seemed to stop working--we were out of gas. I also remember joking at this point about blogging about this--only in the Dominican would we actually run out of gas. Fortunately, we had brought some gas to help start the fire and also for this very purpose. Dan hopped out of the car, filled the tank a bit and we were off... 30 seconds or so in, we hit a mound of sand and rocks on the side of the road on the right side, go over it and head off the side of the road and into a ditch. We were stuck and I guess the car was angled into the ditch. Fortunately, we were all okay except for a few nerves. There was no way any of us could have seen the mound in the conditions, and to be honest, none of the 3 of us did. We are fortunate, in a way, that the car had stopped working or the speed at which we would have hit this random pile of dirt would have made everything a lot worse. We all climbed out of the car from the driver´s door and were unsure of what to do.
Nearly everyone who passed by stopped their cars to help, trying to find rope, a suitable truck and enough people to comfort us and help push the truck back onto the road and out of the ditch. Probably 10-15 minutes later, the car was out of the ditch with the help of many people.
One of our friends saw us on the road and stopped by as well and she offered to drive the rest of the way. The night continued, and everyone had a great time. It was a surreal night to enjoy great company, food and music on the beach and to actually sleep on the beach, tents and all. I am glad it all happened and that everyone was safe. This morning, however, I must have had the scariest ride back. I don´t think I have ever felt so unsure in a car before simply because we didn´t know what would happen with the car, and whether it would make it. We made sure to clean the windshield thoroughly from both sides before driving. The car wouldn´t start for a bit too when we wanted to leave.
We made it most of the way before the car ran out of gas, again. We were literally 10 m away from the turn we had to make back into Cabrera and could even see our friends´ house. This time, we were out of gas because the rest of it had been used to help with the fire. Fortunately, again, the same friend that drove us the rest of the way to the beach was driving by on her pasola and offered to take me to the gas station to get gas. It was the first time I sat on a pasola with 3 people, and let me tell you, it was thrilling and a bit scary. We ended up making it back safe and sound.
--
I tell that story sort of to let you know about events of my life and the realities of life. Most of all, however, I think I wanted to tell that story because of what had happened. The capacity for human compassion in the DR has been amazing. Sure, one or two people may have stopped to help in North America when our car went into the ditch but I think we would have waited to call CAA to help us get out. Here, nearly EVERYONE stopped to help us, not expecting anything in return and genuinely concerned with our wellbeing. I think this speaks wonders about the community that exists here and how everyone does in fact look out for one another. I was blessed to have been helped out and am grateful for all those kind men and women who stopped by to make sure we were alright. There is not always a lot here, but here in the Dominican, people have each other. I think my last week, both from this event and from my visits to people´s houses have showed me that people are truly hospitable and are willing to give of themselves, without asking for anything in return.
This place gives me hope. This place opens my eyes. This place is home.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Living in Cabrera--for real.
6 days. 50 + mosquito bites. Many great friends.
So it has already been 6 days since I first arrived in the Dominican and it´s definitely been a mixture of good times and hot times. At first glance, the small town of Cabrera is what I imagined: chicken running around, random fields with donkeys and horses, stray dogs walking around and some broken down houses. But I have already come to love what is going to be my home for anot her 14 weeks. Sure, I miss the comforts of having the internet, air conditioning and constant run ning water and electricity but the culture and vibrant lifestyle of the locals here never cceases to amaze me.
Join me on one of my t ypical days:
I wake up at aro und 8:00 in the morning and head to breakfast that Yaniris has so generously prepared for myself and Dan. We talk for a bit while enjoying a high-carb breakfast of eggs, toast and whatever else. Come 8:40 or so, Dan and I head towards the school which is just a short 5 minutes away. Along the way, we say Hola to the locals who are either working away or just sitting along the side of the road. Yes, there is a LOT of sitting around. I arrive at school where I am greet ed by lovely smiles and enthusiastic kids wanting to learn. Throughout the morning, I take a few kids out to practice reading out loud a nd help them sound out words. A lot of the times, I have to remind them to think of the letter and the sound that the letter ma kes. A little while later, the kids are reading. Through that and helping out wherever I am needed, playing board games or helping the kids throuigh Math bingo, I find myself quickly at lunch time, 12:00, where I head home for lunch. Yaniris has prepared lunch for me again and this time it is probably rice, habeuchuellas, a salad, some type of meat and a nice cold glass of mango juice. Nice and refreshing. I return to school for 1:30 where the older kids have their session. Wednesday was Club day and the kids got to join whatever club they wanted, I helped out with board games and played monopoly with some kids. On a regular day, the kids are often given a pick-and-mix session where they can choose to work on an assignment, practice for the talent show, do some reading with us or sometimes even cook with one of the teachers! This goes to about 3:30, and at that time there is either a show-and-tell about asinger, a group, an actor or something of that nature by one of the kids. This week, we saw a great one about Angelina Jolie. Other times we would sing some songs. School ends at 4:00 pm and that is prettty much the school day.
I walk home with Carissa, Brittany and some of the ot her volunteers and are greeted by some of the students w ho are picking mangos off trees. The other day, some of the students offered us some and it melted my heart right away. The mangos are fresh, delicious and picked with love, haha.
At night, we do a variety of things. Sometimes we go out for drinks right after at the Manny ´s, a seaside bar type thin g. Ot her times we go play some pool and relax on a few Presidente beers. Orange juice , alittle bit of shopping and interacting with some locals fills most of the day. I´ve been a bit under the weather here so some days I just stay in. But most of the time, there is always something going on and Dan, my housemate, is kind enough to show me around to the tiny little beach, to the internet cafe and other little gems in town. Fiona and Anthony also have been working with us and trying to get us accustomed to the local lifestyle and invite us to do things with them whenever they get a chance. I am really grateful for their openness in receiving our company.
Dinner is served at around 7-8 and consists generally of a meat, more eggs and some typè of carb. We may or may not go out in the evening again and then I generally head to bed in and around 10 on a weekday. That´s life so far.
On Monday and Friday, I head to a pre-school instead of the school with the Esperanza Project. There, I work with another group of excited children just starting out to learn to read in English. I worked with some of them individually to pronounce letters and I even read the book The Three Billy-Goats Gruff to them. It is a change of pace working with younger ones but it is refreshing and it keeps me on my toes. I love it.
However, there have been a couple of highlights with my time here so far. Upon arrival, Fiona and Anthony took us out to the -Blue Roof aka Mira Mar- on Monday night just to talk a bit and get to meet the other volunteers over some drinks. We went to Manny´s and enjoyed some great company and nice views. There have a few good walks with Carissa to random places and to the centre square just to hang out a bit. On Friday on baseball day, all the kids went to the camp grounds and played baseball. We got to play and Carissa, Brittany and I happened to be on the same team and won our first Dominican Baseball game 17-16, a true nail-bitter. I also got to enjoy a nice German meal at d inner last night wihen we went out with a bunch of the other local gringos. Today, Car issa and I headed to the local waterfall which we learned was a saltedero and rode on Yaniris motorcycle thing. There, some locals were jumping off for us and helped us down to the bottom where we got to jump into the nice pool of fresh water as well . Later on, we enjoyed a nice afternoon on the beach, Playa Grande, where we relaxed, swam in the Atlantic ocean and played a bit of Bocce Ball --of which I have never played before and ended up winning the second game, yay!
But here I am. 6 days in and as I said over 50 mosquito bites. A little bit sick but I bought some local medication and I hope it will be fine. Life so far has been incredible to say the least. It is interesting to note the difference between the rich and the poor even within this town itself. There can be really nice houses with what seems to be two floors, nice furniture and cars all around and then right across the street there is a broken down structure where some people may live. A bottle of Dasani water of bottled juice is 20 pesos, a mere 50 cents. Internet? Last time, we used 3 computers at the internet cafe for 20 minutes each and paid only 45 pesos, just over a dollar. It is incredible to think of money in these terms but there is obviously a difference in the standard of living here with that of Canada. Like I said, there is a lot of sitting around, in the dark and whatnot. There is electricity 60% of the time and if you do not have a generator in your house, you simply do not get electricity. There is a slight drought here in Cabrera (maybe all of the DR, I´m not sure) and during parts of the day you don ´t get running water. Sometimes we have to save up water in a bucket so we have some for later. That is the reality that some people face not for 6 days, not for 15 weeks but for their lives. I can only be an advocate for what I live and I´m glad the locals have embraced me with open arms.
Life is not as I expected it though. I think I came super prepared thinking that all water must be purified and that there are a lot of don´ts that I should be worried about. Sure, we take care of ourselves and take precautio ns but for the most part we´ve been experiencing life as a local would. Although we would not drink out of the tap water, not even Dominicans do, there is a good system of clean bottled water that we use to refill our bottles with. Speaking of which, I lost my water bottle again (the same one I lost on Dan´s grandparents´farm... just not alucky bottle for me, heh). I will keep safe, especially when Im not in Cabrera bu t f or now, life is good.
I can´t wait to dive into the adventures that behold me in the next 14 weeks. Tomorrow, we are going to a bigger town for the day, we are headi ng to Caberete.
So it has already been 6 days since I first arrived in the Dominican and it´s definitely been a mixture of good times and hot times. At first glance, the small town of Cabrera is what I imagined: chicken running around, random fields with donkeys and horses, stray dogs walking around and some broken down houses. But I have already come to love what is going to be my home for anot her 14 weeks. Sure, I miss the comforts of having the internet, air conditioning and constant run ning water and electricity but the culture and vibrant lifestyle of the locals here never cceases to amaze me.
Join me on one of my t ypical days:
I wake up at aro und 8:00 in the morning and head to breakfast that Yaniris has so generously prepared for myself and Dan. We talk for a bit while enjoying a high-carb breakfast of eggs, toast and whatever else. Come 8:40 or so, Dan and I head towards the school which is just a short 5 minutes away. Along the way, we say Hola to the locals who are either working away or just sitting along the side of the road. Yes, there is a LOT of sitting around. I arrive at school where I am greet ed by lovely smiles and enthusiastic kids wanting to learn. Throughout the morning, I take a few kids out to practice reading out loud a nd help them sound out words. A lot of the times, I have to remind them to think of the letter and the sound that the letter ma kes. A little while later, the kids are reading. Through that and helping out wherever I am needed, playing board games or helping the kids throuigh Math bingo, I find myself quickly at lunch time, 12:00, where I head home for lunch. Yaniris has prepared lunch for me again and this time it is probably rice, habeuchuellas, a salad, some type of meat and a nice cold glass of mango juice. Nice and refreshing. I return to school for 1:30 where the older kids have their session. Wednesday was Club day and the kids got to join whatever club they wanted, I helped out with board games and played monopoly with some kids. On a regular day, the kids are often given a pick-and-mix session where they can choose to work on an assignment, practice for the talent show, do some reading with us or sometimes even cook with one of the teachers! This goes to about 3:30, and at that time there is either a show-and-tell about asinger, a group, an actor or something of that nature by one of the kids. This week, we saw a great one about Angelina Jolie. Other times we would sing some songs. School ends at 4:00 pm and that is prettty much the school day.
I walk home with Carissa, Brittany and some of the ot her volunteers and are greeted by some of the students w ho are picking mangos off trees. The other day, some of the students offered us some and it melted my heart right away. The mangos are fresh, delicious and picked with love, haha.
At night, we do a variety of things. Sometimes we go out for drinks right after at the Manny ´s, a seaside bar type thin g. Ot her times we go play some pool and relax on a few Presidente beers. Orange juice , alittle bit of shopping and interacting with some locals fills most of the day. I´ve been a bit under the weather here so some days I just stay in. But most of the time, there is always something going on and Dan, my housemate, is kind enough to show me around to the tiny little beach, to the internet cafe and other little gems in town. Fiona and Anthony also have been working with us and trying to get us accustomed to the local lifestyle and invite us to do things with them whenever they get a chance. I am really grateful for their openness in receiving our company.
Dinner is served at around 7-8 and consists generally of a meat, more eggs and some typè of carb. We may or may not go out in the evening again and then I generally head to bed in and around 10 on a weekday. That´s life so far.
On Monday and Friday, I head to a pre-school instead of the school with the Esperanza Project. There, I work with another group of excited children just starting out to learn to read in English. I worked with some of them individually to pronounce letters and I even read the book The Three Billy-Goats Gruff to them. It is a change of pace working with younger ones but it is refreshing and it keeps me on my toes. I love it.
However, there have been a couple of highlights with my time here so far. Upon arrival, Fiona and Anthony took us out to the -Blue Roof aka Mira Mar- on Monday night just to talk a bit and get to meet the other volunteers over some drinks. We went to Manny´s and enjoyed some great company and nice views. There have a few good walks with Carissa to random places and to the centre square just to hang out a bit. On Friday on baseball day, all the kids went to the camp grounds and played baseball. We got to play and Carissa, Brittany and I happened to be on the same team and won our first Dominican Baseball game 17-16, a true nail-bitter. I also got to enjoy a nice German meal at d inner last night wihen we went out with a bunch of the other local gringos. Today, Car issa and I headed to the local waterfall which we learned was a saltedero and rode on Yaniris motorcycle thing. There, some locals were jumping off for us and helped us down to the bottom where we got to jump into the nice pool of fresh water as well . Later on, we enjoyed a nice afternoon on the beach, Playa Grande, where we relaxed, swam in the Atlantic ocean and played a bit of Bocce Ball --of which I have never played before and ended up winning the second game, yay!
But here I am. 6 days in and as I said over 50 mosquito bites. A little bit sick but I bought some local medication and I hope it will be fine. Life so far has been incredible to say the least. It is interesting to note the difference between the rich and the poor even within this town itself. There can be really nice houses with what seems to be two floors, nice furniture and cars all around and then right across the street there is a broken down structure where some people may live. A bottle of Dasani water of bottled juice is 20 pesos, a mere 50 cents. Internet? Last time, we used 3 computers at the internet cafe for 20 minutes each and paid only 45 pesos, just over a dollar. It is incredible to think of money in these terms but there is obviously a difference in the standard of living here with that of Canada. Like I said, there is a lot of sitting around, in the dark and whatnot. There is electricity 60% of the time and if you do not have a generator in your house, you simply do not get electricity. There is a slight drought here in Cabrera (maybe all of the DR, I´m not sure) and during parts of the day you don ´t get running water. Sometimes we have to save up water in a bucket so we have some for later. That is the reality that some people face not for 6 days, not for 15 weeks but for their lives. I can only be an advocate for what I live and I´m glad the locals have embraced me with open arms.
Life is not as I expected it though. I think I came super prepared thinking that all water must be purified and that there are a lot of don´ts that I should be worried about. Sure, we take care of ourselves and take precautio ns but for the most part we´ve been experiencing life as a local would. Although we would not drink out of the tap water, not even Dominicans do, there is a good system of clean bottled water that we use to refill our bottles with. Speaking of which, I lost my water bottle again (the same one I lost on Dan´s grandparents´farm... just not alucky bottle for me, heh). I will keep safe, especially when Im not in Cabrera bu t f or now, life is good.
I can´t wait to dive into the adventures that behold me in the next 14 weeks. Tomorrow, we are going to a bigger town for the day, we are headi ng to Caberete.
Monday, May 2, 2011
Scared?
I can't help but sit here and think tonight. I'm currently trying to fix my sleeping habits--it's been an ongoing battle of 5 am - 2 pm for the last little bit. I only have a week left to adjust and I think with going to Waterloo tomorrow that will be the start. I have to wake up early to catch a bus. But what keeps me awake right now is thinking. Thinking about the future and my time in the Dominican. I spent my day at Starbucks with my friend studying Spanish. Literally, I sat in Starbucks and for the most part studied over 100 pages of my Spanish 101/102 textbook. A lot of it was familiar and I think it's good to refresh my memory but I have a lot left to accomplish. I want to finish that textbook, read through my 201A/B textbook and glance through my Spanish phrasebook, haha. I hope I can do it! But I cannot help but check my Facebook and whatnot. Slowly but surely, I am faced with the reality that a lot of my friends are heading out:
Natalia posts that her ville actuelle is Mbuya, Mukono, Uganda.
Sebastien posts that his ville actuelle is Kariobangi South, Nairobi Area, Kenya.
At the same time, Nicole posts "So I just completed 1/3 plane rides before I arrive at my final destination and a little five year old boy has already made me cry from the statement: "Why are you going alone? Doesn't anyone love you?" - haha"
It's exciting and it's new. I have planned for over 8 months for this adventure; this adventure that I have been thinking about since starting university--I knew I wanted to do a Field Studies! But when I'm not busy shopping for last minute deodorant that will fit carry-on standards, I am hit with the reality that I will not have electricity 40% of the time in the DR, let alone internet. My network of support will disappear and although I will want to check my emails and see what is happening in the world, a part of me does not want to. I want to take in the experience as much as I can, learn Spanish, learn the culture and interact with locals and tourists alike--see what brings each person to Cabrera! All these things float through my mind and I begin to get nervous. I took my last dose of Dukoral tonight and it sucked. Tomorrow I will take my malaria pills again. My next week now seems so short--there isn't enough time.
I guess I don't really know what to expect in the last few days. I will enjoy each and every moment of it to the fullest and I guess when next week rolls around I will have to be ready. Next week at this exact time I will be sitting in the airport probably--my flight leaves in an hour and 55 minutes. I only hope my worries will have dissipated. But I guess that's also the fun of it--to be shocked and to be wowed.
To all my friends who are travelling this week, Buena Suerte and safe travels!
Natalia posts that her ville actuelle is Mbuya, Mukono, Uganda.
Sebastien posts that his ville actuelle is Kariobangi South, Nairobi Area, Kenya.
At the same time, Nicole posts "So I just completed 1/3 plane rides before I arrive at my final destination and a little five year old boy has already made me cry from the statement: "Why are you going alone? Doesn't anyone love you?" - haha"
It's exciting and it's new. I have planned for over 8 months for this adventure; this adventure that I have been thinking about since starting university--I knew I wanted to do a Field Studies! But when I'm not busy shopping for last minute deodorant that will fit carry-on standards, I am hit with the reality that I will not have electricity 40% of the time in the DR, let alone internet. My network of support will disappear and although I will want to check my emails and see what is happening in the world, a part of me does not want to. I want to take in the experience as much as I can, learn Spanish, learn the culture and interact with locals and tourists alike--see what brings each person to Cabrera! All these things float through my mind and I begin to get nervous. I took my last dose of Dukoral tonight and it sucked. Tomorrow I will take my malaria pills again. My next week now seems so short--there isn't enough time.
I guess I don't really know what to expect in the last few days. I will enjoy each and every moment of it to the fullest and I guess when next week rolls around I will have to be ready. Next week at this exact time I will be sitting in the airport probably--my flight leaves in an hour and 55 minutes. I only hope my worries will have dissipated. But I guess that's also the fun of it--to be shocked and to be wowed.
To all my friends who are travelling this week, Buena Suerte and safe travels!
Monday, April 4, 2011
Living with Anticipation.
Applying to Beyond Borders last year meant that I was ready to go on an experiential learning adventure: to volunteer. Despite having mentally prepared myself for the trip, it was not until today that the reality kind of sank in. Today was the last day of classes. The everyday comfort of living in a routine has suddenly ended and I am faced with the eventuality of actually going to the Dominican. In fact, depending on when my flight is, I may leave in one month's time. I am beginning to live with anticipation.
With every adventure though, it is important to reflect on the journey that has brought us to where we are today. In harmony with Tim's video, I will explore the challenges, triumphs and teachings from the two terms that has brought me to where I am today. Here's to Beyond Borders!
On the first day to class, I was definitely apprehensive. What did Beyond Borders mean? Everyone accepted into the program is a leader in some way. Many have formal leadership roles and all have a reason as to why they were in the program. To be honest, I thought everyone was amazing and had a lot more experience than me--I was intimidated. Yet throughout the past two terms, I have grown to love my new found group of friends. The connections which started off as awkward hellos on the street soon became a linkage of meaningful texts, messages and group bonding sessions. Whether we were working on a fundraising idea, making cards or just hanging out, we were committed to making the experience a good one. Truly, I do believe that what you put in is what you get out of an experience and in this group, everyone put in 110%. I honestly feel that, although cliché, individuals in our Beyond Borders cohort will do anything in their power to ensure everyone is successful.
This group has truly taught me the power of selflessness, what it means to work in a group environment and has reminded me of the importance to relate to one another. I have always been a pretty independent worker. Although I did not mind working in groups, my preference was always to be in control and to do things myself. Working with my cohort, however, I have learned both to trust and to accept spontaneity: life doesn't always turn out the way we think it will, and that's okay.
Throughout the term, I have also learned a lot about development. As Brilé noted, the Beyond Borders program is counterintuitive. It truly challenges the traditional methods of pedagogy and the ways in which we view the world. What is the role of experiential learning? How is eco-tourism different from what we are trying to do? I definitely thought I had the answers to many of life's problems. Corruption is bad; we are going to help the poor. Yet the lessons and discussions amongst my peers and in class have showed me that corruption isn't always black and development work isn't always white.
Beyond Borders takes our knowledge of development a step further and asks whether or not organisations actually want the volunteer's help or do they just want the economic resources the volunteer brings. The program has challenged me immensely throughout the last two terms; I begin to look at the world, not necessarily cynically, but with an analytical frame of mind. I have come to understand the reasons behind the action.
Whether Rigoberta Menchu meant to paint a particular picture of her life in her testimony or not, her mission remained the same. There is much controversy behind the truthfulness of her work, I, Rigoberta Menchu, yet perhaps her living conditions are less important than the message she is trying to portray. The fact is, she was an advocate for the lives for all indigenous Guatemalans and she sought to expose the injustices inherent in the system. Beyond Borders taught me to look behind the apparent.
I hope that, as a result of my experiences, I will be able to understand the complexities of life within the Dominican Republic and its neighbour, Haiti. I have found a passion in understanding the implications of being stateless as a child of a migrant worker. I have begun to care so much more about the Dominican Republic than I had ever thought I would. The xenophobia and racism within the Dominican Republic stems from the colonial roots of the two nations. The deep-rooted conflict is not necessarily one that can be solved but will ultimately stay with the groups. The truth is, Beyond Borders has taught me to become passionately involved. Instead of "helping out," I have learned to work with others and understand what matters most to them. My classmates have shown me how to put 110% in everything I do.
So I currently live with anticipation. I am excited and nervous about the 3 months ahead of me. My comforts will be taken away and my classmates will not always be there to support me in my efforts. However, they have prepared me to trust in myself, trust in others and to live passionately. Our learning doesn't stop here, Sebastien did a good job and reminded us that the world is our classroom.
With every adventure though, it is important to reflect on the journey that has brought us to where we are today. In harmony with Tim's video, I will explore the challenges, triumphs and teachings from the two terms that has brought me to where I am today. Here's to Beyond Borders!
On the first day to class, I was definitely apprehensive. What did Beyond Borders mean? Everyone accepted into the program is a leader in some way. Many have formal leadership roles and all have a reason as to why they were in the program. To be honest, I thought everyone was amazing and had a lot more experience than me--I was intimidated. Yet throughout the past two terms, I have grown to love my new found group of friends. The connections which started off as awkward hellos on the street soon became a linkage of meaningful texts, messages and group bonding sessions. Whether we were working on a fundraising idea, making cards or just hanging out, we were committed to making the experience a good one. Truly, I do believe that what you put in is what you get out of an experience and in this group, everyone put in 110%. I honestly feel that, although cliché, individuals in our Beyond Borders cohort will do anything in their power to ensure everyone is successful.
This group has truly taught me the power of selflessness, what it means to work in a group environment and has reminded me of the importance to relate to one another. I have always been a pretty independent worker. Although I did not mind working in groups, my preference was always to be in control and to do things myself. Working with my cohort, however, I have learned both to trust and to accept spontaneity: life doesn't always turn out the way we think it will, and that's okay.
Throughout the term, I have also learned a lot about development. As Brilé noted, the Beyond Borders program is counterintuitive. It truly challenges the traditional methods of pedagogy and the ways in which we view the world. What is the role of experiential learning? How is eco-tourism different from what we are trying to do? I definitely thought I had the answers to many of life's problems. Corruption is bad; we are going to help the poor. Yet the lessons and discussions amongst my peers and in class have showed me that corruption isn't always black and development work isn't always white.
Beyond Borders takes our knowledge of development a step further and asks whether or not organisations actually want the volunteer's help or do they just want the economic resources the volunteer brings. The program has challenged me immensely throughout the last two terms; I begin to look at the world, not necessarily cynically, but with an analytical frame of mind. I have come to understand the reasons behind the action.
Whether Rigoberta Menchu meant to paint a particular picture of her life in her testimony or not, her mission remained the same. There is much controversy behind the truthfulness of her work, I, Rigoberta Menchu, yet perhaps her living conditions are less important than the message she is trying to portray. The fact is, she was an advocate for the lives for all indigenous Guatemalans and she sought to expose the injustices inherent in the system. Beyond Borders taught me to look behind the apparent.
I hope that, as a result of my experiences, I will be able to understand the complexities of life within the Dominican Republic and its neighbour, Haiti. I have found a passion in understanding the implications of being stateless as a child of a migrant worker. I have begun to care so much more about the Dominican Republic than I had ever thought I would. The xenophobia and racism within the Dominican Republic stems from the colonial roots of the two nations. The deep-rooted conflict is not necessarily one that can be solved but will ultimately stay with the groups. The truth is, Beyond Borders has taught me to become passionately involved. Instead of "helping out," I have learned to work with others and understand what matters most to them. My classmates have shown me how to put 110% in everything I do.
So I currently live with anticipation. I am excited and nervous about the 3 months ahead of me. My comforts will be taken away and my classmates will not always be there to support me in my efforts. However, they have prepared me to trust in myself, trust in others and to live passionately. Our learning doesn't stop here, Sebastien did a good job and reminded us that the world is our classroom.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Living in the Dominican Republic
Up to this point, my blog has mostly been about my general thoughts: how I will fit in, norms by which I live my life and ways in which I envision myself to (re)act appropriately to new experiences. I have briefly touched on the culture of the Dominican Republic but have yet to talk about its geography, the climate and other physical conditions in which I will encounter during my 3-month stay. So, here's to the Dominican Republic:
When asked to think about The Dominican, most people think of a tropical climate and a vacation spot full of resorts. They travel to the country and although they have been there, they do not truly get to interact with its culture. This summer, I get the rare opportunity to live in a host family and understand life as a local, 130 km away from the capital Santa Domingo, in a town called Cabrera. Although the region is still undeniably beautiful, my trip there will not be a trip in the park.
The People
As mentioned in my previous blog post, the people of the Dominican Republic come from a varied background. 73% of its citizens are of mixed background while its next highest population being white, accounting for about 16% of the population. What unites the country most, however, is probably its shared religion: 95% of its people are of Roman Catholic descent. Interestingly enough, though, Cabrera does not share in this faith tradition—its 39, 000 population shares in a mainstream religion of the Christian Evangelic Church.
Economy
The Dominican has mostly been known as an exporter of coffee, sugar and tobacco. However, there has been a shift in recent years and now the service sector and tourism now account for 65% of its GDP. However, despite its attraction to tourists, the nation is not as glamorous as it looks. Over 40% of the population lives below the absolute poverty line and this makes for a huge gap between the rich and the poor. In fact, the top 10% of the population enjoys over 40% of the GDP, whereas the poorest half of the population share less 1/5 of the nation’s GDP.
Although Cabrera is located on the coast and is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, La Playa Grande, it is not dependent on tourism as a main source of income. In fact, the economy in Cabrera is driven by cattle, its milk and meat, mixed with a bit of agriculture.
Climate
While thinking about the Dominican and when I am going to be there (May-August), I was afraid of its climate. Although I whine and complain about the cold weather now, I think it is harder for me to be active in the summer months. At least when I’m cold, I can wear more clothes and react accordingly. In the scorching hot heat, however, sometimes you are paralyzed and just cannot continue to work. It was to my delight, then, to find out that the Dominican’s temperature does not vary that much throughout the year! It’s temperature during the hottest season, May – October, ranges between 22-30 degrees Celsius. The main difference is that it is more humid during these months. Furthermore, the first month when I will be there, the Dominican sees the most rainfall. Fortunately, it is expected to be in short bursts followed by sunshine.
Despite the weather being ideal during the summer season, it is actually the low season for tourism. Most tourists often visit the Dominican to seek refuge from the cold North American winters.
------------
Now what am I doing in the Dominican? Throughout my blog, I have mentioned briefly the name of the project with which I will be work, The Esperanza Project. A literal translation of its name would mean The Project of Hope. The Esperanza Project is a non-profit organization, run and founded by a Canadian/British couple, that was “born out of a perceived need to provide a much needed supplementary education and extra-curricular program, giving individual students an opportunity to explore, create, and inspire, whilst empowering them to grow academically and socially, in a safe, supportive, hands-on learning environment” (Esperanza Project, n.d.).
I will be running an individual sports section at the camp with another student from the University of Victoria! I’m not 100% sure what we’ll be doing yet but we have the months ahead to plan and prepare a program that can be reused: obstacle courses, relays, team building exercises and the like. If you have any ideas, send me a message and I’ll be happy to bring a piece of you to the Dominican with me!
There is no doubt that the experience will be hard and challenging. Living in the Dominican Republic will not be a walk on the beach. I will live the life of a local, away from tourist infrastructure: very few comforts of my normal life will be present. The Spanish language, although I have studied it, will be a barrier to both my host family and myself. Yet despite all these challenges, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that I can learn and become an advocate for what happens in the Dominican. I am hopeful that I will become a trusted member of the local community and I am hopeful that my presence will be well received.
I invite you to take a look into the town I will be in—I hope this blog gives you an understanding of my excitement and an appreciation that I will not be going as a tourist! Here is a link to a video that some women took passing through Cabrera in 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZzC_L2HBs8&feature=player_embedded#at=515
Works Used
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic
http://www.esperanzaproject.ca/index.php/about/
When asked to think about The Dominican, most people think of a tropical climate and a vacation spot full of resorts. They travel to the country and although they have been there, they do not truly get to interact with its culture. This summer, I get the rare opportunity to live in a host family and understand life as a local, 130 km away from the capital Santa Domingo, in a town called Cabrera. Although the region is still undeniably beautiful, my trip there will not be a trip in the park.
The People
As mentioned in my previous blog post, the people of the Dominican Republic come from a varied background. 73% of its citizens are of mixed background while its next highest population being white, accounting for about 16% of the population. What unites the country most, however, is probably its shared religion: 95% of its people are of Roman Catholic descent. Interestingly enough, though, Cabrera does not share in this faith tradition—its 39, 000 population shares in a mainstream religion of the Christian Evangelic Church.
Economy
The Dominican has mostly been known as an exporter of coffee, sugar and tobacco. However, there has been a shift in recent years and now the service sector and tourism now account for 65% of its GDP. However, despite its attraction to tourists, the nation is not as glamorous as it looks. Over 40% of the population lives below the absolute poverty line and this makes for a huge gap between the rich and the poor. In fact, the top 10% of the population enjoys over 40% of the GDP, whereas the poorest half of the population share less 1/5 of the nation’s GDP.
Although Cabrera is located on the coast and is home to one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, La Playa Grande, it is not dependent on tourism as a main source of income. In fact, the economy in Cabrera is driven by cattle, its milk and meat, mixed with a bit of agriculture.
Climate
While thinking about the Dominican and when I am going to be there (May-August), I was afraid of its climate. Although I whine and complain about the cold weather now, I think it is harder for me to be active in the summer months. At least when I’m cold, I can wear more clothes and react accordingly. In the scorching hot heat, however, sometimes you are paralyzed and just cannot continue to work. It was to my delight, then, to find out that the Dominican’s temperature does not vary that much throughout the year! It’s temperature during the hottest season, May – October, ranges between 22-30 degrees Celsius. The main difference is that it is more humid during these months. Furthermore, the first month when I will be there, the Dominican sees the most rainfall. Fortunately, it is expected to be in short bursts followed by sunshine.
Despite the weather being ideal during the summer season, it is actually the low season for tourism. Most tourists often visit the Dominican to seek refuge from the cold North American winters.
------------
Now what am I doing in the Dominican? Throughout my blog, I have mentioned briefly the name of the project with which I will be work, The Esperanza Project. A literal translation of its name would mean The Project of Hope. The Esperanza Project is a non-profit organization, run and founded by a Canadian/British couple, that was “born out of a perceived need to provide a much needed supplementary education and extra-curricular program, giving individual students an opportunity to explore, create, and inspire, whilst empowering them to grow academically and socially, in a safe, supportive, hands-on learning environment” (Esperanza Project, n.d.).
I will be running an individual sports section at the camp with another student from the University of Victoria! I’m not 100% sure what we’ll be doing yet but we have the months ahead to plan and prepare a program that can be reused: obstacle courses, relays, team building exercises and the like. If you have any ideas, send me a message and I’ll be happy to bring a piece of you to the Dominican with me!
There is no doubt that the experience will be hard and challenging. Living in the Dominican Republic will not be a walk on the beach. I will live the life of a local, away from tourist infrastructure: very few comforts of my normal life will be present. The Spanish language, although I have studied it, will be a barrier to both my host family and myself. Yet despite all these challenges, I am hopeful. I am hopeful that I can learn and become an advocate for what happens in the Dominican. I am hopeful that I will become a trusted member of the local community and I am hopeful that my presence will be well received.
I invite you to take a look into the town I will be in—I hope this blog gives you an understanding of my excitement and an appreciation that I will not be going as a tourist! Here is a link to a video that some women took passing through Cabrera in 2010:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZzC_L2HBs8&feature=player_embedded#at=515
Works Used
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/dr.html
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/dominican-republic
http://www.esperanzaproject.ca/index.php/about/
Monday, March 21, 2011
Living.
On Friday, March 18th, I had the pleasure of hearing Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire deliver a keynote address for the Art's Student Union at the University of Waterloo. Dallaire, most known for his refusal to pull UN troops out of Rwanda during the genocide in 1994, talked mostly about the international community's responsibility to protect when a national government fails to provide security for its citizens. What struck me most, however, was his question "Are some humans more human than others?"
He understood conflict and a nation's willingness to intervene politically in terms of gain. When "personal" interests are not met, one's desire to intervene dramatically decreases. Such was the situation, as he explained, in the summer of 1994. The international community was hesitant to label the atrocities within Rwanda as genocide. Terms including "tribal civil war" and "acts of genocide" were used to describe the massacres, yet these terms did not necessitate an immediate reaction from the UN to intervene. In fact, when several Belgium UN Peacekeepers were killed, the UN urged Dallaire to pull his troops out because their lives were at risk. Yet despite this sense of urgency for peacekeepers, there was no similar response in fear for the lives of Rwandans. Why is this so? Can it be, then, that some humans are more “human” than others and deserve better treatment? Fortunately, the UN General Assembly has, since 2005, adopted the Responsibility to Protect, calling on the international community to intervene “where the state is unable or unwilling to meet its own responsibility” (Evans, 2008). As a result, there is now a mechanism of response that puts an emphasis on all human life, and not only those “worth saving.”
Despite the progress towards the equality of human life, however, there are still regions of the world where someone’s life is worth less than that of their peers. Such discrimination effectively denies thousands of individuals the “right to a range of economic, civil and political rights, including their right to acquire a nationality, to education, to security of the person and to freedom from discrimination (Amnesty International, 2007). Yet as a Canadian citizen, this reality of life is foreign and is at times disheartening.
Although such discrimination is not apparent in my daily life, it may very well be this summer. The Dominican Republic has had problems with illegal migrant workers coming from their neighbouring country, Haiti. In fact, estimates say there are approximately 800, 000 – 1, 000, 000 Haitians working in the Dominican Republic, accounting for approximately 10% of its population (Dominican Today, 2010). As a result, government officials have been increasing checkpoints for identification and deporting Haitians, who may have spent the last 10 or more years in the Dominican when the cane sugar industry needed help. The result? Many children born in the Dominican Republic with Haitian parents are denied their right to a nationality, and are considered stateless (Amnesty International, 2007). The lack of proper documentation and witnesses at the time of their birth make it hard for these children to gain Haitian citizenship as well. The children are, then, destined to a life of poverty: they cannot receive education and are denied many basic services.
This is what we should have to worry about: living. It is the reality of many people in the world that they stress about their next meal and where they will find work. On the other hand, last week’s newest Youtube sensation Rebecca Black reminds us that our biggest concern is sometimes determining which seat we can take in our friend’s convertible. So perhaps it is time to pick up a book, learn about an issue and fight for something that matters. We need to start looking beyond ourselves and start seeing the human in others.
Tim notes in his blog that Canada’s 18-30 year old population represents 35% of its demographic. This is enough to make a significant change in the politics of Canada, if we take a stand and vote for the issues that matter to us. In fact, Roméo Dallaire, as a current Canadian senator, noted that our generation has the ability to form a new political party if we truly wanted to and theoretically “take over parliament”. Yet the apathy and complacency in our lives focus our attention on the immediate and what is close to home.
In a way, it is ironic that my Beyond Borders placement is in the Dominican Republic, a country where the rigidity of its borders is constantly being fortified.
I do not know how this will affect my experiences in Cabrera. Fortunately Roméo Dallaire reminds us that life is valuable and, as such, I will try my best to value life in each person I meet.
Work Cited
Amnesty International. (2007). Dominican Republic, Haiti, and the United States: protect rights, reduce statelessness. Retrieved from http://web.archive.org/web/20070422232810/http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR270012007
Dominican Today. (2010, June 29). Dominican immigration: number of illegal Haitians jumps 15% to 1.0M after quake. Retrieved from http://www.dominicantoday.com/dr/poverty/2010/6/29/36162/Dominica n-Immigration-Number-of-illegal-Haitians-jumps-15-to-10M-after
Evans, Gareth. (2008). The Responsibility to Protect: ending mass atrocity crimes once and for all. Washington D.C.: Brookings Institution Press.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Living Truthfully
One of my favourite companies recently released their new company logo. For its 40th anniversary, Starbucks removed the "Starbucks Coffee" around their logo and made the Siren the focal point of their logo. The company's decision, aside from aesthetics, was due to the fact that they no longer wanted to be "limited to coffee" despite its success stemming from its coffee roots in Seattle. To be honest, I thought it was dumb and I did not like it. What I have learned to love is now different, although it's the same. Yet the more I think about this, I wonder how much this has to do with me: a fan of Starbucks--which I even refer to as "Starbs." In fact, the company's decision has nothing to do with me. Starbucks, as an entity, felt the need to express itself differently and I think that's the key point I was missing.
Much like Starbucks, this summer I have the opportunity to re-invent myself. In all honesty, I could be whoever I want and no one would know the difference, aside from Carissa and Brittany with whom I am travelling and are a part of the Beyond Borders crew. I have come to the realisation that Starbucks' new logo has less to do with pleasing others than to being true to itself, as a company. I am not saying I will try all the things I've been too scared to do and wreak havok in the Dominican Republic but there are aspects of my life which I would like to develop.
One such aspect of my life is sports. Personally, I don't think I am necessarily bad at sports but I'm also not going to say I'm very well coordinated and skilled. I think, in a way, sports have become a scary part of my life; it is an opportunity to be vulnerable and to not be good at something--to look stupid. If I'm being honest, I sense more pressure in performing well in front of male peers, with whom I would normally play, and perhaps I am "bad" at sports because I am too scared to even try to be good. Yet this summer, I have signed up to run the Individual Sports station with the Esperanza Project. I guess my hopes are to be comfortable with my skills, regardless of what the are, and to inspire the youth to be okay with trying hard even though the results aren't necessarily what we want. Most of all, I hope to be a positive role model who is okay with being who they are.
This week, I also had a marked change in attitude towards going to the Dominican Republic. Finally, it seemed real. In addition to getting my shots about a week and a half ago, we had to look at the concrete risks of the Dominican Republic and we also had a session about packing and what to bring!
I learned about the risks of worms and parasites, the likelihood of earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis and the dangers of taxis in the Dominican. Yet despite all these dangers, I think what changed me most was my conversation with Carissa and Brittany this past Saturday.
We decided to meet up at William's to discuss some of our fears, expectations and what we're like under stress. It made me think, again, at the person I want to be and who I will have to be when we're in the DR. Normally, I try to avoid conflict. It became evident, however, that frustrations will be a regular part of our life simply because of our situation. Although I have an intermediate level of Spanish, language will no doubt cause conflict: whether they arise from misunderstanding or total non-comprehension. Secondly, after thoroughly discussing our dislike of bugs, it seems like I may need to get over my squirmish self and take one for the team! Although something like dealing with bugs might seem small, it still puts me outside of my "normal." I will be challenged to live out my fears, to live in response to others and to test my limits. Yet my desire to avoid conflict and please others puts me at risk. Living truthfully will be a challenge--I hope I will live true to my limits and only be "the man" that tries to "help" the girls.
I hope to re-invent myself yet I hope to acknowledge my limits. From volunteering, I think I've had this sort of expectation for myself. WASL is a great place to connect with others, "do some good" and try new things. My first two times there, I was definitely "trying to fit in." However, I am much more comfortable there and am not afraid to be myself. I honestly hope I remember how that feels so I can connect with others and not be afraid to show who I am.
Living truthfully is liberating. I invite you to show your true self too.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Living Outside the Circle
Reading this post, you may have noticed its title: Living Outside the Circle. It's funny because, in a way, it's a joke that a friend and I have in reference to 'Thinking Outside the Box'. However, for us to truly think outside the box, we feel it is necessary to not even think in terms of boxes and hence 'Outside the Circle'. In order to make any radical change in the world we live in, we have to think critically from a mindset different from that which created the initial problem. I am going to talk about the problems we face as a result of the language we use.
The power of language is truly remarkable. The tone in which we speak and the words we choose to use can change a situation drastically: we can make an inclusive environment or we can threaten the safe space that exists. Tim pointed out in his blog "I'll Make a Man Out of You" that we live in a world defined by gender stereotypes and are defined by specific words. Heaven forbid someone says that you "throw like a girl" because girls... are inherently unable to throw? Why is "you act like a sissy" an insult? The words we consciously, or sometimes unknowingly, use have an impact on the lives of those around us. Similarly, guys often feel the need to "act tough" or perhaps withhold their tears. Why is this so? Tim pointed out very well in his blog that these because we associate certain words and actions with being masculine or feminine, and we do not want to act any differently, it would make us weird. "Men" actively make fun of chick flicks because... I don't even know why. Does it threaten their masculinity? How do such remarks affect those around you, who may enjoy chick flicks? It is time to pay attention to what we say and the impact words have.
The image above was found throughout the University of Waterloo campus not long ago, near the end of the Federation of Students (FEDS) elections. Posters were set up on campus over the face of a female FEDS Vice-President candidate. Although no physical harm was done, its effects resonated throughout campus and threatened the security of several university groups. The Women's Centre and GLOW were closed in order to protect its members and visitors. Other groups had forums to discuss the events that occurred as well.
Although these events did not demonstrate the culturally engrained gender bias/stereotypes in society, the sentiments of hate outline, once again, the power of words. As Cher says in her song If I Could Turn Back Time, "words are like weapons, they wound sometimes." Words can damage an individual's dignity and their sense of self. This fundamental human identity need is a vital part of one's self-worth. To an extent, I think it is more harmful to unconsciously use biased words on a regular basis than to explicitly make your views public once or twice , like the poster defamer did. I am, in no way, trying to make light of the situation on campus but I urge everyone to think critically of what we say. In every day interactions, I personally avoid the use of profane words. I am not sheltered enough to be bothered by the use of swear words yet I consciously worked "What the poo!" into my everyday vocabulary repertoire. The way I see it, such variety provides a bit of comic relief while I avoid making other people uncomfortable. We can make efforts to change the way we live, and live outside the circle:
- Embrace emotions. Cry if you need to, it is a natural part of life.
- Don't come out if you're straight. A mentor of mine consistently says "Me & my partner" despite being in a heterosexual relationship. It simply creates a more inclusive environment and does not portray heterosexism.
- Challenge yourself and engage what is typically feminine or masculine (depending on your gender) and try to like it! It may be cheesy, it may be ridiculous but do not write it off without giving it a chance.
- Be aware of the words you use and what they mean/imply. How does saying "Hey guys" to a group of all girls come off?
Words have power. Yet, I also want to raise an issue with being over-sensitive. It is not uncommon for me to hear my friends having difficulty choosing the right words to describe someone. For me, it is okay to call someone "black" or "oriental" if you are trying to differentiate them from someone else, as a descriptive adjective. Alternatively, if there is a value judgment associated with the statement, that is when the issue becomes sensitive.
In the Dominican Republic, machismo acts as a cultural code of interaction where both men and women see all this behaviour as normal. It will even be harder to be cautious of my words in a different culture when I go abroad. Reading pre-departure material has advised me to find myself a copy of a Spanish Phrase Book. I only hope my inclusive behaviours resonate with others and can be interpreted correctly and respectfully in my experiences.
Please join me in doing so!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Living on the Road
Reading week is among university students all across Canada and many of them, oddly enough, don't read. If you talk to my friends, they plan on going home, relaxing, are travelling or, in my case, road tripping down to Mississippi to volunteer with Mennonite Disaster Service.
At our first meeting as travelling group, students of Conrad Grebel University College went around and shared reasons for why they wanted to go on this trip. Answers ranged from having heard about a successful and fun trip two years ago, to glorify God or to really just having nothing else to do. I am fortunate enough to have taken part in the previous trip to Diamond, Louisiana and decided to go on the trip to Mississippi as well. But why did I choose to come? Ultimately, my reasoning was to have a good time and to connect with other Grebelites. Having taken part in the trip two years ago, I was mentally prepared for the trip down and I had thought it would be very much the same -- I was not expecting to learn much.
Since the start of our two and a half day trip this past Friday, February 18th, I had been struck by the capacity for human compassion and the power of gratitude.
Being in a car with the same people for 12 hours a day is not easy. It forces you to get along with one another. You start to notice the little quirks of one another and sometimes, you need your own space. Schedules are mixed up and you must eat on the schedule of the group: you lose autonomy of your life. Yet despite all these minor setbacks, there is a bit of magic in all of this. You really get to know your peers beyond the superficial. You learn a bit about yourself and how you react under stress and to an extent you learn about how others change in situations of stress. However, what is most touching for me is that 43 different individuals chose to spend their reading week to serve others. They chose not to go to a resort but instead they chose to spend their time to help rebuild a stranger’s home.
Two events stand out in my mind thus far. First is our attendance of a local church in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a group of close to 40 individuals, the church could have easily denied us entry into the church. However, they welcomed with open arms, introduced us and wanted to hear our stories. In fact, one woman gave all of us candy! The energy from the congregation was uplifting and its members went out of their way to shake our hands and greet us. Although we did not know these individuals, their capacity to welcome us into their community showed me first-hand how I want to life my life. The simple act of greeting others openly and lovingly is so powerful. To recognize and appreciate others is a gift, and although it is sometimes difficult to do, ought to be lived out more frequently.
Secondly, as I wrap up my first day here at Pass Christian, Mississippi, I appreciate more the power of compassion and its effects. I will only be here for 5 days but there are long-term volunteers that have served for months at a time over the last 4-5 years. Their desire to serve without compensation is remarkable. Throughout my day of scraping and painting, the future homeowner of the house passed by to greet us not once but three times. Each time, he greeted us with gratitude for the work that we are doing. He came to chat with us and told us the story of how he lost his past two houses since Katrina. But despite all the tragedy in his life, I could see the hope in his eyes. His thankful attitude towards all the volunteers truly reminded me of the impact little actions can have.
Often, when we think about “doing good”, we think about saving the world and changing it. This experience has really brought me back down to earth and reminded me that it is not necessarily the “big” actions that matter. Simple everyday interactions can have a lasting effect on the attitudes of others. The painting of a house is simple labour yet it serves as the backdrop for someone’s home. It is important, then, to not forget about the small things in life and to live out a life of positivity every day.
To be honest, I was hesitant about the work I would be doing in the Dominican Republic this summer. The Esperanza Project is a noble cause yet I kept thinking of it as summer camp. To me, its work could be done almost everywhere and to have two others with me at the placement seemed to make the placement even less special. However, the last three days has reminded me that it is not the big things in life that make the most impact. This lesson, for me, is important to me and encourages me to own my experience in the Dominican and change lives through inspiration. I, now, absolutely cannot wait to meet the children, the volunteers and my host family in the Dominican!
Check back soon for pictures from my trip to Pass Christian, Mississippi!
.
At our first meeting as travelling group, students of Conrad Grebel University College went around and shared reasons for why they wanted to go on this trip. Answers ranged from having heard about a successful and fun trip two years ago, to glorify God or to really just having nothing else to do. I am fortunate enough to have taken part in the previous trip to Diamond, Louisiana and decided to go on the trip to Mississippi as well. But why did I choose to come? Ultimately, my reasoning was to have a good time and to connect with other Grebelites. Having taken part in the trip two years ago, I was mentally prepared for the trip down and I had thought it would be very much the same -- I was not expecting to learn much.
Since the start of our two and a half day trip this past Friday, February 18th, I had been struck by the capacity for human compassion and the power of gratitude.
Being in a car with the same people for 12 hours a day is not easy. It forces you to get along with one another. You start to notice the little quirks of one another and sometimes, you need your own space. Schedules are mixed up and you must eat on the schedule of the group: you lose autonomy of your life. Yet despite all these minor setbacks, there is a bit of magic in all of this. You really get to know your peers beyond the superficial. You learn a bit about yourself and how you react under stress and to an extent you learn about how others change in situations of stress. However, what is most touching for me is that 43 different individuals chose to spend their reading week to serve others. They chose not to go to a resort but instead they chose to spend their time to help rebuild a stranger’s home.
Two events stand out in my mind thus far. First is our attendance of a local church in New Orleans, Louisiana. As a group of close to 40 individuals, the church could have easily denied us entry into the church. However, they welcomed with open arms, introduced us and wanted to hear our stories. In fact, one woman gave all of us candy! The energy from the congregation was uplifting and its members went out of their way to shake our hands and greet us. Although we did not know these individuals, their capacity to welcome us into their community showed me first-hand how I want to life my life. The simple act of greeting others openly and lovingly is so powerful. To recognize and appreciate others is a gift, and although it is sometimes difficult to do, ought to be lived out more frequently.
Secondly, as I wrap up my first day here at Pass Christian, Mississippi, I appreciate more the power of compassion and its effects. I will only be here for 5 days but there are long-term volunteers that have served for months at a time over the last 4-5 years. Their desire to serve without compensation is remarkable. Throughout my day of scraping and painting, the future homeowner of the house passed by to greet us not once but three times. Each time, he greeted us with gratitude for the work that we are doing. He came to chat with us and told us the story of how he lost his past two houses since Katrina. But despite all the tragedy in his life, I could see the hope in his eyes. His thankful attitude towards all the volunteers truly reminded me of the impact little actions can have.
Often, when we think about “doing good”, we think about saving the world and changing it. This experience has really brought me back down to earth and reminded me that it is not necessarily the “big” actions that matter. Simple everyday interactions can have a lasting effect on the attitudes of others. The painting of a house is simple labour yet it serves as the backdrop for someone’s home. It is important, then, to not forget about the small things in life and to live out a life of positivity every day.
To be honest, I was hesitant about the work I would be doing in the Dominican Republic this summer. The Esperanza Project is a noble cause yet I kept thinking of it as summer camp. To me, its work could be done almost everywhere and to have two others with me at the placement seemed to make the placement even less special. However, the last three days has reminded me that it is not the big things in life that make the most impact. This lesson, for me, is important to me and encourages me to own my experience in the Dominican and change lives through inspiration. I, now, absolutely cannot wait to meet the children, the volunteers and my host family in the Dominican!
Check back soon for pictures from my trip to Pass Christian, Mississippi!
.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Living Acceptingly
As a part of the current Beyond Borders group fundraising initiative, we have been asking for donations from the St. Jerome's church community at their weekend mass services. Our fundraiser involves giving donors appreciation cards that we have made as a small token of our gratitude. The cards, with themes ranging from the philosophical to a birthday wish, can be given to loved ones while it spreads the word about the Beyond Borders mission. Natalia and I ended up going to mass last night, intending to make an announcement at the end of mass and 'selling' our cards.
Again, life shows us that it is funny and that we can not expect what we expect. In fact, we should expect the unexpected. What Natalia and I ended up doing was reading all 8 announcements and bringing up the gifts for communion. I was nervous and uncomfortable but I was fine with it, I am trying to make this term about experiencing new things. I have heard previously, though, that other students forgot to bow before bringing the gifts to the alter, simply because they did not know they had to do that. I had a similar experience. I ended up bringing the basket of offering behind Natalia and the regular mass-goer as I was told. However, as it came time to hand off the offering basket, I was somewhat confused: I was told to put the basket on the floor in front of the alter. Firstly, I was surprised it was to be put on the floor and secondly, I was shocked because I didn't know what to do when I got up there: the priest was standing where I was supposed to put the basket! I finally ended up handing the basket to the priest and upon my return to the back of the room, I noticed the regular mass-goer bowing before walking back. So, I quickly turned back around, did a quick bow, and proceeded to turn around again to leave. My delayed and sporadic actions were awkward but I did not want to seem disrespectful. Since then, I have replayed the event in my head and the impact of different customs and cultures.
As I move forward towards looking at travelling to the Dominican Republic this May, I recognize the sense of pride and joy a cultural custom may bring. From the Olympic Anniversary Special on CTV that I am watching to Nicole and Brilé's posts about volun-tourism, I see how a collective experience can hold a community together yet my presence in a different culture may be threatening and detrimental to its existence. How can I integrate myself into the Dominican Republic culture without harming what is already existing? Can I be respectful and follow customs and not impose my own values? I really hope so.
I will be living with a host family in the DR. My lifestyle will change drastically and I will have to live by the rules of the family. According to a Kwintessential, an online website outlining different country's culture and customs, these are a few things I should keep in mind:
1. Loyalty to the family unit is the most important social relationship; even above business endeavours. Additionally, family (including the extended family) often live close together. Often, family members of different generations live in the same house.
2. The people of the Dominican Republic pride themselves on hospitality and will go out of their way to make sure their guests are comfortable.
3. It is customary to maintain eye contact upon giving a hand shake. Eye contact is important as it indicates interest.
4. Upon visiting guests for dinner, it is appropriate to bring gifts of chocolate or pastries. Gifts that are black or purple are avoided as they are avoided as the colour of mourning. Additionally, gifts are opened when they are received.
5. Punctuality is a good thing but in the DR, arriving 15 to 30 minutes late for a social gathering is considered on time.
6. There is generally a saying, "Bueno provecho" ("enjoy" or "have a good meal") to invite everyone to start eating. (Kwintessential, n.d.)
These are only a few of the customs and rules of etiquette regarding to the Dominican Republic yet they will be challenging to adapt to. I think for me, the greatest challenge will be to be "punctual" and have everyone else be late. I hate showing up late and sometimes even get stressed if I am going to be 1-2 minutes late. Also, another key point for me to note is that the those receiving me will pride themselves on their hospitality yet this is not what I want. In contrast to eco-tourism and only seeing the good/easy side of life in the DR, I want to see the dirt and grit and what makes life happen. I truly hope I can be worked into the culture and become "one of them" while being mindful of being unique and individual. Mass this past week has showed me that I need to ask the vital questions to solidify my understand of the processes that are to ensue. Yet although I was not fully aware of my mistakes at mass, the priest was comforting and encouraging with my actions. I only hope that this will be the same in the Dominican Republic as I try to become an advocate for their lifestyle, hopefully by living acceptingly and openly to their culture and customs.
My goal is to live more like the family in the picture above and not take the easy road and enjoy the simplicity of volun-tourism.
Sources:
Kwintessential. (n.d.) Dominican Republic - Language, Culture , Customs and Etiquette. Retrieved on February 13 from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/dominican-republic-country-profile.html
Photos:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/dominicano+republico+familia+/La_Familia_Wilson/100_1421.jpg
http://www.esperanzaproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/banner_volunteer.jpg
Again, life shows us that it is funny and that we can not expect what we expect. In fact, we should expect the unexpected. What Natalia and I ended up doing was reading all 8 announcements and bringing up the gifts for communion. I was nervous and uncomfortable but I was fine with it, I am trying to make this term about experiencing new things. I have heard previously, though, that other students forgot to bow before bringing the gifts to the alter, simply because they did not know they had to do that. I had a similar experience. I ended up bringing the basket of offering behind Natalia and the regular mass-goer as I was told. However, as it came time to hand off the offering basket, I was somewhat confused: I was told to put the basket on the floor in front of the alter. Firstly, I was surprised it was to be put on the floor and secondly, I was shocked because I didn't know what to do when I got up there: the priest was standing where I was supposed to put the basket! I finally ended up handing the basket to the priest and upon my return to the back of the room, I noticed the regular mass-goer bowing before walking back. So, I quickly turned back around, did a quick bow, and proceeded to turn around again to leave. My delayed and sporadic actions were awkward but I did not want to seem disrespectful. Since then, I have replayed the event in my head and the impact of different customs and cultures.
As I move forward towards looking at travelling to the Dominican Republic this May, I recognize the sense of pride and joy a cultural custom may bring. From the Olympic Anniversary Special on CTV that I am watching to Nicole and Brilé's posts about volun-tourism, I see how a collective experience can hold a community together yet my presence in a different culture may be threatening and detrimental to its existence. How can I integrate myself into the Dominican Republic culture without harming what is already existing? Can I be respectful and follow customs and not impose my own values? I really hope so.
I will be living with a host family in the DR. My lifestyle will change drastically and I will have to live by the rules of the family. According to a Kwintessential, an online website outlining different country's culture and customs, these are a few things I should keep in mind:
1. Loyalty to the family unit is the most important social relationship; even above business endeavours. Additionally, family (including the extended family) often live close together. Often, family members of different generations live in the same house.
2. The people of the Dominican Republic pride themselves on hospitality and will go out of their way to make sure their guests are comfortable.
3. It is customary to maintain eye contact upon giving a hand shake. Eye contact is important as it indicates interest.
4. Upon visiting guests for dinner, it is appropriate to bring gifts of chocolate or pastries. Gifts that are black or purple are avoided as they are avoided as the colour of mourning. Additionally, gifts are opened when they are received.
5. Punctuality is a good thing but in the DR, arriving 15 to 30 minutes late for a social gathering is considered on time.
6. There is generally a saying, "Bueno provecho" ("enjoy" or "have a good meal") to invite everyone to start eating. (Kwintessential, n.d.)
These are only a few of the customs and rules of etiquette regarding to the Dominican Republic yet they will be challenging to adapt to. I think for me, the greatest challenge will be to be "punctual" and have everyone else be late. I hate showing up late and sometimes even get stressed if I am going to be 1-2 minutes late. Also, another key point for me to note is that the those receiving me will pride themselves on their hospitality yet this is not what I want. In contrast to eco-tourism and only seeing the good/easy side of life in the DR, I want to see the dirt and grit and what makes life happen. I truly hope I can be worked into the culture and become "one of them" while being mindful of being unique and individual. Mass this past week has showed me that I need to ask the vital questions to solidify my understand of the processes that are to ensue. Yet although I was not fully aware of my mistakes at mass, the priest was comforting and encouraging with my actions. I only hope that this will be the same in the Dominican Republic as I try to become an advocate for their lifestyle, hopefully by living acceptingly and openly to their culture and customs.
My goal is to live more like the family in the picture above and not take the easy road and enjoy the simplicity of volun-tourism.
Sources:
Kwintessential. (n.d.) Dominican Republic - Language, Culture , Customs and Etiquette. Retrieved on February 13 from http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/dominican-republic-country-profile.html
Photos:
http://media.photobucket.com/image/dominicano+republico+familia+/La_Familia_Wilson/100_1421.jpg
http://www.esperanzaproject.ca/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/banner_volunteer.jpg
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Living Together
Last week while I was volunteering at WASL, I was asked by another volunteer if I was there because I wanted to be there or if I was there because I had to be. I gave his question a quick thought and answered him. However, I think his question deserves more attention than a quick answer. I have been thinking about it a lot and have posed the same question to myself while I was found myself in different situations throughout the week.
For the most part, my answer is that I'm there because I want to be there. I came into Beyond Borders knowing that there was a local volunteer component and I also had the opportunity to choose which part of The Working Centre I was working with. On the other hand, I was there because I had to be there if I wanted to complete my hours for my class. Additionally, it was my first week there so I had not yet formed a sentimental connection to WASL that drew me back. However, the concept that I struggle with is what it means to want to be there and how do we determine that?
Almost everything we do in life has a purpose. We go to school because we want to eventually have a high-paying job. We go to work because we have to pay bills. We go on dates because we want to find a life-partner. In almost all circumstances, I think there is something we gain. What, then, does it mean to be somewhere because we want to be there? To be somewhere because we want to be there does not necessarily mean we don't gain anything out of it. The most important factor, in my opinion, is the qualitative factor of sentimental connection. It makes you happy and despite the hardships, you find joy in working through life's obstacles. In that regard, I would say that last week, I was there merely because I had to be there. In fact, going to WASL this week still felt like an obligation but leaving was a different story. I didn't necessarily long to return to WASL this week but I am currently looking forward to my next week there!
This week at WASL, I started to feel comfortable -- I felt like I was finally at home. I was welcomed and my volunteer coordinator was happy to see that I had returned. After I had taken off my jacket, she asked me to go get my nametag and to sign in. It was not until I let her know that I do not have a nametag that she realized I didn't get one last week. But to be officially welcomed with a machine made nametag, I felt like I had a purpose at WASL. I was then asked to help out in the front of the store! However, due to different demands for help, I spent some of my time in the back and got shown a lot of the key routines that happen at WASL. I interacted well with my co-volunteers and continued to make those crucial connections.
At home: I started to feel at home at WASL. What does this mean? Carissa wrote on her blog about this topic based on her readings by an author, Michael Jackson, in At Home in the World. She noted that to feel at home is to be familiar with her surroundings, to live in a world without boundaries as described by the Warlpiri people. In their lives, everyone is connected. Wives, husbands, and brothers are abundant and related by their skin names. To be at home is to be comfortable, living and working together and to have a connection with the people whom you work with.
Now, this concept of being at home and working together relates to one of this week's readings by Jim Lotz. On his chapter on What is Community Development?, he describes that community development "focuses on the process of enabling people collectively to achieve goals and to influence actions together, rather than as individuals." He also notes that the group in question must feel a collective need for this change rather than have it imposed by a foreign group, which he considers an intrusion. I think this week, I have started to feel a part of the community that exists in the initiatives at The Working Centre and that I am connected. Yet I have a sense of pride in the work I do but at the same time a respect for the environment I was in.
To feel at home at WASL was to be respected and to have a conflict-free day. It was to make connections with fellow volunteers and to laugh and smile together. Yet this does not reflect real life. Personally, I have a fundamental problem with this conception of home described both by Jackson and by Lotz. To me, these authors describe a low-conflict world that aims at solving problems collectively. To fight against the same thing and to develop the community with everyone's needs in mind. However, this is not what being at home is to me at all. Being at home is being with family; with family, we are obscene and uncensored. Perhaps it is my ongoing relationship with my family but sometimes I think being with my parents and my brother brings the worst out of me. I become opinionated and seek to get what I want. We bicker all the time and do not necessarily get along. We have selfish desires that we need our family members to fulfill. I remember my dad saying that he felt proud that our whole family attended my grandfather's 80th birthday gathering. Why did he feel proud when the dinner was not to celebrate him? I was distraught when I heard this. Feeling at home to me is not necessarily about being the most comfortable. It is not living conflict-free nor is it knowing the landscape of life. Feeling at home, for me, is living together despite our differences and working together towards a common goal. You cannot escape family and, to an extent, it is an obligation. So does this mean I only spend time with my family because I have to be with them, or do I want to be with them?
I don't think we necessarily have to make that distinction in life. Whatever the reason, we are there for the good of the community and have a vested interest in bettering it. Living together means making the occasional sacrifice to help those you are with. Although I felt at home, in the conventional sense of the phrase, at WASL I do not feel that I am necessarily being challenged. I hope to find my place at home at both WASL and the Dominican as I challenge myself to live together with others and be true to myself.
Jim Lotz' reading: http://www.theworkingcentre.org/wscd/pubs/understanding-canada.pdf
Carissa's Blog: http://cabaron33-beyondborders.blogspot.com/2011/02/being-at-home-in-world.html
For the most part, my answer is that I'm there because I want to be there. I came into Beyond Borders knowing that there was a local volunteer component and I also had the opportunity to choose which part of The Working Centre I was working with. On the other hand, I was there because I had to be there if I wanted to complete my hours for my class. Additionally, it was my first week there so I had not yet formed a sentimental connection to WASL that drew me back. However, the concept that I struggle with is what it means to want to be there and how do we determine that?
Almost everything we do in life has a purpose. We go to school because we want to eventually have a high-paying job. We go to work because we have to pay bills. We go on dates because we want to find a life-partner. In almost all circumstances, I think there is something we gain. What, then, does it mean to be somewhere because we want to be there? To be somewhere because we want to be there does not necessarily mean we don't gain anything out of it. The most important factor, in my opinion, is the qualitative factor of sentimental connection. It makes you happy and despite the hardships, you find joy in working through life's obstacles. In that regard, I would say that last week, I was there merely because I had to be there. In fact, going to WASL this week still felt like an obligation but leaving was a different story. I didn't necessarily long to return to WASL this week but I am currently looking forward to my next week there!
This week at WASL, I started to feel comfortable -- I felt like I was finally at home. I was welcomed and my volunteer coordinator was happy to see that I had returned. After I had taken off my jacket, she asked me to go get my nametag and to sign in. It was not until I let her know that I do not have a nametag that she realized I didn't get one last week. But to be officially welcomed with a machine made nametag, I felt like I had a purpose at WASL. I was then asked to help out in the front of the store! However, due to different demands for help, I spent some of my time in the back and got shown a lot of the key routines that happen at WASL. I interacted well with my co-volunteers and continued to make those crucial connections.
At home: I started to feel at home at WASL. What does this mean? Carissa wrote on her blog about this topic based on her readings by an author, Michael Jackson, in At Home in the World. She noted that to feel at home is to be familiar with her surroundings, to live in a world without boundaries as described by the Warlpiri people. In their lives, everyone is connected. Wives, husbands, and brothers are abundant and related by their skin names. To be at home is to be comfortable, living and working together and to have a connection with the people whom you work with.
Now, this concept of being at home and working together relates to one of this week's readings by Jim Lotz. On his chapter on What is Community Development?, he describes that community development "focuses on the process of enabling people collectively to achieve goals and to influence actions together, rather than as individuals." He also notes that the group in question must feel a collective need for this change rather than have it imposed by a foreign group, which he considers an intrusion. I think this week, I have started to feel a part of the community that exists in the initiatives at The Working Centre and that I am connected. Yet I have a sense of pride in the work I do but at the same time a respect for the environment I was in.
To feel at home at WASL was to be respected and to have a conflict-free day. It was to make connections with fellow volunteers and to laugh and smile together. Yet this does not reflect real life. Personally, I have a fundamental problem with this conception of home described both by Jackson and by Lotz. To me, these authors describe a low-conflict world that aims at solving problems collectively. To fight against the same thing and to develop the community with everyone's needs in mind. However, this is not what being at home is to me at all. Being at home is being with family; with family, we are obscene and uncensored. Perhaps it is my ongoing relationship with my family but sometimes I think being with my parents and my brother brings the worst out of me. I become opinionated and seek to get what I want. We bicker all the time and do not necessarily get along. We have selfish desires that we need our family members to fulfill. I remember my dad saying that he felt proud that our whole family attended my grandfather's 80th birthday gathering. Why did he feel proud when the dinner was not to celebrate him? I was distraught when I heard this. Feeling at home to me is not necessarily about being the most comfortable. It is not living conflict-free nor is it knowing the landscape of life. Feeling at home, for me, is living together despite our differences and working together towards a common goal. You cannot escape family and, to an extent, it is an obligation. So does this mean I only spend time with my family because I have to be with them, or do I want to be with them?
I don't think we necessarily have to make that distinction in life. Whatever the reason, we are there for the good of the community and have a vested interest in bettering it. Living together means making the occasional sacrifice to help those you are with. Although I felt at home, in the conventional sense of the phrase, at WASL I do not feel that I am necessarily being challenged. I hope to find my place at home at both WASL and the Dominican as I challenge myself to live together with others and be true to myself.
Jim Lotz' reading: http://www.theworkingcentre.org/wscd/pubs/understanding-canada.pdf
Carissa's Blog: http://cabaron33-beyondborders.blogspot.com/2011/02/being-at-home-in-world.html
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