Our school news group ("Phoenix TV") covered some of our Habitat for Humanity fundraising and India trip in the following clip. I even have a guest appearance!!
On November 20th, myself, 19 students and two other teachers boarded a plan to India for my second Habitat for Humanity trip at KIS. This trip was much anticipated. We’ve been fundraising and planning since last February and for most of us it was our first trip to India. The trip was almost cancelled twice and we were warned repeatedly to say we were “tourists” and not volunteers for Habitat. Apparently the Indian government is so leery of Christian missionary groups right now that they’ve been turning people away. Even though we were not doing missionary work, Habitat is christian affiliated and we didn’t want to take the chance. On top of that, along with the 10 different brands of diarrhea meds, malaria pills, hand sanitizers and theft warnings, I was wondering a little what exactly we were walking in to!
DAY 1: We landed in Bangalore, India at a ripe 3am. We were met at the airport by one of the Habitat coordinators named Stalin (yes, Stalin. And he didn’t appreciate our humor as much as we did). We threw our luggage into a sketchy looking truck and reached the “Royal Suites Apartments” around 4am which we were happy to find clean and comfortable. We spent most of the first day eating amazing Indian food and discovering the local area. Breakfast included chana masala (yum!). Lunch and dinner was an assortment of curries, ciabatta, ice cream with fruit, and fresh squeezed pineapple juice. I knew I like Indian food, but man, I can’t get over how amazing it is. Creamy, spicy, flavorful, veggie and meat curries with amazing bread (ciabatta, roti, naan) always complemented with fresh squeezed juice and tasty desserts. Seriously the best food on the planet. Now if my digestive system could only handle it a little better... It’s rather mean of them I think to serve “all-you-can-eat” buffets 3 times a day.
Walking through the streets of Bangalore was a unique cultural experience for both myself and the students. No sidewalks or traffic control. Open sewage on the sides of the street. Cows meandering around as they feel. Chickens being slaughtered in alleys and open butcheries hanging the lamb for display. And a blend of religious customs stemming from Hinduism, Buddhism and Christianity. A place like no where I’ve seen before.
The day ended with a powerpoint orientation or our build sites. We got to talk with Stalin some more and his boss, Joseph (again, I’m not making this up, lol) For those not very familiar with what Habitat does, yes, they fundraise and build houses. But these homes are not a handout and families must pass a strick screening process. First of all, the family must be in great need and currently living in substandard housing or homeless. Next, they have to be able to pay the morgage on their home (Habitat provides the no-interest loan). And finally, they have to put in “sweat equity” hours. They have to work with volunteers and Habitat employees in building their house or the house of other Habitat families. It is a very unique organization that helps people become self-sustaining or as they say, “A hand up, not a hand out.”
What was most powerful for us to find out was the $2,000 we paid to go on the trip could build an entire home in India! And the $70 most students spent in duty free at the airport was more than two months salary for the family who’s home we were working on. The orientation was a great way to put perspective on the work we would complete throughout the week.
DAY 2: Today we finally started work! It took a 2 hour, scary drive out of town to the worksite (literally the scariest traffic I’ve ever seen), but man was it worth it. The day began with an traditional Hindu opening ceremony at the “auspicious” hour. Don’t really understand this, but we were not allowed to begin until this “time” which ended up being about 10am. During the ceremony we were brought up in front of the whole village and honored with a ring of flowers, die placed on our forehead and ears, and a traditional candle lighting. What I didn’t know was that I would be expected to give an impromtu speech in front of hundreds of Indians! Good thing most of them couldn’t understand my English. We also got the chance to meet the husbands, or head males of the households we were building for. In Indian culture, the man is indisputably and in all cases head of the household. So even though these men were jobless and useless as the women struggled to balance work and home, they were the ones that got the recognition. As I realized many times, women are respected for their talents but rarely in any leadership or control role. As I tried many times to input in conversations and give direction at the worksite, I learned this applied to me too! How rude! I tried to be understanding, but it got old, fast. I’m sure you all can imagine how easy it was for me to take a backseat role :)
Children of Habitat families that sang a prayer for us during candle-lighting.
Work started with taking hammers to walls and moving bricks from one location to another. We split our group of students between two worksites and also worked at digging the floor two inches deeper in the other house. This was for the purpose of “installing” the granite floor. (yes, granite is naturally everywhere in India and very cheap).
Village life was much quieter than the city and far more beautiful. The people that lived in the village were interested is us, but VERY shy and kept their distance the first day. I even tried to say hi and play with one of the children and I made cry and go running back to her mother! I know, surprise, surprise, lol. At lease I had a pack of boys in love with me :) There was about five twenty-year-olds that couldn’t get over my white skin and blonde hair. I felt like quite the celebrity :) See picture of me and my gang below!
DAY 3: On our second work day, we started to run into a few problems. First of all, every english-speaking Habitat employee seemed to have disappeared. We struggled to communicate with giant hand gestures and acting out. Not very effective for construction work! And we also discovered what I would describe as the “Indian Bobble Head” which seemed to be the universal response to every questions we asked. I would struggle for 10 minutes to communicate my questions, think they finally understand, and waited for a yes or no response on what to do. But instead they would do this ‘bobble head’ thing that was neither a nod or shake! I didn’t know what the heck it meant! And with my cultural background it was also quite humorous :). Much later on we found out it did mean “yes” but not before getting thoroughly frustrated!
Example of the Indian "bobble head". You tell me what it means:
In the afternoon, while communication started to get better, one of my students (Ed) got hit in the head with a hammer! He got too close to the cement demolition and was hit with a backswing square on his forehead. Of course full-on drama ensued and I went with Ed to what could most closely be described as the local “clinic”. And I use this term loosely. The clinic consisted of an alley lined with people waiting to be seen and a small building with a curtain pulled. Luckily the doctor himself looked clean and professional. He assessed that Ed was just fine, prescribed some mystery meds and sent us on our way. It turned out fine in the end, but what an experience!
DAY 4: Today we spent almost the entire day digging. And for those of you who have never spent an entire day digging, it is NOT fun. Probably the hardest work on the planet. On the first site we were digging to find the septic (STINKY) and on the second we were digging the foundation of a new home. Complete with creepy crawlies, the students got a real taste of 3rd world construction. I did my best to entertain them and even ate a termite to prove that nature can be fun :). They kind of have the flavor of carrots. I bet they would taste good in a soup!
I would also like to note that Indian women are ripped! They are decked out in colorful saree’s even at the work site yet they are harder workers than the men, can lift extreme weights and just never quit! While they worked their baby sons ran around the neighborhood with jingly anklets and little baby thongs on. Quite amusing. See pictures below.
DAY 5: Last work day and also last exhaust-filled drive to the worksite! We had a quite beautiful ground breaking ceremony at new location. Blessing of the tools, burning incense, prayer, and of course food. It was a very cultural and meaningful way to end our last work day.
Today we also visited the village school. Our students shared gifts, song and games and the local children did the same in return. I really think we could have stayed there all day! The school was quaint, but beautiful and the children were just giddy with excitement to play with us. They treasured all our gifts and even refused to eat the candy we gave them because they wanted so desperately to savor it and make it last. The students also LOVED the digital cameras. They would beg you to take there pictures so they could see the result. So cute! It was a great experience for our students to realize how lucky they are to receive the education they do.
Teaching the kids a KIS sports cheer, lol:
How fitting that today was Thanksgiving day. And wow, do I have a lot to give thanks for. I have to knock myself in the head sometimes and remind myself how amazing my life has been and continues to be. Also very fitting that I had an amazing Indian dinner on thanksgiving. Get it, “Indian” dinner? Yes, you can appreciate the irony.
DAY 6: To round out our trip, we spend the last day as tourists. In the morning we went what could be described as a “Safari” searching for lions, tiger and bears, oh my! A bear even mounted the side of the bus we were driving in and a tiger even took a poo in front of us (see below)! It was very exciting for everyone. I have to admit though, that I’ve always found a certain sadness in zoos and enclosed animal habitats. While amazed by the beautiful creatures we saw, I felt immense guilt that their life was enclosed on these boundaries for our entertainment. The ‘wildness’ was gone and replaced by complacency and even depression in their eyes. What amazing creatures that certainly below in the wild.
My students inspired by the Safari:
Second Pic: Bear on Bus! Last Pic: Taking a poo!
But by far the most meaningful and moving experience of the week was visiting the orphanage later that night. We were again amazed by the hospitality, welcome and love shown by those that have so little. The orphanage we visited was run by a reverend and his wife. About 20 children lived there ages 2 to 17 years, 4 of which are affected by HIV/AIDS. It was amazing to meet these children, play with them and watch them perform for us. On the surface you could hardly guess that they had so little with such a rough life ahead. But it was the older children that gave it away. The young children had tons of life and enthusiasm, but the progressively older they got, you could literally see the life being drained from their faces. Almost like they knew now how little they had and what life had in store for them. I couldn’t stop crying. It was really difficult to just be there and enjoy our time with them. I wanted to surround them with love and hope and care and show them the good that life can give them. I vowed in that moment that I will one day adopt and provide this for some child somewhere...
To conclude, I found India to be a true stimulation of the senses in every way! Noise and lights and every smell imaginable. Health, wealth, poverty. Happiness and sadness. It was quite the roller coaster of the week, moving me in so many directions. I took home with me (actually, back to Korea) lasting memories, a small sun tan and about five pounds (Man, I love Indian food!)
To see all my pics, go to: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theroadgoeseveronandon/sets/72157625366611215/
One lesson I think many of you agree I have yet to learn is the value of being still and satisfied in the moment. I’m in love with the evolution (and quite often, revolution) of life. I crave the unknown, uncomfortable, and unexplored. What’s funny is that it’s through this (ironically) that I’m finding a growing appreciation for the static and independently existing moments in my life. The results have been quite liberating.
What seems to be the stimulus is an invitation I received in September to start an Ashtanga Yoga practice. Twice a week I started getting together with other teachers in an abandoned classroom in the high school. And what started out as an apprehensive interest has revolutionized my mental health. Funny to give so much credit to a series of awkward positions and difficult stretches, but practicing yoga truly challenges my mind, body and soul on a level I never thought possible. How I practice yoga is a reflection of how I practice life. My reaction to conflict. My self-confidence. My ability to persist. How I handle stress. Everything is intertwined and made clear through my reflections. Each move and position is intentional and every breath has a purpose. I must not only be strong of body, but more so, strong of mind. The meditation of the positions brings forth every emotion, frustration and happiness that I experience. And thus each session is a roller coaster of emotions and a challenge to find peace. I search for success and accomplishment, but the practice is never finished. A deeper stretch or a more challenging position always brings me to a different place in my mind. I quiet my thoughts, focus, breathe and discover moments purely of the present. No regret of the past or preparation for the future, but instead that simple and utterly amazing self of right now. It’s so hard to explain how much this has meant to me. The most challenging thing I face in life is myself and I feel like I’ve found one way to meet it. The high of these important moments gives me appreciation, understanding, and often a great deal of happiness.
As what I feel is a direct result of my increasing ability to be introspective, I have built confidence to take on some significant personal challenges recently. A month ago, I led an entire staff development day for 140 teachers (by myself!!!). Motivated by a conference I attended and the often meaningless application of information in the educational system, I approached my administers with my ideas on curriculum, was met with great acceptance and asked to take a key leadership role. If someone would have told me two years ago that I would be living abroad, traveling regularly, and leading workshops for a room full of talented international teachers, I would have laughed out loud. But such is the nature of our self-perception and the often limited way we view ourselves. A good friend gave me a quote a while back that I think I can finally apply meaningfully; “People often over estimate what they can accomplish in a day and under estimate what they can accomplish in a year.”
We discussed recently in one of my Masters degree courses, the concept of “self-handicapping”. The idea that explains the excuses we make for our failures (or simply failure to TRY). And we have ALL been there. For example, imagine you are a student back in school again. Your teacher is handing back grades for a recent test and yours has a big red “F” on the front. Your friends sitting next to you notice and start giving you a hard time. What do you say? Well, first freeze for a moment and consider why you might have gotten the “F”. There are two main possibilities: A) You didn’t study, procrastinated and probably could have done better if you had tried, or B) You studied a ton but you just aren’t smart enough to get higher than an F. Which of these situations is worse? Which would have a bigger impact on your self-confidence and peer perception? I think we can all agree it’s much nicer to think you have the ability and could have done it if you would have tried. That is the essence of ‘self-handicapping’. The fear of trying and failing so scarily defines your self-worth that you avoid it. Instead you don’t try and employ your list of excuses later to save face.
Or instead Imagine yourself on a diet. You are motivated to lose weight and improve your health so you buy a gym membership, some fruits and veggies and start rolling. Monday and Tuesday go by fabulously, but by Wednesday you start to feel the first surge of cravings. Your family and friends seem to be happily eating whatever they want and you feel an itch of jealousy. Why shouldn’t you deserve a treat after lunch? You’ve been depriving yourself this long and you should be rewarded. Plus, losing weight is so hard to do, you’re unlikely to be successful anyway. And everyone is such a bad influence with all the tasty food they are flashing in front of your face. Here’s a classic example of more excuses! What if you do everything right and still aren’t happy with your weight or your health? Again the pain of failure is too much and you collapse before you even really start.
I don’t think there’s an easy way to avoid self-handicapping. Sometimes the stress and pressure really are too much. But I have found a small-scale example of what can be accomplished when self-handicapping is avoided through the group of women that I’ve been running with this fall. There are four of us and we meet every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday for running workouts. There is an incredible amount of community and support among us. So much so that all of us very rarely miss a workout. And man do we work out! Speed workouts, hills, weights, and distances that increase every week. Every moment it a new challenge and we face it together head-on. And what did we find was the result? Seriously incredible increases in our mood, self-confidence and of course race performance! In October I ran my first 10K race ever and won fifth place! The elated feeling of walking up on stage to receive a reward I worked so hard for, is liking nothing else. A month later I averaged an 8:07 mile and improved my half-marathon time by a half hour. A half hour!! And one of the girls I run with placed 2nd overall! There was no stopping us. We put everything on the line, pushed past pain and mental barriers and found out we could do it. Again, if someone would have told me a year ago... Still working on the many other areas of my life where self-handicapping runs ramped, but at least a start.
I am writing to you now aboard a Cathay Pacific flight to India where I will spend the next week building homes with 20 students. This is the culminating adventure of my second and last fall in Korea. More on that to come soon!
I remember when hiking was some boring activity that my mom tried to make me and Alyssa, Eric and Adam do together for “family time”. Walking up huge hills and arguing with my siblings while bugs bit me on every open surface of skin, was not my idea of fun. And the conversations that evolved in those moments of forced participation almost always led to family feuds. Alyssa and I whine that we are tired. Adam gets bored, picks up a stick and pokes Eric in the back ‘by accident’. Eric retaliates with a full-on fist to the shoulder. Mom yells at Eric. Adam snickers. We come to a muddy patch in the path. I refuse to walk through it and Alyssa follows suit nagging that she was supposed to be at a friends house hours ago. Mom finally gives up. We turn back and head for the picnic area (food we could always agree on).
But I gotta give my mom props for that (thanks, ma). Because it did instill something important in me that I can now appreciate. The idea that I need to get outside. The philosophy that enjoying nature is important and should be practiced regularly. It’s sort of a cultivated taste. Like enjoying a glass of dry, aged red wine. You need to work up to it and stay the course to appreciate it for what it is. Of course I still enjoy hiking a great deal more with willing participants :).
As a result, I hike now as often as I can. Almost weekly, friends and I take the mountain. One of the best things to do in Korea is hike. Foothills, natural parks and hiking trails incorporate themselves into even the most metropolitan areas. You can be shopping in the biggest mall in Asia and in a ten minute walk find yourself in bubble of natural terrain aside a mountain face. Of course I love the quiet, the peacefulness. and amazing view from the top, but I think it’s the longevity and commitment that get me. Once you commit to a hike, you are in for the long haul. It is most likely a two hour struggle to the top and an equally challenging meander back down the other side. Your going to sweat and get tired, but you must push forward. Once you get to the top though... man, it’s worth it. Looking from the heavens down on our expanding existence is a humbling and almost spiritual experience.
Last weekend I hiked the popular Seoraksan Mountain with group of other assorted expats. Here’s my highlights:
Eric and I spent an awesome long-weekend together in Burbank for Melissa’s Wedding this September. Fabulous meals including mexican and sashimi. Tasty drinks. Ridiculous amounts of shopping. An appreciation for the ‘good life’. And of course a beautiful, moving wedding ceremony of one of my best and oldest friends. Congratulations, Mel! I’m so happy for you. Here are some of the highlights:
Entering the Noryangin Fish Market is an awe inspiring experience sure to alert all the senses. Over 700 vendors in 66,000 square meter warehouse selling everything from shrimp, crab, flounder, eel, and live octopus to the exotic spoon worm, sea cucumber, and sea Ray. The shear expanse is intimidating and quite often you have a hard time believing people would actually eat some of the creatures on display. You may even wonder if they aren't in fact imported from another galaxy! If you've seen Andrew Zimmern's Seoul episode of Bizarre Foods, you get an idea what I'm talking about: http://www.travelchannel.com/TV_Shows/Bizarre_Foods/Episodes_Travel_Guides/Episode_South_Korea Shwa, Karen, Jessie, and I (friends that teach here in Seoul) along with some visitors of Shwa and also Paul Fricano (one of my friends visiting for the week) undertook this experience together. It started out with basically shock and awe. Lots of "Good Lord, what is that?" and "Is this for real?!" But, it didn't take long before we were jumping right in and haggling for the best price.
Each of us bought one of the tasty sea creatures and then we made our way over to a restaurant in the corner of the warehouse. We simply handed them our catch and they proceeded to prepare it for us while we enjoyed some yummy beverages. The meal started out with steamed crab and scallops (alive only a few minutes ago!). A safe and comfortable beginning to what would prove to be the craziest meal of my life. Like none I've ever had before the scallops and crab were unbelievably tender and tasty. Highly recommend!
Shortly after, our waitress brought out the sannakji, or live octopus. Definitely a challenging delicacy! The octopus is first cleaned and then sliced up, but the nerves in the octopus don’t die right away, so the tentacles squirm around like crazy on the plate! You eat it by dipping in a salt and sesame oil sauce so it has a chewy, nutty, sea flavor. Aside from the mental battle, the most challenging part proved to be getting the darn things in your mouth. The little suckers gripped the plate, then the chopsticks, and finally the inside of your mouth! All in all, an accomplishment I won't soon forget...
We were also sure to get a rockfish for the Korean specialty, Hwae. The rockfish was picked out of a huge tank like a zoo aquarium. Our vendor took a big hook and brought the fish up from the tank by the gills. He looked at us for approval, slammed the fish onto a cutting board, smashed the fish over the head with a hammer and filleted it right there into nice rectangular pieces of sashimi. Now that is fresh!
Hwae is any raw, sliced fish (usually Kwango [flounder], Wooruk [rockfish], or Nongo [Sea Bass]) We placed the sliced rockfish on a leaf of lettuce and then topped it with raw garlic, green pepper, and Korean vinegared red pepper paste. Seriously yummy!
We ate all this and then some with a plethora of different side dishes typical of Korea. The meal ended with a big bowl of Maeuntang, which is like a spicy Bouillabaisse. I made the mistake of wondering what had happened to the octopus heads, and as karma would have it, they reappeared in the soup still Breathing!! Of course the challenge of the night became to stomach an entire octopus head in one mouthful (of which I couldn't bring myself to do). But kudos to Paul and Jessie!
The fish market = SUPER amazing! Top five travel experience thus far. A fantastic cultural experience as well as a serious mind and body challenge not for the faint of heart!
I gotta say, I am LOVING teaching this year. I mean I always liked it, but this year feels different. I'm making better connections with my students and doing far more meaningful (and fun!) lessons, activities, and labs. My two sections of Environmental Science are totally making the difference. I have been given a ton of freedom in teaching the course and I have run with it. We are taking a hands-on, project-based, authentic learning approach. We constantly ask the question, 'why do we care?' and the students are totally getting into it! So far this year we have done biodiversity studies in the woods and at the river (see pics). When I hear a lot of, "ew, gross!" and "woo, look at that!" I know I'm doing my job right.
My hope is that my students are starting to care about the world around them, analyze information given to them, and be willing to question accepted understandings. It's funny though, because in this process I think I'm the one that is benefiting the most. I have to first ask myself why I care, why it's important, and how I can make a difference before I can enter the classroom with that attitude. I'm researching, watching videos and documentaries and revolutionizing the way I think about the environment (and even myself). If you're interested, a few good ones:
Videos: Food, Inc, No Impact Man Energy Crosswords Books: Field Notes from a Catastrophe: A Frontline Report on Climate Change Silent Spring
Seems like I'm starting to get things right in multiple areas of my life lately (it's no wonder it's reflecting in my teaching). Doing my best to be open, honest and true to myself and I'm totally feeling the difference!
