august 7-20, 2008: on the equator
2:09 a.m.
this is gonna be really difficult to replicate the exact feelings and observations of the trip. a trip i went on with work in partnership with free the children.
me and i think 14/15 or 16 other kids. a couple of supervisors. and an mtv crew.
overall it did offer a lot of perspective. it's hard to disclose some of the little stuff cuz i don't think i'm actually allowed to do that according to contract. but these are notes i took for myself as a part of some exercises we did...
AUG 13/08
1) 5 personal goals
- practice spanish/learn new words
- become a more selfless, empathetic person
- be friends with the children and make them smile, give them hope
- appreciate what i have, keep remembering how fortunate i am
- learn about Ecuadorian culture and wholly immerse myself in it
2) What do I hope to gain?
After/from this trip, I'd like to maintain the level of caring and genuine compassion once i get home. I would like to think the best of people and hope that no one would doubt or question my intentions either. I hope I don't forget what I learned while in Ecuador and can share these sentiments with my friends back home who can be a little jaded sometimes.
3) Why are you here?
I am here because I love to travel and I got the chance not only to travel with work, but also use my skills to improve a community in a less fortunate part of the world. I wanted to prove to my friends that I'm not lazy and self-centred and that I am capable of doing something positive.
4) How will this experience change your life?
This is giving me a chance to see people who had less of a chance than I did, yet still being so happy with so little. It will hopefully have me consuming less on the whole and sharing what I already have.
in retrospect... how optimistic and bright eyed was i about this trip??!
very.
i have balanced since then. not so much with the need to prove to people that i'm a good person. but just being a good person.
does that make sense? i dunno, i am tired.
i guess what else i have to say about this trip is... i need to do something like this with a different group of people, not with a camera crew around or anything. i'm sure we got such special treatment and i am grateful... but i would really like to try something else.
what i've repeated to people was that:
this was one of the hardest trips to pack for because of the various climates we experienced in a short period of time.
the kids are beautiful people.
we take for granted such little things like being able to brush our teeth with tap water. and having drinkable tap water in general. same with being able to flush toilet paper without having it cause some plumbing damage.
a little soup goes a loooong way. cheese in soup is DELISH
poor guinea pigs...
OH YEAH - i got altitude sickness when i was over there. totally out for pretty much the whole day. water is supposed to be good. but too much water in a highly acidic stomach + being locked on a bus = gatorade smelling bus with sticky floors.
other highlights -
*hiking the rainforest
*horseback riding in the rainforest
*seeing a lot of cool buildings and churches
*rigo, our awesome bus driver
*being at 0 degrees of the world
*perspective
*achi, the coolest kid EVER. who knew playing with spit, and a tire could be SO MUCH FUN
lowlights-
*not being with friends
*being sick
*...other things/people i'm not at liberty to discuss
*wishing there was more work i could do outside of painting walls and sanding them down...
ok. i dunno. i am over this post. may revisit later. maybe not.
me and i think 14/15 or 16 other kids. a couple of supervisors. and an mtv crew.
overall it did offer a lot of perspective. it's hard to disclose some of the little stuff cuz i don't think i'm actually allowed to do that according to contract. but these are notes i took for myself as a part of some exercises we did...
AUG 13/08
1) 5 personal goals
- practice spanish/learn new words
- become a more selfless, empathetic person
- be friends with the children and make them smile, give them hope
- appreciate what i have, keep remembering how fortunate i am
- learn about Ecuadorian culture and wholly immerse myself in it
2) What do I hope to gain?
After/from this trip, I'd like to maintain the level of caring and genuine compassion once i get home. I would like to think the best of people and hope that no one would doubt or question my intentions either. I hope I don't forget what I learned while in Ecuador and can share these sentiments with my friends back home who can be a little jaded sometimes.
3) Why are you here?
I am here because I love to travel and I got the chance not only to travel with work, but also use my skills to improve a community in a less fortunate part of the world. I wanted to prove to my friends that I'm not lazy and self-centred and that I am capable of doing something positive.
4) How will this experience change your life?
This is giving me a chance to see people who had less of a chance than I did, yet still being so happy with so little. It will hopefully have me consuming less on the whole and sharing what I already have.
in retrospect... how optimistic and bright eyed was i about this trip??!
very.
i have balanced since then. not so much with the need to prove to people that i'm a good person. but just being a good person.
does that make sense? i dunno, i am tired.
i guess what else i have to say about this trip is... i need to do something like this with a different group of people, not with a camera crew around or anything. i'm sure we got such special treatment and i am grateful... but i would really like to try something else.
what i've repeated to people was that:
this was one of the hardest trips to pack for because of the various climates we experienced in a short period of time.
the kids are beautiful people.
we take for granted such little things like being able to brush our teeth with tap water. and having drinkable tap water in general. same with being able to flush toilet paper without having it cause some plumbing damage.
a little soup goes a loooong way. cheese in soup is DELISH
poor guinea pigs...
OH YEAH - i got altitude sickness when i was over there. totally out for pretty much the whole day. water is supposed to be good. but too much water in a highly acidic stomach + being locked on a bus = gatorade smelling bus with sticky floors.
other highlights -
*hiking the rainforest
*horseback riding in the rainforest
*seeing a lot of cool buildings and churches
*rigo, our awesome bus driver
*being at 0 degrees of the world
*perspective
*achi, the coolest kid EVER. who knew playing with spit, and a tire could be SO MUCH FUN
lowlights-
*not being with friends
*being sick
*...other things/people i'm not at liberty to discuss
*wishing there was more work i could do outside of painting walls and sanding them down...
ok. i dunno. i am over this post. may revisit later. maybe not.
