26th June, 2007
The days events have passed and now we are on to less than a week on the trip. It was the same routine as yesterday; we went to work then school. Today we visited Guadalupe Victoria, another private school. It was cute; they had a little sign that said ‘welcome SJA students.’ Personally, I liked this school a little more than yesterday. Yesterday the only student I talked to was Maria de Jesus, and she was awesome with her little bob haircut and cute pale blue scrunchy, but I felt a little more love in the school today. I also noticed that the schools seem to have a similar set up. They have the rooms with the gated windows that open up. The school buildings all seem the same but with different colors (the format being a large rectangle) and having broken glass bottles on the tops of walls (like barb wire sort of to stop anyone from trying to get in the school because the walls all low enough to run and jump). The computer teacher’s name was Rene. He seemed to know a lot about what was going on and it was interesting talking to him. He understood my broken Spanish and I understood his broken English. The problems there involved two CD-drives not working and two monitors were dead. Unfortunately we could not fix them. One being because the monitors were just, well dead essentially, and two, because the CDs were not reading any CDs and it was easier for the time to just get them a new CD drive. We will have El Fondo get them the new items. We also showed some kids and an older man the inside of the computer. Those kids are smart, smarter than me at least. They have a great memory of all the things that were told to them. Oh and there was a que padre chico named Alexis. He is a shy one. Jessica, /Katherine, and I played basketball with him. He wouldn’t let me take a picture of him but I was able to get a few, well Katherine was.
After that we left for the day. Oh, and when we got picked up there was this little girl in our car. Her name was Gabbie. Oh, she was so small and cute! And she liked The Who and the Japanese music I was playing!_! *squee* I wish I had a picture of her, she was so sweet. So yes, that was most of the day. I really do not feel like talking about school. It was school. We learned kitchen objects (through a badly organized version of memory, but Leo is cool so it was okay) and also clothing (through role playing and watching Sam to a very scary, but good job at being a small child). We took Katherine home because Foviola could not pick her up (she was staying at the house with Jessica who had a bad migraine). So we (Matilda and I ) took Katherine downtown Fortin, which we came to the conclusion was so much better than downtown Cordoba because it was small and had break dancers (how can you beat that???) Oh, and I should also type this. Hannah is leaving for USA because she has been sick. Poor girl, she couldn’t keep up any of her food and she has low blood pressure. Feel better Hannah! Now back to the house. We had some awesome fresh bread from the pandaria (which you get a big silver plate and put all the bread you want on it) and made sandwiches. Then Matilda and I just hanged with our mom and dad. Now I am here listening to The Who…again.
Hmmm…and I have been on a constant search for the political agenda of Mexico. I feel it is kind of like…well Louisiana. Conservative with its crazy liberals. I am on the search for the homosexuals! I know Fovilola said she knew some people who are gay, but like Matilda said, the younger generation seems to be more open minded, at least in that sense. I still do not know. At my house we have dial up, and it is not used often. I can’t look up the political parties…so I think at the end of the trip and when I am back in the states I will have a ‘cultural discussion’ afterwards. Stay tuned!
June 27th
After realizing that Wednesday was not the 28th, but the 27th, I now start to type the adventures in Mexico!!! So yes. Today we went to another school. Again, this one was private and had the same rectangle format as the other schools. The difference? The colors were brown and beige and also the computer lab was upstairs! It is the only room upstairs. The lab itself was in great condition. Apparently they received a government grant for maybe 10-15 computers. The rest were provided by El Fondo. So when we got there, we really did not know what to do. They have a technician that just recently came by to look at all the computers and make sure they work. So really there was nothing to fix. So we kind of stood around awkwardly at first. Oh, it should also be mentioned that today was the first day for John to be gone. For those just now reading, Hannah had to leave, and John was going with her. In his place we have the new Spanish teach, Amanda, from St. Joseph here. So yes. We decided we were going to teach the kids how to take apart a computer (what is in it and all) and also how to make Cat 5 cables. It all seemed to go well at the time. I meet a cool kid named Kassandra. She volunteered to make a Cat 5 cable so she is awesome in my back. And I felt very loved when she decided to sit by me to learn about power point (though I am no that great of a teacher). So yes. There we were putting all the computers together and then we are about to leave and we notice one of the monitors will not turn on, then we notice another. Then we noticed a pattern. The ones we took apart were not working…so yeah. I still do not know why. Of course the one I work on does not work and towards the end it did not turn on at all. So I was pissed. We had to leave there with two broken computers when previously all of them were working. The computer teacher said it was okay and that they were having problems previously…but I felt like a failure for awhile afterwards.
Afterwards we went to the Spanish classes. This time we went to a sort of mini Wal Mart and went around naming things. It was interesting. We all came to the conclusion that Leo is just awesome and I still think Ricardo (?) is Don Quixote in some weird way.
So yes, then we hung out with our family. Oh! And I feel much love because little Jorge is showing more love. He kisses me and hugs me a lot, so it feels nice. I think I am growing closer to him and slightly distancing myself from the rest of the family. I have no clue why. So anyways. We went out to eat and then to get coffee. We played pool and yeah…it was interesting, but really the game is not my cup of tea.
That is mostly it for now. Besides Matilda getting her ass tapped by some dude at the billiard hall, nothing much happened. The days are going and all that is left will be five. We have one more school to visit, then Friday we see the orphanage one last time. Saturday we decided to go see the coffee farm instead of Puebla (even though I found out it has the Aztec pyramids and we are not going…so a little pissed). Sunday is family time then we leave Monday. I still need to take some more city pictures and such. We will see how it goes.
Do I dare disturb the universe?
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
So far
June 22nd, 2007 – Jueves
Today was an interesting day in Cordoba. This morning started off with the typical, wake up and get ready for work. Today (the 22nd) we went to the public schools in the mountains. Previously, no one in our group went to these schools. So it was an experience. It was about an hours drive up bumpy uphill roads. There were many girls holding on to their chests during the trip. The first school we visited was the secondary school (basically middle school). They had some of the computers already in there and just needed to be set up. However, some of the windows were missing. This may not seem like a big deal but for those not there, you will need a little more information.
The public schools in Mexico are run by the government. This sounds familiar right? Well, it is not like the ones back in the States. Here (Mexico) the government basically allows for a community to be built, builds the foundation, and then leaves. You may be thinking, so what big deal? Well, you need to know a little more. The government basically leaves the community to themselves. Maybe they will come by one more time of the community asks to fix something, but it will be only one more time. No more. So the community (the families) will do everything. This includes the food as well. So we have a community of families supporting these schools and did I mention that these schools are for kids in at least 9 different regions? Yeah. So there are some kids walking in the mountains for 1 ½ hours to get to school. Another thing. When the schools are established, the government sometimes puts a TV or something like that in there. These TVs are in cages and they have the keys, so if you want to add on to anything…well you have to go around a cage because the government has the key.
So anyways, what we did today was basically go to four schools (secondary-middle school, primary- high school, elementary, and kindergarten). The purpose was to get acquainted with the schools and see what it was like. Again, no one was there before so we had to know the floor plane. We also needed to know the floor plan to see if the computers could support the computers. So yes. You could see me and Joe walking around with the tablet drawing barbaric blue prints and Katherine and Jessica holding a camera and video camera to get documentation of all the objects, electrical work, and other things in the room. Once we hit the elementary school I was walking around trying to find the measurements and sketching as much as I could. So there is a lot of work we will be doing. These schools will be where all the computers go. Right now it almost seems overwhelming. They want to use as much as they can, but we still have to figure out how we are going to do it all. Like that classroom I mentioned earlier. It was missing windows…and the plugs were on the floor. If you did not know, but when it rains, the plugs can get wet…Not good for electronics. So that means we have to do more work. We have to think of the logistics behind everything to make sure whatever we are doing is one right the first time and will work for a long time afterwards.
After all that we ate at one of the houses of the school kids. They made actual Mexican food. At first it was an awkward moment because…I am a vegetarian…so I could not eat the meat, but the family was very cool about the whole thing and brought me other things to eat. I felt loved. After that we went straight back down the mountain and went home…
Of course when we get home the family made lunch. I felt like I needed to eat it because I knew that they made food for me (vegetarian)…so I felt I could not turn it down. So I ate an empanada, pasta, and this desert that Frida made…oh, it was good. It tasted like king cake, but was with a lemon taste…I had seconds. After that we went to school.
Today was our first conversation class. It involved us paying ‘Mexican bingo.’ It was. Interesting. Afterwards we went downtown again. This time it was more of a tour of the downtown area. Things like the history of all the buildings and such. It was interesting. If I had my pamphlet I would type some of the information…however, I do not. I’ll scan some pages and put some pictures up later. One of the best parts was Katherine and I singing la vie bohemia the whole time and me saying the ‘masturbation’ part.
After that Faviole picked us up to go to Santa Fe…
So that was the day, summed up in little words. I just…am still thinking about all the work we still need to do…I had some work with the safe house, and I know how hard it can be to get everything together for a computer lab. It just seems like you add computers…but there is a lot more to it. There is so much technical work that has to be done. Sometimes it can blow your brain. However, although this day had its high points and low points, I just need to keep looking forward. Sometimes it is all you can do
June 23rd- 25th
So, today is the 25th, Monday, and the weekend has passed and so has the first Monday of the trip. So I guess I will start with the weekend:
Saturday:
We had planned to go on some field trips on Saturday. We planned to go to a coffee farm; however, things turned out differently. We traveled up in the mountains and then realized that we were booked to go on a tour of Las Canna. So maybe I should talk a little about this place. It is basically like its own EcoWorld, the places in California that were established by hippies who wanted to get way from society and such. Well, it is kind of the same. The guy there went to school to be a farmer. His father was a farmer and when he left the university he went to work on the land of his father. Well, the set up they have is like this. Mass marketing has called for lots and lots of meat. So the farmers get a lot of cows for the land. However, the land is hilly. The cows slowly corrode the hills and make it flat. In Mexico, it rains a lot and that causes the land to wash away, like in Louisiana with the wetlands. Also, when the USA came in to teach the farmers, the taught them how to use chemicals. Well, those ran out, so there was a generation of farmers who were left in the dust with no knowledge of how to go on. So basically mass farming has killed these local farmers who can not compete on a global level. Well, this pissed the guy off and he decided (after much reading) that he would start his own local farm. So he talked to some local farmers and they essentially formed a sort of communist lifestyle. The grow all their own food, enough to sustain them, and sometimes sell on the side. They also have animals, but not a lot. Everything is organic in the United States sense. Also, all the local farmers who joined do the labor. Some schools even come by to learn from them. Along with this is the conservation aspect. Since the land was corroding away, they decided to plant some trees and let them grow. The results are actually amazing. He described it as a mixture of both North and South American plants. It was like a jungle. We went on a two hour walk around most of it. Now here is the part I found slightly cultish…Well, he and the farmers took their children out of the school. His logic is that the system is corrupt and if they stay in the system they will be taught the wrong way. Essentially this limits the children dramatically because they do not receive any form of formal education. They also have odd rituals that they have developed around their life to bring a communal effect. Anyways…that was that. If you have questions comment and I’ll answer.
Saturday night we all went to Club Moo. It was fun, we danced to techno, but then it went to some band music and…it was okay.
Sunday:
This was mostly a free day. We went swimming with Juliana. I have to say she is pretty cool. She made us bracelets and swam with us till 4pm. It was cool. Then we went to church. Here in Mexico there is more singing and the mass seems… at least a little more lively compared to what is in the states. Oh, and they do not hold hands during the Our Father and apparently the priest does not know what it means when some one crosses their arms over their chest during the Eucharist. After that we kind of walked around, had coffee, went downtown for helado, then home.
I also learned some about the politics around here. There are two political parties and they are like the ones in the states. I do not know how each one swings but from what I gathered, and thought, Mexico seems conservative in values. Take for example abortion when Mexico City legalized abortion there were a lot of protest marches. I till haven’t gathered how they feel about homosexuality. I will assume it is a no. I think I have not seen anything yet, except maybe one girl who I still can’t stop thinking about. Oh well.
Monday:
Well, I learned that we will not visit any of the places (schools) more than once. The one in the mountains, we were putting a ground work of what needs to be done so when we come back next trip we can install everything. Today we went to a private school and fixed the computers. There was a power surge and some were not working. A lot of the problems were just mice and keyboard problems. Some girls also taught on power point and on word. We were just teaching some basics , things we think everyone knows. It was interesting. I decided to just fix the hard ware because, again, my Spanish was not great and I kind of wanted to work with my hands. I felt like I came there to fix the tools and whatever they wanted to do with the tools is up to them. I guess that is one way of putting it. I also felt like I came here to fix computers, so I should do that. Anyways. The school was nice, except in floods sometimes, which is not good because the surge protectors are on the ground and I think some of them were screwed up before the power surge. Oh, and the internet cabals run under ground as well and half the ones in the classroom went bad. Oh, the kids loved Encarta. They thought it was awesome. At the end Katherine, Jessica, Matilda, and I were teaching three kids how to troubleshoot a computer. Maybe one day they could be software engineers. It really is amazing what they could do one day and I do not think that is hitting me till now. There is so much potential in the world and you only need to help it grow. Mexico is just like the USA in many ways but also different.
Today was an interesting day in Cordoba. This morning started off with the typical, wake up and get ready for work. Today (the 22nd) we went to the public schools in the mountains. Previously, no one in our group went to these schools. So it was an experience. It was about an hours drive up bumpy uphill roads. There were many girls holding on to their chests during the trip. The first school we visited was the secondary school (basically middle school). They had some of the computers already in there and just needed to be set up. However, some of the windows were missing. This may not seem like a big deal but for those not there, you will need a little more information.
The public schools in Mexico are run by the government. This sounds familiar right? Well, it is not like the ones back in the States. Here (Mexico) the government basically allows for a community to be built, builds the foundation, and then leaves. You may be thinking, so what big deal? Well, you need to know a little more. The government basically leaves the community to themselves. Maybe they will come by one more time of the community asks to fix something, but it will be only one more time. No more. So the community (the families) will do everything. This includes the food as well. So we have a community of families supporting these schools and did I mention that these schools are for kids in at least 9 different regions? Yeah. So there are some kids walking in the mountains for 1 ½ hours to get to school. Another thing. When the schools are established, the government sometimes puts a TV or something like that in there. These TVs are in cages and they have the keys, so if you want to add on to anything…well you have to go around a cage because the government has the key.
So anyways, what we did today was basically go to four schools (secondary-middle school, primary- high school, elementary, and kindergarten). The purpose was to get acquainted with the schools and see what it was like. Again, no one was there before so we had to know the floor plane. We also needed to know the floor plan to see if the computers could support the computers. So yes. You could see me and Joe walking around with the tablet drawing barbaric blue prints and Katherine and Jessica holding a camera and video camera to get documentation of all the objects, electrical work, and other things in the room. Once we hit the elementary school I was walking around trying to find the measurements and sketching as much as I could. So there is a lot of work we will be doing. These schools will be where all the computers go. Right now it almost seems overwhelming. They want to use as much as they can, but we still have to figure out how we are going to do it all. Like that classroom I mentioned earlier. It was missing windows…and the plugs were on the floor. If you did not know, but when it rains, the plugs can get wet…Not good for electronics. So that means we have to do more work. We have to think of the logistics behind everything to make sure whatever we are doing is one right the first time and will work for a long time afterwards.
After all that we ate at one of the houses of the school kids. They made actual Mexican food. At first it was an awkward moment because…I am a vegetarian…so I could not eat the meat, but the family was very cool about the whole thing and brought me other things to eat. I felt loved. After that we went straight back down the mountain and went home…
Of course when we get home the family made lunch. I felt like I needed to eat it because I knew that they made food for me (vegetarian)…so I felt I could not turn it down. So I ate an empanada, pasta, and this desert that Frida made…oh, it was good. It tasted like king cake, but was with a lemon taste…I had seconds. After that we went to school.
Today was our first conversation class. It involved us paying ‘Mexican bingo.’ It was. Interesting. Afterwards we went downtown again. This time it was more of a tour of the downtown area. Things like the history of all the buildings and such. It was interesting. If I had my pamphlet I would type some of the information…however, I do not. I’ll scan some pages and put some pictures up later. One of the best parts was Katherine and I singing la vie bohemia the whole time and me saying the ‘masturbation’ part.
After that Faviole picked us up to go to Santa Fe…
So that was the day, summed up in little words. I just…am still thinking about all the work we still need to do…I had some work with the safe house, and I know how hard it can be to get everything together for a computer lab. It just seems like you add computers…but there is a lot more to it. There is so much technical work that has to be done. Sometimes it can blow your brain. However, although this day had its high points and low points, I just need to keep looking forward. Sometimes it is all you can do
June 23rd- 25th
So, today is the 25th, Monday, and the weekend has passed and so has the first Monday of the trip. So I guess I will start with the weekend:
Saturday:
We had planned to go on some field trips on Saturday. We planned to go to a coffee farm; however, things turned out differently. We traveled up in the mountains and then realized that we were booked to go on a tour of Las Canna. So maybe I should talk a little about this place. It is basically like its own EcoWorld, the places in California that were established by hippies who wanted to get way from society and such. Well, it is kind of the same. The guy there went to school to be a farmer. His father was a farmer and when he left the university he went to work on the land of his father. Well, the set up they have is like this. Mass marketing has called for lots and lots of meat. So the farmers get a lot of cows for the land. However, the land is hilly. The cows slowly corrode the hills and make it flat. In Mexico, it rains a lot and that causes the land to wash away, like in Louisiana with the wetlands. Also, when the USA came in to teach the farmers, the taught them how to use chemicals. Well, those ran out, so there was a generation of farmers who were left in the dust with no knowledge of how to go on. So basically mass farming has killed these local farmers who can not compete on a global level. Well, this pissed the guy off and he decided (after much reading) that he would start his own local farm. So he talked to some local farmers and they essentially formed a sort of communist lifestyle. The grow all their own food, enough to sustain them, and sometimes sell on the side. They also have animals, but not a lot. Everything is organic in the United States sense. Also, all the local farmers who joined do the labor. Some schools even come by to learn from them. Along with this is the conservation aspect. Since the land was corroding away, they decided to plant some trees and let them grow. The results are actually amazing. He described it as a mixture of both North and South American plants. It was like a jungle. We went on a two hour walk around most of it. Now here is the part I found slightly cultish…Well, he and the farmers took their children out of the school. His logic is that the system is corrupt and if they stay in the system they will be taught the wrong way. Essentially this limits the children dramatically because they do not receive any form of formal education. They also have odd rituals that they have developed around their life to bring a communal effect. Anyways…that was that. If you have questions comment and I’ll answer.
Saturday night we all went to Club Moo. It was fun, we danced to techno, but then it went to some band music and…it was okay.
Sunday:
This was mostly a free day. We went swimming with Juliana. I have to say she is pretty cool. She made us bracelets and swam with us till 4pm. It was cool. Then we went to church. Here in Mexico there is more singing and the mass seems… at least a little more lively compared to what is in the states. Oh, and they do not hold hands during the Our Father and apparently the priest does not know what it means when some one crosses their arms over their chest during the Eucharist. After that we kind of walked around, had coffee, went downtown for helado, then home.
I also learned some about the politics around here. There are two political parties and they are like the ones in the states. I do not know how each one swings but from what I gathered, and thought, Mexico seems conservative in values. Take for example abortion when Mexico City legalized abortion there were a lot of protest marches. I till haven’t gathered how they feel about homosexuality. I will assume it is a no. I think I have not seen anything yet, except maybe one girl who I still can’t stop thinking about. Oh well.
Monday:
Well, I learned that we will not visit any of the places (schools) more than once. The one in the mountains, we were putting a ground work of what needs to be done so when we come back next trip we can install everything. Today we went to a private school and fixed the computers. There was a power surge and some were not working. A lot of the problems were just mice and keyboard problems. Some girls also taught on power point and on word. We were just teaching some basics , things we think everyone knows. It was interesting. I decided to just fix the hard ware because, again, my Spanish was not great and I kind of wanted to work with my hands. I felt like I came there to fix the tools and whatever they wanted to do with the tools is up to them. I guess that is one way of putting it. I also felt like I came here to fix computers, so I should do that. Anyways. The school was nice, except in floods sometimes, which is not good because the surge protectors are on the ground and I think some of them were screwed up before the power surge. Oh, and the internet cabals run under ground as well and half the ones in the classroom went bad. Oh, the kids loved Encarta. They thought it was awesome. At the end Katherine, Jessica, Matilda, and I were teaching three kids how to troubleshoot a computer. Maybe one day they could be software engineers. It really is amazing what they could do one day and I do not think that is hitting me till now. There is so much potential in the world and you only need to help it grow. Mexico is just like the USA in many ways but also different.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
And it begins...in Mexico!_!
The trip to Cordoba, Mexico started June 19th. It involved a trip from 5-2:30 AM on an airplane flight that transferred from Baton Rouge, to Houston, then to Veracruz. After that we traveled in a packed (very packed) bus to Cordoba where we were dropped off with our families. I am in the house with Matilda. The family we are staying with for the next 15 days is the Castillo’s. Our father’s name is Jorge, our mother Gia, hermana Frida, and our hermono es Jorge tambien. They are very nice. When we arrived I told them I was a vegetarian. I lucked out and got the one family with a son who is a vegetarian. Lucky…I know. We stay in Frida’s room. So far everything is great. On the 20th we went to the downtown area of Fortin (where we stay). Frida and Jorge took us around and showed us the town. We went to the park, the library, and a lot of other places. We also ate this ice cream called cubitas. It is sort of like a Popsicle. It was very tasty. Nuestras madre y papa own (?) a pet spa. Afterwards we went to our first Spanish classes. It was…we different. Leo talked fast and my Spanish is..eh…Matilda has been translating a lot for me. She talks to everyone. On the 20th (Wednesday) we meet nuestra’s madre (abuela). Also, we went with all the other girls to a coffee shop with Favilol. She is awesome. She speaks English very well and she shows a different aspect to the city.
Today (the 21st) we went to el Fondo. From there we went to the orphanage in the country. The kids, I love them. They tried to understand my slow English and I tried to understand them. I meet some kids like Xochita, Rosola, Ricardo, etc. I played futbol for awhile. I fell in the mud two times and was hit in the face with the ball as well. The ride over there was interesting as well. It went from small city, to nothing. The orphanage is out in a huge country type atmosphere. There are a lot of trees, grass, everything. It is hard to explain and when I edit this I will do more. After the good bye, which involved a small child crying in Courtney’s arms. We went to our respective homes. It involved an awkward conversation about how I thought yesterday Matilda ate brains, I felt like an ass, but I meet a cool girl named Juliana who will teach Matilda how to swim. Next, we went to the Spanish classes, which were better because there was more…action…at 6 we went to downtown Cordoba and saw a lot of dancing. The Cuba and the Veracruz one. Some of the girls were asked to dance(Sam, Hanna, and Kelsey who stood still most of the time). The dance is specifically for Veracruz and the outfits they wore are as well. Some guys gave some girls some flowers and then Favilolo picked us up. Now I am in a room with a bad battery typing.
Cordoba, is beautiful. Something about the mountains, the people, the atmosphere. It reminds me of New Orleans in the Spanish sense. You start to think about how all the girls are so similar. They listen to Panic at the Disco, all the thing we (USA) like, but we are separated by language. It is almost amazing. Just, words can block us, when really we are the same. However, this can be overcome with hand movements (something I have used often). I plan to blog again, I just need to edit this stuff when I get back in America. Signing out.
Today (the 21st) we went to el Fondo. From there we went to the orphanage in the country. The kids, I love them. They tried to understand my slow English and I tried to understand them. I meet some kids like Xochita, Rosola, Ricardo, etc. I played futbol for awhile. I fell in the mud two times and was hit in the face with the ball as well. The ride over there was interesting as well. It went from small city, to nothing. The orphanage is out in a huge country type atmosphere. There are a lot of trees, grass, everything. It is hard to explain and when I edit this I will do more. After the good bye, which involved a small child crying in Courtney’s arms. We went to our respective homes. It involved an awkward conversation about how I thought yesterday Matilda ate brains, I felt like an ass, but I meet a cool girl named Juliana who will teach Matilda how to swim. Next, we went to the Spanish classes, which were better because there was more…action…at 6 we went to downtown Cordoba and saw a lot of dancing. The Cuba and the Veracruz one. Some of the girls were asked to dance(Sam, Hanna, and Kelsey who stood still most of the time). The dance is specifically for Veracruz and the outfits they wore are as well. Some guys gave some girls some flowers and then Favilolo picked us up. Now I am in a room with a bad battery typing.
Cordoba, is beautiful. Something about the mountains, the people, the atmosphere. It reminds me of New Orleans in the Spanish sense. You start to think about how all the girls are so similar. They listen to Panic at the Disco, all the thing we (USA) like, but we are separated by language. It is almost amazing. Just, words can block us, when really we are the same. However, this can be overcome with hand movements (something I have used often). I plan to blog again, I just need to edit this stuff when I get back in America. Signing out.
Monday, June 18, 2007
A new administration?
It seems that the Safe House will be going under some new administration. I have yet to decide how I will feel about this. On the one hand it is new administration, much better than the political turmoil of the last one. However, the new administration is Healing Place Church, and evangelical church that...just rubs me the wrong way. The papers have not been signed yet, but all looks in the favor of them going through with it. I guess I have no say in the matter. As long as they do not touch the computer lab I am okay. My mother seems to believe that the Safe House will no longer be shelter for woman, rather tit will be a head quarters for the group. If that happens the computers leave. Serious. Sometimes I feel like all the worst possible situations happened at the Safe House. I say this now, and tomorrow I will hear something worse...I guess I can only go forward with the project. Besides all that the room is still in shape. Still no internet. Also, I still need to get a table and two monitors. One of the girls was able to get Mavis Beacon software for the project from her old school, which is awesome. I'll have to deal with that later though. I'll be gone for two weeks, and after that my time wiill be devoted to the Safe House yet again.
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
3 months later- The political game
Although I have seen events pass before my eyes, I think I may never understand a person's own political agenda.
As of now it seems that everything is at a stand still. Since my last post I was able to get an $820.00 grant from Youth Venture and even have the majority of the room done. There were moments of terror that the Safe House would be closed down, and in these past weeks that fear has come to life.
The Safe House was closed. It was closed due to extreme political disorder in the board. I sit terrified that I will lose my grant at any moment. I fear that my moderator of the project will say, "We are getting out." I mostly fear that I will not be able to play with those children and speak to those women in the shelter.
The days are going by and tomorrow I will try to get as much done for the safe house as I can. When there was the fear that we would lose the room from the board, the small group I gathered began to work in quick pases to finish the room. All that is left is to: bring in a table, the two desktops and monitors, and also install some sort of internet in the room. This is a much larger task then it seems. In the mean time I will try to get the first half done, then later the internet problem.
Tomorrow I will be trying to plan the classes we will teach and help at the safe house. I want to help, I want the room to be successful. In those months I was with the women and children I grew very attached to them. I have some pictures (which I was not supposed to take) of the children playing. I want them to be happy. I want the women to be successful. I'll keep trying...I just have to get the courage to post on Youth Venture about this hole in the road.
As of now it seems that everything is at a stand still. Since my last post I was able to get an $820.00 grant from Youth Venture and even have the majority of the room done. There were moments of terror that the Safe House would be closed down, and in these past weeks that fear has come to life.
The Safe House was closed. It was closed due to extreme political disorder in the board. I sit terrified that I will lose my grant at any moment. I fear that my moderator of the project will say, "We are getting out." I mostly fear that I will not be able to play with those children and speak to those women in the shelter.
The days are going by and tomorrow I will try to get as much done for the safe house as I can. When there was the fear that we would lose the room from the board, the small group I gathered began to work in quick pases to finish the room. All that is left is to: bring in a table, the two desktops and monitors, and also install some sort of internet in the room. This is a much larger task then it seems. In the mean time I will try to get the first half done, then later the internet problem.
Tomorrow I will be trying to plan the classes we will teach and help at the safe house. I want to help, I want the room to be successful. In those months I was with the women and children I grew very attached to them. I have some pictures (which I was not supposed to take) of the children playing. I want them to be happy. I want the women to be successful. I'll keep trying...I just have to get the courage to post on Youth Venture about this hole in the road.
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