Destination: Discovery

I feel like blogging!

2009-01-30T12:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know why, but today I got all nostalgic about blogging as I was rereading through some of my previous posts. Even though I've had ample topics to blog on having been to a host of different countries and volunteering in some unique and different places, I just never found the motivation to go public with my thoughts. Thinking back, I don't see how I ever had the discipline to religiously blog once-a-week as was my ritual in Richmond and Ecuador.

In a way, I'm glad I refrained from blogging as I bounced around the East Coast, the Pacific Northwest, Southeast Asia, and Spain. I replaced blogging with journaling, and I found myself going deeper into my own thoughts than I ever had before. Additionally, my time away from blogging allowed me to be more present in my experiences; to spend less time tucked away in Internet cafes and more time loosing myself in the Craft Cave of Holden Village or exploring the streets of the Little India neighborhood of Singapore.

When you're hopping from city to city, country to country, making friends only long enough to where it hurts to say goodbye, thoughts of self-doubt tend to creep into your head. I would be lying to myself if I said this did not happen to me more than once. Naturally, I met other journeypeople who regualily undergo similar thought processes. We all get antsy when we are in a fixed location for an extended period of time, yet we crave the fruitfulness of human relationships that go along with putting down roots. What insues is a crazy cycle of making great friendships in a short amount of time, saying goodbye, and then putting in the effort to maintain that friendship over distance. A phenomenon emerges- even though I would be constantly surrounded by people, feelings of loneliness would unpredictibly come and go.

In the end, though, I am glad to have gone through these feelings as they have made me more equipt to deal with more serious relational stuggles that will come with losing loved ones, getting married, and other life changing events. I am also grateful to have learned so much from individuals coming from different backgrounds and living in different cultures- this more than anything fuels my desire to leave this great country again as soon as the opportunity arises.

Considering how many times I've changed scenery over the past 6 months, it's no wonder my anxiety is low as I approach my upcoming 10 month commitment to service in the AmeriCorps NCCC. I find expectations are often put to shame in the face of real experiences; therefore, I enter AmeriCorps simply planning to fully receive every challenge, every struggle, every surprise, and every joy as a blessing. If there's one thing I've learned throughout all my adventures so far, it's that one can learn from everything that comes their way. In AmeriCorps, I look forward to learning from the wisdom of others- my fellow corps members, those individuals that I'll serve, and my friends in family that I will keep in touch with back home.

So if you could put a life in a nutshell, this would be mine at the moment. In transition, I try to make up for time lost here at home, stay in touch with friends so recently departed, and anticipate the friendships I am sure to build over the next year! Ahh, life is so simple.

Guest blogger???

2008-05-14T12:39:00.001-07:00

So while I obviously haven't been very active on my own blog, I recently made an appearance on another person's blog through the career information website www.experience.com! Check it out.

What’d you say!?

2008-03-02T22:02:00.000-08:00

“Illegal.” Usually it’s a word used to describe an activity. Word association brings about concepts such as crime, drugs, or other suspicious activity. And now people. Seriously?, you ask. How are we actually referring to people as illegal in our society? Even criminals who have committed murder and are locked up for life are not called illegal- their actions are separated from them as humans, and we generally recognize this as their fellow human beings. However, there is a disturbing trend in language usage that is being fueled by our media. Many of us, including myself up to a few weeks ago, don’t even realize the dehumanizing nature of this language to the point where we ourselves use the terminology in our everyday speak. How many times have you used the expression “Illegal alien/immigrant?”

This semester, I have been immersing myself in the Chicano/Latino community through a service-learning class which allows me to volunteer at La Escuelita, an after-school tutoring and leadership program primarily for recent Latino immigrants attending area middle and high schools. This has allowed me to put faces, names, and personalities to the issue of immigration our nation is currently struggling with. The class itself, which meets once a week, sometimes off-campus at organizations such as the Minnesota Immigrant Freedom Network, addresses our society’s treatment of immigrants with a focus on our education system. It has brought subtle but important things such as the classification of immigrants as ‘illegal’ to my attention.

If there’s one main lesson I learned from working with ex-convicts over this past summer at Boaz & Ruth and now tutoring students at La Escuelita, it’s that behind the criminal label worn by these individuals there is an extremely real and interesting person worth getting to know. Therefore, referring to immigrants as ‘illegal’ is an extremely dehumanizing gesture. Additionally, it feeds into stereotypes that are already incorrect- immigrants don’t pay taxes, they are using up valuable social services, they are stealing all our jobs, etc. When communicated through the power of the media, this terminology becomes mainstream language.

Let’s illustrate this with a comparison that will hit home. The fact is, crossing the border ‘illegally’ is the equivalent to exceeding the speed limit. Most of the time, both guilty parties aren’t caught in the act. If these parties were caught, their crime would be classified as a misdemeanor by the US law. All of us who have driven and speeded are, under the law, the equivalent to someone who has crossed the border without documentation. We all would be ‘illegal drivers.’ Those of us who have written bad checks- ‘illegal check writers.’ How about shoplifting? ‘Illegal consumers,’ perhaps?

Unfortunately, there are many more offensive terms in our everyday language that don’t even fall under swearing. ‘Gay, lame, fag, just to name a few, are rooted in offensive insults. Our intentions in using this language are irrelevant; for example when we refer to an immigrant as ‘illegal’ we probably don’t intend to actually dehumanize or devalue this person or group of people. Nonetheless, the effects are the same.

Under the label, we’re all human beings with a story.

Why I Take the Bus

2008-02-24T09:06:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone. I have truly been a pathetic blogger (obviously no posts in 1 month = pathetic), but we’re going to try to get back on track this week.

Your average college student faces many difficult decisions over the course of 5 years- if you haven’t chosen your major by your sophomore you feel like the entire world is pressuring you to choose; you have two groups of friends who want you to live with them and you don’t want to offend John and the boys by not living with them even though you know they’ll never do the dishes; and then there’s that thing called dating. Equally intriguing to me, especially now after living without a car and realizing the benefits of that, is what goes into the decision for a student to have a car on a college campus.

What is it that causes a student, already burdened by rising tuition and Minneapolis rent, to fork over another $100/month to have their car in a heated garage below their apartment building? Even for those that live on the fringes of campus where street parking is handily available, exorbitant parking garage rates and meter fees, not to mention that $34 ticket from the city of Minneapolis when you thought you could get away with that spot, can equate your grocery bill for the month.

Therefore, as not only a thrifty and money-conscious college student, but as a world traveler with an international perspective and now a conscientious objector to a consumption-driven culture, not having a car on campus was a no-brainer to me. From my perspective, this holds many benefits- I reduce my ‘carbon footprint,’ I save money, I get more exercise, and I have the opportunity to thank the kind individuals who give me rides!

But, until I actually made my first trip on the bus to South Minneapolis where I volunteer on a weekly basis, I was totally oblivious to another benefit of public transit. Sure, it may be unreliable, inconvenient, and confusing at times, but for me, the actual experience of a bus ride makes up for all that. All of you who have ridden a bus in the US are probably wondering how this could be. Let me share an example that will help illustrate my point.

It’s Tuesday morning. I board the 22A and take a seat a few rows from the front on the driver’s side. I pull a book out of my backpack, taking advantage of the opportunity to be transported while relaxing, reading, and not being stressed out by traffic or that idiot driver ahead of me (which we have all been at one time or another). As I do so, an unlikely connection begins to happen. A heavier-set white man across from me, slightly balding with a cane, strikes up a conversation with the young black male sitting in the row behind me, curly haired, lanky, and what society would generally refer to as ‘rough around the edges.’

I’m not really sure how the conversation started, but the topic of conversation moved to a subject of common ground. The ‘fat and bald white guy’ turns out be just coming off a night shift- I couldn’t pick up where- and is in great spirits. I gather that he has seen a good variety of jobs and people over the years, living and working in Minneapolis. His comments and simple yet engaging, and the ‘young thug’ is drawn to him and answering his questions. He begins to open up to his older friend. Still in high school, providing for his family has become the focus of life. He is trying to balance a job with school and the responsibility of caring for his younger sister. The man understands, he relates to the struggles the young man is having. He provides words of advice and encouragement.

After about 10 minutes, the young man’s stop is up. His stop is the same as mine. The unlikely pair says their farewells to each other. As he exits, me behind him, I hear the man yell, “Keep those grades up, too!” I was touched. Two human beings, seemingly nothing in common except the bus line they shared, had connected. I was moved. Who knows, maybe this interaction was what the young man needed to find the motivation to stay in school. What if this is the conversation he remembers five years from now for the positive encouragement it provided?

Everyone riding the bus has a story. All coming from different origins, moving to different destinations, but doing so through the same means. And all with something deeper in common.

Putting Your Heart and Soul Into It

2008-01-23T17:31:00.000-08:00

There is a little known song that goes ‘all the way till my final day I want to live so I can say “what a ride”.’ At this point, I don’t think anything could better describe my mindset after the last 4 months in Ecuador, not to mention the past 7 months of this life journey. Indeed, what a ride it has been. And while I could fill up pages and pages of text with thoughts and reflections on readjustment, I have recently come to believe in the effectiveness of short and powerful messages. Practice what you preach, as they say.

In this same song, one of the verses goes on to say “I want to elevate joy to an art… see with my soul, hear with my heart.” Again the words ring so true with me- how else could I have learned so much and enjoyed life on a new level when I lived in multiple ‘worlds’ that had completely different visual appearances, cultures, and dialects of languages not to mention completely different languages!? Yes, my heart and soul were at work, and when I listened and saw through them I connected with the hearts and souls of other individuals- individuals with nothing visibly in common with me, just the goodness in their hearts and souls to make that improbable connection.

As I was reading Mitch Albom’s The Five People You Will Meet in Heaven, this internal connection we have with others became even clearer to me. He says through one of his characters, “Everybody is related to one another. You can’t separate the life of one individual from another just as you can’t separate the breeze from the wind.” (rough translation from Spanish as I’m reading it in Spanish, a valid attempt to keep up my language skills…) So as you look at the relationships you have now and the ones you will be sure to form, try to see with your soul and hear with your heart, you may find yourself connecting with people you thought you’d have nothing in common with.

Oh, and there one more thing you’re soul and heart can do for you. They may just reveal to you the secret to eternal happiness. Now admittedly, it’s not hard to enjoy one’s self while trying out new and crazy internships in historic cities or small villages, while climbing mountains or lying on the beach in some of the most beautiful country on Earth, or being introduced into the homes and lives of 3 new families! This is what I had to keep me entertained these last 7 months. Yet when I got down to the root of my happiness; when I ‘elevated my joy to an art,’ I realized that I found joy in the little things- the people I surrounded myself with, nights of great conversation and food, and simply the way I lived my life.

I stumbled across this great quote in an email of ‘daily good’ I receive (follow the link to sign up):

“If you observe a really happy man you will find him building a boat, writing a symphony, educating his son, growing double dahlias in his garden, or looking for dinosaur eggs in the Gobi desert. He will not be searching for happiness as if it were a collar button that has rolled under the radiator. He will not be striving for it as a goal in itself. He will have become aware that he is happy in the course of living life twenty-four crowded hours of the day.” --W. Beran Wolfe

Happiness is not a destination that can be discovered. However, it is what we find when our destination is discovery.

Thanks for keeping up with the blog! I plan to continue my weekly musings because, as we all know, the destination has not yet been reached and there are still more things to be discover. I look forward to keeping the conversation going!

An Amazing Adventure- The Galapagos, Amazon Rainforest, and Everything In-Between

2008-01-23T11:23:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to get some pics up real quick before I entered my final post about Ecuador. These are all from the 2 weeks following the end of my program. My parents came down to visit me and we took off around the country, seeing the famous Galapagos Islands, the Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest while staying at a secluded lodge, my place of internship at Yunguilla, the markets at Otavalo, and spending a wonderful Christmas in Qutio. It was a memorable way to depart such a wonderful country!

The Christmas celebration

It was hard to say goodbye to the people at CIMAS (where we took classes)

We went back to visit my Yunguilla families again

Amazon

Face painting!

Our guides and the rest of our group

Yep, that's a tarantula

Galapagos

You can get so close to the animals- it's amazing

The famous blue-footed boobies

Some Final Reflections on Yunguilla

2008-01-08T18:11:00.000-08:00

As I now sit in the comfort of my Minnesota home next to the warm fire, sheltered from the unbearable cold, I find it fitting to close out my thoughts on my Yunguilla adventure. A week-and-a-half back in the United States following an amazing 2 week journey with my parents around Ecuador has given me time and space to properly evaluate not just Yunguilla, but my entire Ecuador experience and the transition back to the States (both of which will be covered in a later post, stay tuned). I applaud your patience and dedication for bearing with me through this long break, and I hope you enjoy!

I left Yunguilla more than a month ago now on December 7, feeling guilty more than anything that I had not become more attached to this community. On my last day, as I signed the ‘volunteer memories book,’ if you will, I couldn’t help but peek at what some of the past visitors to the community had wrote of their experience. Phrases of ‘greatest experience of my life’ and ‘can’t wait to return’ along with ‘I have formed lifelong friendships’ seemed to litter the page, putting a sour taste in my mouth. What had I missed about this place that made it so treasured in the minds of those who had passed through before me? Was the language barrier or perhaps the cultural barrier really the source of my frustration? I was starting to think of this more as just a convenient excuse.

One of the aspects of the community I struggled with the most was the value attached to nearly every service. While the local development projects of ecotourism, etc. were a great benefit to the community, they were also apparently coming at a cost that can only really be measured in kindness. In other words, the development initiatives were taking priceless favors- especially larger ones- out of the community. In our last week in the community, we went camping with one of our better friends who is also a trained guide. Even though we have worked as volunteers in the community for 5 weeks, we are still treated like tourists and have to pay him the full guiding fee for 2 days. Later in December, I revisit the community with my parents, asking perhaps for a discount for our stay, only to receive the $25/night national rate instead of the $30 foreigner rate. These examples tear me apart because on one side of my brain, I know this community could benefit from my money more than I can and I should be glad to support their services. On the other hand, though, in my culture I tend to feel disrespected when 5 weeks of my sweat and energy is not acknowledged by a more significant gesture from the community.

Almost as a joke, on my final journey out of the community in the car of director’s vehicle, we were once again faced with the challenge of the road under construction. I was wondering if I’d ever make it out of this place, yet as I did a wave of guilt and humility swept over me. Once again, my occidental way of thinking had kicked in ever so subtly. The ‘other’- a way of life I wasn’t accustomed to, this Ecuadorian mestizo campesino culture- had suddenly become the ‘bad.’ I was realizing that maybe this inner-struggle was for the best- that is if you choose to measure the ‘good’ by the ‘learning.’

In the end, even though this cloud forest paradise may not be on the top of my list marked ‘places to revisit in Ecuador,’ it may sit at the top of my list marked ‘experiences in Ecuador with the greatest impact on my life.’ I’m not exactly sure how this growth will manifest itself in my own life, but I can already start to feel it take hold. Therefore, in all of this lies a simple lesson. Sometimes our struggles in life have hidden within them some of our greatest opportunities for growth. More generally, in every gloomy situation can be found some sunshine. Have a sunny day!

With parts of both my Yunguilla host families

Weeks 12-13: The Essence of True Happiness…

2007-12-08T06:39:00.001-08:00

Tuesday, November 20 – Monday, December 3

… is NOT money. NOR is it material possessions. These common sayings are often proclaimed by those who have never worried about meeting a basic necessity. I had also believed these things for much of my life, but wondered if I’d be as chipper without the money to buy new clothes, a variety of food, or to spend on entertainment and travel. However, my last few weeks in Ecuador clearly illustrate that happiness is not provided by money, but rather by the relationships we hold with those close to us.

As I mentioned last time, the time of Thanksgiving is always something I look forward to, and this year was no exception. In fact, it clearly outdid any of my previous Thanksgiving’s in size and scope as I gathered with my family of 150 consisting of fellow students and their families alike. And with every family bringing a dish, the quantity of food per person was unlike any Thanksgiving ever witnessed in the United States. No, this was Thanksgiving Ecuadorian-style, and you don’t want to mess with the Ecuadorians when it comes to food.

However, as I sat at the table with all the turkey, potato side-dishes, and chocolate cake that I could ever want, it was clear that these things had nothing to do with the grin on my face. As all 150 people took their turn with the mic to say a few words about what the day meant to them, I couldn’t have felt more at home. After being away from each other for nearly a month, we were all back together again, just like those families who drive hours in the light flurries to grandmom’s house to see each other for the first time in months. Yes, the food was excellent and the venue top-notch, but I would have been just as grateful if I had been served a plate of pure rice sitting in an abandoned building- as long as my new family was there to share it with me. It set the perfect stage for what was to come later in the weekend.

My Quito Family

On ‘Black Friday,’ instead of finding myself up at the crack of dawn to hit all the deals of Christmas shopping, I was on a bus with my friend Emma on my way into the jungle- the city of Tena to be exact. But this wasn’t to be your typical jungle adventure of river rafting and bird watching. Instead, we were on our way to visit another member of the family who wasn’t able to make it to the Thanksgiving celebration because of the distance (Tena is 6 hours from Quito, or 8 when you have to wait for the road to be cleared of a landslide like we did on Friday). Emily is working in a 100-person community of native Quichwas called San Jancinto. They still maintain many of their traditional cultural practices, including dances, music, and most importantly crafts.

Unfortunately, sources of work are very hard to come by in the area. There is the production of wood which is a strong source of employment, but admirably the people of this community refuse to dedicate themselves to this work at it is destroying their rainforest and environment. In the past, the community worked successfully in the cultivation of coffee beans and the price was relatively high. But in 2000, the country “dollarized,” changing over from the sucre to the US dollar. This was quite a difficult change for everyone in Ecuador working in agriculture, especially those in San Jancinto. The production of coffee was no longer worth their time.

Their houses were donated to them by the government, but are simple and without furniture besides their beds. All the food comes from the land they cultivate, but lacks in variety and therefore nutrition. Still, there is no more money to go around. For example, the community leader has started a community bank, but he told me that the families of the community are doing well to save $1 every month. Another example- we invited the host-sister of Emily to stay the night with us in our Tena hostel. That night, we also went out for pizza and the next morning for pancakes. At 16 years old, it was her first night staying away from her house and her first time trying these foods. There just isn’t any extra money to enjoy these luxuries of life.

However, this does not mean this people full of hope, energy, and kindness do not enjoy their life. Far from it. They welcomed us in to their community with a hospitality and generosity that small-town America could only dream of matching. Every person we met greeted us with a sincere smile and was eager to share their pride in their community. They planned a traditional session of music and dance- just for us- and later invited us to join them. And of course, as this is Ecuador, they fed us well. So why all this outreach just for a couple of Americans who come from a world miles away from theirs? Maybe it was because we were only the 3^rd and 4^th foreigners to ever visit the community. But more probable is that we shared something more genuine than physical surroundings or economic condition. We shared a happiness and an ability to enjoy life that didn’t depend on these things that money buys, but more importantly on the things that human interaction and relationships buys.

Please enjoy these pictures from the weekend. Only 4 weeks and 2 more posts remain for me in Ecuador. What a ride it is going to be!

Misaualli- where monkeys inhabit the town square

Week 11: The Outsider Effect

2007-12-01T06:29:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 13 – Monday, November 19
Happy Thanksgiving everybody! While I’m jealous of all the feasting I’ll be missing out of, I’m happy to say that the MSIDers will be celebrating Thanksgiving on our own. On Thursday, nearly everybody will return to Quito from their internship sites to give thanks to everything we have been able to learn and experience here in Ecuador! I’ll be sure to send my leftovers back to you. It’s ironic that as one of the most family-orientated and inclusive America Holidays approaches, I have probably never felt so alone in my life. I realize that statement will probably be misinterpreted, so allow me to explain myself…

In my first posting in Yunguilla, I briefly wrote about my feelings of resistance and even rejection by a tight-knit community in a completely different culture. Now I have surpassed that stage of acclamation by building some quality relationships through sharing the work day together, living together, or camping together (see pictures below). So why the loneliness, you ask? Actually, what I speak of is not really loneliness, but more of unfulfillment. Going off the relationships I have built in the past, in this stage of the process I am accustomed to giving and gaining a fair amount of trust and confidence.

Instead, what I’ve encountered is a subtle sense of superiority by my work partners, an unwelcoming of my ideas, a difference of treatment from one-on-one situations to large group situations, and to top everything off, a new family that couldn’t be more unfit for my situation.

Starting with the work situation, things have not gone the way I anticipated them going before I arrived in Yunguilla. Granted, I really had no idea of what I would be doing, but at least I was told that I would be able to design my own work plan. Not really so. Every day, on the other hand, is planned out from start to finish, although the plan usually changes at the beginning of the day. And while weeding and planting gardens, building trails, and clearing out grass with the machete is warmly reminiscent of my childhood on a farm, it is not exactly the academically rich and developing work I was hoping for.

Moreover, at times I have felt slightly humiliated in my work. I really have no experience working with machete or building paths with a hoe. Instead of immediately teaching me the technique by our 20-year old supervisor, I will be allowed to struggle for a while, then quickly taught the style and expected to pick it up perfectly right away. More in a joking sense than in a serious one, but still a bit uncomfortable.

In Yunguilla, like most of the Ecuadorian countryside, they have a certain way of doing things and seem scared or resistant to change. My working partner Emily and I have run into this on different occasions. We really are never asked for our opinion on work related manners, and trying to interject a suggestion is usually met with “but this is the way we’ve always done it.” For example, Emily was helping to make envelopes out of recycled paper one day when she realized the technique was inefficient and was causing the envelopes to be misshaped. When she mentioned a simple modification that would have fixed the problem, she was rejected with the aforementioned response. It is especially frustrating since both of us have experience and knowledge that could be of use to the community- more so in the area of management and coordination that in agriculture- yet we have not even been approached about what skills we might have to offer. However, I still can say that I have enjoyed working outside and taking a break from the grind of an office.

The social phenomenon of Yunguilla is something I have yet to understand. I feel like I have developed some good friendships with members of the community- most of them my age- though working together, playing cards, camping, etc. Yet I will encounter these same people on the weekends down on the soccer field or the volleyball courts, this time in a larger, tight-night group of Yunguillans, and my presence is only acknowledged with a quick hello and maybe a quick joke. I’ll express my interest in playing volleyball but won’t be invited into a game because they don’t think I can play, even though I’ve never been given the chance.

On top of all this, I found myself moving to a new family on Sunday the 18th. It’s not that I didn’t like my old family; in fact I miss them already. The thing is that Yunguilla typically moves their volunteers to a new family every 3 weeks so they can become more familiar with the entire community. I, too, was excited about this opportunity, yet it created a bit of an awkward situation with my old family because I really could have decided to stay with them for the rest of my time.

My new family, from the couple days I have spend with them, is quite friendly yet I find it hard to feel at home. It is an older couple in their 70’s living solo and my mom is short of hearing while my dad is hard to understand due to his absence of teeth. While they seem to try hard to accommodate me, I find it very lonely when the conversation is so hard to come by.

I’m hoping a 4-day weekend away from Yuguilla will give me some renewed energy and perspective in closing out this journey.

Week 10: Tomorrow is Already Very Late

2007-11-16T13:09:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 6 – Monday, November 12
In my writings, I typically try to bring a message that can be applied to all of our lives. In Ecuador, this has usually meant sifting through the many facets of cross-cultural relations and the complicated self-interpretation of cultural adaption to weave together a reflection. However, this week the message has jumped out at me from many different sources and even completely different continents. It is as simple message, and one that cannot wait for tomorrow to be heard. I hope you’re having a great day, and welcome to another week of Ecuadorian madness!

On Friday, I found myself on the Internet for the first time in over a week-and-a-half. Now, I don’t want to sound like an Internet-dependent when I say that was a long time for me, but it was my longest ‘drought’ in at least 5 years. It’s amazing the emotions that 2 work weeks of information can bring at one time. And while many messages from friends come as pleasant surprises and can leave one longing for home, it’s the unfortunate messages of bad news that not only leave you shocked and depressed, but can leave you longing even more for home, wanting to comfort those affected by the tragedy. From a close friend back in Minnesota, I was informed that one of her good high school friends had died tragically in a car accident. Although I had only met this person a few times before in my life, I felt the need and urge to be there for a close friend. Another close friend currently studying in India who was included in the email reminded us all that life is all too short and unpredictable to not take every chance to tell our friends and family that we love and care for them.

Later that afternoon, I was on my way to visit a friend at a different internship site in a town called Congahua. For the entire weekend, I was welcomed in by her family, who, despite their humble living situation, made every arrangement to ensure my comfort and enjoyment of my time with them. And while I was more than grateful for the meals they fed me and the bed they gave me, I was also feeling somewhat guilty at the same time- what right did I have to accept all these acts of kindness from people probably much less well-off than myself?

Jumping ahead to Sunday, I was fortunate to wrap up my time with the family by attending church service at their community Evangelical congregation. This was especially exciting in a predominately Catholic country and as I had only attended Catholic services up to this point. Surprisingly, the message with most impact came during the first 3 minutes of the service. The guitar player and lead singer read a beautiful passage with a similar message to that of my friend halfway around the globe. It read “mañana ya es muy tarde para…” (tomorrow already is very late to…) tell the people in our life that we love them, to give thanks for all that we have, and to do many of the other important things that matter in life. This touched me greatly, especially in light of events back home and reflection from a completely different part of the world. Through the power of God and the Holy Spirit, 3 separate worlds had been united under one simple reminder… why wait until tomorrow to do the important things that matter today? Live in the moment.

Back on the Yunguilla front, nothing new has really developed, as is to be expected in the simple life. Especially in light of the projects that many of my other friends are working on in their internships, it has been a bit of a disappointment how simple and non-academic the work here has been. Still, I keep reminding myself to live in the moment and learn as much as a can from this dynamically simple place.

I’ll leave you with some pictures of the weekend, which consisted in a double birthday party and more exploring of the beautiful, yet rainy, Ecuadorian countryside. See you in another week.

An Ecuadorian tradition at birthday parties

Another tradition- stuffing your face in the cake

Week 9: How the Simple Life Can Be So Complicated

2007-11-09T09:10:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, October 30 – Monday, November 5

Greetings from a rainy, chilly Yunguilla. Although I’m sure it’s not quite as cold here as it is where you’re reading this. Well, I definitely was on with my prediction last week of having to make another adjustment as I moved out to the Ecuadorian countryside. Everything is different out here- the living conditions, the speed of life, the food, and the general atmosphere. This change has provided yet another roller-coaster of emotions from love to hate to belonging to longing and everything in-between, sometimes within a span of just minutes. The approach to life here in Yunguilla is so very simple, yet for me the adjustment to this style of life has been complicated.

My first day in Yunguilla is a great illustration of my new style of life. First, I was introduced to my new family- a humble and compassionately kind couple with 8 children, of which only 2 still live in the house. Another 4 live in Yunguilla or the neighboring community, and those who live in Quito come back on the weekends to visit. Their massive family speaks to the big-family mentality of los campensinos (people of the countryside) and their close proximity is typical of Ecuadorians. Nearly immediately I was served my first meal, a heaping plate of rice, potatoes, and a cabbage salad. Since that meal, not much has changed- I have eaten potatoes in some form for every meal (yes, even in the soup I eat for breakfast), and the quantities my family gives me has me thinking that I appeared underfed in arriving in Yunguilla (which definitely in not true).

After leaving the dinner table completely stuffed and barely able to walk, I was to wait for one of the community leaders to stop by so we could begin on some work for the afternoon. As I settled into my room, which is actually a section of the living room partially sectioned off by the only dresser in the entire house, it began to rain. I have learned this is a quite common occurrence in the afternoon in the cloud forest. Exhausted from an early morning, I decided to take a little nap, woke up to converse with my family for an hour before eating another healthy portion of food. To my surprise, I learned my family owned a television as we sat down in one of the two bedrooms to watch one of the infamous Ecuadorian TV ‘novelas’ (basically evening soap-operas). As 9 o’clock rolled around, I felt that usual wave of tiredness sweep over me and called it a day. The community leader never came.

And so is the life in Yunguilla. Work, while an important component to the daily life, does not take precedence over family, food, or having sufficient time to relax. Nearly everything that is used in daily life has been taken off the surrounding land and little is wasted. As my host-mother told me while we were eating our first lunch together, “Out here, we live simply and without worries. None of the distractions of the big cities are present here to threaten our safety or peace of mind.” Although I have been freaked out a few times by the sounds of chickens or pigeons scratching on the door or walking on the roof at night as I read, I would have to agree with her assessment. Learning to live in harmony with the land and forget the hassles of MY usual everyday life have been some of the main lessons from my first week.

While I anticipated being exposed to these lessons before even coming to Yunguilla, I didn’t anticipate feeling so confused by them. Three and a half years of college life, work-packed summers, and action-packed vacation time really had taken its toll. I had constantly been self-motivated to keep busy, but the lifestyle of Yunguilla had left me no choice but to slow down. A week and a half without Internet! Hit-and-miss cell phone service. Waking up every morning to sights like this out your window.

Easier said than done. Seriously!

Arriving in Yunguilla the week I did was actually excellent timing on my part (not like I had a choice). First of all, Friday was the widely celebrated Latin holiday of Día de los Difuntos (Muertos). Along with the holiday, Yunguilla held a little celebration of its own on Saturday night with dancing- Yunguilla style. I was glad to be around for the weekend as it was a great introduction to large family living, the people of Yunguilla, and adjusting to being extremely outnumbered by native Spanish-speakers who are comfortable with their way life. This latter point was the source of a lot of uncomfortable situations- not being included in circles of conversation, playfully being ridiculed as ‘gringo,’ not understanding jokes or just conversation in general, and having my accent made fun of- all of which I’m glad I went through and that I now realize are part of the acclimation process. There we times when I longed for the familiarity of United States culture, the ease of the English language, and the comfort of old friends. Yet over the last few days, I have noticeably gained more confidence in fitting into the community and the community has begun to see me more as a member rather than a tourist. It is a great feeling, especially in this community so focused on enjoying the simple pleasures of life. Still, in only a five week span, there is only so much one can do to engrain into the community. I will be careful not to expend too much energy worrying about this process in a place to which I may never return.

Backtracking to Día de los Difuntos (Day of the Deceased), this holiday was quite the sight to behold. The tradition is that families will gather in the days before the holiday to make a drink called the ‘colada morada’ and a food called the ‘guaguas de pan’ (little bread loafs in the shape of babies). On the holiday, the family will eat this traditional food and visit the cemetery as a way to remember their deceased. We journeyed to Calacalí, the closest town to Yunguilla, where most of our family members were buried. The cemetery was packed with people in this town of no more than 15,000 people, all coming out to decorate their family’s gravesites, drink their colada morada, or even eat some ice cream being sold by one of the many vendors gendering around the graveyard. Surprisingly, the mood I felt was not somber or serious by any means, but rather more of a sense of obligation or tradition mixed with being carefree and happy.

Finally, a very enjoyable part of my weekend was accompanying my family or a half-day trip to the Río Verde and a wonderful waterfall where we enjoyed swimming in unwelcomingly cold water. Into three vans we packed a good 25 in number, which included 5 of the 8 children and a hefty number of grandchildren of my host-parents. Nothing out of the ordinary for them, but a lot for me to keep track of. Just like my first week in Yunguilla. Thanks for reading and have a great rest of your day!

Weeks 7 & 8: An Ecuadorian Way of Conversation and Adios a Quito

2007-10-29T08:55:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 16 – Monda,y October 29

¡Hola! Happy to be here for another week of sharing in this my final day in Quito for the next 5 weeks. Prepping to leave Quito has been quite a busy time; therefore this post covers my past two weeks of activity. The end of the ‘classes’ section of the academic program brought a few tests to take and essays to write over the past week. Additionally, it was a busy time hanging out with friends in Quito before we all go our separate ways tomorrow.

More than before, my social interactions during this time have been with Ecuadorians rather than my ‘gringo’ friends. In this sense, I have taken the opportunity to observe the fascinating aspects of Ecuadorian conversation and how it forms an important part of the Latin American culture. A few weeks ago, my Spanish professor informed our class about his perception of the priorities in conversation amongst the people here. In terms of topics of conversations, his order of popularity was as follows: 1) family, 2) food, 3) problems/issues, 4) recreation. Initially, I had a hard time believing an order like this could actually be observed or justified, but as I become more engrained into the Ecuadorian life, the culture-conversation connection is obvious.

Two Friday’s ago, I partook in what has been one of my favorite yet most simple experiences since being in the country. The host-brother of my good friend Emma, an MSID student, was truing 18 years old. Eighteen is the most important age in Ecuador, the 21 of the United States if you will, because it is the legal age to drive, vote, drink, and smoke, not to mention be considered an adult. Therefore, in true Ecuadorian style, their family was using the whole week to celebrate this momentous occasion with multiple parties and the like. Most important, though, was the surprise party that was being thrown on Friday night as more than 20 relatives were invited. I and one other friend of Emma’s had the privilege of attending as well. The night’s events not only revealed, though conversation, a cultural enlightenment of values, but were also a perfect example of the first two values in action- family and food.

Again, in true Ecuadorian fashion, the surprise party was supposed to begin at 7pm, but relatives didn’t start arriving until about 8 and the birthday boy finally showed up around 9:30. For the next 3 hours, though, spirited conversation, plenty of joking, lots of laughter, and an abundance of food defined the atmosphere. While my comprehension at times could not keep up with the rapid-fire of Spanish, I still felt like I understood more than just words.

And, of course, the big four topics all came up during the evening. First of all, how are the cousins? What about Grandma Margarita who couldn’t make it tonight? How have the children been enjoying the new school year? Even though it seemed like practically the entire family was in each other’s presence, there was no lack of family talk that night. Second, the food. How delicious is this rice! How did you ever prepare this? Third, there are always plenty of issues for Ecuadorians to talk about. Can you believe the results of the Asemblea Constituyente? Did you hear about those 8 accidents within a two hour span in Quito yesterday? Why would the government ever give in to let Santa Elena become its own providence? Finally, there’s the fun stuff: the soccer scene, travels, nightlife, and the likes.

Perhaps even more interesting, though, are the topics that are almost never discussed by Ecuadorians. In a country that is almost 95% Catholic on paper, the issue of religion is, for all intents and purposes, never discussed outside of the church walls. It is apparently a touchy subject for a lot of Ecuadorians who may be ashamed of not practicing a religion that asks for a weekly commitment to mass. Also rarely touched is the topic of work. It is very strange to her anybody talk about their career ambitions or daily work routine outside of the office, therefore marking a great difference between our way of conversation and theirs. For example, a few weeks ago my host-sister began a teaching job in 4^th grade, but when I asked my mother what subjects exactly she would be teaching, she literally had no idea.

Before even coming to Ecuador, I knew the Latin American culture was one focused on family, food, and enjoying the simple things in life. Now in coming here and actually being a part of the culture, I have seen how the ways of conversation amongst the people reflect their values in everyday life. It also becomes clear that the topics of conversation in America reflect our priorities. Sometimes, we are a culture that gets caught up in doing and doing without taking time out to enjoy some of the simpler things in life. I find it no surprise, therefore, that a lot of our conversation focuses around work and our busy daily lives.

Now, as I am preparing to leave Quito, my thoughts are most of excitement and anticipation. These two experiences will be so different that I am essentially ending one chapter of my life and starting another one. I have thoroughly enjoyed the city of Quito, but at the same time it is a major population center and therefore still hard to escape the go-go-go mentality even in this Latin America culture. Tomorrow, the readjustment process begins again. Please stay tuned.

Finally, I leave you with a few pictures from Mitad del Mundo, a popular tourist destination located, of course, on the equator. I traveled with Emma and her parents- the same wonderful family that hosted the birthday party. My travels over the past weekend also involved riding the only operating train in Ecuador which carves through the Andes and scales up the “Devil’s Nose.” With a 7 hour train ride and 10 hours in bus to get to and return from the train station, I was riding in some form of transportation for 17 hours during a 32 hour vacation! Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!

Your typical cheesy photo

Week 6: A Beachy Experience

2007-10-18T08:46:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, October 9 – Monday, October 15

Hello good friends, another warm welcome to this week’s blog. I hope you had as much fun celebrating the Independence of Guayaquil as I did. I am learning that the people of Ecuador love take advantage of any special event or anniversary by celebrating. Guayaquil is the largest city of Ecuador, and on the 9^th of October it celebrated 183 years of independence. In fact, the whole country celebrated this occasion with a “feriado,” or national holiday, later in the week on Friday. Add a World Cup 2010 preliminary qualifying game with Venezuela and you have a weekend to remember. I did my part to celebrate, heading out to the coast with what seemed like the rest of the country. It was an experience that helped experience more of the beautiful diversity- and unfortunate realities- of the country.

The place of destination was Tonsupa, a small beach town located in the providence of Esmeraldas. The feel of the region was noticeably different from the mountainous Sierra region that I am accustomed to. Everything moved at a faster pace- even on the beach where things are normally more relaxed. Vendors would hassle you more here, restaurants would compete harder for your business, and taxi drivers with empty cars would stop to ask you if you needed a ride. Clearly, the allure of the beach and the holiday weekend contributed to this sense of urgency. Surprisingly enough, though, this was not a popular ‘gringo’ (the common word for white foreigner) destination. Usually a high level of activity indicates a large number of gringos, but in this case the tourist population was natives. All this may have contributed to an unusual tension that I felt throughout the weekend.

Despite the fast-paced environment, our group still found time to enjoy ourselves through many of the traditions that come with being at the beach. Fresh seafood and coconut drinks were everywhere you turned, and you could choose to take a nap or enjoy a beer in one of the countless hammocks lining the sand. Soccer and volleyball was also a popular activity for the natives, and I didn’t mind joining in. During the night, the beach cavanas, little huts stationed in the sand, pumped out the salsa and regatón music loud enough that the beats from neighboring cavanas were impossible to distinguish as people danced the night away. Best of all, very accommodating and warm ocean water welcomes you in to enjoy the waves crashing against your body.

However, that tension I was speaking about earlier unfortunately turned into a moment of fear and frustration on our second night. Two separate incidents of muggings in our group within a 7 hour span bring perspective to some harsh realities in a sometimes too-real paradise. I was present the second time when two young adolescents- one with a broken glass bottle and the other with part of a seatbelt- approached us as we were walking back to our apartment from the beach- about a 10 minute walk. Thankfully, no one was injured in our group, but it’s an experience that leaves lasting images in your mind and weakens your trust in fellow human beings.

The most interesting part of the experience, though, was observing the reactions of Ecuadorians to the muggings. This turns out to be such a common occurrence in the country that the response of people to my story was more of commonplace or even boredom rather that surprise or concern. When others in my group told their respective host-families, the reactions were similar. Some families even jokingly poked fun at my friends. A cultural difference indeed. Even more frustrating, though, was that the first- and maybe only- question that people would ask was if the robbers were ‘negros’ (blacks). Here the present- but often denied- racism of the blanco (white) and mestizo (indigenous and white mixed) shows its ugly head. The stereotype has roots in the fact that the providence of Esmeraldas has the highest concentration of negros in the country.

On a more positive note, I have solidified my internship site over the past week. I will be serving in Yunguilla, the community of 50 families I spoke of a few weeks ago. I honestly have no idea what my work will specifically consist of, but the important thing is that there are only 2 very small offices in the village with one computer (without internet). Therefore, it will be a work experience unlike any I have had, but most importantly, an experience in living outside of the fast-paced and information-cluttered world as I have known it. It should provide for some good stories to share with you all in the future!

Until that point, take care and enjoy every moment!

Week 5: A Handshake and a Kiss on the Cheek

2007-10-10T08:57:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, October 2 – Monday, October 8

As the weeks pass here in Ecuador, the small yet profound cultural tendencies are beginning to have more of any impact on me and my global perspective. But first, very warm greetings to all of you as I hope you are having a fabulous day. The fact that I almost forgot to start off this post with salutations perfectly illustrates a simple lesson with great importance that has become clear to me over the past week. How often are we in such a hurry or have so many things of ‘substance’ to say that we forget to extend a welcome to those is our physical (or digital) presence? The importance of acknowledging the presence of someone cannot be underestimated.

In the Latin American and Ecuadorian culture, I had been told and causally observed the importance of salutations. However, in a series of visits to rural organizations as part of the ‘microfinance track’ of the academic program and in my other travels over the weekend, the act of greeting and initial conversation made a lasting impression in my mind. Throughout the daily course of life in this country, every encounter and departure with friends, family, or acquaintances involves the customary action of recognition. Between two females or a male and a female, this entails a soft hug and a simultaneous kiss on opposite cheeks. Between two males, the action is a firm handshake sometimes accompanied by a one-armed hug or pat-on-the-back.

In ‘our’ culture usually a wave or nod will do, especially in large groups. Not the case in Ecuador- at times during the past week we would be in meeting with 10 or more people when someone would walk in late, but instead of the meeting continuing without interruption, we would pause so that the individual could make their way around to greet every single person. Undoubtedly, this act sends the critical message to every person in the room that their presence is more important than whatever topic is being discussed.

Most times, the greeting is just the beginning of a longer process of acclimation and general concern over the well-being of a person. How are you doing? How’s the family? How are you handling this rainy, cold weather? (The rainy part is true, the cold part not so much…) One-word answers are generally not accepted here. I have a friend back in MN whom I wish I communicated with more because of his generally concern for a person’s state of being. It sure is a good feeling when someone is willing to take 5 minutes out of their day to listen to how your day is going with genuine concern.

This past Sunday evening, I found myself in Cotacachi, a rather small town in rural Ecuador, after returning from a five hour hike around the rim of a volcanic crater lake (see pictures below). The events that transpired that night bring light to and expand upon this aspect of Ecuadorian culture. As we returned from our excursion, I took the bit of downtime we had to explore around the town and buy some postcards. In the postcard shop, the clerk struck up a casual conversation with me that lasted for more than ½ hour. It turns out we had more in common than I would have ever expected, as she studied for two years in Richmond, VA, the city where I spent the past summer working. What’s more, she invited my friends and I over to her house after dinner!

She also recommended a great restaurant that proved to be the biggest surprise of the evening. When we entered the restaurant, there was only one other party there, but it was a group of about twenty. We came to find out that about half the group was from the US and the other half was indigenous families, and they were partaking in some kind of partnership or exchange program. After they had finished their meal, which was about halfway through ours, the music in the restaurant suddenly got louder and the whole group began to dance salsa. I must say that although the music was a little load, I was feeling the excitement as salsa has become an addiction of mine since visiting some of the salsatecos in Quito. After we finished our meal, we decided to get up and join the party, dancing and sharing in the fun for nearly 2 more hours. By this time, it was too late to go visit our new friend, but her simple friendliness and outreach had made an impact on me. It was clear Ecuadorians were a people who put conversation and valued time with others above their concerns for time and schedules. How else can you explain a group of 20 getting up after a meal and dancing for 2+ hours? Oh, and by the way, when we left the restaurant every person in our group personally gave each of the 20 the farewell custom.

Halfway around the Laguna Cuicocha

Another great highlight of the weekend was experiencing the famous outdoor market of Otavalo on Saturday. It is one of the greatest spectacles I have witnessed in Ecuador, as the night before the streets are completely empty, but by 6am the next morning, thousands upon thousands of indigenous vendors have filled the streets and plazas of the town with spectacular hand-made crafts. It is a testament to the great pride, tradition, and culture of an important ethnicity of Ecuadorian people. The picture below does not do the size of the market justice… it is probably 10 times this size!

Other fantastic sights within walking distance of Otavalo

Part of the indigenous family we stayed with as a part of our Microfinance Field Trip

With that, I wish you a very enjoyable rest of your day, and send you off with a handshake if you’re a gentleman or a kiss on the cheek if you’re a lady.

Week 4: Politics- The Same in Any Language

2007-10-03T08:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 25 – Monday, October 1

Time is passing very quickly once again… already ¼ through with my time here in Ecuador. As I have mentioned in almost every past blog, Ecuador is beginning the monumental political process of drafting a new constitution through the election of an “Asemblea Constituyente” (Constitutional Assembly). Even though it is the country’s 19^th constitution, this is a major event in history for the people of Ecuador. Fortunately, I had the opportunity to observe the election of this assembly on Sunday and witness how another country holds their elections.

Perhaps the most interesting facet of Ecuador’s political system is the obligatory vote of all legal citizens, with the exception of a few select groups such as military personnel or those with a mobility-limiting illness. Coming from a country which celebrates a 50% voter turnout, I began to consider the consequences, both positive and negative, of the mandatory vote. Surly, it promotes more widespread citizen concern in government and state affairs, but I’m not sure if this is solely a phenomenon that occurs around the times of elections. Without a doubt, I have seen a definite passion from many Ecuadorians in their discussion of politics. In addition to this, it intuitively would force potential candidates to focus on issues that pertain to all demographics, not just those who vote in strong numbers. On the other hand, there are surly those citizens with an apathetic attitude towards politics whose vote would be uniformed, thus defying the underlying principle of democracy.

The other big point of discussion in Ecuador with the obligatory vote appears to be the right to vote of illiterate citizens. I may have stated in an earlier blog that the illiteracy rate in Ecuador is 80%; luckily I was misinformed on this statistic and it is actually 15%. Nonetheless, this topic of discussion is quite controversial, especially amongst my family. Those in opposition of this right claim than illiterates, because they cannot read, do not have the ability to become informed voters and hence have a negative impact on election results because of their ‘ignorance.’ Unfortunately, it seems that many middle- and upper-class families hold this viewpoint. From my perspective, the illiterate population has resources available to become informed voters such as the television and radio. Granted these may not always be the most objective sources, but I wonder how many other voters take advantage of printed candidate info, especially with 1000+ candidates to sift through in every providence.

Another quirky thing about Ecuador’s election process is the prohibition of the public sale of alcohol in the days leading up to the election. With the election held on Sunday, the ban started on Friday morning at 12:01am and lasted until Monday at noon. And with the ban, Quito seemed to turn into a ghost town during the evenings as streets usually filled with nightlifers were vacant. The logic behind the law: ensure all citizens are in a tranquil state of mind to consciously make decisions.

Before I go any further, here is a quick overview of how the Constitution Assembly and the elections are working. In total, there are 130 seats in the assembly- 24 filled by national candidates and the rest by providential candidates (Ecuador has 22 providences, and the number of candidates per providence logically depends on its population). Between the two levels, national and local, exist approximately 35 political parties and/or movements which are called ‘listas.’ Each ‘lista’ is identified by both a name and number and is only allowed to run the as many candidates as there are available seats on the national or local level (they can’t run 40 national candidates for the 24 seats). In January, the elected assembly will convene in a new building specifically constructed for the purpose of the assembly and begin to draft the new constitution. They will have 6 months to complete the project with the option of extending it another 3.

So now on to the actual voting process, which I observed as I accompanied my family to the polls on Sunday morning. In all reality, it wasn’t that much different than the US- in fact, for my family, it was a very quick process since they all voted ‘en plancha,’ meaning all for the same ‘lista.’ And the results? Lista 35, which is the Alianza Pais group sponsored by the current President Rafael Correa, won nearly 70% of the seats in the assembly. Most Ecuadorians I have talked to are positive about the results of the election, saying it signifies the people are asking for a change. Even more important is the anticipated change will happen peacefully, which few Latin American countries have been able to achieve. The reason people are so confident in a positive change is the fact that Alianza Pais is not a mainstream political party in Ecuador; instead it was formed to sponsor the presidential campaign of Correa. Moreover, the traditional powerhouse parties in Ecuador have started to lose support in a big way. In any case, when the constitution is all said and done, it will be interesting to see if the government will have the ability to actually implement and enforce the changes proposed by the constitution- a problem currently existing in Ecuador.

However, like in any country, with politics always comes controversy and never consensus. Ecuador is no exception, with a great illustration coming right from my home. My family couldn’t have been more frustrated by the election results, claiming it shows the ignorance of the people (going back to the illiterate argument). To me, it’s amazing how people coming from essentially the same socioeconomic class and set of beliefs can hold such different opinions about politics. Sometimes, we just have to be content and let politics run its own course, not letting it affect the way we live our lives. This does not change with culture or language.

Back in the academic world, all students are now undergoing the process of selecting our internship sites, where we will spend 5 weeks starting the last week of October. The intership will allow us to experience and observe many of the facets of development that we’ve been learning about in the classroom. Simultaneously, we will be doing research and writing our ‘monografía,’ a significant research paper that will serve as our final project. I, along with one of the other two males in the program, had the opportunity to visit a potential internship site on Friday. The village is called Yunguilla, and while it is located about 1.5 hours outside of Quito it is a completely different world. Approximately 40 families comprise this community, which operates a completely sustainable community development project with 90% participation from the inhabitants. Projects include a cheese and jelly production along with a tourism business operated through student partnerships in Quito. The landscape is absolutely amazing, which you can see by the pictures below. To me, more interesting than the scenery or the development projects would be the opportunity to live in a place where community is the most important aspect of life, not to mention completely isolated conditions from the modernized world. I will probably visit another site before making a decision on where I will work, and look forward to keeping you posted on my decision.

Most of the village is visible from here

One of the thrills of the transportation to Yunguilla- riding in the back of a truck!

Week 3: The Blight of Western Consumerism

2007-09-30T15:14:00.001-07:00

Tuesday, September 18 – Monday, September 24

First of all, my apologies go out for not getting this blog up earlier. It is a testament to my new lifestyle, which usually consists of an uncontrollable feeling of tiredness which sweeps over me around 10 o’clock, making any sort of activity after this time nearly impossible. I think I underestimated the amount of energy and brainpower it takes to speak, listen to, write, and take classes in a foreign language. My college days of staying up until 2am without even blinking an eye are definitely over! In fact, my weekday routine is very reminiscing of my high school days: wake up early to get ready for school; sit in classes from about 9am – 4pm (without really too much movement in-between); return home to my family to do homework, eat dinner, and watch some television; and, of course, hit the hay early. Nine hours of sleep per night certainly has its perks!

Second, I’d like to send out a quick thank you to everybody for the happy birthday wishes. On the 18^th, I celebrated #22 and had a very enjoyable day!

Speaking of lifestyle, another theme that popped out at me over the past week was the way Western consumerism, driven of course by the United States, has impacted Ecuadorian culture in the bigger cities such as Quito and Guayquil. It is important to note that when I speak of this phenomenon, it does not apply to the greater Ecuadorian culture- I have been told and briefly witnessed the stark cultural differences that exist between urban and rural areas. Another important disclaimer to make is that when we talk about culture, the generalized statements we make surely do not imply to ever person participating in that dominant culture- there are always exceptions or varying degrees no matter the country.

Contrary to many assumptions that people may have about third-world (or developing) countries such as Ecuador, very modern cities do exist within them. Quito, with a population just short of 2 million, is a great example of such a city. For a city about 20 times as long as it is wide, the bus system is can be a bit confusing to the foreigner, but once known it is undeniably easier and more efficient to navigate than Minneapolis’ public transit system. State-of-the-art hotels, centros comerciales (malls), restaurants, and cars can bring you back for a moment to that familiar American luxury. The presence of multi-national corporations such as KFC, McDonalds, Coca-Cola, and Ralph Lauren, just to name a few, is having an effect on the way Ecuadorians consume. In fact, when walking through one of the centros comericales the other day, I felt like I was in Ridgedale, Maplewood Mall, or Mall of America with the number of American brand-name stores present.

Ecuador’s economic emphasis on privatization and free-markets over the past decades has led to the presence of a number of Ecuadorian-born corporate giants a well. For example, there are 4 major banks in Ecuador that control over 50% of the credit market yet only compose 8% of all banks in Ecuador. The result in a country with underdeveloped credit and banking regulations has been exploitation through unreasonably high interest rates, especially to the poorest of clients. Another example lies in SuperMaxi, Ecuador’s dominant supermarket chain. With this are other large retailers popping up, some argue that the infamous “Wal-Mart effect” is inevitable- meaning a lot of the small street-corner stores that make the marketplace unique will be put in jeopardy of going out of business.

Whether trends such as this are beneficial or detrimental to the economy is up for debate and not something to bore you with in this blog. However, what is interesting is how the trend of modernism, privatization, and free markets has impacted the lifestyle and culture of people living in areas of this consumerism influence. I can say this with at least some confidence because I can see how it impacts the values of my own host-family here in Ecuador. Again, I want to disclaimer that my following observations are meant to be just that- not criticisms on the way my family lives their life. In my preparation reading for living with a host family, I was given the precaution to be flexible with the set of values my family may hold and an overall more simple style of life that I was used to in America. Therefore, it has come as a surprise that the individual values held by my family have, in many ways, mirrored the values of many living in America or the rest of the ‘developed’ world.

What are these values? From my perspective, it can be a focus on consuming and owning material goods to give one’s self happiness. Or, if one gets caught in the cycle, consuming and producing can be done just for the sake of doing it. Sometimes, it’s putting things such as watching television, movies, or playing video games ahead of sharing time and conversation with family or friends. Lastly, it can be the accumulation of wealth for motives of feeling secure, powerful, or wealthy. In some way, everybody living in America or other parts of the ‘Westernized’ society has followed these values to some degree or another, not excluding me.

So how have I witnessed examples of these values here with my family in Ecuador? To start, my four-person family owns three vehicles in a city where the volume of traffic often makes it much more logical and efficient to take the bus. In my three weeks here, I’ve seen one of the cars only driven once, while the others are used more frequently. As I mentioned briefly in a previous blog, my brother is very much into racing 4-wheelers. After my father & I spent most of Saturday fixing his Susuki moto, he took it out to the rough terrain of the mountains on Sunday with a few of his friends. Before he left, I was asking him about some of the gear he was wearing. His moto: $10,000, friend’s moto: $20,000, racing boots: $500, and other gear: a couple more hundred. Finally, I would estimate that in my 3 weeks here I have watched more television than I did over the past 6 months combined (which isn’t saying much, since I rarely watch TV outside of the football and baseball season). In my house, the main TV is located in the kitchen, which also serves as the dining room. The actual dining room, which doesn’t have a TV, is usually coved with random papers and is only used for special occasions or guests. Same with the living room. When somebody is in the kitchen, the TV is always on, even as we share a meal. My host mom says it’s her companion or company, which is understandable when she’s cooking alone but hard to believe when 2 or 3 others are in the room together. Besides in the kitchen, I believe everybody has a TV in their room. The other day for dinner, I was excited to share a dinner with my brother who is usually never around in the evening (passing time with his girlfriend). Needless to say I was disappointed when my mom brought his plate of food up to his room, as I’m guessing he was occupied with watching motocross videos on his computer.

Why has this all been so strongly brought to my attention since my time in Ecuador? A big reason is the perspective I’ve been gaining from classes- some of which have focused on the ethics and philosophy of development strategies in developing countries. It’s one thing to hear about the impact of capitalism and neoliberal thinking on developing countries when you are in the United States where this lifestyle is already dominant. It’s another thing to hear a contra-capitalism perspective in a country where this style of system hasn’t exactly worked in the past. These new perspectives on development, combined with the observations of an increasingly consumerism-based culture, have caused me to ponder the following thoughts.

In our society, are we letting the role of material things replace the role of people in our life? What does it mean when a dinner with the family is replaced by a movie, or when the potential of conversation is deterred by the constant distraction of a television? When our focus is on consumption and money, how do we set our limits? When we can afford that 4^th car, we can always find a reason for needing it. Maybe we need to take a step back and ask ourselves, what is development and its impact on our societies? Surely, in Ecuador we would like a higher quality of life for those lacking the basic necessities of food, shelter, health care, and education. At the same time, do we want the ‘need’ for material things to replace our human need for interaction and true happiness? These are some questions I’ve been provoked to thinking about and I hope you would consider doing so as well.

I would like to wrap up by making it clear that by no means has the Ecuadorian culture been assimilated into that of the United States. I simply want to make the point that no culture, no matter how different, is not sheltered from the influences of other cultures. Ecuador is a completely different in many respects, and I will continue to elaborate upon this in future posts. In fact, one example of this occurred on Sunday the 23^rd, when I had the opportunity to participate in Quito’s Ciclopaseo with my father and sister. Every other Sunday in Quito, a route of roads from north to south is completely shut off to traffic so that cyclists can enjoy the open road and all the spectacles of the city. What better way to pass a Sunday than with friends, family, and fellow residents all enjoying the diversity of the city, its high volume of interaction and activity, and the beautiful views of the Andes. Even in a metropolitan area where it is easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of daily life, it is refreshing to know that so many Quitoians (not sure if that’s the proper term) take time to enjoy life and their city. Below are some photos from the journey.

On Friday the 21^st, I also got to experience another spectacle of Quito, the Telefériqo. It is a tram built up the side of the Mount Pinchincha and climbs over 1000 meters in just 10 minutes. From the top, we hiked about another 4 hours to the near summit of this mountain. The whole journey offers spectacular views of the city and of the surrounding landscape.

Week 2: Preguntas

2007-09-19T13:59:00.000-07:00

Tuesday, September 11 – Monday, September 17

As is expected in any extreme cultural adaptation, an initial excitement and love for the culture is usually followed by unending and sometimes unanswerable questions. My second week in Ecuador definitely fit this generalization. In a country with so many aspects to be celebrated, it is hard to accept many of the ironies and realities that come about in daily life. This is what I found myself struggling with over the past week (not to mention the inevitable sickness that came over the weekend but is thankfully now gone).

Every day as I go through my normal progression of activities I am faced with these questions. As I walk to class every morning I pass by the same fruit stand, and every day the same 8 year old boy is there helping his mother. Why isn’t this boy in school, I ask? Then I start to piece together some of the things I have been learning- judging by his mother’s style of dress, he probably comes from an indigenous family. Like many other native peoples, they have probably resorted to abandoning their Andean culture in a small community to come to the bigger city for a better economic opportunity. Not until the last Ecuadorian constitution of 1998 were indigenous and Afro-Ecuadorian peoples granted equal rights to the mestizo and blanco races of Ecuador. Nonetheless, the indigenous and black communities have faced oppression since 1492 and the ‘discovery’ of American by you-know-who. Their ancestors have been treated like animals, considered to have no soul and therefore inferior because their language, religion, and overall way of life was not ‘civilized.’ And so now you can begin to put the pieces into place… like 80% of all Ecuadorians, this mother is probably illiterate; therefore, lacking the savvy and foresight to put her son in school, especially since she needs help at the stand. And so now you can begin to see how one simple question has opening up a whole story of understanding- understanding of a history of a people’s hurt, oppression, and sadness, yet an unwillingness to give up their roots.

Just as I pass by the fruit stand, I encounter a short tree that’s been lopped off 2 feet from its base. The tree has been like this for the past 4 days now. Why doesn’t somebody clean it up? All the while I have been walking by spare litter, with an occasional heap shoved in a street corner somewhere. I must plug my nose as I pass by. Why doesn’t somebody clean it up? Now I’ve come to a rather busy street that I must cross, which is a complicated and usually dangerous activity in Quito. Here, the pedestrians have no rights so you must be opportune and sneaky in your strategies. As I slither my way behind a bus in one lane and a taxi in the other, I mistakenly inhale a mouthful of pollution. But it’s not just these two vehicles, it’s every one. Why doesn’t anybody care about the cleanliness of the air they’re breathing? And so now you can see how some questions cannot so easily be answered.

Finally I make my way onto the bus, which only slows to a crawl for me to hop on. I haven’t sat down but for one minute when two street venders pop on the bus, walking up and down the aisle with their breath mints & gum or daily newspapers. Why are they allowed to get on and off for free? I wonder how much they make selling a pack of mints for 25 cents. Later in the week I’m on a coach bus on the way out of town to a place called Baños. Surely there won’t be any interruptions on this ride like on the city buses. Well, actually there were more. There was the typical up-and-down the aisle display and yell technique along with a new bus selling strategy I had never seen before. At least three people employed what I would call the true salesmen strategy- pitching a product for at least 5 minutes, allowing the customer to explore and test the product, and finally complete the sale. There was the man I thought was a representative of the bus company by the way he introduced himself, but instead was selling magnetic bracelets of which he elaborated upon the health benefits for a good 15 minutes. I’d estimate 20 of the 40 people on the bus purchased one for $2. Another man took his time in the spotlight selling candies, but instead of speaking about their health benefits he was giving the captive audience a heartfelt testimony of the difficult living situations of his family. Is his being sincere? If so, how can I justify giving money to him and not the hundreds of other beggars and street children who have approached me? And so now you can start to see how it is hard to ask some of these questions. It’s easy to feel guilty refusing sales to three children- one selling shoe-shines for 25 cents and another mints for 5-on your walk to buy a $45 cell phone that you really don’t need.

My objective in asking these questions is not to criticize a country or its culture. It is just the opposite- to gain a better understanding and to learn the most from my experiences which is all I can ask for here in my time in Ecuador. In our classes, we’ve been talking a lot about a Western definition of development and the Western way of thinking. In our style of living, it is very popular to divide concepts into binaries where one half of the pair is good and the other is exactly the opposite. The lesson I’ve learned from this is to conceptualize every new question or concept I encounter not as good vs. bad, beneficial vs. detrimental, but with humility and an overarching goal of understanding. I’m finding it’s a refreshingly humiliating and enlightening way to view the world.

As I mentioned above, my weekend consisted of a trip to a town called Baños with some good friends from the program. Baños is a beautiful city set in the mountains and known for its natural hot spring baths, hiking and biking paths, rafting, or any other outdoor adventure you could desire. We did a little hiking, biking, and relaxing in the hot springs at night to relax. Here are the pictures to prove it. We’ll see you next week!

Bridge jumping! Although I didn't partake

Yep, I fell by the waterfall

Week 1: Ecuador- un país demaciado diverso y rico en su cultura

2007-09-12T11:30:00.000-07:00

Ecuador! Finally I have arrived in this beautiful country so rich in its cultural, environmental, and political diversity. My first week has consisted of so many activities that I will not be able to completely capture in this entry. Nonetheless, my overall feelings have been as varied as Ecuador’s landscape- ranging from awe and disbelief at sights I could only previously imagine, to happiness and jubilation with time spent with my new family and fellow students, to being overwhelmed and wore out by living in a foreign environment and having to constantly speak, think, and understand in a new language.

Now that I am here, I find it interesting just how little is known about this country and the mega-diversity it boasts. Off the top of my head, here are a few fascinating facts about this country similar in size to Nevada:

· Altitudes in Ecuador range from 0 – 20,700 ft. above sea level.

· The country boasts three distinct regions: the hot and humid coast of the west, or “La Costa;” the variable and mountainous Andes in the center, or “La Sierra;” and the tropical and nearly uninhabitable rainforest of the east, or “El Orriente.”

· Ecuador has more species of plants, mammals, birds, amphibians, etc per square kilometer than any other country in the world.

· Ecuador is one of the only countries where the equator is easily accessible by humans.

· There are 34 official political parties or movements in Ecuador.

· In its history Ecuador holds 18 different constitutions. The process of drafting the 19^th will begin after elections on September 30.

Without a doubt, the most difficult yet at times most rewarding part of the experience so far has been the acclimation and use of Spanish in every activity. Even though I have studied the language for eight years and consider myself to have conversational skills, the task of concentrating on the language for 24 hours a day has been more draining than I expected. This aspect of the experience has made me realize just how much we as human beings rely on our language as we carry out our lives on a daily basis. I have already struggled on many occasions with not being able to express myself according to my own will with my family, professors, etc. Yet however frustrating the lack of comprehension can be at times, it is usually replaced with feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment when I hold a successful conversation or understand a complicated set of instructions from a professor.

Being in Ecuador by itself is fantastic, but making it even more enjoyable are the aspects of MSID study abroad program in which I am partaking. While academic learning is a strength and objective of the program, it is clear that cultural integration and understanding is the fundamental focus of our time in Ecuador. All of our classes and activities are coordinated by Fundación de Cimas; therefore the 26 student s of the program have all of our classes together. All the staff of Cimas is extremely friendly and helpful in helping us get the most out of our experiences.

While there are many aspects to the MSID study abroad program that are fantastic, the part that I have enjoyed the most so far is living with a family. It is an amazing cultural experience and an excellent opportunity to better my language skills. The biography of my family is as follows: my father Carlos works as civil engineer for the government of Ecuador, my mom Facita is a stay-at-home housewife, my sister Karla is a 22-year old recent graduate of a local university’s culinary program, and my 20-year old brother Michael is a current student who enjoys racing 4-wheelers and motocross. The culture here is definitely one focused on touch and relationships, so it has been very easy to integrate into the lives of a family even with a partial language barrier and less than one week’s time.

With all the great things to my experience so far, it has been easy to forget why I am here to study in the first place. Ecuador is a developing country currently undergoing the controversial process of modernization and increasing consumption. Sometimes it is easy to forget this when walking through the streets of Quito and seeing men dressed in suits on their way to work and shopping centers dominated by American retailers. Quito is a modern city with a very well-off middle-upper to upper class, yet with the progressivism comes harsh conditions of poverty unrecognizable by US citizens. Trash often lines the streets and children as young as 8 years old beg for money or offer to shine your shoes just for a few cents.

These are the contrasts and the ironies we will have to face as we move forward in our discussion of development, its ethics, and its consequences- both good and bad. These are not easy issues to face, especially when one is living and breathing the supporting evidence to both sides of the argument on a daily basis. Yet I look forward to living out this debate through classes in life in a metropolitan commercial center and later when I begin a grassroots internship in a more rural and consequently much different environment in less than 2 months.

For now, I will leave you with some pictures taken during different excursions throughout the past week and weekend. The first stems from a city tour given to us by Cimas where we spent most of our time learning about Quito’s centro historic (historic center). In this the oldest part of town the streets are narrow but the plazas are large and magnificently crafted churches seem to appear at every corner.

The next is from a group trip organized by Cimas out to San Miguel de los Bancos, a small city located on the equator about 2 hours from Quito. Here we resided at an amazing resort, enjoying terrific amenities and amazing views of the Andean landscape. There were also many informative tours focusing on the biodiversity of the area and the unique forces created by being at the exact center of the earth.

The forces of the equator being demonstrated

Fernando, our much beloved guide!

The final is from other explorations in Quito- including an excursion up a large hill to a statue called the Virgin of Panesillo with magnificent overlooks of the city.

An exhibit of Andy Warhol in Quito... go figure!

Goin' back to Minny

2007-08-27T22:09:00.000-07:00

Note: I have posted my last two entries within an 8 hour span. Please scroll down to Week 11's posting if you have not yet seen it.

25 hours in a car. It sounds like something most people would dread, but this three-day journey from Richmond to Minneapolis turned into one of the most enjoyable stretches of summer. Kari, Timmy & I embarked on 3 capital cities, 4 college campuses, a brief moment of fame on the radio, and, of course, food, friends, and fun. Now back in Minneapolis, I am trying to balance my time between spending time with family, catching up with friends, reflecting on Richmond, and preparing for Ecuador.

The first day of our road trip extraordinaire took us through a beautiful stretch of country in the Appalachian Mountains. We made a rainy stop in Charleston, WV for a tour of the capital square. It was a surprisingly pleasant experience in a state that was once called the ‘bastard child of a political rape’ by a former governor of Virginia. That evening we arrived in Milan, IN and the home of Debbie, the lady who had hosted me on my journey out to Richmond. We had a wonderful home-cooked meal and all relived the memories of our previous visits to Milan on the Pay it Forward Tour.

Speaking at the governor's podium

The next morning we headed up to Oxford, OH and the campus of Miami University. Here I had a few friends that I met back in January on a crazy road trip called the Campaign For Community (see www.campaignforcommunity.com). One such friend was Denny, a faculty member with some sort of fancy title, but more importantly a great guy who loved to connect people. Together with my college-aged friend Meredith and a few of Denny’s other friends we shared lunch and later toured the beautiful campus.

Our next stop was Indianapolis, IN for a last second addition to our itinerary. The previous night we learned that Debbie’s daughter Kendra had just moved onto the campus of Indiana University Purdue University- Indianapolis (IUPUI). Back in June, I had attended Kendra’s graduation party on my stop in Milan, and ironically the Wednesday that we visited her in Indy was her first day of class. Along with her three roommates (all from Milan) we walked to downtown from her apartment. I was quite impressed with downtown Indianapolis, especially the special monument that was erected in the very center and then surrounded by skyscrapers. While walking around Monument Circle, we were approached by a man who introduced himself as John Counts from AM 1070. He was simply visiting with people around downtown and recording the conversations to broadcast on the air shortly after. Since Tim, Kari, & I were all sporting University of Minnesota garb, he had reason to approach us. Consequently, we shared our story of why we were in Indianapolis and gave our opinion of the city, all in a lively and humorous fashion. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to reach a radio by the time the segment broadcast.

Havin' a good time on the radio

After a couple hours spent at IUPUI, we headed another 2.5 hours to Normal, IL for our night at Illinois State University. With corn fields surrounding nearly every road leading in and out of the city, there’s no wonder the city is named Normal; however it was the people we saw and our timing that made this stop anything but normal. We stayed with Phil & Casey who had just moved into a beautiful new apartment. The next morning, they invited us to participate in a service project of helping setup from ISU’s big Festival where all the student groups attempt to promote their activities for the upcoming year. Getting up at 6:30, we worked hard for a few hours and were rewarded with some fine t-shirts.

The entire ISU crew

Planning to be in Minneapolis by midnight, we made a quick stop for lunch in Chicago with our friend Mike. Our plans to stop and visit in Elgin were ruined by some severe weather, so it was onto our final stop in Madison, WI to drop in on our friend Carli’s potluck dinner. She was gathering all her high school friends up for one last time this summer before moving back to the U of M campus on Friday. We happened to enjoy all the food without even bringing our own dish!

As we entered back into Minnesota and eventually Minneapolis, I had the immediate sensation that I was home again- no question about it. It was definitely a feeling of comfort and familiarity- something that was difficult to come by over the past 3 months. However, this next week will be anything but relaxing as I prepare myself for what will be the most challenging and unfamiliar experience of my life. Luckily, I also anticipate it to be one of the most rewarding and memorable, and my excitement and anticipation keeps growing by the day!

This will be my last post until I am in Ecuador, so look for something around the second week in September! Have a great Labor Day weekend!

Week 11: A Final Goodbye

2007-08-27T15:53:00.001-07:00

Note: This entry covers Monday, August 13 through Monday, August 20- my last day in Richmond.

My last week in Richmond was undoubtedly the most memorable, emotional, and eventful of my entire summer. It was highlighted by guests ranging from Alabama to Minnesota, a new temporary home and roommates, visits to some of the most historic and beautiful places in Virginia, and, of course, saying goodbye to Boaz & Ruth and all my friends. It was a bittersweet moment, but the longing and the letdown of leaving such amazing people and places was lessened by anticipation for Ecuador.

This week I made the most of my evenings, spending time with friends for perhaps the last time (hopefully for only a couple years). It was a strange feeling because I had put so much time and energy into developing these friendships that now needed to be ended rather abruptly. Obviously I knew these days would come, but nothing could prepare me for seeing people for what may have been the very last time. It was difficult to tell people I wasn’t sure if or when I’d be back. Interestingly, I believe the timing of my journey to Ecuador will keep my mind off my Richmond friends. It won’t be for another 4 or 5 months until I truly discover the extent to which I miss these folks.

On Monday evening, I got out on the golf course for the first time with my buddy Dan, which justified bringing my golf clubs and storing them in my room the entire summer! Tuesday was also a memorable night, as it was the last one that Kevin & I spent in our apartment. Two of our apartment neighbors- Jess & Courtney- cooked us a wonderful pork roast dinner which interrupted a very late evening of moving and cleaning. I moved into a house on the east side of Richmond with another Boaz & Ruth intern and his three roommates. I brought with me John from Alabama, who had been staying with me since Saturday night. Wednesday evening consisted of dinner and a movie with a friend, and Boaz & Ruth brought the Highland Park community out on Thursday evening as they enjoyed a catered meal and watched fellow community members perform in the Discovering Diamonds Talent Search.

Our neighbors Courtney & Jess

On Friday, the moment I had been waiting for since mid-July finally came, as my friends Kari & Tim flew into Washington D.C. However, earlier in the day it was looking like I was not going to be able to drive up there unless I scrambled to borrow a friend’s car. On my way to work that morning, my car’s transmission began to fail, refusing to shift out of first gear. So unless I wanted to put along at 20 mph and take 6 hours each way to D.C., I needed to look for other options. Even more fearful was the fact that I was about to make a 1500 mile journey in only 4 days, so this problem had to be taken care of ASAP. Alternative options like renting a car or even buying a new one were not looking too favorable. Thankfully, the third transmission specialist I called could actually see me that day, so I putted on over to their shop for an inspections. To my delight and surprise, the transmission would not need to be rebuilt and I would not need to shelf over a couple thousand dollars; instead a simple switch had gone bad and they had a used replacement part that they did not even charge me for. So for $40 in labor, I escaped what could have been a major disaster!

When my friends finally arrived safely, we had a weekend to remember. We got to see and experience fascinating things that I had not yet seen myself in the Richmond area. Saturday was a complete day of adventure in the Charlottesville area- only 70 west of Richmond. The day started off at Monticello, the home and plantation of Thomas Jefferson. The house itself is planted atop a large hill just outside of the city and offers over 65 miles of views to the east and west horizon. It was a wonderfully peaceful and enchanting place filled with magnificent gardens just as Jefferson had them in his day. The most memorable part of our visit was a guided walking tour of plantation life on Jefferson’s slave community. Our tour guide David was extremely insightful, explaining that Jefferson had reservations against slavery, yet still owned slaves because it was the economically and culturally viable thing in the south. Another irony pointed out by David was the fact that the author of the Declaration of Independence and believer in all it stood for actually owned slaves, an action that obviously contradicts much of the language in that document. He stated that Jefferson owned over 200 different slaves throughout his life and made improvements to their living conditions for both humanitarian reasons and economic reasons- healthier slaves meant longer life spans, more productivity, and more offspring. Because Jefferson kept such good records, he also gave the personal accounts of a few select slaves. There was one woman who toiled for 15 hours a day, 6 days a week in Jefferson’s fields until Jefferson passed away and all his slaves were put up for sale to pay off his massive debts. This woman was 55 years old, no longer capable of bearing any children and limited in the work she could do; therefore a value of $0 was placed on her at the sale- her life was worth absolutely nothing.

Tamara showed us the gardens

David told us about the plantation life

After Monticello we drove further west for hiking in the Blue Ridge Mountains in a place called Sugar Hollow. We saw spectacular scenery and even stumbled upon a natural pool where we jumped off 10-foot high ledges murky, chilling water. Later in the evening, we enjoyed the quaintness of the University of Virginia and a meal along Charlottesville’s downtown mall.

Sugar Hollow

UVA

Sunday was spent seeing more of Richmond and introducing Tim & Kari to a lot of my new friends. The most interesting aspect of our day was a visit to the Museum & White House of the Confederacy. The fact that a museum even exists to honor and remember this part of history in our country is a bit strange, but in the old capital of the Confederacy, nothing is out of the question. Along with learning about the Civil War from a heavy southern perspective, we enjoyed a tour of the home of Jefferson Davis when he was President of the Confederate States of America. Just like at Monticello, the tour guide is what made this tour memorable, but not in the same impressive fashion. This guy was much too memorized and rehearsed, completely changing his tone of voice when having to improvise the answer to a question. He spoke of the people who helped reconstruct the condition of Davis’ home as being ‘sympathetic to the Confederate cause’ and at multiple points described Davis as the ‘President of a nation.’ I left this place feeling confused and wondering how much longer this place would last. It has already survived over 100 years, so anything is possible in Richmond.

Not surprisingly, the hardest part of departing Richmond was saying goodbye to my friends and memories at Boaz & Ruth. I will have more time to reflect on my accomplishments and growth as a whole over these upcoming weeks, but I left feeling nothing short of spectacular in my decision to intern there. The biggest challenge in leaving will be staying in touch- more of a challenge than with other friends outside of the organization. This is because the typical ex-convict in the program is not exposed to the normal methods of communication that a young adult has. Many of my closest friends don’t have a cell phone or an email address they check consistently or even at all. And the few addresses I did get are almost certain to change in the near future because of the volatile living situations of these folk. Even worse is the stark reality that the negative influences in their lives could come back without warning- such as a relapse into an addition or re-arrest and imprisonment. Unfortunately, there are no guarantees in life, which is especially true for the urban poor.

On my last day, Monday, I tried my best to give Kari & Timmy a full immersion into Boaz & Ruth and what exactly my summer consisted of. As they attested to, the only way to truly understand this dynamic and sometimes chaotic organization is to visit. As they did, it’s spending time packing books into boxes with Doug, sitting in on class focusing on the obstacles to employment facing ex-offenders, or stepping onto the construction site of the historic firehouse and hearing the pride in Melvin’s voice as he describes this project that begins to reveal the Boaz & Ruth experience.

Melvin describing the work being done on the Firehouse

Corrie, another intern at Boaz & Ruth

There are many more final reflections I have to give on Boaz & Ruth, which I will post over the next week in a reflection paper that I intend to write on my experience. Please stay tuned for that.

As I look back, my final night in Richmond could not have been spent in any better way. I gathered up a bunch of my friends, which came from about 3 or 4 different social groups, and attended a Richmond Braves minor league baseball game. Even the gloomy and hazy skies could not dampen the spirits of everyone as we endured the Braves losing in 12 innings. I could not have left with a better memory than the one of all my friends, most of whom knew less than 1/3 of the 15 or so in attendance, enjoying the company of everyone who was there.

Tuesday morning will kick off the road trip of the century- a 3-day grand tour that will cover 8 states and bring Kari, Timmy, and I in contact with long-distance friends and unforeseen adventures!

Week 10: A Frenzy of Activity

2007-08-12T21:09:00.000-07:00

Good day! I sure have been cherishing these last few days of summer in Richmond- I can’t get over how fast the time has gone! Only one week remaining in Richmond, and what a week it will be. There will be lots of spending time with friends for the last time, not to mention friends visiting from Minnesota for what is sure to be a weekend for the ages. However, I do not to overshadow the week that has been, as it was memorable but passed quickly because of how busy things have been.

Especially at Boaz & Ruth, things are busier for me than they have been all summer. My attempts to finish many of the projects I have been working on throughout the summer, combined with a few new projects, has left me little time to even stop to think during the day. Luckily, that’s the way I like it. One of the most exciting pieces of the week was being heavily involved in the interview process for potential interns. Conducting interviews over the phone and evaluating applicants was a new and valuable experience for me. It is just another example of how much responsibility and trust is placed with all the interns at Boaz & Ruth. I believe this, more than anything, has pushed me to grow both personally and professionally.

One of the most enjoyable parts of the week was the “Intern Bash” we held at Martha’s (Founder & CEO) house on Monday. Most of the B&R summer and year-long interns gathered with some staff and volunteers for swimming, food, and fellowship. Martha prepared a family recipe that has been around since the time of the Native Americans- a pork roast baked covered in about 10 pounds of salt! Once cooked, the roast was removed from the salt, leaving a hollow space surrounded by the still-ridged shell of salt. It was quite a sight to behold!

At this party, and in just general conversations about leaving, I have come to realize just how hard it is going to be to leave Boaz & Ruth. For many reasons, it seems like saying goodbye there will be even harder than leaving more developed friendships outside of the organization. One, the lives of those at B&R are more fragile and unpredictable than others, and for that reason I can’t be sure that I’ll ever get to see some of these folks again. Second, many of these people don’t have cell phones or email, so I will be harder to stay in touch. Finally, no matter where I go, I’ll be able to make friends like those I made outside of B&R, but the opportunity to develop relationships with others from such a diverse and unique background may not present itself so readily in the future.

Another one of the joys of the week has been welcoming John into our apartment for the week. John is the boyfriend of Laura, one of my good friends in Richmond, and is visiting from Birmingham, Alabama for the week. He will be leaving Richmond to go back to UNC-Chapel Hill. I am excited to get to know him and talk to him about his summer, which he spent in Peru with an organization that does microfinancing and lending to the poor. This is very similar to what I’ll be studying and learning about when I’m in Ecuador.

Speaking of Ecuador, I am growing anxious and excited for my next adventure. I am glad to be going there right after my Richmond experience because it has given me something to look forward and will make the departure from Richmond less bittersweet. In preparation for speaking Spanish, I have been trying to expose myself to more of the language on a daily basis by reading Ecuadorian newspapers or listening to Spanish radio stations. Another great experience for me was speaking Spanish for an entire meal with a friend who had studied a semester each in Panama and Mexico!

As if all that wasn’t enough to fill a week, I had quite the weekend becoming even more familiar with the intricacies and history of Richmond. Saturday morning, I strapped on my roller blades and headed for Hollywood Cemetery a few miles down the road. So why would I ever be excited about visiting a cemetery, you might ask. Well, besides the fact that President Monroe, President Tyler, and Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederate States of America) are buried there, I heard it was quite a spectacle to see with views overlooking the downtown skyline and the James River. And indeed, it was a spectacle not only for the views it provided, but also for the magnificent and unfathomable marble tombs , monuments, and headstones that covered the rolling landscape. I never thought I’d be so in awe and at peace in a cemetery of all places!

Jefferson Davis

A 90 foot pyramid commemorating the Confederate soldiers

President Monroe

President Tyler

The afternoon on Saturday was also an event I had been looking forward to for quite a while- the wedding of two Boaz & Ruth graduates. In a sort, simple, and beautiful ceremony, Geraldine and Kelvin tied the knot after meeting at Boaz & Ruth just over two years ago. Everybody was in their best attire for the occasion!

Kelvin & Geraldine

Albert & I

Kevin & I

Block & I

Finally, Sunday afternoon was the much awaited Watermelon Festival in the Carytown restaurant and shopping district of Richmond! A nearly 8-block stretch of Cary Street was blocked off and packed with vendors and mobs of people, not to mention countless watermelon stands where you could buy a small cup of watermelon cubes for $1. Sights of cucumbers and pronto pups on a stick, along with oppressive sun and heat, were particularly reminiscent of the Minnesota State Fair.

My friend Kathryn

Street Performers

Well, like I said, this upcoming week is going to be a fast and fitting end to my time in Richmond. I will be sure to keep you all informed! Have a stellar week!

Week 9: Hitting Full Stride

2007-08-05T19:44:00.000-07:00

This week was unlike any other in Richmond- it was memorable and joyous not because of any special trips or events, but because of the feelings that come with being truly accustomed and acclimated to a situation. This does not mean that I consciously felt uncomfortable or unfamiliar in my journey before this week, but I believe that subconsciously there was a piece of me still feeling like an unbelonging foreigner. This may just be a part of the natural cycle of emotions that one goes through when becoming acquainted to new surroundings (I recall the same feelings my freshman year of college).

Ironically, these feelings are coming in the wake of my apartment being turned into a barren landscape. Mike, the guy who I am subletting from, moved all his furniture out a week ago, leaving me nothing but a borrowed air-mattress in my room, and nothing but a single chair, computer, and computer desk in our living space. The heat has also been oppressive lately, causing me to seek other oasises of air conditioning where I can read and write. Tonight I am enjoying the studious atmosphere at one of VCU’s libraries.

Couches are gone

So is my bed, desk, and dressers

All we're left with in a computer

In addition to feeling more “at home” in Richmond, I reached a point at Boaz & Ruth where the intricacies and inter-workings of the organization are finally becoming familiar to me. I never would have envisioned a nine month process of acclimation, but with a client base as unpredictable as ex-offenders, a high staff turnover, and a multi-faceted program it is understandable why it has taken so long. Now, I am prepared for, or at least insensitive to, the low-points in a day that used to take more of a toll on me. I am learning more a more about the way a criminal lifestyle affects behaviors and thought processes, for some even after they have moved passed the low points in their life. This understanding has come with increased one-on-one time with apprentices.

For example, I interviewed Melvin for about 2 hours on Monday for a fundraising appeal letter I was writing in which I was going to use his story. While he wouldn’t go into too much detail about his specific criminal activity, he mentioned repeatedly how he felt like he was “outside of his mind and looking back at himself” while he was committing the crimes. It was almost as if this removed mental state was what allowed him to justify his actions. Later, we stopped by the DMV so he could determine the accumulation of fines and tickets he needed to pay off before pursuing his license again. The total was well above $2000, mainly due to a night, as he recalls, which involved at least 10 police cars chasing him. Knowing Melvin as I do now, I could not imagine him as even a petty criminal, which is why his “out of mind” theory strikes a chord with me.

On Tuesday evening, I got the chance to spend a few hours with Doug as we working together on a side-job of moving some furniture that he had lined up. Douglas is a spirited and hard-working individual, so I was happy to help him out and make a few extra bucks while I was at it. At the same time, he can be sneakily manipulative, often calling on me to help him rearrange furniture in the store during the workday when plenty of others without work to do are sitting around. He claims it is because I help him out without complaining, while everybody else makes a big deal about him telling them what to do. I could see this side of him come out again on Tuesday. Since we were charging by the hour, he told me that we should, “work real hard in the beginning to show her that we weren’t messing around, and then milk the clock a little at the end.” Whether this is just part of Doug’s personality or a result of his criminal background, I don’t know. In fact, I’m not entirely sure these things are separable once one becomes a criminal.

A while ago, Melvin told me I should treat my experience at Boaz & Ruth as an opportunity to observe the interaction of “all these criminal minds.” While I don’t often think of my internship in this regard and I try to look past the negative history of these people’s lives, it does help to take a step back at times and remember the tendencies of those I work with.

Surprisingly, that’s about all I have to write on this week. My weekend was pretty uneventful minus two concerts I attended- Nickel Creek and The Black Crowes. In fact, it was good to have time to relax by sleeping in until noon and to attempt to stay cool in the stuffy apartment. I am recharging for what should be an incredible sprint to the finish, which now only lies two weeks away.

Week 8: A Tale of Two Worlds

2007-07-30T16:51:00.001-07:00

Hi everybody! I am just settling down after a whirlwind week in which I reached a southern suburb of DC, the Chesapeake Bay area, and the Blue Ridge section of the Appalachian Mountains in western Virginia. Besides a week of extreme adventure and fun, it was a time where the world of Boaz & Ruth and the surrounding community was particularly contrasted with the world of privilege and comfort outside of B&R.

For the most part, the week at Boaz & Ruth was enjoyable and filled with learning opportunities. I kicked off the week on Monday morning by teaching my second class ever. The class was centered around evaluating the performance of a recent move performed by the moving company which was a 440 mile round trip and required 4 separate truckloads. We particularly wanted to evaluate the move from a business and financial standpoint. It was great to see everybody thinking from a business perspective and apply the lessons of this case study to their own businesses. This was the first step in what will hopefully be a few intense weeks of working with all the different businesses on improving their business practices. More classes and meetings will follow in the weeks ahead.

Boaz & Ruth witnessed another casualty, so to speak, in its manpower over the last week. Randy, who was an intern/volunteer from VCU and was working on developing the job placement capabilities of B&R, resigned midweek. Randy, in his 50’s, was himself an ex-felon and was deeply passionate about the B&R mission, or so it seemed. Therefore, his resignation came as a surprise to me as he never would show frustration or anger with his work situation. At the weekly intern meeting later in the week, we described the high turnover of personnel at B&R as “God’s way of pruning the Boaz & Ruth tree.” To me, this seemed like a convenient explanation to sidestep a growing problem within the organization. The turnover will be even more remarkable when a group of six interns leave over the next month. So far, only one intern replacement is committed; he will start this Wednesday. This means that of the 16-or-so staff and interns that were at B&R when I started, only about 8 will be left when I leave. This is both a great challenge and opportunity for the organization!

I also experienced the personal struggle of an apprentice at B&R in a more real way then ever before. Jerome, who has been at B&R for a little over 6 months, had started to relapse into an alcohol addition that he had avoided since being out of prison. My first impression of Jerome was a man who had a very hard shell- who was set in his ways and invincible to the temptations of society. As I have gotten to know Jerome better, I have found him to be more of an honest, even innocent individual than I originally thought. He has struggled through a number of different things since being at B&R- a housing transition, the lack of money for basic necessities, and not getting along with fellow program participants. For this reason, my roommate Kevin, and myself to a lesser extent, had befriended Jerome like no one else except for maybe his immediate family. Therefore, I was concerned when Jerome looked very distressed on Wednesday. Later, he told me that some of his problems with alcoholism had returned and he was afraid it would lead him on a path back to jail. His psychological condition became so tumultuous that Kevin & I had to drive him to the Richmond Crisis Center for a counseling session on Thursday afternoon. It was difficult to see a man who had already gone through so much hardship to struggle like that. In a way, I felt helpless because I am not a psychologist and I had no way of understanding his situation, but at the same time, by Kevin & I being there for him and just listening was a big difference maker for him.

During the week, I also made a few journeys outside the office to learn from experts in the nonprofit sector. I always love taking advantage of these opportunities to network with others who work in the sector and to hear experts talk about Board governance and nonprofit accountability (I know, I’m special). On Wednesday, I made the journey up to Falls Church, VA (just south of DC) with fellow interns Josh & Kevin to a luncheon on social entrepreneurship. The event was hosted by the formed governor of Virginia Mark Warner and included a panelist discussion with some locally revered nonprofit icons. At $150/plate (paid for, thankfully, by Boaz & Ruth), the event was definitely a high-profile one. However, the price tags on made-for-nonprofit events like that really get me wondering. When nonprofits are already scrapping for money, is it just to charge so much, even if the event is professionally catered and includes individuals whose time is worth a lot of money? I’d like to think that sometimes everybody could agree to put on a cheaper event for the betterment of the nonprofit sector, but I have come to learn that the world does not always work that way.

Another issue the event brought up in my mind was the great contrast events like these bring about in the nonprofit sector- one minute we are whining and dining in an elegant ballroom, the next we are listening to Jerome talk about his fear of returning back to jail. This contrast of a world of struggle and service with a world of privilege and elegance was made even more apparent as I enjoyed a weekend of luxury and relaxation back out at the river near the Chesapeake Bay with friends.

While I had been out to this house back on my third weekend in Richmond, this time it seemed even more luxurious and foreign, probably because the everyday battles at Boaz & Ruth were now more entrenched in my mind. Regardless, I was grateful to spend two nights out at the river in the company of friends as we boated, tubed, and wakeboarded by day and conversed and gazed at the stars by night. Even as things seemed so carefree and relaxing, there was still a bit of guilt in the back of my mind knowing that many of my friends back at Boaz & Ruth never have or ever will experience this.

Blaine is the new intern at Boaz & Ruth

That is NOT me

That IS

Barefoot races around the house were part of the festivities

On Sunday morning, I went from the Bay Area (1.5 hours east of Richmond) all the way to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Humpback Rocks (2 hours west of Richmond). This hiking excursion was with Eternity Church, my roommate’s home church which I have been attending off-and-on. The hike was short but strenuous because of its rapid decent. However, the 270 degree view from the summit was well worth all the effort expended to reach the top. I will let the pictures do the describing of the majesty atop this mountain.

Laura & I

Landon & Kevin

As we came back from the hike, I was felt the need to bring the experience of hiking to the folks of Boaz & Ruth, much as we had done the previous weekend with the beach. With my time running out in Richmond, though, it may have to be an idea I entrust with someone else to make happen. Only God knows the remaining opportunities I will have over my last three weeks in Richmond. All I know is that it will be over before I realize it!

Week 7: Anticipation

2007-07-22T23:24:00.000-07:00

I find myself on an emotional high while writing this week’s post, coming of another fun-packed weekend and having just learned of some friends plans to visit toward the end of my stint in Richmond. Along with anticipating their visit, I have many other things to look forward before leaving Richmond. It seems like every week goes by faster, and of this I have mixed emotions. Part of me wants to make the most of this time and continue to experience as much as I can, but another part of me is satisfied with what I have accomplished so far and eager to get home to see friends and family before moving on to Ecuador!

My friends Timmy and Kari were initially scheduled to visit this upcoming Friday the 27th, but car troubles forced us to come up with an alternate plan. I am very happy with the alternative, as they will be flying out on the weekend before I leave and then road-tripping back with me to Minneapolis. Having some company will sure make those car rides go by a lot faster, and they will still be able to see Richmond and visit Boaz & Ruth. Their plans have helped me solidify my final date at Boaz & Ruth as Monday, August 20, and my date of arrival in the Twin Cities as Thursday, August 23.

After seven weeks at Boaz & Ruth, I am finally gaining a clearer vision of what purpose my work will serve the organization. I had several more conversations with Martha, the CEO, about the need for teaching apprentices on the importance of understanding the financial operations of the businesses they work in. I believe these conversations have led me to being less intimidated by and critical of Martha. Since I had so little interaction with her in the first few weeks at Boaz & Ruth, I had to rely on others to form an opinion of her. Even though everybody had mostly positive things to say, I tended to focus on the few negative aspects. Now I realize this reasoning was due to my own need to place the shortcoming of Boaz & Ruth on somebody’s shoulders, and Martha was the obvious choice as the Founder and President. I must admit her constant cheerleading and loving style has made an impact on me and put a lot of criticisms to rest in my mind.

Still, I am somewhat frustrated that these conversations could not have happened a few weeks ago. The entire communication process surrounding my role has seemed counter-productive. At times, I have done a certain project in a way that seemed logical to me, only to find that some of the work was unnecessary and unwanted. Some of these observations have led me to proposing to add some structure to the internship program, which Martha has agreed to. An invaluable component of a B&R internship is the autonomy and self-discovery, and the growth and learning this fosters. Adding structure would only mean bolstering the communication lines to interns and having sample job descriptions to give to prospective interns. Ironically, I have struggled with not having a supervisor this summer, whom could have provided me answers to questions much faster and allowed me to learn about that person’s role, strategies, and approach in a more in-depth fashion.

I am definitely becoming more accustomed to the culture and way-of-life at B&R. Some of the observations I initially found unique and fascinating are now becoming more commonplace. Yet, I still continue to be amazed by the amount of conflict between people. Not a day goes by that there is some kind of confrontation or interpersonal issue among program participants that may or may not involve staff. The most extreme case that I have witnessed to date occurred on Friday afternoon in the Organizational Meeting, a time where everybody gathers to discuss issues facing the organizations. Two females in the program, both of whom have been at B&R for more than 8 months, got into a very heated argument. Essentially, the conflict arose over whose role within the organization held more responsibility and pressure, and therefore would merit missing ‘mandatory’ B&R gatherings that occurred within the workday. As both women stood up, their words may have escalated into physical confrontation had not one of the staff members stepped in. Even with the seriousness of conflicts like these, I can’t help but laughing to myself in disbelief. It is unlike anything I have ever witnessed before in my life.

The undisputed highlight of the week happened on Saturday, when Polly, a Boaz & Ruth volunteer, and myself took seven people from the program to Virginia Beach for the day. Not only was this my first trip to VA Beach; it was the first time for many of them going to the beach in their life! (Virginia Beach is only 1 ½ hours from Richmond.) Therefore, it was a great joy for me to see everybody enjoying themselves and spending some much needed time just relaxing. It was another reminder of how precious our freedom is, and how being in prison can bring one to appreciate our liberties in this country even more. I think the effect of a trip like this also shows the importance of travelling and experiencing life outside of the little bubble we often find ourselves trapped in. This is especially the case for residents of the inner-city, who often don’t have the resources to take such trips on their own account.

Definitely the most crowded beach I have visited

It was CT's first time at the beach

Catchin' some afternoon Z's

The Boardwalk that runs along the beach

I will end this week with a very interesting story of a series of events that unfolded late Saturday night. After getting back from the beach, I went out to a downtown Irish pub with my buddy Dan to watch David Beckham’s American soccer debut. We left about 1:00am and just as we were getting into my car we were approached by a man asking for our help. He was a middle-aged, cleanly dressed black male and did not fit the stereotype of a bum at all. He started telling us of how his semi-truck had broke down on the interstate and the trooper had brought him into downtown. Apparently, he owned his own construction business of some type based out of Charlotte and was in Richmond working for a few days. He spoke very fast and his story was difficult to follow, but what he needed from us was a ride just a mile or two down the road to one of his construction suppliers so he could secure some of the materials on his truck. Even though it was in the middle of the night, I didn’t doubt his type of work would have him working this late at night.

Ironically, this came the weekend after I led a staff Bible study at Boaz & Ruth on the importance of supporting spiritual words with physical deeds. I talked more in depth about this last week, and only one other person showed up this week, for the record. Anyways, I digress. I felt that this was an opportunity given to me by God to do a good deed and affirm what I had been examining earlier that week. As we gave him a ride, I couldn’t help but speculate whether his was telling the truth, even though his story seemed very elaborate and his dress was very clean.

In any case, when we arrived at the site, there was nobody present. Apparently they had grown tired of waiting for him and had gone home. He then wanted us to take him a hotel where he could sit in the lobby and make some phone calls to his co-workers to come help him. Along the way, he mentioned needing $25 in cash to help pay for his tow since his credit card was maxed out and he only had $40-some in cash on him. My friend Dan was too skeptical and untrusting to help out, but I had the cash on me and decided to give it to him. Again I reflected back to my studies on scripture dealing with this topic and figured the benefit of this help to him was worth the slight risk of his story being fake. I thought, “that was a lot of work to go through to scam somebody out of their money.” He insisted in getting my phone number so he could call back and pay me back; and while I gave him my money I told him I wasn’t interested in getting paid back. Rather, I told him to ‘pay it forward,’ but he insisted he would call me the next day (Sunday). For the record, I never did hear from him on Sunday. Regardless, I was grateful to have the opportunity to at least apparently help somebody in a time of crisis.

Thanks again for reading and enjoy y’alls weeks. I am anticipating speaking with you again next week.

Week 6: Faith, History, and Natural Beauty of the South

2007-07-15T19:59:00.001-07:00

Overall, another enjoyable week filled with a few new adventures has passed here in Richmond. Mainly, it was highlighted by faith, history, and natural beauty that can be experienced in the South like no other place. Just as predicted, it was also a week of renewed energy and excitement at Boaz & Ruth.

To review, in last week’s post I committed to writing one or two anonymous notes of kindness to staff, interns, program participants, and volunteers at Boaz & Ruth. It was a strategy to make myself recognize more of the positive things happening at the organization along with affirm people anonymously, which is often more powerful than signing one’s name. Well, I excitedly followed through with my plan, using a distinctly pattered note pad with a little puppy on the top. Trying to remain as mysterious as possible, I also wrote all of them in sloppy cursive so it looks nothing like my own handwriting. I would leave the notes mainly on people’s desks in places I knew they would find them, but where they wouldn’t be obvious to someone walking by. I dropped six throughout the week. In picking people to write them to, I would try to identify somebody who was having a rough day so they could serve as a pick-me-up.

I was wondering how long it would take before one of my ‘victims’ would mention something about the notes. I had no idea if it would be mid-week or never. Well, during the affirmation circle on Friday afternoon, my question was answered (the affirmation circle is the daily closing routine at B&R where everybody holds hands in a circle to recognize the positive things that happened throughout the day). In the circle, Claude pulled out a note I had dropped to him earlier that morning and read it aloud. He asked if anybody knew who had written it, but I of course kept my mouth shut and tried to look as least suspecting as possible. The most remarkable thing, though, was that none of the other five people I had left notes with were present at the circle! Therefore, there was no realization that other people had received notes, which I prefer. I think the notes will lose a bit of effectiveness once people realize they are not the only one’s receiving them.

The other topic I found coming up a lot this week at Boaz & Ruth was the role that faith plays in the workplace of a faith-based organization such as B&R. I had never really experienced a faith-based program or organization besides church before coming to Richmond, so needless to say I was intrigued from day one on what role faith would play on me personally and on the organization as a whole.

Personally, I have found the integration of faith in work as rewarding to my personal spirituality. The change I’ve experienced has gradual rather than dramatic, but nonetheless noticeable. Meetings and classes are typically opened and closed with prayer. We will also pray to close out the day in the affirmation circle, and there is a 30 minute staff prayer/bible study each week. Even though most of the prayers are short, I find the act of praying on a regular basis to be beneficial. It helps me reflect on different aspects of the day and remain grateful for the many blessing God has given me. It has also challenged me to be a better Christian in my everyday actions.

Organizationally, the situation is a bit more interesting and complex. This was highlighted by a few particular examples that happened in the past week. Besides praying in the ways I mentioned above, the is another daily prayer for staff and interns at B&R called ‘daily renunciations.’ Every morning at 8:15, the staff will gather to renounce the major issues facing the organization, announce the desired outcomes in their place, affirm the statement with scripture, and then state desired action steps. There is a set list of 9 major issues for which the renunciations, annunciations, affirmations, and outcomes are repeated every day. We will go through the same routine for 40 straight work days with the hope that daily repletion with influence our behaviors and lead to improvement.

This week, we were reaching the midpoint in the 40-day journey, and more and more staff were failing to show up. On Thursday, when only four people showed up, we went through the usual routine and were about to depart when Wendy, the Finance & HR person, asked, “Do any of you think this is actually doing any good?” What ensued was an hour-long discussion about the effectiveness of this routine and similar practices. The reality that was apparent to all of us was few of these issues were actually seeing improvement. We were trying to get the most out of these sessions and apply them into our daily actions, but we were frustrated that others didn’t feel the same sense of urgency. I think we all realized that proclaiming scripture and praying for intervention from God is useful, but only if one uses the scripture and prayer as motivation for action.

The other incident directly involved me and my preparation to lead the weekly staff prayer/Bible study on Tuesday morning. Like I mentioned above, I along with others felt many issues at B&R could improve if people showed through their actions what they spoke and prayed about. As many others besides me have noted, there seems to be an air of hypocrisy hanging around B&R. My Bible study was going to revolve around the importance of spiritual words AND physical deeds. I was going to model my message after a sermon I had heard at a church back in Minnesota. To demonstrate the importance of doing good deeds, I had even purchased some basic needs items- deodorant, shampoo, etc- to give to some members of staff so they could seize the opportunity to do good deeds to others. I felt this was going to be a rather powerful message. Therefore, I was disheartened when nobody showed up for the session! With this and the daily affirmations, it seemed as though staff was getting bogged down with daily tasks and forgetting the importance, especially in a faith-based nonprofit, or stepping back to reflect and explore Christianity. I will be leading the session again next week, so hopefully I’ll have a captive audience this time!

These were the views from our back porch on Wednesday evening!

During the week, I had the realization that I have passed the halfway point in my journey, and now only five weeks remain. When I made a list of things I wanted to see and places I wanted to go, it signaled to me that I had better take advantage of my weekends if I was to check off everything on my list. For the record, here is my list:
· Philly
· DC
· Charlottesville (University of Virginia)
· Virginia Beach
· Williamsburg/Jamestown
· Chapel Hill/Duke
· Richmond museums (Museum of the Confederacy, Edgar Allen Poe, etc)

Well, this weekend I got to check one off my list. Over the last few weeks, I heard many people raving about the Williamsburg area and what’s dubbed “America’s Historic Triangle.” The three cities of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown are within 30 miles of each other and signify the first permanent English settlements and essentially the birthplace of America. So I recruited one of my new friends Laura, a nurse at VCU and an ’07 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill to spend Saturday enjoying the area.

Everything about the area was beautiful and historic, yet my experience somehow left something more to be desired. Trees, rivers, bays, and beaches were around every corner, and seemingly every building or plot of land had a piece of history behind it. Without a doubt, it is a place that every nature lover and American history buff should spend some time. Yet at the same time, to truly experience and learn the history comes at a cost- a monetary cost that is. It seemed every major historic site had a major entry fee posted to it. Even though I have been willing to spend more freely than usual to experience things while I’m out here, it seemed unnecessary to spend $10-20 at multiple places just to see some historic buildings or walk on the land where John Smith and his crew first landed. For this journey, just saying I had been there, along with enjoying the landscapes of the area would suffice. Maybe I am taking this too far, but I thought it unjust for these places to be profiting off American history, and Laura & I didn’t feel the need to support that. Luckily, there was still plenty to enjoy about the towns outside of the major historic landmarks. I will briefly explain each of the three towns below.

Our first and most forgettable stop in the journey was Yorktown. This place is famous for being the site of final battle of the Revolutionary War and has a Battlefield Museum and monument dedicated to this. And while the small white sanded beaches along the York River and the historic riverfront are welcoming, but the rest of the town was dead. There was just no excitement or energy, and it felt as though the legend of the Ghosts of Yorktown was actually true.

Laura & I did not have the chance to visit the Watermen's Museum...

The monument commemorating liberty won in the Revolutionary War

Next was Williamsburg, which was definitely the highlight of the trip. Right away, I noticed a distinctly different feel than Yorktown, with a bustling Merchant’s Square filled with historic shops and restaurants. We also strolled through the historic campus of William & Mary, which is the second oldest university in the country. Finally, the main attraction of Williamsburg is ‘Colonial Williamsburg,’ a 6-block by 4-block living history museum at the heart of town that recreates the life of colonial times. You can interact with people dressed up as blacksmiths, merchants, and other townspeople, along with meet George Washington, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, and other colonial legends. While a ticket for the museum is $36, we accidently found ourselves enjoying some of the town without a ticket because there is no gate at the entrance. We didn’t push our luck too far though…

A statue of Jefferson on the campus of William & Mary

We stumbled upon a Publick Auction while strolling through Colonial Williamsburg

Finally there was Jamestown, which is famously known as the site of the first permanent English settlement way back in 1607. In fact, this year is officially known as “America’s 400-Year Anniversary” in the Historic Triangle. We didn’t get to see much in Jamestown, but apparently there are some ruins from the original settlement along with a reconstruction of the ships used by John Smith and his crew. There was also a flag and plaque commemorating every state in the Union…

Keeping loyal to my roots!

We arrived back in Richmond in the early evening, and, as I said, the day still left something to be desired. That gap was filled when I explored Belle Island in Richmond. I would describe the island as a haven of natural beauty within just a few minutes’ walk of downtown! The island was used as a Union POW camp during the Civil War and also the site of steel mills after the war, but now is preserved as a city park. The island offers amazing access to the unique landscape of the James River, along with scenic view of the river and the skyline. It was a fitting way to close out the day and recharge for another exciting week!

It was a fine evening to relax and enjoy a book!

Views of the skyline

The James is known for its rapids

Quite a sunset!

Week 5: Good Frustrations

2007-07-08T20:20:00.001-07:00

Another week has passed here in Richmond, and I feel as though I have reached a low point of sorts in my journey here. It wasn’t a low point of being depressed or sad, but rather of feelings of frustration and insignificance complicated by my own overactive mind. Many moments later in the week, however, gave me renewed determination and perseverance to mark this as a turning point, especially with my experiences at Boaz & Ruth.

Many of my frustrations stem from the very nature of Boaz & Ruth and are a natural occurrence for anyone who chooses to be involved with the organization. Unlike any other nonprofit I have worked with or witnessed, it is extremely difficult to see positive progress and results from your efforts over a short time period. It takes months and even years sometimes to observe noticeable personal growth and development of the people we are working with. I was speaking with Tony, one of the staff members and teacher of the anger management and conflict resolution classes, about these frustrations and he reiterated this point. He says that the age and background of the typical B&R apprentice leads to growth in baby steps. He considers it an accomplishment when a given person is only cussing other people out 2 times a week, for example, instead of five.

Even with daily positive affirmations at the end of each day, which is a tradition at Boaz & Ruth, it becomes surprisingly easy to get caught up in the negativity and criticism that are a part of the daily course of events. I came to Boaz & Ruth a huge supporter and believer in their work, but find myself growing ever more skeptical of the effectiveness of such a program because of all the criticisms coming from the program participants. I continually need to remind myself that those in the program have many frustrations and obstacles in their recovery back into society, and are often unrealistic and irrational in their evaluation of the program.

Another source of frustration and difficultly was the resignation of a member of the ‘leadership team,’ a man who had been involved with the organization nearly from the beginning and who filled a lot of holes and responsibilities that others simply wouldn’t take on. Bill was the manager of all the Life Labs, which are the different businesses that teach job skills. Apparently, the stresses of the job had become too hazardous to his health. His wife also worked at Boaz & Ruth, managing an antique store in a different neighborhood of Richmond, but decided to quit on the same day. Needless to say, their resignation was unexpected and left many holes to fill within the organization.

Even more surprising to me was the way the situation was handled by the organization. I learned of the news in a brief announcement at the end of class on Monday along with most everybody else in the organization, staff, interns, and apprentices alike. I figured that a special meeting would be held to discuss the fallout from the situation later in the day or the next, but no such communication occurred. I felt as though a very significant event in the organization’s operations had been swept under the rug, so to speak, although I’m sure the upper management of the organization had more internal discussions on how to handle the situation.

While I’m at it, I may as well vent about my personal role within B&R. As I mentioned last week, I spent much of the week driving the Mountain Movers truck for the moving business, which I enjoyed but was looking forward to being done with this week. Unfortunately, the resignation of Bill had left some confusion within the Life Labs, since he determined the manpower assigned to each business on a daily basis. That, coupled with the fact that the regular driver was still having health problems, meant I was back out on the truck for Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Finally on Friday, when I was relieved of my duties, I thought I would be ready to tackle many of the projects I had put to the side. Instead, I struggled to find motivation to work on anything, bogged down by some of the frustrations listed above along with problems installing the accounting software Quickbooks on my laptop. Instead I found myself researching post-graduation opportunities, particularly the AmeriCorps NCCC program, which (for the record) allows you to travel in a team of ten and serve the greatest needs of the country.

One highlight of the week was class on Friday morning, where my roommate Kevin facilitated a discussion on the documentary Invisible Children. For those who haven’t seen it, IC is the story of three guys from California on their journey to Sudan and Uganda, and the untold story of the outrageous humanitarian crisis and 17-year war happening in Northern Uganda. Having seen the documentary before and participated in an Invisible Children rally earlier in the year, I was very interested to see how the folks at Boaz & Ruth would react to this film. In the discussion that followed the film, a few people said the situation was unfortunate, but felt they couldn’t do anything about it. Others likened the situation of the refugees of Northern Uganda to slavery in the United States, explaining that the people of Uganda were having their ancestry erased just as decedents of slaves can only trace their ancestry back to America. Most were moved by what they saw and were inquiring into ways they could support the movement that was happening in the United States. It was uplifting to me that even those with less than the majority of Americans were willing to donate time or money to such a cause. I’m excited to see what comes of showing the film.

Other events in the closing on Friday helped turn around my mood and planted some ideas in my mind that I hope will help me turn my frustrations and struggles into opportunities for improvement, learning, and growth. Starting at 4pm on every Friday, we have what’s called an Organizational Meeting involving everybody at Boaz & Ruth. It is a time for people to bring up any concerns they have about the organization, including suggestions for improvement or criticisms. However, because of the time of day, it is usually attending sparingly and little comes of it. I didn’t show up at the meeting until a few minutes before 5 because I was helping a co-working with a last-minute project, but this time I was glad I showed up when I did.

I walked in when Mike, a graduate of the program and now on staff at Boaz & Ruth, was talking about the importance for him of just acknowledging the simple pleasures in life, and hearing other people recognize them. In particular, he spoke of Tommy, who was simply enjoying the freedom of being to stand out in the rain after being incarcerated for 26 years. I felt as though he was speaking directly to me with this message. Here I was, getting caught up in all the negativity and frustrations of the daily grind; I suddenly realized I need to take more pleasures in the simple successes that happen on a daily basis at B&R and in other areas of my life.

This message was reinforced yet again when Melvin, of whom I’ve mentioned many times before, closed with words of prayer and thankfulness. He mentioned how touched he was by watching Invisible Children earlier that morning because it made him realize how grateful he was to have the basic necessities in his life. Here was a man who had sold drugs, probably paid an unnecessarily high price for his decisions, and been released back into society with little support, yet he was still grateful to God for all He has given. I was suddenly humbled because of how fortunate and lucky have been to be surrounded by supportive and loving friends and family.

At that point I knew I had to do something to show my gratitude and appreciation, and at the same time recognize the simple victories happening every day at Boaz & Ruth. After pondering on this, I figured it would be best to start simple by leaving anonymous notes of appreciation to co-workers and the apprentices of Boaz & Ruth. To keep it anonymous I will have to be sneaky and strategic. I plan to write a couple simple notes per day. If you have any more suggestions on anonymous kindness please let me know.

Of course, over the last week was the 4th of July. I had aspirations to go all-out patriotic with Mount Vernon and Washington DC, but I couldn’t find anybody to make the journey with me. On Tuesday, I went out to a horse track called Colonial Downs and saw a horse race and some fireworks. Wednesday was a lazy and relaxing day filled with napping and reading. In the evening, Kevin & I went to a huge park in Richmond along with the other half of Richmond to watch the city concert band and more fireworks. I also met one of his college friends who attended the Breck School in Minneapolis, and other who participated in the Minnesota Studies in International Development (MSID) program in India while at the University of Richmond. MSID is based out of the U of M and only about 100 people participate per year, so this was quite the coincidence. Even crazier is that I will be participating in MSID when I go to Ecuador in the fall!

The view of the fireworks from our back porch

Richmond City Concert Band

On Saturday I helped celebrate the 40th birthday of somebody I didn’t even know at a 1700 acre ranch with a private 25 acre lake about ½ hour west of Richmond. There were probably about 150 people there and plenty of food for everybody with a 100 lb. pig! It was refreshing to finally spend some time in a natural, freshwater lake as well.

So, I am entering the week with renewed energy and determination at work. I am looking forward to dropping random notes of kindness on multiple people this week. Stay tuned for updates!

Week 4: Building Relationships

2007-07-02T17:39:00.000-07:00

As I sit down to write this entry, I am still having trouble believing the month of July has arrived! It seems like I have been in Richmond for four days rather than four weeks. Even as the time has flown by, I seem to be “settling in,” so to speak, in my new home. The past week was not highlighted by any spectacular events or revolutionary realizations, but rather by subtle daily lessons, an increased familiarity with the city, and most importantly the development of personal relationships with friends and co-workers.

At Boaz & Ruth, I experienced a nice change in pace of work by getting out on the “front lines,” if you will. I spent Tuesday – Friday filling in as a driver for one of the moving trucks for the Mountain Movers business. It was quite relieving to step outside the commotion and unpredictability of the Boaz & Ruth headquarters and have a routine schedule with some good physical labor. It’s not every day you get to cruise around town, windows down, wind in the face, AC on low, and the hip-hop of “Power 92 Jams” blaring.

The best part of the job, though, was getting to spend some quality time with some of the guys in the program- Jasper, Jerome, and CT (Charles Thomas). Even though we didn’t engage in much conversation, I still feel closer with these guys simply because we shared a good day’s work together. As I’m learning, respect, patience, and the willingness to listen are the keys to laying a good foundation in these types of relationships. After these things have been established, there is more of a willingness on their part to open up. For example, on Thursday, Jasper spoke openly about the death of one of his good friends of which happened earlier that morning. While he didn’t show a lot of emotion, I don’t think this exchange would have happened if we hadn’t spent the previous two days working together.

As much fun as I had out on the moving truck, I am hoping to get back in the office next week. While I will willingly help out when there is a shortage of manpower, I didn’t come to B&R to be a Teamster driver. The lessons I’ve learned from Boaz & Ruth are not clear yet, and I feel as though a lot more interaction with co-workers and trainees is needed before I am satisfied with my internship experience.

Since I did spend a good part of my week exploring the city of Richmond, I feel now would be a good time to describe in detail the different neighborhoods of the city. One of the differences I’ve found between the South and Midwest, and specifically from Richmond to Minneapolis, is the distinct flavor of each neighborhood. As surprising as it may sound, one can really tell a lot about a person just based on what part of town they are from.

The part of the city where I live is dubbed “The Fan” because of the way the streets fan out from Monroe Park. This is a purely residential part of town filled mostly with young professionals and college students. It also includes most of the campus of VCU. I have enjoyed living in this part of town because of its close proximity to downtown and other city attractions.

Further west of The Fan is the West End, an affluent and predominately white part of the city. Here, churches appear more like historical landmarks or important government buildings. Beautiful brick houses with enormous front lawns appear fit for celebrities or plantation owners rather than everyday citizens. Shops and malls spring up like tulips in the spring.

Then there is the North side and the Highland Park neighborhood where Boaz & Ruth is located. In the old business district, commercial businesses in operation equal the number boarded up and shut down. Houses are more modest, often needing repair. Outside of the walls of Boaz & Ruth, you would be hard-pressed to find a white person roaming the streets of this neighborhood.

On the east end of Richmond is the Churchill area, fittingly named because of the large hill one must ascend to get there. This neighborhood is covered in churches, with one on almost every street corner. None are as famous as St. John’s Church, where Patrick Henry gave his “Give me liberty or give me death” speech. Churchill is a neighborhood in transition, with the city recently embarking on a revitalization project that is forcing businesses and homes to be fixed up or taken over. While improvements are being made, the area is still notoriously known for crime and poverty once you get a couple blocks off the main road.

Finally, there is the south side, which constitutes everything south of the James River. I have only explored the south side once, but from what I hear it is as diverse a neighborhood as Richmond has. Many Asians and Latinos mix with whites and blacks in this area to create an eclectic part of town.

The point of this was not to say that other cities do not have their distinct neighborhoods of which they can take pride in; it’s just that in Richmond I have experienced a difference not only in demographics or appearance in these communities, but a difference in the way people think and act. This is something I never noticed while living in Minneapolis.

To finish this week’s entry, I want to highlight another major difference I have noticed between the South and the Midwest. Ever since I have been here, it has been apparent that Richmond is in what many would call the “Bible Belt.” From my experiences, people down here speak more openly about their faith and feel it is their calling to help other people “see the light of Christ.” As I think I already touched on in another post, religion does play a more prominent role in people’s everyday actions. I would say prayer is more commonly used by most people for guidance on making decisions, and people tend to explain their path in life primarily as a ‘calling from God’ or because it was ‘where God led them.’ Of course, I am not condoning this mentality or even saying that people don’t do this in the Midwest, I’m just pointing out that it is something I’ve noticed a lot more since being in Richmond.

As I’ve become integrated into more social groups, I’ve also noticed that these social networks are based primarily around a church or church-related activity of some sort. From what I can tell, churches are the foundations of communities and people’s primary way of making friends. In fact, the first few weeks I was out here I noticed that after introducing myself as new to the area, people would often ask if I had found a church. Churches do a wonderful job of keeping people connected throughout the week by holding Bible studies, small groups, meal gatherings, etc. Now more than ever, as I have relied on my social skills to make friends, I continue to be fascinated by the ways people interact socially. I will be keeping a close observation on this as my relationships continue to strengthen.

In the end, it may be my social skills and knowledge, not my organization and nonprofit experience, that will benefit most from this journey to Richmond.

Let the Good Times Roll

2007-06-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Hello! I hope y’all had amazing weeks and weekends since we last talked (there’s that southern accent getting to me). Teaching a class at Boaz & Ruth, celebrating black history, a concert from one of my favorite bands, and a weekend at the Chesapeake Bay highlighted the best week I’ve had in Richmond so far!

The week started with quite the experience, as I found myself teaching a class of Boaz & Ruth apprentices at 8:00am Monday morning on the topic of “Giving back and supporting society.” It was an eye-opener for me to facilitate this class because I got to hear a lot of the emotions that the people in the program have towards society and how it has treated them. Coming out of prison, a majority of them are struggling just to ‘make it’ through this time in their life because of the obstacles society places on them for being convicted felons. Many of them are relying on the support of family or friends to just have an extra pair of shoes or a couple changes of clothes. Obviously, they are frustrated by these mainly financial constraints, so it is understandable why many are frustrated by the small wage they receive from Boaz & Ruth. Therefore, the idea of giving back to society is completely foreign to a lot of these individuals, which is completely understandable given their perspective on society.

Another focus of this class was the importance of knowing thyself and taking care of you before giving of yourself to a community. It only makes sense that you must be able to live with the way you are before you can confidently go before the rest of society. One trainee by the name of Melvin of whom I’ve spoken before shared some very enlightening insight during this part of the class. Over the weekend, he wrote some reflections on his life and life in general that really can apply to any person. I will be sure to post these sometime during the week for everybody to read as a lot of the words really touched my heart.

Another highlight of the week at B&R was getting to partake in their celebration of Juneteenth on Tuesday evening. I am guessing most of you from the Midwest have not even heard of this, and would be surprised to learn that it is one of the most important dates in black history and American history that this country has seen! In short, Juneteenth is the day that the last enslaved Africans in this country were notified of their freedom (they were in Texas). The date is commonly known as June 19, 1865, or almost two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. During the festivities of the evening, I learned some fascinating things about our country’s history that are unfortunately not well known within society. For one, I was shocked to learn that the Emancipation Proclamation was written as a political maneuver by Abe Lincoln. Its sole objective was not to free all the slaves of this country, as it only proclaimed freedom for those slaves in states in conflict with the Union. States like Texas were not in direct conflict with the Union by definition; therefore it took a few more years before total emancipation became a reality.

What’s even more interesting is that many African Americans, even today, see Juneteenth as their Independence Day rather than the traditional 4th of July. A perspective that I had actually never realized before was that Independence Day pre-Civil War was only a holiday for whites in the South. I got the impression that some blacks still celebrate the 4th with a grain of salt, if you will. I guess I will find out for sure in a few weeks!

While work is always a pleasure, all week I was really looking forward to Friday night and the Drive-By Truckers concert. Every Friday on Browns Island near downtown Richmond there is an event called Friday Cheers, where a fairly well-known band plays a free concert outdoors. This week, one of my favorite bands was coming to town and I was pumped! I ended up being in about the third row for the performance, which was one of the best I had ever seen. It was the perfect kickoff to an absolutely fun-packed weekend!

Earlier that Friday, I had been invited by friend and co-worker Josh to head out with him to his family’s lake home on one of the tributaries feeding into the Chesapeake Bay. Josh is a great guy who graduated from Davidson in 2006 and moved back to his hometown of Richmond to take an AmeriCorps intern position with Boaz & Ruth. Thankfully, I had no plans for the weekend yet so it looked like a weekend of boating and fishing was in store for me!

On Saturday morning I headed out to the area, which is only 1.5 hours from Richmond. There we met up with a lot of Josh’s friends and roommates from Richmond. We spent hours on high speed cruisers, being pulled on tubes and having battles of male supremacy to see who could knock who off the opposing tube. We even casted a few lines in the water and pulled some Croaker fish out of the saltwater which we later fried for dinner that evening!

As fun as Saturday was, Sunday took the cake for the weekend. Most people left for Richmond on Saturday night or early Sunday morning, but Josh, Justin, Elizabeth and I went out for more fun and physical punishment on Sunday. I tried and failed to wakeboard for the first time, but did get up on water skis for the first time ever! I definitely came back battered and bruised from all my falls and all the saltwater I swallowed, but it was well worth the reward.

In many ways, being back on the water in the Chesapeake Bay area reminded me of Minnesota more than any other experience I’ve had out here so far. The beautiful houses amongst majestic trees on the shoreline seemed like something right out of northern Minnesota. I guess the Minnesota accents that the four of us imitated through the day helped as well! In any case, I was grateful to have made some new friends and rejuvenated myself for what should be another unpredictable week. Just 7 more hours until I teach class again tomorrow morning!

Me, Josh & Justin

Gettin up on the skis

Simply beautiful

Josh, el capitan

Elizabeth, Josh & Justin

New Phone

2007-06-17T22:56:00.001-07:00

One more update... my new phone has arrived, so I need your #. My number is still 763.843.6967 so give me a call or leave me your number if you would ever like a call from me!

Week 2: Becoming Acquainted with a New City and New Cultures

2007-06-17T22:29:00.000-07:00

Week 2 here in Richmond really pulled me in a lot of directions. I continue to be immersed in different cultures and the struggles and insight that provides. In addition, Boaz & Ruth continues to challenge and provide ample opportunities for learning, growth, and ownership. I am becoming more acquainted with the city of Richmond and all the treasures it holds, and I am beginning to develop more substantial relationships with new friends.

After only a couple weeks, I have experienced more discussion on race and culture here than I ever encountered in Minneapolis. Some of that, of course, comes with working in an organization that strives to connect people cross-racially, but another part is simply being in the old capital of the Confederacy where many of these issues run much deeper than in the Midwest. To give an example, there is a road just a block south of where I live called Monument Ave. that has 8-10 statues in the middle of intersection for a few mile stretch (see last week’s blog and pictures). Expectedly, most of the statues are of dead, rich, white males who served for the Confederacy in the Civil War. A few years ago, they were planning to add a statue of Arthur Asch, an African-American tennis legend and native of Richmond. Apparently there was a big uprising among the many locals claiming it didn’t belong with all the Civil War heroes and others. That statue ended up being erected on Monument Ave, but the example proves the battle still being fought down here.

Every Thursday at lunch, the interns at Boaz & Ruth gather to talk about books we are reading and other issues at work. This week’s discussion was particular fascinated as if revolved around race and also the social injustices facing prisoner reentry into society. Five of the seven interns are white, and for most of us it is the first time we have been a part of a community where we are the minority. We talked about the feelings of uneasiness that come with that and how it can sometimes influence your personality. It was also interesting to hear how easy it is to have internally racist thoughts, especially since working with ex-convicts can be frustrating. It is often surprising how one negative encounter with a person in a group stereotyped by society can lead to these thoughts. I catch myself making unfair judgments about people I see in the impoverished neighborhood surrounding Boaz & Ruth just because of a negative interaction I witnessed at work that day. One of the interns named Randy is in his 50s and going back to school at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), and he spoke a lot about growing up with racist parents and how difficult it was for him to overcome that way of thinking instilled in him by his parents. I don’t believe racism is something we’re inherently born with, but rather comes about through our upbringing in interactions with parents, friends, and the one that is probably most present nowadays, the media.

One of the joys of being in Richmond has been the many opportunities to interact with people of different cultures every day. Last Monday evening, I attended a Baptist service structured around the launching of a new prisoner reentry program being launched by a collaboration of churches. It was truly unlike any other experience I have had with religion, with the mostly black congregation singing and shouting out praises at any time. The preacher from the evening was nationally recognized and from Washington D.C. His hour-long sermon was filled with fire and emotion, yet was poetic at the same time. As he proclaimed unto the people his message, they would often respond by standing, shouting, and clapping.

While I’m on religion, I have observed an entire sub-culture based on faith that I have never truly experienced before. From my observations, and in speaking with a few other locals, it seems like religion strongly correlates with social class in the South. No matter the denomination, though, faith generally seems to play a larger role in people’s daily lives than in the Midwest. There also appear to be more organizations based on Christian ministry serving the urban areas. While I have the opportunity, I hope to attend some services of different denominations and gain more insight on how faith differs across race and class.

Another unique experience I was able to partake in on Saturday was a Native American Pow-Wow of the Mattaponi Tribe on a reservation about 50 miles east of Richmond. Established in 1657, this reservation happened to be the oldest in the country! It was the first time I had ever been on a reservation where I could actually get a glimpse of the living situations these people face. A lot of the houses seemed characteristic of impoverished areas, which begged the question of how most of these people were able to make a living. That aside, the Pow-Wow featured a lot of native dances and music, all in traditional Indian dress. It was another truly unique experience!

Me, Aaron, & Kevin at the Pow-Wow

Back at Boaz & Ruth, things are beginning to become a little clearer for me in regards to my area of work this summer. I will start by working on the business plan for Diamond Catering & Café. The catering division mostly caters in-house events, while to Café is a small building adjacent to Boaz & Ruth selling sandwiches. I am finding great joy in working with Josh, an intern of Boaz & Ruth for about a year that holds more responsibility than most staff members, and Chef Ed, a 52-year old graduate of the B&R program with a solid background in cooking at many restaurants.

There are still many frustrations and struggles I face at Boaz & Ruth, but instead of coming from working with ex-convicts, they have stemmed from organizational issues resulting mainly from the rapid growth of B&R over the past year. I am surprised by the at-times strict hierarchy that exists in an organization with fewer than 15 staff. The founder and CEO, Martha Rollins, is a very dedicated and driven person with a huge heart, yet at the same time she has been described to me by those of the organization who know her as a shrewd business lady and a control freak. I have already witnessed that even minor decisions must be approved by her. I do appreciate the fact that she has challenged me and others to achieve at high levels, but I don’t feel like most staff are being trusted to independently make important decisions in their area of expertise. While this may be a cynical perspective influenced by working with STLF, a non-hierarchical organization, for the last few years, I still feel like her ownership of the organization is the root of many communication and strategic problems we face on a daily basis. I think her approach is more equip to running a for-profit business rather than a client-based nonprofit. Like I said, though, her drive and leadership is the major reason Boaz & Ruth is achieving such great things. Sounds like a good scenario for a case study.

Well, those are just some of the main observation I had from the past week. I continue to become closer with many of the apprentices at Boaz & Ruth. I can’t wait for friends to visit and meet some of these amazing people. I am also looking forward to showing off my growing knowledge of the Richmond area to anybody who visits. There are many great local restaurants and amazing sights to see. I am also very impressed by the college campuses I have visited, which include VCU and the University of Richmond. I was able to walk around U of R with my roommate and U of R alum Kevin on Friday evening. He mentioned that the campus was voted one of the most spectacular in the nation, and I could see why. I hope to go there during the day sometime this week and post some pictures!

Other highlights from the week included seeing a movie for $2 at the magnificent Byrd Theater. The Byrd is a local landmark and shows movies in the stage between mainstream theaters and release onto DVD. I also volunteered for a few hours at a 9-year old indoor soccer charity tournament benefitting the Virginia Tech Memorial Fund. Keeping with the soccer theme, I got two pickup games in this weekend despite the ridiculous heat. If I keep playing at this pace I will come back a skinny man!Looking ahead to this week, I am looking forward to teaching a morning class tomorrow at Boaz & Ruth on the topic of Community Engagement. I am also interviewing briefly for a possible part time research position with a professor at VCU. The topic of my research would be philanthropy. As always, many other unforeseen surprises with occur, so stay tuned!

Historic Byrd Theater

Week 1: New Experiences, New Relationships, and New Challenges

2007-06-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

As I reflect upon my first week in Richmond, a lot is going through my mind. Mainly, it has been a week of connecting within a new community. It has also been a week of new experiences that have pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me many lessons.

Let me begin with my reflections on my first week on the job at Boaz & Ruth. I can already tell that this is going to be an amazing learning and growing opportunity for me, just as I had hoped. Going into my first day, I still didn’t know exactly what my role or job title would be. It wasn’t until day two that I sat down with founder and current CEO Martha Rollins and learned that much of my work would be around developing business plans for the different enterprises of B&R with the goal of adding structure and sustainability to each of them. The different business they operate are: three antique stores, a food services division with a café and catering venture, a moving company, a lawn mowing company, and a construction and renovation division that is doing only in-house work. My position will be one with a lot of autonomy and creativity, and of course challenges. Martha is the kind of person that will lay out the vision for the job with the potential of the person in mind, but let you struggle and succeed in carrying out that vision. I appreciate this because it is where the most learning will come from.

My first week was focused on orientation, which entailed meeting as much of the staff and apprentices (ex-convicts participating in the program) as possible. Everybody was very welcoming; however I am still trying to get a grasp on the overall culture and attitude of the workplace. Any one day at B&R can be a rollercoaster of emotions, and the attitudes of the staff or apprentices can surely reflect this. In fact, I have already rode part of this rollercoaster. On Friday when I was working at my desk, I left my cell phone on it while I went into the computer lab for a half an hour. As I came back, my phone was nowhere to be found. It was tough yet valuable wakeup call to the environment I am working it. (I should be getting a new phone towards the end of the week, so if you really want me to have your number leave to me in a comment, facebook, or email! Otherwise, I’ll find you when I need you.) Many of the apprentices and even staff can come from fragile home situations as well, which can hinder anyone’s normally upbeat nature. This is something I must keep in mind as I work on various projects more in-depth with my co-workers. As one of my fellow interns Josh stated, personal relationships are impossible to distinguish from work relationships at B&R since so much of the program is based on interaction with the complete person.

The other piece I love about the people at B&R is that each person brings a unique and inspiring story and history. There’s Charles Satchell, or “Satch” as we call him, who spend the previous 30 years of his life incarcerated, but turned his life around before being released and now is a senior apprentice and an inspiration to many just beginning the program. Or Melvin, who I would describe as one of the of the most genuine and caring people I have met, yet spent his earlier years selling drugs on the streets of Richmond. Or “Pe-Bo,” who to my surprise holds certifications as a plumber, electrician, auto-mechanic, and other trades which I can’t even recall at this time. His dream is to build a house from start-to-finish by himself.

As much as love gathering these stories, it is still sometimes a struggle to conduct simple conversation with some of the apprentices. I am told that it takes some a few weeks of basic interaction before they will open up. In any case, I am slowly learning ways of connecting with people of completely different cultures and backgrounds than me. But the main lesson, I’ve found, is just to be yourself!

In addition to all this interaction, I was able to experience the various business enterprises of B&R first-hand with those who run each of them. This was a critical piece for me, since the focus of most of my work will be around developing these businesses. I spent Tuesday afternoon with Chef Ed and Diamond Catering, Wednesday with Block & Jerome and the Mountain Movers, Tuesday with Ruth in the Boaz & Ruth at OAR store and with Linda in the Boaz & Ruth at Carytown store, and Friday with the construction team at the Firehouse. The Firehouse is a historic building being renovated into a sit-down restaurant and an entrepreneurial incubator with space for local entrepreneurs to open up their businesses. It will open in September.

The final piece of B&R that I experienced was the morning classes, which go from 8-10am and focus mainly on emotional competency skills. I found these to be very insightful- not just on the topics and information that was being presented, but how the apprentices responded and interacted with each other in the classroom. Some of the topics covered are: anger management, co-dependency, spirituality, fatherhood, and boundaries. I find that many apprenticies struggle with communicating a message they want to get across, which leads to misunderstanding with others and eventually conflict. It is amazing to me how much time is spent just trying to clarify a point instead of having constructive discussion. However, I realize that this is one of the training mechanisms B&R is using to help the apprentices improve their communication and discussion skills.

The element which really drew me to B&R was their desire to connect communities across racial and geographical boundaries, and this past Sunday evening I had a chance to experience this through a remarkable program called “Beyond Dialogue.” In this, people of different backgrounds and races will gather to watch a film that focuses on issues of racism and then a discussion about racism and the feelings that invokes is facilitated by some members of the B&R Connecting Team. On Sunday, a group of high school students from central Pennsylvania was visiting on a Christian ministry road trip (Narrow Road Ministries, http://www.nrministries.org/) and many from B&R gather with them to watch Remember the Titans. The discussion that followed was fascinating to be a part of because, while none of the students were racist by any means, they were attending predominately Caucasian high schools and had little interaction with African Americans or any other culture for that matter. It was interesting to hear and relate to some of their perspectives on dealing with being the minority as whites in the black neighborhood of Highland Park where B&R is stationed.

Life has not slowed down one bit outside of Boaz & Ruth since I arrived. Much of my efforts have been geared around trying to ‘find my niche’ here in the Richmond community. I have been meeting a plethora of new people thanks in large part to my roommate Kevin and his willingness to let me tag along with him to various events at his church or parties. I am beginning to see many familiar faces and even met a guy who grew up in St. Cloud, MN! It has been surprising even to me how smoothly I have become connected to different communities within the city.

One of my favorite parts about coming into a new environment is exploring, which I have done amply both by rollerblades and car. Richmond is a beautiful city filled with history of our country. Colonial-style houses line the avenues, sometimes hidden by mature oaks and hardwoods. There are also many statues glorifying those who helped found this country along with lead the Confederacy, as Richmond is the old capital of the South. Monument Ave, in particular, has many of these statues plopped right in the middle of intersections!

I have already spent a few evenings down at Browns Island right on the James River, where they often have live, free music and food vendors of sorts. This island offers beautiful views of the city, the river, and the canal that borders it.

In one of my boldest moves since being here, I am also taking part in some Thursday evening ballroom dance lessons! The instructor guaranteed that after 10 weeks we would all be capable and proficient dancers. We’ll see how that turns out…

As I look forward to the upcoming week, I am excited to get my hands even dirtier at B&R as I begin to work on some actual projects. I will also continue to explore the city as much as I can and continue to meet new people and build new friendships. I have begun to read the book When Prisoners Come Home and hope to share with you my thoughts on it after finishing it this week. Until then, enjoy your weeks!

Eric Larsen
June 11, 2007

More than just a 21 hour drive

2007-06-05T16:02:00.000-07:00

So, you’re probably wondering what would motivate a man to elect a 21 hour drive over a couple-hour plane ride into Richmond. Well, besides the convenience of having a car for runs to the store, commuting to work, and the many random weekend road trips that were sure to happen, I was actually looking forward to the two-day journey out to the old capital of the Confederate South. When I was first planning my trip out to Richmond, I realized the perfect opportunity to make the most out of my excursion. This past year on the Pay It Forward Tour, our bus had the pleasure of volunteering in and being embraced by the small community of Milan, a town of just over 1,000 people in the southeast corner of Indian. Milan was made famous (sort of) by the movie Hoosiers, which told the true story of the state champion Milan High School basketball team over 50 years ago. The hospitality of this community was something that left a deep impression on me, so the opportunity to return and be a part of that once again was something I could not pass up, especially since it represented a near perfect halfway point and a perfect place to spend the night.

In arranging my visit, I was able to reconnect with Todd Russell, director of the youth program at the Milan Church of Christ. Todd informed me that Saturday night would be an exciting time in Milan, as Kendra Walker, the valedictorian of her class, was holding her graduation party. Kendra’s mom was one of those people who I would describe as the pillar of a community and she loved to host people in her home. As my luck would have it, I would be spending the night with the Walker’s and apparently many of Kendra’s other close friends. I could already tell this would be a night to remember.

My morning began very early (for me) on Saturday. I made it to Elgin, IL by noon where I took a relaxing break to enjoy some Noodles & Co. with some good friends from the area: Mike, Laura, Abe, and Phil. Just two brief stops later, I found myself in Milan after a solid 11 hour drive.

Kendra’s party turned out to be the biggest graduation party I think I’ve ever been a part of. I swear that the whole town of Milan was there! In addition to the usual attractions of a high school graduation party, Kendra’s boyfriend’s band and his dad’s band also played throughout the night.

The evening was capped off perfectly by a bonfire and by singing Wish You Were Here and Stairway to Heaven to the tune of a guitar and violin.

Kendra & I

In the morning, I was able to attend service at the Milan Church of Christ before getting on the road. It was great to see a number of familiar faces, although to no surprise, not many did recognize my face. However, when I told them I had bright red hair and a beard the last time I was in Milan, they knew exactly who I was!

The drive from Milan to Richmond was absolutely gorgeous the entire way, despite the overcast skies that lingered and the rain that persisted through parts of the day. I passed through forest-covered mountains of the Appalachians as low, wispy clouds settled in the valleys. This scenery definitely passed the time more quickly than the cornfields of Iowa or the nothingness of North Dakota!

My time of arrival in Richmond was 9:30pm, where I was greeted by my new roommate at colonial-looking apartment building built in the 20’s. Kevin Panicker is his name, and he is also an intern at Boaz & Ruth as a part of the AmeriCorps program. His stint started in January and will last until the end of August. I was very pleased by this, as living with a fellow intern would definitely make the transition so much smoother.

Kevin happens to be a remarkably interesting fellow in his own right. His parents are originally from south India, but moved to Kenya before Kevin was born. Kevin was raised in Kenya and attended high school at an American school. He then came to the United States to study at the University of Richmond where he graduated in 2006 with a degree in International Studies. I am very grateful and blessed to have Kevin as a friend, co-worker, and roommate.
I was pretty tired after all the driving and action in Milan, but at the same time highly anticipating my first day at Boaz & Ruth.

On the Eve of Adventure

2007-06-01T21:58:00.000-07:00

Hello! Thanks for reading. I am about to begin a very exciting time in my life that I have been anticipating for months now. My journey does not have a specific destination other than to discover- new cultures, communities, friends, and challenges. I expected a very rewarding learning experience!

In just a few hours, I will embark on my journey to Richmond, VA for the summer. I will be working with a nonprofit organization there called Boaz & Ruth (www.boazandruth.com). Situated in a low-income neighborhood of Richmond, B&R works to:

Provide life/work skills and re-entry assistance for released prisoners
Foster commercial revitalization for the troubled community of Highland Park
Bridge culturally and economically disparate communities within the Richmond metropolitan area

They carry out their mission through a number of social entrepreneurial businesses such as a cafe, furniture store, and moving company. These enterprises allow the apprentices (formally incarcerated individuals undergoing training) to gain experience in business and simultaneously boost the economy of this community. Boaz & Ruth is faith-based and places a huge emphasis on building relationships among their apprentices, staff, and within the community.

I first learned about Boaz & Ruth about a year and a half ago when I was organizing a service project in Richmond for a service trip I was co-leading called the Pay It Forward Tour. Our group of 40 students ended up spending an amazing day volunteering and learning from the staff and apprentices. I was truly moved by the amazing things Boaz & Ruth was doing and knew I wanted to return someday. I remember Martha Rollins, the founder & current CEO, mentioning the possibility of coming back to do an internship in the summer. Well, one summer went by, and when it came time to formulate my plans for this summer I had a strong desire to experience a different region of the US. What better place to do so, I thought, than Boaz & Ruth.

The next two and a half months will surely be filled with excitement, frustration, and memories. Please stay tuned to see what adventures may come my way!

Eric