Lhasa Fun in Tibet! (Day 2 Part 1)

Sorry about the title, but there are Lhasa opportunities for puns in Lhasa.   :0P  

Breakfast at the hotel in Tibet was just as good as in Beijing.  Absolutely fantastic!  I wish I had four stomachs so I could try everything!  

Our first item on the agenda was a "service visit" to a school for blind students.  (spoilers, we didn't do any service.)  Walking through Lhasa was nice.  You get a very different feel walking through a city as opposed to driving through it.  

The school visit was really interesting, even if we didn't do any service.  We filed into an outdoor meeting room and one of the teachers who had charisma coming out his ears explained a bit about the school and blind culture in Lhasa.  In the past (and still in the larger community) people who are blind are expected to become signers or massage therapists. The school does have training in those areas, but in many others as well.  They make sure that the kids are not limited in their options.  He told us one story of a little boy who always wanted to be a taxi driver.  EVeryone told him he couldn't because he was blind, but the school helped him start a taxi business.  Now he is a very successful businessman who works with taxis everyday, similar to his dream.  :0)  I really liked the philosophy at the school as being encouraging instead of limiting.  Too many of the schools or orphanages for kids with disabilities are much more paternalistic and pity the students.  

The students lived at the school during the school year and stayed with their families (mostly on farms) during the winter months.  It was a tight squeeze, but it looked cozy.  There was also a kitchen and other homey areas in addition to the classrooms.

When we toured the classrooms, it felt a bit strange.  It went back to the idea of watching people like they are animals in the zoo.  The teacher encouraged us to take pictures of the students although we didn't get a chance to actually interact with them.  

There was also a computer lab with assistive technology so the students would be fully versed in computers when they graduated.

As a side note, I spotted a cat who I voted as most likely to have rabies.  It was foaming at the mouth and acting quite strange.  So naturally, I go up to it and take a picture.  haha

Vietnam (Day 3)

   I don't know how I managed, but I signed up for pretty much the same service visit two days in a row.  I was a little disappointed at first, but then I realized how excited I was to go back to the School for the Deaf and see all the kiddies again.  :0)

   It was just as fun as I thought it would be.  The kids remembered me and were very excited that I came back.  I couldn't participate in the first activity that the kids and SASers did (standing and running) so I drew pictures of the kids with the animals from the zoo from yesterday.  They thought it was really cool and drew some pictures of the zoo animals for me too.  :0)  

    Once again, the picture book was a fantastic thing to have.  The kids loved going through it and showing me the signs for the pictures.  We had the added component of me acting out the some of the pictures.  They were very interested in the medical pictures so I showed them where all the things were in the body and where the braces went.  It felt very cool because I could see that I was teaching them things.  They would excitedly show one of their teachers the new things they were learning by explaining them in sign.  We didn't even come close to speaking the same language but I was still able to use my limited knowledge of the world to show them something new.  It made me start wondering if I may want to be a teacher.     I also learned some new things myself.  Lots of new signs and how to write the names of things in Vietnamese.  

   I still probably wouldn't consider this a good example of service learning.  I remember when tourist used to come to my elementary school and we always thought of it as us doing service to them for allowing them to come and showing them our school.  I imagine that is what the kids here think of all of us coming as well.  It doesn't really matter whether it was service or not though.  I had so much fun, and so did the kiddies.  :0)

   I hung out a lot with my little buddy from the day before.  He was just as rambunctious as ever!  He was the kid in class running around while everyone was coloring and poking people or stealing their crayons.  :0)  

I think he met his match in this little one.  haha

I REALLY didn't want to leave now that I had spend so much time over two days here.  The kids kept sneaking downstairs to wave goodbye and give me a last hug as I was waiting for the bus.  :0)

Our next stop was quite a bit more sobering.  We went to an orphanage for kids with disabilities.  Once again, my views on the trip differed from most people.  They were sad because the kids were disabled.  I was sad because they were abandoned by their families and there weren't the resources to help them meet their potential.  There were kids laying in beds all day and I could just see it in their eyes that they could think far more than their bodies would let them act.  It breaks my heart that at home, these kids would have an electric wheelchair and assistive communication device and could do almost anything any other could have.  Here they had to lay in bed all day in a room with forty other kids and only two or three staff members.  That is to say nothing negative about the facility.  THey were actually doing a wonderful job for what resources they had.  The place had an excellent playground, decent medical facilities, and some trade classes for the older kids.  There was a much better staff or kid ratio than in some other places and the staff was all very caring and attentive.  There was a therapy room which I snuck into while my group went up stairs so see some more rooms.  It was really interesting to see a therapy session.  I talked with the women working there and between the four of us we communicated that I was a therapy student.  THey were really excited that I was going into that area.  I was worried that I was getting distracting so I excused myself and headed out to the courtyard.  I have to say I was a concerned at what I saw of the therapy session.  There were three kids to one therapist and they weren't really interacting.  The therapist was sitting there putting a puzzle together and the kids were looking around the room.  The therapist didn't really do anything to engage them even though I could tell they were definitely capable.  It added to my feelings of frustration that these kids would never be able to reach their potential.  

On a brighter note, some of the kids were only at the orphanage for day care.  They got to go home with their families at the end of the day.  I was so happy that so many of the kids actually weren't abandoned and and had homes to go to every night.  It was nice to see that there were resources for families with kids with disabilities because this is often not the case.  

I rejoined my group and we handed out some toys and played with some of the kids for a while which was really fun.  Then it was time to go and a short bus ride back took us back to the ship.  

Vietnam (Day 2)

   Internet is severely dodgy again so these may be sent out of order since I have several  entries in my outbox right now.  

I was a bit grumpy when I was woken up by someone slamming into our door in the early morning, but soon realized it was meant to be because there were hash browns served at breakfast!  haha  It is very exciting on this ship when something unusual and tasty is on the menu!

After some noms, I met up with Hannah and Courtney to do some shopping before our service project FDP.  They were both getting dresses and saris made so our first stop was to a tailor.  It is really cheap to get things made here!  We went to a more expensive place and it was still only $26 to make a dress out of already bough fabric and $55 to make a dress using the tailors fabric selection.  If I didn't already have ten zillion dresses I would have gotten one made as well.

  

Then it was shopping time!  We set out to visit a market we had heard about but got distracted by a minnie market where we spent all of our time.  I got some more movies, some of which sadly need to be returned because they don't work, and browsed through the knock-off brand American clothes.  

We went back to the ship to eat lunch since it is free and all.  Today must be bonus day because they were serving PIZZA!!!!  I haven't had pizza in like months!  I ate way more than usual and happily retired to my room to rest and digest.

The service project we went on was to the School for Deaf Children just a few blocks away from the boat.  I'm learning many of these service projects are not quite good examples of service learning, but they sure are fun!  I really do enjoy kids.  They are so enthusiastic about everything!  It makes life more exciting when I hang out with them. :0)  When we first got to the school, the lady who runs it gave a short talk about the school and a crash course in sign language.  I think I forgot everything except how to ask what the kids' names were.  Then it was up many flights of stairs (yay for midodrine!) and on to the room where the kids were waiting.  We split off into informal groups around the room to get to know each other.  The teachers passed out paper for us to draw on.  One of the kids really liked cats so I drew him one and then his friend one, and probably about five more.  :0)  I brought my picture book which turned out to be a hit with the kids.  They taught us some sign language by pointing to the picture and then showing us the sign for it.  One of the kiddies discovered my camera and now I have a memory card full of awesome silly pictures.  I was sad when one of the teachers made the kid give me back the camera.  I guess they weren't allowed to play with them.  If the teacher only knew how many times I have dropped that thing, she would know it was in safer hands with the students!  haha  

Then it was time for a field trip to the zoo.  I swear I have never seen so much excitement!  We all loaded onto the bus to drive the few blocks there.  There was much yelling and general enthusiasm going around.  Once at the zoo we took a snack break.  I thought it was funny that not even the kids would have anything to do with much of what came from the ship.  Mystery meat is gross even when fun dip is considered a food group.  

I was using my chair and I thought it was really cute that the kids all thought that I had to use it because of my hurt wrist.  They all wanted to know what happened so I showed them a bendy wrist in my picture book and their eyes got really huge.  I took the brace off to show them that it was ok now.  

As usual, I pair up with the most difficult (aka awesome) kid.  He very much enjoyed screaming pinching my arm and stealing things from my bag.  He was definitely the most excited and helpful though.  He took it upon himself to help push my chair (and run it into things to see me make my surprised face) and make sure that I could see all of the animals.  He definitely had a well defined personality!  I didn't bring out my bag of toys because everything was so hectic, but I managed to discreetly slip him a toy plane at the end.  He promptly took it apart.  :0)  

Everyone except four of us piled back on the bus and headed back.  Hannah, Courtney, and the other Hannah stayed to finish touring the zoo and get eaten alive by bugs.  The zoo was cool in the sense that we could get right up close tot eh animals, but sad in the sense that the animals didn't seem to be well cared for.  The cages were far too small for most of them and many had sores or displayed signs of anxiety and boredom.  

We thought this river otter was funny because it looked like it was playing dead.  

Sad face.  :0(

After the zoo, our fearless leader, Courtney, guided us to a restaurant that had come recommended in a guide book.  We finally found it and it was worth the walk!  We definitely didn't speak the same language as our waiter, but ordered with only a few mishaps.  We got barbecued beef which we got to cook right on the table!  It was a little dodgy to use the same wooden chopsticks to pick up the raw and cooked meat, but hopefully we will survive.  :0P  I thought it would be a good idea to try some of the peppers on our table once I was done eating.  It was a good idea because now I have a hilarious video of me freaking out about how spicy it was.  I only touched the thing to my tongue and it felt like I had burned a hole in it!  So funny!

Look Grandma!  Vegetables!!!!

After dinner, it was just a few blocks to the hotel where we would catch the shuttle to our bus.  We had to cross the street a few times on the way and now I have some video of us almost getting run over by some scooters.  So much fun!

I opted out of another movie night tonight for an early bedtime.  Can't wait for tomorrow!  

Cape Town (Day 6) Operation Hunger

   Volunteering with Operation Hunger was an amazing experience!  It was a long, difficult day and worth every extra heartbeat.  For a little background about Operation Hunger, it was started in 1980 a an organization that gave out food to populations at risk for malnutrition.  Through their work, they realized that additional programs such as health education and sustainable agricultural projects were needed.  Now the organization battles hunger in South Africa on many fronts.  In 1992, Clement, the regional coordinator for the Western Cape started working with Semester at Sea and we have had a wonderful relationship ever since.  I was especially excited when I learned this because the previous service projects I have participated in seem so fleeting and only addressed the surface of larger problems.  SAS's long term relationship with Operation Hunger meant that the two programs had grown together and were better able to fulfill each other's needs. 

  On the service visit, we were able to help in several different ways.  The first half of the day (after a tour and introduction) was spent doing one of three things; cooking in the soup kitchen, breaking ground for a new garden, and assisting the videographer and photographer film and photograph the community.  I was really excited to be asked to assist the photographer (he has been helping me with my photo skills while at sea) but had forgotten that I used a wheelchair sometimes so I actually couldn't go.  It was REALLY disappointing for me because it was kind of an honor to be hand-picked by him and then I couldn't do it.  I pouted a little and then decided to give myself over to my new task which would be gardening.  One may think that photography is a better suited activity for someone using a wheelchair than farming, but I am actually quite handy with a hoe and rake in my chair, and quite unable to take photos while wheeling myself.  

   I knew that it may be a challenge to convince people that I could help just as well as anyone else, so I made sure to present myself in a non-helpless manner.  I wheeled right up to the back of the truck we were unloading and picked out a hoe before anyone could tell me I could just sit and watch.  The ground that was going to become a large garden looked nothing of the sort when we began.  It was a sandy and rocky plot with lots of weeds and litter.  That quickly changed though.  Those of us who had gardened before (or pretended to know what we were doing in my case) got to work turning up the soil and hacking out the weeds.  I worked out a pretty good system where I would sit and use my knee as a lever for the hoe.  I was having another pretty bad weakness spell, so I needed all the help from physics I could get.  I would make sure the area right around me was perfect and then wheel the chair back a few feet and work on the new area.  Once the hoeing was done, I went back through with a big rake to get the large weeds and rocks out and then back again on my hands and knees to get the more stubborn weeds out.  I stood up for some raking with the smaller toothed rake to make sure everything was level and looking pretty.  Other people went around and poured water over the newly turned dirt and planted seeds in the wet soil.  I took a rest, talked with Clement about the History of Operation Hunger, and then got back to work with the hoe to better define the bed I was working on.  I was slower than most people, but I had fun and felt good about it still.  I had been really missing gardening while on the boat so it was nice to much about in the soil for a few hours.  I was really happy that no one tried to coddle me or prevent me from doing work.  Everyone just accepted that I would be working right a long with them.  The garden will eventually be taken over by the community as a sustainable way to produce food.  

  We drove to a large gas station for lunch where I had fun talking with people and having another delicious peanut butter milkshake from Whimpy's (a fast food chain).  I didn't really understand why so many of the other customers were staring at me in the gas station/fast food restaurant until I saw myself walking in the reflection of a window.  I look pretty darn awkward during a weakness spell!  I may need to rename the "zombie walk" to be my "spaz walk."  haha  

   After lunch we headed to the soup kitchen to help out with Operation Hunger's bi-annual data collection.  (It is bi-annual because SAS students are needed to help staff them and we come to Cape Town twice a year.)  My friend Josh and I secured a spot at the weighing station.  We weighted the kids and wrote their weight on their lower arm which would be recorded with their arm circumference and height by one of the Operation Hunger workers.  IT was extremely fun and chaotic.  I absolutely loved working with the kids in this setting.  I got to squeeze in some high fives and tickles even in the hectic process.  Some of the younger kids were a little scared and unsure, but Josh an did a good job of turning their whimpers into giggles, I think.  The data we collected would show which kids were at-risk for malnutrition.  Those kids would have follow up visits to their houses where nutritional education, medical care, and food donations would be provided if necessary.  

  After all the data was collected, the kids got to fill their bowls they brought from home with some vegetable stew the soup kitchen had prepared.  For some of the kids, it would be the only meal they had that day.  This showed in some of the kids who barely had any arm for me to write their weight on and had swollen bellies from lack of protein.  Most of the kids were of a healthy weight, but those who were not broke my heart.  I was hungry by the time we had lunch that day.  I can't imagine being a little kid and having hunger be a constant part of life.  Clement said that more than anything, he hopes that we will remember the community when we get back home and have the ability to send funds and supplies.  I know there is no way I can forget the organization or the community.

  I handed out some stickers and saucer poppers to the kids who hung around to eat which was really fun.  I had dozens of little hands all around me waiting to be decorated by the neon smiley face stickers I brought.  I was so busy with that, that I was almost late to the bus...again.  One of the Operation Hunger workers had to come fetch me and show me that everyone else was already on the bus.  Oops.  I gave some last high fives and showed some of the older ones my wheelchair and then got on the bus to go back to the ship.  I think it goes without saying that I didn't want to leave.

Bye Bye South Africa!  I will definitely miss you and be back soon!