Nevermind I guess I will have to find someone like you because your the one that got away.
I wish nothing but the best for you but just don’t forget about me.
Breaking the Prision
A human being is part of a whole, called by us the “Universe,” a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings, as something separated from the rest—a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circles of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.
-Albert Einstein
Color Festival in Belfast N. Ireland
Letting Go
If you love something strong enough let it go and if it loves you strong enough it will return to you.
Fouth and Fifth Week of GX
Fourth and Fifth Week of Global Xchange
The Fourth week was the first real Global Citizen Day. A Global Citizen Day (GCD) is a day where all the participants from GX come together and have a meeting concerning any issues each counterpart pair feel pressing and/or useful for the rest of the Global Xchange group.
Guess who had to run the first GCD? ME! The Global Citizen Day Issue me and my counter part decided to do is HIV and AIDS. The GCD went according to plan and was a huge success. Except the organization of it, my counterpart did not seem to care nor help me with the organization, set up, or facilitation of the Global Citizen Day.
I have to admit that I was irritated especially with all my attempts to get my counter part involved with production and facilitation with the Global Citizen Day but what can I do, like the old saying goes “You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink”.
This is concerned me because my counter partner is from Sierra Lion, and Sierra Lion is one of the most impacted counties in the world affected by HIV and AIDS. I feel the information could have helped him, his friends and family be safe from HIV and AIDS.
The following week I continued with my work placement at The Durban University of Technology (DUT) teaching High School students about computers and English.
Commonly Asked Questions!
Lately I’ve been getting the same commonly asked questions. So I will be dedicating this post to commonly asked questions.
What am I doing over in South Africa?
I am in South Africa on a Global Exchange Program called “Global Xchange” that is funded and organized by the British Council. “Global Xchange” is an intensive program that puts me in foreign countries for 6 months. In the 6months I will be partnered up with another participant of “Global Xchange” from another country and we will be doing volunteer work within South Africa.
In South Africa I am working at a non-profit called IKAMVA which is an after school program that helps young adults in High School try to get into university. I am helping teach students with computer literacy (understanding how to use a computer) and English.
How long will I be in South Africa/ And when will I becoming back to California?
I will be staying in South Africa for 3 months (October 9th, 2011 – January 2nd, 2011) but I will be out of the country until March 25th, 20011. The following 3 months after South Africa I will be staying in Belfast Northern Ireland doing volunteer work.
What time is it in South Africa?
Durban, South Africa is about 9 hours ahead of California. If it is 7am in California then it is 4pm in South Africa.
Do you have to pay to be in the Program?
No all expenses are paid by the British Council. Food, Accommodations, transportation is all paid by the British Council, but cell phones, extra meals, internet cards, snacks, and entertainment is out of pocket.
How many Participants and countries are involved?
They are 20 Participants from 5 different Countries.
4 from United States, Los Angeles, California
3 from North Ireland, Belfast
5 from France
4 from South Africa, Durban
4 from Sierra Lion, Freetown
How is the food down here?
The food is an experience down here. For me it is a hit and miss, like I’ve tried chicken feet, chicken liver, and numerous other delicacies (a lot of it chicken). There is plenty of KFC here. KFC is as popular here as McDonalds and Starbucks combined back in the US. Even the McDonalds is different, the portions are smaller and taste a bit different.
F.Y.I. They put butter on bread. On every slice of bread, doesn’t matter if it is for toast, a sandwich with ham or if it is for Peanut Butter and Jelly. South Africans put butter on every slice of bread.
What do people usually eat in South Africa?
Like back in US people eat different things depending on ethnicity and cost of food. But I have been eating a lot of curry. I believe this is because of the strong Indian culture here.
Are there a lot of Indian people in South Africa?
From my understanding and what I have seen Durban, South Africa has the highest concentration of Indian people in all of South Africa.
I keep getting mistaken for an Indian person.
Third Week of Global Xchange
I’m starting to get familiar with my bearings here in Durban, South Africa. It’s a metropolitan city a lot like Los Angeles. That’s probably why I’m finding it easy to make my way around the city. I’m trying to speak Zulu the local language here. Zulu is incredibly hard language to learn but I am giving it my best shot in trying to conquer it.
Yesterday was my first day going to church with my host family. My host Family goes to an Anglican Christian Church. It was not so different from the Catholic Church I was brought up with. A lot of standing and kneeling and I didn’t understand much because everyone in the Church was spoke in Zulu. The thing I found interesting is that when it was time to sit and pray to God, lady’s started yelling. I asked my house sister what was going on and why they were yelling? She said “That that’s the way they pray to God.” I found it interesting that they were yelling at God and not asking him.
Another thing is when I walked in the church all eyes were all on me. For a moment I felt like I can read their one thought when they saw me “What’s he doing here?” I felt really uncomfortable walking in. The moment I walked in it felt like everyone was judging me. It was not cool. Shouldn’t the church be about loving and excepting of others because we are all created by God?
Maybe because of this disassociation with the people at the church made me really home sick. I guess, I just want acceptance and love. I really miss everyone back home. But I know this distance and this experience is making me grow as a better person. I already feel myself growing more and more each day.
First Couple of Days In Durban South Africa
The Global Xchange team from US has arrived in Durban South Africa. We have met the other participants from all over the world except from Sierra Lion. All the participants have all become fast friends and we are eager to learn from on another.
All of us are really bonding and exploring the city of Durban South Africa together. We really want to know who will be our work and home counterparts (the people we will be working and living with). None the less we are all happy with the group but we are still waiting for the arrival from the participants from Sierra Lion.
A couple of days after we arrived in Durban the Mayor (Obed Mlaba) of this beautiful city gave us a welcoming reception. All of the Global Xchange participants got all dressed up and polished. And the reception was wonderful, the local press and media was there to greet us. Everyone who was there was having fun, dancing and eating, a truly wonderful, wonderful time.
The next day the Global Xchange team discovered who their counterparts were. That day we separated and went to our host homes. My host home was extremely nice and inviting by the end of the night I felt like I was part of the family.
The Sierra Lion Participants finally arrived in South Africa and we arranged a welcoming for them. Everyone has already bonded; we hope that the Sierra Lion participants get along with us like we have with each other.
At this point I miss my boyfriend like crazy; being away from him hurts so much. I know this time apart will only be good for us. I feel like we are still boys. This separation will help us grow as men. But I miss him infinitely. I know he is waiting for me on the other side of the world but it is hard not being able to see him.
The other participants sympathize with me and wish me all the luck with my relationship. The Global Xchange team has been nothing less than a second real family to me. We all get along. I find it astonishing that all of us from all over the world can get along and have a common goal in trying to make the world a better place no matter the race, age, gender, sexual orientation, or anything else.
The Global Xchange team has started their work placements and everyone is extremely happy with where they are placed. I was placed at Ikamva: An after school program for kids in high school. We focus on trying to get kids out of high school and into college.
I myself will be teaching these young adults English, Computer Literacy, HIV and AIDS education.
I am extremely happy volunteering at Ikamva. I have only started English but the kids seem egger to learn. (They seem to really care that I come from Los Angeles, it’s a real big deal to them)
