Po-Yi's Youth Challenge International Diary - Costa Rica

Knowing of What Can Be

2009-10-13T12:32:00.007-04:00

Our CR9-5A team: (Top L to Bottom R) Devon, Elspeth, Tyrone, Jameel, Christina, Ali, Denis, Mohan, Me, Evelyn, Kelli, Piramila, Julie, Amanda

Dear loved ones, friends, acquaintances, and other wonderful supporters,

It is another one of those moments in my life when I do not even know how to begin to explain my experience, especially of my time spent in Costa Rica for the past five weeks. After arriving in Burnaby, I still experienced a deep sense of nostalgia and disorientation. I had to cope with my strange reverse culture shock. Considering I did not have much time to miss Montreal before flying off, I missed both Montreal and Costa Rica. I know that quite a few people have been asking me about my experience, and I apologize for my temporary speechlessness to the whole thing. Now, I am centered enough to process and make sense of what I had been through.

For the months leading up to my trip, I never had the chance to give you the full specific details about the work I would end up doing in Costa Rica. Youth Challenge International kept it that way since community needs often change, forcing volunteers to improvise on the spot as they work on community-development projects. So during those five weeks, I stayed in a small sustainable-farm community called Juanilama. It is located near the central west side of Costa Rica in the province of Alajuela. Juanilama has 125 families living on dispersed farmlands, growing some crops like yucca roots, papayas, mangoes, pineapples, coconuts, and variety of vegetables. The locals sometimes go to Santa Rosa, a small town that is 45-50 minutes away by walk and bus or 15 minutes by car, to buy certain necessities (e.g. gum boots, coats, etc). But they mainly survive on the food they grow and the livestock they keep. Several people also make and sell cheese to others in Juanilama and to people in Santa Rosa.

So it was on July 10th, after a two-day orientation in Toronto and an eight-hour flight, my CR9-5A teammates and I finally arrived in San Jose around 8:30pm. We all were feeling very elated and anxious about what was to come. “People, we are in Costa Rica!”, I remember Denis exclaiming as he jumped up in the middle of the hallway. We obviously stood out as onlookers walked by and witnessed our excitement. As we made our way to customs, it was then when I first breathed in the ever-so-clear Costa Rican air. That night, it rained relatively hard. The humidity was the heaviest I ever experienced so far in my life.

Our group was small. It had only eleven participants (gender-wise, pretty equal too): Mohan, Ali, Jameel, Denis, Tyrone, Piramila, Julie, Kelli, Christina, Elspeth, Devon, and myself. All of us came from different parts of Canada, from east end to the west. And we all had our own stories to share and gifts to bring with us. On our way out of the airport, we were greeted by our group leaders, Evelyn and Amanda. Evelyn works for Reto Juvenil, a Costa Rican counterpart of YCI. She is a native Costa Rican and has worked as a leader in several other humanitarian projects in the past. Amanda is from Ottawa, and it was her first time being a group leader for YCI. For our first night, we stayed in San Jose at “Costa Rica Backpackers” hostel. Let me tell you, if you ever want to stay in San Jose, this is the hostel to be in – clean, fun, and beautiful. It felt more like a resort. One interesting thing we learned about the water system in Costa Rica was that we have to turn the knob very slightly to get hot water for our shower. Otherwise, if we turn too much, we will just get extremely cold water pouring. Another thing to note, like some other countries, we do not throw our tissue paper down the toilet.

The very next morning, we had to pack up our bags and jump onto a private bus to Juanilama. All of our equipments, non-perishable foods, and things to help set up our new home were placed on the top of the bus. Our poor bus driver had to climb all the way up there to help us transfer and secure the bins of stuff with ropes. Our ride took four hours in total. I suffered from motion sickness and almost puked merely a fifth of a way through our trip. Luckily, Kelli had some gravol with her. We arrived to the house, which was to become our home for five weeks. It was painted light-mustard yellow and red-earthy brown on the outside. Directly above our entrance, there was a hornets’ nest. Our bus also became stuck in the mud, so we and our to-be-neighbours helped the driver push his bus out of it. Mud splattered everywhere. From that moment on, we were never completely clean again until we arrived in San Jose the last day of our trip.

So there we were, gazing at our extremely small house. It was all empty. Inside, there were three very small rooms; one tiny bathroom with a broken sink; an eight-person sized livingroom; and a kitchen. Houses in Juanilama are not completely closed. They are built in such a way so that enough humid air can go through. The roof is three to five inches elevated from the walls, creating huge gaps in between around the perimeter of the house. The downside? Insects, geckos, lizards, and scorpions got in very easily. It took us two days to set up the things we needed in the house. All of us set up our sleeping bags/pads and mosquito nets the first day. All five of the men slept in one small room near the kitchen (their choice to stay that close together created a lot of interpersonal squabbles later on). Two of the women and I slept in the room in the middle of the house near the bathroom. Four others in the room near the front entrance, one in the livingroom, and one in the hallway. We really lacked space, and it was truly a miracle considering we did not kill each other in the end. The walls were so thin that we could hear each other’s conversations at night. “Man, what are you guys talking about? You have the most ridiculous conversations,” someone from the “boys’ room” once commented to me and my roommates.

The third night (Sunday) was epic. Up until then, we did not face any huge challenge yet. We still lived peacefully. Around 10pm, as everyone was having quiet conversations and tea with each other before bed, streams of ants crawled into our kitchen through our chicken-wired window and into the “boys’ room”. So we began to complain. After an hour passed, the ants crawled up to the roof and never returned (we found out two weeks later that they were only migrating after coming out from the winter season. They were completely harmless). Then 11pm came, right when we tried to relax, one of the men screamed as a mother scorpion came into their room carrying her babies on her back. The babies dispersed and crawled around the room. Mohan, Tyrone, and Jameel helped kill the mother scorpion and as many of the babies as possible with a swiss-army knife duct-taped (my duct tape!!) to the end of a broomstick. I have yet to figure out how the guys killed the scorpions with accurate aim. One person used masking tape to tape one of the babies to the wall. I guess if you can’t stab them, you can tape them! It remained taped for the rest of the project. We just wanted to make sure that it was dead. After we rid of the scorpions, our toilet flooded. Someone forgot to stop flushing tissue paper down the toilet. People in the community laughed hard about our experience of that night the very next day. It was from that night on, I stopped keeping my diary. It was too much.

The neighbours who lived directly across from our house are immigrants from Nicaragua, trying to carve out a decent living in Juanilama. We could tell from the outside that they built their house themselves, out of pieces of wood. There was no cement flooring, just earth. Eleven to twelve people of that family were living under that same roof: the parents, children, cousins, auntie, uncle, and so on. Strange enough, we did not have the chance to meet all of the members in that household. They were nice and polite, but distant at the same time. From the way we interpreted it, it seemed as though they became used to being isolated from the rest of the Tican community in Juanilama. Immigrants, particularly Nicaraguans, are viewed with suspicion in Costa Rica. Many Ticans discriminate against them because of the media’s portrayal of the crimes Nicaraguans commit and Nicaragua’s political turbulence. One person from our group noted that it was interesting how our neighbours lived off a beaten track; whereas, everyone else had a road or path leading to his/her house.

Our typical day was packed. Here is what our schedule was like from Monday to Friday:

6:00 – 6:30am: Time to wake up and eat breakfast

7:00am: Get ready for work

8:00am (or 9:00am on Mondays): Walk for 20-25 minutes to the bridge to help with the construction of it. Alex was our boss/foreman. Three or four people of that day were to go to the ecological reserve to use machetes to cut down shrubs, thorny bushes, trees, and long grasses. We alternate between going to the bridge and reserve everyday or every two days.

2:00pm: Work ends. Time to walk home for lunch. People could stay longer to work if they really wanted to. People at the bridge had to walk up the steep road everytime. The ecological reserve was merely three blocks away.

4:00pm: Community soccer time. We could join if we liked.

5:00pm: English teaching.

6:00pm – 8:00pm: Dinner time.

9:00pm: Quiet time. Curfew sets in. Had to be back home by this hour. The little pulperia/corner store near our house closes at nine. There wasn’t much to do anyways because all the locals had to sleep early to work in the morning.

10:00pm: Bedtime.

Saturdays and Sundays were often our free days, when we could do our own thing or got invited to someone’s house for lunch/dinner. For the first part of Saturday, we had to wake up in the morning to walk 45 minutes to the bus that would take us to Santa Rosa. We go there once a week to buy our personal things. Most importantly, the food coordinators (me and Christina) were responsible for buying the fresh food for the week.

Besides the hard labour that we had to do, we had three community-development projects on the side: English teaching, Youth Development, and the Earth Charter. Each project consisted of four coordinators. I was responsible for the Earth Charter and became its head coordinator. Organizing events in an unfamiliar setting was difficult. We always had to keep in mind the ‘Tican’ time, meaning that locals can come whenever they wanted to even two or three hours after the start time. In spite of the challenges (that was why we were there!), our 'social projects' were very successful since they opened our eyes to the difficulties that Juanilama have been facing. The knowledge we gained from the events and activities we planed will help the next YCI group to sustain whatever development we and the Juanilamans have left off with.

During the last week of our stay, the community leaders held a thank-you/good-bye party for all of us. They made rice and spaghetti for that night. So scrumptious! We felt sad for leaving but immensely thankful for our overall experience in Juanilama. The community gave us more than we ever gave to them. It was from them, we learned what true community and relations mean. Of course, Juanilama needs some help with development, but which community (like ours in Canada) doesn't? The Juanilamans are very rich people in the sense that they have each other. Whenever someone needs urgent help, s/he has a loving neighbour to run to. Whenever they need hugs or some quality time spent with others, people are there. I think that is one of the biggest lessons we learned: learning to be present in other people's lives. Coming from bigger places in Canada, we often find that very hard to do. Or at least, that is how we perceive it. Our society has become very individualized and therefore isolated. No wonder there is lots of depression among people in the 'developed' nations. We can be there for people, but it's our society's concept of time and urgency that blinds us from the possibilities - from the love we are all capable of sharing. The Juanilamans' gift of (Tican) time will remain in my heart always and serves as a constant reminder of how I should approach my relationships in life. Even in times when I find it oh-so-hard to keep certain relationships, I should put as much effort into them as possible as my way of expressing my love and care.

On our last day, we packed everything up and cleaned the whole house down. Our mustard-brown house became empty once again, waiting for the next occupants to arrive. As we traveled away on the same bus with which we first came into Juanilama, we looked at the marks we left behind in the community, and reminisced quietly the moments we made together. Like gentle whispers, our memories of this trip guided us back into our lives in Canada. Now, we know of what can be.

With lots of love and immense gratitude,

Po-Yi

Let's Celebrate!

2009-05-15T16:18:00.010-04:00

So it's May and summer is finally here in Montreal. The birds are chirping. The flowers are blooming. And the people are busy filling the streets - shopping for summer apparel, gardening supplies, and other fun and cheery things for the season!

As for myself, I am totally excited that my fundraising is 100% done. I took part of what I earned from working to pay off whatever amount I owed. Yay! Just to note, my fundraising page still says 85.5%; because I paid the remainder with my own finances, the 100% will not show.

Aside from that, another good news (to me) is that I recently quit facebook altogether. I feel as though the social networking site does not help me to cultivate authenticity and loving-kindness within relationships in life; rather, I see it more as a social divide. Instead of wasting minutes away updating my statuses, uploading my images, and doing other quirky/nonsensical stuff, I want to interact with people (preferably) face-to-face, over the phone, through snail mail, or the least, in emails. So the facebook group I started for my Costa Rica project is now gone :( But no worries, I still feel your continual support, and your encouragements will for sure remain in my heart! Many heartfelt thanks to family, friends, acquaintances, and even people I haven't met before for signing up!

Feel free to email me at po_yi_liu[at]yahoo[dot]ca if you have any question/comment or want to share your experience of Costa Rica. I would love to hear from you :) Although my fundraising is now over, I will continue to give you guys updates, and I hope that I can write a post or two while in Costa Rica (if I have internet access, that is!).

You know, I wouldn't have done it without you all. The variety of support I have received is unbelievable. You help make my dreams come true, and your kindness continues to inspire me during every step I take. May peace and love be with you :) Gracias!

Big hugs and sincere thanks!

Poyi

PS: *smiles* and xoxo

To Fear Or Not To Fear - The Swine Flu

2009-05-01T21:44:00.010-04:00

So I take it that almost all of you have heard of the recent international outbreak of the swine flu. Most of whom became affected are travelers who just return from Mexico. Now, the flu is spreading to people (around the world) who are not part of the group who traveled to Mexico. According to wiki, this flu is a new strain of influenza A virus (subtype H1N1). It is a mutated combination of an avian influenza virus, a human influenza virus, and swine influenza viruses.

Common symptoms are generally fever and coughs. However, other symptoms might arise:
- headache
- aching muscles
- tiredness
- limb/joint pain
- chills
- sneezing
- runny nose
- sore throat
- lost of appetite
- diarrhea or upset stomach

These symptoms are like those of regular flus, but may be more severe and deserve dire medical attention. (If you find yourself with a fever and a cough, please seek medical help immediately just to be safe. I'm sure there are health warnings/precautions posted all over in your local area).

Because of the fear and concerns that came about worldwide, Youth Challenge International for sure has been following up closely -- working with a medical organization and a medical insurance agency to make sure that its youth volunteers (like me) will be safe and have access to medical help once they step foot in their chosen volunteer destination. Out of all YCI projects, the only main countries of concern are Canada and Costa Rica. And guess what? I'm already in Canada. And yea, I haven't found the need to wear a mask either despite working in and out of people's homes and hospitals.

I'm sure I will be fine. The overall number of swine flu cases are relatively pretty small. I think it's the media hype (like always) that has blown things out of proportions. Nonetheless, I will take up universal health safety precautions and the following (thanx to YCI!) into consideration while in Costa Rica:

- Maintain good personal hygiene
- Wash your hands frequently
- Avoid touching your face
-Avoid people who are obviously sick
- Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue
- Stay at home if you are unwell.

And I will pack lots of hand sanitizers with me too!! Overall, this flu is obviously a concern but not a big one. So no worries :)

Reto Juvenil Internacional (RJI) and Other Updates ^__^

2009-04-01T20:53:00.007-04:00

Several weeks ago, I received a welcoming postcard from the youth volunteer organization, "Reto Juvenil Internacional" (RJI) [Youth Challenge Costa Rica]. I found out today through Jane (YCI's wonderful volunteer liaison person) that RJI is actually a partner organization with YCI. So we'll be working with RJI once we get down to Costa Rica. The organization has been setting up projects for local and international volunteers for more than 15 years now. It has taken part in over 150 environmental and community projects so far, providing over 1800 volunteers (from around the world) a chance to contribute their voice and skills. It's going to be fun working with them. Get to meet people from different parts of the world!!! I hope to work on an environmental project (*fingers crossed*), but I am willing to take on any project in Costa Rica :)

For the past month or so, I have been fortunate enough to get acquainted with several of the other participants who will be going to Costa Rica with me!! All of them are very nice, and we met on facebook. I feel as though a bunch of (what used to be) one-man islands are converging with each other to form one whole land - rich and strong! Communication and collaboration are such wonderful things to have, especially while preparing for something as worthwhile/meaningful as this volunteer project. Just yesterday, I met up with Elspeth, a fellow volunteer who's also living in Montreal! She's such a warm and friendly soul :) We are hoping to get some fundraising done together in this city before we head to Toronto!

Guess what? I finally have all of my flights booked (thank you JH at Medallion Travel)! Now, almost everything is set -- making things seem closer and more real. The only things I have yet to do are finishing my second batch of vaccinations and buying several more items to include in my backpack :)

In meanwhile, I will continue to work hard as a caregiver in Montreal to save up enough money to support my project and future ones! Have to take one day at a time :P :P

Underneath All the Beauty of Costa Rica: Issues of Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation

2009-03-29T19:41:00.022-04:00

In spite of Costa Rica being the most stable and democratic Latin American country, the country still suffers from serious human rights abuses. It's not the government who's doing the abusing; it's more so the people who are perpetrating drug and human trafficking in the area. Since the late 1970s, the government has had serious economic difficulties. Coffee and banana exports are no longer industries that bring in huge profits into the country (due to international drop in prices). So the country has become reliant upon tourism (especially eco-tourism). From there, the rampant growth in Costa Rica's tourism industry has encouraged the growth in the sex trafficking and exploitation of women and children. To sex tourists, Costa Rica is known to be a place that 'provides' many beautiful women. Girls/boys as young as eight years old can be seen at brothels and bars servicing older men from Europe and North America. Because of the children and women's exposure to such abusive and exploitive situations, they are susceptible to AIDS/HIVs and continual abuses in relationships. In addition, sexual predators can gain access to vulnerable children and women through domestic service. It's very common to have children and youth working as domestic servants in Costa Rica. Desperate for earnings and working long hours, these young servants often have experienced sexual harassments and abuses from the people they work for. To make things worse, domestic workers are not looked upon favourably in Costa Rica. Prostitutes, of course, are not respected as human beings either. Such embedded sexist attitudes among Ticans (a local name for Costa Ricans) and numerous foreigners definitely help further the exploitive circumstances that (forced or unforced) prostitutes and domestic workers find themselves in. This means that resources and community are very limited in giving aid to those who are sexually abused through human trafficking and domestic services.

The Costa Rican government and law enforcements are trying their best to crack down these cases with whatever resources or information they might have. Still, it is very difficult to hunt down all the sexual predators and close down all the sex-related services when the country is so dependent on tourists -- and especially when sexism and discrimination are institutionalized to a point that they disempower the voices of victims who experience sexual/emotional/physical/mental cruelties.

Costa Rica's Devotion to Education and Music

2009-03-28T17:03:00.002-04:00

One of the things that Costa Ricans boast about is its high educational standards. According to CIA World Factbook, 94.9% of Costa Rica's population is literature, with male being 94.7% and female, 95.1%. That is very high due to Costa Rica's free primary and secondary education offered. It's not that far away from Canada's 99%. Costa Rica was one of the very first countries in the world to make education free and obligatory in 1869. Now, elementary and high schools can be found in every community. On top of that, Costa Rica has four state-owned universities and numerous privately-owned ones. The biggest and oldest university is the Universidad de Costa Rica (UCR).

Instead of spending money on building a military, the government uses part of its expenditure to fund music programs for children, youth, and adults. Symphonies like the "Costa Rican National Symphony Orchestra" and "Youth Symphony Orchestras" give Costa Ricans opportunities to share their love for music with the world. Some universities even provide wonderfully-structured music education for people who want to enhance their skills or make a career out of their musical talents.

Marie Digby's "Paint Me In Your Sunshine"

2009-03-25T16:03:00.004-04:00

Before I leave you today, I want to share this video of my favourite singer, Marie Digby. The song is called "Paint Me In Your Sunshine".

In sharing this song, I hope to paint you in my sunshine :) xoxo and smiles!

Sala Rosa and Other Things Worth Celebrating

2009-03-25T15:21:00.004-04:00

It's been a while since my last update. I've been busy working, volunteering, and preparing :) You know, last night was my last Spanish class. To celebrate all the hard work we have placed into learning Spanish, our profesor Juan decided to organize a dinner party. So last night, around 13-14 of us went to Sala Rosa, a Spanish restaurant along rue St. Laurent in Montreal. I really love the ambiance and decor of the place. It's a great restaurant to bring a group of friends. As well, it sometimes hold venues for underground music. The food was absolutely fantastic! Being a vegetarian and all, I ordered a fried tofu sandwich with avocados and red peppers (and some salad and fried potatoes as sides). So good! And so big too! I couldn't finish the whole thing. Of course, we listened to our profesor, his novia (girlfriend), and my classmate's novio (boyfriend) speak fluent Spanish. Such a lively bunch! I'm going to miss that class. I don't think I'll take the level two conversational, but I'll continue to learn new vocab and grammar on my own :)

Last Tuesday (I should have written a post last week about this) was my last swimming class. I know, everything seems to be ending! My instructor took the time to review all that we have learnt. And guess what? I swam 200 meters (8 laps) like a fish!! My instructor encouraged me and my other classmates all the way while we swam our laps. I am ever so thankful for her enthusiasm and patience. The funny thing is, I found out this week that YCI does not require us to show proof that we can swim unassisted anymore. I'm very glad that the organization made changes now and not before; otherwise, I would not have pushed myself the way that I have done for the past two months :)

This week involves lots of planning on my part. I need to book my flights and figure out the logistics of everything (particularly with the things I want to do after I return from Costa Rica). As well, I need to head out to purchase the remaining items that I need for the duration of the project. So far, I finished putting together my personal medical kit (bandages, IB profen, gravol, hydrogen peroxide, etc). I also finished my first round of vaccinations at the hospital. My next and last round will be in April. Both of my arms were very sore from all the shots I had to take. But at least, I had most of them done :) Plus, the nurse was very friendly and gentle; so that helps with my needle-phobia.

Still so many things to do!! I am getting closer and closer to finishing my preparations at least :) I'll continue to keep you all posted this week. Hugs and cheers!!

Gardens of Love :)

2009-03-14T14:35:00.002-04:00

While care-aiding one night, I began to contemplate about the relationships that you and I establish in our lives. To me, our hearts are like gardens -- ready to receive and give deep love and nurturance. With each meeting with people, we are given opportunities to plant seeds and watch our flowers and fruits grow. So beautiful and yet so simple. Life is the coming together of these gardens. Through rain and storm, through our patience and effort, we try our best to maintain the harmony and health of our gardens. No matter what type of weather our flowers or fruits have been through in the past and present, we continue to provide our love and care. Whenever our flowers are thirsty, we want to give them fresh water. Whenever our flowers are down, we bring them to the warm and uplifting sun. And just because, we give our gardens special fertilizers that are filled with lots and lots of good nutrients for the roots. All of us are born with love deeply embedded within us. Today, we have the opportunity to open our hearts to potential growth and boundless possibilities. Today, we can begin to see how we can embody the love that we are capable of all along. We are here on earth to give, to sow, and to radiate our full potential. We are here to create and breathe in the fruits of our creations. From the beginning to the end of each day, we are simply love.

From this day onward and especially when I go to Costa Rica, I want to view all of my relationships and communication with people as the flowers and fruits of my garden. I hope to share and create with others, working to build striving communities -- working to foster open and healthy communications locally, nationally, and internationally. There is just so much potential in each and every one of us; and one of my goals of this trip is to assist others in realizing their skills, assets, and ability to create. Together (regardless of whether you're a YCI participant) we can work toward transforming society and inspiring each other.

Cheers!!

The Local-Global Focus of Youth Challenge International

2009-03-04T20:41:00.005-05:00

One thing I really admire about Youth Challenge International is that it is a non-profit organization that aims to further the skills, experiences, and self-confidence of youth in Canada. Though participants obviously get a chance to volunteer in another country, the YCI experience is not just about that. YCI is all about empowering Canadian youth to engage in community-development with youths from other parts of the global village. It's about finding ways so that we can all sit together to think of activities/actions that we can implement to build community capacities and connect community assets. If you think about it, YCI is very grassroot at its very core. Instead of jumping in and trying to impose ways in which our communities and communities abroad can change, YCI allows all types of youth the space to create dialogues to effect change in each other's communities. It is a collaborative and empowering approach to community-building. From the moment I became accepted, I already launched myself out there to connect with my own community and find out what assets it has so far. Up to this day, I never regret my decision to jump aboard. I've already met so many beautiful individuals in my community, and they have shown me so much about life. YCI gave me the opportunity to feel connected to people whom I might not have the chance of meeting before this project. When I fly to Costa Rica, I will carry the memories of my fundraising/networking experience in my heart. And I hope to share the love and care that I have received from my community with the youth/communities in Costa Rica.

We Must Persevere!

2009-03-04T20:08:00.004-05:00

“With ordinary talents and extraordinary perseverance, all things are attainable. ”

—Sir Thomas Buxton (1786-1845), British Member of Parliament

Regardless of how big the obstacles are or how mountainous they appear, always remember to keep holding on so that little by little, you come closer to the top. Along the way, there might be worries and fears, and that's okay :) Believe in yourself. Believe in the beauty and gifts you can bring to people while you embark on this process of preparing and fundraising for YCI. Always remember that YCI chose us for a reason -- because of the different things we can offer to Costa Rica! You are capable, beautiful, and awesome, and I am so thrilled to be on this team. I am looking forward very much to meeting you fellow teammates this summer! Cheers!

Where Does Our Social Responsibility Lie?

2009-02-26T21:07:00.031-05:00

The idea of volunteering overseas sounds rewarding and thrilling. People like me and countless others often dream of what it would be like to contribute our energy and skills to places, such as Mexico, Nigeria, and so on. Having that said, there is something important I really want to address. Amidst of all this excitement to help 'others' in a 'foreign' land, where does our social responsibility lie? As well, to what extent is our need to 'help' others in Third World localities socially constructed? Indeed, lots of energy has been expended in the international arena by humanitarians, missionaries, and other volunteers/workers for the past several centuries. In learning history, most of us know that many attempts 'to help' (such as those of missionaries) in the past failed miserably (resulting in pain and deaths of helpees) because of misguided intentions. Although we don't see much failure of the same calibre today, most current humanitarian response has still come out of this urgency 'to fix' so-called developing countries. This urgency implies several things:

1) Developing/ Third World countries are not capable of handling their own affairs
2) Developed/ First World country knows best
3) It's only the Third World countries that need or deserve aid.

On the surface, these implicit messages collide together, painting a very beautiful and perhaps, heroic image of the First World rescuing the Third. However, deep down, the direction of humanitarian aid is perpetuating global inequalities and further disempowering other countries who are equally as capable. It's just that the geo-sociopolitical and economic dichotomy between First and Third Worlds does not recognize the self-sufficiency of developing countries since their methods of governing do not 'measure up' to First-World standards. Obviously, the more developed countries try to impose their ways of doing things, the more stripped developing countries will be of their own cultures and social infrastructures. It becomes a way for the First World to gain power over the Third, and that is the irony behind the concept of 'helping'. Though the intent is good, in order for 'helping' to occur, someone has to be weaker than the other, and the 'stronger one' is always the one who knows best in every situation enough to control the lives of his/her 'helpee'. This is the face of today's colonialism.

Most important to note, which is something I mainly want to point to, is that this somewhat subtle hierarchy between the two constructed worlds further blinds us of the social disparities that continue to exist in so-called 'developed' nations -- in our own country, province, and cities. The veteran social worker, ambulance worker, policeman, and other kindhearted souls who had witnessed countless of homeless Canadian families (mainly women and children of working-class and aboriginal backgrounds) and worked with First Nations women (who were beaten to a pulp) can attest that there is a lot to be done in developed countries. And the sad reality is that our attention has been turned away from issues that are occurring much closer to our homes because where we live has become too familiar to us. We have become too comfortable to open our eyes and direct our hearts to our neighbours who need assistance. We Canadians tend to be more attracted to 'saving' those of exotic/mysterious countries mostly since it's easier to cultivate sympathies toward the perceived helpless 'others' in those places.

Overall, before and after I have taken up this project with YCI, I am extremely conscious of these international and neo-colonial power dynamics. I am also very well aware that my volunteering in Costa Rica will not deter me from collaborating with people in my own locality to better situations there. And I prefer using the word collaborating simply because it empowers all the parties involved, cultivating equality, peace, and love. So how should we go about our social responsibility? For me, it is very crucial to first learn how to collaborate and care for people on a local level. If we do not know how to do so or even notice any problem in the beginning, how can we, as citizens, learn how to collaborate with people outside of our locality, province, and country? Disparities exist when we cannot take care of ourselves and our closest communities. The same is happening in 'Third World' countries, for we First-Worlders took away their power to take care of themselves and their communities. Our neo-colonial interference broke down their community-building strategies and our imposing "heroism" is trying to fix that. A vicious cycle, indeed.

So to end this note, I know within my heart that my intentions behind volunteering in Costa Rica are extremely mindful, deeply reflected upon, and highly ethical. I hesitated in applying in the past because of my fear of contributing to the unequal distribution of power in our global society. However, I know that having volunteered and worked at local and provincial levels, I am confident in my conscious ability to collaborate and empower people. Also, I am confident in my ability to navigate between these economic and socio-political divides, making sure that I still extend my care and social commitment to the people in my own local community. In the end, I vie for community building and lifting. I yearn for the days when everyone on this planet is willing to intentionally connect with each other. And all the work that fellow socially conscientious volunteers and I have done so far provides tiny baby steps toward that purpose.

So if you're not able to contribute financially to my cause or cannot do so because of your convictions toward the matter I've just laid out, that's totally fine :) I only hope that as you finished reading this post and leave my blog, you will consider connecting with your local communities and/or at least, acknowledge the problems that continue to break up community at the local and global level.

Touched and In Awe

2009-02-25T11:16:00.005-05:00

Today is an absolutely wonderful day for me because I had a chance to meet Verdun's Mayor Claude Trudel and his secretary, Marie. I am touched beyond words as Mr. Trudel personally handed me his donation for my YCI project. As busy as he is, he was very kind enough to see me. In January, as I was typing up my letter appeal for him, I never would have thought that he might respond. His response and attention to my appeal help me realize how truly connected every person is to each other, regardless of ethnicity, background, class, gender, religion/spirituality, and so on. I am totally heartwarmed by Mr. Trudel's generous gift, and as I was holding it in my hands, I became a bit teary-eyed. His sincere wish and smile for me this morning have lifted up my heart and spirit tremendously.

Thank you Mr. Trudel for your genuine care. Yes, I am certain that your gift will do lots not only to your community but also to communities in Costa Rica. I will think of you, Marie, and the City of Verdun when I volunteer in Costa Rica. Merci beaucoup. Mucho gracias!

With lots of gratitude and love,

Po-Yi

Keep Your Passion Alive!!

2009-02-25T08:25:00.001-05:00

"Keep your passion alive --
it will warm you when the
world around you grows cold.
It will not allow comfortable
familiarity to rob you of that
special glow that comes with
loving deeply. It can lift
you over stone walls of anger
and carry you across vast
deserts of alienation. But its
greatest gift is that of touch --
for passion cannot dwell in
solitude -- it thrives best in
loving embrace. So keep your
passion alive -- hold one
another as a tree holds the
Earth and your love will
bear the fruit of many,
many seasons."

-- Shamaan Ochaum Climbing Eagle

Almost There!

2009-02-19T12:10:00.006-05:00

I'm almost there! I'm halfway into my swimming class. My instructor, J., has already taught us so much, from floating on our backs to doing des glissements [sorry, I don't know the English translation] in the water. During this week's class, I managed to swim 100 meters!! J. was proud! I have only 100 meters more to go! Next week, we'll be learning how to swim on the deep end of the pool. Hehehe.

As for my Spanish class, we only have 4-5 weeks left of it :( So short. Despite missing two classes ('cause I was back in PG visiting my family), I'm still picking up lots of Spanish, and I caught up with the rest of the class (phew!). We are learning to distinguish between ser and estar, the two verbs of "to be". As well, we are adding more vocabulary words (like names of furnitures) to our learning.

July seems far away, but time can pass by very quickly! My heart is very ready for this trip. I wish I can just jump on a plane next week and start working with my YCI teammates.

What a Challenging Language!

2009-02-16T13:32:00.006-05:00

Buenas dias a cada uno!

After weeks of studying Spanish in class and by myself, I can tell you that the language is not necessarily easier than French. Of course, Spanish conjugation of verbs can be pretty similar to French's. As well, some words are actually close in sound and structure. At the same time, there are so many differences I have to take a note of. For instance, unlike French (with its tu and vous), did you know that Spanish has more than two you's?

tú - singular informal
usted - singular formal
vosotros - plural informal (only used in Spain -- not Latin America)
ustedes - plural formal or informal (formal in Spain; formal and informal in Latin America)

Ah! It really shows the immense focus and respect that Spanish has for its audience. The thing I found most interesting is that you don't need to directly state the subject in the sentence. For example, in English, French, and even Chinese, one would say "I have...", where I is the subject of the phrase. Instead, in Spanish, one would just write "Tengo...", where the "I" is implied in the conjugation of tenir.

Despite the challenges, I still love the language very much. Like any other language, learning Spanish will give me some insights into Spanish culture, its way of thinking, and its way of forming concepts.

That's it for now! I'm going back to my studies :) Hasta luego! Chau!!

Gracias!

2009-02-15T15:00:00.002-05:00

Tengo sentimientos muy profundos ahora mismo. Me siento agradecido y elevado :) Gracias a cada uno.

A Very Brief Update...

2009-02-08T17:04:00.002-05:00

¡Hola!
Si, por ahora, sabo un poco de español; excepto, no hablo este lenguaje muy bien. Siento feliz para él.
Saludos :)

Prepping for YCI, An Adventure of the Heart!

2009-01-30T15:55:00.002-05:00

An article I have very recently written for the YCI newsletter. Cheers and enjoy!

Click on this left button to subscribe if you're interested in learning more about YCI's activities and ideas!
----------

Our word “courage” comes from the French word coeur, “heart.” Courage is a willingness to act from the heart, to let your heart lead the way, not knowing what will be required of you next, and if you can do it.

-- Jean Shinoda Bolen

As a volunteer of Youth Challenge International, I have been selected to volunteer in Costa Rica for five weeks this coming July. Of course, like any participant, several thoughts and doubts went though my mind upon being accepted. I remember asking myself “wow, will I be able to achieve my goals on time to make this trip possible?” because the task of fundraising, promoting, and preparing can appear very daunting! Then I recalled what one of my history professors had once taught me: always stick with what you know and do best, and go from there! So from there, I creatively thought of ways in which I could use the skills and resources that I already have right under my nose! With writing being one of my passions in life, I have decided to use it to type up dozen upon dozen of letter appeals, and boy, that was hard work! On top of that, knowing that I am an avid Facebook user and online blogger, I have created a Facebook group and an online blog at blogspot.com to rally support from friends, family, and acquaintances and to keep them up-to-date with my goals and progress. Along the way, friends and acquaintances have shared their wonderful experiences of Costa Rica, the friendships they have made, and the neat things they did. The encouragements from my supporters have thus far really helped me to persevere and believe in myself.

Besides using what I already have, my preparation for YCI has been an opportunity for me to acquire new skills. To pick up some Spanish for Costa Rica, I have been attending a Spanish conversational class at a local college in Montreal, something that I have often wanted to do at some point in life. So much vocabulary and grammar to learn and so many verbs to conjugate! Just signing up for this class have allowed me to meet people who also have a love for Spanish, Latin America, and traveling. Interestingly enough, my preparation has also led me to overcome my fear of swimming since as required, I need to prove that I can swim 200 meters. To a person who does not swim like a fish, this requirement indeed sounds very (shall I say) overwhelming and perhaps, frightening. After enrolling in a beginner’s swimming class, I am now becoming more comfortable in the water and can doggy-paddle 25 meters (only 175 meters more to go!). My fellow classmates and I have shared many laughters, while watching ourselves get water through our noses and make silly mistakes. One person even jokingly said he would challenge me someday in a 100-meter race!

Although my trip has not yet begun, I can say that my preparation for it has truly been a journey of the heart. From printing out letters to meeting new people in my classes, I have stopped seeing the preparation for Costa Rica as merely a means to an end. I have learnt to savour each moment of the process of getting there, listening to what my heart wants to do. Right now, I do not know what I will have to do next to further prepare myself, but I am not worried. As long as I continue to believe in possibilities and act with love and courage, an inspiration will come around the corner.

BBC News Timeline of Costa Rica

2009-01-28T21:49:00.003-05:00

It's amazing how useful the BBC News site can be. The site always has lots of information on different countries around the world. It's one of the best places to start if you want to research the politics, economics, and culture of a given place. Here's a bit about Costa Rica:

~~~~~~~~~

Timeline: Costa Rica

A chronology of key events:

1502 - Christopher Columbus visits the area, naming it Costa Rica, (Rich Coast), but disease and resistance by the local population delay the establishment of a permanent settlement for nearly 60 years.

1540 onwards - Costa Rica is part of the vice-royalty of New Spain.

1561 - Spain's Juan de Cavallon leads the first successful colonisers into Costa Rica.

1808 - Coffee is introduced into Costa Rica from Cuba and becomes the principal crop.

1821 - Central America gains independence from Spain. A dispute ensues over whether Costa Rica should join an independent Mexico or a confederation of Central American states.

1823 - Costa Rica joins the United Provinces of Central America, which also embraces El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua.

Independence

1838 - Costa Rica becomes fully independent.

1849-59 - Under the leadership of Juan Rafael Mora, Costa Rica takes the lead in organising Central American resistance against William Walker, the US adventurer who took over Nicaragua in 1855.

1859 - Mora ousted in a bloodless coup.

1870-82 - Under the leadership of Tomas Guardia Costa Rica encourages intensive foreign investment in railways.

1874 - US businessman Minor Cooper Keith introduces banana cultivation and starts the United Fruit Company.

1917 - Frederico Tinoco ousts the elected president, Alfredo Gonzalez, but is himself deposed two years later.

Socialism and civil war

1940-44 - President Rafael Angel Calderon Guradia, founder of the United Christian Socialist Party (PUSC), introduces liberal reforms, including recognition of workers' rights and minimum wages.

1948 - Six-week civil war over a disputed presidential election result.

1949 - New constitution gives women and people of African descent the right to vote; armed forces abolished and replaced by civil guard; Jose Figueres Ferrer, co-founder of National Liberation Party (PLN), elected president and begins ambitious socialist programme, including introducing a social security system and nationalising banks.

1958-73 - Costa Rica governed by mainly conservative administrations.

1963-64 - Irazu volcano erupts, causing serious damage to agriculture.

1968 - Arenal volcano erupts, causing many casualties.

1974 - Daniel Oduber (PLN) elected president and pursues socialist policies.

Conservatism and economic deterioration

1978 - Rodrigo Carazo, a conservative, elected president amid a sharp deterioration in the economy.

1982 - Luis Alberto Monge (PLN) elected president and introduces harsh austerity programme. Meanwhile, Costa Rica comes under pressure from the US to weigh in against the Sandinistas in Nicaragua.

1985 - US-trained anti-guerrilla force begins operating following clashes with Sandinista troops.

1986 - Oscar Arias Sanchez (PLN) elected president on a neutral platform.

1987 - Leaders of Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras sign peace plan devised by Oscar Arias Sanchez, who in turn wins the Nobel Peace Prize for the plan.

1990 - Rafael Calderon, of the centrist PUSC, elected president.

1994 - Jose Maria Figueres Olsen (PLN) elected president.

1998 - Miguel Angel Rodriguez (PUSC) elected president.

2000 - President Rodriguez and his Nicaraguan counterpart resolve long-standing dispute over navigation along San Juan river, which serves as their border.

2002 April - Abel Pacheco of the ruling Social Christian Unity Party wins a comfortable 58% of the vote in the second round of presidential elections.

2003 May - Energy and telecommunications workers strike over President Pacheco's privatisation plans; teachers strike over problems in paying their salaries. Strikes prompt three ministers to resign.

2004 July - Three Chilean diplomats are killed by a security guard at their embassy in San Jose.

Corruption

2004 October - Mounting concern over corruption as three former presidents - Jose Maria Figueres, Miguel Angel Rodriguez and Rafael Angel Calderon - are investigated over contractor payments.

2005 January - National emergency declared as days of heavy rain lead to serious flooding along the Caribbean coast.

2006 February-March - Presidential election ends in a neck-and-neck race between Oscar Arias and Otton Solis. Mr Solis concedes defeat after a manual count and legal challenges.

2006 October - Two-day public workers strike is held in protest at proposed free trade deal with the US.

2007 May - Government says Costa Rica on course to become first voluntarily 'carbon neutral' country.

2007 June - Costa Rica switches diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China in a bid to attract Chinese investment.

2007 October - National referendum narrowly decides in favour of ratifying the Central American Free Trade Agreement (Cafta).

Costa Rica elected as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.

Map of Costa Rica

2009-01-23T18:49:00.007-05:00

I found this useful map of Costa Rica on geology.com. It gives political boundaries and everything :) Click on pic to enlarge it!

Learned a Little Spanish So Far :P

2009-01-21T17:02:00.003-05:00

"Buenas dias!!
Me llamo Po-Yi Liu.
Soy Canadiense y China.
Soy de Prince George, British Columbia.
Vivo en Montreal, Canada.
Soy estudiante de español."

I attended my first Spanish class last night, and the above was the first thing we learned! Our language teacher is pretty friendly and helpful. He is also from Argentina -- which is great, considering I need to learn Latin American Spanish. On top of that, I have many fascinating classmates. One person is from the Philippines. One teaches English. Another is an interior designer. My language partner last night is from Ottawa. People from all walks of life! I purchased the text, Nuevo Ven: Libro del Alumno, today. It even has two CD's inside to accompany the lessons. In many ways, I am so glad to have a little background in French because it makes it easier to understand the linguistic structures of Spanish.

As for my freelance writing class that was supposed to start on Monday night, it has been canceled altogether. I do not know why. Perhaps the college couldn't find a teacher to teach it or the teacher just quit. Regardless, I am not sad about the cancellation. In fact, I feel relieved since now I can spend my whole heart into learning Spanish and Costa Rica :)

Gotta Prep Myself!!

2009-01-12T18:22:00.008-05:00

Early next week, I will begin my Spanish and freelance writing courses at the English cegep, Dawson College, in Montreal. I want to learn Spanish so that when I go to Costa Rica, I can at least know how to greet the locals there. Also, the language itself is so similar to French that I might pick up French more readily as a result :P The freelance writing course is just out of my own personal interest and has nothing to do with the project. But I might never know. Maybe my writing course will be of help to my project someday.

Also starting next week is my swimming class. I've often told myself in the past to take courses to strengthen my swimming, but never got the motivation to get around to that. Finally, the chance has come as YCI asks that participants must show proof that they can swim 200 meters.

It's going to be fun! Another opportunity to learn more new things in this cosmopolitan city!!

Story about Costa Rica

2009-01-07T21:51:00.003-05:00

A short YCI documentary about what the organization does and volunteers' experiences in Costa Rica. Enjoy!

About Youth Challenge International

2009-01-07T21:31:00.002-05:00

Youth Challenge International (YCI) is a non-profit organization that began in 1989. Since then, it has sent over 2,500 volunteers overseas and has partnered with youth-serving organizations in over 12 countries. The object of YCI is to provide chances for Canadian youth between the ages of 18 and 30 to participate in projects in developing countries, like Guatemala, Tanzania, Kenya, Costa Rica, and many others. The program allows young Canadian volunteers to engage local youths in community development in their own country. YCI helps young Canadians understand international development issues that are affecting not only developing countries but also Canada itself. After all, Canadians do not live in isolation; rather, we live in a global community where we are all interconnected through technology, politics, and economics. Therefore, sending Canadian volunteers overseas aids in creating and facilitating dialogues with youth from other countries. As well, partnering with overseas youth-serving organizations opens doors to new ideas and solutions to ongoing issues around the world. Overall, YCI serves to strengthen self-confidence, cross-cultural understanding, and global awareness in young Canadian participants, helping them to become global citizens.

Information on How to Support My Project

2009-01-07T21:20:00.007-05:00

Having graduated from university in May 2008 with a degree in history, I want to do something that is meaningful and worthwhile for both local and overseas communities. From there, I have chosen to apply for an overseas volunteer position with Youth Challenge International (YCI) as a way for me to pursue my passion for assisting/collaborating with other people. After having an interview with YCI, I have been selected to embark on a 5-week volunteer trip to Costa Rica, starting in July 2009. Volunteering has been a big part of my life since I was seventeen, when I first decided to volunteer at a local nursing home. Since then, I have volunteered at many places locally and provincially. I thought that YCI would be a great opportunity for me to participate in volunteer projects in the international arena and use my skills to bring ideas and plans into fruition. My involvement with YCI will help me contribute to change in society, obtain new knowledge, meet new people, and challenge my current perspectives. Most importantly, I want to use this trip to learn how to become a better global citizen.

What is more, even you can have the chance to make changes in people’s lives and communities. With your support, you help can make YCI’s project in Costa Rica possible. Donations can be made in three simple ways. You can easily go to http://yci.takingitglobal.org and make credit card payments through a secure paypal system. Just look for my name in the list! You can also mail in a cheque or money order with the funds submission form; or fax a credit card authorization form with the desired amount you want to give. The forms can be found on http://www.yci.org/html/donors/donatenow.asp. In addition to contributing to YCI, you will receive a tax receipt for your generous gift.

If you are unable to donate at this moment, no worries :) You can also show your loving support by becoming a member of this group I have created on Facebook :) It's called "Support Po-Yi's YCI Volunteer Project in Costa Rica (July 2009)!!!!!!!!!" The more, the merrier!!

If you know of anyone else who will be interested in becoming a supporter as well, feel free to forward this information! If you have any questions or comments, do not hesitate to email po_yi_liu [at] yahoo [dot] ca. I will keep you up-to-date with my progress on this blog :)