The NGO I chose is the Climate Change Working Group (CCWG). The CCWG is concerned with the ever deteriorating situations involving the global climate, and the threats of global warming. The group also specifically deals with the problems of Vietnam, which as one can guess, heavily involve issues of storms and flooding. The CCWG also looks to act as a collective, encouraging other smaller climate and disaster related NGO groups to join them, and speak with more weight as a collective. The primary focus of the group is to better inform the public on the dangers of climate, as well as help with the communication between the government, disaster relief groups, and the general public in times of emergency.
The cause is no doubt a noble one. Simulations of global warming show rising sea levels dramatically harming some parts of Vietnam. There is no question that this information needs to be spread throughout both governmental institutions as well as the public. But at the same time, information can only go so far. While the cause of the CCWG is a just one, the execution and creation of actual results is difficult. I question how much funding this group actually has, since it does not seem to be in any way monetarily affiliated with any government organization. Plus, how much can an organization that meets only once a month for the core group of members, and once every two months for other members accomplish? I understand that it takes time to accomplish these large goals that they hold, but I question how much organization and coordination they can have with so little interaction.
I believe that organizations like this are necessary, but I wish there was more assurance that a large impact could be made with this group. I applaud that one of their goals is to gather all of the climate and disaster related NGOs into one group, since I believe this does provide them with a larger voice within the community, and maybe to the government as well. This will remain an issue for years to come, and hopefully organizations like these will flourish.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Goals for the next 4 months
Here are some goals, in no particular order:
1. Sort shit out. Figure out what the hell I'm really doing here, what motivated me to come here, and what I can achieve by staying here.
2. Improve my Vietnamese. This is going to be a bit tricky, because I feel like I can't find an in between here. Trying to talk to the locals is too advanced for me. What we learn in class seems to introductory and not applicable to real life. There has to be some kind of middle ground.
3. Learn about all of the different kinds of food in Vietnam. As food is one of my favorite things in life, this goal is a no brainer.
4. Try and make observations about Vietnamese society that I can document and later use for my thesis that I have to write after I go back to the states.
5. Leave a permanent mark of my presence somewhere in Vietnam. That can mean helping to build something, making friends here and being remembered, or even helping or teaching someone.
6. Learn to appreciate what I already have. Though I would argue that I already do for the most part, it's hard not to reevaluate what I have when seeing some of the conditions here. I have a family who loves and supports me, the girl of my dreams, and the opportunity for higher level education. I have to realize that my life is likely a dream often dreamed of yet quite difficult to achieve for many.
These are just a few things that I would like to say I accomplished, and this is by no means a finished list. As goal one can make evident, I'm still not entirely sure what I want out of this program, this city, and this country. That's left for me to figure out on my own. It may take me a while, but I'm sure when all is said and done, I'll have no regrets, and I will have grown from my experiences.
1. Sort shit out. Figure out what the hell I'm really doing here, what motivated me to come here, and what I can achieve by staying here.
2. Improve my Vietnamese. This is going to be a bit tricky, because I feel like I can't find an in between here. Trying to talk to the locals is too advanced for me. What we learn in class seems to introductory and not applicable to real life. There has to be some kind of middle ground.
3. Learn about all of the different kinds of food in Vietnam. As food is one of my favorite things in life, this goal is a no brainer.
4. Try and make observations about Vietnamese society that I can document and later use for my thesis that I have to write after I go back to the states.
5. Leave a permanent mark of my presence somewhere in Vietnam. That can mean helping to build something, making friends here and being remembered, or even helping or teaching someone.
6. Learn to appreciate what I already have. Though I would argue that I already do for the most part, it's hard not to reevaluate what I have when seeing some of the conditions here. I have a family who loves and supports me, the girl of my dreams, and the opportunity for higher level education. I have to realize that my life is likely a dream often dreamed of yet quite difficult to achieve for many.
These are just a few things that I would like to say I accomplished, and this is by no means a finished list. As goal one can make evident, I'm still not entirely sure what I want out of this program, this city, and this country. That's left for me to figure out on my own. It may take me a while, but I'm sure when all is said and done, I'll have no regrets, and I will have grown from my experiences.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Week In Transition
After being in Vietnam for now almost two weeks, I've tried multiple times to take a step back, and try to come to terms with what I think about this place. There's never one feeling that comes to mind. It's a mixture of things, some of which I expected coming into this program, some of which continue to surprise me today. There have already been ups and downs, delicious food, bouts of homesickness, amazing new friends, layers of pollution, smiles of strangers, ridiculous traffic, and intriguing areas of study.
Let's start with the bad and try and end on a positive note. The bad has come within the last week. I never really could have guessed how hard it would be without internet in our rooms. It's not that I feel the desire to be connected at all times, nor do I have any logical need to be, but it's the realization that the link to home is cut. I could easily live without internet if there was some other way (that didn't cost me an arm and a leg) to contact home, just to alleviate their worries and mine. I'm sure my parents are tripping out right now after having little contact with me for the past week, even though back home we can go entire weeks without talking. And then there's my girlfriend. It was a rough week. Making the transition to something as new as this country seems to drag out to an amazingly taxing process. The hardest part is that we know we're going to make it through these four months just fine, but it's sometimes just too difficult to live in the future, and too easy to focus on the voids taking up the present. I wish I could be with her, but at the same time there is no way I was going to turn down this once in a lifetime experience. Things will work out in the end, despite any further struggles we may face.
(EDIT: We just had internet for a couple hours. Right now it feels like we're just getting fucked with. I finally got a few minutes to chat with my girlfriend, but the internet cut off right as I was doing so, making it less than satisfying. Evidently my parents are pissed that I haven't emailed them more, she says. That's not really my concern at this point, I've sent them a few emails in this short amount of time, they're going to need to deal with the fact that I'm not going to be updating them every day. I ended up spending another 12,000 dong to talk with my girlfriend for a couple minutes, tell her I love her. Before I know it, my phone is going to run dry.)
(EDIT II: After half a day with no internet/power/water, things seemed to have straightened out. I'm just going to hope that's the case...)
To a surprisingly great extent, I prepared myself mentally for the physical and cultural shock that I knew I would experience here. That being said, there are some things that I will just never be able to get used to. First and foremost is the pollution. I came in knowing that the air quality was not going to be as good as what I am used to. Let's face it, Bay Area weather can be some of the best weather you can find. Nothing is quite like standing at the top of Twin Peaks and looking across a clear night sky. Here, I have yet to see the sun. Granted, I'm no huge fan of the sun in the Bay Area, I will always prefer clouds. But here, it's hot regardless, so it would be a welcome change to see the cause. There are many parts of the city that are more bearable than others, but no matter where I am, I feel like I can almost eat the air. It's temping to walk around like a lot of the locals with face masks, but that would just make me hotter and sweatier than I already am. With all the sweating, and if I can limit my bia hoi consumption, I'm bound to lose some pounds here.
On to what good I have found here. Parts of this city I find absolutely beautiful. Our campus itself is a very welcome oasis from the noise and pollution. In many ways it reminds me of Berkeley. As a whole, I'm not a huge fan of Berkeley, but the campus, when you're not worrying about school, is a very calming place. I feel the same way about this campus, but I'm not yet ready to judge the city as a whole like I can judge Berkeley. The other place that I've taken a liking to is Ho Hoan Kiem. I do have some problems with the area around it, mainly it being too touristy, but the lake itself is a very relaxing place. I look forward to many days of catching the bus down there and sitting along the edge of the lake, taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city.
Regardless of how the rest of my time here plays out, I know that I won't regret coming here. This program has allowed me to meet some truly amazing people that I would have never met before, and for that, I am eternally grateful. It's comforting to know that for these months I will have people that I can rely on, which for me, especially in this city, is essential. These will be interesting times. I'm apprehensively looking forward to the many experiences I will have.
Let's start with the bad and try and end on a positive note. The bad has come within the last week. I never really could have guessed how hard it would be without internet in our rooms. It's not that I feel the desire to be connected at all times, nor do I have any logical need to be, but it's the realization that the link to home is cut. I could easily live without internet if there was some other way (that didn't cost me an arm and a leg) to contact home, just to alleviate their worries and mine. I'm sure my parents are tripping out right now after having little contact with me for the past week, even though back home we can go entire weeks without talking. And then there's my girlfriend. It was a rough week. Making the transition to something as new as this country seems to drag out to an amazingly taxing process. The hardest part is that we know we're going to make it through these four months just fine, but it's sometimes just too difficult to live in the future, and too easy to focus on the voids taking up the present. I wish I could be with her, but at the same time there is no way I was going to turn down this once in a lifetime experience. Things will work out in the end, despite any further struggles we may face.
(EDIT: We just had internet for a couple hours. Right now it feels like we're just getting fucked with. I finally got a few minutes to chat with my girlfriend, but the internet cut off right as I was doing so, making it less than satisfying. Evidently my parents are pissed that I haven't emailed them more, she says. That's not really my concern at this point, I've sent them a few emails in this short amount of time, they're going to need to deal with the fact that I'm not going to be updating them every day. I ended up spending another 12,000 dong to talk with my girlfriend for a couple minutes, tell her I love her. Before I know it, my phone is going to run dry.)
(EDIT II: After half a day with no internet/power/water, things seemed to have straightened out. I'm just going to hope that's the case...)
To a surprisingly great extent, I prepared myself mentally for the physical and cultural shock that I knew I would experience here. That being said, there are some things that I will just never be able to get used to. First and foremost is the pollution. I came in knowing that the air quality was not going to be as good as what I am used to. Let's face it, Bay Area weather can be some of the best weather you can find. Nothing is quite like standing at the top of Twin Peaks and looking across a clear night sky. Here, I have yet to see the sun. Granted, I'm no huge fan of the sun in the Bay Area, I will always prefer clouds. But here, it's hot regardless, so it would be a welcome change to see the cause. There are many parts of the city that are more bearable than others, but no matter where I am, I feel like I can almost eat the air. It's temping to walk around like a lot of the locals with face masks, but that would just make me hotter and sweatier than I already am. With all the sweating, and if I can limit my bia hoi consumption, I'm bound to lose some pounds here.
On to what good I have found here. Parts of this city I find absolutely beautiful. Our campus itself is a very welcome oasis from the noise and pollution. In many ways it reminds me of Berkeley. As a whole, I'm not a huge fan of Berkeley, but the campus, when you're not worrying about school, is a very calming place. I feel the same way about this campus, but I'm not yet ready to judge the city as a whole like I can judge Berkeley. The other place that I've taken a liking to is Ho Hoan Kiem. I do have some problems with the area around it, mainly it being too touristy, but the lake itself is a very relaxing place. I look forward to many days of catching the bus down there and sitting along the edge of the lake, taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city.
Regardless of how the rest of my time here plays out, I know that I won't regret coming here. This program has allowed me to meet some truly amazing people that I would have never met before, and for that, I am eternally grateful. It's comforting to know that for these months I will have people that I can rely on, which for me, especially in this city, is essential. These will be interesting times. I'm apprehensively looking forward to the many experiences I will have.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
AutoBio
It's difficult to determine what the defining benchmarks of our lives are. Is it based on achievement? Satisfaction? Or something just as simple as the passing of time? I'll start off by listing some of the things I have achieved in life:
1.League-wide Sportsmanship Award two years running in little league baseball, and made the All-Star team.
2.District Solo Competition winner for the woodwinds category in 5th grade.
3.Tested out of 7th and 8th grade math and was given high school coursework instead.
4.Wrote and published a 50,000+ word novel in a month, at the age of 14.
5.Had an article about me featured on the front page of a large local newspaper.
6.Played 4 years of varsity tennis, 3 of those years serving as the team captain.
7.Was the youngest ever editor and Editor-In-Chief of our school's newspaper.
8.Accepted into every college that I applied to.
9.Was the house manager of the largest cooperative house in North America.
10.Serve as an associate editor of UC Berkeley's undergraduate history journal.
All of these things may sound impressive, and to a certain extent they are. I am proud of the things that I have been able to accomplish over the years, as they are all a sign of hard work that I have put in. But with that being said, all of these things seem to lose their value when I begin to judge my life.
That leads to the issue of satisfaction. At what time in my life was I truly happy with what I was doing? It's a question not easily answered, as sometimes it is nearly impossible to gauge your own feelings at any given point in time. To me it boils down to the moments I remember most, regardless of any physical value these things may have:
1.Playing Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers in Kindergarten with my best friends, Joey and Larry.
2.The annual Thanksgiving football games played on our street with my cousins.
3.The taste of Grandma's beef brisket, and her succulent cheesecake for dessert.
4.Middle school Wednesdays: early release, Jack In The Box, and hanging out at the library playground and under the overpass.
5.Endless hours of playing Goldeneye and Super Smash Bros. with my brother.
6.My ex-girlfriend's little brother running to my arms and giving me a kiss right as I would walk through the door.
7.The countless late night tennis sessions, along with the most hilarious conversations.
8.My Grandma telling me that “only boring people get bored,” and “don't laugh at your brother or your Grandpa's jokes, it just encourages them.”
9.Learning that I'm going to have a sister (in-law), and I'm going to be a best man.
10.Saying “I love you” for the first time to the love of my life, and the way she can still make my heart skip a beat.
I'm not going to get any awards, certificates, plaques, or medals for these things, but what does that matter? As I see it, the first list of accomplishments is just my resume. The list of what I hold dear in my memories is what defines my life. My life up until now can be defined by the feelings that these memories incite. Each feeling relates to a time in my life that I will always remember, even as my memory starts to go. It's nearly impossible to predict what will happen in the future, though. Time will pass, and memories will most likely fade, but I believe that new ones will appear in their place, and will continue to serve as the defining benchmarks of my life.
1.League-wide Sportsmanship Award two years running in little league baseball, and made the All-Star team.
2.District Solo Competition winner for the woodwinds category in 5th grade.
3.Tested out of 7th and 8th grade math and was given high school coursework instead.
4.Wrote and published a 50,000+ word novel in a month, at the age of 14.
5.Had an article about me featured on the front page of a large local newspaper.
6.Played 4 years of varsity tennis, 3 of those years serving as the team captain.
7.Was the youngest ever editor and Editor-In-Chief of our school's newspaper.
8.Accepted into every college that I applied to.
9.Was the house manager of the largest cooperative house in North America.
10.Serve as an associate editor of UC Berkeley's undergraduate history journal.
All of these things may sound impressive, and to a certain extent they are. I am proud of the things that I have been able to accomplish over the years, as they are all a sign of hard work that I have put in. But with that being said, all of these things seem to lose their value when I begin to judge my life.
That leads to the issue of satisfaction. At what time in my life was I truly happy with what I was doing? It's a question not easily answered, as sometimes it is nearly impossible to gauge your own feelings at any given point in time. To me it boils down to the moments I remember most, regardless of any physical value these things may have:
1.Playing Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers in Kindergarten with my best friends, Joey and Larry.
2.The annual Thanksgiving football games played on our street with my cousins.
3.The taste of Grandma's beef brisket, and her succulent cheesecake for dessert.
4.Middle school Wednesdays: early release, Jack In The Box, and hanging out at the library playground and under the overpass.
5.Endless hours of playing Goldeneye and Super Smash Bros. with my brother.
6.My ex-girlfriend's little brother running to my arms and giving me a kiss right as I would walk through the door.
7.The countless late night tennis sessions, along with the most hilarious conversations.
8.My Grandma telling me that “only boring people get bored,” and “don't laugh at your brother or your Grandpa's jokes, it just encourages them.”
9.Learning that I'm going to have a sister (in-law), and I'm going to be a best man.
10.Saying “I love you” for the first time to the love of my life, and the way she can still make my heart skip a beat.
I'm not going to get any awards, certificates, plaques, or medals for these things, but what does that matter? As I see it, the first list of accomplishments is just my resume. The list of what I hold dear in my memories is what defines my life. My life up until now can be defined by the feelings that these memories incite. Each feeling relates to a time in my life that I will always remember, even as my memory starts to go. It's nearly impossible to predict what will happen in the future, though. Time will pass, and memories will most likely fade, but I believe that new ones will appear in their place, and will continue to serve as the defining benchmarks of my life.
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