Monthly Archives: September 2011

09/30/11

Learning to fly.

There is a day where every parent comes face to face with the hard reality that they have to let their child fly free into the real world. But I don’t think Africa was where my mother had in mind for me. At least not for the long term.

When I first told my mom that I wanted to go abroad for a year, she was completely supportive. When I told her I wanted to go to a school in Norway with a 2-month field course in Tanzania, she was still very supportive, even though she wasn’t as comfortable with the field-course portion. So recently, when I found out more information concerning field research during my exchange, naturally, I told my mom about it. She didn’t take it too well. Or to put it another way, she took it as well as she could.

The notion of me completing my own field research in a possibly unstable country, with no real institutional structure and being pretty much on my own, well, scared her. It’s understandable – I mean, I was in the same position as her when it dawned on me that I would have to completely step out of my safe, comfortable bubble to reside in a place that may be quite risky. It took me time to get to the point where I was set on taking such risks. I knew that my mom had not really realized what field of work I was actually wanting to go into when I applied to the GRS program even. But I rolled with it. I wanted to find out for myself if this path was the one I wanted to be on – to find my resolve in residing in a developing country, if only for a time. Once I found that resolve, I knew I could look right at my mother’s face and tell her that this was what I wanted.

Because, in the end, there’s nothing my family can do or say that can stop me from my own life choices. I know that, and my mom knows that. But I know that if I had even the faintest doubt in my mind about this path, my mom would try to coax me out of it. Not because she doesn’t respect my decisions but because she, as a mother, wants me to live in my comfortable bubble of a life for as long as possible. No parent wants their child to be in a risky environment, right?

I want my mom to understand my resolve. I want her to understand that I want to step out of my bubble – to see the world for what it is – good and bad. I want to face challenges, find myself in uncomfortable situations, and fall down over and over again, because that’s the only way I will grow as a person. That is the only way to expand my world: to learn – to experience – and truly give back. I have been born into this seat of privilege and I don’t want to take it for granted. I don’t want to be naive. I want to live my life fighting myself out of a life of apathy and ignorance.

For these experiences, I’m willing to put myself into risky environments. To make sacrifices. To find out, truly, if I am a person that can work in the field of Global Health and Development on the ground – not behind a desk. I need to know. That is why I’m going. Some part of my mom knew that when she walked out of my room today. She wasn’t happy – but she hadn’t tried to persuade me out of my decision.

We all have to fly away from the nest some day.

09/25/11

The Opportunities of Exchange Abroad

Earlier this week, I went to a Go Global Country Session, where you get to mingle with incoming and outgoing exchange students from every country you can think of this week. I experienced a number of things through this event:

1. People appreciate my keen attitude. Someone commented that I was much more outgoing and talkative than a lot of the exchange students who had come back from exchange. I see it this way: if I can’t be open to being social and keen at UBC in my home of Vancouver, how can I ever expect to do that just miraculously when I arrive in Norway? Practice is key!

2. There are really people from all over at UBC. First person I approached was a girl on exchange from Edinburgh, Scotland – who was originally from Germany. Rad. 8)

3. I met an Oslo native! Her name was Jannicke (cannot pronounce it for the life of me) and she was on exchange from the University of Oslo in Norway. She was very helpful in answering all my questions about Norwegian culture, people, and most importantly, how to eat decently in a nation with one of the highest per-capita GDP in the world. She also offered to give me a tour of Oslo when I arrived as she would be back home as well. 😀

4. I met a returned exchange student from Norway! His name was Robbie, and he had actually done a semester in Bergen, Norway (on the other side of the country from where I will be) AND a semester in Australia afterwards. He was super helpful in telling me about how to get cheap airfares, figuring out cell phones, addressing financial concerns, and basically any exchange planning logistics that I was fuzzy on. Plus it was super interesting to hear about his travels in between his studies: he went to Ireland, Russia, Egypt, and to places as far as Japan as well as stopping off in Iceland and exploring Norway. He even admitted he was all over the place. I could tell he really enjoyed his year of adventure though.

5. Ask ask ASK! It never hurts to ask even the silliest (or what you think is a silly) question. Requests to reiterate and explain something further are perfectly fine too compared to the alternative: nodding like you understand so you don’t lose face. : I had to overcome that initial ‘oh, I probably seem really annoying with all of these questions…’ and the ‘oh, I really don’t know anything and they might think my questions are just really stupid…’ It gets easier the more you do it. Besides, chances are there’s another person with the exact same question, who is too afraid to ask it for the same reasons.

6. There’s a girl I know who’s going at the exact same time as me! Her name is Sam, and she just transferred into the same program as me. She’s doing the same field course in Africa with me too. 😀 It’s wonderful knowing that I won’t be so alone, but I am glad that it’s not like 20 other people from UBC going at the same time as me. I would never be able to connect with UMB students if I was being smothered by UBC exchange students.

7. I have free reign of doing whatever I want for school credit from October-December 2012. The field course in Uganda according to a friend is just from August-September. I have a choice to do one of the following afterwards:

a) go back to UMB and take a couple more courses (because I did pay for 15 credits).

b) go back to UBC and do an independent course for the rest of my credits (but that would waste money).

c) complete a research paper or do some field research under the guidance of a UMB prof with possible funding – at this point, I have no idea where this would be (but this is the most appealing option for me – what a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! :D).

Option C has been the route for many GRS students before me: I know girls who have gone to Tanzania for independent field research, their findings and papers being sent to governments and institutions to advocate for policy changes. There are so many doors of opportunity to choose from with this exchange of mine and I cannot wait to go abroad now more than ever!

All I need to do this keep my open, keen attitude. That is my key.

09/22/11

Revisions and new beginnings!

With this GRS blog having gathered a lot of dust over the last year, I’ve decided to do some reconstructing, adding, and maintenance with the onset of my third year at UBC and me going abroad to Norway in the new year. Might as well get in the habit of writing thoughtful postings on this blog.

For my personal blog (updated near-daily) check out my tumblr blog: http://indescribableme.tumblr.com/

09/22/11

We can imagine better.

I’m just going to leave this here….

The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination

The above video recording of J.K. Rowling’s Harvard 2008 Commencement Address is what I turn to whenever I feel lost in my direction in life. It’s well worth a watch and the transcript of her memorable speech can also be found online to read. Definitely worth checking out!