Melissa Zhang's Trip To China

Written by Melissa Zhang

People say that the world is getting smaller. Technology is constantly changing and reshaping our society. I agree, but I spent my summer in a drastically different place on the opposite side of the world, where technology is almost a foreign language and nature plays the most important role in people’s lives. Here, people conquer their fears every day, learn to be strong in times of adversity, and enthusiastically explore new cultures. This is a world miles and miles away from my home, but I have grown to love it and call the friends I have met there my family. Haojiping Ethnic School is a rural school in Hunan Province, deep in the mountains of China. I spent my summer teaching English to Chinese children with a volunteer group called United Planet and it was one of the best choices I’ve ever made.

United Planet has brought thousands of volunteers to more than 40 different countries. I heard about the program from a fellow Westborough resident, who knew alumni of the program. Together, we were the only two representing Massachusetts.

On July 27th, 2012, a group of twenty brave souls met in a small Beijing hostel with names, countries, and messages scrawled all over the walls. We stayed in the country’s capital for two days to do some sightseeing, sleep off the nasty jetlag, and get used to each other’s awkwardness before we began our journey to the countryside. We first took a three-hour plane ride to Changsha (in southern China) and from there, it was a seven-hour bus ride to Huaihua, a bustling city sitting at the foot of huge, majestic mountains. We spent a day recuperating before cramming into a bus with locals who made use of every inch of free space. They sat on stools in the middle of the narrow aisle and toted the occasional duck or chicken. This final trip would bring us to the school where we teach. We were dying to reach the rural school after spending so much time on the road. A smog-free environment with enough space to respect each other’s personal bubbles sounded superb!

Twenty Chinese volunteers participated in the program with us. Since we had so many volunteers, the coordinators split us up and had us teach at two different schools. I was going to Haojiping Ethnic School. Most of the locals were part of the Yao minority group and the grades ranged from third to eighth. The other school was very similar and was about an hour’s drive away.

Once we got to Haojiping, the school children and headmaster welcomed us with a bottle of cold water, some watermelon, and…a hard bamboo mat to sleep on. The living conditions were much different in the countryside; there was no indoor plumbing, no hot water, no air conditioning, and no reliable Wi-Fi or electricity. We had a rough time adjusting to this living style on the first day. Even the mosquitoes gave us a warm welcome that night! Thankfully, our school had a source of clean, drinking water that came from a mountain spring. The other school wasn’t as lucky…they boiled their water every day in order to drink it.

I taught sixth grade and my teaching group consisted of me, a volunteer from San Francisco named Meg, and two Chinese college student volunteers. Meg and I taught English, but we also taught physical education (45 minutes of kids running around screaming on the basketball court), Spanish, Japanese, friendship bracelet making, singing, etc. Every night, we would plan our lessons for the next day and spend time with the community. Stargazing was a huge tradition of the American volunteers; every clear night, a bunch of us would head down to the school’s basketball court with an iPod, speakers, and snacks. The living conditions and meals took a lot of getting used to, but the stars were unlike anything we had ever seen. Needless to say, it was definitely worth all that bug spray in order to see incredible shooting stars with a group of friends.

We fell into a comfortable routine living at the school but also had dozens of adventures. We went on morning runs which quickly turned to walks after jogging for five minutes on the steep mountain path, encountered many gigantic insects like millipedes and grasshoppers, explored a bat cave near the school, swam and jumped into a waterfall, and rode motorcycles through the mountain’s twisting roads. We visited the home of one of our students, went to a local market and stocked up on Oreos, soy sauce, and snacks like true Americans, bought adorable ducklings for the school’s kids, and played a basketball game with the local government officials.

After graduation day when we handed out hand-made diplomas to greedy kids and each class performed an English song, it was time for us to leave. The peaceful environment of the school had made the past few weeks seem like I was living in a haven, incredibly far away from the real world. The locals we met and talked to were all so kind and giving to foreigners. We were always offered watermelon by generous strangers and quickly learned to just accept it and say thank you. When the time came for us to board the bus (packed with passengers even before we got on), it was heartbreaking to say goodbye to all of the kids. We loved playing with them and most of them appreciated the fact that we had come so far to teach them English. Ten hundred hugs, a few dozen tears, and countless goodbyes later, we were back on our way to the city. After returning to Huaihua, we gorged ourselves with a variety of foods and adjusted to civilization before taking a 26-hour train ride back to Beijing. From there, we shared one last meal with each other and parted ways. I reluctantly flew home with Michelle, knowing that once I got back, I would have to settle back into my old life.

Our volunteer group had a great connection right from the beginning. Regardless of language and cultural differences, all of the Chinese and American volunteers became great friends as the weeks passed. Our close relationships came from fighting daily battles together, even though we were all miles outside our comfort zones. Whether it was adjusting to the cultural shocks, crawling through a dark bat cave with nothing but a flashlight, or learning how to take a shower without hot water, we were all facing these obstacles together and our friendships were so much stronger because of it.

I was incredibly inspired by our group’s resilience to extremely difficult situations and conditions. Absolutely nothing worked out for us in the beginning of the trip. Volunteers got lost at the airport, we had troubles with the hostel room situations, our 4 am bus to the Beijing airport didn’t show up, our flight to Changsha got cancelled, volunteers lost their cell phones and wallets, and our buses kept getting delayed. Impressive, right? Everyone was flexible and didn’t make a big deal out of these problems. It wasn’t easy, especially with that language barrier. We had around ten American volunteers who didn’t speak any Mandarin, so translations were constantly being thrown around and patience was crucial.

No matter what situation we were in, we would work out a solution together. When our buses to the airport were missing in action, we quickly split into groups of three or four (with one Mandarin speaking volunteer in each) and hastily flagged down taxis. We sat together on the airport floor for three hours while waiting for the next flight to Changsha. When we had problems with the hostel having not enough beds, we got…cozy!

This program taught me so much about the rest of the world and how we lead such different lives. It’s infuriating to hear American kids complain about first world problems, like getting the latest smart phone or having a lavish birthday party. Just a few months ago, I was teaching children who walked hours on end to get to school every day and owned only one or two outfits to wear throughout the year. A few months ago, I would’ve killed for something as simple as a mattress, a hot-water shower, or an apple. We have such bright futures compared to the Haojiping children, who need to work so hard just to get out of those mountains and receive a good education. I know that being back in the States means that I will be starting my junior year of high school. I’ll definitely be stressed and tired beyond words, but the Haojiping kids are my motivator to continue on, push forward, and work hard with a good attitude.

Attending MA HOBY was definitely a huge advantage when I traveled to China and was in charge of a group of rowdy, playful sixth graders; by learning how to become a better leader, mentor, and role model at HOBY, I was able to lead my students with self-assurance and confidence. Not only was I able to utilize my newfound understandings of leadership with my students and in teaching, but also with my fellow volunteers and in group settings or projects. As a Mandarin speaker, I frequently took charge in situations where we needed to interact with the native Chinese people around us. HOBY gave me strong confidence when guiding a group of people that I wasn’t familiar with.

I found it natural and easy to apply what I got out of HOBY to my community service work; despite the culture and language differences, the lessons that I took away from HOBY are universal and felt extremely applicable to any situation I was in. I have no doubt that my experiences a few months beforehand at the HOBY seminar were a huge factor in my success with the trip.

Although the children I taught knew little about the rest of the world, I was able to learn countless things from them and I feel so blessed to have gone on this trip. I loved seeing how the Americans all acted outside the familiar, comfortable United States; there were times of struggle, hardship, and sadness, but also of triumph, success, and happiness. However, it doesn’t stop here at Haojiping. I believe that there is nothing more rewarding than volunteering and seeing firsthand how different other people’s lives are.

There is no doubt in my mind that I will be embarking on another volunteer trip in no time.

Like John A. Shedd once said, “A ship in a harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for.”

Devon Flanagan takes a summer service trip to Haiti

Written by Devon Flanagan

On June 25th at 1:30 a.m. the journey began and I had no idea what to expect. Between two plane trips in a period of ten hours, the team made it to Haiti safely. From the moment I stepped off the plane, I immediately started taking in the smells and the sounds. It was a little overwhelming but also exciting, I had never seen a place so different. The rules for driving are enough to make one a little nervous! There is no real regard for the speed limit and the roads are extremely bumpy making rides tons of fun.

On a serious note, I cannot even begin to describe the change this trip brought me. We worked the first two days shoveling dirt and stones and lugging concrete. Everybody on the trip could easily show you their bruises for proof! I found this strength inside of me I never knew I had. And every time I felt even slightly tired, I could feel God encouraging me to keep working. All the work we were doing was helping to set up for the building of a new septic system and a cistern at the orphanage.  It was exhausting but incredibly rewarding when I saw all the children it would help. The orphanage is run by two remarkable people, Julie and Franceli Joseph. These children who have nowhere to go are given an amazing opportunity to have an education, a roof over their heads, and food. I used to take for granted all three of those things but as soon as I got to help pass out food to the orphans I changed. Every single child waited until they all had food. And they shared everything they had with each other. These children that have nothing still are able to give. There was no way I could watch all of this and not develop a deeper appreciation for life. As the week unfolded, we helped plan and run a two day VBS for the street children and the orphans. We also took the orphans for a fun trip to the beach. It was amazing to see the trust they had in the team to hold them in the water considering the children cannot swim. On our last day in Haiti we helped with an incredible food distribution that gave food and water to over three hundred families! I sweated more on that day than I ever have before!

There was one orphan in particular though that I spent most of my free time with and her name is Rosi. Rosi is a nine year old girl from City Soleil in Haiti. City Soleil is the worst part of Haiti to live in, even more brutal than the tent cities. Rosi’s mother, according to Julie, was a very pretty woman who had more children than she could take care of. Rosi came to the orphanage when she was three years old and has lived there ever since. She is the kindest girl, with the biggest heart in the world. The language barrier was hard at first, but I realized she wanted nothing more than to be held. I had nothing to give her except my love, but that was all she wanted. I began to grow an attachment to Rosi and every day when we would come to the orphanage I looked forward to seeing her face. She began to write me letters in Creole, and I would write her back in English. I was amazed. I never realized that I had as big an impact on her life as she had on mine. This little girl was changing my life for the better and I could see Jesus working in her.

On our final night there I cried more than I ever have before. And all I could do was hold her, while we both cried because I was leaving on a plane the next morning and she was staying in Haiti. I left her my favorite pair of sunglasses and a piece of my heart. During devotionals later that night, everybody was really absorbing everything that we had seen the past ten days. I have no way to tell Rosi exactly what she meant to me, but if I could, I would tell her this: Rosi, you have changed the way I view the world. You have made me grateful for just being alive and healthy. You showed me what real love is and I hope one day to be able to share that with more people. You are beautiful and God has a great plan for you, I love you. Ton amie, Devon.

While we were waiting in the airport, a wise man sat near us. He said “Northern hemisphere cultures focus more on task. We work incredibly hard to get done what needs to get done. Southern hemisphere cultures focus more on relationships, the safety and care of their people.” It made me think of the street children in front of Franceli’s house who will play with you for hours and the orphans who would give anything to sit on your lap. It made me think of the young Haitian boys who help an old woman carry her food during food distribution day and the children who are more than willing to share food when they are incredibly hungry themselves.

If anybody ever tells you Haiti is not beautiful, they are lying. The country is beautiful because it is overflowing with love, that despite every natural disaster and daily struggle: the people still smile at you, the street kids will still hug you, and the orphans will still hold your hand. I thank God that he put it on my heart to become a part of such an amazing team. I hope to return next year and continue to meet and spend time with such incredible people. My life will forever be different and I could never forget such an amazing experience.

Before HOBY I never realized how big an impact one person can make. HOBY opened my eyes to the world in a new way and helped me to see ways that I could make it a better place. I became incredibly eager to volunteer and help whenever possible. In the winter, when my church presented the opportunity to take part in a mission trip to Haiti, I was one of the first people signed up! HOBY renewed my passion for helping people, even in small ways. Life can become busy, unbelievably busy, but there is no better feeling than helping those who really need it. Thank you HOBY for opening my eyes to all the possibilities in the world, I am forever grateful.

Cody Carneiro Sails Away with the Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Thursday, 17 May 2012 10:59

As a student at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne, I was allowed the opportunity this winter to board a training ship traveling to several different countries in South America. The purpose of this trip was to learn about life at sea and to gain experience in the maritime field with real hands-on examples.. We spent at least eight hours a day working on the ship and standing watch. Our studies were incorporated in the trip by taking classes on the ship. Along with working on the ship we stopped in four different ports where we were allowed to explore the countries.

We spent three days each in:

• Golfito, Costa Rica
• The Island of Saint Thomas
• Panama City
• Guayaquil, Ecuador

In each of these ports we got to experience the different cultures, and different lifestyles from those in the United States. One of the best experiences of the trip though was visiting a hospital in Guayaquil. A few weeks before our trip, our class ran a giant clothing drive in the local area for the hospital in Ecuador. In total we received over one hundred boxes of clothing to be donated to those less fortunate. It was the greatest feeling in the world, giving something to someone who is need and reminded me so much of all of the work we put in at MA HOBY. The patients and the community supported by that one hospital in Guayaquil were in dire need of clothing and it was such a rewarding moment during the trip to see how much we had helped them.

The HOBY Moment

“This Sea Term gave us all the opportunity to become leaders in our own way and gain leadership experience just like MA HOBY allowed us to. Every time I was placed in a leadership position, I always stepped back and used the outstanding leadership skills that I learned in HOBY. Utilizing those skills from HOBY helped me excel at this school and reach new heights. As of March, I have already been promoted, awarded Cadet of the Month, and earned multiple ribbons for my efforts at school. As I continue my time here at Mass Maritime and earn other leadership positions I plan to take all the lessons I learned in HOBY and apply them to my real life experiences. When I lead my own group of freshman, my own company, or even the entire regiment, I know that HOBY will always be that helping hand I need to efficiently achieve my goals no matter what stands in the way.”

George Lok Attends the Intel-International Science and Engineering Fair

Written by George Lok Saturday, 06 August 2011 16:44

This past week left an indelible imprint on my mind. The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), which took place from May 8 to 13, hosted finalists from 65 countries and over 1500 exhibits at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As the top scorer in the Boston City Science and Engineering Fair, I had the honor of attending ISEF 2011 as a representative of Massachusetts and as part of the delegation of nineteen finalists from Massachusetts.

Here are some highlights of my 2011 ISEF experience.

Sunday, May 8, the first night I was there, we had pin exchange with representatives from all over the world at the J.W. Marriott hotel, where we stayed the entire week. I roomed with Vincent Lin, a sophomore from Falmouth, who joined the MA HOBY family in May. It was an honor to connect and become friends with him. I must say, HOBY indeed chooses and produces great leaders. I met finalists from countries such as Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Malaysia, and the states. All twelve of the MA HOBY pins I brought to swap were gone within minutes. I was able to strike good and interesting conversations about both MA HOBY and my project with various representatives.

Monday, May 9, was a beautiful day. We rushed to the solemn exhibition hall to set up our projects and have them safety inspected. In the evening, ISEF 2011 officially started with the amazing Opening Ceremony. "With your passion, you, young budding scientists, are the leaders who can change the world we are living in" said Elizabeth Marincola, the President of The Society for Science and The Public, which administers ISEF.

Wednesday, May 11. 2011, was judgment day. Six official judges came by my booth and interviewed me in 15 minute intervals. I was courteous and serious in my work. I received copious compliments, but also many critiques on my project. Besides the official judges, numerous unofficial judges came by and were interested in my project, which attempted to find a method of pre-screening autism earlier.

Friday, May 13, was the awards ceremony. To say that the competition was fierce is a gross understatement. Most projects that won were multi-year work. The level of sophistication and quality is of graduate school caliber. Fortunately, our Massachusetts team managed to get 11 awards out of our 18 projects. Though I was disappointed that my project was not on the award list, I gained a life-changing experience. I have met so many amazing people from different corners of the globe and made many new friends from my own Massachusetts team.