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New York to Nepal

Post written by Daniel, United Planet volunteer

My Quest to Nepal was short—only two weeks—but this was all the time I was able to carve out of my busy schedule. After a long series of flights, I arrived at the airport and was greeted by a member of my host family. We hopped in a taxi and headed straight to my temporary home. The family showed me around and offered me some refreshments. I took the evening to unwind and prepare myself for teaching (my chosen volunteer activity the next day.

At the school I where I was to be teaching, I was greeted by the Principal. We had a lengthy conversation about what and how to teach. This conversation put me at ease about my future work even though the Principal’s directive was (put simply) to do whatever I wanted. I would be assigned to a few classes and was to use my time in any manner that I chose.

I think it was great having this kind of freedom. I began my lessons with a brief talk about my hometown, New York, as compared to Kathmandu. Over the next few days we followed this with vocabulary exercises, discussions on social issues, some simple business math, and group activities. In a particularly enthusiastic class we had a rock-paper-scissors tournament. The children were respectful—at times a little talkative—but full of energy. They greatly appreciated having me around and looked to me as a role model. There were some students that did not seem to be paying attention or interested, but, as I was leaving, these very students approached me to thank me for my time and even talked to me about some of my lessons. I certainly did not have enough time to get all the students to open up to me but I feel I made an impact nevertheless. If I had a few more weeks I am confident I would have been able to get all of the students talking. Overall, my teaching experience was great. I felt very useful in my role and certainly gained valuable skills that I have taken back home with me.

For cultural activities, I experienced the country’s food and went on some hiking excursions. I miss my host family’s cooking as I am writing this. I feel lucky that I live in a city where Nepalese restaurants actually exist because I am craving the food now that I am away from it. My hikes in the hills surrounding Kathmandu were amazing. On one hike, I stayed overnight at a mountaintop resort—incredibly relaxing. I felt really immersed in the culture. Kathmandu is a touristy city but only in certain parts. I experienced life away from the tourists by staying with a family rather than at a hotel.

I would love to return to experience more of Nepal. My trip flowed smoothly. I felt my teaching work, adjusting to the culture, and getting my body to adjust to a new atmosphere seemed to come quite naturally. There was only one very difficult part of my trip that I wish I did not have to endure—having to leave Nepal.

Music Day(s) in France

Post written by Lucille, United Planet team member.

Did you know the Music Day started in France? Every year in France since 1981, on June 21st, we celebrate “la fete de la musique”. It is a special day dedicated to music. So, all day, there are many free concerts everywhere, even in small villages. Many musicians play in the streets all night long. You can see professional musicians or amateurs alike. There is all kind of music, some people play an instrument, others sing, and some unknown bands try to gain notoriety. The most important is to have fun and to try to play good music!

But the Music Day is not the only day dedicated to music in France. There is another day dedicated, not really to music, but to musicians! November 22, many musicians celebrate “Sainte Cecile” by a special concert. It is not the same atmosphere than the Music Day, it is more formal and some bands don’t play that day but schedule their concert during the closest week end, but it is a very important concert for the musicians. For many bands, it is the occasion to show all the work they did during a year! But (unfortunately) this special day tends to be forgotten in some places and when I wish “happy Sainte Cecile” to a musician outside the North or the East of France, many people don’t know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, if you are in France the on June 21, don’t plan to sleep a lot, there are too many concerts to see, the best idea may be not to sleep at all! And, if you know music, don’t hesitate to play! You would never find a better day! If your trip to France is scheduled on November, that’s great too! Just go to Lille and see how Bands celebrate Sainte Cecile in the North of France!!!

Religious Celebrations in Tanzania

Post written by Tori, United Planet Tanzania Manager.

Tanzania, and especially the island of Zanzibar, is a country full of cultural diversity which plays out in a variety of religious celebrations, festivals and traditions. The beauty of this country is the peace enjoyed by all, no matter the faith. Christians, Hindus, Muslims and many others all coexist respectfully. Before the Colonial Era, traders from as far away as Persia, Arabia, India, Greece, and China all visited the East Coast of Tanzania and traded in goods (predominantly ivory, spices and slaves). Some, especially the Persians and Arabs, also established colonies.

‘Mwaka Kogwa’ is a traditional Shirazi (Persian) New Year’s celebration that takes place in Zanzibar. To bring good luck in the new year, a play fight takes place and all the men participating beat each other to vent their aggressions from the past year. As they do this, the village women dress up in their best clothes and sing traditional songs about family, love and joy. Then the mganga (traditional healer) lights a hut on fire and reads which way the smoke is burning to determine the village’s prosperity in the new year. As with all celebrations, there is a large feast at the end, which is a sign of happiness and prosperity.

With Muslims making up 35% of the population in Tanzania (mostly along the Swahili Coast and Zanzibar), Muslim holidays and celebrations are especially important. In all of Islam, Eid al-Fitr has to be the most important holiday/event. It signifies the end of the holy month of Ramadan, a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. After Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr marks four days of feasting and festivities, with family members and friends coming together to exchange gifts and alms for the poor. Festivities are usually accompanied by traditional Swahili taraab music and lots of dancing. All Muslim communities throughout Tanzania also celebrate Eid al-Haj, the three-day annual festival of the haj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. This festival honors the prophet Ibrahim and focuses on the themes of sacrifice and faith. Each family sacrifices a goat or sheep, with one third given to the poor, another third to family and friends, and the final third kept by the family for a lavish meal. Gifts are exchanged and sermons and prayers abound. Any family member who has made the trek to Mecca is warmly welcomed home.

GOOD LUCK WITH THE TIÓ DE NADAL!

Post written by Mariona, a United Planet team member

The Tió de Nadal is an essential part of any Catalan Christmas. The literal English translation could be “Christmas log”, but it is important to remember that this Tió de Nadal is not just any piece of wood ;it is an object which holds a lot of meaning for all families from the region of Catalunya in Spain.

At the start of the tradition, he was just a dead piece of wood. Today, the Tió commonly dons a traditional Catalan barretina, a red wool hat shaped like a bag. The barretina is seldom worn by people in Catalunya these days; however, you can still find it among the older generations, especially at the soccer stadium Camp Nou in Barcelona.

We say that the Tio looks like a little animal, due to his shape and small size. He normally measures around fifteen centimeters wide and thirty to fifty centimeters long, held together by three or four stick legs which are generally made of wood. What ‘s most important about the Tió is his kind face–a three-dimensional red nose and big, kind eyes. It is also common to see a lovely smile on his face as he eagerly awaits the children who will make him poo.

Children take care of the Tió every day from the Feast of the Immaculate Conception on December 8. They feed it with vegetables, such as carrots and potatoes, to get the Tió ready to ”poop” on Christmas Day or Eve, depending on the particular household. The Tió should be covered with a red blanket,so that he will not be cold at night.

On Christmas day, children are ready to hit the log (and throw him into the fire, if they have one) and sing songs enticing it to “poo some presents”. Here is an example of such a song:
Catalan: caga tió, tió de nadal, no caguis arengades que són salades, caga torrons, que són molt bons, i si no, et donaré un cop de bastó… pum pum pum!
English: Christmas log, do not poop salted sardines, which are salty, poop “torrons,” which are very good, and if you don’t poop well, I will hit you with a stick… pump pump pump!

Once they sing the song, the children go into a room and start praying for the Tió to bring them nice food. After their prayers, they go back and check if Tió has “dropped” sweets, candies and torrons* below the red blanket.

It is amazing to see how children share their presents. This is the essence of Christmas: children and families enjoying the holidays together. Merry Christmas and good luck with the Tió de Nadal!
Torrons are logs made of chocolate, coconut, egg or almond.

A Transatlantic Christmas

Post written by Katherine, a United Planet team member

Boxing Day is the name of the day after Christmas, a national holiday in England. No one works on Boxing Day and it is traditionally spent with family, a fact that I took for granted until I moved to the USA. I incorrectly assumed that EVERYONE who celebrated Christmas not only had Christmas Day off from work, but also Boxing Day. This hopeful bubble was shattered by my American husband who informed me that people in the US certainly do NOT have the day after Christmas off– and I better get used to it!

This was a shocking discovery, along with many other things that make England and the U.S. very different places to live (e.g. general confusion in the supermarket around the words jam, jelly, Jell-O, biscuits, cookies, arugula, rocket, etc.). These discoveries led me to ponder over many things about England, including the origins of Boxing Day (and why on earth is it called Boxing Day?).

After some investigation I discovered that there are various, differing opinions on the origins of Boxing Day:

1. During feudal England, manor lords and other noblemen would give their servants or serfs ‘boxes’ of practical goods such as grain and clothing on the day after Christmas.

2. Servants working for wealthy families would have to work on Christmas Day, so they would be given the following day off to spend with their own families.

3. In churches, it was traditional to open the congregation’s donation box on the day after Christmas and to distribute the funds among the poor.

4. Boxing Day would be the day when a wren would be captured, put in a box, and then introduced to each household in the village, where he would be asked to bring good luck in the coming year.

5. A Christmas box, in English tradition, is a box used in artisanal or craft shops. Apprentices, visitors, and others would put donations into the box. After Christmas, it would be shattered and all the contents split equally among the workers.

All these theories are good possibilities for why we now refer to the day after Christmas as Boxing Day—the tradition probably springs from a mix of all of them (and many more!). Boxing Day is definitely a tradition that we enjoy in England, and one that I won’t take for granted any more!

Not in Kansas Anymore

Post written by Amy McNair, a United Planet Volunteer.

When they said rural, they meant rural. NO internet in our village. We had to travel in a cho cho (public transportation) to get to the internet cafe this morning, and I thought we were going to die about 17 times. But we passed a store with a sign that said, “God loves tailless animals” so we were kept entertained. Well, we made it safe to Ghana and are living in Alovanya Wudidi, which is in the southern Volta district of Ghana. The village we are in has never had white people live with them before, so to say they are very excited to have us is an understatement. Somewhere between the parade of 250 African children singing songs of welcome to us as they paraded us around the village, and the constant stream of people bringing their children to touch us, we come to realize that things are different here.

Last Monday, as we were driving to Wudidi, I was sitting in the front seat with a bottle of 30% schnapps on my lap to present to the village chief, listening to Ghanaian music and watching huge termite mounds and little children carrying machetes on their way to working in the fields pass me by, I knew we were not in Kansas anymore.

The chief wanted to meet us: It is customary for all the elders to get together and hold a meeting when a visitor arrives. We were presented with handmade beads from the female elders, and had to take a shot of the schnapps, as well as pour one on the floor in libation to the ancestors. That is how I celebrated my 21st birthday. IN Africa, with a chief, escorted by African children and a lot of bleating goats. Not bad, huh?

Our living situation is interesting. We are very thankful, because we wanted to live exactly as the villagers do, with no special treatment. We have a small room to share, and a hole in the ground inside of a “spider home” as Heather calls it, to go to the bathroom. I see more roaches, but I am not scared of spiders so maybe that is why. We have a cement wall to stand behind and buckets for our shower. It is totally cool except that I am taller then the wall, so I have to improvise.

The village of Alavanyo Wudidi is amazing. The children were so fun. I taught them to play hangman, and they would dance up and down the aisles when they beat me. Every time I taught them something, I made them teach me things in return, so I learned lots of cool rock games, and we laughed a lot. It’s funny how infrequently I found that I needed to speak the language, it is easy to have fun with people regardless of what language you speak. It was a privilege to be there and participate in life the way they live it in Alavanyo, and everyone was so welcoming. Most nights I would sit outside with some of the other teachers and we would ask each other questions back and forth for hours. Those evenings are some of my most cherished memories. I received drum lessons from some of the teenagers, and the kids taught me how to dance. We had a drum circle party the last night I was there and I got to perform for the community. I loved participating in daily life, laughing at goats, bucket washing in rain water, and eating the local food. They seemed to learn a lot from me, but I learned so much from them, and made friends that I hope to keep for life. It was an amazing experience and anyone that is adventurous, open-minded and loves people will do well in Alavanyo. We are safe and happy and are feeling blessed to be here. It is crazy, but I love it.

My beloved Romania

Post written by Andreea, a United Planet team member.

There is no place like home. Though I have traveled and seen many amazing places over the past few years, nothing compares to the beauty and warmth of my country, Romania. I am positive I will never feel for another place the way I do for Romania, having been born and raised there. This is the place where I heard my first childhood story, where I rode my first bike, and of course where my family, my parents are.
Until the age of ten, life as I knew it was dictated by the orders of Ceausescu’s communist regime. I was old enough to witness Romania’s own 1989 Revolution and the fall of communism. I remember when the Romanians woke up, an act reinforced by the national song, Destapta-te Romane (“Wake Up Romanian”). But even those first ten years, between the grey buildings in Bucharest and the scarce resources of food, were good years for me.
Though a banana was a rare thing, and meat far more rare, I always had a park to play in or the mountains and the Black Sea to escape to during vacations. I personally was more blessed because I wore glasses, which, according to the regime’s unwritten social guidelines, meant I could not participate in the parades that the communist party was preparing for Ceausescu. Therefore, I did not have to spend hours in the sun with hundreds of children at my side, preparing a dance routine to honor Romania’s leader.
The first thing that changed after the revolution was that the city became more colorful. The entire country began to look brighter, from the people’s clothes to big billboards on the streets. We adopted color television and watched it continuously at first. All of the sudden there was nonstop news about current world events, instead of three-hour programs devoted to Ceausescu. Nowadays our living conditions and rights are the same as in other democratic countries. We will never forget Ceausescu’s regime. This man had the “greatest” idea of all: to build a replica of a Chinese building—the biggest in the world—for him to live in alone with his family. Casa Poporului (“People’s House”) is the second biggest building in the world after the Pentagon. The building lies in the center of Bucharest, though nowadays it serves as an administrative building for the government.
I will never forget my childhood and those beautiful hiking places that can only be found on Carpathian Mountains. And I will never forget to tell you, my beloved Romania, “Happy Birthday” on the first of December.

A bigger and greater World!

Post written by Hiromi, a United Planet team member.

It has been my dream to study abroad since I was a little girl. For some reason, I have always been fascinated by foreign languages.
When I was 13, I traveled abroad for the first time to the United Kingdom. At that time, I didn’t speak English very well. I had basic knowledge: I knew how to greet people and to introduce myself. I was also shy and slightly reserved.

It was difficult for me to come right out and speak to English people. Once, while living in the UK, I took the wrong bus on my way back home. As I watched the scenery grow increasingly unfamiliar, I became nervous and reached in my bag for a bus map. I was totally lost and had no idea where the bus was heading. I was scared and desperately hoping I would find a way to go back home. But I was not brave enough to ask someone to help me. I was almost crying.
Then suddenly an old man started talking to me. He probably saw my horrified face and realized that I was lost. I didn’t understand what he exactly said to me, but at least I could tell him, “I’m lost!!” I pointed to the stop where I was supposed to get off on my bus map. The man immediately started talking to the bus driver and said something that calmed me down. (I can’t really remember, but he might have said, “Don’t worry baby,” or something like that.)
A few minutes later, the old guy got off at a bus stop. Then, the bus driver started to shout “Get off, get off!” to the passengers. However, it was not a bus stop. It was just a street. Of course some passengers were angry that they had to get off en route to their destinations. As I didn’t understand what was going on, I stayed on the bus, feeling there was nothing else that I could do. The bus rolled on and I was left wondering where we were going.
Suddenly, a familiar sight came into view!! I remember how excited and happy I was at that moment. The bus driver told me that it was my bus stop. He took me to where I needed to go, even though it was not part of his route.
I happily thanked him and quickly got off the bus; I regret that I did not thank him enough. I wish I could have spoken better English to tell him how grateful I was. I was impressed by the bus driver and the old man’s kindness. It made me realize that even if our languages are different, helping others in need is a universal human quality. I no longer hesitate to speak English with people. This experience strengthened my will to learn several foreign languages: I’m studying English in Boston now and will continue with Portuguese classes at my university in Japan when I return.
Meeting people who are from different countries is amazing. And learning about others’ cultures makes my world bigger and better. That’s why I can’t stop learning languages and traveling abroad!

Back in Boston!

Post written by Naima Bentanoute, a United Planet team member

In 2006, I came to Boston for the first time, after finishing my Masters degree in Arabic Language at the University of Aix en Provence. While working as an au pair for a year for a family of four girls, I deeply fell in love …with Boston.

When I returned to France in 2007, I was terribly “homesick”: I wanted to go back to Boston!

I started work at United Planet’s Boston office almost two months ago. Joining the UP team has been a great opportunity for two reasons: first, it gave me the opportunity to come back to Boston, and second, to pursue my interest in international non-profit work as United Planet’s Middle East, Africa and Europe Project Coordinator.

I was born in France, but my parents are from Morocco, so growing up I was influenced by both cultures. I feel a strong connection with both countries: I spent every summer in Morocco and every school year in France. Now, as part of United Planet, I get to share my culture and learn about others in my daily work, as I converse with co-workers from all over the world here in the office and prepare my volunteers for their own experiences abroad! I am genuinely enjoying my time at United Planet. Working for such an interesting organization has been fulfilling both personally and professionally. I am very happy to be here.