19May2008
Regional Learning, Dallas Art District
Posted by Up With People under: Plano-Texas.
15May2008
The Mexican Medley
Posted by Up With People under: Mexico Misc.
Below is a collection of short stories from across our Mexican tour and poems from our community impact in Puebla, Mexico. Enjoy!
The Street Sweeper
Hot and dirty
Physical labor
Exhaustion and satisfaction
Cleaning the city, making it look nice
~Sanna Lindberg, Sweden
In San Luis Potosi, the cast went to a specially arranged “Viva La Gente” party. I had purposely put my hair into a Mohawk for the occasion, which attracted a lot of attention. Amongst those who called me over to talk to them was a group of locals. One of the girls in the group told me that she had a son that looked like me because I’m Asian and her son has ‘slanty eyes.’ She put her fingers to her eyes and elongated her eyes. Her sister joked that maybe I was the father. Awkward. I got to meet her son the night we left San Luis. He may have looked Asian but I’m pretty sure he’s not my son.
A lonely old man without a home
Desperate and so alone
A victim of society
No one really wants to see
Sometimes it makes me wonder
Sometimes I just don’t care
How can we make ourselves aware?
My host mother in Monterrey was out of a “scout family” so on host family day, we went to her family’s ranch with a bunch of her scout friends.
Jessica Rojas (USA) and I hung out in the afternoon and took a nap before dinner. When we woke up our host mom was gone and we were left ALONE among the scouts that barely spoke English. Fortunately Jessica speaks Spanish. Apparently our host mom’s dog had eaten a toxic toad and the dog along with our host mom came back later. The evening ended around the campfire with (Spanish) games, slightly translated by Jessica.
~Maiken Hansen, Denmark
Ciujuain
Juan
Old, in pain
Sunbathing in the wheelchair
I made him laugh with a Swiss story
Friend
~Ilona Raymann, Switzerland
Our last Mexican show in San Luis Potosi was going off without a hitch as the track for Estaremos kicked off. The only problem was that Molly Robertson (USA) didn’t start singing until two measures after her cue. After much quick and intense debate, I convinced Amador, the drummer, that we had to shut the multi-track off to save the song. As the backing string section accompanied by synthesized twinkles disappeared into nothing, beads of sweat forming on our foreheads more from nerves than hot humidity, the band continued on to play the rest of the song, not sure of what would happen. The feeling that ran through me, brought on by that very performance of a translated song about unity, turned out to be the highlight of my Mexican tour; playing stripped down and bare, having the audience appreciate the musicianship, and bearing witness to a sea of lit cell phones waving through the air as the band became what it was meant to be: one.
~Molly Essington, USA
Certain people couldn’t move or talk
A faint remnant of a young past
Rarely talked to as a person
I wanted to change this today
These people were us.
Always remember who created the past
So we can create a better future.
~Johan Verbeek Wolthuys, the Netherlands
Litter
Hopeless apathetic
Effects tossed aside
Plastic wrapper krinks offensively
Dereliet
15May2008
People in Poverty May 13th, 2008
Posted by Up With People under: Plano-Texas.
Today we had a presentation on poverty. Sometimes it is difficult to fully realize the situations people live in, when you yourself come from a country that is so well off in relation to many others that are not. You know it’s out there and that it is a dead serious issue around the world, but you can’t quite grasp the reality unless you experience it yourself. I come from
As our cast continued with some activities (we played a game with coins and where divided to three groups according to the results of the game) after the presentation and we were presented with an art gallery; Pictures and descriptions of real life situations where people live in survive because they have no choice and where they can only hope for a better day to come. We also had a slideshow of moments in poverty. As we watched these pictures slow music playing in the background you could tell that the whole cast was impacted with what we were seeing especially after hearing the facts of the presentation just moments earlier. People were quiet and many people looking at the pictures had their arms crossed and some had an angry look on their face others seemed determined to see through every picture and the film.
Not until that moment did I actually register the tables in the room. There where two tables with chairs and in the middle of them an empty area covered with flat cardboard boxes. The table on the left had a table cloth and silver ware, napkins and decorations. The table on the right didn’t have those and on the floor there was nothing else but cardboard. The staff told us to get into our groups from the coin activity and we were to sit accordingly. There were about 10 people in the decorated table, 18 in the plain table and the rest of the cast on the card board floor. We all knew where we sat in this class system and where quietly waiting for our dinner to start. And fair enough it started pretty soon with the first class being served by the staff members as waiters in a fancy restaurant and ignoring the other classes almost completely. The middle class had their portions set for them but they had to pass down the plates themselves. And the third class on the ground got a basin of water, a basin of rise and stacks of tiny paper cups and paper plates –not enough for everyone though. I was on that card board and by the time we had gotten our sticky rise somewhat on the plates and realized that out water was nearly undrinkable because it was so salty we had had time to observe what everyone was eating. The fancy table had salad, soup, pasta, bread and ice cream. The Middle class got rice and beans. And the poor got salt water and salty sticky half cooked cold rice. Me and my firend shared a plate and ate all the rice because we were hungry and drank the water even if it made us feel sick.
What I was thinking as we ate was, if you work all day you are bound to be very hungry and that amount with all the salt doesn’t satisfy you. I at least was very hungry to begin with and maybe coming down with a cold and I hadn’t even done any heavy labor today. From the poor food you don’t get enough micronutrients and vitamins to keep your immune system running strong and you are more liable to catch a disease or a common cold. And if you are already sick it certainly doesn’t make you that much better.
The cast discussed about the settings of the activity, our personal experiences and about the question whether or not poverty is a cycle that a person themselves can break. As it was said in the discussions a persons background sometimes affects a lot on the choices and opportunities they are given and no matter how hard they work they don’t seem to be allowed to reach their goals. I do believe that happens in the world but more strongly I believe in the protestant mindset of if you work hard enough you can achieve your goals and dreams. For all this isn’t a rule set in stone but a life philosophy that encourages people to do their best. Also, there is not only one right way to happiness and prosperity and so it does not do anyone any good if you insist on hitting your head in the same old wall time after time.
Having experienced the cramped group on the card board covered floor, eating that salty crunchy & cold sticky rice and drinking only a tiny cup of salty water (which also was the only water available for our cooking) I noticed that I started feeling like I should just accept it and deal with it from now on. Because I enjoyed the company of my comrades and didn’t have enough energy to “fight my fate” while still being so hungry. I never felt hopeless for we had each other and we all took care of each other making sure everyone got food and drink. We would join together in a birthday celebration for one of our group and sing together to keep up our spirits. It all came down to sharing and being united under the same circumstances.
My first feelings were being small and hungry in the face of the devastating fact that half the people in the world are hungry everyday. But after hearing a friend of mine describe themselves as inspired I felt a sting of shame for my own complaints, I started thinking about the experience and some of the things I’ve mentioned here. It’s not about one person feeding the world and solving the issue of hunger. Some of my cast mates have got a child or family in Africa or somewhere else in the world whose education and wellbeing they are supporting by paying a small amount of money every month. And what I came to think of is, if the world is roughly divided in half as the 2.8 billion people who are poor (they live on less than 2 dollars a day) and the rest of us who aren’t, then if on the well off side each person would take the opportunity in supporting someone else living in the poorer circumstances we could make a huge difference. That means working together all around the world, and an organization that is trustworthy and reliable as well as communication between the both ends of this link. There is no feedback more rewarding than knowing you have helped change some ones life for the better especially when for you (if you think about it) that same amount of money seems only enough for trivial things. It really is all about lending a helping hand and keeping your smarts about it. Instead of thinking about helping all the hungry children in Africa you can start by helping one. Because if we all do so there will no longer be hungry children.
Nina Lehvaslaiho, Finland
Intersting links:
World Vision: www.worldvision.org
Ethical Christams presents:
http://www.moneymagpie.com/article/ethical-christmas-presents/51
14May2008
Once Upon a Time in Mexico…
Posted by Up With People under: Monterrey-Mexico.
Hello all.
Well, Monterrey was certainly a great welcome for us all into Mexico! We left Brenham, TX bright and early to cross the border into Mexico. After a few hours on the road and a few more walking across the border and talking to custom we drove a few more hours to Monterrey. We were greeted by video cameras and a large crowd excited to see us. Once off the bus, the Monterrey crew had some traditional Mexican music and dance lined up – Amazing! After that, we all divided into our allocation and met our host families. I was roomed with Brandon from the US and Gift from Thailand.
I spent most of the week in Monterrey working with DIF, a governmental organization that helps the impoverished and lower class of Mexico. We spent the time clearing brush, painting buildings and interacting with the children there. I found myself learning a lot, if only because the people I was working with could not speak English. I tried to pull from the reserves of my mind the sparse knowledge of Spanish I had but it didn’t work too well at first. By the end of my three days working there, I found that I had a STRONG connection with the people I had worked with, perhaps even stronger than those I had worked with in the US. Is it strange to feel such an amazing connection without the common ground of language?
The show in Monterrey was our first Mexican Show and our first opportunity to showcase our Mexican Medley. We also had our first double show day. Though it was long and tough it was easily the most rewarding show I’d done to that point.
Our Regional Learning day in Monterrey was exciting as well. We toured many cool sights: an old , a large courtyard with statues and landmarks and a river ride through downtown. We also took part in a blind experience, which was essentially where we walked through many different rooms of different environments (nature, city, store, and restaurant) all in complete darkness. All we had was a guide (who was also blind) and a walking stick. For an hour we toured around inside realizing what it was like to be blind. Amazing.
Finally, Monterrey ended quicker than any of us would have liked but it was an amazing introduction into how great Mexico truly was.
Dan Rohmiller Iowa, USA
8May2008
New Things
Posted by Up With People under: Announcement.
Hi Everyone!
Thank you for coming! We have a few new things here for you! Our MySpace has a brand new look! Our top banner has finally changed! Up to date news on the site bar and a clock, some pictures below. Also, the full cast profile is ready! Enjoy your time here =)
Best,
Your Blog Team
2May2008
CHICAGO – Big City Life by Zlatimira Colova, Bulgaria
Posted by Up With People under: Uncategorized.
Chicago is the third biggest city in the USA and the home of the largest Bulgarian community. I have to point this out since I am Bulgarian. “The Windy City” is the largest in the Midwest. “The second city” is not only an alpha world city for its economic influence but also the birthplace of deep dish. Upon arrival our cast split into Cubs and Sox fans or in other words Northsiders and Southsiders. Upon arrival we visited the Navy Pier and the Ferris Wheel and than headed to the Copernicus Theater, where our performance was. Chicago was expecting us together with numerous Alumni who devoted their time and effort to make us happy and feel welcome. I personally was most excited when I found out that our sponsor PTA had an Alumni representative who was related to Beyonce Noels. We had to give back to the community and thereafter we had a 3-day school marathon doing the project “Stand for Peace” and delivering our message to middle and high school pupils. While impacting the community and leaving our mark, we devoted our time and volunteer work to El Valor – a Hispanic community center, Gaia Movement – a recycling center, Share your Soles – a place for packaging old shoes for distribution to developing countries around the world, CI Interfaith House – a recovery home for homeless women and men. Apart from being community dedicated and proactive we had a little intermission by Hawaii Pacific University presentation whose representative introduced us to the university life as well as asked some funny trivia questions about the Aloha State. For example, the “Father of Modern Surfing” grew up in Waikiki, the tallest sea cliffs in the world can be found on Molokai’s north side, Kileaua Volcano in Hawaii Volcanoes National Park on Hawaii’s Big Island is the world’s most active volcano. Of course, I forgot the most interesting one which was the funny name of a fish but it is worth knowing it so you better try to find out. On the weekend we took part in the Parent Summit (by giving the parents time, free of responsibility for their children for a couple of hours). We acted as chaperones for the children, whose parents were attending the summit. We entertained the kids by showing them the Field Museum. I found myself even more excited that the children, I was responsible for. After we were done and were able to spend our free however we want, I went back to the museum and spend my entire day being overexcited by dinosaurs and the different exhibitions around. During our last host family day the St. Patrick Street Parade was taking place in South Chicago. Many UWP participants took part in it and the rest spent time doing the activities their host family had organized for them. I personally would be excited to spend even more time in the city that has to offer so much in terms of multicultural, political and sightseeing experience. I would like to write a bit more but I have to go to bed.
Go cast head to the next challenge on the road. Yours truly, Zlatimira Colova
18March2008
What a waste.
Posted by Up With People under: Brenham-Texas.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Brenham, Texas
Today smelled. This isn’t to say that today (our first full day in Texas) was a bad day. It also isn’t referring to the fact that a few of us could possibly use a shower and a select few could definitely use some odor-eaters. No, none of this is what made today smell. Today was trash day. If you haven’t heard already, as a cast we have been carrying around our trash since Thursday the 13th. The only trash excluded was bathroom trash, meaning of course a few of us had some pretty rank banana peels by the time today rolled around. To celebrate trash day we first took a group photo with all of our trash. Then we sorted out the paper, plastics and glass for recycling. Finally we took a glorious march through Brenham High School including the cafeteria to throw away our trash (thank goodness!). So what’s the point you say? It’s very easy to mindlessly use, take and throw away things you don’t need but when you have to actually think about it, it can be quite surprising the waste you can cut out of your life. Adios!
Kristen Ditges Colorado, USA
18March2008
Brenham, Texas-The Arrival
Posted by Up With People under: Brenham-Texas.
Green is the color I would paint the town of Brenham on a post card. The scenery here has changed to a very lush and Spring colored feel. The air was so humid and for a change it was warm again. It was really good to not feel a cold wind or squint your eyes to the reflection of sunlight bouncing off the snow that wont go away–here it was satisfying!
As we arrived we found a parade consisting of a firetruck and about six police vehicles escorting and welcoming Cast A of Up With People into their town. It was so unexpected and people were really going crazy in the bus 2 from the untimely surprise! Katie Mears got on her phone and asked her mom to please go ahed and “let everyone know I’m a big deal for once, OK.” The town traffic was on a hult so we could make our way through town before disembarking the busses at Brenham High.
Here the usual routine of meeting up with Field Managers as well as Advance workers commenced and we even saw a few familiar faces like that of Eric Lentz and Michael Bowerman who are in town for our show and who can forget the “Seconds Police Lady” Jessica!
The families looked very enthusiastic when we went up to meet them and the host codes were pretty interesting so I guess they really look forward to experiencing this Chapter of our tour with us.
The hostcode my family and I shared was “Key Lime Pie”. Host codes are a very creative and fun way to get to match and meet hostfamilies with participants. It can be anything from the same movie to the same musicals and of course desserts such as Key Lime Pie!
My host family is that of a family of six and they are mom and dad Jackson of 800 Sycamore street. With an adorable 18 month old…a very talkative 3 year old (who calls me his big brother by the way) a smart 9 year old and an athletic nephew, the family is complete! And yes…what would they do without Francois!
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