My brilliant first intern, Hanna, is Filipina, and has been featured in media coverage we've received here. She also has written a few stories for local print media... here are two links that are worth taking a look at:
http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/you/2bu/view_article.php?article_id=102125
The second one was published after our US tour:
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/philippineexplorer/philippineexplorer/view_article.php?article_id=99643
Friday, November 23, 2007
Monday, November 19, 2007
Regional Learning
On Saturday, we had a great opportunity to learn a lot about the Philippines and area where we are staying. We first started our day at the Ayala Museum (http://www.ayalamuseum.com/) where we learned about the very rich history of this country. Often, history only talks about three occupying nations through history: the Spanish, the USA and the Japanese. But we also learned that the British were also a colonial power here for a couple of years. With so many invaders, the influences can be seen all over, especially the Spanish architecture very visible in Intramuros, the old walled city once reserved for the Spanish. It was interesting to see this beautiful place, and to put into place the cultural pressures put on this place as they were converted to Christianity and their ways to forced to change by colonial occupation.
In the afternoon we were invited t
o go to the slums and see the revitalization work that is being done by one of our partnering organizations Gawad Kalinga. In the middle of the corrugated aluminum and cardboard houses, there is an oasis of hope where brightly colored buildings are being built and community spaces cleared out. For our group, it was fantastic to see the potential of the work that we are doing here and to know that we will be making a positive difference for the people of these communities. With children holding our hands as we walked back to our buses we were then taken to a private dinner hosted by the Department of Tourism.
The sharp contrast of these two experiences was staggering. As we were ushered
onto a red carpet walk, Cast B was greeted by the sounds of a famous bamboo instrument band called the Singing Bamboos. We were in an open courtyard with a full dinner set for us with traditional dishes from the Philippino culture. There is no way that we could have eaten everything there, and it all felt so extravagant. We then had a private performance from the Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Bayanihan. The group was absolutely amazing and it was hard to believe that this was done all for us.
Many people went home that night and tried to piece together the two worlds that we had come into contact with during that day. This will definitely be one of our struggles here as we continue our journey here in Manila.
In the afternoon we were invited t
o go to the slums and see the revitalization work that is being done by one of our partnering organizations Gawad Kalinga. In the middle of the corrugated aluminum and cardboard houses, there is an oasis of hope where brightly colored buildings are being built and community spaces cleared out. For our group, it was fantastic to see the potential of the work that we are doing here and to know that we will be making a positive difference for the people of these communities. With children holding our hands as we walked back to our buses we were then taken to a private dinner hosted by the Department of Tourism.The sharp contrast of these two experiences was staggering. As we were ushered
onto a red carpet walk, Cast B was greeted by the sounds of a famous bamboo instrument band called the Singing Bamboos. We were in an open courtyard with a full dinner set for us with traditional dishes from the Philippino culture. There is no way that we could have eaten everything there, and it all felt so extravagant. We then had a private performance from the Philippine National Folk Dance Company, Bayanihan. The group was absolutely amazing and it was hard to believe that this was done all for us.Many people went home that night and tried to piece together the two worlds that we had come into contact with during that day. This will definitely be one of our struggles here as we continue our journey here in Manila.
first week in a nutshell
This is a message that Joern, our cast manager, sent out to UWP's worldwide staff. I thought that it summarized our first week so well, that I should share it with you...
I wanted to send you all an update about our first week here in Manila. It has been such a rich, incredible, eye-opening, beautiful, sad, empowering experience that it is hard to find the words to do this week justice.
To begin with: approximately 75% of Manila’s population lives in poverty. Having been to Bangkok last year, I can say that the Thai capital is a wealthy city compared to Manila. Here you are confronted with poverty at every street corner. Every part of the city seems to have large slums. The team in Manila (Luis, Yamil, Scott, Margaux, Ana and Paul) has done an amazing job of setting up the city for our cast. I spoke with a friend of mine, whom I traveled with in UWP in 1998 and who currently works for Lufthansa here in Manila. He said that if you can successfully bring a cast to Manila, you can practically go anywhere in the world. Thank you Manila team for everything you have done for our cast!
The CI sites the team organized represent the essence of what we are trying to accomplish in Up with People. They are truly relevant. They are truly educational for our participants. And they are truly leaving a lasting impact with people in need.
I had the chance to go to two different sites so far. On Friday I worked with a Habitat for Humanity project. Seven cast members are helping to build homes for 384 families on a small compound in the middle of a slum. Each family will receive a one-room apartment of 20 square meters. The cast is intricately involved in finishing the project by the beginning of December. This project is not just being there for a few hours, posing for some photo opps and leaving again. But it is carrying thousands of bricks per day. It is painting countless window frames and walls and it is working alongside Filipino volunteers (including the future home owners) over a total period of 3 weeks (13 full days on site).
Just today I went to a school project for poor children, which is sponsored by an NGO and the city’s welfare office. The children receive the school uniform, supplies as well as a stipend to be able to go to school. Otherwise their families couldn’t afford sending them and would rather have them support the family income by begging or selling things in the streets. Before our group started working with the children we were invited to visit the squatter area where the families of the children live. Hardly anyone of us in the group has ever seen poverty like this. These families live in shacks in an extremely tight quarter. These huts are built out of old wood, metal scraps and other garbage. The grounds are swampy and filthy water is around most of them. Families of up to 12 are crammed into damp little rooms. It was extremely depressing to see. BUT, the friendliness, the spirit and the smiles of the residents were truly remarkable. They invited us in. They asked us to take photos of them. This content for the life that they have was very inspiring.
Apart from our CI we also had a great regional learning day. We went to a museum to learn about the history of the Philippines, saw some colonial buildings downtown, went to a housing project that was built on the ashes of a shantytown and had a traditional dinner with music and dances. The contrasts of the day were enormous. From the beautiful music and red carpet in the restaurant to families with little kids who practically have nothing...These are just a few experiences providing you only with a little snapshot of our experience so far. As I said when we were in Thailand last semester, I can’t imagine the UWP program without going to developing countries anymore. It is such an invaluable experience for students in order to become global leaders. In order to understand the world, it is absolutely needed to spend time in places like the Philippines. And to see how much the cast is gaining from this experience and how much they have embraced the challenge shows the importance of these four weeks already.
--Joern Gutowski, Cast Manager
I wanted to send you all an update about our first week here in Manila. It has been such a rich, incredible, eye-opening, beautiful, sad, empowering experience that it is hard to find the words to do this week justice.
To begin with: approximately 75% of Manila’s population lives in poverty. Having been to Bangkok last year, I can say that the Thai capital is a wealthy city compared to Manila. Here you are confronted with poverty at every street corner. Every part of the city seems to have large slums. The team in Manila (Luis, Yamil, Scott, Margaux, Ana and Paul) has done an amazing job of setting up the city for our cast. I spoke with a friend of mine, whom I traveled with in UWP in 1998 and who currently works for Lufthansa here in Manila. He said that if you can successfully bring a cast to Manila, you can practically go anywhere in the world. Thank you Manila team for everything you have done for our cast!
The CI sites the team organized represent the essence of what we are trying to accomplish in Up with People. They are truly relevant. They are truly educational for our participants. And they are truly leaving a lasting impact with people in need.
I had the chance to go to two different sites so far. On Friday I worked with a Habitat for Humanity project. Seven cast members are helping to build homes for 384 families on a small compound in the middle of a slum. Each family will receive a one-room apartment of 20 square meters. The cast is intricately involved in finishing the project by the beginning of December. This project is not just being there for a few hours, posing for some photo opps and leaving again. But it is carrying thousands of bricks per day. It is painting countless window frames and walls and it is working alongside Filipino volunteers (including the future home owners) over a total period of 3 weeks (13 full days on site).
Just today I went to a school project for poor children, which is sponsored by an NGO and the city’s welfare office. The children receive the school uniform, supplies as well as a stipend to be able to go to school. Otherwise their families couldn’t afford sending them and would rather have them support the family income by begging or selling things in the streets. Before our group started working with the children we were invited to visit the squatter area where the families of the children live. Hardly anyone of us in the group has ever seen poverty like this. These families live in shacks in an extremely tight quarter. These huts are built out of old wood, metal scraps and other garbage. The grounds are swampy and filthy water is around most of them. Families of up to 12 are crammed into damp little rooms. It was extremely depressing to see. BUT, the friendliness, the spirit and the smiles of the residents were truly remarkable. They invited us in. They asked us to take photos of them. This content for the life that they have was very inspiring.
Apart from our CI we also had a great regional learning day. We went to a museum to learn about the history of the Philippines, saw some colonial buildings downtown, went to a housing project that was built on the ashes of a shantytown and had a traditional dinner with music and dances. The contrasts of the day were enormous. From the beautiful music and red carpet in the restaurant to families with little kids who practically have nothing...These are just a few experiences providing you only with a little snapshot of our experience so far. As I said when we were in Thailand last semester, I can’t imagine the UWP program without going to developing countries anymore. It is such an invaluable experience for students in order to become global leaders. In order to understand the world, it is absolutely needed to spend time in places like the Philippines. And to see how much the cast is gaining from this experience and how much they have embraced the challenge shows the importance of these four weeks already.
--Joern Gutowski, Cast Manager
Sunday, November 18, 2007
Zesto
Up with People is able to be in the Philippines for four weeks thanks to the sponsorship of a beverage company called Zesto. This is our cast’s first really major sponsorship experience, and we have been showered with Zesto’s generous hospitality (and marketability). We are provided with unlimited Zesto soda, fruit juice, and ice tea for all cast meals, (which includes RC Cola, as it is owned by Zesto.) We have four Zesto polo shirts, plus t-shirts and baseball caps that are our uniforms for all of our service days. We had a delicious Filipino food welcome lunch, and we’ve been making up spontaneous Zesto commercials and slogans ever since. My personal favorite:
“Zesto is the Best-o!”
They also changed our usual poster slogan, which is "70 people. 19 countries. 1 voice." to one that reflects Zesto a little more: "19 countries. 1 voice. 1 drink."
“Zesto is the Best-o!”
They also changed our usual poster slogan, which is "70 people. 19 countries. 1 voice." to one that reflects Zesto a little more: "19 countries. 1 voice. 1 drink."
prices
One of the stereotypes we knew of the Philippines coming in was that things are cheaper here and our dollars would go farther, which was, admittedly, something to look forward to (especially coming from Europe, where the Euro/dollar exchange really cramped our budget).
Check out what you can get for 150 pesos (about $3.70):
A 30-minute taxi ride
A movie ticket
3-5 beers, depending on how classy the bar is
20 jeepney rides
A pedicure
A floating pearl necklace
…and my personal favorite: a cup of coffee at Starbucks
How amazing is it that most things are drastically lower prices, and yet Starbucks costs exactly the same as in the USA. Ana, my host sister, explains that Starbucks is a status symbol here. The upper middle and wealthy class teenagers and college students hang out there. The coffee shop is at least 3-4x the size of ones in the US, and most people camp out at a table for hours at a time. Ana and her friends have studied there for 5-7 hours, after buying only one cup of coffee. So she thinks of the inflated prices as rent!
Other western brands are the same prices as in the US too: the Gap, Zara, Crocs, LaCoste, etc., are in every mall on the top levels, and on the bottom level are the market stands where you can buy the knockoffs at a fraction of the price, if you want to risk being caught with them and paying fines upon entry back into the United States. This applies especially to big-name purses and pirated movies, both of which are big business here. I will have to choose my Christmas presents wisely!
Check out what you can get for 150 pesos (about $3.70):
A 30-minute taxi ride
A movie ticket
3-5 beers, depending on how classy the bar is
20 jeepney rides
A pedicure
A floating pearl necklace
…and my personal favorite: a cup of coffee at Starbucks
How amazing is it that most things are drastically lower prices, and yet Starbucks costs exactly the same as in the USA. Ana, my host sister, explains that Starbucks is a status symbol here. The upper middle and wealthy class teenagers and college students hang out there. The coffee shop is at least 3-4x the size of ones in the US, and most people camp out at a table for hours at a time. Ana and her friends have studied there for 5-7 hours, after buying only one cup of coffee. So she thinks of the inflated prices as rent!
Other western brands are the same prices as in the US too: the Gap, Zara, Crocs, LaCoste, etc., are in every mall on the top levels, and on the bottom level are the market stands where you can buy the knockoffs at a fraction of the price, if you want to risk being caught with them and paying fines upon entry back into the United States. This applies especially to big-name purses and pirated movies, both of which are big business here. I will have to choose my Christmas presents wisely!
transport & traffic
There’s nothing quite like getting around in Manila. It is a huge sprawling collection of cities that make up the area of Metro Manila. Our cast is hosted in a few different areas (I’m in Quezon City), and because of the amount of traffic, we only get together as a full group every few days. Most days we travel directly to our service sites and home again, and that travel takes many forms.
Most students take taxis, which are everywhere, and are usually easy to hail, unless you live in a congested part of town. Then no one wants to drive you home, because it takes too long, and they can make more money picking up someone else. If that happens too many times in a row, or if you are near your home and know the direction to go, you can take the other two main forms of transport: jeepneys or tricycles.
The jeepney is a remnant of the influence of the US occupation. It is modified jeep that is the length of a suburban. The back is an open entrance, and in the main body of the jeep are benches along each side. It costs you 7.5 pesos (about 13 cents) to ride, and about 20 people pack onto the vinyl benches. They are fairly quick, relatively consistent, and cheap, but they mostly go on the main drags. Most people hop off a jeepney a little ways from their final destination and take a tricycle the rest of the way.
A “tricycle” is a motorbike with a huge metal sidecar that seats 3-4 people (cozily). There is also room for 1-2 people behind the driver, so essentially one motorcycle can carry 5-6 people plus the driver. Tricycles are also cheap, and the price depends on how far you’re going. Their biggest perk is to-the-door service, and their biggest downside is lungs full of exhaust (and wondering if the sidecar ever falls off—which Ana swears has never happened-- that she has seen, anyway).
There is also a bus system and a rail transit, but both aren’t accessible where I live. As for walking, it isn’t very common. Most people take tricycles even short distances. There isn’t really pedestrian infrastructure—sidewalks are hit & miss, and the residential area that I’m in isn’t within walking distance of anything but the corner store and Laundromat. Most other gated communities are similar.
Getting around makes every day an adventure. Traffic can be dead-stopped for minutes, and inching for hours. A place that’s 15 minutes away in the middle of the night can take you two hours to get to during the day. And there aren’t exactly consistent times of day for traffic either, so in general, we leave really early and hope that we don’t hit any.
Most students take taxis, which are everywhere, and are usually easy to hail, unless you live in a congested part of town. Then no one wants to drive you home, because it takes too long, and they can make more money picking up someone else. If that happens too many times in a row, or if you are near your home and know the direction to go, you can take the other two main forms of transport: jeepneys or tricycles.
The jeepney is a remnant of the influence of the US occupation. It is modified jeep that is the length of a suburban. The back is an open entrance, and in the main body of the jeep are benches along each side. It costs you 7.5 pesos (about 13 cents) to ride, and about 20 people pack onto the vinyl benches. They are fairly quick, relatively consistent, and cheap, but they mostly go on the main drags. Most people hop off a jeepney a little ways from their final destination and take a tricycle the rest of the way.
A “tricycle” is a motorbike with a huge metal sidecar that seats 3-4 people (cozily). There is also room for 1-2 people behind the driver, so essentially one motorcycle can carry 5-6 people plus the driver. Tricycles are also cheap, and the price depends on how far you’re going. Their biggest perk is to-the-door service, and their biggest downside is lungs full of exhaust (and wondering if the sidecar ever falls off—which Ana swears has never happened-- that she has seen, anyway).
There is also a bus system and a rail transit, but both aren’t accessible where I live. As for walking, it isn’t very common. Most people take tricycles even short distances. There isn’t really pedestrian infrastructure—sidewalks are hit & miss, and the residential area that I’m in isn’t within walking distance of anything but the corner store and Laundromat. Most other gated communities are similar.
Getting around makes every day an adventure. Traffic can be dead-stopped for minutes, and inching for hours. A place that’s 15 minutes away in the middle of the night can take you two hours to get to during the day. And there aren’t exactly consistent times of day for traffic either, so in general, we leave really early and hope that we don’t hit any.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Bombing in Manila
Yes, there was a bombing in Manila at the Parliament building the evening we arrived. It was (they think) targeted at the congressman that was killed in the blast, along with his driver. He represented the very south of the country where there is unrest due to Muslim extremist groups that are supposedly linked to Al Quaida. This kind of attack is rare in Manila…the southern islands, where there are recent conflicts, are a thousand miles from here. As far as our safety goes, I feel as safe as I would in any other big city. There’s no reason to think that any of the locations where we spend our days (mostly the slums and poor villages where our service sites are) would be targeted in any way. We take all the precautions we can for personal safety (like traveling in at least pairs, communicating when we plan to arrive certain places, etc.) and that’s all we can do. Ana pointed out the extra security in the city today in malls and buildings in the downtown financial district... a precautionary measure that gives some sense of security, though who knows how effective it is.
The interesting part is the perspective that Paul Whitaker, the long-time Up with People guru who has planned the last two Thai tours, our current tour, and is working on next semester’s Thai tour, offers. He explains that the travel cautionary list put out by the US and other state departments, of which the Philippines is on, is more political than it is about safety. When the last casts were in Thailand, there were bombings in Bangkok and a coup of the government. BUT the words “Al Quaida” are nowhere near this unrest in Thailand, so it hasn’t shown up on the US’ watch list. So it is not about the frequency of attacks or the risk to civilians (which is what I would think they would consider in their ratings), but rather how close the groups are to the biggest media attention “bad guys” in our world today.
The interesting part is the perspective that Paul Whitaker, the long-time Up with People guru who has planned the last two Thai tours, our current tour, and is working on next semester’s Thai tour, offers. He explains that the travel cautionary list put out by the US and other state departments, of which the Philippines is on, is more political than it is about safety. When the last casts were in Thailand, there were bombings in Bangkok and a coup of the government. BUT the words “Al Quaida” are nowhere near this unrest in Thailand, so it hasn’t shown up on the US’ watch list. So it is not about the frequency of attacks or the risk to civilians (which is what I would think they would consider in their ratings), but rather how close the groups are to the biggest media attention “bad guys” in our world today.
We are in Manila, Ila, Ila Hey Hey
Yeah for Asia!! With our very first adventure in this part of the world, we are so excited to be in the muggy paradise of the Philippines. We were are little nervous about getting everyone to this
point though as we had some snags on our way to the airport:
* First, we had a couple of students with severe intestinal issues (read as...the runs) and they needed to see doctors before we left to make sure they could fly
* When we went to get our vans out of the parking garage, we found the gate stuck in the down position, which made it impossible to get them out. Yikes!! Fortunately they called about 3 support trucks and we got them out in time to get to the airport.
Fortunately, we all made the flight and they airline was not as restrictive as they made themselves out to be. Our things arrived with us and we were welcomed by our Sponsor, Zesto (owners of RC Cola) and a bunch of media outlets. The cast had been great and we are getting adjusted to our new timezone (although I have to admit that I have no idea what time it is at home right now).
I am staying with a delightful host family who has two young boys. They also have their own driver and two "helpers" in the house. This came as a shock to me, but I came to understand that this is common here. We even have one cast member where there are 25 "helpers" in the home. We are definitely staying with wealthier families here, which will make for an interesting contrast when we start to do our Community Impact.
Transportation here is a trip. The driving is enough to make you want to walk everywhere, but because the city is so huge, it is impossible. One cast member noticed that there is a sign on the back of most vehicles saying, "How is my driving?" We all laughed at this because the only sane response is "TERRIBLE!!" But you would be dialing the phone all day if you took this attitude, we are definitely all in on this new adventure.
point though as we had some snags on our way to the airport:
* First, we had a couple of students with severe intestinal issues (read as...the runs) and they needed to see doctors before we left to make sure they could fly
* When we went to get our vans out of the parking garage, we found the gate stuck in the down position, which made it impossible to get them out. Yikes!! Fortunately they called about 3 support trucks and we got them out in time to get to the airport.
Fortunately, we all made the flight and they airline was not as restrictive as they made themselves out to be. Our things arrived with us and we were welcomed by our Sponsor, Zesto (owners of RC Cola) and a bunch of media outlets. The cast had been great and we are getting adjusted to our new timezone (although I have to admit that I have no idea what time it is at home right now).
I am staying with a delightful host family who has two young boys. They also have their own driver and two "helpers" in the house. This came as a shock to me, but I came to understand that this is common here. We even have one cast member where there are 25 "helpers" in the home. We are definitely staying with wealthier families here, which will make for an interesting contrast when we start to do our Community Impact.
Transportation here is a trip. The driving is enough to make you want to walk everywhere, but because the city is so huge, it is impossible. One cast member noticed that there is a sign on the back of most vehicles saying, "How is my driving?" We all laughed at this because the only sane response is "TERRIBLE!!" But you would be dialing the phone all day if you took this attitude, we are definitely all in on this new adventure.
Ellen's Filipino first impressions:
Warm, humid, friendly people, crazy traffic.
I am staying with Ana Pascual’s family (she is a member of our advance team). She’s the oldest of five kids: Dino, Chantal, Bolo and Eio. Parents are Ruben and Mayang, and then there's Lola, the grandmother, who graciously greeted me this morning. She introduced herself as “the administrator of this little village” that is her home. When my roommate Adam and I sat last night out with the rest of the family in their garden/ patio, we were told that the house only has two rules:
1. We should always simply ask for what we need. They are a straightforward family and don’t take things personally.
2. Everything that Lola (grandma) says, goes.
Riding down the street in a taxi, I am amazed at how much Manila reminds me of Mexico, and parts of Ecuador. Here come my stereotypes of developing countries: they have... children who sell candy in the middle of the street, or even who run through traffic to tap on your windows to beg for money. Lots of KFC. Crazy public transportation where there are 20 people in a van made for seven weaving through the lanes. Extreme poverty right across the alley from extravagant wealth. Obsession with certain parts of American/Western culture: Oprah, fast food, SpongeBob, the GAP. There's more I'm missing, but even in the first 24 hours, this stuff jumps out at me, and brings back so many memories, even though I've never been on this continent before.
I am staying with Ana Pascual’s family (she is a member of our advance team). She’s the oldest of five kids: Dino, Chantal, Bolo and Eio. Parents are Ruben and Mayang, and then there's Lola, the grandmother, who graciously greeted me this morning. She introduced herself as “the administrator of this little village” that is her home. When my roommate Adam and I sat last night out with the rest of the family in their garden/ patio, we were told that the house only has two rules:
1. We should always simply ask for what we need. They are a straightforward family and don’t take things personally.
2. Everything that Lola (grandma) says, goes.
Riding down the street in a taxi, I am amazed at how much Manila reminds me of Mexico, and parts of Ecuador. Here come my stereotypes of developing countries: they have... children who sell candy in the middle of the street, or even who run through traffic to tap on your windows to beg for money. Lots of KFC. Crazy public transportation where there are 20 people in a van made for seven weaving through the lanes. Extreme poverty right across the alley from extravagant wealth. Obsession with certain parts of American/Western culture: Oprah, fast food, SpongeBob, the GAP. There's more I'm missing, but even in the first 24 hours, this stuff jumps out at me, and brings back so many memories, even though I've never been on this continent before.
Sunday, November 11, 2007
continent transitions
There is nothing more exhausting than figuring out how to move 67 people and all their crap from one continent to another. Plus we have all these extra costume bags, musical instruments, and other things (like our archive for the end of the year) that have to come with us. The tricky part of the equation came this week when we learned the airline luggage restrictions: each person only gets 20 kilos (44 pounds) total in checked luggage, and 8 kilos of carry on luggage, in one bag. And the kicker: for every kilo you are overweight, you pay 30 Euros! (which, with the recent drop in the dollar, is about 45 bucks). Ouch. So, we have two hours of free time tomorrow morning, where the majority of the cast will wait in line at the post office, mailing boxes home. (Mom, Scottie and I have a hefty box coming your way.) I’m hoping that the restrictions leaving the Philippines will be a little more lenient, as I am planning on doing some Christmas shopping.
Cast Uni and a surprise!
We had one of my favorite education opportunities yesterday: UWP University! Students volunteer to teach 50-minute courses on things that they are knowledgeable in. We had courses on Chinese characters, yoga, crochet, song-writing, speaking Pidgeon, musical dance, Kendo (Japanese fencing), self defense, creative wri
ting, financial planning, and a course for women on what guys are thinking. Such fun! The hard part was deciding which courses to attend. We also were supposed to have courses on photography basics, reading Braille & learning a step routine, but those classes were actually fake because the students had prepared for us a staff appreciation!
They made a slide show of photos, wrote us thoughtful letters, gave us chocolate, serenaded us with Japanese music videos and Seasons of Love, Blaine from Texas did a short “Impression Session” with impressions of each staff member, and Johan from Sweden had written an incredible song after the cast appreciation two weeks ago, which he performed for us. It was very touching, and these students are just a good group of people. I feel really lucky that I like them all so much!
ting, financial planning, and a course for women on what guys are thinking. Such fun! The hard part was deciding which courses to attend. We also were supposed to have courses on photography basics, reading Braille & learning a step routine, but those classes were actually fake because the students had prepared for us a staff appreciation!They made a slide show of photos, wrote us thoughtful letters, gave us chocolate, serenaded us with Japanese music videos and Seasons of Love, Blaine from Texas did a short “Impression Session” with impressions of each staff member, and Johan from Sweden had written an incredible song after the cast appreciation two weeks ago, which he performed for us. It was very touching, and these students are just a good group of people. I feel really lucky that I like them all so much!
two bummers
Leuven was the site of two minor cast disasters. The first was a situation that always makes for a good story once it’s over: food poisoning! We had two types of soup for lunch, and everyone who ate “the meat soup” had the runs all night long. Thank goodness our show facility had a lot of bathrooms.
The second was more tragic: Our big show on Thursday evening was in an arena, and the cast performed on a portable stage platform. Laurel Long from Colorado missed the edge of the stairs exiting off the platform backstage, fell and broke her ankle in two places. She returned to the US for surgery, and will not be rejoining the cast. She was incredibly disappointed, and the whole cast grieved for her not being able to end the tour with us, and to miss our journey to the Philippines. She was very courageous, and flew home yesterday in positive spirits. I think the rest of us did quite a bit of reflecting… what if I was the one who was injured and was heading home today?
The second was more tragic: Our big show on Thursday evening was in an arena, and the cast performed on a portable stage platform. Laurel Long from Colorado missed the edge of the stairs exiting off the platform backstage, fell and broke her ankle in two places. She returned to the US for surgery, and will not be rejoining the cast. She was incredibly disappointed, and the whole cast grieved for her not being able to end the tour with us, and to miss our journey to the Philippines. She was very courageous, and flew home yesterday in positive spirits. I think the rest of us did quite a bit of reflecting… what if I was the one who was injured and was heading home today?
Big show day
The performance of the Up with People Show in Leuven was by far the best I have seen from this cast. It was a show with a lot of pressure… we had 400 VIP guests attend a champagne reception beforehand, an enthusiastic audience of over 2,000 people, and many potential sponsors and bigwigs that are interested in being involved in future uwp European tours in attendance. The stakes were high, and I was so proud of this cast--- they just turned it on! The dances were the cleanest I’ve ever seen them, the energy was off the charts, and everyone was giving their all for this last European show, and the cast’s third to last show ever (as we only have two shows in Manila). We also had a guest performer perform with us; Sandrine is a Belgian pop star who had two chart hits from being on “Idol” (which is basically “American Idol” but not in America). She sang both her hit songs in our show, and a lot of the student audience was drawn to our show to see her. Leuven is the largest university town in Belgium with 30,000 students, so this city also had a big focus on recruiting future up with people students. We definitely are finishing our European tour with a bang.
Day of Hope
Our project here in Leuven, Belgium, was to participate in a “Day of Hope.” We partnered with Nobel Peace Prize nominee Sister Jeanne Devos, and the proceeds of our show went to her foundation, which serves child domestic laborers in India. She headed up the first Day of Hope in India in 2005, and it centered around a statue of a golem that stands four meters tall and has a small door at its heart. The children could write or draw their hopes & wishes, and put them into the golem where they would be kept safe. Sister Jeanne explained to our cast how she had been skeptical that this symbolic gesture would be helpful for the children that she works with in India, and was overwhelmed by the positive effect it had on them. She brought the idea of the project back to her home country of Belgium, and over the past week, our cast helped implement it. We worked with local students to finish building the golem statue, and performed a mini-show at a hospital where we collected the hopes of kids in the hospital to put in the golem. (A golem, I learned, is a creature that visits children in their dreams to play with them and keep their secrets. It was an imaginary friend/toy that couldn’t be taken away from kids, no matter how little belongings or resources they had. The existence of golems was a popular legend for Jewish children during WWI, but existed long before that.)
On the Day of Hope, which was Wednesday, the cast performed in the large Oude Markt square, the golem was unveiled, and children were encouraged to put their hopes inside the door at its heart. The cast also got to be creative, painting the sheets that hung in front of the golem statue before it was revealed, and making sculptures that symbolized hope. On the first day we worked with the artist that designed the statue, Koen van Mechelen, which was my favorite part of the project. We have many gifted artists and creative people in this cast.
Though the “Day of Hope” was a cool experience, the project was a little disappointing for me… our cast wasn’t utilized as well as they could have been, and the whole event was very hyped. We had lots of media coverage and mayor visits and things that felt like we were putting on a show of the event more than we were really impacting anything. The students that performed at the hospital and took those kids’ hopes to the golem were the only ones who had any direct contact with the children that were affected by the project, which was great for them, but disappointing for those who didn’t participate in that element of the project. Also, the weather on the Day of Hope was typical November in Europe: blustery, rainy, gray and cold. Consequently, not as many children & schools turned out for the event as I was expecting. BUT it was positive for many reasons, and the concept of the project, which includes a curriculum for schools designed by a child psychology professor here in Leuven, has the potential to really be a powerful experience for youth. Also, the golem that we made here this week is being shipped to an indigenous tribe in Chile. The artist’s dream is to have these golem statues built and hold “Day of Hope” celebrations in different corners of the world. Up with People is a natural partner for something like that, so it may be something that a future cast will do again.
On the Day of Hope, which was Wednesday, the cast performed in the large Oude Markt square, the golem was unveiled, and children were encouraged to put their hopes inside the door at its heart. The cast also got to be creative, painting the sheets that hung in front of the golem statue before it was revealed, and making sculptures that symbolized hope. On the first day we worked with the artist that designed the statue, Koen van Mechelen, which was my favorite part of the project. We have many gifted artists and creative people in this cast.
Though the “Day of Hope” was a cool experience, the project was a little disappointing for me… our cast wasn’t utilized as well as they could have been, and the whole event was very hyped. We had lots of media coverage and mayor visits and things that felt like we were putting on a show of the event more than we were really impacting anything. The students that performed at the hospital and took those kids’ hopes to the golem were the only ones who had any direct contact with the children that were affected by the project, which was great for them, but disappointing for those who didn’t participate in that element of the project. Also, the weather on the Day of Hope was typical November in Europe: blustery, rainy, gray and cold. Consequently, not as many children & schools turned out for the event as I was expecting. BUT it was positive for many reasons, and the concept of the project, which includes a curriculum for schools designed by a child psychology professor here in Leuven, has the potential to really be a powerful experience for youth. Also, the golem that we made here this week is being shipped to an indigenous tribe in Chile. The artist’s dream is to have these golem statues built and hold “Day of Hope” celebrations in different corners of the world. Up with People is a natural partner for something like that, so it may be something that a future cast will do again.
Sunday, November 4, 2007
Red Light District
11/3/07: Today we went to Amsterdam with the cast, and Scottie & I went with 25 other people on a tour of the Red Light District led by former sex workers that now are employed by the Prostitute Information Center. The PIC is located in the middle of the largest of the three red light districts in Amsterdam. I was glad to have the opportunity to go on the tour, because it humanized the area for me, and made it not about the shock value. Granted, it is still unsettling to me seeing women standing in the windows in their underwear waiting for business, but talking about it with the open and straightforward guides who were perfectly normal people made it less uncomfortable to walk through the streets. I learned that the window business is only 20% of the sex industry in Amsterdam, the rest existing in the shows, brothels, clubs and stores that dominate this area. What I found fascinating was how the district is so integrated into the daily life of the neighborhoods, which aren’t only about sexual exploitation. The sex shops and windows that are on the street level have apartments and homes in the floors above them, just like in the rest of Amsterdam. The homes aren’t necessarily for the sex workers, as you might assume, but house families and communities like any other neighborhood. A perfect example: just down the street from the PIC, with a few curtained windows in between, was a kindergarten & day care center for the families that live in that area.
Even though I don’t like the crudeness of porn and penises and naked women plastered in every shop window, I appreciate that the Dutch accept the reality of prostitution in our world, and prefer to regulate it in a way that the women who work in the industry have a defined relationship with the police (unlike in many countries, where police officers often take a cut of the sex worker’s income in exchange for not arresting her.) Also, the government taxes the workers, just like any other employed person in the Netherlands. The industry is regulated, and the women are essentially business owners who decide for themselves how much they will charge, and what services they will offer. Compare that to the dangerous situation of a woman in a country where prostitution is illegal, who is controlled by a pimp or can’t go easily to the police for protection, and I am relieved that these laws exist.
The part that still disgusts me though, is how big the industry is at all. These women wouldn’t turn to this business to make money if there was no money to be made. In fact, there was a promotion not long ago in the Red Light District to offer services from men for women, and it was quickly found to be not a profitable business. Whereas women pay between 70 and 130 euros per shift to rent a window room for 8-12 hours, and will make 200-1,000 euros in that time.
Even though I don’t like the crudeness of porn and penises and naked women plastered in every shop window, I appreciate that the Dutch accept the reality of prostitution in our world, and prefer to regulate it in a way that the women who work in the industry have a defined relationship with the police (unlike in many countries, where police officers often take a cut of the sex worker’s income in exchange for not arresting her.) Also, the government taxes the workers, just like any other employed person in the Netherlands. The industry is regulated, and the women are essentially business owners who decide for themselves how much they will charge, and what services they will offer. Compare that to the dangerous situation of a woman in a country where prostitution is illegal, who is controlled by a pimp or can’t go easily to the police for protection, and I am relieved that these laws exist.
The part that still disgusts me though, is how big the industry is at all. These women wouldn’t turn to this business to make money if there was no money to be made. In fact, there was a promotion not long ago in the Red Light District to offer services from men for women, and it was quickly found to be not a profitable business. Whereas women pay between 70 and 130 euros per shift to rent a window room for 8-12 hours, and will make 200-1,000 euros in that time.
traveling office
I’ve been meaning to write for awhile now about how much of an adventure it is (or how much of a pain, depending on your frustration level) it is to work in a traveling office. Our office is actually one heavy-duty black travel case that we cleverly call “the office”, that holds our router, printer, and a few power strips. It is usually set up in a quiet corner somewhere in our facility. We’ve worked in dressing rooms, orchestra pits, steampipe-trunk-distribution-venues, storage areas, classrooms, you name it. We’re lucky when we have enough tables and chairs… most of the time we sit with computers on our laps, often on couches, folding chairs, or the floor. We have meetings in theatre lobbies, coffee shops, street curbs—I even had one in a tree in San Diego! One of my other favorite locations was when our office was in a preschool classroom in Switzerland, and we all sat on little tiny chairs with our knees above the height of the tables made for 4-6 year olds!
Internet access is hit or miss— if we have the ability, we set up our own router for wireless, or if we’re really lucky, we’re near free wireless. However, if we are set up through a school or community center (which we often are) we are sometimes blocked from sites that the students can’t have access to, like email. And you wouldn’t believe how many things go wrong when 20 computers are logged on and we are all desperate for internet. It’s the main form of communication for up with people, because of all the international dialogue we need to have with upcoming cities and with the office in Denver. We use online calling through Skype, and send everything via email, so when we don’t have access for the majority of a city, it is really stressful on the whole team. You’ll often see both staff and students walking outside with their computers open, searching the neighborhoods for a wireless signal they can poach.
There’s another funny element that has plagued our office in Europe, and that is the theft of electric plug adapters! There are many fewer outlets in our European facilities, and not everyone has adapters to get our American plugs to fit in the sockets. So, you cannot leave your computer charging and let it out of your sight. You will come back and your laptop will have been unplugged, and someone will have stolen your adapter! Luckily, they usually show up, and of course, always with a really good reason to have been “borrowed.”
The environment also brings a whole new meaning to me of an “open office”. It is impossible to find a quiet space—your only alternative is using headphones, which I often put in without even putting music on, just so I am interrupted a little less frequently. But it is lively and spirited, and for the most part is the opposite of a desk job, which I love. It is well worth the adventures of a traveling office.
Internet access is hit or miss— if we have the ability, we set up our own router for wireless, or if we’re really lucky, we’re near free wireless. However, if we are set up through a school or community center (which we often are) we are sometimes blocked from sites that the students can’t have access to, like email. And you wouldn’t believe how many things go wrong when 20 computers are logged on and we are all desperate for internet. It’s the main form of communication for up with people, because of all the international dialogue we need to have with upcoming cities and with the office in Denver. We use online calling through Skype, and send everything via email, so when we don’t have access for the majority of a city, it is really stressful on the whole team. You’ll often see both staff and students walking outside with their computers open, searching the neighborhoods for a wireless signal they can poach.
There’s another funny element that has plagued our office in Europe, and that is the theft of electric plug adapters! There are many fewer outlets in our European facilities, and not everyone has adapters to get our American plugs to fit in the sockets. So, you cannot leave your computer charging and let it out of your sight. You will come back and your laptop will have been unplugged, and someone will have stolen your adapter! Luckily, they usually show up, and of course, always with a really good reason to have been “borrowed.”
The environment also brings a whole new meaning to me of an “open office”. It is impossible to find a quiet space—your only alternative is using headphones, which I often put in without even putting music on, just so I am interrupted a little less frequently. But it is lively and spirited, and for the most part is the opposite of a desk job, which I love. It is well worth the adventures of a traveling office.
typical Dutch
Here in Dronten, we are actually living five meters below sea level. This town used to be at the bottom of a lake—the land was “reclaimed” only 60 years ago! My host father proudly explained the dyke and drainage system, though I don’t think I could ever live here longterm… it’s tempting fate a bit too much for me.
Holland: land of bicycles… I don’t get to bike every morning, but most people do, and I got to borrow a sweet pink cruiser to ride to the mosque yesterday. The bike path system is as extensive as the roads, and there are strict laws and expensive tickets for not using headlights or riding drunk, yet no one wears helmets!
Its been fun to be back in the Netherlands, for some of my favorite typical Dutch things: stroopwafels- thin mini-waffles sandwiched together with gooey caramel
Vla- thin pudding that comes in narrow milk-cartons that you pour into your dessert bowl every night after dinner
Hager slat- jimmies/ sprinkles that you put on bread (stuck down with butter) and eat for breakfast! You’d think it would be good in the vla, but nobody eats it that way. Only for breakfast.
Fries in a cone: eaten with little plastic forks and lots of mayonnaise
We eat lots of bread and cheese and soup and tea and potatoes and more cheese and more bread.
Holland: land of bicycles… I don’t get to bike every morning, but most people do, and I got to borrow a sweet pink cruiser to ride to the mosque yesterday. The bike path system is as extensive as the roads, and there are strict laws and expensive tickets for not using headlights or riding drunk, yet no one wears helmets!
Its been fun to be back in the Netherlands, for some of my favorite typical Dutch things: stroopwafels- thin mini-waffles sandwiched together with gooey caramel
Vla- thin pudding that comes in narrow milk-cartons that you pour into your dessert bowl every night after dinner
Hager slat- jimmies/ sprinkles that you put on bread (stuck down with butter) and eat for breakfast! You’d think it would be good in the vla, but nobody eats it that way. Only for breakfast.
Fries in a cone: eaten with little plastic forks and lots of mayonnaise
We eat lots of bread and cheese and soup and tea and potatoes and more cheese and more bread.
UWP Land
To add some drama to our immigration focus, everyone was given passports or identifications for Up with People Land. The goal was for each person to find a job and a place to live in this fictional country, and to experience the challenges that may come from being a migrant worker, legal alien, refugee or asylum seeker. Some people were employers with jobs to hire for, and some owned houses or apartment buildings with rooms to rent. They could determine what their businesses were, and what their hiring procedure would be. It was fun to see how creative people got with the tasks… we had an investigative newspaper that was reporting on the possible corruption within the border patrol, the mayor’s new laws and new wife were also critiqued in the publication, and we had one girl who believed she was fired from her job unfairly organizing a protest for workers rights. There was some tension created though when passports started being stolen in UWP Land. Both the newspaper owner and the protest organizer became illegal immigrants after their passports were stolen… which turned out to be masterminded by the uwpland mafia. It was a fun simulation that has been present in the uwp curriculum for the past few semesters. I was proud of the extra details that I added to enhance the experience this time, like holding a mayoral election, having justices of the peace who married couples, adding a refugee center director who interviewed asylum seekers to determine if they could be approved for refugee status, writing job descriptions for the border patrol and all the special positions, and creating a loose structure for proposing laws/ policies that would encourage the creativity of the participants. I learned a lot about what worked and what I would change, and for next semester will think a little more about what I want people to get out of the experience, beyond a fun roleplay.
immigration overload
We’ve had an intensive immigration focus this week. It’s been a bit challenging for the education team, because we weren’t a part of planning the curriculum (as it was all set months ago) yet we were in charge of making it happen during each day. The idea was to learn through a series of speakers, visits to a refugee center, a Turkish mosque or a Moroccan mosque, and some readings, about the Dutch immigration and integration policies. We had a group of high school students (that were very bright—all debate team members) join us for the three days, and we were divided into six groups. Each group created five laws to be an immigration policy for a fictional country, and then had 10 minutes to present their policy. Today, I, along with two other road staff members and four people from the refugee center, made up a panel that determined which immigration plan was the most realistic, that also considered both the humanitarian perspective and the host country’s practical needs & costs. I was impressed by the thoroughness of the proposals, and how seriously the teams took the assignment. I sat with a group who all determined that there was no way they ever wanted to work in immigration policies or law after this experience, because making decisions that affect people’s lives so consequentially was too hard!
halloween
11/1/07: Last night we had a fabulous Halloween party for our cast and host families at this cool theatre/ art gallery/ cultural center called XL de Atiliers, here in Dronten. The advance team here has had an 80s theme all week, so there were lots of bad 80s costumes. My roommate Maria won the best 80s outfit by wearing a flowered suit with billowy hammer-pants that our host-mom wore to a wedding in 1987. Classy!
I went as a sad clown, and won a prize for “best act” as the cast members couldn’t believe I could look so solemn all evening. Obviously, I was very convincing (see photos).
Scott was one of the dancers recruited to dance Thriller – they all were zombies, and he looked particularly disgusting. The dance, choreographed by Tyrell (front) was very fun.
We also had some really incredible costumes—gorgeous halloweeny face painting, a “serial killer” (who had boxes of cornflakes with plastic knives stabbed into them, and a squirt gun), a two-part cow, a Swedish James Dean, a Japanese Sinter Klaus (who is a lot like Santa Claus, except he’s Dutch and comes on Dec 5th) and so many other fun and fabulous costumes borrowed from host families. I love how this group of people goes all out to participate and enjoy our time together! There is no such thing as half-assing up with people.
I went as a sad clown, and won a prize for “best act” as the cast members couldn’t believe I could look so solemn all evening. Obviously, I was very convincing (see photos).
Scott was one of the dancers recruited to dance Thriller – they all were zombies, and he looked particularly disgusting. The dance, choreographed by Tyrell (front) was very fun.
We also had some really incredible costumes—gorgeous halloweeny face painting, a “serial killer” (who had boxes of cornflakes with plastic knives stabbed into them, and a squirt gun), a two-part cow, a Swedish James Dean, a Japanese Sinter Klaus (who is a lot like Santa Claus, except he’s Dutch and comes on Dec 5th) and so many other fun and fabulous costumes borrowed from host families. I love how this group of people goes all out to participate and enjoy our time together! There is no such thing as half-assing up with people.
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