- American Red Cross | http://american.redcross.org/site/PageServer?pagename=ntld_main&s_subsrc=RCO_ResponseStateSection
- Partners in Health | http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/news-entry/how-you-can-help-volunteer-and-donate-supplies/
- Christian Reformed World Relief Committee (CRWRC) | https://secure3.convio.net/crcna/site/Donation2?df_id=2340&2340.donation=form1
Saturday, January 16, 2010
blood and money welcome
Sunday, January 10, 2010
home as at lately

On converting and terrorists.
Now that I’m living with my dad, church is not optional. Of course, I expect that when I go I will be asked how Africa (yes, the whole continent) was. The first visit back at church, I’m sitting downstairs across the table from an “uncle” and he asks me where I just got back from. I say Tanzania, which is in East Africa. He asks what I’m doing after graduate school and where I’ll be. Peace Corps I say; either Mongolia or Thailand. He says, oh there are many Buddhists in Thailand; that’s great, you can convert many of them. Second encounter: just this past weekend, I ran into another “uncle” who asks me, How was Africa? Lots of terrorists?
And I’m not translating from Mandarin to English either – both uncles spoke to me in English and used the terms “convert” and “terrorists”. I hope to God that this is a very poor reflection of how most of the congregation views other countries/continents.
Here’s another instance. I went to the doctor recently, for a routine physical and also to fill out some Peace Corps medical forms. Upon reading the PAP smear section, he says, In my opinion you are too young, and besides, you are a virgin and you are not married so you don’t need to worry about that. I couldn’t help but think, this is a terrible way to encourage your patient to open up to you. For a second generation Chinese Christian American, the pressure to wait for sex until marriage is very heavy. And in this instance, despite doctor-patient confidentiality, culture is very important as well. My doctor, who is also a pastor at a Chinese church, a guest deliverer of sermons at my parents’ church, and good friends with my parents, is not someone who I would want to be open with lest my parents or the whole church finds out. What I believe a Christian community (a church congregation, for example) to be, is open, challenging me to hold tight to truth, yet welcoming my imperfections and mistakes with unconditional love and grace.
On rare father-daughter heart to hearts.
On our routine Sunday evening drive home to the woods from the small city of Flushing, my dad and I got onto the topic of suicides, particularly the relationship between the person committing suicide and his/her parent(s). Somehow this developed into stories of my dad, his dad, and my grandpa's dad. Every time I come home from studying abroad, I go through this (selfish?) phase where I feel as though nobody understands me and the people at home are not worth getting to know all over again. Wrong, Eunice. I forgot how long it's been that I've given my dad a chance to just talk, and I am terribly ashamed of that. I believe my dad and I have a long way to go still .. there are still some kinks in our friendship to work out but, though slow, it's happening.
Thursday, December 31, 2009
run as if your life depends on it
I've been expecting culture shock, but I have not been hit by anything I could identify as such. However, I have been experiencing a heightened sense of things - I observe more.
After building new relationships in Arusha, travelling, and learning much overall, it's been a challenge finding the motivation to sit down and write a thesis that, in the end, will simply earn me a degree and not necessarily induce change. This definitely shows the impatience in me - impatience to graduate and get out into the field and start working with my hands again.
Also, for my sister MM and all those who feel alone in their endeavours of IPCR and social justice and the like (courtesy of Paul Hawken):
There is invisible writing on the back of the diploma you will receive, and in case you didn't bring lemon juice to decode it, I can tell you what it says: You are Brilliant, and the Earth is Hiring. The earth couldn't afford to send recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine [...] Take the hint. And here's the deal: Forget that this task of planet-saving is not possible in the time required. Don't be put off by people who know what is not possible. Do what needs to be done, and check to see if it was impossible only after you are done.
Humanity is coalescing. It is reconstituting the world, and the action is taking place in schoolrooms, farms, jungles, villages, campuses, companies, refugee camps, deserts, fisheries and slums.
The most unrealistic person in the world is the cynic, not the dreamer. Hope only makes sense when it doesn't make sense to be hopeful. This is your century. Take it and run as if your life depends on it.
Monday, November 30, 2009
to do: Expert Meeting, Thanksgiving dinner, safari, graduation ceremony & Serialy's
The laughing did me a lot of good as I didn't sleep much this past week, staying up to write a couple reports for the OHCHR staff (the ones organizing the Expert Meetings). So a Thanksgiving dinner Thursday night with the girls was very much needed, followed by a two-day safari to the Ngorogoro Crater and Manyara National Park. It was so wonderful to just get out of Arusha town and be surrounded by animals and nature and not have to worry about school just yet.
We came back Saturday afternoon and attended a dinner with the Nyerere Centre undergraduate class that just finished their semester. Sunday morning I went with Melissa, Selina and Michael to the University of Arusha graduation ceremony in Usa River - their fourth graduating class. The Tanzanian PM was there speaking, but in Swahili with no translation so I fell asleep. We went back to Arusha and visited our friend Serialy, whose wife just had a baby. He definitely asked us girls to name his baby, so after a process of picking a group of names, the consensus was reached at: Jayden. We hung out with Jayden and his parents, made ugali (a staple starch in Tanzania) and had it with pineapple Fanta, spinach and beef curry. It was delicious. We took a dala-dala for 200 Tshs (approx. 15 cents) back home and spent the evening together relaxing and getting ready for this next and last week of our "fall" semester.
