2010-10-08
After returning from downtown Dakar with two other Fellows, I felt a bit overwhelmed by what I had seen. I looked at the clock. It was one thirty. I had to get a project done for class at three. Assuming that the project would take little time, I picked up my bag, my brown leather...
Read More2010-10-08
“Hoje a noite, nos vamos ver capoeira com Tony.” I told my host mother in choppy, simplistic Portuguese. “Tonight, we go to see capoeira with Tony.” She smiled, “Ah…capoeira, sim!” Yes. If you don’t know what capoeira is, I highly suggest a YouTube search. But here’s a little background: First, you should know that Salvador,...
Read More2010-10-06
Even with a set definition the question can still be asked, what does it mean to be content? What does it mean to be satisfied with what you have and the position you play in life? I often find myself brooding over these questions and the truth is the answer will defer for everyone. I...
Read More2010-10-06
“It’s good, it’s good,” I keep telling my host mother in French. I really don’t know what else to say. Literally; I can’t actually say much else than that. But I’m learning. Not to sound cliché, and I really tried to look for another way to put this, but these last few days have been, dare...
Read More2010-10-06
Quito, Ecuador. How can I describe it to you? My home is at the base of a volcano, Pichincha. I am terrified of driving in anything but a big bus because the traffic has no rules. In the morning, it’s warm and sunny and I can see Cotopaxi, a stunning snow-capped volcano, the tallest active...
Read More2010-10-06
Estoy aqui. Or, in English, I’m here. In Quito, Ecuador. Well, that’s one way to look at it, anyway. I’m also here: at the start of something so vast I can’t really conceive the full implications, even now, inside the country. These last two days have been increiblisimos, and I’m more than a little overwhelmed....
Read More2010-10-04
Earlier this week the fellows journeyed to San Francisco to learn about empathy. We spent six hours exploring the often-avoided Tenderloin neighborhood to talk to people and to hear stories in order to better understand homelessness and some of its causes. As a native of Petaluma and frequent visitor of San Francisco, I was somewhat...
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