Last week was an exciting week for service, everything finally started clicking in place.
For my work with the International Center here on campus I was given a conversation partner and we meet every week now for an hour to simply talk. My partner is a young Korean woman who hasn’t had the need to speak english for a long time so she feels the need to get help to pick it back up. She is the sweetest person and very quick and intelligent! If it wasn’t for her occasional pausing or forgetting of a word, one wouldn’t think she hadn’t spoken english for about five years. I’m really excited to meet with her again and learn more about Korea and, well, everything!
My other place of service is the YMCA. Being a freshman I am without a car, so I am left to rely on the bus service to take me where I need to go. That being said, anyone can attest to the somewhat unreliability and confusion the buses can generate. It was last Wednesday when I was waiting for 4B, my boots sinking into the mud as rain drizzled down. It was a lovely 30 minute wait. When the bus finally rolled around I had just finished singing Breaking Benjamin’s “Rain” for the twentieth time to myself. From there I went downtown and caught the 6B which was there, waiting for me (thank goodness) ---and then I got lost.
My other place of service is the YMCA. Being a freshman I am without a car, so I am left to rely on the bus service to take me where I need to go. That being said, anyone can attest to the somewhat unreliability and confusion the buses can generate. It was last Wednesday when I was waiting for 4B, my boots sinking into the mud as rain drizzled down. It was a lovely 30 minute wait. When the bus finally rolled around I had just finished singing Breaking Benjamin’s “Rain” for the twentieth time to myself. From there I went downtown and caught the 6B which was there, waiting for me (thank goodness) ---and then I got lost.
The feeling of “I know what I’m doing and where I’m going” being shattered when you realize you have no idea where you are is not an unknown experience to me, but couple that with a bus that goes in and out of sketchy areas does not instill a feeling of confidence. By the time the bus was turning around to continue back the way it came, I was frantic, wondering where I had gone wrong. Stops flew by and signs and streets as I peers through a small sliver of window without banners or fog covering it, and by some miracle I was able to glimpse a sign, “YMCA.” I just barely made the stop. It turns out what the Citybus site says as to where the bus stop is is kind of a little different from what the automated voice and banner say.
Nevertheless, I was able to run into the Y and fill out a volunteer application and, because of some delays and people-talking-to I was able to accidentally meet with the volunteer supervisor, get her email so I can ask her any questions I need to for the research paper and work out what I need for my volunteering.
When I had left the Y the sky had cleared, the sun was shining, and I was going to be late for my next appointment.
What joys.
Hi Polly! Forgive my somewhat unwarranted excitement surrounding this process, because today is my first time using blogger. As I read your post, I could imagine your feelings of helplessness, often succeeding realizing we are lost. I'm glad you were able to find the Y on that blistery day. (haha the world blistery reminds me of whiney the pooh's hundred acre woods, and your profile picture).
ReplyDeleteIt seems as though you have your service locked in than. I hope you do, especially at the Y- sense that is what our group will be writing about. It seems that my own service has changed in nature. I think that, although still in the same facility as the children, my service will take place much later at night and with our community’s homeless population. Check out my blog for more in for on that.
Also, my freshman year roommate volunteered his time and talents in the international center, while performing exactly the same service as you are. He found it to be immensely rewarding and was always blabbering on about it, to me.
Haha your 'unwarranted excitement' made me smile, so no forgiveness needed, if anything thank you! You're a little late to using blogger ;) And whenever it's windy I feel like Winnie the Pooh caught up in a wind storm! I do (sort of) have my service locked in, so hopefully I can get some ideas and sentences down for the paper. I read your blog and your service looked interesting! You seem very enthused by all your roommates talking about his conversation partner business ;D Maybe now you can inundate him with service of your own.
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