So, I promised Austin that I would post a lot of the organizational research to the blog so that he, too, could look at what is available to us on our trip, and within our budget. Get ready, because here they come:
Potential Itinerary and Projects
China - Labor Rights/Disabled Persons
Thailand - Human Trafficking/Burmese Refugees
India - Women's Empowerment/Street Children
Nepal - Education/Orphanage
Russia - Impoverished Persons/Building Rehabilitation
Turkey to Egypt
Ethiopia/Kenya - Sustainable Farming/Internally Displaced Persons
South Africa - HIV/AIDS Education/Impoverished Persons
Uganda - Human Trafficking
Morocco - Women's Empowerment/Education
Spain
Brazil - Street Children/Human Trafficking
Argentina - Community Development/Human Rights
Chile to Peru
Ecuador - Education/Conservation
Cuba/Guatemala - Human Rights/Education
Volunteer Opportunity Placement Organizations (Multiple Countries)
http://www.eliabroad.org/
http://www.volunteerhq.org/
http://www.globalvolunteernetwork.org/
http://www.globalcrossroad.com/
http://www.rustic-volunteer-travel.com/
http://www.ifrevolunteers.org/
http://www.travel-to-teach.org/
http://www.volunteeringsolutions.com/
http://www.cci-exchange.com/
Volunteer Opportunity Search Engines/Lists
http://www.idealist.org/
http://www.vfp.org/
http://www.sci-ivs.org/
http://www.worldvolunteerweb.org/
http://www.volunteeringoptions.org/
Various Volunteer Organizations (Listed in Order of Trip)
http://www.erichina.org/
http://www.depdc.org/
http://www.kinderleben.org/
http://www.openmindprojects.org/
http://www.volunteersindia.org/
http://www.primetrust.org/
http://rcdpnepal.org/
http://www.gracechildhome.org/
http://www.ecologia.org.uk/
http://www.lifeusa.org/
http://www.wwisa.co.za/
http://www.wecare4africa.com/
http://volunteer.ugandaruralfund.org/
http://www.hopenorth.org/
http://www.childvoiceintl.org/
http://www.volunteerkaccad.org/
http://www.solrisa.org/
http://ikoporan.org/
http://www.volunteerbrazil.com/
http://www.nexosvoluntarios.org/
http://www.ecuadorvolunteer.org/
http://www.safepassage.org/
Wishful/Not-So-Realistic Volunteer Opportunity
http://www.medair.org/
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights
I think it is important that everyone read this document. It was adopted by the UN in 1948, and was disseminated to all member countries. It is 60 years old, and the first time I read it was several months ago. It declares rights for all humans in all member countries. It is ignored by almost every one of those countries.
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
Article 1.
* All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2.
* Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3.
* Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4.
* No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5.
* No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6.
* Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7.
* All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8.
* Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9.
* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10.
* Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11.
* (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
* (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
Article 12.
* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 13.
* (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
* (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 14.
* (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
* (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 15.
* (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
* (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Article 16.
* (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
* (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
* (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
Article 17.
* (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
* (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 18.
* Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19.
* Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20.
* (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
* (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
Article 21.
* (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
* (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
* (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 22.
* Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
Article 23.
* (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
* (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
* (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
* (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 24.
* Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25.
* (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
* (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article 26.
* (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
* (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
* (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Article 27.
* (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
* (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
Article 28.
* Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Article 29.
* (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
* (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
* (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 30.
* Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
PREAMBLE
Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,
Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people,
Whereas it is essential, if man is not to be compelled to have recourse, as a last resort, to rebellion against tyranny and oppression, that human rights should be protected by the rule of law,
Whereas it is essential to promote the development of friendly relations between nations,
Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person and in the equal rights of men and women and have determined to promote social progress and better standards of life in larger freedom,
Whereas Member States have pledged themselves to achieve, in co-operation with the United Nations, the promotion of universal respect for and observance of human rights and fundamental freedoms,
Whereas a common understanding of these rights and freedoms is of the greatest importance for the full realization of this pledge,
Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.
Article 1.
* All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights.They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
Article 2.
* Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
Article 3.
* Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.
Article 4.
* No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.
Article 5.
* No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.
Article 6.
* Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.
Article 7.
* All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.
Article 8.
* Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.
Article 9.
* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.
Article 10.
* Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.
Article 11.
* (1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
* (2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.
Article 12.
* No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.
Article 13.
* (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
* (2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.
Article 14.
* (1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
* (2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 15.
* (1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
* (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.
Article 16.
* (1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
* (2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
* (3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.
Article 17.
* (1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
* (2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.
Article 18.
* Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.
Article 19.
* Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.
Article 20.
* (1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
* (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.
Article 21.
* (1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
* (2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
* (3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.
Article 22.
* Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.
Article 23.
* (1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
* (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
* (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
* (4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.
Article 24.
* Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.
Article 25.
* (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
* (2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.
Article 26.
* (1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
* (2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
* (3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.
Article 27.
* (1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
* (2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.
Article 28.
* Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.
Article 29.
* (1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
* (2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
* (3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.
Article 30.
* Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.
Monday, November 2, 2009
The Lost Week
Last week is lost. Lost in the way that I can't get that time back. It's not that I didn't accomplish anything. I did. I just didn't accomplish much of anything for the trip. And it's not that I haven't had a seemingly unproductive week before. I have. I just haven't had one this close to leaving the country for two years. Not exactly the best time to have one. But I had one, nonetheless.
The Saturday before, I was up in Big Bear, visiting with friends I hadn't seen in a long while. They went up for Oktoberfest. It was fun. It was another good reminder of why I don't drink. Sunday, I photographed nine jobs for my dad. We traveled all over Redlands, taking various shots for the website I am designing for him. Business is really slow for contractors right now, and I am doing what I can to help him before I leave. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and sore. I should've known what was coming next.
I started the week off feeling sick. One of those sicknesses where you spend the day wandering from bed to chair to couch, fading in and out of consciousness. I don't think I have slept that much in the past several years. I still feel like I could be coming down with something. But I haven't, which I am thankful for. The latter half of the week, which went by equally swiftly, was spent doing research, physical therapy, working on my dad's construction photos, and working with Burt Clark on creating a local homeless ministry. More on the homeless ministry later. I also spent a lot of time on the phone with Guitar Center, trying to get a refund check cut for the Antioch job. Without that check, I am uncomfortable sending in the remaining billing paperwork for the job, as it buys me much needed political capital. As for the current freelance projects, the public health project is off to a slow and shaky start, as I can't seem to get the staff to find the time to sit down with me to work out the content for the DVD. The content for the project is timely, as flu season is upon us, and the material is on Pandemic Influenza. The director also happens to be leaving for the majority of November, which hinders the project pretty severely.
I know people may wonder why I am involved in developing a local homeless ministry when I am planning to travel around the world. The time could be better spent on research and planning. I decided, a little over a year ago, that if I was serious about traveling around the world for two years, being involved in humanitarian work, I might want to start in my own backyard. It really doesn't make sense to make such a grand gesture, globally, when I haven't been overly involved in humanitarian work at home. Granted, the around the world trip isn't entirely selfless, but our intentions are noble.
I had a check up Friday morning with the pain specialist at the spinal center my surgeon owns. We went over how I was doing, how things are improving, and if anything had changed. I told him about the setback from a wedding I helped with almost a month before, and how I had lost quite a bit of the progress that was made this summer. Side note: I helped out with a friends wedding toward the beginning of October, involving myself in as much of the preparation as was possible. The day after the wedding, I felt fine. Two days after the wedding, not so much. I've been told that I just irritated my back. The pain I am experiencing is likely the result of inflammation and tight back muscles. As I have continued with Physical Therapy, now that it has been, again, approved, I am gaining back some ground. My PT runs out in three weeks. I have my final checkup with Dr. Haider, my surgeon, two days before Thanksgiving. I have decided that, because of the holiday, and the fact that traveling during it would be a bad choice, that I will leave at the beginning of the following week. So, I have a pretty hard departure date of December 1. Yes...2009.
This weekend was fairly chill. I spent Sabbath afternoon helping out at the Norton Neighborhoods SACH educational center, working with underprivileged kids. I had a lot of fun. I hope the kids got something out of it. Saturday night I avoided all of the parties and traveling out to LA. I went over, instead, to Andi and Ben Galusha's house to hang out, to enjoy good food and good company. Sunday I spent with Burt and Shandi Clark, and my sister. Just relaxed. I didn't want to push it, considering I still don't feel 100%.
This week I WILL get the billing paperwork in to Antioch, and I WILL get paid. I also intend on completing my dad's website, continuing the development of a non-profit for the trip, and seeing if I can salvage enough time from the University's Center for Public Health Preparedness to develop a product for them.
The Saturday before, I was up in Big Bear, visiting with friends I hadn't seen in a long while. They went up for Oktoberfest. It was fun. It was another good reminder of why I don't drink. Sunday, I photographed nine jobs for my dad. We traveled all over Redlands, taking various shots for the website I am designing for him. Business is really slow for contractors right now, and I am doing what I can to help him before I leave. By the end of the day, I was exhausted and sore. I should've known what was coming next.
I started the week off feeling sick. One of those sicknesses where you spend the day wandering from bed to chair to couch, fading in and out of consciousness. I don't think I have slept that much in the past several years. I still feel like I could be coming down with something. But I haven't, which I am thankful for. The latter half of the week, which went by equally swiftly, was spent doing research, physical therapy, working on my dad's construction photos, and working with Burt Clark on creating a local homeless ministry. More on the homeless ministry later. I also spent a lot of time on the phone with Guitar Center, trying to get a refund check cut for the Antioch job. Without that check, I am uncomfortable sending in the remaining billing paperwork for the job, as it buys me much needed political capital. As for the current freelance projects, the public health project is off to a slow and shaky start, as I can't seem to get the staff to find the time to sit down with me to work out the content for the DVD. The content for the project is timely, as flu season is upon us, and the material is on Pandemic Influenza. The director also happens to be leaving for the majority of November, which hinders the project pretty severely.
I know people may wonder why I am involved in developing a local homeless ministry when I am planning to travel around the world. The time could be better spent on research and planning. I decided, a little over a year ago, that if I was serious about traveling around the world for two years, being involved in humanitarian work, I might want to start in my own backyard. It really doesn't make sense to make such a grand gesture, globally, when I haven't been overly involved in humanitarian work at home. Granted, the around the world trip isn't entirely selfless, but our intentions are noble.
I had a check up Friday morning with the pain specialist at the spinal center my surgeon owns. We went over how I was doing, how things are improving, and if anything had changed. I told him about the setback from a wedding I helped with almost a month before, and how I had lost quite a bit of the progress that was made this summer. Side note: I helped out with a friends wedding toward the beginning of October, involving myself in as much of the preparation as was possible. The day after the wedding, I felt fine. Two days after the wedding, not so much. I've been told that I just irritated my back. The pain I am experiencing is likely the result of inflammation and tight back muscles. As I have continued with Physical Therapy, now that it has been, again, approved, I am gaining back some ground. My PT runs out in three weeks. I have my final checkup with Dr. Haider, my surgeon, two days before Thanksgiving. I have decided that, because of the holiday, and the fact that traveling during it would be a bad choice, that I will leave at the beginning of the following week. So, I have a pretty hard departure date of December 1. Yes...2009.
This weekend was fairly chill. I spent Sabbath afternoon helping out at the Norton Neighborhoods SACH educational center, working with underprivileged kids. I had a lot of fun. I hope the kids got something out of it. Saturday night I avoided all of the parties and traveling out to LA. I went over, instead, to Andi and Ben Galusha's house to hang out, to enjoy good food and good company. Sunday I spent with Burt and Shandi Clark, and my sister. Just relaxed. I didn't want to push it, considering I still don't feel 100%.
This week I WILL get the billing paperwork in to Antioch, and I WILL get paid. I also intend on completing my dad's website, continuing the development of a non-profit for the trip, and seeing if I can salvage enough time from the University's Center for Public Health Preparedness to develop a product for them.
Friday, October 23, 2009
30 Days Notice
Yesterday I didn't accomplish quite as much as I had hoped. Between a lunch meeting, a fairly long physical therapy session, and meeting up with my parents in the evening, I was only able to get out some correspondence with a number of the NGOs I have been in communication with over the past several weeks.
So far, China has been a difficult location to find a project. EARI has not written me back, despite several attempts to get in contact with them. World Vision did respond, and was helpful. The human resources department has told me that, although we sound like an enthusiastic group, and they are jealous of our trip, there is little they can do for us. Apparently, this year has been a particularly difficult year for China, and the people are fairly sensitive to foreign presence. World Vision China is also unable to accommodate foreign volunteers, at this time, with the amount of work they are involved in, due to the changing sociopolitical climate. I decided to write ADRA after realizing that World Vision wasn't going to work out. The assistant to the director for China wrote back, and it sounded like there was the possibility of finding a placement, finally. It ends up that after several letters back and forth, the story is very similar to World Vision. ADRA doesn't have any projects that they can place us in, at this time. They only have projects for local, Mandarin-speaking volunteers with their own transportation. That's not quite us. It's looking like Austin and I may just have to show up in Beijing and do some investigating. I am going to give it one last shot, and contact OXFAM China, despite the two similar responses I have received these past couple of weeks.
I am working on finishing up the financial paperwork for the Antioch job, today. There is a lot riding on the profit from this job. I am hoping that the church will recognize the difficulty created by the construction delays, and the extra work that was put in. Even after completing the job, there have been several financial setbacks. I am just looking forward to closing it out.
So, I have given my 30 days notice to my landlords. That doesn't necessarily mean it will take me 30 days, as I am expecting to leave sooner, but it does put this trip in motion. I was hoping I would find someone to take my apartment over for me, but that is not looking like it is going to happen.
I have been woefully delinquent in the prayer department. Not that I am an overtly religious person, but most people don't realize how much I rely on faith. I need to chat with God more often. I am setting out to accomplish all of this, and have so much to do to be prepared for it, but haven't really included God in the discussions. I have a difficult time discerning what God's hand looks like in my life events. I am a typical guy. I need to be smacked in the face with something in order to recognize it. I will work on changing that.
Well, I'm off to the University. We are starting pre-production on the Center for Public Health Preparedness' influenza campaign.
So far, China has been a difficult location to find a project. EARI has not written me back, despite several attempts to get in contact with them. World Vision did respond, and was helpful. The human resources department has told me that, although we sound like an enthusiastic group, and they are jealous of our trip, there is little they can do for us. Apparently, this year has been a particularly difficult year for China, and the people are fairly sensitive to foreign presence. World Vision China is also unable to accommodate foreign volunteers, at this time, with the amount of work they are involved in, due to the changing sociopolitical climate. I decided to write ADRA after realizing that World Vision wasn't going to work out. The assistant to the director for China wrote back, and it sounded like there was the possibility of finding a placement, finally. It ends up that after several letters back and forth, the story is very similar to World Vision. ADRA doesn't have any projects that they can place us in, at this time. They only have projects for local, Mandarin-speaking volunteers with their own transportation. That's not quite us. It's looking like Austin and I may just have to show up in Beijing and do some investigating. I am going to give it one last shot, and contact OXFAM China, despite the two similar responses I have received these past couple of weeks.
I am working on finishing up the financial paperwork for the Antioch job, today. There is a lot riding on the profit from this job. I am hoping that the church will recognize the difficulty created by the construction delays, and the extra work that was put in. Even after completing the job, there have been several financial setbacks. I am just looking forward to closing it out.
So, I have given my 30 days notice to my landlords. That doesn't necessarily mean it will take me 30 days, as I am expecting to leave sooner, but it does put this trip in motion. I was hoping I would find someone to take my apartment over for me, but that is not looking like it is going to happen.
I have been woefully delinquent in the prayer department. Not that I am an overtly religious person, but most people don't realize how much I rely on faith. I need to chat with God more often. I am setting out to accomplish all of this, and have so much to do to be prepared for it, but haven't really included God in the discussions. I have a difficult time discerning what God's hand looks like in my life events. I am a typical guy. I need to be smacked in the face with something in order to recognize it. I will work on changing that.
Well, I'm off to the University. We are starting pre-production on the Center for Public Health Preparedness' influenza campaign.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Beginning
So, it is 2:45am, and I am sitting in the silence of my apartment. It's interesting to think that somewhere else in the world, it's normal to be up at this hour. I realize that most, if not all, of my loved ones are asleep. I take comfort in that. I, over the years, have developed myself into a late night person, for better or for worse. Working at this hour has it's advantages. Falling asleep in my office chair this late has it's disadvantages. It's being aware of that tipping point that is the trick.
I, like Austin before me, am trying to adopt this new habit. Blogging is fairly foreign to me. I don't assume that everyone is interested in the daily grind of my life. But this could keep me accountable and motivated. There is so much to do before I start my journey. I have set in motion things that will eventually lead me to the airport, flying to a far off place. It's everything between now and then that has me second guessing my endurance.
I spoke with Austin earlier, yesterday. We are beginning to coordinate our meeting in China. He is visiting the embassy to make his way. It's now my turn to make the tentative plans on my end less so. As I turn in my invoices and receipts for the Antioch project, I am getting a better picture of what it will afford. By next week, I should have a check in hand, and will be able to purchase my around-the-world flight. I am working on several smaller freelance projects that will round out my savings and afford the remaining portion of the trip.
Beyond the freelance projects, I've been visiting with close friends, as frequently as time has permitted. This is a double-edged sword. It's great to see them, but causes me to realize who I am leaving behind, and what that means I am missing.
Reeling my thoughts back in, sitting in my office, glancing around me, I realize that there is much to do to prepare my life here to be put on hold. I have much to pack, a car to sell, a cat to put up, correspondence to finish up, and travel gear to arrange. I'm beginning to wonder if I should turn the walls of my office into the plans for my exit strategy.
My eyelids are a little heavier, and the chair is getting too comfortable. For those who will be reading this, as this blog is currently just me and my thoughts, alone in the ether, I know this will all read a little more waxed than usual. It's my first major blog entry. I'm allowed some license.
Good night.
I, like Austin before me, am trying to adopt this new habit. Blogging is fairly foreign to me. I don't assume that everyone is interested in the daily grind of my life. But this could keep me accountable and motivated. There is so much to do before I start my journey. I have set in motion things that will eventually lead me to the airport, flying to a far off place. It's everything between now and then that has me second guessing my endurance.
I spoke with Austin earlier, yesterday. We are beginning to coordinate our meeting in China. He is visiting the embassy to make his way. It's now my turn to make the tentative plans on my end less so. As I turn in my invoices and receipts for the Antioch project, I am getting a better picture of what it will afford. By next week, I should have a check in hand, and will be able to purchase my around-the-world flight. I am working on several smaller freelance projects that will round out my savings and afford the remaining portion of the trip.
Beyond the freelance projects, I've been visiting with close friends, as frequently as time has permitted. This is a double-edged sword. It's great to see them, but causes me to realize who I am leaving behind, and what that means I am missing.
Reeling my thoughts back in, sitting in my office, glancing around me, I realize that there is much to do to prepare my life here to be put on hold. I have much to pack, a car to sell, a cat to put up, correspondence to finish up, and travel gear to arrange. I'm beginning to wonder if I should turn the walls of my office into the plans for my exit strategy.
My eyelids are a little heavier, and the chair is getting too comfortable. For those who will be reading this, as this blog is currently just me and my thoughts, alone in the ether, I know this will all read a little more waxed than usual. It's my first major blog entry. I'm allowed some license.
Good night.
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