Full Circle

What, did you really think I would end the blog without a nice conclusive entry? Silly readers, I've managed to stay consistent with my blog entries for an entire month now, and I'm definitely not going out without completing it.

As this month long program finally reaches its twilight hours, I find it fitting that this entire story has come full circle. Here I am, sitting at the same computer, in the same hostel in Beijing, just like I was when I was writing one of my very first entries what seems like an eternity ago. This full circle ending feels rather appropriate, as most great epics have a tendency to end where they begin. And while my small quest is inconsequential compared to those grand tales like the Odyssey, this adventure was unbelievably important and life changing for me, and was as influential to me as any legendary myth.

The past few days have been a long series of difficult trials and tribulations: it seems to me that this trip is trying to drag me down to the very last minute. First of the challenges was the bus ride from the school to the city of HuaiHua, which seemed to me to have been much longer and bumpy than the first time. Carsickness hounded me the entire way there, but fortunately, we made it back to the city without much incident. Unfortunately, the subsequent 26 hour long train ride to Beijing was not as fortunate: throughout it all, I had an intense feeling of motion sickness, which increased exponentially until finally I couldn't hold myself back and threw up. So yeah, not exactly a fun ride, but at least now I only have 14 hours of plane rides to look forward to, and I'll be home!

But there has also been a fair share of enjoyment these days, as us volunteers engaged in a bit of last minute bonding. We went to Karaoke again, but most important of all was that, after an entire month without meat, we all pigged out at KFC, devouring bucket after bucket of sweet, greasy, delicious meat. I got a feeling in my stomach (literally) that the KFC feast may have been directly linked to my later vomiting-fest, but it was worth it. However, one must also be able to take the good with the bad, and these last happy days have also been filled with the melancholic emotions of goodbyes: Our last meal in Huaihua also served as a goodbye party between the International volunteers and the Chinese volunteers, and I was amazed how, even though we had just known each other for a few weeks, and at times couldn't even fully communicate together, the separation was so painful for all of us. And now, in a few hours, us volunteers will also be going our separate ways. It is a bittersweet time, but I do not feel that much grief or sadness: I know that the bonds that have been forged out of our shared experiences are strong, and can last the strain of both time and distance. Perhaps one day, hopefully in the near future, we will once again meet, and continue on that friendship that was born during this trip.

With my dream that I have built for an entire year finally reaching its finale, I once again consider the reasons for coming here, the goals I wanted to accomplish, and whether I was ever capable of achieving this goal. From the moment I began to contemplate doing an international volunteer trip, my primary drive has always been that ideal, that image of the world citizen. I was hoping that, through this trip, I would take my first step in the long journey to become a model world citizen, and in some way complete the duty of a world citizen. But now that I have completed this program, I have come to an important revelation. I have realized that, for as long as I live, I will never fully fulfill the complete duty of a world citizen. I will never reach a point in my life where I can say "I have finished the responsibilities of a human being, and can now retire from the worries of the earth". The only time this will happen is with death. My actions during this voyage may have helped a part of the planet, may have been in accordance to my dream of a world citizen, but it is only one event, one trip, one problem fixed. Just recently I read online about the issues that plague the planet: the growing violence in Egypt and Iraq, the leaks in the Fukishima plant in Japan, distrust between powerful nations. There will always be strife in the world: this is not cynicism, but rather scientific analysis.

The universe is a creation defined by a constant series of entropy and destruction, from the death of stars fueling the birth of new stars, to the never ending competition to survive that is the basis of natural selection and evolution. Humans, however, are the exception to that rule: for all the 15 billion years this Universe has existed, no other being other than sentient life is capable of the creation of a complex civilization and of such unbelievable powerful thinking. And humanity is the only sentient species on Earth, and as far as we know, the entirety of the Universe. We have the power to reverse the destructive nature of the Universe, of bringing order to the chaos, of not allowing our fellow human to succumb to the cruel tendencies of fate and instead forge our own path. My world citizen is not a goal, an end product, but rather a philosophy, a state of mind, that of accepting ones position as a single part of a grand civilization, of pursuing ones own hopes and dreams, while at the same time working to assure the well being and survival of all other humans and of the planet. Granted, this is a daunting task for any single person alone, impossible really. But I'm not alone in this, as I realized in this trip.

All over the world, a new breed of human beings is coming to light. They are above the antiquated divisions that have been established in the past: borders, race, ethnicity, religion, all those fade into the background so that everyone can be helped. Each day their numbers grow, and their ranks are filled from all parts of society, from every generation, from every country. Don't believe me? In a few weeks, I will go to school, alongside other males and females, with people from the Middle East, India, China, South America, Europe, Africa, will study with Catholics, Mormons, and Atheists, live side by side with both straights and homosexuals, learning together about what we can do for the planet, preparing for that day where we will all inherit the world, with all the good and the bad. A few centuries ago, a few decades ago, hell, even a few years ago this scene would have seemed impossible. But it is happening, and people are coming together like never before. Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean. That quote, by Ryunosuke Satoro, is commonly used by United Planet, and fits perfectly with my ideals. Some cynics may believe that humans are the root of all that is evil in the world. Me? I believe we are the most powerful force of hope and change to have ever existed since the Big Bang itself.

This trip would have been impossible without the support of a multitude of people. I would like to thank my family especially, for all the support they have given me since the very beginning. I would like to thank my Mother, Claudia, for helping me with organization and preparation, and assuring that, as I was busy with school, all the requirements for the trip were met. I would like to thank my Father, Pedro, for all of the tips and support that helped me get through the hardest parts of the trip, and constantly reminding me of my dream. I would also like to thank Regina, my sister, for her undying support for this trip, and always challenging me to do my best.

I would like to thank all those who donated to help me fund my program. Without your help, it would have been impossible for me to have gone on this trip, and for that, I am eternally thankful, and will always consider you all great friends.

I would like to thank my teachers, both form FAIS, Gilkey, and ISB, for giving me the education I needed to develop my mind and philosophical perspective, helping me expand my horizons to the entire world, and giving me my love for learning and curious nature. I would especially like to thank Amy Schuff: since I started High School in ISB, you have helped me get introduced to the system, and have helped me greatly in my social studies/ history classes. Your help as my Extended Essay and CAS coordinator has been invaluable, and I thank you for all your support and patience as I continue preparing for the future.

I would like to thank my DnD group, because I totally believe that it was through DnD that I learned how to speak much more comfortably with other people, and thus was capable of forming much easier friendships with the other volunteers.

Finally, and most important of all, I would like to thank you, the readers, for following me throughout my trip. Knowing that, as I worked to make the world better, people supported me and wished me the best of luck, I was able to continue with my work, never once giving up or faltering. It is because of you that I was able to see this program to the end, and I will never forget your support.

Today, one chapter of my life comes to an end. But it is far from the final chapter, as new opportunities will arise in the future, new adventures, new stories. As I continue to follow my dream of becoming a doctor, the lessons and revelations I gained from this trip will support me for the rest of my life. I have proved to myself that I can bring hope into the world, and now that I have, I will never stop.

All of you, Thank You! Remain compassionate to others, stay true to your beliefs, hold onto hope, and the world will become great!

Just a kid with a dream,

Diego Molina

Graduation

It's over.

That year of preparation, those funds acquired, those weeks of teaching. All of it has come to a conclusion at around 10:30 today. That was when my teaching group, after handing out diplomas to each of our students, finished class for the final time. It was a bittersweet moment for me: part of me was happy over what I have done for these kids, and glad that soon I will be with my family and friends once again. But a good part of me is sad that this will be most likely the final time I will see my students, and that my time with my fellow volunteers is quickly coming to an end.

The past few days where mostly focused on preparing for graduation day. Several tasks needed to be completed: the diplomas needed to be finished, and a place to conduct the graduation ceremony needed to be found and prepped. Let's start by talking about the diplomas. Unlike regular school diplomas, which are probably printed electronically, we did not have the necessary resources to mass produce pretty diplomas. Consequently, each teaching group had to create all of the diplomas for their students by hand, which was especially hard for our group, as we had one of the largest groups out of all of them: over 30 children, and we had to make one for each of them. Needless to say, it was a very tedious and tiring task.

Of course, we couldn't have a graduation if we didn't have somewhere to have it. Two days ago, we had a vote on whether to have the ceremony outside under a few nice trees, or inside a dirty, ugly building. As choosing the building would have meant having to clean out the floor, which none of us wanted to do, so we all voted for the outside area. Unfortunately, this was less a real vote and more a simulation on one-party government systems, where you can vote but it really doesn't change the results: as soon as we voted, the coordinators overruled all of us and chose the building. So big dirty room it was!

BTW, the building we were using? It was the bathhouse that was supposed to be finished when we got here, and was never really completed, so there was a ton of building materials we had to get rid of inside. Regardless, we all got to work, and I'll tell you, cleaning up that bathhouse was back-breaking work. We had to scrape off dried cement off of the floor, wash off all the dust and sweep away the junk. Regardless, it was actually a very successful cleaning job, and by the end the floor was revealed to be not a pure cement block but actually nice tile. It would have been a nice bathhouse had it actually been completed. After that, we threw up a few fancy decoration, and were ready for the next day.

Now, I'm not sure if I ever told any of you this, but for the graduation each class was encouraged to prepare a short presentation to show the rest of the people there. Our class had prepared a song "The cup song", also called "When I'm gone". We chose that song because us volunteers had seen "Pitch Perfect" early on in the program, where the song is presented, and it was the first thing that came to mind. I had expected it to come out terribly, but the kids were actually able to pull it off finely, if a little out of rhythm. Other popular acts were renditions of "Gangdam Style" and "Harlem Shake", and everyone had a great time.

To tell you the truth, today wasn't the most important day for me. It was actually yesterday, the final day of actual teaching. On the final period, we had a small goodbye party, and suddenly there was an opportunity for me to say a few parting words to the kids. This actually caught be by surprise, as I had not expected to have to say any final words to the kids, and had not prepared anything. What could I say to them, me who has only been in their lives for a handful of weeks? But I regained my bearings, and, after much thought, I simply told them the truth.

I told them of how honored I felt of having the chance to pass on even just a tiny bit of knowledge to a future generation. I told them of my belief that every human being on the planet, regardless of who they are or where they are born, had the power to do unbelievably great things. I told them that they would carry on the legacy of the species, and that as the future generation, they would have the ability to either turn the Earth into a planet based on coexistence and co-prosperity, or plunge it into a land filled with distrust, apathy, and war, as every generation of humans do. Finally, to end my little speech, I taught them one final word: "Hope". I told them that hope was the single most powerful force that drives the species, and is a defining factor in all of our actions. I told them that they represented the hope not just for their village, their province, or even China, but for the entire world, as they would carry on the birthright of humanity.

I don't know how much of that filtered through the translation the Chinese volunteer gave them. I don't know if they even were able of assimilating anything at all. Perhaps I was over-dramatic, maybe it was to complex. The only thing I hope is that, through our lessons, all the kids here have a new, much more powerful curiosity about the world, and a greater world image. I hope that through our actions, they realize that their lives are not isolated to their small village, and that if they work hard enough, they can achieve anything, even study abroad. And finally, I especially hope that they never give up hope: after coming face to face with all the poverty here, it is no surprise that hope is hard to come by here at times. But it is there, hidden in the most simple of places. In the eyes of the children as they learn a foreign language, in the smile of the parent as they watch their children grow, it can be found everywhere. All you have to do is look.

Thank you all for reading my blog, it has helped me so much knowing you are all there for me.

China Summer Teaching Class of 2013, Dismissed!

Diego Molina

Countdown

This is it. The final stretch. The last few challenges. The Omega of teaching. As I enter the final two days of our time here at the school, I get a strange mixture of the perception of the flow of time: part of me feels like it's been an eternity and a half since I last got here, my time in Beijing a distant relic of the past, the sweet taste of McDonalds and Chipotle only memories long lost to the unyielding flow of the sands of time. But there is also a fragment of me that feels that is has all gone by in an instant, and that I was getting off the plane and meeting my fellow volunteers only yesterday. Regardless , I now experience the bittersweet truth about how soon we will leave. Of course I'm glad I'll soon be back in Portland with my family and friends, but I can't help but feel a bit of sadness over leaving behind this group of wonderful children I have watched grow greatly in the past few weeks. We may have only been teaching them English, but their new found sense of curiosity and confidence shows how much they have improved and advanced through our lessons. I am so very happy to have taught them.

Of course, just because we are near the end, doesn't mean there is nothing to do or talk about. Let me throw out a few details. For example, I'm simply amazed by how quickly Shang, the other duckling that we bought alongside Mulan, was able to grow in the past few weeks. When we got him, he was barely able to stand up straight, and was oh so tiny. Now, he has grown much larger, is capable of living outside on his own most of the time, and has gone from eating moist rice to live insects, hunting them down on his own.. He even managed to eat an entire frog, that was easily half his size. I'm sad that I won't be able to see him grow up any more now, but I'm sure that he will grow up to become a big, strong duck. So I guess I now know how to raise a child, although I'm not exactly sure if you can put a human baby in a bucket with a few bugs at night and that it'll be all right. 

With my stomach pains all but gone, I have been re-energized to participate even more in my classes and with lesson planning. Today was really the final day for true teaching, as we are thinking tomorrow, as the last day of school, of letting them watch a movie. Today we taught them about sports, notably those found in the Olympics, and the students liked the lesson a lot. As for my class, I had been teaching them a wide variety of science courses, going from basic geology to a bit of ecology and finally astronomy. Today however, I decided to do something a bit more personal in nature, and I gave them a small lesson on Spanish. I was surprised by how easily they assimilated my coursework, and I actually had to come up with some stuff to teach them on the spot, as they quickly burned through what I had prepared. A lot of the student were very interested in Mexican culture, and I was able to actually communicate quite well with them in Chinese: usually I have a Chinese volunteer, who are very helpful if a tad bit overzealous in translating everything, and thus rarely get a shot at challenging myself with my Chinese speaking. It was at that moment that I realized how important learning Chinese was for me: here are two groups of people from the opposite side of the entire planet capable of communicating with each other, and sharing important cultural details to each other. Languages really are the bridges between cultures.

As for our day to day live, the heat is still unbearable, the stream is still frigid cold, the smell is still overwhelmingly putrid, and the food is still unfulfilling. Regardless, I have been able to adapt surprisingly well to most of the environment here, and while I'm still very exhausted, I'm mostly content. "Mostly", because I still can't stand the food. It's reached the point where it is less how it affects my tasted buds, and more how it's physically affecting my body. I can feel myself withering away day after day: I regularly go on runs in order to maintain my fitness, but it's not really helping, because without the necessary nutrients I simply cannot build up my muscles, or even maintain them. Once I return to Portland, I'm going on an intense regiment of weights and the food with the most fat and protein I can find. If anyone wants to join me, the greasy foods are on me!

This trip has been a powerful experience for me, and I'm glad I'm able to share of my experiences with all of you. If any of you have a question about anything, just write me a comment, and I'll try to respond!!

Thank you all for your support!

El doctor, profesor, y maestro,

Diego Molina

Looking for food

I need meat.

A strange way to start a blog entry, I know, but it's the truth. Right now the one thing I'm craving the most is sweet, tender meat. Hamburger, hot dog, buffalo wings, steak, anything! All I want in my stomach right now is the delicious flesh of a being raised for the sole purpose of fulfilling my carnivorous tendencies. I'm not saying the food here is bad or anything, I mean they give us three full meals a day with a wide number of choices of dishes. And by that I mean rice and tofu. And a few steamed vegetables. Also, those god-awful noodles they keep serving us for breakfast. OK fine, the food here is pretty bad. It's just not as filling or satisfying as a nice burger. I think the thing I'm most excited about returning to Portland is all the sweet, greasy and delicious food I'll be able to eat.

This sudden craving for meat comes at a difficult time here. It started yesterday, when I began to experience some worrying symptoms, such as mild stomach pain and dizziness. I was hoping it was just the small aftereffects of some of the food here, but unfortunately, the instant I woke up today, my symptoms worsened tenfold: intense stomach cramps, diarrhea, sharp headaches, and a lack of energy. I've even had almost no appetite, meaning my nutrient intake has gone from little to almost nothing at all. Because of the crippling pain, I have been unable to participate in any of my classes today, or help out with the work group who do the chores here. So yeah, this day has been a bit tough on me, but I hope that I'll improve in the following days.

The past few days were especially tiring for me, two days ago we had to walk extremely far to visit some of the student's homes, which was alright, if very exhausting. The day after that? A hike equal in length, and twice as tiring as the last walk, as we had to walk uphill most of the way. I can say that my legs currently have the approximate consistency of melted jello. Other than that, not much has happened recently, and I'm going to right now take a long nap in hopes that I improve.

Until next time everyone!

Apparently not immune to disease,

Diego Molina

Doctor Molina, Part 2

Another blog entry? So soon!? Well, something very important recently happened, and I thought it necessary for me to recount it.

It started at around 1:30 yesterday. This is the time of the day when the volunteers all rest in preparation for the afternoon courses, and to ride out the crippling heat of noontime. I was in the dorm with some of the volunteers, simultaneously playing a Yugioh game on my friend Jerry's laptop and watching some Avatar with everyone else. Hey, there's practically nothing to do here, so you got to pass the time in any way possible! Anyway, we were all relaxing, when one of the female volunteers, named Holly, stops outside the door and says that one of the kids fell. Now, in my experience, the direst of consequences of a little kid falling usually is limited to them getting a few bloody knees and/or elbows, nothing serious. Regardless, I grab my small stash of bandaids and follow Holly to the office, where they were keeping the kid. 

And man was I in for a hell of a surprise.

The poor kid was covered in blood, his entire face drenched and red, his hair soggy and clumped together. He wasn't crying, undoubtedly going through some pretty major shock, and his eyes looked unfocused and daze. Some of the other volunteers were trying to stop the bleeding with a few Q-tips, but it was clear that the task was making them feel nauseous. 

Once again, I was surprised by how calmly I took the scene in. There was the initial surprise of just how serious the injury was, but beyond that I did not feel afraid, nor disgusted or sick. I'm not one to faint over the sight of blood; as a chronic nose bleeder, I must regularly face those tremendous surges of blood that erupts from gods know where up in my nostril. However, I have never in my life seen another human being bleed a much as that little child, and never seen someone with that serious of an injury. Despite all that, I was wholly composed, and I quickly opened up my zip-lock bag of medical supplies and got to work.

Now, I'm no doctor, and I've never taken any first-aid courses in my life. I was completely unqualified for the task at hand. But unfortunately, at that moment, practically all of the adults in the school, from the headmaster to our coordinators, were away, leaving only us volunteers to care for the injured kid. I knew that I had to do something at that moment, that I had the power to help him. So with the help of Karl, who had access to a slightly more advanced first aid kit than the handful of bandages I had, I proceeded to use my own knowledge to treat the kid. Knowing that any cut, regardless of how superficial, has the chance of becoming infected, I first took an small antiseptic towel to clean the wound. I didn't want to take any chances, so I used the strongest one I had. This was easier said than done, as the mass of bloody hair made it quasi-impossible to locate the source. So I decided to clean the entirety of the head, hoping that I would clean the wound (or wounds, as I couldn't rule out the chance of more than one impact site) in the process. I washed the kids head with the moist towel, and in a matter of seconds, my hands were covered in blood. After doing that, and finding the cut, I began to bandage him. At that moment I mentally berated myself for not bringing a complete first aid kit, or at least a roll of gauze. The only gauze we had were a handful of tiny squares, and I wanted to wrap the entire top of his head, thinking that the added layer of protection and pressure would keep his skull safe from any more trauma, and maybe ease up the progression of a concussion. However, without the needed supplies, we instead carefully applied a patchwork of bandages, large ones to cover up the wound, smaller ones to keep them steady. After what seemed like an eternity, we finished, and finally the bleeding stopped. 

Throughout this entire ordeal, the kid was completely silent, as some of the other volunteers talked to him softly to keep him calm. To tell you the truth, I'm surprised he didn't even start crying or screaming, especially when I began to clean his wound. The antiseptic pads I used were especially strong, and most likely, for that kid, hurt like hell! Yet he didn't utter a single sound throughout it all, and while the logical side of me sees that as the byproduct of shock and a bunch of adrenaline, in my mind that kid will forever be one of the most bad-ass people I've ever met.

After we finished stopping the bleeding as well as we could, we needed to get the kid to the local clinic: what we did was very limited and he needed to see an expert. Unfortunately, around these parts, no ambulances exist to rush you to the hospital, and there was no one nearby who could give us a lift. Only one choice remained: carry the kid the 400-500 meters all the way to the clinic. And so me, Karl, Kabeer and Freak all set off on foot, with Kabeer carrying the kid, him being the strongest of the four. On the way there, we passed by a local store, and I asked them if we could have some iced water, a rarity around these parts. I expected that I would have to purchase the water. The shop-owner gave it away for free, proving to me once again that there are more good people in the world than bad, and that they are willing to help those in need. Halfway to the clinic, we passed by chance the home of the kid, and his mother rushed out to meet us, taking the kid and carrying him the rest of the way, with us following. Once we got to the clinic, most of the kids family had joined us, along with a few other concerned locals.

It was at that moment that the kid started to cry.

With the adrenaline and shock wearing off, undoubtedly all of those emotions that had been locked up inside of him suddenly burst out as he was held by his mother, surrounded by his family and friends. I could understand why: the instant he fell, he must have felt a torrent of emotions batter him: pain, surprise, maybe even anger, but above all else would be that ancient, primal emotion: fear. Fear at this sudden powerlessness, fear about what would happen to him, perhaps even fear of death. That fear locked him up, and it was only after we helped him stand back up, helped stop the bleeding, helped him get to the clinic, to his family and friends, that the fear released its stranglehold on him. They were not tear of grief, but tears of relief. I suddenly realize how important the actions of the volunteers and I were: millions of years ago, had an animal been injured in such a way, be it adult or child, most likely its only fate would be death. But now humans do the opposite: we help our injured and sick, we give them new hope and new life, and help them get back up. It is a part of human nature to aid those in need, because we know that by helping them, we give them a chance to help us later in the future, and to help other people. We have realized that, perhaps we may be weak individually, but we can help each other grow stronger.

Or maybe I'm just being a bit overdramatic about this and a bit emotional over everything that happened. Regardless, the local doctor took care of the kid, and after assuring that everything was in order, us volunteers walked back to the school. Later, we learned that the boy was being taken to the local city of HuaiHua, because apparently he had a concussion and needed access to a better hospital. 

Fortunately, the following day was a much more positive: we had an Earth Day celebration, and the schoolchildren all made presentations for the day and were let out a bit earlier. We all finally finished The Legend of Korra, and I built myself a Yugioh deck that is practically unbeatable. Also, I'm growing a pretty sweet beard.

So I guess happy endings all around.

Thank you all for reading this rather lengthy blog entry. The trip is around the halfway point now, with less than two weeks left, but I hope even more exciting things happen.

Until next time, 

Diego Molina, the guy who should totally get a medal now... Anyone... No... Ok...

Storm clouds cometh.

And lo, did the heavens burst under its own weight, tearing apart the floodgates of the sky and letting loose the torrential forces of the storm. Suddenly, air and earth were at once fused by the relentless rain, their dividing line blurred by the maelstrom! Then, as if Nature's anger itself was pushed to the brink by this black storm, white streaks of lightning shattered the atmosphere, sending off a crashing wave of thunder like a charge of a million titanic stallions! Here at once, the forces of the universe converged, revealing their true primal forms, dwarfing the pathetic hovels of mankind and beating that species into submission yet again!

That right there was a rather dramatic interpretation of last nights rainstorm. Considering how hot it has been recently, and how unbelievably sunny it has been, really any amount of rain here would have seemed impressive. 

Now, I've had my fair share of thunderstorms, maybe not in Portland, where they are noticeably rare, but many times when I go to Mexico, I find myself at night in the middle of a massive storm, with deafeningly loud lighting strikes. Compared to those storms, the one here was actually quite mild. Sure, there was plenty of rain, but the lighting strikes were far off, and there was little wind. In fact, I would say that the storm was actually quite comfortable at first: The rain lowered the temperature a bit, and all the volunteers hung out in one dorm, chatting an waiting for the rain to stop, with lots of fans to keep us cool. I myself stood in the doorway for a while, enjoying the sight of rain and checking the sky for lightning flashes. It almost seemed like the rest of the night would be great.

And that's when the power went out, and with it, the fans that were keeping the temperature down.

Now, you would think that, during the night, the temperature would decrease considerably, and your partly right, as by the morning, the air is much cooler and quite comfortable. However, for the first half of the night, the heat is almost unbearable, and the fans make sure that we don't overheat while we sleep. With those gone, it seemed like it would be a very long night.

In truth, I was pretty lucky that night. My bunk is situated right next to a window that we open to cool down the dorm even further. Usually, this meant that my body served as the first line of defense against the buzzing hordes of insects and mosquito that populate this area. But this time, it also meant that I had a nice, cool breeze coming through, which kept me comfortable throughout the night. So bug bites aside, I'm very happy with which bed i got.

Teaching has been a draining task these past few days: our class, especially the boys, tend to be extremely rowdy during class, and it is difficult to maintain order and discipline. Despite that, I'm am very happy while teaching them, and I'm even doing a sort of science class: with the help of a Chinese volunteer, I have started teaching them once per day simple scientific courses, such as geology. Yesterday, in preparation for Earth day, I taught them about the water cycle, and how throwing trash away into the river can be detrimental to the whole world.

So that's it for today, I'm really tired so I'm going to take a nap right now. See you all later.

The guy who used to have a phobia of rain (yeah, seriously),

Diego Molina

We are the Champions!

After the last blog entry, which in retrospect was rather dark and depressing, I guess a more upbeat and positive entry is in order. Fortunately there is plenty to talk about.

This seems quite ironic, as yesterday was merely a rest day, with no teaching whatsoever. Most of the day was spent recovering from the drain of teaching, but of course us volunteers couldn't be happy sitting on our butts all day without doing something intense. The logical decision? Play a super tough game of basketball with a bunch of local adults. 

A little back story is in order: this isn't actually the first time we played a game of basketball with the people here, a motley assortment of adults with varying levels of height, speed and girth. We had played against them once before, and boy was that an embarrassment! They wiped the floor with us, beating us by more than 10 points. Of course, our group isn't the sort that gets crushed after a single loss: we would have to be grinded into the dirt for us to give up. So we decided on a rematch, which took place yesterday, and it was one of the most intense games of basketball I have ever participated in.

Then again, I'm not exactly someone who has played lots of basketball, and I don't have that much skill playing it. But I knew the basics, if not the many intricacies of the sport, so I joined the team in order to help out. Here's a run down of the team:

Karl: One of the American volunteers, he lives in Washington DC, and is by far the best player among us. He is the one who gets the most shots in, and is a vital part of our offense.

Kabeer: Actually a volunteer from England, he is another vital part of the offense, as he is great at setting up shots for Karl, and is an expert at managing the ball.

Jerry: The other American volunteer, he's from Chicago, and is a great all around player. He's the biggest out of all of us, so he is great for wading past the defense, and stopping their offense.

Freak (Yep, that's his actual English name): as his name suggests, Freak is a bit of a loose cannon on the court. A Chinese volunteer, his movements are crazy and unpredictable, and always goes straight for the shot.

Alex: The other Chinese volunteer on the team, Alex is descent in every aspect of the game, from shooting free throws to holding firm on defense, despite his small size.

And finally there's me, Diego, the lone Mexican holding the line on defense. As my aim with a basketball isn't exactly "Micheal Jordan" level, and more along the lines of "confused old person", I was tasked in focusing all my efforts on defense. This seems rather easy, but I have yet to describe the other team: just to give you a hint, the rest of the volunteers decided to name the other team, and they chose "The Potbellies". Most of the local players were, excuse my bluntness, pretty freaking fat, and consequently had a lot of weight to throw around. This helped us in the long run, as they would quickly get tired, but considering my thin, light body versus their gargantuan mass of flesh, I think my defense was more akin to a feather trying to block an incoming meteor. Despite this, I was actually pretty descent in keeping the other team from scoring: while it was physically impossible for me to physically stop the opposing players, I was able to effectively distract and annoy them, keeping them from ever shooting as straight as they would like. Also, my low weight helped me as I could jump rather high, deflecting their shots and stopping their momentum. 

So overall, our team was pretty good, and we had practiced a great deal since our last defeat. But it was far from an easy game. First of all, the opposing team fought dirty, and most of our team finished the game with their fair share of bruises, scratches, and bite marks. And the local team was far from being terrible. Rather, they played very well most of the time. Because of this the game was extremely close, with each side gaining and losing the advantage. There was even a time, near the start of the second half, were it seemed like our team was surely going to lose, as the opponents had gotten a long string of good shots. Fortunately, near the end, we made an incredible comeback, and soon we were once again winning. As the timer struck zero, we were up by two, and Karl finished off the game with an unbelievable half court shot. Final score: 22-19, China Summer Team wins!!

So yeah, it was a pretty great game, and I was happy to be a part of it. Unfortunately, now we have to worry about preparing a ton of classwork for the following days! I'm especially nervous, as I have been working on a solo class on Geology. Still, I'm excited, and I hope I can do well on my own.

Thank a lot for reading, see you all next time,

The MVP of Blogging

Diego Molina

Valar Morghulis

Today, I had a sobering encounter with the nature of mortality, an intense revelation of the duties of a doctor, and a glimpse of what I should expect as I work towards becoming a medical practitioner. 

In my most recent post, you read about how our group had purchased two baby ducklings, both of which were unbelievably adorable. Sadly, one of them, a female duckling with black and yellow feathers the girls had decided to name "Mulan", died today in the morning. I was still asleep when it happened, but the ones who had observed her death, most of the female volunteers, said that she had passed away slowly, not suddenly. 

 I had been worried about that duckling since yesterday, as she had been experiencing worrying symptoms. I had noticed that she did not chirp and quack like her brother, but rather would let out weak coughs and squeaks. Her breathing always seemed irregular and weak, and she did not seem to have as much energy and appetite as I would have expected from a newborn duck. However, she seemed to improve later in the day, and I even started to think that she was all right. Unfortunately, I was wrong,and it seems to be that her condition worsened during the night, leading up to her death.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't just worried for Mulan's health, but for the health of all the volunteers and children here. Before this trip, I had learned that the province we are currently in is actually one of the first places Avian Influenza started up, and that birds here, especially poultry, were at serious risk for it, and consequently so were humans. I was worried that, somehow, Mulan had been infected with the disease, and that it would spread to the people in the school. The symptoms were eerily similar: low energy, lack of appetite, breathing irregularities. I couldn't be 100% sure, but the possibility was there. I warned my fellow volunteers about it, however few of them seemed to care about the risk. Rather, many of them seemed rather apathetic of her death, deciding not to properly bury her and instead cover her up with a few stones, which in this weather would probably lead to very rapid decomposition, which would attract a host of flies and animals to her grave, and generate a terrible stench. But I'm not going to judge them, for everyone reacts to death differently, regardless of who or what dies, and I should not be angry at them. However, there was still the threat of Avian Flu infecting us, so I needed to figure out if Mulan really was infected. There was only one way of doing that: checking the corpse.

My first reaction when taking Mulan's lifeless body out of her grave was a striking flash of grief and pain. I had grown attached to the little bird, and it pained me to see her lying there in the dirt. But after that initial feeling of sadness, I was surprised by how calm I was while handling her body, looking for signs of disease. I have dissected my fair share of animals in my life, such as squid and a pig heart, but never had I been so close to something that had just recently died, and I noticed that i was perfectly composed as I checked the body for bruised skin and swollen organs, a sign of Influenza. I do not know if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but regardless, I found no sign of disease on Mulan's body, and, satisfied, i placed her body back in the grave, added a few extra stones to protect her, and left her to rest. As Avian Flu did not kill her, I needed to think about what could have led to Mulan's death. My final diagnosis for cause of death: Most likely Mulan was born with underdeveloped lungs, a common issue in newborns in almost every species, even humans. Usually when this happens, the mother aids the child with breathing until they recover, but as Mulan was taken away soon after birth, she was unable to recover. Thus she suffered from gradual asphyxiation as her lungs could not gather enough oxygen , leading to generalized hypoxia, lack of oxygen in the body, and ultimately death at around 7:20 this morning.

This incident wasn't some sudden realization about the mortality of things: I have long accepted that death is a natural part of the life cycle, necessary for the continuation of nature, the world, and the universe. Everything at some point comes to an end, and it is dangerous to believe otherwise.What this event really did to me was reveal the true nature of what doctors must experience. Doctors live in order to maintain life and protect it, but it is impossible to work alongside life and not come into contact with death. Life and death go along the same road, side by side, and doctors walk right between them. A doctor has the power to save lives, but sometimes a life is impossible to save, and he or she must accept that there is nothing they can do but lessen the suffering. But of course, they continue to work hard, researching new methods and cures, in order to assure that they can save the next one. It is vital that doctors are capable of accepting death, because they sometimes encounter it daily. This experience did not drive me away from my dreams of becoming a doctor, but rather, reinforced them, as I strive to assure that people can live long, happy and productive lives, and not have those lives be cut short.

I'm sorry about the rather dark nature of this post, but i needed to say something, and now that I have said it, I feel relieved. 

Thank you all for taking the time to read this. It fills my heart with joy knowing that people back home are supporting me.

Sincerely,

Diego Molina

Tea based lifeform

There is a drink that is quite common here in China: it goes by the name of "Bing Hong Cha", literally iced red tea. It's a cool, extremely sweet beverage that coats your mouth with a sticky syrup and undoubtedly contains a plethora of artificial preservatives and nasty chemicals. It is most likely the least healthy thing you can drink around here.

And I can't get enough of the stuff.

With the unbelievable heat that fills every waking hour here, in order to survive you need something nice and fresh to drink. Water is the most logical thing, but I always turn to the Hong Cha whenever I am especially drained. To my tired mind in the middle of class, Bing Hong Cha tastes like the sweet nectar of the gods, a delicious elixir of life squeezed from the very core of nature that fills my body with energy. Ok, maybe not that good, but still, it keeps me from passing out in the middle of the day. I usually get two or three bottles of the stuff, and I swear that by the end of this trip, my blood will be composed of 1% plasma, and 99% red tea.

Now, I bet you have all noticed by now that I tend to write in a voice very akin to a Dungeons and Dragons style. To tell you the truth, this probably reflects how much I miss playing it. Call me a nerd if you wish, but I'm surprised how quickly I have grown attached to the game, so much that it has become something I wish I could be doing write now, in order to pass the time between the lessons. Shout out to anyone in my DND group reading this!

Not much has happened recently: the only truly significant event that has occurred is a small trip to the local market. There, we bought a few snack and cheap souvenirs, but the most important thing by far was a pair of baby ducks that we bought. Right now, one of them is sleeping on my stomach. Both of them are unbelievably cute, although they do have a tendency to poo everywhere.

It's very difficult to come up with good ideas for our classes, but fortunately I have a great team, and we are capable of thinking of great ideas. I'm thinking of doing a simple science related class tomorrow, in order to mix things up a little.

That's it for today, rather short because there's little to talk about. See you all next time.

Rolling in the D20s

Diego Molina 

Professor Molina

I now have a much more powerful sense of respect for all teachers. I have always believed that teachers are a vital component of a civilization, but never would I have guessed at the stress and rigor that is maintaining and leading a classroom. The challenge of thinking up of courses that are rigorous but achievable, the quasi-impossible task of maintaining order in the room. All of these pile up to add to the difficulty of teaching. It also doesn't help that my students don't understand every other word I say. From this, It may seem that these past few days have been hell/hades/an abyss shredding a hole through the elemental chaos on earth, but in truth, they have been some of the most fulfilling days of my life.

The place that I'm working at is not exactly the most exciting of places: situated in an extremely rural part of China, there is little more than rice fields, a few very small villages, and streams, mountains and forests as far as the eye can see. As there is precious little to do here outside of school, in order to maintain our sanity the creation of a daily schedule was necessary. here it is for all of you:

7:30: Get up

8:00-8:30: Breakfast

8:30-8:50: Work group begins work

9:00-9:45: 1'st period

9:45-9:55: Break

9:55-10:40: 2'nd period

10:40-10:55: Break

10:55-11:40: 3'rd period

12:00-12:30: Lunch

12:30-2:30: Siesta

2:30-3:15: 4th Period

3:15-3:25: Break

3:25-4:10: 5th period

5:30-6:00: Supper

6:30: Lesson Planning

8:00: Rest + Group activities

10:30: Lights Out

You can see here the general gist of what goes on every day. The morning starts with breakfast, and is then divided into 3 periods with small breaks between each of them. Then we have lunch and have and extended "siesta", a time to rest and nap in preparation to the final two periods. Then we have dinner, rest a while longer, and finally go to bed. Seems simple, but hidden behind all of that are a bunch of little things we all like to do. First let me talk about the classes.

I was assigned to the oldest group of students, children aged 12-15. It would seem that, from their age, that they would have a pretty decent grasp of the English language. Unfortunately, their English is very basic in nature, and it is quite a challenge to find what exactly they need to learn. Fortunately, I am glad to say that my class is very hardworking and learns quickly, if it is a bit rowdy at times. Whatever we teach them, they will assimilate quite easily, so I'm confident we'll be able to make great advancements in their knowledge. Just today we taught them emotion vocabulary, and already they are capable of forming dialogue with it. I am very proud of them.

Life in the school is very different from anything else I have ever lived through. You may have noticed that the schedule references a "work group". You see, there are quite a number of chores that must be completed throughout the day: washing clothes, cleaning the dorms, mopping the 'shudder' bathrooms. So every day, a select group of volunteers must complete all of these chores, and the group changes from day to day. I was assigned chore duties on the first day, so I don't have to worry about that for quite some time. To pass the time, we do a lot of things in the school: we hang out in the dorms, talking about our classes and lesson plans. We read, play games, and if it's not too hot play badminton or basketball. A good number of volunteers, including myself, have actually started running in the morning: we wake up at around 6, get dressed and run for quite some time, until 7! It's a great way to stay fit.

Some things are still plenty hard to deal with, especially regarding our clothes: we have to but our clothes up to dry, but at night the wind can sometimes blow our stuff off the line. I've already lost a pair of socks that way. But I'm actually getting used to living here: I'm starting to be able to tolerate all the heat, and I'm sleeping comfortably at night. It's actually nice to clean up in the river, although if a breeze picks up it can get freezing. There are really only two things that I have yet to get used to: the smell and the food. It seems that almost every part of this area smells in some way like a very dirty toilet, and the stench can be crippling at times. The bathrooms smell like some ancient, dark god of pestilence perished in a primordial duel and built himself a tomb out of his once living flesh and feces, guarded my zealots and acolytes who cover the putrid walls with magical runes that force all ignorant traveler to puke themselves to death. In other words, pretty freaking bad! As for the food, I personally love Chinese food, but unfortunately, what they are giving us doesn't really feel nourishing. There's plenty of it, but very little protein and fats, almost all carbs, and none of it is really appetizing. I fear that, by the end of this trip, I will have lost a lot of weight I really cannot afford to lose.

Regardless, I really enjoying myself here, and I'm sure that it will continue to go well. Hopefully, I can grow accustomed to the meager foodstuff and smell, and wholly be able to be comfortable. That's it for today, see you all next time!

He who braved the black odor of the dark, stygian depths of the stalls.

Diego Molina

Spartan Style Living

First of all, I should probably point something out. I had previously believed that I would be capable of accessing my blog while here in China, and post things directly. Unfortunately, it seems that the blog of a 16 year old volunteer in a threat to national stability in China, and the site I'm using is blocked here. Fortunately, I'm using a more roundabout method of posting, but my posts may be a bit out of sync with what is currently going on. I'll still definitely be able to post about a handful of times each week.

The last time you heard of me, I was in Beijing, just getting my bearings strait. Since then, I have traversed quite a distance, reaching the city of Huaihua by train, and finally arriving at the school by bus. The trip definitely exceeds the harshness of the plane ride to get to china, which pales in comparison. The train ride itself was almost 24 hours long! During that time, I joined in, and after several hours had to endure, the almost constant singing of the female volunteers. Seriously, it's like someone brought in the cast of a musical for the ride: they have the tendency of bursting into song everywhere, even on public transportation. Still, it's funny if a bit out of place at times. Other than that, and getting a bit nauseous on the train, the ride was mostly uneventful, and I was soon in Huaihua. Despite how draining the train ride was, all of us had the energy to go walk around the city, and we even went to do some Karaoke. It brought back some great memories of my first time in China with the French American school.

After a 3 hour long, very uncomfortable bus ride, we made it to our school. And let me tell you, it's spartan enough to give a Spartan homesickness. And maybe a bit of back pain. I had known the school would be in a very rural and impoverished part of China, but I definitely did not expect just how bare bones it is. It's really unfortunate that I cannot post photos, as I'd be able to give you all images of the school, but hopefully my description will suffice in creating a good picture for you:

The entirety of the school in a long, three stories tall rectangular building, approximately 50 meters long and standing perpendicular to the road. The rooms closest the entrance are the classrooms, and have small wooden desks, a blackboard, and little else. There is also a large office room, with contains the computers I am and will use to keep you all up to date. The next set of rooms comprise our living quarters. First we have the dorms, which have 6 sets of bunk beds two beds high, and a few fans. No AC in this joint, so things get sweaty fast! As for the beds, they're little more than a rigid base, a thin pad, and a blanket that I doubt anyone that is still sane will actually use. The pillow is a tiny, uncomfortable thing, and makes me glad I lugged my own pillow all the way from Portland. Not that comfortable, but hopefully they are sufficient, and hey, at least we're not sleeping on the ground!

Next to the dorms, there is a small cafeteria, where we will be eating every meal. The food here is actually delicious! Next to it there is a small hose that we use to clean our plates, and is currently our only source of running water. There are also two other buildings that are in the school grounds: near the entrance, there's the bathroom, which is little more than a covered trench where we have to squat to do our business. Closer to the dorms are the showers. Unfortunately, they are still under construction, and while they were meant to be completed by the time we got there, we'll have to wait around two days until we get running water up there and have the chance to take a shower. Until then, the only option is to use the rive in order to wash away the gallons of sweat.

So yeah, not exactly a five star hotel, but to tell you the truth, I'm actually very excited! I feel that this is an opportunity to live the way, really, the vast majority of the population of the world lives. It'll open my eyes to the truth about poverty and the living conditions of those less fortunate than I, and help me realize the opportunity I have of living in such luxury back home.

But enough with the serious stuff, I'm sure you all want to know about the main reason I'm here for: teaching! Unfortunately, I actually don't start teaching until tomorrow, July 26, but I do know who I'll be teaching with. My American partner will be Jerry, a volunteer that has already been on the program once before. We'll also have two other Chinese volunteers to help with communication, although both me and Jerry understand Mandarin just fine! I'm both excited and nervous about teaching: we were assigned to the oldest group, however we do not really know what their level of English will be. I do believe that our group will be able to work well together, and in fact, I believe that I have bonded with all the volunteers very well. It almost seems like we've known each other for a very long time now!

So that's it for today! I'll probably update after a few days of teaching, so stay tuned.

Also, for anyone interested in travelling to rural China, let me tell you one critical tip that will save your life: Bring deodorant. Lots of deodorant

See you all on the other side!

Diego Molina

In Beijing

Well, I finally made it! The flights here from Portland were unbelievably long, the jet lag almost crippling, but I made it to Beijing. I may have only been here for a day and a half, but so much has already happened. Right now, I'm writing from a small hostel near Tiananmen Square, where us volunteers are staying in preparation for the voyage to the village. I've had limited contact with the other volunteers before this, so yesterday was really the first time I was introduced to them. Right now there are around 15 of us, and we will meet the Chinese volunteers over at the village, which will bring our numbers up to around 30. All of the other volunteers are great sports, each of them excited for the experience that is ahead of us. While for most this is their first time on the program, a handful of them are actually veterans of the experience, and are a great source of information and tips. Two of them, Jerry and Christina, I especially enjoy being around, and I'm sure we'll have a great time together. The cast of volunteers is quite varied: Chris and Kabeer, the two other boys in the group other than Jerry, and me are from D.C and London, respectively. A lot of the girls in the group actually come from other Asian nations, like Korea and Vietnam. Overall, we all seem to connect well, and will undoubtedly be able to work together greatly.

As I said before, we are right now in Beijing, waiting for tomorrow for when head out to the village we will be working at. The trip will be a train ride over 24 hours long! Of course, that does not mean we are doing nothing while in Beijing, and to pass the time, we are visiting a few notable landmarks. Today, we had a massive hike on the Great Wall, and tomorrow, we will be visiting Tiananmen Square and the Forbidden City. While in Beijing, we have been eating at a restaurant that specializes in Peking duck, which is delicious. So up until now, everything has been great here. The only tiny negative point is my roommate, who is one of the adult supervisors. He snores crazy loud, so loud, that it's still loud when I have my noise cancelling headphones on! Despite that, I'm happy (if a bit sleep deprived). I hope that I can write more soon!

4 days left...

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who is reading this, be you someone who donated, or simply a friend interested in my trip. I doubt I would have been able to go on this trip without all your support, and for that I thank you all!

It's hard to believe that the trip I have planned for since last year is about to begin. What started as a small sense of duty to help other people has now evolved into this month long trip that will take me to the other side of the planet and put me into new, unknown scenarios. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't worried: rather, every instant I get closer to the departure date fills me with an uneasy mixture of excitement, fear, and nervousness. Doing all the things I need to prepare, from buying clothes and other necessities to organizing lesson plans for the children I'll be teaching, has helped ease the tension, but I'm still plenty nervous. Still, I'm determined to follow through with this trip regardless, and I'm very excited for all of the people I'm going to meet, all the experiences I will have, and all the new places I'll see.

As the clock ticks down to the moment I leave, I have begun to rethink what exactly has driven me to do this program. It has been more than a year since I started researching possible volunteer programs, and I worry that somehow I may have lost my original way, my true reason for participating in this. I soon found myself rereading a book that holds a special place in my heart: Cosmos, by Carl Sagan. This is a book that deals with a great many topics and is vast in its imagery, and delves into many aspects of the universe: from ancient Greek philosophers to the modern day threat of nuclear armageddon, the origins of life on Earth to the possibilities of alien civilizations. The scope of the book has always astounded and fascinated me, but somehow I never felt lost or overwhelmed by this sudden flurry of archeology, astronomy, philosophy and anthropology. This is because, at its core, the book merely revolves around the primary goal of Cosmology: to find the place humanity has in the Cosmos, and the duty our species has to each other and the Cosmos. This is what has defined my drive to go on this trip: I'm not doing this for school, for CAS, for my college applications, or any of that. I merely wish to fulfill the responsibility I have towards the rest of my species, to promote the betterment of humanity. My actions may be small on the larger scale, maybe even inconsequential. However, I know that, right now, I have the power to help those in need, to bring a bit more light into this world, and give  more people that powerful emotion that defines humans: hope. I am fortunate to have the resources to follow this goal, and to be surrounded by so many caring people who are willing to aid me in my goal. It is because of this that I must go on the trip, and use my resources and skills to help others.

But of course, I can't be all grim and serious all the time. I can't be worrying about the fate of humanity each instant of my life, and I'll be sure to enjoy this trip to the fullest!

I do not know how often I'll be able to update while I am in China, but feel free to comment, and I'll try to answer any and all questions you ask.

Once again, thank you all!