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!