Mission Complete!

We finally returned to Canada, after our week long trip. With a fresh new perspective on life, particularly here in Canada, I am ready to take on new challenges. What I find interesting about myself during my stay was my ability to quickly adapt to a different culture. I didn't necessarily feel a culture shock, so to speak. There were some differences though. For example, there was no hot water present in the facilities we were living in. So it was like military style showers, jump in then jump out. Also, for food we pretty much stuck to rice and beans for most lunches and dinners. A highlight for me was the incredibly supported staff, who kept our bellies full as we taught the children in the Francisco Javier area of Monti Christi. Finally, there was no air conditioning in our bedrooms, like we are used to having here. I actually had a hard time sleeping, to be honest. They weren't kidding when they mentioned that the roosters were loud. After being there for a while and getting used to the area, I kinda felt like home there. I didn't want to leave. I didn't have to worry about bills, exams, taxes and so on. Now that I've returned home, I'm gonna take whatever I learned over there and implement it here.

Back in Canada

As I sit here and look out my window the snow falls.  Hard to believe that the week passed so quickly.  So many thoughts are running through my mind.  It was an incredible experience that I would take again in a heart beat.  I have a whole new perspective on life, and I am grateful to live in a Country where poverty isn't as common as other places.  I got to see a lot of things while I was volunteering my time at Outreach 360 in the Dominican Republic but the thing that stood out the most was the smiles from everyone.  Every time you said hola, smiled or even waved you would get some sort of positive response in return.  In Canada we just don't do that.  If you said hi to a stranger here on the street you would probably get a weird look.  Looking back now at this trip it was an amazing learning experience not only for the children we taught but for myself as well!

Have Fun!

Hello I’m the SAO blogger that was sitting in on your Wednesday meeting this week. I didn’t get a chance to talk to everyone that night but it was great to see you before you left. I just wanted to say that you are really lucky to be going on this adventure with each other. I know you’re nervous, scared, exited, and anxious and that's all ok. Just try your best to relax and take everything in.

I can’t wait to hear all your stories when you come back! I wrote a blog post for the SAO about that meeting, you may want to take a look. http://algonquinsao.blogspot.ca/

We take our society for granted.

In just a few days, a group of awesome students and I will be boarding a plane en route to the Dominican Republic. To be honest, It's scary - traveling to a foreign country to help teach a language to people I've never met before.

What worries me the most will be my ability to adapt in a completely different culture. I'm a city person. Born and raised in Ottawa. I have been conditioned to live in a society that has everything. A five or ten minute walk and I'll end up at a restaurant or a grocery store so I can buy food. Another ten minute walk to a bus stop and it takes me to school. A school to begin with!!! I have the possibility to pursue a post-secondary education. The point I am trying to make is that we don't take the time to think about how seriously lucky we are to live in a society like ours. We should take the time to be grateful, not only to our family and friends, but to every man and woman that assists us in offering these essential services. We thank our parents for making us who we are. We thank a doctor for keeping us in good health. But in my opinion, we don't make a great enough effort to thank people for the smaller things that make life easier. For example, the driver of a bus, or that cashier at the grocery store and the janitor that keeps our facilities clean.

Citizens in the Dominican Republic do not have that luxury. They lack a very basic education, in which I hope I'll be able to pass on my knowledge to them. And in return, they can educate me too. An exchange of culture and knowledge will occur. My only wish is to live in a world where everyone, regardless of race, culture, gender, religion and so forth, can benefit from a society like ours. So they can live their lives without suffering.

Let's Go!!

I don't have much to say because this is so overwhelming (in a good way) but here it goes,

We had our last meeting today and everyone seems to be having the same feelings! Excited, anxious, nervous, proud and the list goes on. This is so exciting and I cannot wait to head on to that plane. Handing in our liquids (mind you mine were in a purple sparkly bag) and receiving our t-shirts we will be wearing to the trip AND not to mention our assigned seats on the plane!! This excites me beyond belief; this is really happening we are leaving in three days, this Saturday!! Just need to finish some last minute packing and I will be ready.

I am not sure if I will be able to sleep to next couple of days, but we will see!

 

“Release the Hero Within” Let’s make an impact that lasts a lifetime. The count down begins, T-3 days!!

-Sarah Timmins

The Beginning of a New Adventure

Let me start with two quotes,

 

"The purpose of life is the live it, to taste it, to experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience."

- Eleanor Roosevelt

and

"Adventure is worthwhile."

-Aristotle

 

 

These two quotes caught my eye the first time I saw them, because I feel as if they have a meaning to what we are doing, a personal meaning that is. Some may not agree with them but that is my opinion. This has been a great adventure to me and I know it will be an even greater experience when we get there. I just wanted to point out how hard everyone has been working on the preparation of this new adventure we are going to be taking together, especially Sophia and Danielle. I can’t believe it is only four more days until we hop on the first plane to fly to Toronto and then off to the Dominican Republic.  I have been looking forward to doing a trip like this my whole life, it had always been a goal of mine and I am stoked to be able to achieve it. The biggest thing is I wouldn’t want to achieve this goal with any other group of people. Even though we only see each other once a week, every Wednesday evening, I feel as if I’ve already made such a connection to so many individuals that are on this team. Everyone on our Algonquin College team is unique in their own way which makes us diverse; with strengths and weaknesses we can help each other through before, during and after our time in the Dominican Republic. I am proud to call them my team and I am proud of all the efforts we have made and pushed through together.

On a side note, I woke up this morning and took my malaria pills; this was such a wakeup call to me, because I realized how close I was to leaving and I haven’t even started to pack yet! Oops! I should really start, I will tomorrow. Someone in my class today brought me Spanish/English translation books and that is when I realized that it wasn’t just the support of the group that is going, we were getting support from the population of Algonquin College and in some cases even the public! I wanted to give a BIG thank you to all the people supporting myself and my team on our journey!

T – 4 days! Let’s get this adventure and experience of a life time started!

 

- Sarah Timmins

Opening New Doors

Packing for The Alternative Spring Break Dominican Republic Experience

Besides the amazing friends I have made, traveling to an exotic country and helping children there learn English for a better future...this whole experience has opened many doors for me…

Every day you wake up to the same routine; see the same people, take the same bus route, eat the same food. The most exciting part of you week are probably the Friday nights, where you get a chance to unwind and relax with your friends. 


But then again…


Have you ever wondered that there is more to life than that? Sometimes we get trapped in our own world that we forget that there is a whole world to explore. In it awaits the experiences you have never experienced, that could change you forever, and ultimately help you grow into the mature grown up individual you dreamed of becoming. 

Where are these so called "opportunities"? You ask...
 
The opportunities to go on adventures are right under your nose, they are on the walls of the college, online on the websites, and through word of mouth.


My eye caught one of these “adventures” and I couldn’t seem to get the idea out of my head. I decided to make it my goal to take part in it. By the way, I am talking about the Alternative Spring Break trip which Algonquin College is introducing for the very first time. I and 23 other students will have a wonderful chance of teaching English to disadvantaged children in the Dominican Republic. 


When I first received the email that I had been accepted, I wrote down how I felt at that moment so I wouldn’t forget…

“I woke up around 7:40 a.m. had to start getting ready for another day at school. My morning routine involves checking my email, as I open my mail with eyes barely opened, there and behold, I saw it! An email from the alternative spring experience, I quickly focused my attention on reading it, I read the line “it is with great pleasure that we have accepted you…”

At first I was thought I read a “not accepted” but then I thought why would they reject me with “great pleasure” lol anyway I re-read it a couple of times and realized this is it. It’s a go, my journey has officially begun! Then I read the rest of the e-mail like 4 times, I also was curious to see who is going to share this amazing experience with me, I read some of the names in the email, none of them sounded familiar. There will be a meeting held on October 24^th, 2012, I cannot wait to see my team.”

After that day, me and a group of amazing individuals whom I have become closer with and trust them with my life have met almost every week. Every meeting would be so enthusiastic, even though we were tired as most of us had been up since the morning. I believe our energy came from the excitement and anticipation of the journey we would be embarking on. 


I have to admit, when I first started out, the financial aspect of it was a bit scary, and I don’t blame students for thinking that it would be a difficult task to come up with the money, however, the community we live in commends us on the type of work we do, and fundraising was not as hard as I expected it to be. The college community, my friends, family, neighbours, and businesses were all cooperative and helped in any way they could. In addition, with the resources that the college provided us with aka Sophia and DJ who constantly motivated us and helped us ever step of the way, whether it was fundraising, event planning, finding us extra jobs to do on campus to pay for the trip…. we would be quite lost without their hard work and motivation. I could not have asked for more better mentors. 


This chance to go abroad and teach has inspired me to explore the world even more. It is kind of like a domino effect, this opportunity lead to me another, and now with this experience under my belt, I have decided to continue on these “adventures” of mine. I recently got accepted to be a part of a Teach and Travel in Turkey program, all inclusive. I know the only thing that stood me out from the others applying was the leadership skills I will have gained through Dominican trip. 

I strongly encourage each and every one of you not to miss out on these opportunities, as they do not come often.
There is nothing but to gain from these experiences, they leave you with a broader understanding of our world and unforgettable memories which you will be proud of and share with everyone. 


There are still 8 days to go; I cannot wait to come back and share the experience I will be having there.


Have a good break everyone! 


Now…back to packing.