Report 2009.8.5~8.12
所謂「助人為快樂之本」，付出自己的心力來幫助別人，是一件既能訓練自己又能造福大眾的事。而這一個禮拜下來，我與其他七位國際志工，在台東這個美麗的地方，也從事了這樣一種有意義的事。
第一段的行程是到台東山區的「利稻國小」，教他們如何使用電腦Google地球。活潑好動的布農族小朋友看見我們的到來，興奮的黏著我們問東問西。從運動時間的橄欖球，更進一步見識到他們是天生獵人的本領。晚上的烤肉雖然外面下著雨颳著風，但小朋友圍著炭火快樂的唱歌，就像一個大家庭一樣溫馨。我覺得雖然山上的資源有限，生活也不富裕，但他們那樂觀的心態很直得我們學習：無論是身在何處都不被擊垮，喜樂的度過每一天。在利稻山上的生活，也是另一種的清靜悠閒。
而讓這次行程更加難忘的「特別嘉賓」是出入台灣的常客──颱風。這次的颱風「莫拉克」在台灣所帶來的災害可說是多的不計其數，尤其是再台東更創下了近五十年來最嚴重的一次，不僅許多道路、鐵路被強大的河水硬生生的沖斷，連我們安排行程的太麻里鄉部分地區也難逃無情大水的威力，原本熱鬧的村落商街現在都成了雨水土石的大型河道。我們隨著所去的達旺教會，到災民庇護處關懷。進了災區，當我看到受災現場時，真的難以想像那曾經我去過時的面貌。看著海岸線堆積如山的漂流木及波濤洶湧的海浪，颱風及大自然的威力可是無法抵擋及預測的。
有認真的看過一本書，才會有深刻的印象；實地的勘察走過，才會了解真正情形；有親身的見識付出，才會有鮮明的經驗記憶。我覺得這次的國際志工服務很不錯，不但能有服務的機會、到各地協助，還可以見識到不一樣的文化生活，有全新的體驗，是一段很特別的時光。雖然因為颱風來襲而打亂了行程，但這就像是為活動加上了奇特的元素，讓行程組合成另一種風貌，使大家有不同的歷程，也慶幸自己平安無事。我也建議下次的活動行程能緊湊一點，和小朋友的合作也能增加〈這次可能是颱風的關係〉。以後有機會我也會再回到我們去過的利稻國小、達旺教會，也希望這個計畫能持續一年年辦下去，造福更多的人。
By Cindy
Aug 12, 2009
Report
Report
Hi, this is Jonathan Lin, and I was a member of the International Vision Outreach Program for Taitung Remote areas minority. The program set up by the National Taitung University, gave each and every one of us an everlasting experience. The week was filled with fun, fulfilling, and unforgettable events. We created long lasting bonds with the children and volunteers. Even though this program was cut short by an unforeseen catastrophe, many of our goals were still met.
Our first days in Taitung consisted of a short tour of the city and its surrounding areas. On the second day, we went up to a city called Lidao where the Bunun tribe inhabited. On the first day up in Lidao, we worked on cleaning up the school’s classrooms and kitchen. The classrooms were very dirty, so we cleaned the tables, floor, chalkboard, and others. It seemed as though the rooms were inhabited for a long time. Schools up in remote areas need to be funded more because the learning conditions just aren’t as nice as compared to those in cities. I feel that funding plays a crucial part in how well the school will perform, but unfortunately money is hard to find during this economic hardship. With money, the school can afford to buy more updated class supplies and computers. Since the children up in Lidao don’t get much of a chance to leave the area, their view and knowledge of the outside world only can come from technologies such as televisions, computers, and outside visitors from elsewhere. During our stay in Lidao, I hoped we made our presence felt. The children really needed contact with others from the outside world. I had many conversations with the children about lifestyles in America. There was like a cultural exchange between the two of us. Comparisons and contrasts were made. The students seemed rather fascinated in certain areas of my life, such as my living conditions, school life, food, and etc… Another key point I would like to make is that the students were very fond of Taiwan celebrities in outside countries such as Wang Chien Ming. When we used the Google Earth program, when we asked the children to locate America, many of the students could locate America, more specifically the New York area. The students knew about the popular Taiwan baseball player, Wang Chien Ming, who plays for the New York Yankees. Other teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers also has Taiwan baseball stars such as Hong-Chih Kuo . Just the presence of Taiwanese stars will give children something to look up to. Taiwanese stars outside of Taiwan give motivations and aspirations for students.
Another point I noticed in the students of Lidao was that the students as a whole were more connected. Since most or all of them were from the Bunun tribe, they are like one huge family. They look after each other when one is in need and care for one of another. However, with that said, they still do get in some conflicts and fights. The children also seemed more excited and thrilled to learn compared to the students in DarWan church. On the other hand, since they were more enthusiastic, they were much harder to control. Even though the students were loud and sometimes obnoxious, they were fun to work with. They taught us a Bunun chant and we taught them some spirit songs too. I feel the spirit they put in really made us a happy group. Seeing the kids having fun and learning made me feel our presence was of some importance. Despite all the good that happened in Lidao, there could have been much improvement on our part. I feel that an earlier preparation would help the program run much more smoothly. For example, my friends attended other programs in Taiwan similar to this, and had a long tutorial and preparation time for the volunteers. However, the other programs were six weeks long. If our program was of that length, we probably would have made a much larger impact and built a longer lasting bond. The students at Lidao gave me a whole new perspective of minority areas. The children at Lidao were very binding. The group of students didn’t seem like they were from different families; it was as if they were from one giant family. For example, when the students were singing during the bbq, it was as though they were all brothers and sisters, each of them were playful with one another, and when we were playing football, when one gets hurt, a group of students come to his aid. They’re also very welcoming and friendly.
Our program at Lidao was cut short by the destruction of the typhoon. Even though it was short, I felt the children and volunteers had a great time together. When we went down the mountain during the morning of the 3rd day, it was a little terrifying experience. There were some falling rocks on the ground and also strong gusts of wind and rain. I remember on the first day we drove up to Lidao, the flowing river was crystal clear, but on the day we left, the river was very dirty and packed with debris. After getting down the mountain safely, we had lunch and said goodbyes to Elton’s parents and my mom. They were going back home. Next, we went to a rice factory, where we learned about the process of making rice. I never thought that rice took so long to process. It takes a well designed procedure to produce the rice we eat. After going to the factory, we were planning to visit Taimali; however the conditions in Taimali were so bad that we could not get there safely. So we stayed for a while at the rice factory and then went to our hotel. The next day, we went to Taimali to see its conditions. Fortunately, the church was safe. Even though the DarWan Church was ok, the destruction in its surrounding was catastrophic. I have never seen a natural disaster in my life before. I’ve only seen disasters on television. It was terrifying to see what a typhoon can do. Many houses were washed away, bridges collapsed, and trees blown and washed away. The disaster is inexplicable. After wards, we headed to look at the ocean. The oceans washed up a lot of the tree branches. We headed back to the hotel and rested.
On the following morning, we made our way to Taimali. When we got there the first thing I noticed was that they didn’t all seem like from an aboriginal tribe. Also the kids seemed better-behaved than those kids from Lidao. I feel that at Taimali, they were more willing to learn and I feel a little bit closer bond to them. All of the students seemed very welcoming to our coming. The students there were also more manageable, but I think it’s partly because the students weren’t as young as those in Lidao. We sang many Christian songs and also performed a play.
During our stay at Taimali, we did a homestay at one of the church member’s house. We all stayed on the second floor of the house. On our last night we went up to the rooftop and saw many stars, thanks to the clear skies. It was beautiful because when I’m the US, I rarely get a chance to view so many stars.
Lastly, the friendship we built will be everlasting. Everyone that I met, ranging from parents and staffs to all the volunteers, it was a great experience. I was glad to have spent this time with this group of people. Hopefully, in the future there will be time when we can meet and work together again.
Hi, this is Jonathan Lin, and I was a member of the International Vision Outreach Program for Taitung Remote areas minority. The program set up by the National Taitung University, gave each and every one of us an everlasting experience. The week was filled with fun, fulfilling, and unforgettable events. We created long lasting bonds with the children and volunteers. Even though this program was cut short by an unforeseen catastrophe, many of our goals were still met.
Our first days in Taitung consisted of a short tour of the city and its surrounding areas. On the second day, we went up to a city called Lidao where the Bunun tribe inhabited. On the first day up in Lidao, we worked on cleaning up the school’s classrooms and kitchen. The classrooms were very dirty, so we cleaned the tables, floor, chalkboard, and others. It seemed as though the rooms were inhabited for a long time. Schools up in remote areas need to be funded more because the learning conditions just aren’t as nice as compared to those in cities. I feel that funding plays a crucial part in how well the school will perform, but unfortunately money is hard to find during this economic hardship. With money, the school can afford to buy more updated class supplies and computers. Since the children up in Lidao don’t get much of a chance to leave the area, their view and knowledge of the outside world only can come from technologies such as televisions, computers, and outside visitors from elsewhere. During our stay in Lidao, I hoped we made our presence felt. The children really needed contact with others from the outside world. I had many conversations with the children about lifestyles in America. There was like a cultural exchange between the two of us. Comparisons and contrasts were made. The students seemed rather fascinated in certain areas of my life, such as my living conditions, school life, food, and etc… Another key point I would like to make is that the students were very fond of Taiwan celebrities in outside countries such as Wang Chien Ming. When we used the Google Earth program, when we asked the children to locate America, many of the students could locate America, more specifically the New York area. The students knew about the popular Taiwan baseball player, Wang Chien Ming, who plays for the New York Yankees. Other teams such as the Los Angeles Dodgers also has Taiwan baseball stars such as Hong-Chih Kuo . Just the presence of Taiwanese stars will give children something to look up to. Taiwanese stars outside of Taiwan give motivations and aspirations for students.
Another point I noticed in the students of Lidao was that the students as a whole were more connected. Since most or all of them were from the Bunun tribe, they are like one huge family. They look after each other when one is in need and care for one of another. However, with that said, they still do get in some conflicts and fights. The children also seemed more excited and thrilled to learn compared to the students in DarWan church. On the other hand, since they were more enthusiastic, they were much harder to control. Even though the students were loud and sometimes obnoxious, they were fun to work with. They taught us a Bunun chant and we taught them some spirit songs too. I feel the spirit they put in really made us a happy group. Seeing the kids having fun and learning made me feel our presence was of some importance. Despite all the good that happened in Lidao, there could have been much improvement on our part. I feel that an earlier preparation would help the program run much more smoothly. For example, my friends attended other programs in Taiwan similar to this, and had a long tutorial and preparation time for the volunteers. However, the other programs were six weeks long. If our program was of that length, we probably would have made a much larger impact and built a longer lasting bond. The students at Lidao gave me a whole new perspective of minority areas. The children at Lidao were very binding. The group of students didn’t seem like they were from different families; it was as if they were from one giant family. For example, when the students were singing during the bbq, it was as though they were all brothers and sisters, each of them were playful with one another, and when we were playing football, when one gets hurt, a group of students come to his aid. They’re also very welcoming and friendly.
Our program at Lidao was cut short by the destruction of the typhoon. Even though it was short, I felt the children and volunteers had a great time together. When we went down the mountain during the morning of the 3rd day, it was a little terrifying experience. There were some falling rocks on the ground and also strong gusts of wind and rain. I remember on the first day we drove up to Lidao, the flowing river was crystal clear, but on the day we left, the river was very dirty and packed with debris. After getting down the mountain safely, we had lunch and said goodbyes to Elton’s parents and my mom. They were going back home. Next, we went to a rice factory, where we learned about the process of making rice. I never thought that rice took so long to process. It takes a well designed procedure to produce the rice we eat. After going to the factory, we were planning to visit Taimali; however the conditions in Taimali were so bad that we could not get there safely. So we stayed for a while at the rice factory and then went to our hotel. The next day, we went to Taimali to see its conditions. Fortunately, the church was safe. Even though the DarWan Church was ok, the destruction in its surrounding was catastrophic. I have never seen a natural disaster in my life before. I’ve only seen disasters on television. It was terrifying to see what a typhoon can do. Many houses were washed away, bridges collapsed, and trees blown and washed away. The disaster is inexplicable. After wards, we headed to look at the ocean. The oceans washed up a lot of the tree branches. We headed back to the hotel and rested.
On the following morning, we made our way to Taimali. When we got there the first thing I noticed was that they didn’t all seem like from an aboriginal tribe. Also the kids seemed better-behaved than those kids from Lidao. I feel that at Taimali, they were more willing to learn and I feel a little bit closer bond to them. All of the students seemed very welcoming to our coming. The students there were also more manageable, but I think it’s partly because the students weren’t as young as those in Lidao. We sang many Christian songs and also performed a play.
During our stay at Taimali, we did a homestay at one of the church member’s house. We all stayed on the second floor of the house. On our last night we went up to the rooftop and saw many stars, thanks to the clear skies. It was beautiful because when I’m the US, I rarely get a chance to view so many stars.
Lastly, the friendship we built will be everlasting. Everyone that I met, ranging from parents and staffs to all the volunteers, it was a great experience. I was glad to have spent this time with this group of people. Hopefully, in the future there will be time when we can meet and work together again.
International Vision Outreach Program for Taitung Remote Areas Minority Report
Hello my name is Thomas Chen. I am currently 19 years old. I am going to be a third year student at the University of California Riverside. My major is Business Administration. My parents both come from Taiwan but I am an American. I was born in the United States and I live in Southern California.
During the International Vision Outreach Program for Taitung Remote Areas Minority I had many new experiences. I got to meet new people and experience cultures that I never knew about. Also I experienced some new strange things like the Typhoon Morakot and the power of nature. I have been to Taiwan many times but I have never gone to Taitung before this program. Taitung is so much different than other parts of Taiwan that I always visit like Taipei, Taichung and Lugang. In Taitung I went to two different places, Lidao and Taimali. Lidao is a Bunun settlement that is in the mountains. Bunun is the name of one of the Taiwan aboriginal tribes. Taimali is a town that is very close to the Pacific Ocean in Taitung County, Taiwan.
In Lidao we went to the local elementary school there. We taught the students there how to play football, taught them how to use Google Earth and taught them English terms and songs. Since they are in the mountain they are very isolated, there is no supermarket, mall or night market down the street like other parts of Taiwan. The kids in Lidao where very interested in the volunteers, they wanted to know our names, stuff about us and they asked us a lot of questions. Lidao was one of my favorite places because I got to experience something very different, something that I probably would never experience if I did not come here. The kids at Lidao where a very special group. They were different then other kids, they loved to sing and they were very wild and loud yet they were also very nice. When we gave them gifts and candy they would say thank you. Because they live in the mountains they is no where else to go everyone gets along with each other, they are like a big family. The day we left the kids sang goodbye songs and the gave us hugs and said bye. The Bunun language was very strange but their chants and songs are very unique. One kid there called Ken was an amazing singer. Because of the typhoon we had to leave early so instead of staying three days there we only stayed there for two days. We had to leave because the road going to the mountain would of have been blocked. Luckily we did because if we had not we would have been stuck there because the road got destroyed after we left and the village there had no electricity.
In Tamali, the typhoon destroyed a lot of places I saw one part in Taimali that was completely destroyed. The highway road there was ripped apart and the dam there was gone, the whole place was filled with drift wood. The beaches and the coastlines in Taitung were filled with massive piles of drift wood. In Tamali we went to help the kids at a church there. We also taught the kids there about Google Earth, taught them English songs and terms. We also performed a play about Jonah with the kids. The kids at the church were more normal, they did not seem as interested as the Lidao kids that we came from America. The older kids there were very good at playing the drums, piano, guitar and were also good singers. Because they live closer to the city and they were not isolated in the mountains like the Lidao kids, they were more the like the kids today.
The kids also said goodbye and they each shook our hands.
Overall I think this experience was a very positive one. I got to meet new people like Elton, Joey, Howard, Hannah, Cindy and Jenny. I also got to meet the kids of Lidao and Taimali. It was a new experience for me since I have never taught a group of kids. It was very strange in Lidao where all the kids called you “Teacher”. I got to experience some new cultures that most people probably do not even know about. I got to eat the local food here and learn about the people. I think my favorite part of the program was the kids, they were the ones that make this program special. I especially liked the Lidao kids because it was very different. They were so much different than other kids. The world has continued to keep on advancing and places like Lidao are rare, but the more advance we get the more separated we get. Also I think this is a good program for people to meet new people, a place to find new friends. Some things I think we need to do to improve is that the people in the program have to visit the kids again and see if they still remember us and the things that we taught them. Some bad things about this experience is that it was very tiring, the kids make you very tired they take all your energy. I also had a very hard time sleeping, during the whole trip I did not have one good sleep. Overall I think Dr. Ryan Wang and his staff did a very good job organizing the program. Dr. Ryan also handled the typhoon really well, he got us out of Lidao before the road got damaged and handle the situation really well. I think the program is really good for Taiwan and American high school and college students or even anyone. It gives them an opportunity to experience something different, something that they normally would not do and be able to experience. It gives them a opportunity to share their culture with the minority people and to learn about the minority people and their culture. Thank you Dr. Ryan for this opportunity to come to Taitung. It was a wonderful experience and I hope I can come back again. This is a wonderful program and it would be a wonderful experience for anyone.
Hello my name is Thomas Chen. I am currently 19 years old. I am going to be a third year student at the University of California Riverside. My major is Business Administration. My parents both come from Taiwan but I am an American. I was born in the United States and I live in Southern California.
During the International Vision Outreach Program for Taitung Remote Areas Minority I had many new experiences. I got to meet new people and experience cultures that I never knew about. Also I experienced some new strange things like the Typhoon Morakot and the power of nature. I have been to Taiwan many times but I have never gone to Taitung before this program. Taitung is so much different than other parts of Taiwan that I always visit like Taipei, Taichung and Lugang. In Taitung I went to two different places, Lidao and Taimali. Lidao is a Bunun settlement that is in the mountains. Bunun is the name of one of the Taiwan aboriginal tribes. Taimali is a town that is very close to the Pacific Ocean in Taitung County, Taiwan.
In Lidao we went to the local elementary school there. We taught the students there how to play football, taught them how to use Google Earth and taught them English terms and songs. Since they are in the mountain they are very isolated, there is no supermarket, mall or night market down the street like other parts of Taiwan. The kids in Lidao where very interested in the volunteers, they wanted to know our names, stuff about us and they asked us a lot of questions. Lidao was one of my favorite places because I got to experience something very different, something that I probably would never experience if I did not come here. The kids at Lidao where a very special group. They were different then other kids, they loved to sing and they were very wild and loud yet they were also very nice. When we gave them gifts and candy they would say thank you. Because they live in the mountains they is no where else to go everyone gets along with each other, they are like a big family. The day we left the kids sang goodbye songs and the gave us hugs and said bye. The Bunun language was very strange but their chants and songs are very unique. One kid there called Ken was an amazing singer. Because of the typhoon we had to leave early so instead of staying three days there we only stayed there for two days. We had to leave because the road going to the mountain would of have been blocked. Luckily we did because if we had not we would have been stuck there because the road got destroyed after we left and the village there had no electricity.
In Tamali, the typhoon destroyed a lot of places I saw one part in Taimali that was completely destroyed. The highway road there was ripped apart and the dam there was gone, the whole place was filled with drift wood. The beaches and the coastlines in Taitung were filled with massive piles of drift wood. In Tamali we went to help the kids at a church there. We also taught the kids there about Google Earth, taught them English songs and terms. We also performed a play about Jonah with the kids. The kids at the church were more normal, they did not seem as interested as the Lidao kids that we came from America. The older kids there were very good at playing the drums, piano, guitar and were also good singers. Because they live closer to the city and they were not isolated in the mountains like the Lidao kids, they were more the like the kids today.
The kids also said goodbye and they each shook our hands.
Overall I think this experience was a very positive one. I got to meet new people like Elton, Joey, Howard, Hannah, Cindy and Jenny. I also got to meet the kids of Lidao and Taimali. It was a new experience for me since I have never taught a group of kids. It was very strange in Lidao where all the kids called you “Teacher”. I got to experience some new cultures that most people probably do not even know about. I got to eat the local food here and learn about the people. I think my favorite part of the program was the kids, they were the ones that make this program special. I especially liked the Lidao kids because it was very different. They were so much different than other kids. The world has continued to keep on advancing and places like Lidao are rare, but the more advance we get the more separated we get. Also I think this is a good program for people to meet new people, a place to find new friends. Some things I think we need to do to improve is that the people in the program have to visit the kids again and see if they still remember us and the things that we taught them. Some bad things about this experience is that it was very tiring, the kids make you very tired they take all your energy. I also had a very hard time sleeping, during the whole trip I did not have one good sleep. Overall I think Dr. Ryan Wang and his staff did a very good job organizing the program. Dr. Ryan also handled the typhoon really well, he got us out of Lidao before the road got damaged and handle the situation really well. I think the program is really good for Taiwan and American high school and college students or even anyone. It gives them an opportunity to experience something different, something that they normally would not do and be able to experience. It gives them a opportunity to share their culture with the minority people and to learn about the minority people and their culture. Thank you Dr. Ryan for this opportunity to come to Taitung. It was a wonderful experience and I hope I can come back again. This is a wonderful program and it would be a wonderful experience for anyone.
Report
Jessica Lin
International Vision Outreach Program for Taitung Remote Areas Minority
During this program I learned a lot about the outside world that most people usually don’t get to experience. It gave me a chance to understand the world a little better and see the digital dividend problem. We taught the youth more about the world and how the internet can take you anywhere with the help of Google Earth. This program gave me unforgettable memories and experiences.
For the past seven days it has been a blast. It was something I experienced for the first time. On the first day, we went from
From this experience I met new friends, learned new things, and enjoyed every second of it. My most unforgettable memory would have to be the day we stayed at Lidao Elementary because it was a very different environment compared to the one I am usually in and the kids were fun to be with. The BBQ at Lidao was a very unique experience because it was raining and the kids were singing tribe songs that sounded very beautiful. I really liked how we went to the elementary school with all the people that had to evacuate, because some of the people said some very touching stories that made me cry.
For this program, I really hope they have it next year because it is a great opportunity for people from other countries to understand the divide problem in
A Special Experience
Report
很高興能參加這次機會中心的國際志工服務計畫,和幾位遠從美國加州來的學生們一起到偏遠地區幫助那些小朋友,教導他們一些簡單的英文,英文歌曲使用Google Earth還有畫世界地圖……進而拓展國際觀及視野
第一站~利稻~山中的小村落,那邊的布農族小朋友可說是非常活潑好動,和他們玩在一起有一種家人的感覺,而且,他們也都是歌唱高手呢!宏亮的歌聲更為我們大家烤肉增添了熱鬧的氣氛,雖然在下著雨的颱風夜前夕,但我們心中吃著熱呼呼的烤肉和大家聚在一起,更加溫暖了
一個突如其來的颱風使得我們要提早下山,台東的風雨可真不小呀!中颱~莫拉克~帶來了強風和大量的降雨,為台灣水庫解決了缺水之問題但也造成南台灣重大的水災,許多地方交通受阻,有些人更失去了他們的家園......除了物資上支援他們,心靈上的安慰更是不可或缺,我們去災民岸置區和他們一起唱歌,為他們禱告,更祈禱他們早日重建家園 在台東遇到颱風真是個特別的經歷,讓我們更能珍惜自己所擁有的切,並且學會感恩,知足
最後三天我們到太麻里的達旺教會,那裏是排灣族,我們教小朋友使用電腦.唱歌,更和小朋友們一起排演話劇~約拿和大魚~並做了故事中所需要的道具和布景,大家在遊戲中學習並認真參與,在第二天晚上呈現出我們的成果,在歡樂中為我們的教會活動畫下美好的句點
這八天國際志工的活動即將告一個段落,但我收穫不少~認識並去體驗山上偏遠地區的不同生活,這一切和都市生活完全不太一樣, 旅途中~窗外彷彿由一幅幅壯麗開闊的山水畫所鋪陳出來的,一望無際的海洋倚著灣延陡峭的山壁向外延伸,看著看著,心情跟著開闊起來……途中的感想
所謂<助人為快樂之本>我們付出的越多,得到的也越多,藉由這次的國際志工服務活動,我更了解到只要我們主動去關懷那些需要幫助的人,或許只是一些微不足道的小小行動,但那一切所帶給他們的,可能會成為最即時的幫助,把我們所學的知識和一些能力,去教給更多的人,一起分享,更交流彼此的心情故事,也是不錯的體驗呢!
對我來說~另一個挑戰就是學習能和從美國來的國際志工講話,學英文,說真的~我好羨慕好羨慕他們可以把英文說得那麼流利,或許是我該更大方的練習說,但在和他們玩遊戲的過程中,我也練習學著聽到底在講些甚麼~~
我想,在這次的志工活動中,我學習了很多事,從不同角度去想事情, 並和這些哥哥姊姊們一起練習帶小朋友活動.表演~認識了很多朋友,沒錯,只要哪裡有愛.哪裡有溫暖.我們都是一家人,要互相幫助~在此感謝參與活動的所有同仁,謝謝你們讓活動順利進行,大家都很平安~Thanks~
希望大家都能留下美好回憶~Nice to meet everybody!!!
很高興能參加這次機會中心的國際志工服務計畫,和幾位遠從美國加州來的學生們一起到偏遠地區幫助那些小朋友,教導他們一些簡單的英文,英文歌曲使用Google Earth還有畫世界地圖……進而拓展國際觀及視野
第一站~利稻~山中的小村落,那邊的布農族小朋友可說是非常活潑好動,和他們玩在一起有一種家人的感覺,而且,他們也都是歌唱高手呢!宏亮的歌聲更為我們大家烤肉增添了熱鬧的氣氛,雖然在下著雨的颱風夜前夕,但我們心中吃著熱呼呼的烤肉和大家聚在一起,更加溫暖了
一個突如其來的颱風使得我們要提早下山,台東的風雨可真不小呀!中颱~莫拉克~帶來了強風和大量的降雨,為台灣水庫解決了缺水之問題但也造成南台灣重大的水災,許多地方交通受阻,有些人更失去了他們的家園......除了物資上支援他們,心靈上的安慰更是不可或缺,我們去災民岸置區和他們一起唱歌,為他們禱告,更祈禱他們早日重建家園 在台東遇到颱風真是個特別的經歷,讓我們更能珍惜自己所擁有的切,並且學會感恩,知足
最後三天我們到太麻里的達旺教會,那裏是排灣族,我們教小朋友使用電腦.唱歌,更和小朋友們一起排演話劇~約拿和大魚~並做了故事中所需要的道具和布景,大家在遊戲中學習並認真參與,在第二天晚上呈現出我們的成果,在歡樂中為我們的教會活動畫下美好的句點
這八天國際志工的活動即將告一個段落,但我收穫不少~認識並去體驗山上偏遠地區的不同生活,這一切和都市生活完全不太一樣, 旅途中~窗外彷彿由一幅幅壯麗開闊的山水畫所鋪陳出來的,一望無際的海洋倚著灣延陡峭的山壁向外延伸,看著看著,心情跟著開闊起來……途中的感想
所謂<助人為快樂之本>我們付出的越多,得到的也越多,藉由這次的國際志工服務活動,我更了解到只要我們主動去關懷那些需要幫助的人,或許只是一些微不足道的小小行動,但那一切所帶給他們的,可能會成為最即時的幫助,把我們所學的知識和一些能力,去教給更多的人,一起分享,更交流彼此的心情故事,也是不錯的體驗呢!
對我來說~另一個挑戰就是學習能和從美國來的國際志工講話,學英文,說真的~我好羨慕好羨慕他們可以把英文說得那麼流利,或許是我該更大方的練習說,但在和他們玩遊戲的過程中,我也練習學著聽到底在講些甚麼~~
我想,在這次的志工活動中,我學習了很多事,從不同角度去想事情, 並和這些哥哥姊姊們一起練習帶小朋友活動.表演~認識了很多朋友,沒錯,只要哪裡有愛.哪裡有溫暖.我們都是一家人,要互相幫助~在此感謝參與活動的所有同仁,謝謝你們讓活動順利進行,大家都很平安~Thanks~
希望大家都能留下美好回憶~Nice to meet everybody!!!
REPORT :D!
Georgina Chen
International Volunteer for Taitung remote areas
This was an amazing, once in a lifetime experience that I will never forget. From the outgoing kids at Lidao Elementary School to the worship session for the typhoon victims, I gained a lot of knowledge and experience that is necessary when going off into the real world. It all began one weekend during a sleepover at Jessica's house that her mom introduced us to the program. After some discussion, I decided to join the program without any hesitation. Throughout the entire summer while I traveled around other areas of Taiwan and China, I waited for the week to arrive. August 5, all my family members knew that was the day I would be going to Taitung for a week of international volunteer.
It all began with a forty minute flight to the city of Taitung. As we all met in the airport for the first time, everyone was shy, since for some of us it was the first time meeting the others. We then took a bus to the restaurant where we all introduced ourselves and began our journey to all becoming friends. After dinner, we went to our ming su home where a friendly host gave us a warm welcome at the door. As soon as we opened the door to our room, a lizard crawled up the wall and the room was infested with mosquitoes. For the five minutes that I was outside, I got stung five times. I will never get used to mosquito bites for they are itchy and scar my legs; however, despite all the mosquitoes, the room was beautiful and was followed by an amazing breakfast the next morning.
The following day we created name tags and was introduced to our blog, which I think is very useful in keeping track of our daily activities. We soon got on the bus to Lidao which was followed by a terrible headache from the curvy mountain roads. At Lidao, we were introduced to a dirty computer and classroom of which we all put in our efforts to clean. I think this portion of the volunteer program was really memorable in that we all worked as a team and accomplished a goal together. The next morning, we finally met the children we would be interacting with. Not only were they outgoing and loud, but they were also disobedient at times; however, we all soon became friends and taught each other something new. They taught us their tribal chant while we introduced our American culture to them such as football and singing songs. Their singing was beautiful and sent chills throughout my body. Interacting with them was really unforgettable and my fortune to have been able to work with them.
That night was one of the most memorable experiences from this program. We barbecued with the children while they sang in harmony as the rain pattered in the background and the wind howled in the distance. I discovered that they all eat a lot but do not waste food and are amazing at barbecuing. Although we were all covered in smoke and the rain made our clothes wet, it was very joyful and exciting experience that we shared with the children. Unfortunately the typhoon came so we had to cut our plans short and leave Lidao in order to avoid any road blockages. After only one day of interacting with them, I felt sad to leave them- the kids all stood in the rain to wave bye to us which was really touching. If given a chance I would definitely want to visit them again and be able to stay longer. On the way down the mountain, we encountered various scary scenes- there were rocks piled on the street and streams of water pouring out of the mountains.
After returning to Taitung area, we were notified that the road had been broken soon after we left. Our plans shifted from the planned curriculum due to the typhoon so we ended up staying at a hotel that night. The next day was also ruined by the typhoon- all we were able to do was visit the church at Tamali to make sure everything was okay to proceed on with the events. We stopped twice on the way back to the hotel to look at the drifting wood on the beach. I had never seen such a sight! There were piles of wood everywhere laying on the sand. Although our plans were ruined by the typhoon, I feel as though the typhoon was a really big part of this volunteer experience. It helped us to create a real life situation in which we were on our own as kids and showed the power of mother nature. It made us experience the disaster first hand rather than on the news- since we were able to visit the disaster site up close.
The next day, we were finally able to work with the children at the church. As a group, we all sang, played games, and drew. We worked on a creating a play and making props for the stage performance. At night, we were invited to go to the elementary school in which all the typhoon victims were residing. Seeing all the mattresses in one classroom and all the victims made me realize how fortunate I am to have a family and a home to go to. We stood in the back as the priest of the church sang and prayed to lift the spirits of the victims. It was a very spiritual and uplifting experience that touched me in seeing that they wanted more than anything for their family to be safe- their house was not in the least important as opposed to their family being with them.
The next day, we returned to the church in the morning and continued to play games and sing with the children. We worked on our play as an entire group and ate boxed lunches together. After lunch, we were able to visit the disaster site first hand. It was something I have never seen- not only were the roads torn and broken, but the entire area was covered in mud and wood. It was ten times more scary than seeing it on the news. We then returned to the church where we performed our play and said a farewell to the kids at night. The priest awarded us with a gift with the colors of their tribe on a key chain. Before we left, everyone wanted to take pictures with one another and we had an enjoyable time shaking hands, giving hugs, and saying our goodbyes. Even just after two days of interaction we all seem to have become to close to a couple of the children at the church. I think they are all special in their own way and are noble for working with the victims by singing to them, organizing clothes, and much more.
I will NEVER forget this experience! Not only did I have a lot of fun and made new friends, but I also learned a lot and experienced my first typhoon and the effects of mother nature. Although shy at first when we first met each other in the airport, all of us soon became friends including Dr. Ryan Wang's children, Hannah and Howard. We all met in each other's room at night to play cards and hang out. All the children we met in Lidao Elementary School and in Taimali church have also become our friends and will never be forgotten. I will also remember the peanut mochi and the crunchy, sweet yams- they were delicious! All our memories have been set in stone for we have taken many pictures to keep the memory alive. Some improvements that I think would benefit the program would be to make it longer- I feel as though it would be even more memorable to be able to interact with one set of children for at least a week.
Thank you Dr. Wang for this opportunity to become an international volunteer. It was my first time traveling by myself and helped me gained experience that can be used in the real world. If given the opportunity, I would definitely want to come back again and work with the children. Thank you for everything- for taking your time to service the Taitung area, for driving us around in your car, for taking us to eat delicious foods, and for inviting us to come to Taitung! I am forever grateful for this opportunity and I hope that we will keep in contact and I hope I can come back to Taitung and service the remote area children.
Aug 10, 2009
Second day in the Luxurious hotel
Today was our second day in our hotel . We woke at 7 and went to eat McDonald's. After McDonald's, we went to Tai Mali to check it out. Apparently, it is still partly under water. After Tai Mali, we went to Zi Ben and ate some fish. When the fish was devoured, we went to the 6 star restroom of The Museum of Pre-Time. After using the very nice restroom, we headed to the beach to look at it. The beach was covered with drift wood, with some that apparently are worth a lot. After leaving the beach, we went to a delicious mochi shop. We each got two pieces of mochi, which tasted great. After that, we came back to te hotel, ate some steak, played cards, and truth and dare. We had a splendid time today (especially with the truth and dare)!
The Final day in Li Dao Elementary School
The Final day in Li Dao Elementary School.
Due to Morak Typhoon, we have to shorten our stay and courses in the Li Dao Elementary.
Aug 9, 2009
8/9/09 Preparation
It was early morning on the ninth of August, and we did not have anything planned yet. For breakfast, we had Mcdonald's. We had English Muffins and hash browns for breakfast. After breakfast, we met on ground floor at 9am. When everyone arrived on the ground floor, Dr. Ryan Wang gave us the schedule for the day. Our plan was to go to Tamali and see the conditions there. The conditions in Tamali were very bad, many roads were closed because of the disaster caused by the floods. However, luckily, the DarWan Church was up the hill, so the flood did not damage it too much. If conditions are still held, then the plan will continue as scheduled. After confirming the conditions were ok, we left Tamali and went to eat lunch. We had bbq fish, steamed fish, and fish soup for lunch. Yum.
After lunch, we tried to go to the museum of prehistory, however it was closed because of the typhoon. Even though it was closed, we went to the nice bathroom located at the typhoons. It was one clean bathroom.
Next, Joey suggested we go to the beach and surf. When we got to the beach, the beach was filled with wood chips and branches. The violent waves washed the debris from Tamali to the seashore of Taitung.
We went back to the same hotel as yesterday, the rest of the day was free. We had steak for dinner and that was our night.
88
After lunch, we tried to go to the museum of prehistory, however it was closed because of the typhoon. Even though it was closed, we went to the nice bathroom located at the typhoons. It was one clean bathroom.
Next, Joey suggested we go to the beach and surf. When we got to the beach, the beach was filled with wood chips and branches. The violent waves washed the debris from Tamali to the seashore of Taitung.
We went back to the same hotel as yesterday, the rest of the day was free. We had steak for dinner and that was our night.
88
8/8 Last day in Lidao
Our last day in Lidao elementary school was cut short because of typhoon conditions. Despite the violent winds and heavy rainfall, we kept teaching until the bus reached Lidao. For breakfast, it was egg with radish cake and milk tea. After breakfast, we quickly went to school to begin our lesson. Dr. Ryan Wang, Elton and Joey led the first course. They taught them some family relationship terms such as grandfather, grandmother, mother, brother, sister, etc... The kids also helped with pairing the English terms with Bunun terms. Afterwards, Georgina and Jessica, taught them a simple song, Mary had a Little Lamb. The kids mostly knew the tune. They got the first line pretty fast, however the second line was a little tougher. The words were more complex and had a little tough time pronouncing. They gave Chocolate kisses to those that went on stage to sing. The kids loved the chocolates from America. It was a good incentive for the students. Next, Thomas and I went to teach them If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. They had a more difficult time grasping the song. The song was a little more difficult, they couldn't pronunce some of the words and pronunciation. They get the beet really quick, but when it comes to reading it and pronuncing, difficulty arrises.
Next, sadly, was time to say goodbye. It was a short, but binding bond we built together in those couple days. The kids seemed disappointed that we were leaving. Everyone was missing Georgina. I miss Jerry and Wu Shu..who didn't even come the last day, so I couldn't say goodbye to him.
Next was off the mountain. The cars came around 10:30. We quickly loaded our luggage and prepared to drive down. As we drove down, we saw lots of rocks and tree branches that slid down from the mountain. We made it down the mountain safetly, and went straight to lunch, which was a famous traditional lunch meal. It's the most famous lunch box meal in Taitung.
After lunch, Elton's parents and my mom left and went back home via train. Originally they were planning to go tomorrow, but they decided to leave asap before the typhoon gets any worse. It was the right choice because the typhoon hit hard later in the day.
Next off we went to a rice factory. The owner of the rice factory gave us a quick tour of the factory, I never thought rice took so long to cultivate. The process takes a long long time. After the tour, we went to make wind chimes because of typhoon delays. We were planning to go to Tamali and set up, but weather prevent us from doing so.
A couple hours later, we decided to go drop off the supplies at the Taitung University. After doing so, we went to our hotel and ate Mcdonald's for dinner.
Night was over.
Good night.
Jerry, one of the children.
Next, sadly, was time to say goodbye. It was a short, but binding bond we built together in those couple days. The kids seemed disappointed that we were leaving. Everyone was missing Georgina. I miss Jerry and Wu Shu..who didn't even come the last day, so I couldn't say goodbye to him.
Next was off the mountain. The cars came around 10:30. We quickly loaded our luggage and prepared to drive down. As we drove down, we saw lots of rocks and tree branches that slid down from the mountain. We made it down the mountain safetly, and went straight to lunch, which was a famous traditional lunch meal. It's the most famous lunch box meal in Taitung.
After lunch, Elton's parents and my mom left and went back home via train. Originally they were planning to go tomorrow, but they decided to leave asap before the typhoon gets any worse. It was the right choice because the typhoon hit hard later in the day.
Next off we went to a rice factory. The owner of the rice factory gave us a quick tour of the factory, I never thought rice took so long to cultivate. The process takes a long long time. After the tour, we went to make wind chimes because of typhoon delays. We were planning to go to Tamali and set up, but weather prevent us from doing so.
A couple hours later, we decided to go drop off the supplies at the Taitung University. After doing so, we went to our hotel and ate Mcdonald's for dinner.
Night was over.
Good night.
Jerry, one of the children.
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