| Gwendoline's Blog: Heading to South Africa |
Date: Monday, February 19, 2007
Current Location: Boulder, CO
Plans have finally materialized, and I am set to depart for South Africa in ten days. As you can certainly imagine, I am a bundle of excitement and nervousness, particularly since this is the furthest I have ever traveled alone.
Coupling a grant from the university with personal finances, everything has come together over the past three weeks. I am extrememly thankful to the people in South Africa who have made this possible and answered my every question. I will be staying at the Buddhist Retreat Centre for most of my stay, conducting interviews and observations at Woza Moya during the days and enjoying the countryside in the evening. Like a typical tourist, I have also set a side a few days at the end of my trip to relax by the seaside and sightsee!
I am absolutely elated at this opportunity! If only I could go for months instead of weeks....
Date: Monday, November 6, 2006
Current Location: Boulder, CO
Roughly three months away, my departure to South Africa is steadily approaching!
Now that I have my thesis advisor's approval and a warm welcome from Sue at Woza Moya, trip details must be finalized and additional funding secured...
As I sit here grinning from ear to ear, prematurely playing holiday music, I cannot stop thinking of how incredible of an experience this will be. Knowing that I cannot possibly prepare for everything and that hidden challenges are what make adventures like these memorable, I am thrilled to have this opportunity and to be able to unite my various pursuits.
However, I cannot help but juxtapose my experiences and the opportunities available to me to those of less-fortunate upbringings. Questions surrounding inequality, unfairness and privilege have been streaming through my mind as I contemplate and plan for the trip to South Africa--I don't know that a lifetime is long enough to reconcile such questions and dilemmas.
Date: Thursday, September 28, 2006
Current Location: Boulder
For me, time now resembles something out of Einstein's theory of relativity--with the weight of my thesis warping the time-space continuem in which I exist, days and months seem as one. Somewhere inbetween the papers, phone calls and meetings, I have managed a list of potential funding opportunities for my trip to South Africa. Of course, further complicating the issue is the final A-Ok from my graduate department. Not to mention, the May 2007 graduation deadline beckons and makes each passing week that much more demanding.
Nonetheless, I am optimistic in my travel plans. Such an opportunity to combine personal, work and academic interests must be seized when presented. I anticipate the experience to be profoundly eye opening and challenging, particularly under the tutelage of Sue Hedden.
Currently, Jennifer Cleary and I are developing a power point presentation for students at a secondary school in hopes of getting them engaged with volunteering. As a first step, we are asking them to collect a suitcase full of school supplies to be donated to the orphans of Woza Moya on the school's behalf.
Steven Harrison also has exciting ideas on how to incorporate my trip to South Africa for ATNI: Armed with camcorder in hand, I'll document my experience at Woza Moya, interviewing both the staff and those supported by the organization. The premiere of the short documentary should coincide with ATNI's World Music Fundraiser next Spring!
Date: Monday, August 28, 2006
Current Location: Boulder
As a graduate student volunteering with ATNI, I've found that my academic interests and goals parallel several of our on-going projects here, prompting a decision to base my thesis on ATNI's sponsored charity in South Africa, Woza Moya. Thanks to director Sue Hedden's openness and agreement, February 2007 is the target month for the voyage, though everything depends on appropriate funding and thesis advisor approval. With classes at CU-Boulder starting today, the pressure to get organized and the ball rolling is tremendous!
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