Monday, May 25, 2015

post ix: race

Growing up, I did not really pay attention with races. I was surrounded with Filipinos and I was aware that there are other people because there are other countries. Moving here, I was very amazed and excited since I was exposed to a bunch of people with different ethnicity. I made it my goal to get closer to Europeans and Asians and know things in their culture. Freshman year, I was with Europeans. My friends were from Greece, Russia and Moldova. It was a completely different thing from what I was exposed with but it was really interesting since I was the random Asian. They were not mean, since people would say Europeans are arrogant and mean. They felt more comfortable in speaking with their own languages. Come sophomore year, I made it my goal to get closer to Asians and so I surrounded myself with Koreans, Filipinos and Chinese.They were not nerdy. It was a strange experience since they were very white washed and Asian at the same time. And the more white washed a person is, the cooler the person is. I noticed that they would dress up like "white people" and would play "white" sports and would do "white" people things. It was a really interesting group of friends but I could relate with them more since I have some sort of connection with them.  Junior year, I wanted to be closer with Europeans again and so I did. I was with Brazilians and Bulgarians. It was another amazing experience since they were so foreign yet Americanized. I was able to relate with them and they looked like they were not from other countries since they managed to assimilate pretty fast. Being surrounded by "white" people, I always felt uncomfortable around them since they intimidate me. Everyone made them seem so cool and it is really hard to not want to be like "them". But as years goes by, I did not realize that as I was trying to be one of them that I was really losing my Filipino side. I dress up like them, I eat things they eat and that is me being like them. I was never bullied with my race since I never saw any problem with being Filipino. But my Asian friends were bullied back then for being Asian and that is really stupid. I don't think people were born racist and biased to some race. Sometimes, they think they are greater than other races and that is where conflict starts. No matter how many times people say everyone is equal, it will never be a true phase. Some people will always be greater in different aspects.One example was the article where two different people took some food from a grocery and the white ones were "picking it up" while the darker toned was "looting". It will never be equal because in the eyes of people, some race are going to be "higher" and more "dominant" than the others.

Wednesday, May 13, 2015

feed my starving children (1.5 hour)



On May 12, 2015 at 8-9:30 pm was when I volunteered at Feed My Starving Children. Going in, I have no idea on what I will be doing. I knew I would be packing but I didn't know who it was for and what we're packing. I ended up packing for my country and it made me feel excited. People are going to eat the food and will be better and won't be hungry for a day and that gave me a sense of accomplishment. Me and the rest of my classmates packed "Potato D" and it is supposed to help with Diarrhea and malnutrition. The time went by so fast and all I did was mix 2 powders together and that's it. It was an easy job and I got to do it fast and easily. It was a great experience, I would do it again.
The sealed bags of Potato D

Learning about the product!

Sociology class with Sal squad :)



post xviii: social class

One of the things I noticed here in Stevenson are that my classmates and schoolmates wears a lot of branded stuff. The list I came up with was consisted of: north face, uggs, hunters, michael korrs, nike,  lululemon, iPhones and so much more. Those brands aren't expensive and most of all, students are not able to afford. And that gave me a realization that the parents of my school mates are rich that they can afford such brands. Most of the students at least has 3 of the brands listed above. In sociology class, we saw statistics and living in Buffalo Grove, Long Grove and Linconshire gives an impression that the parents earn higher than the average Americans. I have lived in the Philippines and a typical person can survive there with $1 for at least 2 days. Moving here, I felt really privileged. I felt like I became part of the average class or above average. I got to experience things I never did. I can afford branded clothes and eat at nice restaurants and it helped me adjust better in living in a community with a bunch of rich people. Back then, I never really appreciated the things I had. I realized that I am actually more privileged and it changed my perspective with everything. In the Philippines, I did not have my own bed and bathroom and other things that I take for granted. And now, it just made me feel grateful. At the same time, being surrounded with more privileged people makes it feel like what I have is not enough but we read the article "Nickel and Dimed" and it made me think that people have it worse. The people at school are richer and more privileged compared to the rest of Americans. It is possible and inevitable to be jealous of the things that is never achievable for some Americans. Even though some people are in poverty, the government (in my opinion) is doing a great job on helping people. The government can only help for a little, it is up to the person to actually take advantage of it. In the video "The Line", the government has provided them money for the month's expense and it seems to be not enough. It is understandable, but people just has to be thankful and appreciate because in other country, if a person is homeless the government does not really do anything with it. They seem to not bother with them, to be exact.

Monday, May 11, 2015

Bocce Ball (8.5 hours)


It was not the best weather to be in. It was a little chilly and cloudy but the players didn't seem to mind. Before going to the olympics, we were taught that the players have been training for weeks and months and this is a legitimate thing and that we should respect it. I had a weird mentality, I did not know what to expect since I have never been exposed to a special olympics. When the games started, I got to be with such a fun group of people. We were enjoying and making sure everything is going smoothly. My job was to hold the flag and point to where the polina was. I thought it was the easiest thing but little did I know, it was actually such a great help to the players since some of the people can't see the polina. The time went by so fast and it was such a nice feeling seeing the players so happy and accomplished with their awards. I enjoyed how carefree other people were. They just wanted to enjoy the game and not compete as much. It was... very refreshing. The event ended around 3-4 on April 18, 2015. 

(my group)


Project Dance (4 hours)


It was my first project dance. This year's theme was Star Wars. It was on April 11, 2015 at 5:30-10:30. I was part of the group called "Blank Space" with my friends. The dance itself was super fun but the raising money isn't. This dance was for Lincolnshire's Riverside Foundation and Stevenson's Kids In Need (KIN) Fund. The Riverside Foundation is a residential facility that helps enrich the lives of adults with developmental disabilities allowing them to live more independently, participate in recreational activities, and learn new skills. The KIN Fund was established to help provide financial assistance for our own Stevenson High School students in need. In order to raise money, I posted a link of my website so if anyone wanted to donate, they had an access to it. My family relatives were the one's that helped me raised the amount. The thing that really amazed me is it wasn't a lot of effort in my part but it helped so much. I raised around $40 and that mattered. Over 100 kids did the same thing and we have raised above what was expected. Not only we enjoyed the dance but we also got to help foundations that needed it. It's a great thing because it is not much but it truly made a difference in their lives.