Cancer Research

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A week ago I started doing some volunteer work in a CancerResearch shop ( one of the 600 shops spread all over the UK) and I go there a few times a week helping out with sorting the new arrived clothes, labelling and putting price tags . The clothes are donated by people and sold in order to raise funds to support cancer research. Fundraising is a major method to help scientists continue with their research into finding the cure for cancer and all the money these 600 shops make from selling second-hand clothes go to this Cancer Research organization and their labs.

To me volunteering means working with senior citizens, elderly people, sick and disabled, handicapped children,etc so from this perspective I don't feel like I'm doing a big deal. Although the concept of volunteer work is to me different from tagging used clothes, I try to see the bigger picture , the goal and the final ( financial) results of this enormous project and it does make me feel a bit proud.


The point of my blog today is that somebody up there loves me. If you ask me if I like London, I will tell you without thinking twice and with no hesitation: "NO"! Sorry and sincere apologies to all the London lovers and fans, but London just doesn't do it for me. LONDON's all about money and artificial politeness, robotic people always in a rush, packed tube stations and hectic life-style. I guess this feeling isn't specifically about London, it must be about big cities in general.

Yes, anyways, I forgot my point. It started somewhere that somebody up there loves me. It's that I have never ever missed Romania, I never in my life went to bed thinking " I'm so homesick, God I'd wish I were home..." . never!ever! But Colombia, yes! And the first person I talked to in the Cancer Research Shop was Paula , a nice woman from Colombia who has been living here for a year. When I asked her " Where are you from?" with no guess whatsoever that she was gonna say Colombia, I had such an extraordinary feeling, one of those feelings when you're having a normal day , nothing out of the ordinary, and then something hits you out of nowhere and you just realize it's big. The moment she said Colombia I began to shiver and asked her " Entonces hablas espanol..De que ciudad eres? " Now, this you won't believe! "Medellin" was her answer and then I could barley keep myself from crying. " Yo vivi en Medellin 6 meses, regrese de Colombia en Diciembre, hace un mes y media. Colombia es lo mejor pays del mundo". She couldn't believe I could speak Spanish, I couldn't believe she was from the dearest city to me in the whole wide world.

That's all, I just wanted to share with you all , this amazing feeling..

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Photos

Cancer Research Shop
the room behind where we arrange all the clothes

Comments

[Andrew]

hey mona, meds still close to ur heart yeah? Im leaving in under a week, very strange feeling. I still read the blog, probably always will babe. Caro would cry if you said u werent a big london fan haha, everythings relative eh? people still ask bout u down in these parts and say hi to the gang when u see them in London. Apologise for me to Liliana for not sending photos. kid

[Frank D]

Paradise
you know what you need to do, don't you? you need to get back to paradise, Colombia that is!! I miself will be moving back within a year GOD i cant wait!!! If it was up to me I will do it today but I still have to finish school here in the US. I adore that country, Colombia hmmm!!!!!!!! I'll probably do some teaching work when I get there or some no-profit stuff... time will tell. Good luck mona! Animo, as I know exactly how you feel!!!