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Published: December 8th 2010
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I’m still adding to my unique China experiences.
A couple of Saturdays ago I volunteered to go and help at a migrant childrens’ school out in the sticks, because often I am working with the managers rather than the beneficiaries of the projects and wanted to do something a bit more hands-on. This organisation has been started by a British lady who now lives in Beijing and she is one of those ‘movers and shakers’ who makes things happen and inspires you to get involved. Then everyone I mentioned it to wanted to come with me so we ended up with a group 6 all setting off on the bus together at 7.30am . The kids made it worth the early start; they are just so keen to try everything and concentrated for an hour and a half before we went out to play. It was great fun, making Christmas cards with 5 little boys, with no English, but I was paired with a Chinese student volunteer who helped – anyway you don’t need much language for cutting out snowflakes.
Then, in contrast, last weekend I decided to go and have a taste of life in a Buddhist temple.
The idea was to chill out before what I knew was going to be a very busy week (more of that later) Saturday started well, wrapped in huge soft blue blankets we sat crossed legged on rush mats, learning how to meditate. But it didn’t last long before we had our first discussion about Buddhist philosophy – quite challenging! Then we climbed the mountain to the temple – there’s always a mountain and a temple – and always a never-ending flight of steps. That was followed by dinner with the monks – I had hoped for some peace and quiet but they all had the Chinese disease ‘mobile phonitus’ and chatted as they ate! We then got the chance to try our hand at calligraphy, copying out some of the scriptures with the traditional calligraphy brush and ink – good fun even if my characters were somewhat disastrous! By this time the cold was getting through to my bones, despite the lovely blanket, but fortunately there was heating in the bedroom and with the help of two quilts I slept – until a quite civilised 6.30. After breakfast – they certainly don’t go hungry – we had a “break down
the ego” tea making ceremony which was quite fun; we each had our own T set and followed a ritual serving each other tea; teachers, visitors, monks all together. Then they wanted us to help make dumplings at which point I gently rebelled and said can I just go for a walk and have some time to myself please! By the time I got back to Beijing I was glad to have my little flat to myself, so not quite the peaceful retreat I had imagined…………but lots of food for thought.
This week has been the build up to International Volunteering Day and positively manic. Our UNV team planned a celebration to bring all our projects together – the blind choir, old ladies dancing and demonstrating Tai Chi, children playing football, a presentation of certificates and the launch of our book (case stories) and DVD – well that was the plan anyway. But there is a culture of ‘last minuteism’ in China – and anyone who knows me will know I like to plan, well ahead, and down to the last detail!! So it drives me crazy. To cut a long story short the pop up banners arrived
the UNV gang
the picture on the boxes is the logo for the Millennium Development Goal for environmental protection 20 minutes before the start, the DVD arrived 1 hour before, they changed the running order of the programme as we started ……………but hey it all got done, there were lots of smiling faces, over 400 people came through the door and we all went home exhausted but happy.
In fact, we were part of an even bigger event, the first ever VSO Volunteering Expo, which was a great idea to hold a kind of ‘trade fair’ for not-for-profit organisations, to show what they do, network, meet funders and companies and for the public to find out about volunteer opportunities. This was a major undertaking for VSO China and part of our new China strategy, so they have all been pretty hectic too. But by putting our two events together it was a win-win. And as part of that I did a live radio interview for China International Radio which was broadcast live to Hawaii, Canberra, Texas and California – random!
So that was a big deadline for us 5 December and although there is still lots to do I now feel I can treat myself to a holiday and make the most of my proximity to all
these fascinating places – I’m off to Vietnam on Friday – wohoo!
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