Autumn

Oi! It is so hot. Hot, hot, hot... The leaves are absolutely beautiful though. Everything is changing. Our internet is down, has been for the last four days. I've been going into town everyday to the cafe to get online. I feel like a Williams College student, we're around them 24/7 now. Have even been attending lectures at the University and using the Library, it's very convenient and is a nice break from the mountain.

Bear Encounter in Western Mass!

Yesterday morning I went for a nice hour long walk in the woods. The leaves were beautiful, the air was warm, the birds were singing. I trot deeper and deeper into the woods and suddenly I see this black thing the size of a four door sedan near a stream. Hmmm.. I think to myself, what could that be??? Then as if it heard my thoughts, a bear lifts it's head and stares directly at me. I'm looking at it, and it's looking at me. Slowly I began to take steps backwards. It's still looking at me, I'm still stepping backwards. Then as if I didn't even exist, it goes back to drinking the water and I turn around and RUN!!!!!!!!!

Day two of building week was yesterday as well. I painted some more ceilings. Picked some flowers and basically that was that. No injuries, no worries.

A Few Thoughts

Today, I am a painter. Once again, I have the task of painting. I feel like painting is somehow in my destiny. I’m always painting here. This time I painted a bathroom and I actually did a great job. Maybe I secretly like painting when I’m not standing outside in the burning hot sun. Today marked the beginning of building week. This happens once a month when all of the staff and Development Instructors here at IICD drop what we are doing and help to update and tweak our lovely mountain facility. It lasts the whole weekend and you learn lots. As I write, trees are being cut down, leaves are being raked, grass is being cut, carpets are being installed, the pool is being covered up and a well is being insulated??? Whatever that’s about?

I finished early and am hiding out in my room, trying not to be discovered because I don’t want another task. Our next fundraising trip is being planned and for some crazy reason, me and four other people will be fundraising in my hometown of Rochester, New York. Hmmmmm…. It was one thing to fundraise in D.C. where the likely hood of me running into people that I know was pretty low (give or take a relative here or there) but Rochester, where I know too many people yikes! At least I can go home to free food and laundry ;-)

Yesterday we had an amazing lecture on child soldiers. It was disturbing in an action rousing way. We focused on child soldiers in Mozambique, Angola and Uganda. It’s such a horrifying reality. If anyone is interested in the subject, I have a book recommendation “A Long Way Gone” by: Ishmael Bea (not sure if this is spelled correctly). It’s a memoir about his experiences as a boy soldier in Sierra Leone and it’s beautifully written.

Second recommendation, the film “Guns, Germs and Steel” we watched it yesterday as well and had a discussion and it really gives you something to think about. The film explores how guns, germs and steel along with environmental location led to Europe’s world conquer and then discusses the implications of that and the historical effects. It’s really interesting because most people don’t learn about this in school. Most people don’t take the opportunity to consider why certain people/groups have the majority of the power in the world, but it’s important to understand because it also explains why certain people have so little and in this understanding we can create solutions. Ignoring problems and accepting certain advantages without taking the personal responsibility to be informed and act in accordance may be one of the most damaging maladies of Western society today.

My favorite kitten Greylock has fleas ;-( Let’s hope for a speedy recovery

Alright, it’s lunch time. Time to creep back towards the cafeteria. Must look busy, must look busy, must look busy…

Fundraising (The Final D.C. Chapter)

Today was our final day of fundraising (yes!).We started off at the Peace March in D.C. this morning. It was great! We got signs and kinda got a little carried away. We marched with the anti-war demonstrators from the White House to the Capitol (okay, we ourselves were anti-war demonstrators) and we went the whole nine yards (sorry fundraising).

My favorite moment of the day was holding up peace signs to all of the pro-Bush/pro-War folks when our groups converged. All in all it was beautiful to see the solidarity, especially all of the returned Iraq War vets who were marching for peace (muaww...).

We made some money today (not a lot, not goal, but we tried) outside of the white house and at the protest itself. We tried evening street fundraising in Dupont Circle as well tonight. It was interesting to see all of the drunk people, however, it wasn't a money maker. Believe it or not, I can't wait to return to the mountain and jump back into work and my regular non-fundraising routine. Long drive tomorrow but I'm one step closer to Benguela!

What Can I Do?

www.ONE.orghelp fight global poverty help the world reach the millennium development goals all it takes is one person that one person is YOU!

Fundraising Again

Day number six in the hot hot sun. And it's so hot. I thought to myself today, wow, you must be really dedicated to this cause to stand outside for eight hours a day in the blazing heat asking strangers to donate money. I've done well. I've exceeded goal. I made 150.00 today ;-) We hit the Silver Spring Jazz festival and made a killing. In five months I will be in the hot sun again, only then I will be in Benguela. Hard work +Determination = Success! My eyes are on the prize.

Okay, so maybe it's not that great...

Um, it's really hot outside!Fundraising is successful, but the initial honeymoon phase is OVER! I did manage to make $246.00 outside of a Safeway in Silver Springs yesterday. The community was so receptive and the people were lovely. That's so humbling and exciting. In these moments, you truly feel like you're directly working as a change agent, but everyday is not like this. Truth be told, I'm getting tired of begging on the streets for money. I know I'm not begging for myself and that I'm there as the face of an organization, as the face of IICD, but it's rough and kind of goes against everything we've been raised as hardworking citizens to do. Not to mention, after a long day, trying to convince restaurants to feed you for free. Our food stipend is tiny! Ten dollars a day with the expectation that we'll fundraise dinner or dip into our savings or....starve?!? A group of us did manage to get amazing Moroccan food tonight in Adams Morgan from Soussi, a Moroccan restaurant. That was however after asking seven other stores and getting NO!!!!!! Alright Boa Noite

Fund-raising

Fundraising in the greater D.C. area is amazing! I, for some odd reason, actually enjoy asking strangers on crowded streets for money? I made $115.00 today, and our team goal is $100.00/person/day. We have had so much success fundraising food also (big thanks to Chipotle Mexican Grill and Coldstone Creamery, yum... ).

It's so nice to be off of the mountain. When you're on the mountain, you don't always, at least, I don't always realize how isolated I am until I emerge and there's a world out there and life in America is happening. I almost feel on the mountain, that I'm not in the United States considering that there are so few Americans and the main language that I hear is Portuguese. It's so nice to be back home.

My team has been great so far, we're working hard and we work well together. Let's raise a toast to successful fundraising and a conflict-free two weeks. SALUT!