I just came back from an AMAZING week of camp. There is really too much for me to say but I wanted to touch on some things so that I wouldn't forget the feelings I have leaving camp.
The week of camp amazing but exhausting. It is truly impossible to explain to anyone the unicamp experience. You can tell them that it's a camp for underserved youth, you can tell them it's a super outcome based camp with lots of deep programming, you can tell them it's about getting the kids to think about their goals and dreams, but no matter what you say that all seems to kinda of just fly over the head and end with a nodd. It sounds all great and everything, but you truly don't know how great this camp is unless you've experienced it. It's I guess what I've come to define in my own way what the "woodsey magic". The woodsey magic is what all us unicamp volunteers refer to something that is experienced at camp that can't really be explained. And after my second year of doing camp, I think I've really come to understand what it means.
This week of camp is great for the kids but it's also been such a growing experience for myself as well. Taking care of these 8 10ish year old girls with my co was like being a parent, no joke. We are with these girls 24/7 and that is no exaggeration. Never are these girls out of sight of one of two pairs of eyes. We are there to make sure they are on time to every rotation, changing, being clean, brushing their teeth, doing their duties, eating their meals etc etc. As their counselors we're also there to make sure that they get as much out of camp as possible too, meaning making sure they in some way take away our personal session outcome "to reach up, reach in and reach out". And it wasn't always easy with my girls because they were only 10 and some of the deeper programmer didn't sink in too much for them, but we tried. But if I learned anything don't ever underestimate these kids. Without you knowing they will suprise you with how mature they are, how able they are to discuss serious topics and how strong they are from whatever hardship or circumstances they have gone through and experienced. Being a counselor has made me grow up just a little more, be more responsible.
Family. That is truly how I saw my group of girls and my co. They were like my family. They were super adorable a lot of the times, but no matter how much you loved them sometimes they just super got on your nerves. All the constant irrelevant questions, misplacing of items etc. Not only that but I was so fortunate to have my group of girls. My co and I kept saying that we were soo lucky. Our girls were never super cliquey and all got along with each other. Our girls for teh most part were very respectful, participated and if asked to do something would. It made me wonder if I had any other group of kids would I have been able to handle it... That is why I really admire all the other counselors especially the ones who had slightly tougher units. Good job sesh 5.
Something that I loved during the week of camp was how it brought me back to myself. Some of the girls were homesick and it really brought me to think of myself. I was that girl who always cried at overnights, who missed her parents like crazy and could not be cheered up. Going to college I was still that girl and being able to be there for those girls who felt the same way really made me feel good? I don't knw the word, but I was really glad that I was able to take my own experiences and relate it to them and comfort them when they needed it. I really hope that the girls did enjoy camp, and that we did have some lasting impression on them no matter how big or significant.
What else...yea I was debating whether I wanted to do camp again next year and wasn't sure. But leaving camp all I can recall is all the warm fuzzy moments, getting to the kids yolks. That is one thing I am sad about camp having ended I wish I could have spoken to some of the girls more....but then again I was also very very exhausted. I think I will do camp again, but it's hard to decided which I like better being a counselor or specialist. The two roles are soo different and both offer their pros and cons. What I do like about being a counselor is that allow there are a lot more emotionally tough times involving the children, you do get to know a few of the kids on a deeper more closer level which is nice.
O ok forgot to mention all the millions of laughs I had during the week:
1. My girls saying my face looked like I was married
2. My girls trying to set me up with Wasabi, Gigabyte, Kool Kat and Babu (Shortie our adopted Unicorp)
3. Being with my co
everything everything...
I almost forgot to mention my CO! I love her soo much. She was the best. I am soo suprised how well we worked together and we were soo in sync. Not until the week of camp did I realize how great a co pair we were. When I was at a loss for words she filled in the debriefs, when I couldn't decide I would send the girls over to her and she would decide. Never did I feel like one of us was taking on a stronger or lesser role at camp, we were I think equals in every sense. She is the bestest and so glad I had her during the week of camp.
Yup I think that is it. OH and the food was DELICIOUS!!!!!
If I had one wish, it would be that at least one of my girls in my unit would keep in touch with me. That would be soo great.
Alright that is it.
--Laughables
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Angel Island Performance
I feel like I haven't blogged in FOREVERS so I thought I would do some tonight.
One things I really wanted to blog about was my experience at Angel Island. About a couple of weeks ago there was a celebration at Angel Island. I think it had been open for 100 years. Anyways for those of you who don't know what Angel Island is, it's kinda a smaller scaled Ellis (sp?) Island. Angel Island was the limbo between being an immigrant and being admitted into the United States. A lot of immigrants weren't allowed to enter into the U.S, especially because of the exclusion act. I'm not all that great with history, but people were allowed to enter into the U.S under certain circumstances. Angel Island basically (I think) was kind of created in order to verify that people were who they said they were. Immigrants went through super freakishly detailed interrogrations where they had to prove they were the son of blank, the wife of blank etc.
Anyways what started off as me just helping out my cousin's fiance, turned into a really great learning experience. The Angel Island celebration included a lot of speakers, performances and book signings. I had agreed to volunteer as an actor, to do a reinactment of a lady named Leung Shee who was being interrogated/investigated. My character (who was a real person on file) was coming over to the U.S as a merchant's wife, but later they suspected that I had been a madame for prostitution houses. Anyways in order to semi do this performance well I asked a lot of questions and really tried to understand this whole Angel Island business. I spoke to my dad, read some books, read some wiki. These people would be asked really nit picky questions about how many people lived in their village and things that no normal person would naturally be able to recall. These people sometimes had to wait in the barracks for weeks, months before coming in front of a guard dude to be questioned. It's sooo crazy to think about what they had to go through, what my grandfather went through. My grandfather was a paper son meaning he bought a fake name pretending to be the son of someone who was already in the U.S in order to come here. He studied his butt off in order to convince them that he was and of course he passed otherwise I wouldn't be here. But can you imagine the pressure? One wrong answer and you would be sent back to China or whatever country you came from.
I always say history bores me, but if you give it a chance it can be really interesting. Anyways...I performed that day as Leung Shee. I honestly am not sure if I accurately portrayed this woman, the point was more for it to be a dramatic I think...but the experience for myself was really rewarding. What was great was after 2 girls came up to me and asked me if I could elaborate ane explain what had happened to my character. These girls were genuinely interested and that mde me happy. They even told me that I was a really good actress, which was sweet. If anything my favorite thing about acting has always been to entertain people, to allow them to enjoy themselves as they get lost in the performance. I'm glad I was able to do that for these girls and have them experience a snippet of what it possibly could have been like for an immigrant at Angel Island.
One things I really wanted to blog about was my experience at Angel Island. About a couple of weeks ago there was a celebration at Angel Island. I think it had been open for 100 years. Anyways for those of you who don't know what Angel Island is, it's kinda a smaller scaled Ellis (sp?) Island. Angel Island was the limbo between being an immigrant and being admitted into the United States. A lot of immigrants weren't allowed to enter into the U.S, especially because of the exclusion act. I'm not all that great with history, but people were allowed to enter into the U.S under certain circumstances. Angel Island basically (I think) was kind of created in order to verify that people were who they said they were. Immigrants went through super freakishly detailed interrogrations where they had to prove they were the son of blank, the wife of blank etc.
Anyways what started off as me just helping out my cousin's fiance, turned into a really great learning experience. The Angel Island celebration included a lot of speakers, performances and book signings. I had agreed to volunteer as an actor, to do a reinactment of a lady named Leung Shee who was being interrogated/investigated. My character (who was a real person on file) was coming over to the U.S as a merchant's wife, but later they suspected that I had been a madame for prostitution houses. Anyways in order to semi do this performance well I asked a lot of questions and really tried to understand this whole Angel Island business. I spoke to my dad, read some books, read some wiki. These people would be asked really nit picky questions about how many people lived in their village and things that no normal person would naturally be able to recall. These people sometimes had to wait in the barracks for weeks, months before coming in front of a guard dude to be questioned. It's sooo crazy to think about what they had to go through, what my grandfather went through. My grandfather was a paper son meaning he bought a fake name pretending to be the son of someone who was already in the U.S in order to come here. He studied his butt off in order to convince them that he was and of course he passed otherwise I wouldn't be here. But can you imagine the pressure? One wrong answer and you would be sent back to China or whatever country you came from.
I always say history bores me, but if you give it a chance it can be really interesting. Anyways...I performed that day as Leung Shee. I honestly am not sure if I accurately portrayed this woman, the point was more for it to be a dramatic I think...but the experience for myself was really rewarding. What was great was after 2 girls came up to me and asked me if I could elaborate ane explain what had happened to my character. These girls were genuinely interested and that mde me happy. They even told me that I was a really good actress, which was sweet. If anything my favorite thing about acting has always been to entertain people, to allow them to enjoy themselves as they get lost in the performance. I'm glad I was able to do that for these girls and have them experience a snippet of what it possibly could have been like for an immigrant at Angel Island.
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