CAS Category: SERVICE & ACTION
Name: Rustic Pathways Service Opportunities
Hours: (56 + 56)
Dates: June 24- July 22
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness.” – Mark Twain
This summer I decided to get a head start with my CAS hours.
I kept a journal throughout my travels in Asia during the summer of 2010, so that I could accurately record how I spent my time. I spent a week in a small Village near Na Som doing volunteer work to improve the health and well-being of the community, a week traveling with a photography class, and then two weeks doing more volunteer work and learning the languages and about the culture and religion of various countries. Within this time, I travelled to Myanmar (Burma), Lao, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam with a Company called Rustic Pathways.
In Lao and Cambodia especially, Rustic Pathways arranged Various Volunteer opportunities.
In Na Som, I took part in all the service projects I could, these included; the Veterinary assistance Project (Vaccinating dogs), “Meals on flip flops” (cooking local foods and distributing it to elderly and small children), Donations (school equipment and books), Teaching (and Learning), Working at Temples, and repairing roads (to ease transportation and trade). In Lao, I spent 40 hours in Service Projects. Each project took patience and we learned as much as we gave. What I took from the experience of volunteering in Lao, was a sense of accomplishment, Bug Bites, eight pairs of broken shoes, increased patience, and a deeper understanding of my ancestry and culture. By living in the accommodations alongside the villagers, I became aware of how fortunate I am not to wake up every morning by the sounds of pigs being slaughtered next door, if I had not experienced that, now, I would probably sleep in until my sweet little alarm clock is set to snooze for the third time.
AT THE NUNERY WHERE WE LEARNED ABOUT BUDDHISM
AT THE ORPHANAGE IN CAMBODIA
PAINTING TEMPLE WALLS IN LAO
In Cambodia, our volunteer projects consisted of working at orphanages and temples, along with many donations of toys, books, and cookies. The Rustic Pathways Websites indicates that I spent sixteen hours in service projects there.
Each day was packed with things to do and places to see, which I cherished every moment of with my peers. My favorite place was this hidden little Blue Lagoon in Lao where we would jump off waterfalls and swing into warm water filled with “massaging fish” which would tickle our feet if we stood still.
Traveling with Rustic Pathways improved my time-management, language skills, and the art of cooking.
Here are a few websites where you will find my itinerary some things have changed for the 2011 edition
At the bottom of this website, you will find an explanation of each service project i did in Lao:
SERVICE HOURS: 40
This was the first trip i went on in Lao, this is a good overview of how each day was made up.
SERVICE HOURS: 8
This website shows what my second trip was about, however, locations and dates have changed.
SERVICE HOURS: 8
This website shows the last trip i was on.... however it does not show a very accurate itinerary
“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what we imagine of it.” – Cesare Pavese
No comments:
Post a Comment