Background:
The Social Activity Week is a week held by AFS in some countries (usually 1st world countries) wherein the students get permission to not go to school and, instead, work in the neighbourhood voluntarily. (i.e. without pay)
Today was the last day of my so-called "work" with the nearby children's school. I worked with the 3rd grade (8-9 yrs. old) and with the SFO (I don't really know what it means but it's where the children stay and just play while waiting for their parents to come and pick them up.) It was fun while it lasted. I get to see how the norwegian educational system functions and at the same time, I got to be with children. (I guess it's safe to say that I became a child again.) I drew a lot of things, mostly dragons because of special requests. I went skating with them (where they taught me things), and, all in all, had a good time with them. Sure, it's a lil' bit tiring, with all the screaming, running, crying, asking, talking, etc., that they do but, nonetheless, it was fun.
I guess I love kids. (Not that I would love to have one though.) It kept me wondering, how do they think at their age? I could not remember how I thought when I was small. It was a bit odd because, now that I think about it, I had almost the same line of thought since I was grade 5 but beyond that, I could not remember anymore. I hope that when these kids grow up, they would come to remember me and the one week that I spent with them. If they don't, at least, I know that I would come to remember it all. I guess children are as complicated as adults and, in fact, more dangerous. I feared for the entire week that anything that I might have influenced them would, in a way, affect their entire selves until they grow up and the thought is really sinister. I mean, I never knew how I grew up this way. It could've been my own circle of thoughts or it could have been an outside influence, I don't know. And as I looked among these children, there are a lot of them where I can see myself in and I wonder who they would become as a 17 year old teenager. Would they follow their own nature? or would they go with the flow? Who knows.
But, nonetheless, I would say that they have touched me. And I would hope that I touched them.
I guess it's my thing where I make all simple things complex. It's just me.
February 2, 2007
January 2, 2007
Since then..
A lot has passed..
My sprained ankle..
Problems with my laptop..
Christmas Vacation..
Christmas itself..
Fireworks..
A New Year..
In the past 2 weeks, all I ever did was eat, eat and eat as part of the norwegian tradition of celebrating Christmas. Tradition is, prepare a feast and invite your friends and relatives. And an individual can just have so many relatives and friends. So, every dinner, a different place. I even got to drink sweet beer with almost no alcohol content, so, I liked it. Very much.
And under the influence of the Christmas season, my host family have been very nice. I got a dozen of gifts, majority are winter clothes, for Christmas. My host parents, usually my mom, said that "they're happy in me", their version of I love you, a couple of times. And I got to spend the dawn of a new year with my host brother. I guess, I can say, I've got a family here and the efforts are not mine alone. Both sides had sacrifices and adjustments. Materially, socially and emotionally. And, somehow, I can feel myself becoming more open to strangers but I'm more comfortable with the company of adults. Probably because I'm more grown up, inside, than most of people of my age, though I'm not saying that I am a grown up. I'm still a kid, I can't deny that. There's still a lot about life that I have to learn. Not only knowledge, but more importantly wisdom.
From now on, I would try to post more happy moments than sad. I would like to look at the silver lining of the cloud this time. If 2006 was full of sad posts, let's have a change, shall we?
In this New Year, I realized that there's not much that changes.. just numbers on the calender and days of the week. I don't need any new year's resolution because change is so constant, it's ordinary. I'll just go with the flow.. live my life as I ordinarily would and in the process, change, ever so little.
I am still who I am.. or at least, I want to be still..
I hope you had a Merry Christmas.
and have a Happy New Year!
My sprained ankle..
Problems with my laptop..
Christmas Vacation..
Christmas itself..
Fireworks..
A New Year..
In the past 2 weeks, all I ever did was eat, eat and eat as part of the norwegian tradition of celebrating Christmas. Tradition is, prepare a feast and invite your friends and relatives. And an individual can just have so many relatives and friends. So, every dinner, a different place. I even got to drink sweet beer with almost no alcohol content, so, I liked it. Very much.
And under the influence of the Christmas season, my host family have been very nice. I got a dozen of gifts, majority are winter clothes, for Christmas. My host parents, usually my mom, said that "they're happy in me", their version of I love you, a couple of times. And I got to spend the dawn of a new year with my host brother. I guess, I can say, I've got a family here and the efforts are not mine alone. Both sides had sacrifices and adjustments. Materially, socially and emotionally. And, somehow, I can feel myself becoming more open to strangers but I'm more comfortable with the company of adults. Probably because I'm more grown up, inside, than most of people of my age, though I'm not saying that I am a grown up. I'm still a kid, I can't deny that. There's still a lot about life that I have to learn. Not only knowledge, but more importantly wisdom.
From now on, I would try to post more happy moments than sad. I would like to look at the silver lining of the cloud this time. If 2006 was full of sad posts, let's have a change, shall we?
In this New Year, I realized that there's not much that changes.. just numbers on the calender and days of the week. I don't need any new year's resolution because change is so constant, it's ordinary. I'll just go with the flow.. live my life as I ordinarily would and in the process, change, ever so little.
I am still who I am.. or at least, I want to be still..
I hope you had a Merry Christmas.
and have a Happy New Year!
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