“It is strange to be called an “angel” at work, when I’m merely doing my job and trying to be kind and helpful. It’s touching and and I’m utterly grateful for the experiences I’ve been afforded. This last week has been particularly emotional in that I’ve been in close contact with women who are undergoing trying times in their lives. This morning, I listened to the messages accrued overnight and the trembling voice of a woman seeking help brought back a memory from last Friday when another woman sat beside me and told me some news. It was difficult not to have tears well up in my eyes at the sight or sound of individuals going through hardship, and all I can do is pat their back, touch their arm, and listen. I never imagined I’d find myself in such a position, working in social services in a non-profit organization, but I’ve welcomed it with the biggest set of arms.”
..
Today I held tightly onto a woman’s hand and stroked her back as we sat infront of a computer and we watched a silent video on Youtube of her son performing in Mexico. She apologized when she cried and I had to keep telling her it was quite all right as we hugged each other. An older Spanish lady, she has come in a few times during the course of my stay here and oh how memorable she is in her dress (red lipstick, sunglasses, leopard print against her blonde hair). I sat with her for a long time today and we talked. When she first came in, I helped make her a tea and we had the grand idea of microwaving her damp socks. After she left, I washed her mug, which had become lipstick-stained, and tomorrow I will see her again…”
..
I wrote this first bit many weeks ago, at the earlier part of this year. I have just one month left at this position before I leave to travel and hopefully return to a more permanent post elsewhere. It’s heartwrenching to know I will no longer be working here, though I am determined to maintain my ties, mainly with all the kind, insightful women I’ve encountered. With this taste of being in a community-oriented organization, and one that has afforded me with so many new experiences and skills, I feel like my future plans have shifted, for the better. Well, onward and upward.
The women in the new session of the ‘Work Experience’ program started classes this week and were tasked on Monday, with creating a collage of their short-term, long-term, and fantasy goals. Today was two of the women’s first days volunteering in the office and I got to chat with one of them for quite some time this afternoon. This is one of the perks of my job — getting to meet and talk with people and hear their experiences, which are always surprisingly similar and varied.
Coming from countries so close to one another (her from Indonesia, and I from Singapore), we spoke about the differences between ‘back home’ and Western culture and the culture shock that she continues to experience even having moved to Vancouver three years ago when she got married. Reflecting on her ‘past’ life, she told me she’d always wanted to be a career woman of sorts, and never imagined that she would get married, let alone to someone so far away from home. Now in her life here, her husband is happy to do things for her, even chores!, something a husband not from the East might not be inclined to. I smiled and understood when H told me about other observations she’s had about ‘Western’ culture. Such as in Christmas traditions, for one.
In my last and current relationships, sometimes the differences between the practices enacted by myself/my family and him have resonated quite loudly. During Christmas, most recently, I was blown away by the amount of presents under the tree and that it took us a few hours for C and his family members to go through and open their presents - this was in fact the first round, with the second round taking place later that evening after the Christmas feast, when the second batch of family members visited. My family celebrates Christmas, but certainly not to this extent. Sure, we have a real tree and a big meal, but presents-wise, sometimes gifts are exchanged, and it’s maybe an item here or there and it’s something wonderfully simple, and perhaps something that was bought not necessarily for Christmas.
C and I went to Bowen Island in the days before we went to Parksville for his family’s festivities. He was a sight to be seen - a camping pack: one on his back, another on his front, bags in both hands, and I helped carry a bag or two for him, along with my own small rolling suitcase of small gifts and belongings. Most of these bags contained presents and we hopped from car to bus to ferry to bus to car to ferry to ferry to car with these items. No simple task, mind you. I have to admit that I was a bit mortified at the sight of things, but he has such thoughtful intentions, and unfortunately, not having constant access to a car.
On Christmas Day, despite Aunt M having made two turkeys for the whole lot of us who’d gathered there for dinner, C made me a duck on the barbecue, all because he knew that it is tradition in the Yow household to have duck on special occasions. And on this Christmas, my first not spent with my family in my entire life, I continued to have duck. And my family in Ontario? They made turkey for the very first time.
Tonight, I substitute-taught at Emily Carr. It was such a strange feeling leading a seminar at a different institution. It’d been about six months since the last time I was in a classroom with students, and I’d been running critiques on that last day. This time, it was just discussions, and I led two seminars back-to-back. I was nervous beforehand and made a lot of notes on the readings, but I knew making them was more of a security blanket issue. I think they went well and the nice thing to come from this is that Simon said he’d put my name forth the next time they’re looking for TAs at ECU.
On other work fronts, I received my placement with the Vancouver Community Network earlier this week. I was supposed to meet with someone from the Women’s Resource Centre in Richmond this morning but we’ve re-scheduled for next week. I’ve had a little bit of experience working with a not-for-profit organization (Médecins Sans Frontières) and I’m looking forward to this position and possibly being able to design and run workshops for the community members there. This is only a contract position but I think it’ll be a really valuable learning experience for the next little while.
