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海外慈青干訓營分享#1 桑迪。Everywhere
Posted by Qi...
on
01:47
Ok, I'm not supposed to blog at all especially when my brain cell are all distorted by the study of sound wave
Suddenly something hit me. All around my brain space. Reverberating.
The voice of a boy. I remember exactly every word he said, the intonation and the jokes he made in that 5 minute sharing.
I think the only way to get rid of it is to write it down.
It all started with Sandy, the Sandy Hurricane in US, in case you are ignorant of it, this may help.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20131303
New York, One month after Sandy
There is a sharing session in the camp that people came up and told us about Sandy. What happened, and what did they do. How devastating this hurricane is, paralyzing the city.
The slides begin with the title "Paradise on Earth". Isn't that what New York meant for us? Robust metropolitan, bustling with people that pacing fast, city with lights that never dimmed. And no one can imagine, when hard time strikes, the inhabitants of heaven fell, too. Hit the ground, too hard. People lost everything they have, house shattered, no electricity, and it is freaking cold outside. They had to queue for the aid distribution. Some come as early as 1am, withstanding the cold wind, because they have nothing and they need this so desperately. And this is New Yorker.
One thing I like a lot about Tzu Chi is apart from giving aids, they always encourage the recipient to give back. They are not the pity one receiving from others, but if they want to, they can help also. Therefore, the funds flowing into US come from all over the world, including countries like Philipines and Myanmar. Those poor people who earned less than USD 2 per day, donates as well. Some, even without cash, they give out rice. One handful per day. It meant a lot to them even if we might laughed at the idea.
Sandy Survivors Find Hope and Join with Volunteers to Help Others
Many questioned. US is so rich, why should we donate to them. But for those poor farmer, they have a pure heart. They see people suffering, and that is the only reason they should help. It is harder to persuade people here. Some Muslim came and ask, the evil US had been helping Israel to bully Palestine for so long, and you are asking people to help them? (Wrong timing >.<) I like the answer of one particular uncle."We donate to them even if they are richer because we are more caring, we are richer in soul." Even I questioned that, and the help provided was so much, $600 for each victim. Wait!!! That was more than one month salary of ordinary Malaysian worker. The fundraiser had to collect how many 50cents, RM1, RM5, RM10(that was rare!) to pay more it? But Master Cheng Yen said we must provide the immediate relief. What they needed the most and as much as they need to start on a new life. So in US, it is $600 per head. Phewww, this number still stun me. Perhaps we used to believe that donating little can help those in poor and now, when measured in US currency, it is kinda mind-blowing. There are just so much wisdom behind the act.
Finally the main point came.
This guy came out. He was definitely a great speaker, with the naturalness and sincerity. Ok, it is after the South Africa touching story. Another part to come. He is a New-York born ABC, studying in California, I stalked his fb, he is taking Astronautical Engineering 0.0. Add one more star for the hard to spell course name. These are excerpts of his sharing that I can recall.
"I called back and I thought everyone is OK.
I know this is a huge hurricane but we are new-yorkers, we get back on our feet.
Few weeks after that, I browsed through a video on US360.
I was surprised to see how serious the damage is.
Far worse than what I thought.
Then, I saw a lot of familiar faces.
Those people I know, doing TzuChi together, they are there, handing aids, talking to the victims, offering help.
Then, I saw my dad. He was crying on the screen. Yes, I saw my daddy crying, on TV. But he was crying not because of the damage, but how grateful he is for being able to help.
I had the urge to get back immediately.
Be there for the victim, my home people, and my family.
I know he must been going through lots of sleepless night, having video conferences with Master Cheng Yen. Like all TzuChi people, he tend to put himself second."
He wanted to get back immediately to help, but his father asked him to stay back because flights are too expensive. It was $600, exactly how much they gave each victim.
"I'm a good boy, so I stay." Imagine the face of little boy that couldn't get the toy he wanted.
He was so cute then he said "I wanted to reach out to those people. Really being there. Distributing things, I want to get to hug people too."
Still, his father told him, "If you want to help, go to the California office. They need people."
Haihh, traditional stern Chinese father with all those values
So he went there and offered himself. As it turned out, they NEED help.
People in US don't know about Tzu Chi. But they heard this organization is giving out money, real cash for the eligible one. Calls are coming in and they need people that can speak English.
Most of them are immigrants from Taiwan--obasang and ojisang so you can imagine.
So he was like "I speak English, yea I can do this."
There is a list, what is your name, where do you live, what have you lost?--blah blah blah
You can imagine him swagging his leg, talking over the phone.
So here come the phone call.
"I heard you guys are giving out money. Is this true?"
He answered those questions, absent-mindedly, but slowly he began to realize. He is speaking to a real victim. Someone who really lost something in the disaster, someone like those receiving aid in the TV.
It somehow changed everything.
"You can help, from everywhere". Even if you are not at the front line. The aids couldn't be held in the victim's hand without anyone in the chain.
And lastly, our cute boy get a warm hug from the senior. :D
My dearest team leader shared a story with us. She was in one of the event shown in the sharing session. It is in a church dominated by African American, it's Thanksgiving. She heard a lot about aids-giving work and how moving it was, being able to help and offer comfort. She was eager to do something , but she was so disappointed when she was assigned as the usher, the one standing beside the door and say welcome. (O.S.: who ask you so busy before this and didn't join the service? Those without experience sure get behind the list :p) So you can imagine, the eagerness+120% passion suddenly dropped to ice-cold. She felt bad for not doing that whole-heartedly, because she felt underused in the first place. But you know, greeting people with the warmest smile can lit a sun in their heart too.
Everyone, matters. You can help by being the one who bend 90 degree and hand in the aid to the victims, hugging them. wipe off the tears, answering phone at the call center, cook behind the stove and see no one, collecting fund back at home, help wrapping the gift pack at another corner of the world. Anything. You might not be hero on the screen, the victim might not be aware of your existence and help, but you helped. This is all that matters, isn't it?
Suddenly something hit me. All around my brain space. Reverberating.
The voice of a boy. I remember exactly every word he said, the intonation and the jokes he made in that 5 minute sharing.
I think the only way to get rid of it is to write it down.
It all started with Sandy, the Sandy Hurricane in US, in case you are ignorant of it, this may help.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-20131303
New York, One month after Sandy
Oops, I didn't choose this on purpose but I saw myself inside! XD
There is a sharing session in the camp that people came up and told us about Sandy. What happened, and what did they do. How devastating this hurricane is, paralyzing the city.
The slides begin with the title "Paradise on Earth". Isn't that what New York meant for us? Robust metropolitan, bustling with people that pacing fast, city with lights that never dimmed. And no one can imagine, when hard time strikes, the inhabitants of heaven fell, too. Hit the ground, too hard. People lost everything they have, house shattered, no electricity, and it is freaking cold outside. They had to queue for the aid distribution. Some come as early as 1am, withstanding the cold wind, because they have nothing and they need this so desperately. And this is New Yorker.
One thing I like a lot about Tzu Chi is apart from giving aids, they always encourage the recipient to give back. They are not the pity one receiving from others, but if they want to, they can help also. Therefore, the funds flowing into US come from all over the world, including countries like Philipines and Myanmar. Those poor people who earned less than USD 2 per day, donates as well. Some, even without cash, they give out rice. One handful per day. It meant a lot to them even if we might laughed at the idea.
Sandy Survivors Find Hope and Join with Volunteers to Help Others
Many questioned. US is so rich, why should we donate to them. But for those poor farmer, they have a pure heart. They see people suffering, and that is the only reason they should help. It is harder to persuade people here. Some Muslim came and ask, the evil US had been helping Israel to bully Palestine for so long, and you are asking people to help them? (Wrong timing >.<) I like the answer of one particular uncle."We donate to them even if they are richer because we are more caring, we are richer in soul." Even I questioned that, and the help provided was so much, $600 for each victim. Wait!!! That was more than one month salary of ordinary Malaysian worker. The fundraiser had to collect how many 50cents, RM1, RM5, RM10(that was rare!) to pay more it? But Master Cheng Yen said we must provide the immediate relief. What they needed the most and as much as they need to start on a new life. So in US, it is $600 per head. Phewww, this number still stun me. Perhaps we used to believe that donating little can help those in poor and now, when measured in US currency, it is kinda mind-blowing. There are just so much wisdom behind the act.
Finally the main point came.
This guy came out. He was definitely a great speaker, with the naturalness and sincerity. Ok, it is after the South Africa touching story. Another part to come. He is a New-York born ABC, studying in California, I stalked his fb, he is taking Astronautical Engineering 0.0. Add one more star for the hard to spell course name. These are excerpts of his sharing that I can recall.
"I called back and I thought everyone is OK.
I know this is a huge hurricane but we are new-yorkers, we get back on our feet.
Few weeks after that, I browsed through a video on US360.
I was surprised to see how serious the damage is.
Far worse than what I thought.
Then, I saw a lot of familiar faces.
Those people I know, doing TzuChi together, they are there, handing aids, talking to the victims, offering help.
Then, I saw my dad. He was crying on the screen. Yes, I saw my daddy crying, on TV. But he was crying not because of the damage, but how grateful he is for being able to help.
I had the urge to get back immediately.
Be there for the victim, my home people, and my family.
I know he must been going through lots of sleepless night, having video conferences with Master Cheng Yen. Like all TzuChi people, he tend to put himself second."
He wanted to get back immediately to help, but his father asked him to stay back because flights are too expensive. It was $600, exactly how much they gave each victim.
"I'm a good boy, so I stay." Imagine the face of little boy that couldn't get the toy he wanted.
He was so cute then he said "I wanted to reach out to those people. Really being there. Distributing things, I want to get to hug people too."
Still, his father told him, "If you want to help, go to the California office. They need people."
Haihh, traditional stern Chinese father with all those values
So he went there and offered himself. As it turned out, they NEED help.
People in US don't know about Tzu Chi. But they heard this organization is giving out money, real cash for the eligible one. Calls are coming in and they need people that can speak English.
Most of them are immigrants from Taiwan--obasang and ojisang so you can imagine.
So he was like "I speak English, yea I can do this."
There is a list, what is your name, where do you live, what have you lost?--blah blah blah
You can imagine him swagging his leg, talking over the phone.
So here come the phone call.
"I heard you guys are giving out money. Is this true?"
He answered those questions, absent-mindedly, but slowly he began to realize. He is speaking to a real victim. Someone who really lost something in the disaster, someone like those receiving aid in the TV.
It somehow changed everything.
"You can help, from everywhere". Even if you are not at the front line. The aids couldn't be held in the victim's hand without anyone in the chain.
And lastly, our cute boy get a warm hug from the senior. :D
My dearest team leader shared a story with us. She was in one of the event shown in the sharing session. It is in a church dominated by African American, it's Thanksgiving. She heard a lot about aids-giving work and how moving it was, being able to help and offer comfort. She was eager to do something , but she was so disappointed when she was assigned as the usher, the one standing beside the door and say welcome. (O.S.: who ask you so busy before this and didn't join the service? Those without experience sure get behind the list :p) So you can imagine, the eagerness+120% passion suddenly dropped to ice-cold. She felt bad for not doing that whole-heartedly, because she felt underused in the first place. But you know, greeting people with the warmest smile can lit a sun in their heart too.
Everyone, matters. You can help by being the one who bend 90 degree and hand in the aid to the victims, hugging them. wipe off the tears, answering phone at the call center, cook behind the stove and see no one, collecting fund back at home, help wrapping the gift pack at another corner of the world. Anything. You might not be hero on the screen, the victim might not be aware of your existence and help, but you helped. This is all that matters, isn't it?
How they preparing food for the victim, in dark.
In a city without electricity and clean water, volunteer doesn't get it too.
They figured out ways.
This is just post #1 of the sharing.
Stay tuned :D
