joy abounds

[jenaben]

Ecuador was...incredible. It's so difficult to think of the right adjectives because saying it was fun or awesome sound wrong considering what I was there to do and what life is like in the communities I visited. We were building schools in rural communities in the Andes mountains. It seems like everyone I've ever heard speak about experiences

Comments

[modernthirst]

I was going to respond to the first paragraphs with "WOW, that sounds AWESOME!" And then I laughed at myself. Suffice to say, I spent yesterday whining about the power going out, leaving our house air conditionless for three hours. The scope of what I don't know and won't ever experience due to just sheer luck and financial stability boggles me. I may be happy 95% of the time, but I don't have a reason not to be. What is awesome, in the true, undiluted sense of the word, is something like what you described.

I know I used to say all that stuff in agreeance with the GG can do anything! style of thinking, but for some reason the finale really wrecked me. If you go back to my post post-finale and then the one after, you'll laughed at how different I act. I'm over it now though, it's fine.

YES! to Iron Man, YES! to Ally McBeal (!!!!!), and YES!, of course, to Nate Archibald. I'm only on 1.02 of PB but eeeeeee, it's so lovely. Oh, Michael.

[jenaben]

Actually you're right - awesome in the actual sense of the word rather than the way it tends to be used now is actually a pretty fitting adjective. Everyone keeps saying that this experience must have been so life-altering, but I think if I've changed at all it's just in the sense that I complain less about the little problems in my life. It's difficult to do that, though, because this is the life we were raised in, it's what we're used to, and it's hard to hold that against someone when they haven't experienced anything less. I (and this is going to sound horrible) actually thought they'd be worse off in the communities I visited. I think I was expecting sub-saharan Africa levels of poverty, whereas some of these communities had electricity, multiple changes of clothes, school uniforms, etc

[elapses]

Ohhhhh, Ecuador must have been incredible. Building schools, what a thing to have done! And isn't it saaaaad that so many of those kids never even get the chance to go to high school? There's SUCH a disparity between their lives and ours. My best friend actually started a charity a couple of years ago to sponsor Nicaraguan kids through high school (and college, I think?). It's so sad how many kids don't get that kind of thing there. Especially compared to kids here.

Wasn't Bones saaaaaad? I don't mean the episode itself (although Zaaaaaack, I guess that was indeed pretty sad) so much as I mean having a letdown after ALL THAT BUILDUP. It wasn't just the week before, it was all those lovely episodes we've had this season?? I really thought we'd have a wonderful finale. Gossip Girl was weird though. In a way I was okay with? But still weird.

I am now officially the only person on the internet who has not yet seen Iron Man.

[jenaben]

Yeah, the disparity is pretty heartbreaking - it pretty much killed me one afternoon when we were talking with some high school students who were telling us how grateful they are for our help. It just makes just think about how much we take for granted.

Oh man Alex, I was so mad about Bones! I was expecting such a good episode because they'd been building up my expectations SO MUCH all season. And then to end with...that? I felt like the characters just accepted that it was Zack way too easily. I guess it makes sense that it was him, but I figured if they had to make it him they could have had some bigger emotional moments for the other characters. I don't knoooow, it was so off! Especially after the Booth-getting-shot cliffhanger from the second last episode! I was expecting some intense Booth/Bones.

See Iron Man ASAP. REALLY REALLY.

[cecism]

Nothing like that sort of wake up call to realise how good we have it, right? It makes me feel bad whining about uni/work/whatever on LJ, 'cause really, what's the big deal in the grand scheme of things? You're so lucky you got to go to Ecuador and do that, though.

And I'm totally onboard with the Prison Break rewatch, although my committment levels will be erratic (exams apparently like eating at my brain and sanity - oh, wait, what was I saying about whining?)

They have no idea what's coming.
And that just makes me sad thinking about it.

[jenaben]

I've been aware of how good we really have it since I was elementary school (in Girl Guides we did an Immunization Challenge for the UN where we learned about immunization in African countries and raised money for children to get basic immunizations), but this trip was what I needed to stop being ignorant and actually try to do something about it.

Yay, glad you're onboard! Good luck on your exams!!

And that just makes me sad thinking about it.
I just watched the pilot yesterday, and that moment where Michael sees someone get stabbed in gen pop? Ohhhh boy, Michael's face. And then how cheerful he is with Sara! Oh, the good ol' days.

[annalouwho]

wow, that is amazing. i can't even imagine what that experience must have been like, so i can't really say anything more than that. i'm really looking forward to hearing about it and seeing your pictures, though.

RDJ! LARRY PAUL! i love them both soooo much. i need to finish my picspams. oh, you missed my larry paul picspams! yes, most perfect man ever. and yeah, seriously, i loved RDJ through all that drug/prison/rehab shit too, which is like ridiculous because i was suuuuch a goody two-shoes especially back then. but he is just THAT charming. and i love the way he talks about that time in his life now.

[jenaben]

OH MAN, PICSPAMS! That is so fucking exciting!

i loved RDJ through all that drug/prison/rehab shit too, which is like ridiculous because i was suuuuch a goody two-shoes especially back then
That was me exactly! I just found him so undeniably intriguing. And oh, I definitely need to track down some of his more recent interviews!