Every time the residence halls close, I never fail to acknowledge my homesickness. Watching people strolling their bags across the quad, I have to admit that I am often jealous of my American friends. To most of them, a break meant family time. For me, it meant evacuation.
When I received an email from Kim asserting my acceptance into the Alternative Spring Break (ASB) program, I was happy. I wouldn't end up homeless after all. My friends tell me I am lucky to be a part of the group, looking at the limited spaces available.
Now looking back at every thing I have learned, I realize I am indeed lucky. Times like this, I appreciate my name Yugen, which means luck in Sanskrit.
For our first project, Kim gave us each $5. The rule was simple, spend the money on a random stranger. After our epic failure of searching for homeless people and accidentally judging pedestrians along the way, my friends and I decided to get some beach toys and donate it to kids at the beach.
Funny how the kids were expressing their doubts over our gifts. Some even questioned when should they return the gifts back. I never realized how even at a young age, kids are taught never to expect anything from anyone. What more, from a bunch of strangers with sketchy accents like us. Makes me wonder, how commercialized is our world today that even kids no longer have hopes of receiving anything for free.
Our second project was Poverty Stimulation Meal Plan. Each cabin was assigned a time slot where they would have to cook either dinner or breakfast with a limited budget for 36 people. My cabin was the first one to face the challenge. I remembered the majestic plans we had that included chocolate fudge and desserts. As we started shopping we realized that we had to improvise and often time had to return some items back to their shelfs. What we went through was nothing compared to some families who live in poverty. For us, it was a matter of choosing what to eat. To them, having a meal itself its a luxury. Something that I often overlook.
When we were served our Cabin Eviction Notice, all my cabin members were extremely angry. We had to evacuate our cabin and stay with our other friends for the night, in hopes of helping us to understand the lives of homeless people across the country. I feel indebted to my friends for accepting me into their cabin. What more providing their bed and blanket for the night. Some even slept on the floor so that I could sleep in comfort. Although I did this only for one night, the sense of guilt for troubling my friends extended beyond that. I could never imagine how do some people who lose their home feel when they have to stay with their friends or family. The thought of living on someone else's courtesy itself is a huge burden. I don't know what is worse, living on the street or surviving on someone else's sympathy.
One week was all it took to remind me how lucky I am. I know, someone out there would do anything to trade places with me. Although I may not be able to help every homeless person or orphan in the world, at least now, I can appreciate better my life. More than that, I remember the fight to make a difference is never over.
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