Before I start with the reflection, I just want to share that before this immersion my mind was cluttered. And for a time, I was seeking for a chance and opportunities in which I could have a mini retreat to refresh myself. And then this immersion came J
I’m glad I came. This was not the type of “retreat” I was expecting and planning, but it gave me the results I was hoping to have and more J
God really has a lot of surprises J He does provide for every need J He gives what is best J
LCDC, thank you for helping and arranging to give us Lasallians this kind of experience. Sana po maging 1 week naman J Puro pa po kasi maganda pa yung nakikita naming sa families e. Hindi pa po namin nakita yung talagang buhay nila everyday. Best foot forward pa po e hehe… More! J
*Taglish po ito. Informal. Mas nakaka express po kapag maraming choices of words from English and Tagalog. And also maybe I have written some thoughts that should not be in the question. I just wanted to be spontaneous in this that is why. But I sure did make an outline before writing this. I just can’t divide myself purely in being me (Question #1) and being a Lasallian (Questions #2).
I would like to mention the names of my foster family. I want to credit them for these experiences. I want to give them full honor.:
· Romeo Baltazar
· Solidad Baltazar
· Edgar Baltazar
· Elizabeth Baltazar Pajartin
· Prince Jaymark Baltazar Pajartin
· Rexlee Jarmaine Baltazar Pajartin
· Freya Rexlyn Baltazar Pajartin
· Jeffrey Baltazar Hernandez
1. After participating in the community immersion, what/how do you feel right now?
a. Blessed
Malaki po talaga yung pakakaiba ng buhay doon sa Sta. Mercedes kumpara sa buhay dito sa Dasmarinas. Siguro po masasabi ng mga taga doon na maswerte tayo kasi nasa city tayo. Pero I could say na blessed din po sila in ways na hindi natin natitikman dito kasi they have the luxury of time, simple lang ang buhay, wala masyadong inaalala, etc.
Mukha ngang mabagal tumanda ang mga tao doon kompara dito sa atin. Masyado kasing “busy” ang mga tao dito. Masyadong maraming inaalala. Hati hati ang buhay ng isang tao dito sa atin. Pati ang mga hindi importante ay nagiging importante kagaya ng fashion na madaming oras ang kinakain sa buhay ng isang tao.
Marami silang oras na makipagbonding sa mga kamag-anak nila. Importante at sagrado ang isang bahay doon kahit pa sabihin nating puro yero, semento at kahoy lang ang mga bahay doon. Ito ay dahil nandoon ang mga alaala ng bawat pamilya. Simula sa lolo at lola hanggang sa mga apo ng apo ay doon bumabalik kahit saan man sila mapunta. Kapag namatay ang isa sa mga kapamilya, masasabi ng isang taga roon na may mga memories siya na pwedeng sariwain tungkol sa yumaong kamag-anak. Hindi katulad ditto sa atin na kahit nga tawag ay hindi magawa. Masyado kasing busy. Kung makatawag man, hindi talaga nakapagkakamustahan. Mababaw lang ang relasyon. E doon, pati paglaki ng apo mo ay masusubaybayan mo. And I have witnessed that their grandchildren are the families’ honor and pride. They invest so much to them, because they love them and believe in them. They are very hopeful that their children and grandchildren could change the courses of their lives by giving them high quality education and support.
I am really blessed to experience this immersion. I have seen how blessed I am in many ways but so are they! We just have different expressions of the blessings. They want what we have, and we want what they have. I guess the only solution is to be satisfied and change for the better considering the other “class” of people in the society. Their stories are worth retelling.
We have not immersed ourselves in houses but in people’s lives. They did not just open their home but also their lives. The required information that we need to know about our foster families became a way for us to know they more. They freely talked about their lives. Kaya nga ba nung malapit ng matapos yung unang araw naming sa kanila, wala na talaga akong pakialam doon sa mga required information na kailangan naming malaman tungkol sa foster family namin. Kasi kung minsan kahit hindi mo itanong ay sasabihin na nila. Pero minsan kailangan mo lang i-direct o i-ignite yung topic na yun. Pero ayaw ko naman kasing isipin nila na kinakausap ko lang sila dahil may kailangan ako sa kanila. I wanted to be genuine and just be myself. I just wanted to interact with them with no requirements in mind like I would do if I just went there in my own will. I feel blessed at the same time inadequate. I saw the abundance that I have. I also saw the things that I lack.
At first, the family who adopted me was aloof to me. Maybe because they were still not comfortable with me. I felt I was invading their lives. So I too was aloof. But the granddaughter befriended me. I know I was the only person in that house that she needs to treat that way. But anyhow, I was very grateful for that kid. If not for her, I didn’t know how will I fit in that family for 2 days.
b. Reflective and Cautious
Because of this experience, I have learned to consider others, to look beyond the world I now. I have confined my perspective in the world I know and grew up in. I thought the types of people I see every day are the only types of people in the world. But I was really wrong. I have not considered those that I have not yet interacted with like the people in Sta. Mercedes. They were so alien to me, because I grew up in a city. And their kind of people is just a familiar thing that I usually see in teledramas usually. I want to keep my experiences fresh, so that I could be in this kind of attitude every time. I can’t really express these feeling and attitude I’m talking about, but I know those who have experiences this could relate to what I am telling. One of my wishes after this immersion is for me not to forget. I want to be reflective while considering the things I have experienced in Sta. Mercedes. Because when I am back here in the city, I usually forget. I became cautious of my actions, thought and considerations because of my reflections from my experiences in Sta. Mercedes. I want to train to restrain myself in being unguarded with my life. I don’t want to be passively influenced by the city life. I want to be in control my life. I have the choice to keep my memories from Sta. Mercedes fresh. The concerns here choke the memories and the attitude that I want to keep. May it not be so.
c. Loved and Special
My foster family in Sta. Mercedes gave me a lot of Indian mangoes and suman when I left. When my tita saw how much pasalubongs I got, she asked me this question that really struck me: Bakit ang dami mo namang dala? Ano bang ginawa mo para sa kanila at ganyan ka ka-special?
Parang, oo nga noh? I did not do anything there really. In fact, I became a burden for two days. They had to feed me, entertain me, give me a place to sleep in their small house, pump and carry the water that I have used to take a bath, toured me around the community, bought me halo-halo, gave me pasalubongs, etc. It could be, because they wanted something from me. I know it’s a bad though to assume, but it’s possible. But if I would analyze again, they do not really have any assurance that I could return the favors they have shown me. So the thought of them doing good things to me because they want something in return is crossed out.
I feel that I was treated special all because I was me. They also did not want me to do anything. It was okay for them to make be a “burden” to them. Although it is really an attitude of Filipinos to be so hospitable to their guests, but still I was shown love and kindness. Maybe they were just nahihiya of their economic status or what. I could not really tell. But what I am sure is this: I have received so much kindness when I have not done anything yet. This family did not just open their house. They also opened their lives to me.
d. Excited
The only things I have given to them somehow in return of what they have done to me are the required family pack for us to give them and 2 children books that I have brought from home. These two children books were my books when I was young. I really didn’t want to give scraps or old stuff. My intention of giving my old books was to be able to give something special to me and so give value to the thing that I would give. So I am excited to go back. I did not give my word that I will return in May 5, their fiesta. But I really wanted to go back and somehow show how much I appreciated the hospitality that was shown to me. I know I could not return the favor they have given me. They welcomed me to their home when I had nothing to give. I could not turn back time and equate what they have done to be to what I will be giving them. I am excited to return to Sta. Mercedes not because of any school requirement.
e. Carefree to Free to CARE
I took my blessing and resources for granted. I was so inconsiderate of other people who wish they have my blessings. I was carefree. But because I was shown kindness when I did not deserve and when I have not yet done anything, I became grateful. The grace shown to me wants to multiply and spread to others. So now, I am free to care for other people because I was first shown care. I could freely give myself to others because I have experienced how it is to be given. And the best part of it was it was free. So as freely as I have received, I am ever so willing to freely give it in response to what I have experienced.
f. Sympathetic and Empathetic
Lives in barrios portrayed in teledramas are not alien to me now. I may not have really experienced everything. I was shown the good parts of living a life there. And we have just stayed for 2 days. But I could get the small experiences I had there and expand them in order to relate to this kind of people. I may not understand it all, but I am proud to say that at least I could relate somehow. I hope to really go back.
g. Passionate
Because I have these backgrounds, I am eager to show grace, kindness and care to other people especially to those like them, although I would really love to do favors directly back to my foster family.
2. How will you connect this experience – participating in a community immersion, to your life as a Lasallian?
a. Be more cautious and Reflective
With the so many opportunities and resources to be taken for granted, I may tend to just waste them. I need to consider the life that the people in Sta. Mercedes have in order for me to act accordingly to my blessings.
b. Aware and Committed
Because of the immersion, I was exposed to the other possible lives other than the ones I know. Before they were just discussed in our lectures, but now I could somehow envision them. I have witnessed them thru all my senses. Because of this, I wish to be committed to the purpose of the immersion. I wish to do better in everything I do in view of them.
3. What commitment you want to give and do as a result of participating in a community immersion?
a. Go back
I really want to go back and give them gifts as a sign of my gratitude. I also want to go back now and then to refresh memories. And with their kind of attitude and culture, I know I will always have some people to go back to.
b. Make “Immersions” a Habit
I’m not really sure what are the concrete places I will go to yet. This is just the thought. I may or may not really stay to a place. But I may consider spending time with other people as an immersion. I immerse myself into their lives. The people in Sta. Mercedes are lacking in economic sense. I do believe all of us lack some things in the different aspects of our lives. I want to immerse in people lives and try to see how they live despite of the things they lack.
This immersion was my “stop that keeps me going”. I needed to stop and move back away from my life in order to see life in a bigger perspective rather than the one I already got used to. I needed to slow down, so I could focus on things and people that matter. Because I am so busy sometimes, I tend to not care.
In Sta. Mercedes, they don’t really care about washing hands, which is something important to me. And yet, they are healthy and alive. I need to be exposed to other ways of life rather than the one I know. And so be able to have wider perspective of life. The people in Sta. Mercedes have so many opportunities to serve others. Since they don’t have faucets, they pump and carry water for each other.
I also want to treat others in my special days like my birthday. This would certainly be memorable for me and for them. Also, my special days will be my reminders in this commitment I made.
c. Look for Opportunities to Ignite Others
I may not be part of any organization to do this. But if opportunities knock, I will certainly and willingly answer. I would like to go with other people in the immersion they plan to do. Or I would gladly speak to people. But for now, I still lack experience in order to really encourage others to be committed and ignited in developing genuine concern for others.
d. Volunteer, Donate
This is the most concrete one. Most of the time we just talk about helping others in their needs. Sometimes the concrete actions are even a compulsory. But doing an immediate action like volunteering when a need arises and donating when I hear some need is better than delaying an action that may or may not really come. It’s not that I always act impulsively. But it circumstances permit that I be part of any “immersions”, I am willing.
Name: Marika Grace M. Palasi
Course/ Year/ Section/ Affliation: HUB31
Title of Community Immersion:
Immersion of BS Biology Students
Family and Community Health
Barangay Sta. Mercedes, Maragondon, Cavite
Date: March 5-6, 2012
Place: Barangay Sta. Mercedes, Maragondon, Cavite
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento