EMBRACING CHANGE
The Masaai mask is a symbol of my trip to Africa this spring with my Humanitarian Design class and how the experience taught me to really appreciate the surprises of each day. On this trip, I quickly learned that there is only so much preparation that can be done beforehand. Although I knew what projects I would be working towards and when they would be worked on, I realized upon arriving that each day held unexpected events that would change the course of the next.
One of my favorite parts of my experience in Tanzania was due to an error in scheduling. A project that I had been very excited to work on could only have one person on site doing research because of a transportation limit. However, a simultaneous project called the Art Exchange needed another person’s help. Although I originally was not part of it, I volunteered and was assigned the role of teaching groups of children the game of “ Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and having them teach me it in Swahili and Luo. I had a great time being part of the project at Ratia Primary School and meeting all of the children. They were very enthusiastic participants and welcoming towards all of us. I probably sang “Heads…Toes” more than thirty times that day and now have the Swahili version engrained in my memory. The children also taught me how to count in Swahili and showed me their favorite jumping games. At one point during a race, a small boy was pushed to the ground and the string on his toy bow came off, showering beads everywhere. He burst into tears, so I quickly repaired it and was rewarded with a beautiful smile. That boy followed close to me the rest of the morning. If I had been resistant to the change in schedule and let the disappointment of being unable to participate in the other project affect me, I would never have enjoyed the amazing experience with the kids.
At the end of every night, one of the trip leaders would remind us of three things: 1. Take your malaria medication, 2.Don’t drink and brush with tap water, and 3. Embrace the change. I am happy to say that every decision I made was with this advice in mind. We had a lot of down time where we were left alone to make the most of the experience. With this personal freedom, I abandoned my habit of following a tight schedule. Previously at school, I kept track of every hour. I planned how much time I spent in studio, eating, and sleeping. I was aware of every minute that I spent rushing between activities. In Tanzania, I came to appreciate TIA (This is Africa), a saying that means nothing goes as planned. For the first time in months, I lost track of time. Dinner would sneak up on me every day as I was busily engaged in some unplanned activity. Unburdened with tight deadlines and meeting times, I lived in the moment and accomplished far more than I could otherwise. I realized that there are better ways to appreciate how precious and limited time is than to keep track of every minute.
Reflecting back, I wish that the experience had happened sooner to give me that perspective. Although my architecture projects sometimes seem like they require any and every spare moment, I realize that putting in studio hours is meaningless if forced. Aspiring to be a great designer requires inspiration, and I don't want to be so focused on what I'm "supposed" to get done that I refuse to stray from a plan and miss out on great opportunities. I want ideas to come from being aware of my environment, not hunched miserably over my drafting board. Although I can no longer say "This is Africa", my experience there has truly opened my eyes to how I want to spend my next couple of years at UC.
Return to Year-In-Review
One of my favorite parts of my experience in Tanzania was due to an error in scheduling. A project that I had been very excited to work on could only have one person on site doing research because of a transportation limit. However, a simultaneous project called the Art Exchange needed another person’s help. Although I originally was not part of it, I volunteered and was assigned the role of teaching groups of children the game of “ Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and having them teach me it in Swahili and Luo. I had a great time being part of the project at Ratia Primary School and meeting all of the children. They were very enthusiastic participants and welcoming towards all of us. I probably sang “Heads…Toes” more than thirty times that day and now have the Swahili version engrained in my memory. The children also taught me how to count in Swahili and showed me their favorite jumping games. At one point during a race, a small boy was pushed to the ground and the string on his toy bow came off, showering beads everywhere. He burst into tears, so I quickly repaired it and was rewarded with a beautiful smile. That boy followed close to me the rest of the morning. If I had been resistant to the change in schedule and let the disappointment of being unable to participate in the other project affect me, I would never have enjoyed the amazing experience with the kids.
At the end of every night, one of the trip leaders would remind us of three things: 1. Take your malaria medication, 2.Don’t drink and brush with tap water, and 3. Embrace the change. I am happy to say that every decision I made was with this advice in mind. We had a lot of down time where we were left alone to make the most of the experience. With this personal freedom, I abandoned my habit of following a tight schedule. Previously at school, I kept track of every hour. I planned how much time I spent in studio, eating, and sleeping. I was aware of every minute that I spent rushing between activities. In Tanzania, I came to appreciate TIA (This is Africa), a saying that means nothing goes as planned. For the first time in months, I lost track of time. Dinner would sneak up on me every day as I was busily engaged in some unplanned activity. Unburdened with tight deadlines and meeting times, I lived in the moment and accomplished far more than I could otherwise. I realized that there are better ways to appreciate how precious and limited time is than to keep track of every minute.
Reflecting back, I wish that the experience had happened sooner to give me that perspective. Although my architecture projects sometimes seem like they require any and every spare moment, I realize that putting in studio hours is meaningless if forced. Aspiring to be a great designer requires inspiration, and I don't want to be so focused on what I'm "supposed" to get done that I refuse to stray from a plan and miss out on great opportunities. I want ideas to come from being aware of my environment, not hunched miserably over my drafting board. Although I can no longer say "This is Africa", my experience there has truly opened my eyes to how I want to spend my next couple of years at UC.
Return to Year-In-Review