Our second LEG of the quarter was back at Casa de Manana. Before we went inside for the event, our cohort spent some time outside by the ocean to meet with our HAP groups. I think all group meetings could benefit from a seaside location! We finalized the date and some details for the senior event at the West Center and brainstormed some more ideas for the gardening HAP. Once inside Casa de Manana, we were met with a few seniors who were already positioned at their respective circle of chairs and ready to share. I sat with DeEtta who was also present for the LEG from last quarter. There were both new and familiar faces in the room which was nice to see. When we were all settled, DeEtta had everyone in the circle introduce ourselves, share our majors, and where we’re from. I appreciated that she wanted to take the time to get to know a little bit about everyone there as she responded to each of us individually as we went around the circle. She brought pictures of her 9 kids and of the places she’s travelled. There was one picture of a sinking ship from her trip to Antarctica. The ship she was on had to rescue passengers from their sinking ship and it was a surreal experience for everyone there. She’s travelled to every continent and almost every US state, except North Dakota. Her daughters want to take her and maybe make a ladies’ trip out of it. Hearing her stories about her travels inspired me to continue to travel and experience the world no matter what age I am.
This week we went back to the Bayside Community Center for our first LEG of the quarter. There were some familiar faces that I remember from the last time we were here. This time around I sat with someone who I hadn’t spoken with before. Fernando, like myself, was an immigrant from the Philippines. As he was Chinese and Filipino, he attended Chinese school as a young boy. His father encouraged him to pursue a business degree and later take over their family’s business. But for Fernando, a career in business wasn’t what he wanted for himself. His father spent most of his time managing their business and it took a heavy toll on his health. Instead, he pursued a degree in engineering and eventually got a job in the U.S. Eventually, however, he realized that he didn’t like engineering after all. He wasn’t happy. He tried working in real estate with his wife, and enjoyed it -- and so he stuck with it. His lesson for his granddaughter, and to us, was to, “pursue what makes you happy -- and if it changes, then pursue that, it’s never too late”. Hearing this from Fernando was quite refreshing because it is a common theme among Filipino families for parents to pressure their children to become doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other financially reassuring and “prestigious” careers. This is all done out of love for their children, of course, there is no doubt about that -- but that’s a whole other conversation that I won’t delve into now. Another reason why hearing those words come from Fernando was surprising is that such pressures tend to be much stronger in older generations, at least in my experience. Our conversation with him left me wondering what other values he and other elders might hold that break the stereotypes placed on their generation.
On our first day back in the classroom, we spent most of our time discussing and planning for our individual HAPs. Last quarter, when we finalized our HAPs, it was so difficult to choose. I think I had my name put down for 4 HAPs before I was able to narrow them down to just two. My first HAP, which our group has cleverly named “Living, Creating, Striving” (“L.C.S.”), will be a one day event that provides elders with free haircuts, make up sessions, and clothes. They can then take part in a fashion show and photoshoot where they can flaunt and feel good in their new looks. Our goal for this HAP is to not only provide them with a practical service (haircuts and possibly even massages!) but to also provide them with an experience that helps them relax and feel their best selves. Our plan is to bring together hair, beauty, and massage professionals from within the San Diego community who are willing to donate their services for this event. We also wanted to incorporate a clothing drive to collect clothes that the elders can take home with them at the end of the day. Besides the seemingly daunting logistics of such an event, one of my biggest concerns is that I hope we don’t end up creating a space that perpetuates ageism, especially in regards to beauty standards for the elder community. In planning for this event, I hope we are able to delve deeper into this potential issue and figure out how we can create a welcoming and positive environment. The second HAP I’m involved in aims to bring generations together through a succulent and herb planning workshop. Through these workshops (we hope to have a few!), our goal is to create an intergenerational community learning space where people of all ages can interact with one another and potentially even create things together. Everyone will get to plant their own herb or succulent plant and decorate them in their own way. At the end of the day, they get to take home their own little plants and if they take home an herb, they’ll be able to cook with them too! While the logistics of this HAP is pretty straightforward, I wonder how we can really make these workshops into spaces for intergenerational connections. I hope that we, as the organizers, are able to figure out how we can facilitate these connections in a way that is both organic and meaningful.
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Claudia MabantaWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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