I was particularly nervous about our first off-campus trip to Bayside Community Center. One, because it was a Zumba class and I am not a great dancer; and two, because this was our first opportunity to interact with the elder members in the community. I was nervous, but excited. When we first got inside, I was somewhat surprised by the low numbers of elderly persons attending the Zumba class. I wondered why there seemed to be so few but also asked myself if this number is actually “low” even after considering factors such as: how large of an area does Bayside reach and what does the population look like? How many of these individuals have access or are able to travel to Bayside? Are informed of Bayside events? Are there any other obstacles? Perhaps this could be something of discussion at our next class period.
When the class was over, we settled down, had a small breakfast, and got a chance to catch our breaths. My first instinct was to grab some food and retreat to an empty space on the tables but I plopped myself down next to some other LCS’ers and our TAs. We talked for a few minutes about how our quarters were going and then I noticed that some of the elderly persons were beginning to leave. I wanted to talk to some of them but for some reason felt paralyzed in my seat. Then I saw two women, who looked similar to my own grandma, getting ready to leave and so I mustered up the courage to get up and speak to them...along with Sallie -- I still didn’t want to go alone. We met two lovely ladies, Tessie and Remi, and listened to them talk about a few snippets of their lives. They both arrived to the United States as nurses from the Philippines. Remi, was based in Canada first before coming to the United States and Tessie has been here since 1969. When we asked what they think has changed the most since they first moved to San Diego, they both agreed that their respective areas have become so much more populated over the years. Neil, Tessie’s husband, joined us later on. They asked us questions about ourselves too, like where we were born, what we’re studying, what we want to pursue in life, etc. When I told them I’m also from the Philippines, there was the same “Oh!” response followed by more questions into my heritage and experience that tends to happen when Filipinos meet other Filipinos -- this interaction somehow made me feel like I was talking to a relative.
We wanted to talk them more, especially since they had just started giving us pieces of wisdom when it came to choosing a career, but they pointed out that our class had come together for a debrief and so we had to say our goodbyes. I hope that I am able to meet them again. Looking back at that interaction, I was very nervous at first as I didn’t know how to start the conversation or how to continue it, but a few questions in, the conversation just seemed to flow. There’s definitely some room for improvement in my conversational skills but this was a step in the right direction and I look forward to meeting more individuals and learning about their life experiences. I'm glad that I stepped outside of my comfort zone that day, otherwise I wouldn't have met Remi, Tessie, or Neil.
When the class was over, we settled down, had a small breakfast, and got a chance to catch our breaths. My first instinct was to grab some food and retreat to an empty space on the tables but I plopped myself down next to some other LCS’ers and our TAs. We talked for a few minutes about how our quarters were going and then I noticed that some of the elderly persons were beginning to leave. I wanted to talk to some of them but for some reason felt paralyzed in my seat. Then I saw two women, who looked similar to my own grandma, getting ready to leave and so I mustered up the courage to get up and speak to them...along with Sallie -- I still didn’t want to go alone. We met two lovely ladies, Tessie and Remi, and listened to them talk about a few snippets of their lives. They both arrived to the United States as nurses from the Philippines. Remi, was based in Canada first before coming to the United States and Tessie has been here since 1969. When we asked what they think has changed the most since they first moved to San Diego, they both agreed that their respective areas have become so much more populated over the years. Neil, Tessie’s husband, joined us later on. They asked us questions about ourselves too, like where we were born, what we’re studying, what we want to pursue in life, etc. When I told them I’m also from the Philippines, there was the same “Oh!” response followed by more questions into my heritage and experience that tends to happen when Filipinos meet other Filipinos -- this interaction somehow made me feel like I was talking to a relative.
We wanted to talk them more, especially since they had just started giving us pieces of wisdom when it came to choosing a career, but they pointed out that our class had come together for a debrief and so we had to say our goodbyes. I hope that I am able to meet them again. Looking back at that interaction, I was very nervous at first as I didn’t know how to start the conversation or how to continue it, but a few questions in, the conversation just seemed to flow. There’s definitely some room for improvement in my conversational skills but this was a step in the right direction and I look forward to meeting more individuals and learning about their life experiences. I'm glad that I stepped outside of my comfort zone that day, otherwise I wouldn't have met Remi, Tessie, or Neil.