The highlight of today’s class was seeing my classmates’ Oral History Projects on their Extraordinary Person (EP). Some created artsy booklets about their EP’s life while others put together an airplane model and jewelry box. It felt really special to get to hear the EPs’ unique stories about their childhood, love life, and journey. Each story evoked different emotions, but I was smiling the whole time because everyone was beaming while introducing their EP.
I learned about the struggles that all of them faced - being a refugee, starting life all over again, feeling scared for their life everyday, and raising multiple kids. Through the stories I heard today and the stories that my own EP (my grandma) shared with me, I realize that I am so fortunate to be living a life that is free of struggles other than first world problems. I feel safe, and it’s really sad to know that people out there don’t feel safe even at home. When I was learning about my grandma’s childhood, I felt as if she lived in a different world. This project is definitely opening my eyes and giving me a glimpse into the lives of people from all walks of life.
We also briefly threw out ideas about what kind of Healthy Aging Projects we want to organize for next quarter. For me, I love cooking and trying out foods from different cultures, so I’m considering an intergenerational recipe-sharing and cooking type of event. It would be so fun to get to know the elders’ stories behind their recipes and how the dishes fit into their childhood. My other classmates built off this idea and suggested cooking competitions and healthy cooking demos. There are so many possibilities, so it’ll be hard to decide on just one or two. I love how this program allows all of us to independently design our own projects with the same goal and making them come to life!
I learned about the struggles that all of them faced - being a refugee, starting life all over again, feeling scared for their life everyday, and raising multiple kids. Through the stories I heard today and the stories that my own EP (my grandma) shared with me, I realize that I am so fortunate to be living a life that is free of struggles other than first world problems. I feel safe, and it’s really sad to know that people out there don’t feel safe even at home. When I was learning about my grandma’s childhood, I felt as if she lived in a different world. This project is definitely opening my eyes and giving me a glimpse into the lives of people from all walks of life.
We also briefly threw out ideas about what kind of Healthy Aging Projects we want to organize for next quarter. For me, I love cooking and trying out foods from different cultures, so I’m considering an intergenerational recipe-sharing and cooking type of event. It would be so fun to get to know the elders’ stories behind their recipes and how the dishes fit into their childhood. My other classmates built off this idea and suggested cooking competitions and healthy cooking demos. There are so many possibilities, so it’ll be hard to decide on just one or two. I love how this program allows all of us to independently design our own projects with the same goal and making them come to life!