I missed going to the Bayside center on April 10th, a day before my 22nd birthday, because I was traveling that day to go to a basic needs UC Wide in person conference where representatives from across all the campuses convened to talk about the basic needs initiatives that they have at each of their campuses. Only a handful of students got to go, and being one of the students that was their since the inception of the basic needs space at our school, I opted to go, even though it conflicted with this outing, which I was really disappointed by since I love talking with the elders on all our outings and getting to share our lives with them as well. Fortunately, this assignment gave me an in depth look into how my peers interacted with some of the community members and the following is a summary of five of their experiences.
Jayson describes how he was in a group with Wayne and Natalie and how they talked to a woman who, when she was 20, got married and started a family which was not uncommon during the time, with the Vietnam war going on. Interestingly enough, as a ten year old, I assumed that at 20, I would also be getting married and having my first child even though my parents got married in their late twenties and early thirties, which I , at age 10, though to be way too old. The woman explained how younger families got out of going to war and how that was an incentive for them and how she kept reiterating how normal it was for them. She talked about living through the civil rights movement and the soldiers coming back from the war and just living through a time of social justice which makes me reflect on how we are living through that now as well and how it may be more salient in your early twenties because you are way more involved. She also talked about how her and her husband have been going strong for almost 50 years of marriage and it made Jason reflects on how he wants with his future wife and it makes me reflect on how I want that with a future husband as well and to just have a strong relationship that withstands time.
Maricela brings up how there were a lot of people to converse with since it was right after the Zumba class, which I remember being well attended by the community and which makes me happy since there weren't as many people to converse with at casa de manana. She talked to a woman named Jackie who she describes as being very insightful and kind. The memorable thing at twenty that Jackie shared was coming to San Diego from the East Coast with her brother without much certainty of what she wanted to do which was really rough for her. She worked until her brother got into school which was difficult because she was young but needed to take care of the both of them and kept telling them to take advantage of life and opportunities. I can relate because I moved across the world without knowing anyone here for school when I was 18 and had to build relationships and then my brother came when I was a sophomore to UCSD. Even though we are close, because we grew up very close, he wanted to live on his own and have his own identity so he just reaches out to me when he needs help. We have each other when we need each other but we do live very separate lives. It was very hard adjusting to life here at first but it had been a great adventure and I have taken advantage of it as best I can.
Nicolette had been away from class till the Bayside visit and so it was nice for her to reunite with everyone again, and I wish I could have seen her then too. Her senior was from the Philippines originally and shared stories about how he had gone to college and worked as a real estate agent even though he studied to be an engineer. He decided to do so because that gave him more flexibility with his life so that he could spend it with people he loved and just to do more with his wife who was also in the room. He told them to find a career that they loved and enjoyed and that resonates a lot with me since I am at a time in my life where I am deciding what to do with it and the career I want and the direction, albeit a specific career path or further education, which has been struggling because I am very passionate about so much but I am also grateful for having time to experience so much. I will keep in mind that if it is not bringing me joy then I should not make it my career because then it is a disservice to who I am serving and to myself and my peers which is something my parents always ingrained in me and something that keeps being told to me.
Maria’s elder was an interesting case because she started off by apologizing to them. This was disheartening to hear because I would feel so sad to have been there and to see everyone so excited to share and to have that senior struggle to share. I am glad to read that she did open up and that they got her to talk about her life and experiences and that they were able to resonate with them. She talked about traveling to Europe, Asia and Migrating to the United States which Maria resonated with and which I can to, being someone that loves to travel and that is a recent migrant to the United States.
Leena was talking about how her and Shivani talked to sweet ladies whose husband I remember talking to as well when we first visited Bayside. She was an agriculture major in the Philippines and taught women but worked and Jack in the Box corporate for twenty five years when she came to the states. I remember that her husband was an engineer for the marines and was so sweet as well and they both loved to travel. She invited them over for fresh fruit and I hope that the offer extends to me as well!
Jayson describes how he was in a group with Wayne and Natalie and how they talked to a woman who, when she was 20, got married and started a family which was not uncommon during the time, with the Vietnam war going on. Interestingly enough, as a ten year old, I assumed that at 20, I would also be getting married and having my first child even though my parents got married in their late twenties and early thirties, which I , at age 10, though to be way too old. The woman explained how younger families got out of going to war and how that was an incentive for them and how she kept reiterating how normal it was for them. She talked about living through the civil rights movement and the soldiers coming back from the war and just living through a time of social justice which makes me reflect on how we are living through that now as well and how it may be more salient in your early twenties because you are way more involved. She also talked about how her and her husband have been going strong for almost 50 years of marriage and it made Jason reflects on how he wants with his future wife and it makes me reflect on how I want that with a future husband as well and to just have a strong relationship that withstands time.
Maricela brings up how there were a lot of people to converse with since it was right after the Zumba class, which I remember being well attended by the community and which makes me happy since there weren't as many people to converse with at casa de manana. She talked to a woman named Jackie who she describes as being very insightful and kind. The memorable thing at twenty that Jackie shared was coming to San Diego from the East Coast with her brother without much certainty of what she wanted to do which was really rough for her. She worked until her brother got into school which was difficult because she was young but needed to take care of the both of them and kept telling them to take advantage of life and opportunities. I can relate because I moved across the world without knowing anyone here for school when I was 18 and had to build relationships and then my brother came when I was a sophomore to UCSD. Even though we are close, because we grew up very close, he wanted to live on his own and have his own identity so he just reaches out to me when he needs help. We have each other when we need each other but we do live very separate lives. It was very hard adjusting to life here at first but it had been a great adventure and I have taken advantage of it as best I can.
Nicolette had been away from class till the Bayside visit and so it was nice for her to reunite with everyone again, and I wish I could have seen her then too. Her senior was from the Philippines originally and shared stories about how he had gone to college and worked as a real estate agent even though he studied to be an engineer. He decided to do so because that gave him more flexibility with his life so that he could spend it with people he loved and just to do more with his wife who was also in the room. He told them to find a career that they loved and enjoyed and that resonates a lot with me since I am at a time in my life where I am deciding what to do with it and the career I want and the direction, albeit a specific career path or further education, which has been struggling because I am very passionate about so much but I am also grateful for having time to experience so much. I will keep in mind that if it is not bringing me joy then I should not make it my career because then it is a disservice to who I am serving and to myself and my peers which is something my parents always ingrained in me and something that keeps being told to me.
Maria’s elder was an interesting case because she started off by apologizing to them. This was disheartening to hear because I would feel so sad to have been there and to see everyone so excited to share and to have that senior struggle to share. I am glad to read that she did open up and that they got her to talk about her life and experiences and that they were able to resonate with them. She talked about traveling to Europe, Asia and Migrating to the United States which Maria resonated with and which I can to, being someone that loves to travel and that is a recent migrant to the United States.
Leena was talking about how her and Shivani talked to sweet ladies whose husband I remember talking to as well when we first visited Bayside. She was an agriculture major in the Philippines and taught women but worked and Jack in the Box corporate for twenty five years when she came to the states. I remember that her husband was an engineer for the marines and was so sweet as well and they both loved to travel. She invited them over for fresh fruit and I hope that the offer extends to me as well!