On Week 3, we went to Casa De Mañana for our second Learning Exchange Meeting (LEG) with seniors. In the beginning, we met up with our HAP groups and discussed our upcoming projects. After a short debrief, we headed inside and met with a few seniors there. I and a few of my classmates spoke with Ed, an ex-Naval officer. He had brought several pictures from his time in the military, including a photo of the military plane he used to fly. I really enjoyed learning about Ed’s life. He was able to travel all over the world during his service. What was also really inspiring is the range of experiences he had throughout his life. In addition to being a pilot, he worked as an accountant for the navy and has also taught at Stanford University for a number of years. Ed also asked each one of us about our career plans. He was really interested to know what we were studying and what our post-grad plans were. He encouraged us to start thinking about what we wanted to. Ed said that he was also really interested in photography and if he had not joined the navy, then he would have liked to be a photographer for National Geographic. At Casa, he continues to pursue photography as a hobby. We also learnt from him that there is a wii bowling team at Casa that goes around the country to compete. Ed is currently the caption of the team now. He told us a little about the other social activities he could take part in at Casa and it was very interesting to learn all of that.
On Wednesday of Week 2, we met at Bayside Community Center for a Learning Exchange Meeting (LEG) with seniors. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to talk to more seniors and learn about their lives when they were 20 years old. I and a few of my classmates spoke with Tammy. She is a very sweet, bubbly lady who immigrated from the Philippines many years ago. I really enjoyed talking to her and learning about her experiences. She told us what her life was like when she was our age. When she was around 22, she worked at an antique shop in the Philippines. Her boss at the shop was very generous and kind. He wanted her to see and learn more about the rest of the world, so he encouraged her to travel to different countries in Europe like France, Italy etc. She traveled to all of these places by herself. Tammy said that her boss took care of all expenses and she was really grateful to have a boss like him. It was so nice to hear her talk about the places she visited and the people she met. I hope to travel a lot too like her. When we asked her about her most memorable experience, she mentioned that while she was working at the shop, she got the chance to meet the former first lady of Philippines, Imelda Marcos. She said that meeting the first lady was one of the most surreal experiences of her life. It was like a dream come true. Speaking with Tammy also reminded me of my grandmother who has always been enthusiastic about traveling. And just like Tammy, my grandmother had been really awestruck when she met one of her idols when she was really young.
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Jayati SharmaWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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