Visiting a senior home for the first time was an exciting experience for me. I was a bit scared because I did not know what to do or what to talk about, but it ended up being really fun and heartwarming. When we first arrived, Paul explained to us in great detail the many difficulties that the elderly face. I knew that many seniors lived in poverty, but I was unaware of the vicious cycle of not being able to get money or housing. It shocked me to learn that it takes 11 years to get a voucher that allows a senior to live somewhere, but even that voucher does not guarantee housing. Before we served lunch to the seniors, we spoke in our respective languages to show the elderly which of us they can communicate with comfortably. I do not speak Tagalog fluently, I only understand it well. However, I tried my best to talk to a few Filipino women and they were understanding. They could tell that I was trying hard to speak in Tagalog, so they spoke half Tagalog and half English. Being in that setting made me realize how important it is for me to actually learn how to speak Tagalog. It was okay because the women knew English as well, but if they didn’t the situation would have been different. Serving lunches was also fun, the elderly appreciated us helping out. While waiting in line to serve lunch, I was able to talk to my fellow classmates and get to know a few of them better.
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Micah BanawisArchives
June 2018
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