I made it EARLY today for once (shout out to my roommate for giving me a ride). After giving a recap of the “life at 20” talks from the last two weeks, half of the class presented on the assigned book of the quarter: “Happiness is a choice you make: lessons from a year among the oldest old.” It was really interesting to discuss the book with the class as the discussion questions really made me think about deeper topics such as how to approach “Do not resuscitate” and how to lead more healthy lives rather than just simply prolonging it in terms of taking medications. I believe we should have more holistic programs available at hospitals as medications are not the only solution. Peer groups, team-building activities, preventative education, and retreats all are examples of what can lead a healthier life, both physically and mentally. We then convened in our separate HAP groups. We were able to secure dates with both Potiker and Bayside for our “Gateway Growing” succulent party (flyer attached above)! Both centers are very excited for the intergenerational activities. Now we have to send a budget plan and plan which supplies and refreshments are best to make this party reach its full potential!
Coming back to Casa means coming back to the beautiful La Jolla Shores view! Today we are doing another “life at 20” after last week’s successful intergenerational talk! First we met up in our individual HAP groups to discuss our progress. My HAP group is called “Gateway Growing”! We decided to throw a succulent party so now the most important task to get in contact with Potiker, Bayside and North Park so we can have an intergenerational program with them. After figuring out the logistics with my group, we went inside Casa (literally couple meters over from the shore view). Walking through the resident art gallery corridor is always fun since I love seeing what they have painted, photographed or sketched. We then got to talk to some of the residents WHO WERE SO COOL. Munching on my refreshments they kindly provided, some of us got to talk to a cute couple: Bill and Karin. They were both pilots who met in high-school. They flew so many celebrities (they were not allowed to say who) and even the President’s secret service members! They also founded a program in which sick kids such as those who were terminally or chronically ill were able to fly with them and learn about being a pilot and experience the control room and flying! I think that is an amazing program and their work got them recognized by President Reagan. They showed us a picture with the former president and a personal thank you note he took. I was very honored to hold the picture and relive their memories!
I had the greatest time talking to one of the seniors at the Bayside Center. After they completed Zumba (which quickly peeking through the window looked hardcore), we were able to converse with the seniors about their and our “life at 20”. Leena and I were able to get to know a super adorable woman named Zenny. At the age of 20, Zenny was studying at a university in the Philippines for a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural. When we asked her inspiration behind her studies, she talked about how her family was very poor and how she learned she would get a scholarship if she studied agricultural development so that is what she did! Zenny really enjoyed what she learned and how after she graduated, she was able to use her knowledge to help surrounding communities in the Philippines on agricultural development and sustainability. She was excited to learn that my experiences for “life at 20”, which is the age I am now, consists of being a Peace Corps ambassador for UCSD. Her studies and work relates to how Peace Corps agricultural positions also help communities to have more sustainable and efficient practices that farmers can learn and apply after volunteers have to leave. Zenny was so sweet to talk to and she even invited us to pick guavas from her variety of Egyptian and Mexican guava trees next time we visit! I was very happy and am looking forward to do another “life at 20” talk.
A rainy day to start off the first class of the quarter. Many of my classmates’ spring breaks were going out of town or abroad such as to volunteer while others spent time with family and friends! After going through the syllabus, we separated in groups to discuss our HAPs. One idea is we want to create a community garden in terms of a sustainable community vegetable garden using a drip irrigation system for best outcomes. Our plan is to build a communal garden that can be used for planting fruits, vegetables, and flowers. Depending on space availability the plan is to build at least 3 raised garden beds. We want the seniors to pick what they wish to grow such as certain vegetable or herbs. An alternative idea is to create mason jar succulents, herbs, and plants! We would get all the crafts and create mason jar decorative plants with the seniors with paints, ribbons, rocks, and other decorations. This would really be a fun program because we would get to create a community space for the seniors to spend time with us and also take home their own creations. Overall, I am excited to see which path we take, depending on our resources, time crunch and space needed. I am also looking forward to seeing my classmates’ projects as they all sounded very entertaining.
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SHIVANI PATELWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
June 2019
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