KOREA day Exhibition 2014

KOREA day Exhibition 2014

July 24 2014 ~ July 26 2014

Mid Valley Exhibition Centre (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

On the 25^th July, I got a chance to participate in KOREA day Exhibition 2014.

This exhibition was hosted by Korean society in Malaysia.

Korean society in Malaysia is kind of friendly society. They promote friendship each other and plan lots of events for Korean who staying in Malaysia.

In advance Jin and I asked to them whether we can get a free booth or can’t

Fortunately we received free booth from Korean society in Malaysia.

Because of the exhibition was held at 10am, I arrived at 9:30 am by no.99 Bus.

There were a lot of people on Saturday than Friday.

Owning to out booth is free, we don’t have volunteer. But other volunteers helped us and told about this exhibition, overall Malaysia life and so on.

I ate TTeok-bokki, Korea vegetable pancake and Gimbab for lunch. I didn’t eat Korean food well after I came to here. When I eat Korea food, I got homesick.

When people passed by our booth, Jin and I informed our eco-baskets and explain who made this eco-baskets.

People who came to Korea day exhibition mainly were interested in Korea food.

Some of them were interested in our eco-baskets but they preferred baskets was made in Korea.

Korea traditional play that was located in front of our booth absorbed interest, but Jin and I did not give up and did our best.

Even though I participated to other exhibitions before, each time I participate exhibitions I meet good people and feel a lot of things.

It was short time but it was precious time to me.

Posted by Oh Ji Hye (July 31 2014)

Eco-Baskets at Rotary Club Meeting

On the 29^th August, I was given a chance to participate in a Rotary Club meeting. The Rotary Club is an international service club whose stated purpose is to bring together businesses and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace throughout the world.
 

 I went Kelab Shah Alam Selangor for the meeting. I had light lunch of chicken rice and some fruits before the meeting started. After the light meal, the Rotarians greeted each other. The meeting was held about one hour long.
 

 Chong Sheau Ching, Excutive Director of eHomemakers gave a speech about the eHomemakers history and introduced our Eco-bakset Project and ECHO, which is a Mobile-E-mail System and enquired in making a partnership with the Rotary Club.

[The philosophy of the Rotary Club]

1) The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;
2) High ethical standards in business and professions, the recognition if worthiness of all of used occupations, and the dignifying of each Rotarian's occupation as an opportunity to serve.
3) The application of the ideal of service in each Rotarian's personal, business, and community life;
4) The advancement of international understanding, goodwill, and peace through a world  fellowship of business and professional persons united in the ideal of service.

Blogged by Lisa SeungYeon Kim

Bon Odori: Beyond Cross-Cultural Between Malaysia and Japan

On the 14^th July, one of the biggest cultural events was held in Malaysia. It was called ‘Bon Odori Festival 2012’.

I have never heard about this festival before. Thanks to a local friend who invited us to this event, we now have a better image about this Festival. From what I experience, Bon Odori is a cross culture event of Malaysia and Japan. Nowadays, many of young Malaysians adopt the Japanese culture. When I walked in Jalan Bukit Bintang (KL Hotspot), I found several Japanese Restaurants and Clothing Stores. 

Anyway, I followed the local intern, Jin to Bon Odori held in Shah Alam: Stadium Matsushita. Although we got a bit lost in Shah Alam, there was no way we could miss the trail of people wearing Japanese traditional clothing: YUKATA, walking the distance to the Stadium itself. Why were there so many young people wearing other country’s traditional clothing? That’s because it is a Japanese traditional dance festival. Young Malaysian people know how to respect different cultures, not to mention really enjoy learning different cultures. 

By the time we got there, many Japanese stalls were already selling food and beverages. We quickly got our food before the crowd started to arrive. There were also many stalls selling various things: big-framed spectacle, foam spray, portable fans, kites and the list goes on. Frankly speaking, when I arrived in here, I didn’t know what I should do. But, after few minutes, I settled into the crowd and went with the flow. 

Even though the two countries had bad blood between them in the past, today, they are closer than anyone ever imagined. The past was what happened. To me, the present is more important. The real spirit behind these cross-culture events is not to force someone to adapt to an unfamiliar culture, but enjoy and understand together for better life. In this context, Bon Odori was a successful event in Malaysia.

The Bon Dance was the main attraction in the festival. Everyone would just look upon the stage and mimic the dancers’ actions. Doing this in a large crowd make me very happy and comfortable. It was like a Midsummer Night’s Dream…

People warming up to the beat of the drums

As the day turns to night...

Everyone PARTY~

[Bon Odori’s meaning]

There are a lot of traditional dances in Japan, but the one of the most famous and common dance is Bon dance, which called ‘Bon Odori’ in Japanese. People dance Bon Dance in the Bon Festival. The Bon Festival is held every summer whatever country.

Bon means ‘welcoming ancestor’ souls’ and ‘holding a memorial service’ for the souls. August every year is a Bon week, and Bon continues for about a week. During Bon weeks, sometimes all family have gathering and held a memorial service for their ancestors, and enjoy being in a reminiscent mood. This traditional comes from Buddhism in China.

[The meaning of Cross-Cultural Communication]

   The key to effective cross-cultural communication is an understanding. First, it is necessary that people understand the communication problems from different culture, and tries to overcome these problems. Second, it is important to assume that one’s efforts will not always be successful, and adjust one’s behavior appropriately.
 

  For example, one should always assume that there is a significant possibility that cultural differences are causing communication problems, and be willing to be forgiving and patient like a Guide rather than hostile and aggressive like Coach, if one wants to solve the problem. One should respond slowly and carefully in cross-cultural exchanges, not jumping to the conclusion that you know what is being thought and said.
 

  The key for resolving conflicts is listening and thinking. These two help in cross cultural communication as well. When things seem to be going badly, stop or slow down and think. What could be going in here? Is it possible I misinterpreted what they said, or they misinterpreted me? Often misinterpretation is the source of the problem.
 

   Effective communication with people of different cultures is absolutely challenging. Cultures provide people with ways of thinking-ways of seeing, hearing, and interpreting the world. Same words can mean different things to people from different cultures. When the languages are different, and translation has to be used to communicate, the potential for misunderstandings increases.
 

   It is very difficult for people who have different cultures live together. However, if we just approach carefully and try to understand one another, it will happen, given enough time.

Blogged by Lisa SeungYeon Kim

Trip To Ipoh

27/07/12 ~ 29/07/12

On the 27^th July, all four of us Korean Interns decided to leave KL to explore the unknown land of Ipoh. It was a reasonably long holiday for us. (3 days including weekends) We left the office late Friday afternoon around 12 noon, had our lunch before departing from TTDI at 3pm to KL Sentral.

Our journey continued via KTM (Kereta-Api Tanah Melayu) to Ipoh. We met a friendly Indian couple on the train. We had a good, long chat with them. At first, I thought they were a Hindu couple but it turned out they were Christians. Hence, I am once again reminded that there is a huge diversity of people living in Malaysia which cannot be categorized into ethnic and religion.

After a three hour train ride, we arrived at the capital of Perak! (Ipoh). In my opinion, Ipoh is a very peaceful town. I was completely absorbed by the exotic atmosphere. At the station, we met Pong’s brother and her cute little niece who took us to see her, a patient in Ipoh Hospital. She looked very pale when we first met her.

 

We had a short chat with her about her condition and really hope that she will get better.

Pong’s brother then took us for dinner at the famous Chicken Noodle shop in Ipoh. To tell the truth Choi, my friend, couldn’t eat local food but there were some exceptions. This was one!! The Ipoh Chicken Noodle was delicious. This marks our first night in Ipoh.

 The Ipoh Chicken restaurant together

On the second day, I didn’t expect to see much in Ipoh. However, I was proven wrong once again. Since it is a day trip, can’t afford to go around by foot. Therefore, we rent Pong’s brother’s car to tour around Ipoh. We visited Kellie Castle, temples, huge limestone caves, many recreational parks.

Kellie Castle



Gunung Lang Recreational Park

D.R. Seenivasagam Park, formerly Coronation Park

At night, we went to Ipoh Stadium. There are a lot of street restaurants over there. We ordered fresh cool juice and fried rice.

I have never eaten this kind of the fried rice before. The taste was awesome. After we finished dinner, some of Pong’s brother’s friends joined us. We shared good time together. The last night in Ipoh was never forgotten to me.

Night Restaurant at the Ipoh Stadium

I am really satisfied with the Ipoh trip. Ipoh is different from other developed city. The natural environment has been perfectly preserved and Ipoh food tastes good. Not only is the price very low, but also really delicious. It’s been a happy experience to me.

I used to think that ‘Happy is associated with well-developed?’ I would like to answer ‘not necessary, I felt much happier the time stayed at Ipoh than KL which is a well-developed city. I think a peaceful mind is an essential condition for happiness.

I would like to thank eHomemakers and Pong’s family for give me this time. If you want to find to place go to, I would definitely recommend Ipoh!

What I ate:

The Fried Rice and Ipoh White Coffee

Blogged by Lisa Seungyeon Kim

Bubur Lambuk: More than Porridge

 

On the 30th of July, I went to the TTDI mosque with Bae and Jin.

I have already visited a number of mosques in Malaysia, this time I went there to get bubur lambuk. Bubur lambuk is a traditional rice porridge dish given out for free during the month of Ramadan.

It is cooked for several hours with chicken and a variety of vegetables. Bubur lambuk is very nutritious since it includes many herbs and spices that are good for the body.

The Volunteers scooping out the bubur lambuk into plastic bags

After a tiresome cooking session for three hours, the packaging process begins.
Volunteers in the mosque form a work line to scoop the porridge and pack them in plastics. The bubur lambuk is then distributed to the public after the afternoon prayer by the volunteers.

People are willing to queue up for hours in order to take home some of this traditional dish. The man who voluntarily took us to the mosque was Uncle Wan, who is a Muslim himself. He was foreign minister diplomat in Malaysia. It was by luck that I ran into him because he’s knowledgeable not only local but also foreign affairs.

Most of them were retirees who volunteer to do community service during their free time. I introduced myself to them: ‘I’m an eHomemakers Intern from Korea. Our organization help single mother through various ways.’

The Muslim volunteers also helped single mothers. They held a charity bazaar for single mother some time in early July, selling donated, unclaimed airport baggage. Before I met these people, I thought Muslim were very narrow-minded and aggressive people.

This was reasoned through rumours and news about religious strife and inequality for women. However, the Muslims whom I met were very humorous and open-minded. Even though they were dissimilar from my religion, I was impressed by their charity. Although I didn’t see how they made bubur lambuk, I really enjoyed talking with them.

Malaysia is a multicultural country which consisted of various race and religion. When I first arrived in this country, I was very confused about this multicultural society.

How can they live together in harmony when there are so many differences, so many traditions and so many cultures? Therefore, during my stay in Malaysia, I shall devote some time and effort to understand as many as possible.

Different race: Mutual respect

Different religion: Tolerate

Different culture: Understand

Blogged by Lisa Seungyeon Kim

말레이시아는 정말 다양한 인종, 다양한 종교가 있는 나라이다. 다양함이란 의미속에는 특별히 우대받는 사람도 있고, 소외 받는 사람도 있음을 의미한다. 높은위치에 있건 낮은위치에 있건, 내가 만나온 사람들은 환경에 불평하기보다는 각자 자신이 맡은 자리에서 열심히 노력하며 살고 있었다. 말레이시아에 거주한지 40여일이 지났다. 그동안 내가 가지고 있었던 편견에 대해 조금씩 깰 수 있는 계기가 되었길 바라고, 나 또한 이곳에서 좀 더 성장했을거라 믿고 싶다.

The Amazing Durian Buffet!

After dinner at a Malaccan restaurant, we encountered durian stalls on the way home.

It is the first time I’ve seen a durian buffet… We still cannot forget the first smell of durian. However, we have had some training on the smell of durian for several times during our series of durian torture. We were feeling good as we had a wonderful dinner so we built up our courage.

“BE BRAVE!” I told myself as we headed to the durian stalls.

Picture 1 and 2: Durians… Many types of DURIANS!

We stared at the mountain of durians…. We picked one. The ‘waiter’ cut it open and we ATE it.

This is the second most unique thing I’ve seen in Malaysia, second to the pineapple tree in the Police Station we walk through every day.

Durian waiters picking a durian for us

The crowd at the roadside buffet

Here is the King of Fruits

Many people there were enjoying the durians slowly as it was an eat all you can buffet.

This street was blanketed in the pungent durian scent. In spite of tropical country, Malaysian love durian which is a fruit that generates heat. Ms Chong told us that to counter the ‘heaty’ effect of the durian, they eat mangosteens which have a ‘cooling’ effect.

This explanation was very strange to me!

BTW, if you ever want to eat durian:

1.     You have to be BRAVE enough to approach the stalls.

2.     You have to endure its pungent smell.

3.     You have to be able to swallow a bite!

PS: It’s not as easy as it sounds…  

However, if you’re game for it, you can head out to SS2 or Petaling Jaya. Bring Ms Chong along as there are many types of durians. (Not all are ‘sweet’)

You could also search a stall up at: http://www.durianss2.com/flash/main.htm

Small note: Durian season is around now. There are tons of durian types as quoted by the waiter: ‘’ We have D2, D101, D24, D88, Jiu Ji, Raja Kunyit, Tawa, Thraka, Udang Merah and Mas Pahang. Come join the durian fest and eat all you can!’’

Blogged by Bae SeonJin.

PT Foundation Charity Night

Past Tuesday, we went to the Laugh Yourself Red which was held by PT foundation for volunteer support. Lucy, one of the staffs of ehomemakers drove us to Taman Bahagia station. From there, we took LRT to Central Market. On the LRT, we saw severe traffic jam in KL. We walked through the Central Market. We saw many people on the street were drawing portraits.

We had dinner in KFC. That was the first time I had chicken rice at KFC because in Korea, there are only chicken and hamburger. Bae only had coleslaw and a chicken burito while Choi only had potato wedges with CHEESE. We had a quick lunch because we needed to be back fast.

After having dinner, we started to serve food at the food bar. There was lamb curry, fried chicken, vadai and curry puff and packets of rice. It was tough speaking english to the local people without help.

Two comedians made jokes about K-pop. They said k-pop is not real music. Although I couldn’t agree with them, I could know K-pop has been spread all over the world including Malaysia.
After the show finished, we returned back home in a taxi. The night out was exhausting and it was a very good experience.

Blogged by Sohee Lee

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This was taken from The Star on Thursday, 12^th July.

Night of laughs raises RM15,000 to aid fight against HIV

By: Terence Toh
KUALA LUMPUR: From quiet chuckles to loud guffaws, two young men had the crowd in stitches laughing for more as they took the stage with their humorous take on a serious topic HIV/AIDS.

Comedians Douglas Lim and Kuah Jenhan joined the battle against the disease by helping to raise RM15,000 in a night of laughs to help children, women and men affected by HIV/AIDS here on Tuesday.

The event, Laugh Yourself Red, was held at the DoPPel Kafe at Central Market Annexe and organised by PT Foundation (previously known as Pink Triangle), a community-based organisation providing information, education and care services relating to HIV/AIDS and sexuality.

The show, emceed by former Miss Malaysia Elaine Daly, had the two funnymen giving humorous anecdotes about the misconceptions people have about HIV/AIDS and delighting the audience with their witty wisecracks and humorous observations of Malaysian life.

“Malaysians are the only people who can plan their dinner when having their supper,” Kuah joked. “We are also the only people who can direct people from one location to another using eateries! I can tell you how to get from Sri Petaling to the centre of town just by using eateries!” he said.

“In most English-speaking countries, we can either beat someone up, or knock someone down. Only in Malaysia, however, can we whack someone upside down'!” Lim said, illustrating the unique way Malaysians speak.

The night ended with a song he wrote to tease fans of Korean popular music, titled I Hate K-Pop.

PT Foundation communications executive Laika Jumabhoy said they chose comedy to spread the message about HIV/AIDS because “there is power in laughter.”

“Douglas and Jenhan are young Malaysians with a powerful voice in the community.

“They dare to make a difference with the PT Foundation, which is why we decided to work with them.”

Laika said young Malaysians, aged 13 to 29 formed 35.9% of all new AIDS infections in the country due to lack of awareness and their tendency to engage in high-risk behaviours.

My First Pot Luck Party

Last Sunday, We had a pot luck party. Pot luck party is a simple party where everyone brings some food and have fun. Since pot luck party is not a common in Korea, it was my first experience.

Also, we made some brownies with assistance from Rhonwyn as I’ve never made brownies before. It was great, new experience.

By preparing food and sharing it, people become closer. Also, pressure on the host in preparations for meals can be reduced.

When I go back to Korea, I want to try hosting a pot luck party with my friends.

Blogged by Sohee Lee

A Visit to Montfort Boys Town

After an eventful first day in office, we were tasked to do some field work on our second day in internship. Today I shall be accompanied by Lisa, another South Korean intern for the task that lies ahead.

Our destination was Montfort Boys Town (MBT). We were tasked to key in their contact list into their database and assist them in using our DWMA program. I was worried as it is my first field task.

MBT was established in 1959 by four pioneering brothers. MBT was purposed to be a house for underprivileged boys such as orphan and the poor. Also, Montfort Boys Town provides education in vocational skills such as baking, cooking, sewing, engineering and IT training in hopes that one day these boys will be financially independent.

In the present, Montfort Boys Town is home to approximately 200 boys and 40 girls. In my country, there is no such system like this; therefore, going to MBT was a really good experience for me.

Since MBT was so far from eHomemakers, CEO of MBT, Mr. Chin Kin Onn came here to pick us up at 10a.m. He has a good smile, and also is really humorous. We got into a car and headed for MBT.

It is the first time I’ve commuted in a local’s vehicle (excluding Taxi). Another thing that caught my eye was the fact that in Malaysia, the driver’s seat is on right side, whereas in South Korea it is on the left side. For the 5 days I’ve been here, I realized that the world was bigger and more diversified than I imagined.

I was very surprised when we arrived at MBT. In my mind’s eye, I pictured MBT to be a large building. However, it lived up to its namesake; MBT really looked like a miniature ‘Town’.

First, we went to his office to perform data entry into DWMA. As soon as we began, our first challenge surfaced. Unlike South Korea names, local people’s names can be very complicated to an extent that we could not divide their names into the first name and last name categories.

Fortunately, the locals were very helpful and taught us how to differentiate the first name from the last name. In my opinion, I think Malaysians are very helpful people.

Once we finished the data entry, it was lunch time.

A local staff at MBT named Jeki gave us our lunch. We haven’t settled down with the local food yet so we curiously opened our lunchboxes. Today’s lunch was ‘Chicken rice’.  It tasted better than we thought and gobbled up the food in no time.

After we finish eating, we were given time to explore their facility. I noticed there were a lot of Catholic-themed statues and pictures. In the ‘town’, there were several buildings that were allocated as classrooms for the students.

Similar to faculties in university, the buildings were purposed for different skill training.

There were many types of equipment in the buildings that were relevant for their skill training. For example, in the hospitality building there were real beds, tables and even a drinks bar. I was amazed to see the students learning various techniques to serve a table. In South Korea, we mostly ‘study’ by memorizing!

In fact, there is no such center such as this in South Korea. In my opinion, the people of South Korea should adopt and establish this system as it will benefit our unprivileged teenagers.

In conclusion, it was a very good first experience for me to see the diversity of culture and working ethics of the local people.

Blogged by Hae-Wook Choi

A Radical Experiment in Empathy

Understanding another perspective is a challenge especially when the values and practices by another parties are so different from our own.

But if you put yourself 'in someone's shoes', you will find that we are all very similar, learn to see 'the other side of the coin' from this talk:

Durian Torture

Ah-po forced us to eat a Durian. See the video.

Cultural Adjustment

If one wants to be of use in other country, especially in social work, then it is essential that one be flexible enough to integrate into your new home and open enough to understand the details and circumstances of this new home. 

Otherwise, at best you will be able to do nothing, and at worst you will cause more problems than you solve. Sadly, this has been the story of many “Do Gooders” by foreigners. If you want to read about more Western “Do Good” attempts gone wrong read William Easterly’s White Man’s Burden of check out his blog “Aid Watch.”

Prior to my arrival, I was not worried about cultural adaptation. 

I even had a bit of an attitude I must admit. Why not, right? I’d lived in Russia for a whole fourteen months, surviving the dark, cold northern winter. 

I had even briefly lived in Morocco, another Muslim country. I arrived feeling comfortable and prepared. This state of mind, however, manifested itself as the wrong attitude. 

The I’ve got it down, no need to worry attitude.  

My brief stint here highlighted my misperception. I was not nearly as prepared as I thought. Earlier experiences were useful, but not in the way I initially expected. I expected the same process. I simply was living in a foreign country again. 

What I took from these earlier experiences and could use in Malaysia was how to be flexible and open, so I could integrate and understand this wonderful new place.

Here are a few points I have struggled with since arrival and am slowly overcoming. The number one is food and table etiquette. 

Food is a major obstacle for proper cultural adaptation. Upon arrival in another country, many Expats refuse to try local food. They either reduce their calorie intake or substitute usual eating habits with the cheap Western fast food (i.e. American food) found throughout the world. 

(On a side note, for some reason, the U.S. seems to export the worst of our food, but people everywhere seem to love it. I don’t). 

Although I was never subject to them, I witnessed dietary changes among fellow travelers in Russia and have heard stories about it in Malaysia. 

While in Russia, one friend of mine subsisted primarily on coke, refusing to eat the free, daily lunches. In Malaysia, I’ve heard about earlier volunteers eating nothing but KFC and McDonalds. Neither of these two dietary habits can be healthy. 

If one is flexible and open to new dishes, however, these problems are easily avoided. Especially in Malaysia, food consumption should not be a problem. 

The food in Malaysia is as wonderful as it is diverse. One can choose between three distinct types of food: Malay, Chinese, and Indian that can be found on almost every street corner. Beyond that there is a range of good international cuisines, albeit they are typically more expensive. 

For me at least, diet adjustment has not been a problem.

On the other hand, I’ve encountered several problems relating to manners at the table. For instance, placing your chopsticks vertical in a bowl is offensive. 

Although I do not completely understand the meaning, but it is a sort of funeral rite and represents death. 

To the chagrin of several individuals, I have mistakenly done this when looking for a resting position for my chopsticks. Another table misdemeanor occurred when I was collecting food for my dinner. In the US, we place the amount of food we wish to eat for the entire meal on the plate at one time. 

It is quite common for the entire meal to be served on this one plate. In contrast, Chinese take one or two pieces at a time, continually placing new pieces on the plate after they finish each bit. 

A problem develops between these two eating styles as I end up quickly monopolizing a large portion of the food at the table. This appears quite rude to the your dining companions and is a mistake I made several times prior to correction.

While a seemingly insignificant difficulty, misunderstandings of table etiquette can cause substantial obstacles to the development of relationships with those in your new country. 

As an American, how do we feel about someone who does not hold their fork right, chews with their mouth open, or does not follow some other minor table rule. 
  

Making this situation more difficult, people here are generally loath to inform you of your bad manners. 

Often times, those around you will quietly judge your actions without informing you of your transgression. This leaves you open to further mistakes and judgments. Luckily, my host has the courtesy of informing me.

Why I'm Here

Writing in this blog, I am hoping to convey my experiences as I participate in development work in South East Asia. 

I hope, then, it can act as a guide for other Westerns and in particular Americans, who wish to follow a path similar to my own. I suppose a good starting point would be a discussion of my motivations, which are deeply rooted in my upbringing in rural South Carolina.

I am twenty-two years old. I grew up in the Wren community, a small place on the outskirts of Greenville with little more than a stop light, a gas station, and a high school. 

To say the least, it was an isolated place, but somehow or another I developed a love for the world. Although I am not absolutely certain,

I think this interest originated with my father, who often traveled and had spent several years in Ethiopia as a Peace Corp volunteer in his younger days. Since high school, I’ve sought opportunities to indulge my fascination, whether through my university studies, travel, or simply befriending foreigners. In university, I studied international politics and economics, lived in Russia, traveled to Morocco, and met people from the four corners of the world. I decided not too long ago that my career would need to allow me to continue exploring the world. 

I am also an eternal optimist and believe hard work and reason can solve many of the world’s ills. Individuals can be force of good in society, and I hope to be such an individual. In this respect, I am under the influence of my mother, who always encouraged learning and development of strong morals. 

Her career as a social security lawyer provides a guiding light for this philosophy. She works tirelessly to support victims of circumstance, whether those born with defects, struck with debilitating illnesses, or pained by severe injuries.  

Through her career, she acts as a catalyst for positive change and betters the lives of others. I hope I too can follow in my mother’s footsteps and act as such a catalyst.

As a student of economics, however, I’ve also developed a healthy skepticism for feel good schemes and respect for the effects of unintended consequences. 

There are far too many examples of well intending Westerns showing up in some foreign land and causing more problems than they solve. I know I must be careful not to end up as one of those Westerners.

My past experience, desire, and knowledge fundamentally shaped my current direction and my decision to seek an internship outside of the United States. 

Working in Malaysia, I hope to develop the knowledge and skills to be a catalyst for positive change in diverse communities. 

I know it won’t be easy, but my experiences and shortcomings will provide readers of my blog with the knowledge to more effectively follow their goals and ambitions.