So strange to think that the last time I wrote, I was
getting way too sappy for the internet about leaving my Punta Cana. While I miss
it (so much) everyday, I feel very lucky- my month back has consisted of
enjoying my job at HCW, lots of Spanish, beach and lake visits, concerts, a
trip to see my incredible sister in Memphis, and time with family and friends.
I am happy, but so ready for my next trip. This one is a month of traveling
from Morocco, to Turkey, (lil pit stop in Qatar), to Sri Lanka- staying with village families and doing
service projects along the way. Three continents in four weeks! Since it will
be so much so fast, I need to be as open as possible. These are three very unique
places, each with something special to offer- but I want to keep the mindset
that “the only real nation is humanity” (shout
out to my idol Paul Farmer). I want to see the similarities between the three
countries- the commonalities between cultures and people rather than being
shocked by the differences and only noticing what sets us apart. This amazing
opportunity was made possible by research grants and various donors (including
my great parents). I am so thankful for their generosity and my professor and
TA- I only met them once and they were willing to post all the materials and
readings I needed for the pre-departure research class while I was in the
Dominican. Since I was gone, I have never met any of the students in my group.
They have had a semester worth of class together- meeting four times a week to
learn about each country, taking introductory Arabic and Sinhala, becoming best
pals. I skyped into the final meeting from Bek’s classroom and my presence was
explained with “Here on screen is Kathy Berlin, she was living in the Dominican
Republic and is now teaching in Memphis. Say Hi.” Thank you for that
introduction, Dr. Siegle. I love the man, but I’ve given up telling my
professor my name isn’t Kathy... I've signed literally every email with Kathryn- maybe I should have written it in Caps. I’m shy and a little nervous about being the new
girl but also eager to make friends and explain that I wasn’t just randomly living
in the DR and don’t actually teach in Memphis- my name is Kathryn and I go to
Tech. Basically, we will be helping to install an irrigation system in Morocco,
attending lectures in Turkey, and hosting a Shramadana in Sri Lanka, where we
will renovate village schools. My personal research will take place in Trincomalee,
Sri Lanka, a village that was devastated by both the tsunami and civil war. I
will be working with Sarvodaya, an NGO that has a center for ex-militant youth.
I’m comparing the demobilization and reintegration of child soldiers after the
civil wars in Sri Lanka and Sierra Leone. The war in Sri Lanka ended three
years ago but since it is such a sensitive subject, I will only be allowed to
speak to staff members. It is hard to wrap my head around- writing this
research paper has resulted in a lot of tears and anger and questions and I am
sure I will have a much harder time with it when I see the children I have been
reading so much about. But I can’t wait to meet them, to learn from them. After
choosing to wear the same five outfits for 3 months in the Dominican, I’ve
learned I am a really light packer. As long as I have clean underwear, a
toothbrush, and my passport, I’m good to go. I have one backpack and half of it is filled with books for the plane rides. Leaving in a few hours. I'm real excited. Peace be the journey!
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