Dhammapada

The Thousands

"Better than a thousand hallow words

Is one word that brings peace.

Better than a thousand hallow verses

Is one verse that brings peace.

Better than a hundred hallow lines

Is one line of the law, bringing peace.

It is better to conquer yourself

Than to win a thousand battles.

Then the victory is yours.

It cannot be taken from you,

Not by angels or by demons,

Heaven or hell.

Better even than tending in the forest

A sacred flame for a hundred years-

Is one moment's reverence

For a man who has conquered himself."

Earliest of Moments

There is something extraordinary about it. Maybe it is the anticipation, possibly the serenity gliding off the glassy ocean-top, guiding the clean, crisp sea breeze that gently woke my senses. It cannot be captured. But I felt it. Typically my thoughts and body feel like a thriving beehive; constant movement, buzzing, flying in-and-out, never resting and always searching. But not then. In those moments the relentless hum slowly disappeared with the fading night sky. In those moments the tension intertwined throughout my body dissolved to mimic the fluidity of the rolling waves beneath me. In those tranquil moments as the sun peered out from behind the horizon, the sun’s rays painted a scene of my soul. The soul that has a dream to change the world. The soul blanketed by expectations and pressure from today’s society. Each sunrise cleared away the clouds and gave me a glimpse of who I want to be.

Finding a Happy Place

Thailand

Iziba

Greece

San Fran

Morocco

Paris

Indonesia

India

Japan

or home...

anywhere but here

Seal Island

On a lighter note, yesterday I took a trip to seal island. For those of you who do not religiously watch shark week like I do, seal island is famous for great white sharks that fly out of the air. It was quite an experience, I only saw one breach (when they fly out of the water) but then we chummed the water with fish guts to attract the sharks up to the boat. I am in awe of how big these things are. You defiantly couldn't get your arms around it if you wanted to give it a hug.

I have too much...

After two weeks of living a simple lifestyle and working everyday in the township I know see the extreme difference between the upper and lower class. Last night I was able to use the internet, take a steaming hot shower and watch tv in a huge hotel. Not only did I have heat in my room but a fluffy down comforter to wrap myself in. I ate at a delicious thai restaurant overlooking the harbor as a pink glow beamed against Table Mountain with the setting sun. I couldn’t help it, all I could think about was the children at the orphanage playing with their handy-down donated toys. Here I was sitting in what could easily have been a picture straight out of a Cape Town calendar, just 45 min from their home and they have experienced nothing of the sort. Witnessing the World Cup in their home country is a once in a lifetime experience yet they will not even get to watch a game on tv. I have the world at my finger tips and they have yet to leave their neighborhood of shacks. I know there is not much I can do about it. I don’t know if I will ever witness a changed world but I do know that the time I have spent with these children will forever be imprinted in my heart and whenever I am feeling greedy I pray that I will be reminded of them and how much more the world has offered me.

Simplicity

The past few days have been more then wonderful. My lesson plans are becoming more intricate and my class seems to be really enjoying the activities I have planned. I have also become extremely attached to the children at the orphanage and its heartbreaking to think I will be leaving them in two days. My life here the past two weeks has been a different experience then I could have imagined. Simple is the only word that comes to mind. At the apartment we have an ancient TV, and when I say ancient I mean it. The thing has two antennas which serve no purpose because the only two stations we get are always fuzzy. The TV has only been used twice since I have been here. There is no internet unless you want to take a ten dollar cab ride to a mall. Without the distractions of a cell phone, TV or internet access, activities used to pass the time are simple. Everyone is either reading or journaling at night after we finish our lesson plans. I don’t know about other peoples’ houses but this never happens at my house. Most of the time I’ll watch TV with my computer on my lap. Right now there is nothing better then taking a shower and slipping into bed with my book, I am going to make an effort when I return to America to read every night. Food in the apartment is also more then simple, if that is even possible. We have yet to discover if South Africans use salt and pepper. Bread, pasta and peanut butter are the three main food groups in the kitchen. Grocery shopping happens once a week therefore on Monday and Tuesday there are bananas and apples but they only seem to last until about mid Wednesday (I am guilty of taking a few bananas and hoarding them all week). A simple breakfast of toast, a peanut butter sandwich for lunch and pasta for dinner. Extremely simple compared to my normal meals. But more so then just my life at the apartment, I witness the daily lives of the children at the orphanage. They have one TV which is rarely turned on, only on special occasions I believe. There are no mirrors, no electronics and defiantly no electronic toys. I am almost positive the kids have never seen a gameboy or a wii before. It is fascinating to see how they entertain themselves and the different perspective they have when it comes to fun. My five and three year old cousins were glued to the television and their new cell phone walky-talkies the last time I visited them. It is really something to witness how they entertain themselves without the luxuries American have become so accustomed too…

Changing the World

I have always said my biggest ambition in life is to help change the world. I figured my time here volunteering in Cape Town is a small step towards that. It seemed as if I were going to change the lives of the children at the orphanage and really make an impact. I was absolutely wrong. I was fooling myself to think I was here for them. Who I am truly impacting is myself. I am here for a few short weeks and yes, I may have taught Timla how to write her name and Lwando knows to say “sorry teacher” when I give him the eye but my time here with the children is a grain of sand in the middle of the atlantic. When I leave their lives will continue to be the same. They will continue to share clothes with 20 other kids and eat frozen chicken heart with a piece of bread for dinner for five days in a row. But I will forever remember them. They are the ones who will truly change my life and they way I view everyday things I take for granted. Is it fair that I shop at Whole Foods for my organic produce while the only fresh produce the children eat is cooked carrots they get in their stew every once in awhile? Is it fair that I buy an excess amount of dresses just because I want them while the only new dresses the girls at the orphanage get are too big used t-shirts someone donated? In all honesty will I stop paying more money for food just because it says “organic”, probably not. Although this is my realization. I personally may not be able to change the world but if more and more people experience what I have been experiencing the past week, then the children would be the ones who are helping to change the world. They have the power to show us just how lucky and fortunate we are to have the opportunities we have. They would be the ones to remind us what is truly important and this could start a chain reaction of thoughts which could lead to actions and then we could ALL help to change the world together.