Søernes Sejlklub Day 2

I sometimes go with the flow to the extent that I become invisible and people can forget that I exist or that I have feelings. Last night we agreed to meet downstairs at 8am to bike to class together. Lindsay knocked on my door at 7:57am as I was packing my bag, and I was downstairs by 8:02am. I looked around and didn't see anyone, went to get my bike around the corner and still didn't see anyone, I called Lindsay at 8:05am and learned that I was left behind. Steaming, I rode my bike to class, got there 40 minutes early, and reviewed the reading assignment. I figured 4 hours of class would give me the chance to cool off, but then my teacher was picking up our papers and made some comment about picking up my paper first so she could see my name because I was the only one she didn't know. Am I really that invisible? That was the cherry on top, and I was a little annoyed the rest of class. Oftentimes when we are riding our bikes I will get stuck at a red light and fall behind the group. It takes me a minute to get caught up, but one time I got stuck so far back that I was lost and forgotten. I finally stopped at a fountain to wait until I could get ahold of someone. I think my frustration was building up, and this morning was the last straw. Not to mention I was up until 2am last night, so I probably didn't have as much patience as I usually do. Oops.

I wasnt going to let it ruin my day, so after class I talked to Natalie and was able to express briefly how I was feeling, but I still needed a little more time to get my thoughts together. We realized that Natalie's watch was a few minutes fast, so it seemed like I was more late than I actually was. Regardless, I was hurt by being left behind. 

It is part of my personality to stay quietly in the background. This enables me to observe what is going on around me and make inferences for myself. But part of being a quiet observer is taking some alone time to debrief and reflect. I've been going nonstop the past few days without time to stop and reflect. What I really needed was a chance to just sit and get my thoughts in order. Later in the day Natalie said she liked how I was calm and level headed when expressing my feelings. This was nice to hear as a budding social worker in which communication is a critical component of my work. After getting some food in my system and getting the chance to relax and collect my thoughts, I was ready for the day ahead of me. I wasn't going to let a silly little thing like this get in the way of these meaningful friendships I hope to maintain for the rest of my life. 

Today in class we added a few more PowerPoint slides to our advocacy book. These slides included migration motives of non-Dutch immigrants. We found that the top reasons people migrate to the Netherlands are family formation and asylum seeking. We also found that ethnic minorities from non-western countries have a significantly lower degree performance and higher risk of dropping out. Although we found this information specifically relevant to the Netherlands, I would imagine this same pattern would hold true for migrant populations in other countries. The cultural and linguistic differences are essential when explaining ethnic disparities. Elementary schools and high schools especially because they are mandatory, but also colleges need to accommodate for diversity while keeping the children's best interest at heart in order to provide a safe and welcoming environment. 

After class we walked over to The Living Room to grab some lunch. When Lindsay and I were there last week we just used the Internet because we were too full to have some food. Today I had a Blueberry Thrill smoothie with blueberries, bananas, apple juice, yogurt, honey, and lime and a delicious sandwich on organic whole grain rye bread with goat cheese, sundried tomatoes, lettuce, and olive spread. It was everything I could ever want in a sandwich and more. I practically licked the plate it was so good. After sitting in the comfortable chairs a little longer, we soon headed to the lakes where I would have my second day of field volunteer work. I was a half hour early, so we layed out by the water on the bike path. 

Now that we have some basic training on the kayaks, this week we were able to volunteer directly with the children at Søernes Sejlklub. Talk about a language barrier! I found it surprisingly difficult to work with the children without using a common form of verbal communication. When getting the children settled into the kayaks, they needed both of their feet to be touching the pedals with their knees slightly bent. It was difficult to explain this without words, and most of the time I resulted to touching the bottoms of my feet and pointing inside the kayak to their feet. The children managed to get their lifejackets on with no problem, but some of the kids were having difficulty with the piece of fabric that goes over the opening in the kayak to prevent water from getting in. When I saw that kids were struggling, it was difficult to approach them to help while keeping in mind personal space and boundaries. I didn't want to jump in and be that close to them without prior consent, but how do you ask for consent with nonverbal communication? I ultimately tried to read their body language when I approached to see if they needed help, but this was still difficult and would take a lot of practice to master.

Once all the equipment was in the water and children were busy with their activities, a canoe became available, so we got the chance to go for a quick ride. It was a perfect day for sailing with all the wind, but it made sitting in a canoe slightly chilly. There is something very serene and tranquil about being outside with nothing but water surrounding you. When you are able to relax and move with the rhythm of the water, it is a wonderful feeling of vulnerability. Vulnerable to wherever the wind and the current will take you.

It was nice to see the children having such a wonderful time with the sailboats, kayaks, and canoes. The kids exercise their right to self determination. When they wanted to go out on the water, they were in charge with initiating that activity. There were parents and staff members available to help, guide, and teach when necessary, but the children ran the show. The Sailing Club had a similar mentality as the Gadevang childcare center when allowing children the freedom to play how they want and learn from their mistakes. Søernes Sejlklub is an amazing resource for children, and I hope it continues to receive the participate and support it needs to stay afloat. 

After our sailing adventures, we went for a short walk to a neighboring town across the water. This town had beautiful little parks and city squares, and I would love to come back to spend more daylight hours here. Copenhagen never ceases to amaze me. In any direction, if you walk 10 minutes down the road you will find completely different cultures, architecture, and people. There is tremendous diversity, and in my 6 weeks here I won't even begin to see it all.

On the walk home from the sailing club I met up with Lindsay and Natalie to grab some dinner. We went to The Taco Shop right down the street from our apartment. I was planning on making food at home, but I'm not one to turn down Mexican food.