So as some of you may know, Samantha Mack and I went to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico a couple months ago with Judy Chin, photographer extraordinaire. The trip had quite the effect on me, and on the third day I was discussing plans with Sam about coming back to the country and building a house. And here we are, planning events that will help us raise money to do so, with our first event being on July 26th.
But, there have some misunderstandings regarding the purpose of our fundraiser so I'm writing this note to outline our plans and how why we are doing this. Some people think that we are raising money just to go on a free vacation, and others don't understand why we are going to Mexico to help a poor family instead of helping the homeless here. So here is a detailed explanation of what's been going on through my head before, during, and after the whole trip.
A week before leaving for Puerto Vallarta, I recall talking to one of my coworkers at the elementary school about a trip she had just come back from. She had gone to the Dominican Republic to build a house for a family through a non-governmental organization called Live Different. Anyone who knows me well would know that I would have been super duper interested. I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran for half my life. Tehran is a very populated and polluted city where the gap between the rich and poor is quite huge. I grew up witnessing severe poverty (see one my previous notes for an experience I had in a hospital in Tehran that motivated me to become a doctor) and always felt as if I needed to do something to help those in need. Why some had so much, and others had nothing left me furious and heartbroken over the injustice that was prevalent. I never did let go of that belief, and after moving to the USA, my family quickly went from being middle class to not so well off, despite my father having a double PhD. My parents worked their asses off to pay for what we had, and I quickly became aware that my ESL and dark features had marked me as an alien in the Neo-Nazi community in Idaho that we had ended up in. I definitely know what it's like to be marginalized and financially unstable. Regardless of my difficulties, I studied as hard as I could and eventually skipped a full grade, starting UBC as soon as I could. I was always thankful for the educational system in the North West. In Canada, if you have a plan and work hard, you can be anything that you want.
Anyway, the day of the trip arrived and we were eventually in paradise. The warmness and friendliness of Mexican culture was so similar to Iranian culture that I felt right at home! I was in love! But on the second day, between Sam looking for a baby daddy, Judy bargaining with the tour guides for a snorkeling trip, and me signing up for the most ridiculous beach olympic tournaments (and getting into some seriously hilarious awkward situations), we decided to wander off into the villages nearby. I felt as if our resort was just a postcard, or like a scratch n' sniff sticker. The smell only faintly resembled the "fruit" it was claiming to be. The poverty was horrifying. Needless to say, our resort must have looked like a castle to the poor people around, and I wasn't too surprised when we were slammed with the locals trying to sell us things. There were so many children working during the day, too poor and marginalized to afford a basic education. The vicious cycle of poverty was in full gear. Going back to the resort that night had left a bad feeling in my stomach. I felt so awkward sitting on my bright blue floatie, hanging out in one of the 12 pools in the resort. I had access to some of the best food in the district, and yet so much of it was being thrown away. I was so close to sneaking ice cream out the resort to take to the little ones that I had met in the villages.
I brought up Live Different with Sam and suggested wanting to come back to Mexico to build a house for a family living in a garbage dump. Having done lots of fundraising before, Sam was all over it. We thought about how we could raise money and decided to come back for Christmas to Vicente Guerrero and build a house.
The biggest reason why I want to be a doctor is to help people without political affiliation. I want to be able to travel to different countries and help those at risk. But I'm not at that stage yet. I have a good 300 muscles left to memorize :P. But through Live Different, I know that I'm able to raise money to at least change the life of a child growing in a situation with no opportunities. I dream of one day helping the homeless right outside my door as well, but the reasons behind poverty in Vancouver are different from those in Mexico. They are a bit more complicated. Building a house for someone here will cost far more and take much more muscle and brain power. The house we're building in Mexico will have no running water or electricity, but those things are rare in Vicente Guerrero as it is a brutally poor area near the US/Mexico border. Building a house there might also be a reason to keep the Mexicans in Mexico and decrease the illegal immigration rate.
It is important for people to realize that Mexico is not one giant sunny beach paradise. That's probably less than 5% of the country, and a popular stereotype that keeps the tourism industry alive. We are going to stay with a family while we are there, and are going work everyday for seven days, getting up at 7am to build. I will be video blogging the whole experience as well. Here is an example of the "garbage dump" families there: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxqbwebKpX4
Here is the website for those interested in our trip: http://livedifferent.com/hero-holiday
All the details should be listed there!
"We are all about choice - the choice to live different.
We believe in the value of each of our lives, and that value is what makes our lives worth living.
We will not be persuaded by the lure of apathy or the haze of indifference. We will stand up for what is right.
We will not perpetuate the 'me-first' mentality that endangers our culture. We will remind the world that there is more to live for.
We believe that a changed heart can truly change the world.
We believe that this change starts with each of us.
It starts now. Live Different."
OUR FIRST EVENT WILL BE ON JULY 26th AT THE PENTHOUSE.
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