Camp!
I re-read my last blog and I sounded like a snotty little biatch because summer really has been a vast improvement in living here. As always it’s really easy to complain about things but at some point you have to stop complaining and actually do something about it. The highlight of my summer so far was the camp that one of the volunteers, Brian, put on in a Southern village on the lake called Saruu. It was an all girls Diversity camp and it was such a hit between the girls and all the camp counselors. We played ultimate Frisbee, we made piñatas, we did tye-dye, and everyday they had individual sessions put on by other volunteers and locals who have traveled to America. On volunteer taught sign language, another taught basic Chinese, and two girls did one on stereotypes and gender roles. The girls were really involved and I really think they benefited from the camp because Brian did an awesome job of putting everything together.
My personal favorite session was when Tana, Jenny and I choreographed a dance to Britney Spears then broke the moves down and taught it to them. It was like my true calling. I felt like one of those stereotypical, crazy dance instructors, “ I saaaaid to the LEFT!!” It was even worse when I started yelling in Russian, “Again! Again! (Apyat, apyat)” At one point I almost threw my clipboard down and left the room, but then I remembered that these girls have no previous dance training and let them try again (kidding, I’m not that bad). Their practice totally paid off and they did a performance on the last day and I was so proud of them when they got an encore. On the last day of camp we also went to the hot springs in Saruu and even though they were only about 30 minutes away and most of the girls have lived there their whole lives, they’ve still never been to them. So we went on a hike to a waterfall, which was the perfect way to end the camp.
By the time we were saying our goodbyes, the girls didn’t want us to leave and I didn’t want to leave either. In four short days we all got really attached and I really do want to make it back there to visit them sometime again. Plus it inspired me to put on my own camp for next year so I’ve got a lot of time to figure out what I want to do.
My personal favorite session was when Tana, Jenny and I choreographed a dance to Britney Spears then broke the moves down and taught it to them. It was like my true calling. I felt like one of those stereotypical, crazy dance instructors, “ I saaaaid to the LEFT!!” It was even worse when I started yelling in Russian, “Again! Again! (Apyat, apyat)” At one point I almost threw my clipboard down and left the room, but then I remembered that these girls have no previous dance training and let them try again (kidding, I’m not that bad). Their practice totally paid off and they did a performance on the last day and I was so proud of them when they got an encore. On the last day of camp we also went to the hot springs in Saruu and even though they were only about 30 minutes away and most of the girls have lived there their whole lives, they’ve still never been to them. So we went on a hike to a waterfall, which was the perfect way to end the camp.
By the time we were saying our goodbyes, the girls didn’t want us to leave and I didn’t want to leave either. In four short days we all got really attached and I really do want to make it back there to visit them sometime again. Plus it inspired me to put on my own camp for next year so I’ve got a lot of time to figure out what I want to do.
posted by Katie P. at 4:35 AM
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"Magic fingers!!!"
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