Life in Shanty Town

When I got back to Shanty Town tonight, there were bagels! However, there is a catch. The bagels were mixed in with everyone’s trash from einstein’s. But we still ate them, no harm done.

The discussion of the tdc was today. After talk about our individual experiences, we analyzed the challenge. Many valid points were brought to the table. The obvious one is that this challenge does not compare to the reality of extreme poverty. For one, we have security and available health services if need be. However, another important point was that the challenge seems to be a more individual experience with the potential of raising money, but to raise awarness throughout the community as a whole about the severity of poverty seems less realistic. In my opinion, those who know about my particapation in this challenge were more concerned with my own health then the facts and stats about global poverty. This is upsetting. Someone proposed that next year we should, rather than a broad approach about poverty in general, we should target a specific country to bring awarness to a particular part of the world and, in that way, make this challenge more personal. I think this idea is extraordinary and hope that we do focus on this in the future.

For me, this challenge has been a struggle mainly due to the scheduleing. Because my weeks are normally busy, this week has been difficult in arranging my time. I have to include time to cook food, boil water, and study during daylight hours. It has been hectic. Actually, I realy should be studying for a test tomorrow while I still can. I just wanted to say that I believe the discussion group during the last full day of the challenge was appropriate because it allowed for time for everyone to understand and feel the implications as well as develop unique perspectives of the challenge.

Last night was the best sleep I have had thus far… though I still woke up a lot. However, this will be my first day having to boil water; I bought my other water. I am so thirsty, and realize it takes a while to boil so will be thirsty for a while. There are no bagles left for breakfast and I have no bananas left. So I am hungary too. Ill write later though about how this hunger has effected my day because I have to go boil water beefor class.

Last night was sooo cold. The thought that many people who live in extreme poverty have to deal with the intense cold is overwhelming. I don’t think I could permenately live in such extreme temperatures. So, though I am doing this for five days, there are people who live outside with no shelter and no protection. It’s hard to imagine, but doing this challenge puts a perspective on the issue in a holistic, enlightening approach. I haven’t experienced any conditions of starvation of hunger yet. The opportunity for us to have $.09 ramen, canned beans, and bagels realy help. Though I only eat when I feel an empty stomach, and every bite of peanut butter and bagel tastes amazing, I don’t feel anxious that I won’t have a meal to eat later in the day. Thus, even though this challenge doesn’t incoorperate all the factors of extreme poverty due to its limitations, it does allow one to become more aware of those issues.

I found myself running, mostly, to get here just in time to write this post. Daylight hours go quicker than one can expect, even during the spring. Anyway, I was so exhausted today from lack of sleep last night that I fell asleep in Shanty Town for a while. This challege can be very tiring. Obviously. I can feel and hear my stomach rumble. It always seen like I am waiting for 4pm to roll by for bagels. However, today there was a shelter there first in need of bagels. It is sad to think that, even though we are bringing awarness to poverty, which many people do not realize that over half the world goes on less than $2, that poverty exhists everywhere. Right here in Fredericksberg we had people waiting for bagels, in which could be there only meal of the day. I wish I could right longer about how I feel, but the sun is disappearing now so more tomorrow.

So last night was the first night in Shanty Town. After a long 7+ hours ( with a break to buy food) we finally got the shelter set up. It is water proof because we were expecting rai, which hasn’t come, and it is pretty cozy or at least as much as a shelter on Ball Circle can be. We were unable to get our dinner from Einstein’s yesterday until about 8:15 or so when people brought back bagels in a box from the dumpster. YUM…and with peanut butter…YUMMY! Anyway, today has been consisting of studying, classes and meetings. The Bullet will be by Shanty Town around 4 so hopefully I’ll be there. But right now I am going to go cook some ramen noodles before a meeting at two. Habla luego!

It’s now 8:03 and the two dollar challege just began. As may day began, I had the opportunity to take a shower, eat, and brush my teeth (so long as I got up early enough to do so). It makes me remember that more than one third of the world lives without such privledges. It makes me realize: even though we try to understand the emotional and physical reality of poverty for five days, billions of people are far too familiar with the conditions that many of us take advantage of and view as habitual. This being my first time taking on this challenge, there is no doubt that it will be difficult and even emotional. However, I feel that as the week goes on it will be more exhausting than one can anticipate or prepare for. Nevertheless, I am ready to take on this challenge.