Portland was environment week (yey Kakay and Miss Adel, up to now you are my tag team for the environment!) and we watched Al Gore’s Inconvenient Truth which was pretty good.

And just to make us aware also of how much waste we generate per week, each of us were given trash bags to carry around for three days. We were to throw our trash and excess food in the bag. This generated a variety of responses… some people didn’t like it, while some people really had fun with it. I was one of the people who tried to eat less so we won’t carry around that much trash. Food packaging in America is terrible. Layers upon layers of plastic!

People shared spoons, recycled water bottles , or tried to transfer their trash to other people (!) But it really was amazing to see how 68 people can contribute to soo much trash. We were also given the chance to take our carbon footprints — which basically translates to

“If all of the people in the world lived like the way you do/ use up natural resources the way you do, how many worlds are needed to support us?”

If people lived like me, we would need 3.5 worlds. Oh, I need to cut down on my waste. One of my castmates needed 12 worlds! Living in the Philippines gave me the edge because I don’t need to heat up the house.

Sorry for the lateness of this post! -_-;;;

The week in Portland, Oregon, the focus was on the environment issues across the world, making Cast B more aware of this world issue! One of their activities was that they have to carry their own garbage for 4 days. But today I would like to remember the cultural shocks that I had in Portland.

The first one was that my host family (7 members) had 14 computers and lap tops that they use regularly in the house, and we were tacking about environment. What an irony!

The other one is that the entire cast went to a community service project called Project Homeless Connect. An EXPO for HOMLESS PEOPLE. Wow only in USA! So that day, instead of going to an expo for energy sources or automobiles, computers or animals this time we were to help on an expo for homeless people. Besides my surprise of seeing an expo for people how life was on the street, it was very inspiring!

We were a catalyst and connection for the homeless and the activities that where prepare for theme! Activities like haircuts, optometrist, glasses, dental care, lunch, clothing, bicycles and hamlets, advice to get health care, a job and/or a place to live, even their was a station with a animal doctor to help for their mascots. Interesting how the society in many cultures is development even for the people how most need it! It was really great to see how Up with People and other organization can work together to make things like this possible. Good job Portland! And I want to thank you all the people who were there to make true this kind of projects. We are part of the chain of humanity, never forget that!

Hector Ramirez
Education Coordinator for Cast B 2007