Folk Life Festival, week 2

Over a week has flown by already since I have returned home from the festival and from going back to visit Guatemala, which is hard to believe!

It was a truly incredible experience, one that is hard to describe succinctly in words, but since that is essentially the point of this blog, I will try to do just that!

Week two was busier, hotter, and all around amazing. Not only did we paint the section of the wall that we cemented with hand prints from our visitors, but we built two recycle bins as well! I was very thrilled to have those built, because I really wanted our visitors to see that you can bring these projects home to your own communities in many different ways. Building schools out of bottles is laborious; building a recycle bin not so much in comparison, and they both can be used to teach invaluable lessons.

In addition to the actual work we did, we all left with new friends from all over the world. One of my favorite parts of this trip was when my counterparts and I stayed after dinner for over an hour with members of the groups from Mali, Zambia, and Tonga, telling jokes from our respective countries. One person would tell part of the joke, then we would all translate, respectively. My stomach hurt from laughing so hard, which proves that not only is laughter a universal language, but that you do not need to speak the same tongue to make friends, smile, blow off some steam, and essentially, celebrate life.

There is so much more I could say, but I will pause for now. I was inspired by so many visitors, and now have endless ideas about other structures to build out of bottles (coffee tables, bedside tables, etc), and I would love any input you all have as well, so email, comment, however you want to get involved, I look forward to collaborating, in any language!

Smithsonian Folk life festival, week one!

Hi Y'all (Laura's new word these days...) Laura asked me to post this so "ya'll" can get a glimpse into what her week in DC has been like. It sounds like she is having a great time and meeting some wonderful people! Our intent is to create a forum (here on the blog, and on the site - www.trashforpeace.org - where all of these folks, and you too, can share ideas about how to live more sustainable, peaceful lives. Read below from Laura, and keep spreading the word!

This week working on the National mall in DC has been incredible, exhausting, and above all, an unforgettable experience. To keep myself from rambling on, here are my highlights so far:

*Sharing the bottle construction technique with hundreds of visitors
*Watching kids stuff bottles, and stuff, and stuff, without wanting to stop! And having a great time doing it!
*Learning about other Peace Corps volunteers work around the world
*Listening to Colombian music and dancing Colombian dance. Colombians have once again reminded me that if you have two legs and an ass you can shake it no matter what your dancing talent, they have no verguenza, or shame, you just shake what your momma gave ya and have an amazing time doing it!!
*Watching women from Kenya dance a traditional Kenyan dance, and then get up on the dance floor to dance to Colombian music and Rhythym and Blues music! No matter what your language or your culture, music is universal and brings people together like hardly anything else can!
*Reconnecting with my counterparts from Guatemala, and seeing them enjoy the United States for the first time
*Seeing my counterparts interact with people from all over the world. Communicating goes so far beyond words, and that is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen; a woman from Guatemala interacting with a woman from Ghana sitting next to a man from Belize sitting infront of a woman from Kenya. I feel like I have been a witness to the best parts of Peace Corps, the bringing together of different cultures and the growth of friendship and understanding. We all have made friends from all over the world now, over 15 different countries, and half of us cannot communicate with words.
*Spending 4th of July watching fireworks over the Washington Monument surrounded by people from all over the world. You really cant beat that, in my book!

Lastly, this week has been an incredible opportunity to talk to people who also care about the environment and sustainability, and I am so excited to see what the next week brings, and to share some of the ideas I have been cultivating, discussing, and learning every day!

Until then,
Ashe, or Thank you, (taught to me by the women from Kenya!)