EIL Intercultural Learning

In the month of March this year my Youthreach co-ordinator Margaret Culloty nominated me for a Travel Award to Hong Kong through the not-for-profit organisation EIL Intercultural Learning. I had never travelled anywhere abroad before apart from Britain so it was a huge opportunity for me.

My name is Aisling Heeran and I am a student from Leitrim.  This summer I decided to do some volunteer work in Ho Chi Minh city, Vietnam for 6 weeks and I can definitely say that I’m delighted that I made the decision.  Before departing I was all excited, eager to explore the unknown and discover new traditions and a new way of life but when I arrived the first thing I discovered was that I wasn’t as brave as I thought I was!!  I spent 2 sleepless nights wondering what I was doing in this warm humid country, thousands of miles away from home.  I felt very alone a

I was lucky enough to be accepted to work with disabled children in Amecameca, Mexico, even though I did not know any Spanish. When I first arrived, it was a little daunting because I did not understand what people were asking me to do and I struggled to communicate with the children, as well as those who I was working with. However, Mexican people are extremely friendly and could not have been more welcoming. My family welcomed me with open arms and from day one treated me as one of them.

When I declared to my family and friends that I would be volunteering in Vietnam I was met with an air of concern. As I’m only 19 it did seem a bit strange to everyone that I wasn’t so keen on a 3 week trip to Ibiza with my friends. However after a long chat with Anton from EIL I felt totally reassured and more eager than ever to take on the expedition. I had previously volunteered in Kenya and Namibia on school building projects. From these trips grew an urge to work more with children.

Well after traveling 23 hours two connecting flights and two Indian bus rides which was an experience!.. We finally arrived in Himachal. The smells and humidity of Delhi and Jaipur will never be forgotten. Trying to sleep in 49 degree heat without A.C and a basic fan blowing the hot air around the room will not be missed!. The scenery of the beautiful back drop of the snowy Himalayan Mountains when you open your door in the morning would take your breath away.

27th of June: Start of My Trip: My big, exciting and at times quite scary adventure started today. The plane journey was quite enjoyable with minimal problems, slept a lot and the in-flight entertainment was good. On the flight I got my first impressions of the Indian people, they come across as very upfront and blunt, which I'm sure my friends would find quite hypocritical coming from me ha, but they do tend to take it to a whole new level. It can take awhile to get used to but it is genuinely just there way.

I left the Irish midlands in January 2011 to take up my first placement as a volunteer in Chiang Mai, Northern Thailand. I travelled alone with a mixture of apprehension, excitement and considerable optimism. I had been in Thailand before and knew I would return. Wad, the in-country coordinator met me at the airport and after a short drive to the volunteer house, followed by a short rest, he orientated me to help make my settlement easier.