Projects Abroad Blog

Click here for more videos and the Projects Abroad Youtube Channel

Besides my monthly subscription to National Geograhic Magazine, one of my new favorite publications is actually our Jamaican destination’s official newsletter, “Jamrock: Wha Gwaan Inna Jamaica”. You can find most of them here on our website. Not only is the newsletter really well put together but has a lot of great stories, updates, recipes and colorful photos. Plus it runs a “Jamaican Quote of the Month” section every month featuring a well known Jamaican Patois phrase which I will try to feature here on the blog. Here is the first installment!

“If yuh want good yuh nose haffi run”

- If you want to succeed you have to work hard

Peter Slowe and Tom Pastorius in front of the Meiji Shrine

By Dr. Peter Slowe, Director and Founder of Projects Abroad

The reason for going to Japan was to learn about the possible interest of the Japanese in volunteering with Projects Abroad. I was also a first-timer in Japan. My visit to the fabulous Meiji Shrine was the best ever because it turned out to be the Emperor Meiji’s birthday – he would have been 156; this resulted in a long Shinto ceremony with many robed priests, traditional dances, and solemn intoning members of the Japanese Imperial family, ending up with a hearty rendering of Kimigayo. The next-most amazing thing was staring out of the hotel window during our conference and seeing Mount Fuji. If you go to Japan, don’t bother with the raw fish but have Shabu-Shabu beef prepared at your table by a lady who keeps smiling and saying “Shabu-Shabu” (no matter what the question). I think that many Japanese will join our projects and bring their cultural richness into many of the countries where we work. Kana Banzai!

Ceremony at the Meiji Shrine

I love Mongolia because it’s empty, cold and wonderful. The first snow had fallen and I forgot my outdoor coat but Oko had several to spare – I think he wears all of them at the same time in February. The Karaoke was good – personally I can only ever remember Yellow Submarine and Hey Jude but Oko gets carried away with Korean love-songs because it was by singing these that he attracted his beautiful Korean wife, Sang Em, many years ago. His voice is good – especially in quantity. Usuhuu, Otgoo and Ariunaa are probably the star singers but all of us did our best and sometimes scored well. I really enjoyed spending time with my Mongolian colleagues. Everyone knows the destination is great but I was also really pleased that we made what seemed a few years ago to be a brave decision to put Projects Abroad’s financial HQ in Mongolia – it couldn’t have turned out better. Oko banzai!

Shanghai certainly has its international side. For example, I discovered that the Chinese for “soft poached eggs” is “soft poached eggs” and, gratifyingly, I wasn’t expected to eat mine with chopsticks. Teddy is our great new desk-officer; he can speak English and German in his quiet refined way and answers all emails almost immediately – this is because Teddy, like all my Chinese colleagues, really cares about the volunteers as individuals who give up time, money and energy to do their wonderful work of helping others or improving themselves. Kay sets a fine example; she really understands, in an extraordinary cross-cultural way, what motivates our volunteers and exactly how to help them get on in China. Kay Banzai!

While I was in Shanghai, the Obama result came in and the world changed. And the Glenrothes result came in and Britain changed. Barack Banzai! Gordon Banzai!

Laurens rafting on the Martha Brae River

By Laurens Vos, Country Director for the Netherlands

I recently had the honour to visit one of our newer destinations: Jamaica. When I told my friends, who know what kind of work I do, that I would be visiting Jamaica as one of our destinations, they all asked me what kind of voluntary work could there possibly be done since most people only really know the island as a holiday destination.

So I tried to tell them about the needs here in Jamaica and about the projects we have. But now that I have seen the needs in Jamaica, I can go back and tell them there is definitely more to this island than beaches, reggae and partying. I will tell them about the overcrowded schools, the many orphanages and the lack of proper water installations, all of which we at Projects Abroad try to make a difference to and we could not do this without our enthusiastic volunteers.

Volunteers like Kendall who worked in a children’s home, taking care of orphans like they were her own kids. Or Kelsey who taught boys under 14 how to play proper soccer. It was a joy to see some of you at work and please keep it up.

But indeed, I also have to tell my friends that you can properly enjoy yourself on this island as well. I was lucky enough to be in Jamaica when the monthly social event was on. We all went rafting on the Martha Brae River. Apparently the river was named after the couple that owned the lands back in the days, and funnily Martha was the male of the two. It was a relaxing ride down the river on the bamboo rafts. After this we went on another adventure: climbing the waterfall at Dunn’s River. It was truly breathtaking and an adventure I would not soon forget. Thanks for having me on board.

Did you know that Laurens is also a part-time model? Here he is working on his “blue steel” look at Dunn’s River

But, although that was great, it wasn’t the best part of my stay here. It was the kids at the different schools and orphanages with all their enthusiasm that took my mind back to my own voluntary days with Projects Abroad in South Africa. The kids are simply wonderful and eagerly awaiting to learn how to read proper English. Anyone who wants to come and help teach and work with these kids, please come and do so. You’ll be in excellent hands with Bridgette & Andrew. Thanks for having me.