Tag Archives: travel

Life of Meaning

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At the age of 12, I left the US for the first time. I didn’t go to a vacation resort or a historical landmark in Europe. My first trip beyond American soil was Haiti. My dad thought it would be good for me to see how people live that were not as privileged as we were. By privileged, I mean the ability to turn on a light switch or turn a faucet to get water. If you want to know who I am, you need to know about my father and the values he instilled in me. He forced me out of my comfort zone before I knew what a comfort zone was.

He wanted me to see ingenuity in the face of poverty. I saw men who could fix complex problems with basic tools. If they were in the US, they could have multiple patents to their name. He wanted me to see joy in the face of suffering. In Haiti, I saw people full of joy yet lacking food. How could people lacking basic necessities have joy?

Witnessing these injustices opened my eyes and changed how I viewed the world. For this opportunity, I am forever grateful because it put me on a path to discover what creates a life of fulfillment. Where does happiness come from?

The logical assumption is money makes people happy. If money was the answer, Americans should be among the happiest people on the planet. But we all know this is not the case. Researchers actually study what countries are the happiest. This year, the winner was Costa Rica.

The answer to what makes a life meaningful is the relationships and bonds with people around you. If you want a life full of purpose, surround yourself with people that will encourage you to step out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself.

Do you want the answer to what made the people in Haiti joyful? It is the same answer that I have seen in numerous countries around the globe. It has nothing to do with physical possessions or status. It has everything to do with their relationship with Christ. True happiness can not be reached unless Christ is at the center.

Wedding Tourism

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Get off the tourist track. Engage with local people. Find ways to interact on a personal level. Participate in family events. Have discussions with people who you cannot speak with. That is how you see what a country values.

At the wedding last week, I was extremely uncomfortable. I slept a few feet away from my future food while it was butchered. For the record, machete chopping is a tremendous alarm. The house did not have air conditioning or internet. It lacked a shower and the doors were not conducive to my height (I hit my head a lot). But it had something that our homes often lack. Community connection and interaction.

The entire village came together to share in the love of this young couple. If you got married next week, how many of your neighbors would help you? An even better question might be, have you met your neighbors?

This attitude was my main takeaway from Leyte. It took traveling halfway around the globe to see the value of a close-knit community bonding together to meet a common goal. It is simple yet profound. We do not have limits when we all work together.

They decorated a church, set up a reception area for 500 people, butchered 8 pigs and 3 cows, prepared the food, entertained guests, had a wedding, delivered the bride via water buffalo taxi, and most importantly had a great time doing it. I never saw a person lash out in frustration. The opposite was true. They throughly enjoyed each others company and loved the work they were doing. They did all of this in about 15 hours. That is amazing.

This was the highlight of my trip. It was so fun to interact with the people of the community and get to know them as best I could.

Do me a favor, take a trip outside your comfort zone. It does not need to be outside the country, but it should be slightly nerve racking. Situations like that force you to reassess what is important in your life. It is a good habit to do from time to time.

Philippine Wedding

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Jonre is a seaman and works 8 month shifts mostly in the Caribbean on oil delivery ships. It is a great paying job that allowed him to provide a large house and comfortable living for his family. He is very thankful for this job even though it takes him away from his family for long periods of time.

Leny worked as a secretary but recently resigned to become a full-time wife.

Jonre’s mother was an interesting woman. She would grab my hand and lead me throughout the house to meet relatives and neighbors who helped prepare for the wedding. Sort of like a human show and tell. She might be 5 foot tall on a good day. Her English was very limited, but that did not discourage her from trying.

When she got excited, her limited English and uncontrollable enthusiasm created a lively atmosphere for all to enjoy. She would jump up and down a little while grabbing my arm. For an older woman, she had a lot of energy.

The wedding was a delightful experience. I’m glad they let me take part even though I was vastly under dressed.

Water Buffalo Wedding Delivery

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Water Buffalo Wedding

Normally, a bride walks down the aisle with her father. That is the grand entrance. I got one that will top that. How about a water buffalo ridden by a seaman, dragging a bamboo cart with the bride in the carriage?

Does that qualify as a grand entrance? I think so.

When I arrived at the house the day before, I noticed the bamboo cart in the backyard. My first reaction was curiosity. Why was it there?

The decorators explained that a water buffalo (caribou) would drag it to the wedding with the bride and groom in it. There is no way this could be true. It sounded like a story I would tell a gullible person. By the way, did you know that the word “gullible” is not in the dictionary?

I had to see it to believe it.

They weren’t lying. They really used it as the bride delivery system. Think FedEx meets farming meets professional photographers. Great combination.

Luckily, I wasn’t the only one shocked to see this. Filipinos from other islands were just as surprised as I was to see this one animal parade.

I wonder what the water buffalo was thinking with so many people taking photos of him? Honestly, he was probably happy that he wasn’t part of the butchering for the reception.

Nerey

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Nerey

Language is not the only form of communication. A conversation without words is a different experience. It is an exchange of ideas that bridge barriers caused by languages and culture.

As Nerey and others butchered the pigs and cows, I filmed. I was captivated.

Nerey was the first one from the group to notice the camera. He was not shy about it either. He would point or make a gesture every time I turned it on. His poses were entertainment for the entire group. They would stop what they were doing to watch him. Basically, he was the lead role in this impromptu performance.

He did not know it, but his butchering was my alarm clock the next morning. It is hard to sleep when animals are chopped to pieces outside your window.

I wanted to try to talk with him. Both of us wanted to have a legitimate conversation, but it was not going to happen. It was more like point, laugh, repeat.

An hour later, a drunk man came up to me while I watched Nerey and others roast the pigs. He tried many times to grab my arm, but Nerey would not let him. I thought the machete and butchering knife he had in his hands was good reason to listen to him.

He wanted the drunk man to know that I was his friend and he should not mess with me. It felt good to know he had my back, even though we could not talk.

As the women finished cooking the food, they needed to put it into large serving containers. Nerey had an idea to speed up the process. He grabbed a plate from the ground (I’m sure he washed it first) then used it as a shovel to speed up the process. The joy on his face afterwards was priceless. He was proud of his achievement, and the women used his method the rest of the morning.

Nerey and I were never able to exchange a full conversation, but I loved the experience we shared.