A Special New Year
In India for the New Year - a view from
a Chinese Volunteer
by Robert Hu - Taipei, Taiwan
Mister
University International, Robert Hu of Taiwan, with
children in New Delhi,
India
|
While many people think to spend New Year’s Eve and
Day with their friends in their hometown, I chose to travel
to India to offer service to children in need. India was like
a big zoo with so many kinds of animals on the street - poverty,
bargaining,
beggars, noise,
crowdedness and marvelous people that touched my heart each
day. Spending my New Year holiday
in India was the most meaningful New Year experience I’ve
ever had.
As part of the Global PeaceWorks project, at the turn of the
year we served Amar Jyoti – a
special school for disabled children in New Delhi. There
we helped Amar Jyoti prepare for
the New Year and were privileged to experience their New
Year celebration, full of performances including whirling
dances
and songs.
These
physically challenged children could dance and sing so
well, that in itself was really amazing! One of most impressive
is, a boy without arms who could still dance so skillfully,
so confidentially. I imagined how hard they’ve struggled
with their unfair destiny and looked at how the people who
are as blessed as us had contributed to the world. Shouldn’t
we not be preoccupied with our own benefits but also see
the problems in the world and think what we can do for others
less
fortunate?
This
is part of what Global PeaceWorks is all about. Here we were
creating a better environment for
these disadvantaged
Indian children to study. We helped setup a new library
and transported thousands of bricks for adding a new floor
to
the Amar Jyoti facility. Better education brings knowledge,
which
will favor fortune-making and, consequently, give a chance
for them to live in a healthier and higher quality life.
What we did may be little but it’s a good beginning.
I was quite fortunate to attend this event. While the program
was organized by Global PeaceWorks, my participation was made
possible by the Mister
and Miss University Pageant. Earlier
in 2004, I participated in the international pageant and
was awarded the title of Mr. University. This event
was one of the programs
I
participated
in as
part
of
the Mister and Miss University’s focus on service and
peace. In fact, this was my first overseas event since the
pageant in 2004.
In
India, along with Miss University, Robai Khamasi
of Kenya, I delivered a peace message to many dignitaries,
including former statesmen and other government leaders.
We
joined Global
PeaceWorks
2004 directed by Eric Wenzel and Khorrum Omer. There were
participants from U.S.A, Taiwan, Kenya, Nepal, Iraq, Iran,
Sri Lanka, Japan,
and Korea and, of course, India.
In
addition to the service work, the project focused on “Peace
Among Religions.” As
an interfaith family, we’ve talked about our beliefs
and practices in various religions. By thinking of what is
faith, can we exist without faith, where I am from and where
to go, we discover ourselves. Different ways of meditation
were also practiced in each day. I did meditation from several
years ago. And this time I felt myself in a “vacuum” status
and seemed to be physically and spiritually coordinated.
We
visited temples, mosques and churches and listened to their
stories, discussed about their beliefs, histories and offered
prayers. Harmony could be felt everywhere. Among the holy
sites, The Baha’i’s Lotus Temple was my favorite.
A white, gorgeous building of symmetrical lotus leaves under
the sunshine
and blue sky. With a group of birds flying around, fresh
air bathing us, nothing greater could I ever imagine.
In the project we had believers of different religions openly
discuss their faith. Yet, our family is not only from different
religions, nations, and cultures, but also from different languages,
occupations, social-economic status, different living and eating
habits. Differences could easily contribute to conflicts unless
we communicate and try to understand each other! Through understanding,
and perhaps patience and appreciation, we could cooperate,
work hand in hand! This principle was central to our global
peace work.
As
the only Chinese, I shared my unique culture,
the way we celebrate New Years, and especially about
Chinese food!. There were only three participants from East
Asia so comparing East Asian to South Asians - we are more
shy, conservative and perhaps more humble and soft. Taiwanese
often
contribute wherever there is a disaster even though we are
in a
difficult diplomatic situation. In fact we do
have a wonderful Buddhist
service organization called Tzu
Chi where I have volunteered before, but India was
my first interfaith service experience. Anyhow, we
are one global family and helping each other is something
we must
do.
During
my stay in India, I’ve learned
so much. I truly appreciate for this wonderful experience
given by Global
PeaceWorks and Mister and
Miss University International. And yes, while the Chinese
are famous for their New Year's Celebrations, my New Year in
India was more wonderful than I could have dreamed.
Robert
Hu
Taipei, Taiwan
P.S. I’ll
keep on working with our global family, I promise! (and
look, when I returned, the
Taiwanese News had a story about my trip!).
