2024-05-30 20:23:39
“I by no means thought I might deal with handbook work,” says Jana Hejlová, initially an opera singer, who grew to become a volunteer for a yr. In Vietnam and Australia, she and her husband made breakfast, painted fences and gardened. Attending to know different cultures modified Jana’s life, and she or he wrote a guide about her experiences as a volunteer on the highway. “I found that I can select how I’ll stay,” she says in an interview for Aktuálně.cz.
On the age of thirty, you and your husband determined that you’d go away the whole lot behind and go overseas to work as volunteers for a yr. What was behind your determination?
It was primarily the choice of my husband, who likes to journey and at all times needed to expertise one thing huge. We thought that thirty was the final time we might afford such an enormous journey. As well as, I used to be singing on the state opera in Banská Bystrica, the place I internally struggled with the low wage and unpredictability of time. Nonetheless, it was at a time once we had been settled, had a full-time job and a mortgage. So we needed to burn all bridges, give notices and promote the residence.
Have been you afraid to burn these bridges?
Sure, I am a rooted, homebody sort. Nevertheless, this determination fully modified my relationship with change. I already settle for them fully in another way. Once you journey, you might be uncovered to vary on daily basis, so that you study to work with it naturally. You’re now not afraid of them, however quite the opposite, you understand them as a pure a part of life. If you wish to stay life to the fullest and transfer someplace, change is inevitable. However at the moment I used to be afraid of a number of issues – going to an unknown nation, dwelling with strangers, doing a job that I had by no means finished earlier than, talking English, and I used to be additionally fearful about how we’d handle financially. There have been one million fears.
How did you overcome your concern?
I did not recover from it earlier than I left, however solely steadily, on the highway, once I began to appreciate that I had nothing to concern. The monetary misery was the primary to vanish. I discovered that our month-to-month bills are within the lots of of crowns, as a result of the hosts present the volunteers with lodging and meals. Then I overcame my concern of English. I spotted that it is not about whether or not I’ve the right grammar, as we had been taught in school, however concerning the capacity to barter. I used to be the final to beat my concern of strangers. Most had been pleasant and good.
Tradition shock is simply that
You spent three months making ready meals in Vietnamese hostels. In Australia, you helped a neighborhood household with the backyard and carpentry, and you then lived with a Czech household engaged in permaculture, all concluded by a three-month return to Vietnam. That is quite a lot of transferring, have you ever had any hiccups alongside the best way?
The primary impression of Vietnam was troublesome for me. Once we received off on the airport, I skilled an enormous tradition shock. Every little thing was dirtier, extra chaotic, rats had been working alongside the airport… that is once I declared that I used to be getting on the primary airplane and flying away. Nevertheless, I received by way of the primary evening and the subsequent day my perspective modified. Once we modified our place of residence after the primary month in Vietnam, which we additionally discovered by way of the Workaway volunteer platform, it turned out to be fully unsatisfactory. As an alternative of me educating English and my husband serving to within the kitchen, as agreed, we cleaned the bathrooms on the seaside. The native boss noticed us as low-cost labor from the West, over whom he lastly had the higher hand, and he made it clear to us.
As well as, a message got here from the Ministry of International Affairs that there’s a excessive danger of malaria and dengue fever attributable to mosquitoes in our space. We had a room filled with them and once we requested for mains they had been unable to accommodate us. So we determined to take a danger, we discovered a hostel on the Web that we favored, and we wrote if we might work there. They replied that they’d be pleased to welcome us. It’s undoubtedly definitely worth the wait in case you are shocked by the native tradition, surroundings and customs. However, if it is clear that it will not be good, do not be afraid to vary the surroundings. Volunteering platforms like Workaway or WWOOF provide quite a lot of jobs within the given areas.
At the start of the interview, you mentioned that you simply perceived your thirties because the final interval when you’ll be able to undertake “one thing huge”. At present you might be thirty-six. Do you continue to suppose so at this time?
Then I had a little bit of a disaster in my thirties. I felt social calls for on myself that I ought to calm down, have a household. However at this time I do not suppose so in any respect. Alongside the best way, we met different volunteers who had been of their 50s and 60s and began touring as a result of their youngsters had simply flown the nest. As well as, the hosts themselves typically choose older folks as a result of they’ve extra expertise. They’re additionally typically searching for friends to get together with.
How a lot did the annual journey for 2 value you?
For 220,000 crowns, with the truth that only one month of touring round Japan and Taiwan value us 100,000. The overall quantity thus contains all airplane tickets, visas, annual insurance coverage, automobile rental, vaccinations and likewise journey in New Zealand, within the crimson heart of Australia and within the north of Vietnam.
Our life has modified for the higher
Have been you fearful about “what’s going to occur” if you return?
They did not, by attempting totally different professions we discovered that we will do the whole lot. I spotted that I’m able to studying the whole lot, adapting, that I’ve no drawback caring for myself. Our life modified for the higher after our return.
In what path?
We each began our personal enterprise, my husband as a joiner and I as a voice instructor. We received extra freedom and likewise cash. Volunteering additionally improved our relationship as a result of we had been leaving with a fairly large marital disaster and instantly we had been collectively 24 hours a day and needed to cope with troublesome conditions. We discovered that we will work very effectively collectively. As well as, I went by way of an excessive private change, I gained self-confidence that I by no means had. I used to check myself to others, I envied them as a result of I did not see my value. Staying in Vietnam and attending to know Buddhism was a turning level for me.
What has modified?
Folks in Vietnam at all times laughed, cherished one another, did not choose one another and accepted me for who I’m. As well as, you will note a smiling Buddha at each step, which can make you are feeling that even the very best one accepts you as you might be. I grew up in Christianity, and Buddhism was an enormous change from the path that emphasizes guilt, errors, and obedience. Whereas I’m wonderful with the Christian religion, it’s binding in sure methods. I internally disagreed with some elements of our tradition, however I took them as a given, so I did not suppose that it might be another approach. Nevertheless, due to volunteer work, I started to get to know different cultures actually in depth and discover out that it may be totally different. I spotted that I can select how I’ll stay. Due to this, I started to understand my persona and to love it. That was the rationale why I made a decision to jot down a guide. I assumed that if the volunteer work helped another person break away like that, it will be nice.
Video: A volunteer in Časiv Jar saves locals. With out it, they’d endure from thirst (23.2.2023)
A volunteer in Časiv Jar saves locals. With out it, they’d endure from thirst | Video: Radio Free Europe