Concrete Jungles Where Dreams are Made Of?

Today is officially halfway through YAV (dis)orientation. It has been an amazing week so far and I've learned a lot. But this post isn't about what I've learned; it's how I applied it/looked through these new lenses.

Today we went to New York City. OMG right?! But it wasn't a fun field trip; we were there to enter different neighborhoods and be their guests. We had several tasks of the day: answer several questions about what we observed about the different neighborhoods, talk to a local, bring back a free souvenir, and buy lunch using $5 per person. Wow. That's a challenge. And that's exactly what it did to us.

My small group was assigned to Washington Heights (IN THE HEIGHTS!!) where we first went to a park. There we met a YAV staff who gave us additional directions. From there we made our way north and onto Broadway. Wow. Was that a street. There were all sorts of vendors, selling fresh fruits and vegetables alongside jewelry and electronics. All of these people were predominantly Hispanic, which we learned because Washington Heights consists of people from the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, and other Central Americans.

We ate at a restaurant where there was a language barrier. Mi Paso Centro Americano serves Salvadorean and Spanish food. The six of us each ordered one pupusa each: three bean and cheese, two chicken and cheese, and one spinach and cheese. It took about 20 minutes to wait, but they were worth it. They also brought out pickled cabbage and some other fermented vegetables in repurposed jars alongside our meal. This satisfied our hunger. Paying the check was difficult as well. Will the waitress bring us our check? Do we go up to the counter? Do we pay at our table? Do we pay at the counter? Finally, using some rusty Spanish, we paid our bill and was on our way.

The restaurant where we ate lunch.

We made our way South on Broadway, heading towards New York Presbyterian Hospital. As we got closer, we noticed a distinct change. Local stores and restaurants turned into chains. The buildings looked newer and the people changed socially. English became more common to hear and we felt more comfortable. This is one of our lessons to look out for the year. We should never be comfortable. There are many systems in place that should make us uncomfortable and think about our place in society. We shouldn't be comfortable for too long because that means we've accepted and refuse to change our ways.

We finished out our day in the city by buying some peaches at a local market with our money. We took a picture with a local Presbyterian church. We walked around some more in the places that were different, that made us uncomfortable. I hope to take this experience with me as I go into this next year and my life. It taught me that I am privileged in this country; many people are not. To learn more about other people's lives, I must become uncomfortable. I must be an invited guest into their space.

Our peaches from the market.