#bpsos

Hi everyone!

My name is Jessica Acolin, and I am one of the SYCEP coordinators this year. Recently (in June), I graduated from Drexel University with a MA in Dance/Movement Therapy and Counseling. I also have a BA from the University of Pennsylvania in Humanistic Philosophy (with a minor in French). I've worked in a charter school, a public school, a Taiwanese cram school, a weekend camp for children with autism and other developmental disabilities, a pediatric hospital, as a freelance writer, in the Philadelphia family court, in psychiatric facilities (inpatient and outpatient), and here--at BPSOS, both as a dance/movement therapy intern and as a youth program coordinator. I've lived in Singapore, Taoyuan (Taiwan), Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Sao Paulo (Brazil) and Lyon (France). In the future, I am interested in continuing with community organizing work, as well as contributing to research concerning the mind, body, and health. My career path hasn't been linear, but every step I took and experience I gained has contributed to who I am today.

I've read several of your blog posts, and a question that has come up several times is: how do you know what the right career is? And I want to ask right back at you: what do you mean by right?

Do you mean what your parents think you should do? Do you mean what society will value most? Do you mean what will keep you interested everyday? Do you mean what will allow you to provide for yourself and your family? (And does provide mean have food and shelter, or does it mean having yearly vacations to Hawaii, Greece, Australia...?) Do you mean what will push you to keep learning? Do you mean what will most benefit society? Do you mean what will most benefit your community? Do you mean what will make you happiest?

These are important questions, and it's possible that you will keep seeking their answers your entire life. Essentially, what they're asking is: what do you value? And that, I've learned, is one of the hardest questions.

It's hard because everybody has a different answer, and figuring out your individual response--distinguishing it from what you've been taught from infancy, or from what popular culture tries to convince you of through glossy ads or catchy videos--is really, really hard. It's also hard because life is complicated. It's not possible to make a decision based solely on the salary, or your interest, or the work environment, or the availability of jobs, or your family's preferences. Each of these things co-exists with each other, and your unique answer will have to take it all into account.

One thing I've learned from my peripatetic (this is a good word to use if you want to show off: look it up!) lifestyle is that the best way to find answers is through experience. You'll never learn if you don't try. You'll never succeed if you're not willing to fail. (But take that second statement with a grain of salt: you'll also never succeed if you're always aiming to fail. You have to prepare, and work hard, to achieve success.) I think all of you have taken the best first step by participating in this program and gaining experience this summer. Maybe you'll love your job. Maybe you'll hate it. Maybe you'll be left a little confused, liking some parts but not others. Every one of these conclusions is a success, because you will come out of this summer knowing more about yourself, the world, and the workplace than you did before. And that knowledge can then guide you in all of your future decisions.

I'm so excited to be working with you all this summer and hearing about the experiences you'll be having. It might be hard at times, and we're really going to try and push you, but know that in the end--it's all about you. Your learning, your growth, your experiences.

Happy first week, and see you all at PD.

According to their site, BPSOS-Houston’s mission is to help Vietnamese citizens of any age and class “overcome barriers to information and services, including limited English proficiency, low literacy, low income, lack of transportation, and cultural barriers” so that they can live a self-sufficient, resilient, and healthy life.

Although the BPSOS-Houston branch only opened their office in 1999, the beginnings of this organization started back in 1980 in San Diego and Songkla Camp, Thailand. They performed voluntary rescue-at-sea missions, rescuing over 3,000 boat people, and even collaborated with the Thai Royal Navy to fight pirate attacks against the Vietnamese.  About one in 10 Vietnamese Americans has received assistance from BPSOS while still in Vietnam, on the high seas, in a refugee camp, or after arriving in the United States. Now, BPSOS has 11 offices located around the U.S, 4 offices in Southeast Asian and Taiwan and offer a variety of programs and services including direct services, advocacy, community organizing and development, research, and media.

Last month, BPSOS-Houston hosted The Great Bánh Mì Cook-Off, a friendly cooking competition/fundraiser for their organization where 11 chefs were challenged to put their own twist on the classic Vietnamese bánh mì sandwich. The original venue for the cook-off was the rooftop patio of Khon’s Bar, but was changed to the Kim Son on Jefferson due to rain.

Weather be damned, the cook-off was a hit! 300+ attendees packed into Kim Son to try all samples of Caphin, Chamak Chocolates and of course, 11 of the tasty bánh mì sandwiches that were created. Traditionally, a bánh mì sandwich consists of pork, liver pâté, homemade mayo, cilantro, pickled carrots and daikon, fresh cucumber and jalapeno, if you wish. At The Great Bánh Mì Cook-Off, I tried everything from the usual grilled pork version to a Texas style bánh mì done with brisket. We were only given 2 tickets to vote for our favorites and I had the hardest time deciding because each version was great in their own way!

The first table I hit up was Copper Chefs and I was instantly wowed by their slow-cooked pulled pork bánh mì with the most amazing cilantro mayo in a buttery, crispy mini baguette. Giau Bar ‘n Bites’ table drew me in since their chef was making fresh to order pork belly and quail egg sandwiches that were made with toasted sliced baguette bread that I gladly dipped into the runny yolk. Fat Bao won me over with their tomato & sardine sandwich that reminded me of my bà ngoại’s (grandma’s) cooking. At the end of the night, the winner was R&D BBQ with their tender and juicy smoked brisket with, fish sauce, pickled carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, chili, sriracha hoison bbq sauce and mayo made with the fat drippings from their brisket.

BPSOS Houston sure puts on some great events! In fact, this Thursday, October 30th is their Halloween Bingo Night at their Houston office (11360 Bellaire Blvd, Suite 910). There will be food, refreshments, a silent auction, and of course lots of prizes for Bingo winners. All proceeds from the event will go to BPSOS-Houston’s Domestic Violence Program. Don’t forget to dress in costume!

  If you would like to keep up with BPSOS-Houston’s events and news, LIKE them on their Facebook page here.  

[ It’s been a pleasure being a part of SYCEP 2014! Thanks to the staff for their dedication and thank you all for making this summer another great experience. (: Too bad we didn't have more time to get to know each other. ]

My worksite experience has proven to me one definite thing as a person who has not yet decided on a career field: I cannot handle children.

I’m sorry, I mean youth who still happen to be within my age range. (I seriously admire a large majority of the Homies — most of them have endured so much and are great people. As for the others? ….)

For the past five weeks, I have been an assistant, which means I help the higher-ups (the facilitators, in this case), devote my time to the computer screen and filing cabinets and arrange the background material for future work. Honestly, I do not mind doing all of those things in a cubicle; I can work independently and be accountable for only the work I have done or will do. That is why I am slightly leaning towards Business and Management, though I still am not completely sure of myself.

So far Journey Home has crossed off Teacher and circled Business Lady Who Can Be a Receptionist.

I have also learned that work is work: you are given a role and you are expected to do it. But what if those who were assigned tasks never even lay a finger on them?  I am the worry-ward type of person, so if something is not done for a major project, I will do the all of the work, especially if I am the one in charge of a group. Sadly. Though there are professional ways of handling the situation. You should turn to the person with more authority than you and colleagues to whip everyone into shape. They are not happy moments, but at least you will not have to the bare the weight alone.

As for all three facets, I have learned how to better present myself and communicate with others. And by presentation, I do not mean how I dress; rather, how one acts towards people with varying personas and titles. For instance, I need to be professional to facilitators and semi-casual to Homies. I need to be aware of the differences between Viet-born and American-born Homies. I need to be my best when standing in front of a group, but relaxed when alone. This does not mean I should change my personality — it is a matter of being flexible, and JH allows me to further my adaptability skills.

My dream job would be not working at all.

Just kidding.

I don’t have the perfect career in mind: a lot of jobs just aren't meant for me and if they are, they are very uninteresting… But let’s go with food critic.

First and foremost, I. Love. Food. Nothing is more perfect than trying new cuisines from different places all over the city, state or even the entire east coast. Sure I’ll gain a little weight, but I think it’s worth it (keeping in mind that I hope the food will be delicious). I won’t have to cook myself breakfast, lunch or dinner, all for free (my company pays me to eat, right?) in various locations. Sadly that won’t be every single day.

Journalism also accompanies the critic’s large appetite and it’s something I would enjoy doing. My grammar and spelling isn't too horrendous, so I would do well in that portion of being a critic. For the most part, I like sharing my thoughts and it would pretty amazing knowing that I have a little fan base that actually bases their romantic reservations on my reviews.

On the other hand, I’m a bit cynical and picky.

I find a hair in my soup? 2/5 stars! Mushrooms on my steak? That’s a 0.

Again, kidding. Except about the mushrooms.

I watch the Food Network (experience!), so I would know presentation, taste, and relevance (like to the restaurant’s theme, for instance) are key. Technical errors (hairs) are also major factors to consider when judging a dish. Of course everyone does not have the same taste buds, but I think it would be pretty obvious is something tastes extremely salty or there’s a lot of inconsistent cooking throughout a piece of meat. Moreover, I have to critic the food services. Was she polite? Did he correctly input my order? Were my drinks delivered in a reasonable amount of time? How clean were my utensils? and so forth. The Food Network, as you might have noticed, has had a major impact on me and my stomach.

It’s also fun to be a food critic; you get that feeling of “Ha! I know something you all don’t.” Secretly judging people and taking note of their actions is partially like spy work (another dream job, I suppose?). Still, people’s reaction to your reviews is the pinnacle of the career. I’m sure you can imagine waitress’ horrified faces at how poorly I rated them. However, this also inspires the restaurant to do better, so it is like community work. Once it has changed whatever necessary, people will be interested in returning to the restaurant and business will boom yet again. An economic upturn.

After taking my StrengthsQuest quiz, I have learned that I am an Achiever, which is all about attainment and having the drive to do; Competitive, meaning that I compare myself and performance to others so that I can accomplish more and with efficiency; Deliberative, which can, in other words, mean I am tentative about my actions, so everything has a meaning behind it; have Input, or the desire to be a pack-rat and collect whatever I find useful and/or interesting;  and, finally, Restorative, the healer of everyone’s problems. Honestly, I am not too keen about that second result: it’s scarily realistic. However, being an Achiever and Competitive go hand-in-hand, I believe. But I digress.

When it comes to my worksite in Journey Home, there is a multitude of ways that I can build upon these strengths (well, minus Competition — I do not believe there is any I would like to mention …. ).

As I have mentioned, every day in JH begins and ends differently, and therefore, nearly all the work I do varies. Some days I sit at a computer screen fixing choreo or entering data. Other days I sit in a room with the Homies to be a part of discussion or prepare the next activities. Most days I sit at a computer in a room with the Homies. Although I am not watched over constantly and graded for my work, I have the need to finish everything I am asked to do. If not, I will feel like I have accomplished nothing. Many of the tasks are simple enough to finish in a short period of time, so I have learned to ask for more work. By the end of the day, I like knowing that I spent the day being busy instead of utterly bored.

Having Input in my situation is very useful since I do not know how to pronounce everyone’s name (so shameful for Week Three) nor do I converse often. At the very least, I remember what each Homie looks like and how to spell their name. It causes less embarrassment when I need to pass out items or organize things into folders. Moreover, I tend to be an ambivert; the introvert gets the limelight at times like these, however. So whenever JH has discussions and check-ins (discussions that are focused on what the Homies want to talk about), I remember a small, interesting thing about (almost) each person. I later use that in conversation if I happen to strike one up. It is nice to remembered, no? A challenge, but the challenge of remembering 22 people allows me to develop this Input skill further.

Now that I think about it, I am not a Deliberative person; I work on impulsive action. … Anyway, my Restorative-ness tends to be prevalent on the subject of preparation. In the mornings, the facilitators usually scramble about to get all of the things in order. In cases such as these, I usually assist with simple problems, like Where’s my choreo?! and How should we convey this information? or What is the best way to deal with this person today? (not exactly like that, but you get the idea). I offer my ideas and help others develop theirs, and soon, a consensus is reached.

Work becomes a duty and with duty comes responsibility; in other words, I am held liable for everything and anything I do — it is a job, after all. First and foremost, one’s working hours must be accounted for or else s/he would have never been there initially. As for me, every day is complied of different hours, but always beginning at 9:00 AM. Last week I was to keep track of my hours on a timesheet provided by the BPSOS office. It was slightly confusing: do I include lunch?  What if it gets lost? Who exactly is checking this thing? Why aren’t my days signed off? Why is so much paper being wasted? (These questions seemed too trivial to ask.) This week, however, BPSOS’s branch manager/JH facilitator was also confused by this process (Why are you all using this paper?), so she introduced me to a computer program that records the times I enter and leave the office. In my opinion, it is easier for me and safer on the environment, though frustrating when the office’s WiFi becomes spasmodic or the computer itself is MIA.

Besides keeping time and preparing materials, I also do a lot of unexpected administrative work. This week was filed with Google Docs: from spread sheets to documents, I filled in choreographic information (choreo for short) for the upcoming weeks based on the changes the facilitators make daily and last year’s choero. Google itself keeps other members of the documents updated on who has made changes and where, which is useful if you want to blame someone for ruining your entire data entry (thankfully there is also a restorative option, so maybe confrontation is not necessary ~).

Accountability is also provided verbally as well, so listening is vital. When it comes to admin work, SYCEP members are told by one facilitator what to do and we take it from there. If someone messes up, we all know who caused the mishap and it is rare for the facilitator to forget who was put to that task. Although the person would speak up for him/herself if there was a mistake, we help each other accomplish what it was that was required. When it comes to working with the Homies, on the other hand, that is a different story. There are five facilitators, two-three SYCEP sides and about 22 Homies — confusion is inevitable. The other day, Media Mobilizing Project (MMP) came to help train the Homies in interviewing skills and recording. Once the lesson was over, the Homies were to practice in pairs based on a series of questions. This one pair made it very clear that they were finished, so one facilitator suggested that they practice as different people. It is a facilitator and I am just a helper: obviously I listen and should mention this to other pairs. In the end, however, I was made the source of that direction by the other facilitators because apparently that initial group did NOT finish what they were supposed to and said I dictated. Me? I explained what had happened thoroughly. And I was left baffled.