Ahhhhmazing

"Are you kidding me!?" was all that Ynah and I said to each other from 3 to 5 AM. As I was helping her fix her problems with MediaFire, we started to hear sounds from outside of our windows. Thinking aloud, I mentioned that in Exorcism of Emily Rose, the demons would come out at exactly 3 AM. It was 3:01 AM at the time!!! Then Ynah mindlessly talked about Paranormal Activity 3 and the similar size of our closet to those of the little girls in the movie. I shouldn't even believe in this type of nonsense! For two hours, we desperately tried to calm down by calling several of our friends. They did not help, and neither did the flickering light in the corner of the room. Instead, we ended up sharing one bed and eventually fell asleep. 

A Wampanoag individual

English worker creating a mud wall

With all the horrific encounters aside, today was captivating. Although Ynah and I were lightweight zoned out due to our disturbing night and lack of breakfast, we still made our way through the morning. We ran to the lobby and found everybody sitting in our meeting spot, including the Brown I cohort. In a few moments we  found ourselves in the van, on our way back to Massachusetts. This time we went to see the Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth. Here, we visited the Native Wampanoag people and the English settlers of the 17th century in their respective villages. Don't worry, they were all normal people who work in the plantation as actors to make the experience more hands on for the visitors. That way, we were able to picture ourselves as a part of their lives during the 1600's. The purpose of this was to show the visitors that the English people's voyage in the Mayflower and settlement in the Indians' village did not necessarily end as a happily-ever-after event. There were many conflicts and suspicions that actually occurred between the two peoples. I was never a big fan of history, but after the very intriguing orientation, curiosity built up within me. By the end of the tours, I was not disappointed. 

Mr. Craftsman

The Mayflower II!

Our small talk with a craftsman took me by surprise. When Iris explained to him the reason why we're here (which is to attend Brown for Women and Leadership, obviously), he told us that the women of the Wampanoag were actually more than just wives and mothers. There were many women who took the roles that would be typically given to men, such as chiefs and tribal leaders. It was astounding to hear this because it gives me even more motivation to learn and grow from the Women and Leadership course. Even way back when, women were already taking a stand for their families and communities. This challenges me to take a stand in MY community, Contra Costa, once I come home from this whole experience.

It took my breath away!

After a few hours of down time, the entire Brown group drove to a nearby park for the traditional fireworks. We finally settled in a perfect spot where everybody can fit. As I looked around the crowd, I noticed that everybody looked more patriotic than what I'm used to. I've never seen so much red, white, and blue in one place at one time! The fireworks were simply amazing.  It was also entertaining sitting next to Ynah and David because of their reactions to the fireworks. I think it's safe to say it wins 2nd place beside Disneyland's fireworks (of course). It was impossible for me to refrain from squealing so much! My guess was that 4th of July is a much bigger deal in the east coast since USA's history was established here. And I was right! This may have been my first time spending 4th of July back east, but hopefully it won't be the last. 

There were plenty of ooooh's and aaaahhhh's today. I wouldn't be surprised if there are more to come tomorrow.