Trisha – The Working Mother

Trisha – The Working Mother

Background

Trisha is a young mother from Bangladesh who moved to Queens, New York recently. Her immediate kindess to others around her made her stand out as one with an exceptional, yet common, life experience. This is her story:

Immigrating

Moving from Bangladesh to a new culture like the United States can often result in major culture shock. Yet for Trisha, being in crowded places has been a way of life well before coming to New York. She found a nearly entirely Bengali community that she associates with, so the major change came with learning the language. She picked up English fairly quickly with studying it a bit before coming and now living 5 years.

She has a young 15 month old baby, but with the change in her community, she decided it was best to stay with her baby and not put him in day care or have someone else be the primary caregiver. Instead, working shifts at the airport parking lot, she’s able to work a reverse schedule from her husband. They have just enough time to see each other and have a quickly daily update before their shift changes and they go from working to stay at home parent. Both have to pull full time shifts in both responsibilities to make ends meet financially and for their family. Yet they feel this is the best option to give their son the care and attention he needs from his parents, even if it means they are not often all three together.

Her Perspective

Trisha, although most think she has americanized her name, is her birth name and quite common in Bangladesh. She rides a crowded bus every day for work and takes her son in his stroller everywhere they go, so crowds and standing makes up a lot of her day. Yet despite the lack of being able to sit, she’s the first to offer someone in need a seat on the bus, the first to look after a weary parent, as she herself knows that feeling all too well, and the first to help a lost tourist, a feeling, as an immigrant, she was well acquainted with as well.

Despite living close to wealth of Wall Street and the center of world trade, Trisha’s life is all about making ends meet and providing a future for her child where people can see people as people and humanity reigns as the prime commerce.

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Eric – The Stunt Double

Eric – The Stunt Double

Background

Eric is an open and talkative individual. He’s always open and willing to share about his life as a stunt double. This is his story:

Work Life

Eric has been Steve Carell’s main stunt double for over 18 years, since his film Dan in Real Life. He commented that the recent film about stunt doubles, The Fall Guy, really rang true to him. He had a lot of his friends and colleagues work on that show as well.

He travels a lot for work and was out in Puerto Rico filming the new Netflix series, Four Seasons. He loves his work and talked about how easy going, especially Steve Carell, has been. Although this was first time he was going to be his double in a scene with his shirt off, so he spent a lot of time with Steve in the gym to make sure they looked similar enough to be passable.

His Perspective

His perspective is just to grab life by the horns and take advantage of the opportunities you get. He loves life and loves being outgoing and social and being with people. He does miss his wife, who works as an OBGYN and rarely makes it out on to his sets.

Yet for the most part, living in LA and seeing so much of the world on movie sets, he feels he lives a full life, that is enviable to many. But his humility in his work is easily seen as he will start a conversation with just about anyone.

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Steve – The Retiree

Steve – The Retiree

Background

Steve lived a full life in his hometown in Minnesota. Yet after years of work has decided to retire in Puerto Rico. This is his story:

Daily Life

Steve has truly taken advantage of the ideal retired life. After a full career in cold Minnesota, Steve took his wife and one daughter to live in sunny Puerto Rico. He lives in a set of villas next to a local resort in Fajardo, and although there are hundred of other villas in his community, they are the only full time residents. All other homes are occupied only during vacation times for the owners.

Yet Steve doesn’t mind the solitude. He gets plenty out of meeting new tourists coming to see his beautiful views. Although he is officially retired from his company, as the former company owner, he still often is called on for consultation and board meetings. He still keeps his main focus on his family, including his wife and daughter with special needs. He loves talking to tourists and giving them insider information on the best hikes, beaches and places to see in Puerto Rico.

His Perspective

Steve has always felt that it’s best to get the most out of life and the big change in scenery hasn’t come without sacrifice. His life is definitely drastically different than daily life in Minnesota, but he feels what changed has mostly been for the positive.

With the time on his hands with retirement to get the most out of island living, Steve feels that living a life of focus, service and achieving goals, should lead to the time of enjoyment.

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Lewis – The Bird Feeder

Lewis – The Bird Feeder

Background

Lewis has been an employee at El Conquistador resort in Fajardo, Puerto Rico for over 30 years. One of his main tasks is feeding the aging parrots at the resort. This is his story:

Daily Life

Lewis loves talking about his birds. He feels that, although he doesn’t personally own the parrots, he has a personal responsibility for their well being. He has been feeding and cleaning their cages for years and knows each of their unique personalities.

Snowflake is the oldest bird in his care, and is now over 100 years old. The bird has been in the same resort for over 30 years and often gets repeat guests that come back to say hi, thinking the bird was long gone from their childhood. Birds live exceptionally long lives, but Snowflake is special and outlived other parrots who have even been born in the resort and passed away.

Casey the bird – who knows over 300 words

His Perspective

Lewis is happy to live in a beautiful area and experience the simple things in life. He hasn’t seen much change in his life, despite major hurricanes changing the landscape and the tourism industry, he feels blessed to have been able to have such consistent work, doing something he now loves.

He is always open to talk to the resort’s clientele, especially the children, who love to see and learn about his birds, as well as hear them talk!

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Eliana – The Island Nurse

Eliana – The Island Nurse

Background

Eliana is from a tiny inhabitant island about one to two hours by boat from Puerto Rico. She is the only medical technician in the only hospital on the island. This is her story:

Daily Life

Living on the island of Culebras, Eliana knows what it’s like to both be isolated as well as play a vital role in her small community. The entire island is one of the smallest permanently inhabited islands in the world, with an area of just over 10 square miles. Because of the isolation, with only two ferries coming to the island once per day each, she has learn to survive in her small world and provide for those around her.

She is the only medical technician in the only hospital on the island, which is where any of the just over 1000 citizens of the island go when injured. The hospital only carries the most important materials as supplies, space and options are limited when accidents occur. Eliana is used to being on call at all hours of the day, any day of the year. With no backup to her work, she needs to be available for any and all emergency situations.

Her Perspective

Eliana is grateful for her role in her society. She knows she’s vital for life on her island, but is also humble about her role. She often makes the 1 – 2 hour one way journey to the nearest city on Puerto Rico, Fajardo. She is involved in both communities actively, despite the difficulty of traveling back and forth from home to the main island.

Her and husband and family are members of a church that meets weekly in Fajardo. They are always on the lookout for ways to help in their sphere of influence.

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Camila – La Niñera

Camila – La Niñera

Background

Camila is a seven year old girl from Fajardo, Puerto Rico. She loves people and especially other children. He life revolves around helping children, especially babies. This is her story:

Daily Life

As an honorary employee of the Panaderia that her Grandma owns and other family members, such as her aunt, work, Camila is always looking to take on more responsibility than typical for a 7-year old. She is quick to observe and looks to help in quiet methods as she displays her independence.

When she talked about her family and siblings, as well as her cousins, she said she has hundreds. That may be an exaggeration, but she talked all about all the different children she helps as a babysitter. She was drawn to the kids and infants in the restaurant, helping out customers whenever possible.

Her Perspective

Camila loves to learn and feels life is bright and exciting. She loves family and human connection. She is excited to learn and learns Portuguese and Chinese in her school, along with some English words from some of her favorite TV shows. Although she knows and learns many languages, she’s very reserved in speaking too much and relies mostly on hand signals to get her point across, even as she gives recommendations for hikes in the nearby national park – El Yunque.

Camila is not one to hold back and is always on the lookout for helping in ways she knows a loves, which almost always entails helping infants calm down, take a pacifier, or even clean up a bit of spit up. She doesn’t shy away from giving a helping hand, even when the baby and family is a stranger to her.

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TKB – The Family Sandwich Shop

TKB – The Family Sandwich Shop

Background

TKB is a family owned and operated sandwich shop in Indio, California. This is their story:

Starting the Business

TKB stands for the kid’s business and was always intended for the family to have a way to connect with people, provide for themselves and increase their business. Started in 1991, Athena and Paul started a sandwich shop with Athena’s authentic recipes for gourmet sandwiches. Brandon, Nathan, and Melina are the kids that have now taken over the business and been growing it steadily through the years.

They are used to repeat customers, both local and visitors to the town. Often they’ll get an influx of “regulars” during the Indian Wells tennis tournament nearby. They have seen success not only from their unique and delicious bakery sandwiches as well as custom desserts, but mainly through connecting with customers and establishing a familiarity quickly that keeps customers returning. They’re known for their customer satisfaction and always getting in front of their customers to create a fun and loving environment where people can have a good time!

Their Perspective

The bakery started small and grew from such a small enterprise to one of the best rated deli’s across the nation. The success has always been unexpected, but welcome. The goal was never about growing the business to the size and capacity it’s at today, but instead to focus on individual connection. They’ve seen that their focus on their customer has made them a viral success, although with great sandwiches and top class cookies and baked goods. Their perspective is a focus on the good which perpetuates more and more good all around them and even returning to them.

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Val – The Tennis Volunteer

Val – The Tennis Volunteer

Background

Val is from Canada and has been passionate about tennis for some time. She committed this year to volunteer at the Indian Wells tennis tournament in California. This is her story:

Tennis Culture

Val’s husband recently passed away and she’s been looking for opportunities to get out and travel instead of staying home and suffering in remembering the loss. She’s instead decided to get out and focus on her passion for tennis.

For the first time she joined a group of tennis volunteers that help with administration and maintenance for the second biggest tennis tournament stadium in the world at Indian Wells, California. She has enjoyed her experience in getting to know other volunteers and having more options to travel and spend her time doing something she’s passionate about.

She plans to join the Madrid open this year as well and spend some time in Spain, as a fan of the game. She feels connected well, even as a first time volunteer, with other volunteers at the stadium. She feels like it’s a missing network that she needs now that she’s living alone.

Her Perspective

Val focuses on a sense of belonging. Family has always been her first priority and with 2 daughters and 3 grandsons, she loves spending time with her family. With the loss of her husband, she’s felt a drive for more connection and has found it in a common interest of tennis. She feels that it has brought her belonging and excitement at a time in her life when she needed it most.

She now looks forward to the next tournament where she can volunteer and connect again with people from all over the world.

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Keanu – The Maori

Keanu – The Maori

Background

Keanu lives in Auckland, New Zealand with an intense connection to his culture as a Maori. This is his story:

Maori Culture

Keanu is a father of two, in pre med school, looking to become a doctor. He loves his culture as a Maori and the connection it gives him to the land, his country and his ancestors. Maoris have a deep connection to their family ties, both those living and those who have past away. Keanu is no different. He loves to talk about his family, their home villages and how they are connected to the land and the people of those areas.

Most know the Polynesian and Maori cultures through their famous Haka dance their ancient warriors and now famous All Blacks rugby team uses to intimidate their opponents. Yet many over look the culture of high respect and duty. Keanu may be the first to admit that their culture is laid back, on timelines and schedules and things western cultures seem to value their time doing, but that doesn’t mean lazy. In fact, typically you’ll see the exact opposite, a disciplined and highly active culture that has so much to offer those willing to learn.

Their sacred Maraes are places of meeting, worship and family. Only those invited can enter the structures and shoes are often removed to show respect for the area. Although Maori’s honor their ancestors, they don’t worship them directly. Many Maoris have embraced other religions such as Christianity as an addition to their cultural beliefs, not in contrast to them. Keanu, who is a Christian himself, sees no conflicting beliefs in his culture and his religion.

His Perspective

Keanu is open and welcoming. He tells you what he feels, gives his insights as he sees them and is always respectful and kind. As many in the Maori culture, he feels welcoming should be done with food and is always willing to offer or accept and offer of food to spur conversation and connection.

He takes life one day at a time, and hopes his career in the medical field will help him serve in his community. He feels a deep connection to the nature and people of New Zealand and wants to give as much as he can back to his people. He believes a career as a doctor is a great way to help and to heal.

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Alan – The Gold Miner

Alan – The Gold Miner

Background

Alan is a volunteer at the gold mine in Thames, New Zealand. He dedicates his time to preserving history and educating tourists about New Zealand’s rich mining history. This is his story:

Volunteering

Alan’s background in mechanical engineering and early time as a miner himself, led him to his now retired past time as a guide in the gold mine in Thames. He gets fulfillment from meeting new people and helping maintain a history that has been so impactful for his life.

The entire gold mine is run by volunteers, mostly old retired men that used to work in the mines in their younger years. They love getting to teach tourists about the uniqueness of the mine in Thames. The gold mining process was manually finding quartz veins to then process the gold dust and eventually sift down to enough gold dust to be melted into heavy gold bricks for sale. Many of the miners came from Ireland and other parts of the UK and were known for their drinking and competitiveness. They lived hard lives in mines with long days in darkness and dust in their lungs, working by candle light in the essentially the pitch black.

His Perspective

Life is meant to be lived and to do what you know and love. For Alan, mining and mechanical engineering were his passions. He uses his knowledge to give of his time and energy to educate tour groups passing through his small coastal town. Although now most of the mine shafts are underwater and out of commission, he takes people through the active shafts in the mine used many years ago.

He believes preserving the past is a way to remember and honor the past and those who have gone before us. He loves seeing the new generation connect to the excitement of knowing how life was like for miners in Thames all the way back in 17th century.

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