The last week

In our final week we visited Long Beach.

I stayed in Huntington Beach, nearby Long Beach. I stayed with the Shaw Family

They took me out bicycling at my first day. They asked me if I needed a helmet and protection gloves. I told them I have 24 years experience riding bicycles.

Steve and Meredith Shaw

We had a busy program in our final week and again met a lot of interesting and lovely people.

On Monday we visited Miller Hospital. After some interviews and a tour we arrived at Lori’s house. She prepared dinner for our welcome party. As Dutch as we are we didn’t accept the relaxing part at her house while she was preparing dinner, so we put on our apron (schort) and started helping.

Thom and Lori

On Tuesday the rotary club Los Alamitos hosted us.

In the morning we visited an elementary school, We started the tour in a kindergarten class, we were stunned. When we entered the classroom the children stayed focus on there teacher who was teaching these children numerators (breuken). After the tour we had a discussion about the high standards of schools. It is an obligation for a school to publish there records in the newspaper. The higher the grades the better the school is recommended. Our question about the quality of there education versus the high standards was a difficult question to answer!

In the afternoon I visited Casa Youth Shelter. In the next chapter of my blog you can read about my observation in this organization.

In the evening we had a nice dinner and good conversation and interesting discussions.

On Wednesday we visited the Queen Mary. We started with a tour and later on the Long Beach Rotary meeting on the Queen Mary (nice location). After the meeting Lori (Richard and Michel’s host) took us to Los Angeles for a little shopping at Melrose.

Lori rented a big van to drive us around

Thursday we visited two chefs on a Roll. This is a pastry factory. Lori started this place with just an idea and some recipes. This idea is now a big factory with lots of clients. Lori sold here factory a few years ago. She is still a guest of honor. Before the tour the new owner gave us some information about the factory. During this meeting it was funny to see the influence Lori still has. The new owners where little boys explaining themselves to ‘mama’.

In the afternoon we went to see the Paul Getty Museum in LA. This was quite impressive.

Pat arranged the dinner, because of a big fire in the  neighborhood everyone was stuck in traffic and the Mexican food was a little delayed. Again a nice dinner with good conversation.

On Friday we visited the Los Angeles County Courthouse to see court in session. Lori’s sister is a lawyer and showed us around. We visited three court cases, including a murder case. This was quite impressive, there were two suspects and two different juries. The judge in this case was Lance Ito (judge at the OJ Simpson case). We listened to the 911-call, witnessed the security tape of the murder and listened to the lawyers who were provoking the brother of the victim who was a witness. During a break the judge walked towards us and started a short conversation about The Netherlands.

Afterwards we went to the Disney Concert Hall, The Cathedral and after lunch we visited the Hollywood and Highland by underground (this was Lori’s first time using the metro in her own state). What an experience!!!!!

Look at the detail behind Laura, who needs privacy?

On the picture while waiting for his collegue to make the arrest

On Saturday it was Surfing time. SURFS UP!!!

In the evening there was a farewell party at Greg Owens house. All the host families of the last four weeks were present. Thom gave a speech and Jorita (governor) gave her own speech and gave us presents. The biggest present was her Dutch costume!!! It was an amazing party and so nice to see everyone again. After a lot of catching up and hugging it was time to leave.

On Sunday we drove to LAX for the flight back to The Netherlands!!!

Thanks everyone for this fantastic experience!!!!!!!!!   

Casa Youth Shelter, last vocational visit; (week 4)

Casa Youth Shelter is a temporary shelter for troubled youth. The Casa can exist by community funding. 80% of the youth are reunited with there families. Everyone can knock on the shelters door. They work with a team of professionals and students of social studies from different Universities.

Because of private funding the Casa can accept youth with various (mental) problems. There is no grey area because the Casa have there own criteria. The Casa is not a residential treatment centre but they have a clinical department for conversations with a psychiatrist, family treatment, etc.

Casa is the only group home I visited with boys and girls mixed in one group. They told me that it is more realistic to mix them and they can learn from each other. A big downside about this method is the control system. Every 15 minutes there is a youth worker that checks where the youth is, 24 hours a day. This means that in the night time they shine there flashlights in the rooms of the teenagers to check if they are still there, don’t have sex, don’t use alcohol or drugs and don’t have any privacy. They tell me they have to because of laws.

When I ask them about the minimal influence the government has on youth care and the grey area/ tarket group this was the answer. ‘Within government funded youth care there is a big grey area. This is a problem the community can handle, the community is responsible to provide care for people, in this case teenagers, where no government care is involved. The community can start any program they like, what is necessary within the neighborhood. As long as communities keep doing this kind of work together there is no government involves necessary and the government knows this. This approach makes the community more responsible for each other’.

If you ask me, this is a positive view of the problem in the grey area. If you let a community decide what they need you make them more responsible, that’s a good thing but in a nation where power is everything who decides what is more necessary, short term shelter, residential care and cure or another hospital?         

The week 3 program.

In the middle Sue and Rick the host family of Laura and me

Dean (Michel's host)

Rick is a good and healthy cook

In my blog you read about our first day in Sen Clemente and about my vocational activities.

Besides the vocational activities the Rotary club of Sen Clemente filled an interesting program.

We visited Casa Romantica, a famous and beautiful building in Sen Clemente with a beautiful view. People use it these times for weddings. When we had our tour there was film group who were preparing a beer commercial (Belgian brand), and they were Dutch of course, isn’t that funny? We made the local newspaper as well (http://www.ocregister.com/news/-299472--.html)

This picture actually made it into the newspaper

On Wednesday we visit a presentation of the Dalai Lama. This was a incredible experience. This man is wise but very simple at the same time. He gave us (and 7000 other people) a lecture about conflicts and good leadership. He has a sense of humour and his advice is common since and be good too your children. If you raise good children they will become better people with more common sense.

On Friday we visit Laguna Beach and did our presentation at the Laguna Rotary club. The Laguna Rotarians showed us Laguna beach for the day.

In the evening Laura and I prepared a Dutch dinner for the Sen Clemente farewell party.

We made ‘hutspot’ and ‘stamppot zuurkool’. We bought al the ingredients in the local store and it tasted wonderful. The guests were standing in line for the smoked sausage (rookworst). This was fun. Our host family and other families prepared there own dish as well.

Rick and Sue were surprised about the good taste, it was our time to give them something in return. They made us delicious and healthy food for the entire week. Not all Americans eat fat and go out for dinner. The Sen Clemente area is a really healthy and fun (surfing) town.

Laguna

Our ride was a cadillac oltimer

Preparing Hutspot and Zuurkool, the American guest standing in line for the Rookworst

On Saturday we went to San Diego. We went to the USS Midway, it was very impressive. In the afternoon we did a lot of shopping (also very important).

USS Midway

You cant leave America without going to Hooters!!!

On Sunday Sue’s daughter teaches us the basics of surfing (what a great experience). In the afternoon we d say goodbye to the Sen Clemente host families and met our fourth and last host families from Long Beach. 

     

First our lovely host family;