Om lørdagen op til Skt Hans havde vi planlagt at holde ordentlig fest i baghaven med hekseafbrænding. Det blev samtidig Brunos afskedsfest da han desværre skulle forlade SF mandagen efter. Om fredagen inden havde vi været i Dolores Park og feste, og var kommet i snak med nogle tilfældige gutter, Joe og Joe (average) som jeg havde inviteret med til Skt Hans / afskedsfesten samt nogle vi havde mødt til andre fester. Der var mange mennesker og god stemning og fest til langt ud på natten, og den efterfølgende morgen stod den på oprydningsfest. Det foregik efter europæisk stil med at man medbringer drikkevarer til bordet og har så fri adgang til hvad man har lyst til. Jeg havde skaffet mjød som desværre ikke var helt så god som man kender den hjemmefra - denne var produceret i Denver.
Om onsdagen efter ankom Stefan igen til SF. Jeg hentede ham i lufthavnen, og torsdag og fredag tog han rundt med et par af mine house mates i byen mens jeg var på arbejde. Fredag var vi i parken, lørdag til Pink Saturday (optakt til Pride) sammen med house mates. Der var uoverskueligt mange mennesker alle steder i downtown og i parkerne, men rigtig god stemning. I starten festede vi foran rådhuset / civic center men tog bagefter til Dolores Park. Vi blev væk fra hinanden men fandt heldigvis hinanden igen senere på aftenen - mest heldigt for Stefan da han kun var iført shorts og sko, jeg havde hans pas og kreditkort og hans telefon virker ikke i USA.
Om søndagen var der Pride / gay parade hvor vi mest bare stod og kiggede på kæmpe parader der kom forbi på Market Street. Enormt mange folk/foreninger/firmaer var repræsenteret, og selveste SFPD (politiet) havde deres eget optog og kom kørende i veteranpolitibiler - det var en positiv overraskelse.
Om mandagen tog Stefan hjem og igår tirsdag fik jeg endelig lavet en aftale om at komme på besøg i fængslet for at overvære en survivor's impact class (hvor en kvindelig voldsoffer fortæller om sine oplevelser og traumer). Der var jeg så i dag onsdag, og var ret heldig med aftalen da min besøgstilladelse udløber efter i dag. Det var en virkelig god oplevelse, og lidt anderledes end jeg havde forventet. Kvinden som fortalte om sin oplevelse havde siden oprettet en forening som hedder 1000 mothers to prevent violence. Bagefter hendes fortælling kunne de indsatte stille spørgsmål, og der var mange der tydeligvis var berørt af hendes fortælling, og de udtrykte stor taknemmelighed for at hun ville komme og tale til dem. Da hun var gået skulle de indsatte arbejde i grupper om deres observationer mht. hvilken slags vold der var fundet sted og hvilken indvirkning det måtte have gjort på hende. Formålet var at opbygge empati, og indse hvor meget volden har indvirket på personen som ikke ses med det samme.
Nu har jeg halvanden uge tilbage på Glide eller 5 arbejdsdage. Jeg har næsten færdigskrevet en praktikevaluering som jeg vil sende ud til alle jeg har arbejdet med og som har været en del af min praktik. I morgen skal vi ud og fejre 4th of July og kigge på fyrværkeri (jeg ved ikke præcist hvad planen er).
Jeg har købt billet fra Panama City til Kbh sammen med Søren, så vi er hjemme den 24. august. Han lander i SF om 14 dage, så hvad der sker efter det og hvordan vi kommer til Panama må tiden vise på bedste eventyrmaner.
Herunder lidt billeder fra diverse.
Kh Niels
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On Saturdays around St. Hans (summer solstice) we had planned to throw a party in the backyard with witch burning. It was also Bruno's farewell party as he had to leave SF the following Monday, sadly. The night before we were in Dolores Park partying, and hung out with some random guys, Joe and Joe (average) which I had invited to the St. Hans / farewell party as well along with others we had met at another party. There were many people and we had a good party to the late night and the following morning we arranged for cleanup party. It was a European-style so that you bring some drinks to the table and that way have free access to what you want. I had bought mead which unfortunately was not quite as good as we know it from home - this was produced in Denver.
The following Wednesdays Stefan returned to SF. I picked him up at the airport and on Thursday and Friday he went around with a couple of my house mates in town while I was at work. Friday we were in the park and Saturday at Pink Saturday (prelude to Pride) with house mates. There were so many people everywhere in downtown and in the parks, but really good partying. In the beginning we partied in front of city hall / civic center but went to Dolores Park after. We got lost from each other but fortunately found each other again later in the evening - most fortunate for Stefan as he was only wearing shorts and shoes, I was holding his passport and credit card and his phone does not work in the United States.
Sunday was Pride where we watched the huge parades that passed on Market Street for the most time. So many people / organizations / companies were represented, and SFPD itself had their own parade and drove in veteran police cars - it was a great surprise.
Stefan went home on Monday and yesterday Tuesday, I finally made an appointment to visit the jail for the survivor's impact class (where a female victim of violence talks about her experiences and trauma). I went there today, Wednesday, and was quite lucky with the arrangement when my visitors clearance expires after today. It was a really good experience and a little different than I expected. The woman who talked about her experience had since formed an association called 1,000 mothers to prevent violence. After hearing her story the inmates asked questions, and many of them were clearly moved by her story, and they expressed gratitude that she would come and talk to them. After she left the inmates worked in groups on their observations in terms of the kind of violence that had taken place and what impact it may have done to her. The purpose was to build empathy, and to realize how much of the impact of the violence is not seen immediately.
Now I only have one and a half weeks left at Glide. I almost finished writing an evaluation of the internship that I will send out to everyone I have worked with and has been a part of my internship. Tomorrow we are going to celebrate the 4th of July and watch the fireworks (I don't know exactly what the plan is).
I bought a ticket from Panama City to Copenhagen with Søren, so we'll be home on 24 August. He arrives in SF in 2 weeks, so what happens after that and how we get to Panama remains unknown - adventure time.
Below some pictures from random stuff.
Best, Niels
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