During the service-learning and conservation education trip, we were able to have showers that kept us clean for a while. The only way for us to earn the showers was to simply work really hard.

Showers can get you clean , happy and relaxed for the rest of the day. Some of the trail works we did were repairing trails or making new trails . We hiked to get to places like the Heybrook Fire Lookout tower. My head would fill with sweat and my hair looked like I just took a shower but it was just sweat from hard work. It frustrated me most of the times but after a quick shower, I felt happier and less frustrated.

When it comes to showering, there were many advantages and disadvantages. One advantage was that it kept me clean from the dirt and kept me smelling good. But, there were disadvantages when it comes to showering such as you won’t get clean enough or miss a spot. There was also no privacy for boys. In the boy’s shower, we had no walls, blinds, or curtains to give us privacy when we were showering in a high school building.

During showers, there are things that you should use in order to keep yourself clean. All I had during the trip was a body wash and a little bottle of shampoo. The body wash I brought was non-scented so I didn’t attract any mosquitos. It is important to not bring products that smell like fruits because they would attract mosquitos. For camping, you should bring regular shampoo and regular body wash

Showering was the main thing I looked for during the camping trip. It made me feel more relaxed after all the construction of trails.. It motivated me when I was working because I was working real hard for something I needed.

On Tuesday, August 3rd, the Wilderness Inner-City Leadership Development (WILD) youth program hiked up the Heybrook Lookout trail, located just east of the town of Index in Snohomish County, and saw a presentation by the U.S. Forest Service wildland firefighters about fighting wildfires. They drove in their big white wildland fire engine, parked it against the green forest backdrop, and we all sat around it. They told us what they did, showed us the tools they used, and even demonstrated the fire torch and water hose. We toured around the engine, and five of us youth got to climb inside. In the fire engine, Ted Hargraves, the Engine Supervisor Captain, showed us all the cool gadgets inside.

The wildland fire engine has everything a car has and more. Not only can it drive you around, but it can use its big water hose, with a water reservoir connected, to put out fires. It also has tools, such as the axe or “Pulaskipulaski”, that are also used to create fire lines that eventually stop the fire. The fire engine is equipped to fight fires, but your car isn‘t.

The fire engine’s ability to keep you connected is astounding. You’ll never lose connection with the little cell phone signal-booster stand, WIFI, or walkie-talkies. You can plug in your laptop (the fire engine has electrical outlets) and use the WIFI connection or get information through your cell phone, which will hardly be denied signal. If all-else fails (which is unlikely), you’ll still have your handy-dandy walkie-talkie. With a fire engine, you‘ll never lose communication.

Fire engines are entertaining. Firefighters are often sent out on two-week-long assignments to fight fires. Not that they have to sleep in the fire engine, but they’ll always stay comfy for the time that they occupy it with the high, cushioned seats of the engine. Firefighters won’t go bored with all the buttons and switches they can push, which operate the lights and sirens, which are just as entertaining. And, of course, the radio. You can’t go wrong with tunes. The fire engine not only has stuff to do, it has food to eat. The engine is stocked with high-calorie MREs — Meal, Ready-to-Eat — the same kind of packaged food soldiers eat. Clearly, life with a fire engine is more comfy than life in any ordinary car.

The fire engine is pretty awesome with its gadgets and comfort. But remember, fire engines are here to fight fires. The hose, the tools; it’s all to stop fires. Communication is needed to get information from the station or contact someone in case of an emergency. The lights and sirens are standard, to see and to alert. Having MREs is essential in case firefighters can’t get food. There’s good reason for everything that a fire engine has. Now, don’t you wish you had one? But unless you‘re a firefighter, you can‘t. So for now, just imagine that your vehicle … is a fire engine.

The first day we arrived at the camping area was eased with some excitements. The camp took place in the Beckler River Campground in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, located northeast of Seattle. The environment was not humid or hot at all — it was extremely fresh and cool. At the time when I dropped my jacket next to my sleeping bag, I felt what I cannot normally feel at home — I am in the wild. “Why don’t we take a shower in the river?” I said. “Hell no!” The others exclaimed. “The water is freezing!”

I slowly walked out of the van. From what I remembered, I had a massive amount of mosquito bites behind my neck and next to my arms, but soon I will wash them all out with an unfamiliar shower head. “Is this school haunted?” Duong, my showering partner asked apprehensively. “No,” I replied. I rather think this is my birth place.

We started our first real hiking on the second day. I was asked to bring my water bottle and I do thank the person who forced me to do so. After we hiked for one mile, I see that I am already above the clouds, but still, the nameless bugs bothered me. They reminded me that I am not high enough to avoid all of them. In some ways, the bugs were my most diligent friends throughout the whole camping trip. At the end of the second day, I was told that I may have an early shower in a school near this area.

Although I only have minutes of showing time, I was not in a hurry at all. Even seconds of a wash were satisfying to me — and dandy as a feast. The minutes I spent in the shower room felt like days. I did not realize that a daily life shower can be this joyful and precious. I understood a new thing — it is never the same to be outdoors compared with home.

The third day I was assigned with a duty of moving a rock which weights about seven hundred pounds. My duty was simple: move the rock out of the hiking trail. After three hours, we successfully moved the rock and completely drained out our stamina. We will soon need another shower.

When I look back into this camping trip, the flies and mosquitoes fly out from my memory and the selfless shower head appears in my dream once again. Long live the shower!

The U.S. Forest Service and the Wing Luke Museum sponsored a seven-day Chinese Heritage Tour which explored the Asian American contributions in establishing the American West. It was a mind-changing process for many of the tour participants. Each one of us had a personal story and/or a reason why we are interested in Asian American history. For me, the reason could be that this is where my family and I came from. Or it could be what I did — being a part of the youth intern project and trying to find out more about Asian American history in a way we are interested in and write about it. I, as one of the five Heritage Tour interns, tried to discover the personal stories we could share and the changing ideas about Asian American history. From the limited knowledge of the Chinese gold miners I had before the tour I experienced the changing ideas of how it connects or affects us today.

“I didn’t want to learn about the Asian American’s history when I was a youth,” said Ruby Luke, tour participant and sister of Wing Luke, for whom the museum is named after. She stood at the rock wall built by mostly 13 year-old Chinese gold miners. “But now, I want to learn about what I never knew, and more about family history.”

I’m a Toishanese teenager, so when I saw Tony, an American-brn Chinese tour participant, with a shirt that said: “Toishanese Man”(台山佬)”, it caught my attention. I interviewed him to find out the story behind the shirt.

“I heard a song named “Cantonese Boy” which they mentioned ‘You’re not my Toishanese boy,’” said Tony. ” I thought, I am not a boy anymore, so I changed the word ‘boy’ into ‘man’ and designed this ‘Toishanese Man’ (台山佬) shirt.”

The simple but solemn Chinese cemetery ceremony we did in memory of the Chinese gold mining pioneers drew everyone’s heart. It was not only meaningful to the tour group in a way of honoring Chinese pioneers but also meaningful to the local place and the Asian American history by showing our values.

We influenced local people by telling them what and why we did the Chinese ceremony. A grandmother who passed by looked toward the wooden information board and explained the Baker City Chinese history to her grandchildren during the ceremony.

I couldn’t use words to describe how glad I am for going on this tour. I learned more than what the speakers taught and what those artifacts showed me. I learned from rich stories shared by the people I went on the tour with and the people I met locally. If you care about Asian American history, you can also be the pioneer to discover it!

After the third day of hard, muscle-building work, we all decided as a group to do yoga next to the river. Led by me and Michelle Woo, who was one of the staff at WILD, all the girls participated excitedly during yoga on the river. We started out with a simple standing pose called “Mountain”, where we stood straight with both feet together with our hands clasp in front of our chest. Although a very simple pose, it helped us breathe more constantly and forget all the things we did that day. It also helped us relax as well as calm our minds and body down. Then we moved on to a series of standing poses starting from the “Triangle” pose, where we stood with both feet about three ft. apart and our hands wide away from each other. From that, we bent our upper body, one hand touching the leg and the other up in the air, as if forming a triangle shape. After that, we did the “Warrior” pose where from triangle, spreading our feet even further apart, bending one knee while both arms open wide in a horizontal position. These movements helped us release tensions from our muscle while stretching our hips, hamstrings, spine, inner thighs, chest, and shoulders. Because we were standing on sands and rocks, we decided to mainly do the standing poses. However, we finished off doing a prayer pose where we laid our chest on our knees kneeled on the ground with arms reaching front as far as we could. With our closed eyes, we were able to just relax and enjoy the sounds of the river.

Everyone loved the little yoga session. Because of all the smashing rocks and miles and miles of hiking up steep trails, we weren’t able to look at the beautiful forest and take pleasure in the nature like we would have wanted. Since it helped clear people’s mind, they all wanted to do yoga everytime we get back from work. In the end, we not only enjoyed the view but also helped greatly to restore our appreciation of the forest. Most importantly, we all had fun and learned so many things about the environment. With yoga on the river, we all felt refreshed and ready to do as much work as we did that day.

Well, listen up, because I am here to help you out!

What do you need the most?! Food! Bring snack items or sandwiches. These

should be easy to grab and eat while you walk. On average, you burn 150-200 calories per mile of hiking. Bring replenishing snacks like fruit, nuts and energy bars, too.

What you should wear: you will need to bring warm gear. If you are likely to hike high in the mountains you need a full winter set of clothes in your back pack while hiking. If you stay in the valleys, waterproof gear and layers will be enough. I remember when I went

hiking, I was wearing jeans and a tank and was pretty warm during the summer.

Your shoes should be comfortable. If your shoes aren’t or don’t fit well, you may get blisters and it’ll hurt. Remember to wear thick long socks to avoid blisters.

It’s also important to never hike alone. A friend will be able to go and get help if something should happen to you. Plus it’s much more enjoyable to hike with someone. When I went hiking, I went with a group of people, and it was fun and an easy hike. If you have a dog you should bring it with you, too.

What you should have in your backpack if you’re hiking for a day: a

compass or map, water and snacks, a small first-aid kit, a garbage bag, any needed medications, and a camera. A good general rule of thumb is to: “Take nothing but pictures, and leave nothing but footprints.” In addition, bring a pair sunglasses, a hat and sunblock in warmer weather. You don’t really need bug spray because the higher you go, the less bugs. A mobile phone is always a good idea in case of emergencies. Because there no drinking water and bathroom, bring a hand sanitizer and toilet paper. If you have to use the bathroom while outdoors, please don’t “go” by the water, as it could contaminate the water system.

Hopefully I helped you in preparing for a hike. Have a great day hiking! Be safe and always remember, “take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but footprints.”

I joined a cool camping trip with the Wildnerness Inner-City Leadership Development (WILD) program this summer. The most unforgettable moment for me was when we all hiked to a high steep ridgeline, to the top of a forest fire lookout tower, and painted the wall on the top.

At first, when we arrived to Heybrook Lookout Trail, northeast of Seattle, we all stood on the bottom of the trail, and the U.S. Forest Service project leader told us we were going to hike up to the top of the ridgeline, which is an elevation of about 1,700 feet. I felt nervous, when I heard that. We still needed to hike about 1 hour more.. I felt like when a mouse sees a cat. My body stared shaking. But I still needed to do it. I told myself, this is something I need to do and I need to do it beautifully. I don’t have any other choice; just do it. Then, I started to hike, I saw the trail was so thin and steep,. Also the trail was rugged and rough, just like my life now, traversing a rough and difficult road, full of challenges. I need to be the best and surmount it. I hiked and hiked. When I was tired, I took a rest, drank some water, and continued to go. Finally, I hiked to the top of mountain. I was so happy. When I looked down the mountain, I felt full of success. And the scenery was very, very beautiful like a holy and beautiful paradise on the earth, The top of the mountain always is the best scenery in the world. But, you need to surmount the entire hard problem by hiking up to the mountain.

After I hiked up to the top of the ridgeline, I saw a tall wood fire lookout tower, sitting at 67 feet high. The job of today was to climb up to the top of tower and work up there. When I stood at the bottom of the tower, I didn’t feel as scared as climbing up the high tower. When I climbed, I felt scared. The wood tower was very old and looks like emptiness. My legs started shaking, and I felt the tower moving, too. At this time, I told myself, don’t be scared, nothing is difficult, if you put your heart in it I told myself, I can’t give up halfway. I believed I can do it. I was almost to the top, quickly climbing to the top. Finally, I successfully climbed up to the tower. When I looked down the tower, I saw the trees were so small. When I looked up, I felt almost up to the sky, like I can touch the clouds. I felt I was in heaven. Then, I had other challenge; I needed to paint the wall of the lookout. I felt so uncomfortable because I was afraid of the height of the tower. But, at the end, my unceasing effort defeated the problem.

I had an uncomfortable day on this part of the camping trip. But I had a great chance to learn how to surmount the hard things of myself. I understood the philosophy from John F. Kennedy: “rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation.” I understand that nothing is difficult if you put your heart in it. If you surmount the entire problem, you will see great scenery on the top of the mountain . Chinese people have a saying: “sweet are the uses of adversity.”

I often hear people complain that they do not know what to bring for a camping trip or wondering if they are over-packing. First, you need to make a checklist of what to bring, because it will help you organize and make your trip less stressful. Do not pack at the last minute, because the majority of time, you will forget something. This happened so many of my friends and me. Secondly, you should start thinking about your personal supplies and needs, since you will be out of your comfort zone and away from home. Thirdly, if you are going on a trip by yourself then you should prepare or decide what kind of food that you will need to bring. I recommend buying food that is weight concentrated and easy to cook once you are in the outdoors. Fourth, you can start shopping for essential camping materials including bug spray (to keep away the bugs) , baby wipes (for cleaning yourself), a whistle (for emergency calls for help), a flashlight (to use at night time), a compass (in case you get lost), toilet paper (a must ; just make sure to dispose them the proper way), a backpack (to carry your things while you hike), a sleeping bag and tent, sunscreen (say ‘no’ to sunburn), and a digital camera (to capture fun moments and the beauty of nature). More information about the “Ten Essentials” can be found at: HYPERLINK “http://www.fs.fed.us” http://www.fs.fed.us. All of these materials can be found at Target (my favorite) or Wal-mart or any local drugstore. My tip when it comes to shopping is to buy products that are two in one. For example, a product with bug spray and sunscreen will save you money and time to apply. Lastly, I know that this is hard to do, but try to limit bringing electronic devices like your cell phone or electronic games. Most people these days cannot live without their cell phones, but without all of that, I guarantee that you will have more time enjoying nature and be able to relax with whoever you going on a trip without the distractions.

These steps seem small but they are very important. They offer a whole lot of benefit for your trip. I learned this lesson after my very first camping trip. Some may say that preparing can be boring but I say getting ready for the trip is just so exciting. So know what to bring and be ready to create unforgettable memories for your trip.

The U.S. Forest Service and the Wing Luke Museum of the Asian American Experience sponsored the Chinese Heritage Tour from July 20 – 26. For me, it was a vast scope of experiences. From the people to the locations, the tour as a whole was very interesting in the historical aspect. However, there are some ways that the experience could have been enhanced. To enhance the tour is to optimize the time used and spent everywhere.

Places like the Ah Hee Diggings were excellent uses of time.We had an ample amount of time to look around. I explored and looked at the long stacks of rocks as well as the surrounding area. I stepped over the mounds of rocks and saw the scraps of metal left over. Other places like the Kam Wah Chung and The Wing Luke Museum were both interesting in its explanation of the site and the history behind it. This was one of the best trips I personally have went on. I felt like there should be more of these places in the tour as opposed to other places.

The Oregon Trail Interpretive Center was far from a useful site for the purposes of the trip. Not only did we take an hour and one-half exploring the site, but the only things pertaining to our tour were two small artifacts with barely any documentation. Like me, other participants were also saddened by the lack of material. Because of this, a local community member, Bettie Luke, wrote a letter to the Center addressing this issue, in which I and everyone else signed in agreement to.

Speaking of things not pertaining to our tour, there was The Dredge. The Sumpter Valley Dredge State Heritage Area was where we saw a behemoth of a gold mining device. Personally I thought the Dredge was interesting and all, but it didn’t have a point connecting to Chinese heritage. I learned that the Dredge was used in large areas in which Chinese people could not claim. However the Dredge did create tailings — piles of gravel left behind by other people’s quest for gold — and offered an opportunity for Chinese miners to follow. The Chinese made their living off these tailings. Sadly, the management there specifically said that Chinese miners were not there. The time was not wasted but not as efficiently spent on these sites, which took time away from others.

The Building at the Pon Yam House was one of the better sites on this tour. Uncovering the mysteries behind certain items found were just some of the things that made me wish we were there longer. They even set up fruit and drinks for us but we left too quickly. Because of sites that we spent too much precious time on we lost time to stay at the Pon Yam and the surrounding buildings. Although running late is something no one can account for.

Tours are better when time between each location is optimized to enhance the experience. But this was probably one of the closest to perfection as organizing can go. During this tour the amount of time at each location was used well more than otherwise. I hope that during the next tour, the participants will spend more time at places of importance while still spending some at other places.

The study, by Hyeouk Chris Hahm, an assistant professor at Boston University School of Social Work, and Chris Adkins, an HIV/AIDS clinical social worker, surveyed 1,000 Boston University API adolescents and young adults between the ages of 18 and 27 years-old who said they were attracted to the same sex.

The conflict of choosing one identity over the other is attributed to a unique set of challenges that the survey group’s western or Caucasian peers do not face. The study’s researchers also maintain that these challenges can lead to rejection from their families who emigrated to the U.S. and stigmatization by the larger Asian community. Both young men and women often mask homosexual behaviors to avoid alienating their family and parents’ communities, said the study’s researchers.

“For instance, in South Korea, where male children have obligations to marry and create a traditional notion of family, homosexuality is considered a deviant behavior that brings family dishonor and shame,” the study states, citing cultural barriers as the main cause for a sense of fear and inability in accepting a sexual identity.

The study, however, draws fire from critics who say many LGBT APIs don’t encounter a conflict of choice. Instead, critics say LGBT APIs face no more difficulty than colleagues of other ethnicities in integrating both cultural and sexual identities.

Dr. Connie So, Senior Lecturer of American Ethnic Studies at the University of Washington, has been teaching Asian American Studies since 1989. “As a teacher, the number of people who I knew were gay was not an issue,” Dr. So said, also noting that many of her students and friends “have not had any problems” synthesizing both cultural and sexual identities.

Of students who have “come out” to her in class writing assignments, Dr. So said most were of Chinese, Filipino, Vietnamese, Korean and Japanese ethnicity. “I would actually say that none of them had problems coming out to their parents,” Dr. So said.

Thirty-two-year-old Kieu-Anh King, a Legislative Assistant at the City of Seattle, came out to his family when he was 19 years-old.

“I anticipated the worst,” King said. “But instead, my mom was more concerned with, ‘Are you dropping out of school? Are you still going to work? Are you still going to take care of me when I’m older?’ My family would’ve been much more ashamed of me if I had dropped out of school or if I had committed a crime…than if I get married to a partner.”

Some critics of the study argue that APIs don’t have to mask their sexual identity because there is little homosexual stigmatization in the API community.

“When I think about the gay communities, they’re always mixed with Asian Americans,” Dr. So said of the West Coast. “Many of my students who worked in these areas…say they always have outreach in Asian communities for gays and lesbians.”

Ben de Guzman, Co-Director of Programs for the National Queer Asian Pacific Islander Alliance (NQAPIA), has garnered the support of more than 30 regional Asian American organizations across the US to promote LGBT outreach initiatives. “It’s the role of NQAPIA to help support their work locally, and to amplify their voice on a national scale,” de Guzman said of affiliated organizations.

Another aspect of the study that critics disagree with is the study’s definition of “identity,” which they claim is based on Western ideals.

Dr. So states that in her work and research, the definition of “identity” is different in many Asian cultures. “To a lot of Asian gays, they’re gay but it’s not their identity. It’s not choosing one or the other,” Dr. So said. “In America, people wear their sexuality as their primary identity. That’s because they’re fighting the dominant norm of heterosexuality. To a lot of other countries, sex is private.”

Chong-suk Han, an Assistant Professor at Middlebury College in Vermont, teaches sociology with an emphasis on race and sexuality. Dr. Han, who is also gay, believes that many Asian Americans have accepted a Western stereotype of what it means to be gay.

“The Western stereotype of being gay is to ‘come out’ and wear a big sign that says ‘I’m gay,’” Dr. Han said. “Even the act of telling your parents becomes such a huge deal. Part of it is because it’s in the Western gay narrative and that being gay means telling everyone you love that you’re gay.”

In Asian cultures, critics of the study argue that a person’s identity is more reflective of their ethnicity and religion and that an identity takes on several different roles.

“We all wear different hats and become different identities,” Dr. Han said. “Identities like being gay and being Asian are similar in that they come out and take more salience depending on where we are and who we’re with.”

King, who is Vietnamese, agrees that his identity is both cultural and sexual but that neither is “more dominant than the other.”

“You don’t necessarily have to have your sexual identity so prominent and so public or as something that defines you,” King said.