Honeymooners Give Back in China
Volunteers: Ray Mancini & Lina Fenequito
Ages: 34 & 30
From: New York, NY
Occupation: Owners of their own design company
CCS Program Site: Xi’an, China
Why did you want to volunteer abroad, and why did you decide to do it for your honeymoon?
Lina: I think we just wanted a different experience. We traveled a lot before so we wanted to do something different where we could get something more out of it, and have a memorable experience for our honeymoon.
Ray: Also, for a wedding, you know, you go through all of the motions of you get a lot of gifts, you spend a lot of money. So, we wanted to do something that we could give back. We felt that after that, to go on a normal honeymoon sitting on the beach and relaxing and spending more money…We wanted to go and do something where we could give back in some way.
How was volunteering abroad different from other types of traveling that you have done together?
Lina: I think you get more immersed with the community, whereas when we traveled before [we were] more tourists…seeing how things are from the outside.
Ray: You get a more authentic experience whereas when you go somewhere as a tourist, you’re really at the whims of that area’s main tourist trappings and what they have already set up. Here we felt like we were part of the town, we were doing things every day, we were meeting a lot of people we wouldn’t meet if we just went to all the sites and the various areas where you shop at. It was a great experience; we really had more of an attachment being there.
What was it about China that made you want to go there?
Lina: Well I’m half-Chinese and I wanted to go. And also Ray had never been to China.
Ray: Yeah it was a great chance for me to see my wife’s background… it made me really just appreciate her more for who she is and her background on her mom’s side.
What was it like working with young children during your placement?
Ray: It was good. The smile is universal and the children understood that we were there to have fun. They had fun, we played a lot of games, and it was great…they learned a lot. You could see that they wanted to learn a lot.
Which outing was your favorite?
Lina: Terra Cotta Warriors?
Ray: No, no. That was fun, [but] I liked going to the street shop, bartering and working on our Mandarin…it’s almost like a fun game where you see how low can you go and try to be cordial. We did it in Mandarin, so every time it was a little challenge when we went in to try say more and pick up more words.
Now that you’re home what do you miss most about your experience?
Ray: I miss everyday being a new day and a new adventure. What was I going to see now, what was I going to do? Who was I going to talk to? How was I going to get out of a situation?
Lina: And the children.
Ray: Yeah, I miss the kids and our friends there.
Who do you think should volunteer?
Ray: On one hand I want to say people like us that are open to it, that are excited to learn about other cultures. But then I feel on the other hand, it should be people who aren’t, who would never think about that. Those are the people I want to volunteer. I want them to go and see what the rest of the world is like.
Lina: People who are willing to be open about learning new things and can represent their country well. That’s what I think.
What three words would you use to describe your experience?
Both: Cute, insightful, and tasty
