One World

I hear you asking, what is this One World thing she keeps going on about? Well dear reader, One World is a magnificent show that is like no other. It is when 200 magnificent students get together and perform a night of music, dance, and song from all over the world. The process began right after Christmas as the student body at Pearson College began rehearsing for acts.

Acts ranged from hula dancing to Japanese cheerleading to reggae rhythms to classical Indian dance to Irish dance....everything was choreographed and performed by the students. Students stayed up until midnight some nights to rehearse. We take this all very very seriously.

Then Judgement Day comes. Libby Mason - our incredible Director and theatre teacher - sits down with her panel, watches us perform our acts, and decides which acts are in the show. Many are cut since the show is only 1.5 hours long. There are also auditions for spoken word links and MCs. In the end I was in a total of 3 acts: Choir, One World Dance, and a Women's Link.

For the remaining month, the whole campus would spend most of their Sunday in the Max Bell Hall doing a 5 hour rehearsal of One World. These were quite intense and at times tedious. All that hard work was so worth it though....the final product was truly astounding. It was so exciting to be part of something this big. I have done performances before but never on a scale like this. The Royal Theatre (where we perform in downtown Victoria) holds around 1300 people. We do 3 shows.

The big day arrived faster than I thought it would. Before I knew it we were in the huge green room and had professional looking dressing rooms and overhead speakers for the stage managers to tell us what to do....my gosh, it was just breathtaking. I did make up for a few hours before each show and I really enjoyed that. Everyone looked so beautiful. The shows just got better and better.

I won't forget the feeling of pure bliss as I heard African rhythms pounding and I just danced and danced and danced. Or the moment the curtain rises and you can just hear everyone gasping at the spectacle of 200 gorgeous people all in their national dress. I kept whispering 'thank you...thank you..." and the whole thing was just surreal. I can't believe it sometimes. I can't believe all this is happening to me - the Pearson experience always seemed like a far away dream and now the actions are playing out for real.

I'm now on Project Week in Vancouver. I'm volunteering with some friends at a wonderful store called Ten Thousand Villages ( http://www.tenthousandvillages.ca ) and doing some gardening, yoga, and dancing. It's going to be so relaxing and fun.

In other news:

- I went to RaceRocks a week ago with all the BCers and it was a whale of a time

- I have my EE topic: Comparing Sikh and Hindu wedding ceremonies and how they relate to gender roles in India

- We had an incredible International Affairs with Dr. Abiodan Williams....incredible and inspiring man

- I feel massively closer to everyone after One World

- We had the most EPIC brunch ever the day after One World. Much to my disbelief they actually had kumquats and pomegranate on the table, amidst 50 other things.

Hope you are well.

Peace and love,

E