BC students (PC years 35 and 36) at RaceRocks, taken by Mark Kelsey. Spring 2010.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Dear beloved Readers,

I hope you are having a wonderful merry Christmas!  It's a pretty low-key day at my house today, but I'm looking forward to a delicious dinner surrounded by loved ones.

On a completely unrelated note I found a really cool story in a local newspaper about a guy who is on a quest to meet 100 strangers over 100 cups of tea...check it out!  It's pretty heartwarming:  http://www.onehundredcups.com/
In that process I found out about a local young woman who is on a similar path of meeting strangers, opening up with the stories around their tattoos:  http://astrangeraday.tumblr.com/

It is so nice to read about these creative grassroots initiatives to connect people in such a human way.  I think that is what we are missing during this technological age: simple human to human connection.  Without a laptop in between.  It's a little hyprocritical to be saying this in a blog, I suppose...

Anyway, wishing you a day (and many more) filled with love, laughter, joy, and all things glorious.

Merry Christmas!

Love from your friend,
Emmy

Friday, December 17, 2010

Home for the Holidays

As I write this, curled up on my red couch at home, it is a delight to have PC students around me (Ghadeer from Palestine, Sanaa from Yemen, Danya from Iraq, and Antsa from Madagascar).  A couple more guys are coming in a week and two other people are dropping in for a couple days.  It's going to be a Pearson Christmas!  Being home reminds me of how lucky I am to be able to do so.  The least we can do is provide a temporary home for some friends.

There are some cool new updates on the Pearson website, including a new Pearson alumni who has been named the 11th Rhodes scholar:  http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/

It's been a very lazy day just sleeping and watching TV.

I guess that's what vacationing is all about :)

Wishing you a lovely holiday filled with love, joy, and lots of delicious food.

Sending love out there to you all.

Love always,
Emmy

PS: I just came across a beautiful letter Christina left me when she was staying here during project week.  I feel so privileged to be able to have such amazing people stay here.  Thank you Christina and everyone else!

Wednesday, December 15, 2010

I'm not the only dreamer

Yay!  I found other Pearson blogs!  If you get bored of me, check out my dear friend Liz's blog:  http://lizwelliver.wordpress.com/

The Admissions blog:  http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/admissionsblog/guest-blog-first-months

The Director's blog: http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/directorsblog

All this writing about blogs got me thinking about how they came up with the word "blog." It's kind of weird.

Peace and love and Christmas smells,
Emmy

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Not Just Another IB Rant

“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education”
- Mark Twain

During my terrifying seven-person-panel, shivering-in-my-boots interview for Pearson College, I vividly remember one question at the end: “What can you gain from an education at Pearson that you cannot at your current school?” It is a good question. I think it also boils down to the fact that we are here not just because we can do well academically. I believe we were chosen because of what made us stand out, our non-academic talents, and why we were thought to have “exceptional promise and potential.” It was our creativity, our sense of responsibility, our leadership. Anyone who works hard can have a first class standing in over half of their subjects, but can anyone help create a more peaceful and sustainable world? After a wearily academic first term, sometimes I feel saddened that perhaps our schooling interferes with our education at Pearson.

Now many of us have the idea that marks and an education are so interrelated that it’s hard to tell them apart. For this purpose what exactly is an education? Well Wikipedia states: “Education in the broadest sense is any act or experience that has a formative effect on the mind, character or physical ability of an individual. ...” Reliability of that source aside, maybe an education is what we learn each day, in and outside of the classroom. I think we are privileged here because of our stunning natural environment, a world-class international community, and the opportunities to pursue whatever we are passionate about. Pearson is not just about attaining an I.B. diploma, it is about making connections that span the globe and a lifetime.

Now how can we take full advantage of this golden ticket while our head is buried in textbooks for up to seven hours a night? I am not going to submit to any more I.B. complaining, because we hear enough of that. Instead I would urge us to remember that Pearson is not just a chance to get into a good university or do well in I.B. I fully realize that an education is also cultural, and marks and grades differ in importance. I recognize that achieving our dreams requires us to do well on our tests. But once we leave school and enter the world as change-makers what is really going to have the impact? Is it going to be that we can write a stellar essay (albeit writing well is an important skill) or that we can forge friendships across ideological and political borders? Is it that we can problem solve and negotiate or that we can do calculus? Maybe it is both.

I have always been concerned with how we are educated and assessed. I’m convinced that regurgitating information and memorizing words is the bulk of what we do. At Pearson we are blessed with wonderful teachers and interesting courses. Some of the most influential and memorable experiences I’ve had, are standing on Racerocks during a marine science fieldtrip watching orcas, or sitting outside and talking about anthropology, or making videos about Othello in English. These creative and hands-on approaches to education are infinitely more powerful than a billion powerpoints. I’m grateful for these chances to actively learn. It is how we learn best - learning from each other.

All I am trying to say is please do not become consumed by school alone. Allow yourself the luxury of stargazing. Take time to talk about global issues. Speak to your roommate about where he or she lives. Wander in the woods. Swim in the ocean. Do all the things that you would never be able to do anywhere else. Don’t be fooled into thinking your predicted grade is your self worth. Develop your heart and your mind. Grow not just intellectually. Learn in every endeavour, not just when you are in a classroom.

So what are you going to remember at the end of this? What will you say in ten years? What is most important to you? You are here for a reason, what can you gain here that you cannot at home?

And when you feel like it, do your homework and your studying. It will still be there after a day of adventures, patiently waiting for you to attend to it.

Sunday, December 12, 2010

Eclipse of the Moon

Eclipse of the moon leaves the sky blank
Wondering where all the stars went
Empty and hollow, lacking the will
To stop sky-dancing and just stay still
Clouds saunter by leaving a trail
Like boats on the water that majestically sail
Radiant beams have disappeared into dust
Explosion of light, remnants and gusts
Wrap Earth in debris all that remains
Are angry storms and pounding rains
And as the people look up for light
The sky is dark, lost the fight.

Eclipse of the heart leaves my mind blank
Wondering where all the love went
Empty and hollow, lacking the will
To stop shivering and just stay still
People saunter past like clouds in the sky
Murmuring words as the pass by
Nothing makes sense, disappeared into air
I grasp at memories but nothing is there
Wrap myself in blankets of salty quick tears
Explosion of anger, consumed by my fears
I look outside at pounding rains
I look up at the sky, but nothing remains.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Facebook

After a particularly crazy experience with facebook recently, I decided to de-activate my account.  Yes.  That's right. I no longer have a facebook account.  Now most of the population may be shouting WHY?  Especially since most of my friends do not live nearby.  The fact is that I just don't use it. I don't want to have my life on display anymore.  People managed just fine before facebook.  I'd rather focus on the real world.  And if, Gosh forbid I really am desperate, I can always create a new account.  If you would like to contact me just leave a comment and I'll send you my e-mail (oops, has that gone obsolete now?).  In any case, I hope that the world understands.  It's not that I don't love you, it's just that I don't love facebook.

Consider me, facebook-gone.

Love your rebel friend,
Emmy

Thursday, December 9, 2010

Someone help me!

I seriously need someone to put my head down and force me to study for my exams next week.
Every day I have the intention of doing so but something always comes up.  Today I looked for more scholarships, looked up travelling in South France, and did absolutely NOTHING except print off some past examinations!

HELP ME!

In the famous words of Mohammed Yemen, "I'm SCREWED!"

Love,
E

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Disappointment

Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. ~Henry Ford


Today I found out I was not a semi-finalist in a substantial scholarship.  So far I have not succeeded in becoming finalists in any of the scholarships I have applied for.  Going through high school I always aimed to apply and win many scholarships to pay for university.  Now a terrible sinking feeling has made me doubt that.
 
I wrote a facebook note some time ago about failing. About how it's a good thing, the more you fail, the more chances you have to succeed.  Also Pearson's wonderful director, David Hawley, wrote a recent blog post about failing too: http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/directorsblog
 
I realize it's important to be humbled and it's important to learn.  Nevertheless, it just feels awful.
 
I guess I'll just keep applying.
 
-Emmy

Monday, December 6, 2010

Felix

So a long time ago I wrote a blog post about my dear friend Pramish from Nepal.  Today I was sitting in the library, next to a wonderful person named Felix from Ghana and I asked him about the new design and said I would wirte about him.  So here's 10 questions with Felix the Fantastic!

1) What is your favorite colour?
Blue.  "I don't know, it's just cool."
2) Where is your favorite place in the world?
"In my mom's arms."  (This elicited an "awwww" from me)

3) What do you want to be when you grow up?
"Still thinking.  I want to be a hero.  No...definitely not a hero don't write that."

4) Your fave thing about Pearson?
"The people.  Not all of them...some people."
5) What do you miss most about home?
"FOOD!" (I think this is everyone's answer)

6) How have you changed since coming here?
"It would take me a year to say that.  I'm more aware now."
7) If you could change one thing about the world what would it be?
"Everybody smiling - that's all I wanna see."

8) If you could be any animal, which one and why?
"An ant.  Cuz it's the wisest animal on Earth."

9) Where do you want to travel most in the world?
"Latin America, Africa....for now."

10) What is something people wouldn't normally guess about you?
"They should answer that...not me....you (Emmy) should answer that."

Okay I would answer that in saying that Felix is a very intelligent (well they would guess that) cool individual who I'm glad I know.  He also is wicked at playing the drums.







8)

New Design

I thought it was time for some change.

What do you think?