Project Week Madness....So far

Yo Homies!

No I have not simultaneously combusted into a gangster...but things have changed from 'roomies' into 'homies.' As I write I hear the excitable voices of my fellow housemates this project week. Introducing -

1) The wise and yet still so fun loving and down-to-earth grandmother of the group - 2nd year from my very own delightful province - ALY PIERIK!

2) The outgoing and always bubbly (like champagne) and smart, sweet, BRANDI from Newfoundland. Oh and yes, she has the most fabulous accent.

3) The cheerful, bright, and flower-like (in a gorgeous stunning way) and adorable small island girl - EMMA from PEI!

4) The girl with the incredible blonde curly hair and who is bilingual, witty, and very smart - LARA from Quebec's own MONTREAL!~

5) The strong, deep thinking, free spirited, and adventurous (and mild health freak. actually MAJOR health freak dairy free vegetarian obsessive exerciser) MAKYLA from Guelph (ie Canada's hippyland).

and in case these names are sounding a bit homogenous..*COUGH CANADIAN GIRLS COUGH*

6) The sweet and tall and smart and talented FRANCIS from Tanzania!

and of course there's me. I'm a cross between a overprotective mother/annoying tour guide/wedding planner/and B&B host. I must admit, I think I would run a good B&B if I had one. I think at least 30 Pearsonites have slept in my basement this past year and it has been a beautiful experience. It's not like having guests. They do everything and more for themselves and me. They're extremely easy going (except when you give them the wrong directions), savvy, flexible people.

Anywho so I suppose I should speak a bit about this week. There are 2 simultaneous projects happening here and one second year riding along for the journey. The first project consists of Emma, Lara, and Brandi. They are working on a newspaper about all sorts of things in Vancouver. Makyla, Francis, and I are volunteering with 10 000 Villages (an amazing fair trade store: http://www.tenthousandvillages.ca ) , The Land Conservancy and doing some yoga/dance like things. It has certainly been a packed week so far.

Everyone arrived at my house on Tuesday. That night a bunch of my homies took in a Canucks hockey game while the remainder of us chilled at home. The next day was filled. We woke up early, ate a quick breakfast, and then went to a nearby lake to spend a couple hours volunteering in a heritage garden. We dug lots of trenches! It was great exercise, much to Makyla's joy. After that we came home, ate a great lunch, and then headed out downtown to volunteer at 10 000 Villages for 3 hours and...

(This is where my computer went AWOL and lost the rest of possibly the most entertaining of all the blog posts I've ever written. A lot has happened since I lost the rest of this entry. For example a spontaneous tea party with amazing oat bars and an emergency toilet plunge).

I will work myself into another funny mood and finish this when I stop crying/laughing

Yours in pieces,

Emmy

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

One World = One Phenomenal Experience

There are no words.

There are only blurry happy colourful images of human connection and

beauty exploding on a stage.

One World 2010 - Pearson's fantastic and breathtaking multicultural display will always always always be with me.

Curtains falling, friends laughing, jumping into people's arms, spinning around in happy circles of joy, nervous tension, breathe, breathe, breathe, make up brushes flying in my hands, faces, faces faces, microphones booming, tear inducing music, heart stopping dance, and soul touching stories.

Togetherness. This is what we are about.

I will write a detailed explanation of many events that have swept me up and away from this blog and into a world where there is no sentence structure. Just joy.

February Poem

What is love?
Who do I love?
How can I love?
Why do I love?
Am I in love?

Thoughts flitter like butterflies across my mind and feelings fly.
Remembering: late night conversations, four lives mesh in a mosaic,
Beauty because of connection
and OH the blissful joy of sticky notes!
It is the dear friends who make the unfamiliar, a home
The strangers, a family.
Their beautiful voices on tiny paper that say -
“Sorry I missed you! Hope you have a great day!”
And their words etch images as I look away -
I remember my first day being swarmed by new friends
hovering, discovering, hovering, discovering.
Finding a desk littered with them
“Welcome to Pearson! Come find me in Room 4!
You’re in for a ride that’s for sure!”

A ride that takes me up , up , and away
When I am so happy I laugh for no good reason and I can’t even imagine
Feeling so close knit, this hot air balloon rises to the sky and sometimes it falls
To down, down, below where I rediscover how easy it is to
crash into concrete
lose your footing as you run down this path called life, watch out for the roots
And cross the river with caution -
Falling off the cliff is a possibility when you’re surrounded by IB
abbreviations – I.A., E.E., IP, TPPP,
and so I scream FREE ME! I want to sleep!

Eventually....gently pirouette back on track and journey up the driveway
it makes me smile and yeah, it takes a while, but:
I love the random hugs, the walking for miles
I love the tall trees and the cold breeze and I love the leaves as they fall
I love the flowers that bloom and I love my cozy room
And I love how everyone looks so sleepy at noon
or 8pm... walking sleepy-heads, all of them.
Innocent, innocent, because we are all just innocent.
And yeah sometimes we argue
Or we talk for too many hours, or work for too many nights, or forget why we came.
But now is the moment,
Now I am sure,
My heart echoes
I know, I know, I know.

I’m in love
with Pearson College.

February

WOW! I'm at a loss of where to start, all the news of life here has jumbled in my head and blurred together. Let's give it a shot.

Looking back, February has been the most challenging month of my time here. Basically the equation looks like this:

Academics + One World + Second Year Theatre Production + Valentine's Day + a lot of homework + an awkward time of the school year + cold weather + losing people at the college + viruses and infections + exhaustion = a stressful time.

Although, I must say this month has held some seriously beautiful Pearson moments and a plethora of learning opportunities. Maybe the times when we are pushed the hardest, are when we realize how far we've come. I think the campus continues to grow more and more close knit... It is my first experience living in a community of only 200 people and it is amazing to see how everyone work together to make this place work. It is a deeply interconnected place. This is both challenging and rewarding. It is also a completely new thing for me to live and go to school in the same place with the same people - it adds a whole new dimension to learning, a whole new dimension of knowing people. I really love residential life here. And that's not to say I don't miss home. Basically, there are two sides to every coin.

Moving on to more specific adventures - I went to Vancouver for the 2010 Winter Olympics last weekend! It was utterly spectacular. I have never seen so many people and so much energy fill our gorgeous streets. We saw a multitude of street performers, national pavillions, seas of red, different languages spoken....I went with some of my good friends: Nadine from the NWT, Brandi from Newfoundland, my roommate Daphine from Uganda, Emilie from Norway, Heidi from Finland, Amanda from Hong Kong, and Eeva from Finland. It was great to be back in my home and watching as the world participated. The spirit was very energetic and positive.

Last Thursday the college had an incredible Change of Pace Day (the best one yet, I think). The theme was Peace and Conflict and we had various workshops throughout the day. Some were general and others were focussed particularly on an area of the world. I chose to participate in a Conflict Transformation workshop led by David Hatfield (an amazing facilitator) which aimed to help us understand conflict on an interpersonal level. It was truly transformative! In the afternoon I participated in a Role Play conference led by 2 Italian students. It was super fun to practice negotiation and diplomatic skills.

One World rehearsals are in full swing (although not too overwhelming yet) and I'm enjoying the three acts I'm in. I don't know if I've already touched on what One World is, but it's this great show that Pearson puts on in downtown Victoria every year showcasing international arts and the like. More info:http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/about_oneworld

Spring is in the air as flowers are beginning to bloom. I love the explosion of colours. The blossoms on the trees are stunning. Pearson College is a beautiful place.

Yours truly,

Emmy

Love

Happy Valentine's Day, my lovelies!

Well unfortunately there is no one to give me chocolates or roses, but I do have some great friends here.

Right now it's approaching 10pm on Sunday night and I really should be doing my homework, but I thought I'd post a short note....ah the internet is so good for procrastination purposes.

Rewinding three days - Friday was very eventful because as well as the Opening Ceremonies for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics happening, Pearson College hosted a public musical cafe for the residents of Metchosin. The musical cafe was in support of all the people in Haiti and it was an amazing display of all the talented people around here. We laughed and sang and danced and it was beautiful! Some Metchosin residents shared some of their gifts and we sold some delicious baked goods.

Saturday I auditioned for a spoken word piece in One World and then went into town to buy some groceries. It was a very productive day! Also, it was Lunar New Year so the campus celebrated a new beginning (and dinner was awesome).

As if that wasn't enough excitement for one weekend, today is Valentine's. We had a 4 hour One World rehearsal (I am a part of 3 acts) in the afternoon and then many people arranged romantic evenings. I had a BEAUTIFUL candle-lit dinner with my absolutely phenomenal second year, Alistair. Not only is Alistair exceedingly kind and generous but he is also intelligent and very wise. :) I love him to bits.

Then we had a great McL house meetings where we all gave gifts to each other. Our gorgeous house baby - Mina - gave me a lovely card about the top 5 reasons why she loves me.

There is truly lots of love on campus.

With love,

Emmy

below picture from:http://thesituationist.files.wordpress.com/2008/02/thing-called-love.jpg

Peace

Well ladies and gentlemen, Emmy is back. And as happy as ever.

I just read an extremely heart warming e-mail from the wonderful Heather at TLC (The Land Conservancy - rocking organization). She has been a friend and role model to me for the past 4 or so years and is always so kind and supportive. Thanks to everyone that takes the time to keep in touch with me. It means the world.

Reading back over my last post I have some renewed perspective because SO MUCH has happened on Pearson's campus. I've realized this place really isn't about the academics so much as a well balanced and well rounded education. It's funny how life throws you events that give you new insight into what is important. Last week was possibly the most challenging week of the year so far.

It all started with a village gathering about one student who was sent home. Now the community we live in is extremely close-knit, and tearing one of us away is often heart-wrenching. It is like losing a loved one. Naturally there was quite an uproar from the students and a lot of us succumbed to some powerful emotions. We had a 5 hour discussion about the whole thing and a negative energy lingered. It was painful for me to watch this whole thing. Thankfully some yogic breathing helped me through.

Because the auditorium was required for the Village Gatherings, our theatre rehearsal was pushed back so that most of us theatre students were in the building until midnight. Our production happened on Friday and Saturday and the Village Gatherings happened on Tuesday. Before we knew it, we weren't even sure whether we could pull of the show as all the rehearsals are integral to the final performance. Miraculously we pulled together for the long haul and spent countless hours working to create a final product that was so rewarding I nearly cried.

I did costumes and make up with the lovely Ashley from the Bahamas and it was an experience I will never forget. Not only is it a very precise and patient job, but you get to know people in a very PERSONAL way. It was all worth it at the end of the day, and I am in awe of our theatre group that possesses so much dedication and drive. Our teacher Libby is incredible in every way.

My parents came to watch the show and I think they enjoyed it :) It was wonderful to spend some time with them again. After the 2nd year production on Saturday, life here remained as hectic as usual because of....ONE WORLD AUDITIONS! In case you are unaware, One World is a giant multicultural display Pearson performs in Victoria. This year it is happening March 13. For more info: http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/ . Needless to say the auditions were intense (we've been rehearsing since the beginning of January) and beautiful experience. It constantly amazes me how creative students are here. Pretty much every dance is student led.

Wednesday was a day of no classes and instead focussed on spending time with our co-years. Our second years left for the day and spent it at the beach hanging out, while the first years had an "academic morning" and heard presentations about several aspects of the IB. After that we had an amazing house chill out in McL and just talked about all the places we were from while eating brownies and drinking tea. Some day I will have to speak about the tea culture here. In the afternoon the first years frolicked in the water at a pool party that was a blast. The day helped us to bond together and remind us of the essentials of living together after a difficult week. I admire Pearson's approach to "mixing up the routine" every now and then to teach us in new ways. Life here is never rigid and always on the move.

Makyla and I are in the process of starting to help decorate our common room (which overlooks the water) so it is more appealing to students. It is a delight to work with a Director as open and kind as David. We're lucky to have him.

Today I went to a senior's home with my service activity and it got me thinking about how much service has taught me. There were moments of sheer joy when peoples' faces lit up as they sang their favourite song, or their eyes teared up or the danced in their wheelchairs. How lucky we are to bring music to people for whom it means so much. Music has so much power to lift our spirits and brighten our days.

This morning I woke up feeling so content and peaceful about my place in life. I know I say this all the time, but my gratitude is boundless. I am indebted forever for this place. I know it is already shaping the rest of my life. Being so free and open to discovery is the ultimate gift an education can give.

Wishing you peace in your life as well.

-Emmy