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

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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

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

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?

Another Day in Paradise

Well I made it through the EE deadline. Now it's upcoming block week and four exams. Then it's Christmas! I'm so looking forward to the break, as much as I am going to miss this place. I'm also looking forward to sharing the winter break with some new friends.

Sometimes when I'm feeling philosophical I wonder what our 10 year reunion will be like. Will we be married? Will we have thriving careers? Will we be happy, sad? What will we look like? Will we have children? The other night I was discussing these myriad of interesting ideas with my table and somehow everyone seemed to think I would have children by the time I was 28.

These ideas often get me thinking about what matters in the end. I don't believe it is our diplomas, our awards, our money. Why are we kidded into thinking that these are the indicators of a good person? In the midst of all this university searching I just wonder whether it matters that much if I go to Harvard or to UBC. Who am I impressing? Who is judging me? I think there's really only one answer: myself. Or two: myself and God.

Maybe all I need to do is leave each day in gratitude and peace. To maybe bring a bit more joy into the world, be it through a good laugh or giving someone aq hug. Right now we have a Pearson representative at the COP 16 conference facing gigantic issues of global importance. That's what we're told they are looking for here, people to help combat global problems. Sometimes, ironically, the quest for peace becomes a battle. Sometimes that is so overwhelming - how am I supposed to do this when I can't even hold my own life together? Being 18 is being on the brink. My driving instructor told me it's when you have many roads in front of you, it's just difficult to find the right road.

Here is an awesome admissions video recently released for pearson: http://pearsoncollege.ca/videos

I think about all the people who have been here before and after me. Who walked on this same foot path, who looked up at the same impressive forest, who slept in the same room. Yes, some of them have become foreign ministers, deputy prime ministers, CEOs of world banks and giant corporations, some have become legendary astronauts or psychologists....and I think some of them have gone and lived in the countryside, raised children, and lived off the land. Maybe what's important is to use this education in small and big ways. No one can save the world alone. I learned that the hard way. Perhaps all we can do is small actions. We can forgive ourselves for the seeming importance we think we possess and look at the stars at night and revel in insignificance.

After all these lofty ideas all I can say is that I feel like a paradox, doing everything and nothing to make this world better...living in such a privileged place often lulls us into the belief that everything is fine. Is it really?


Anyways thought I would finish with an excellent poem on success:

Success
by Bessie Anderson Stanley, 1904

He who has achieved success has lived well, laughed often, and loved much;
Who has enjoyed the trust of pure women
The respect of intelligent men and
The love of little children;
Who has filled his niche and accomplished his task;
Who has left the world better than he found it
Whether by an improved poppy,
A perfect poem or a rescued soul;
Who has never lacked appreciation of Earth's beauty
Or failed to express it.
Who has always looked for the best in others and
Given them the best he had;
Whose life was an inspiration;
Whose memory a benediction.



---

EE and Universities

Okay I know that you are probably sick and tired of my complaining and ranting about the IB and schoolwork so I thought I'd give you a little update on my extended essay. The EE (as it is fondly abbreviated) is a 4000 word research paper on pretty much any topic of your choice necessary for graduating with an IB diploma. I chose to do mine in social and cultural anthropology on the topic of: transnational Sikh marriage ceremonies and how they act as a cultural performance to reveal gender, structure, and agency.

Today was a writing day and I didn't get as much done as I thought. Anywho, the final draft deadline is this Monday so it's going to be a giant sigh of relief to get this finished.

After reading a motivational comment on my last post (I have a sneaking suspicion about who left it), I am definitely looking forward to the Christmas break. I am planning to take some students home with me :)

On another note, I probably already mentioned that I have applied to UBC for next year. It makes the most sense as for universities but I can't help but wonder if there is somewhere that is a better fit.

PROS - UBC
- close to home
- in Vancouver
- good reputation

- beautiful campus

CONS- UBC

- giant student population, overwhelming

- rain

- programs maybe not that exciting
- big adjustment

If anybody out there goes to UBC or has any ideas of other Canadian universities (I'm interested in Mt. A and Queens) that have great programs please drop a comment.

Although today was a writing break and I did get some writing done I also researched the extraordinary benefits of napping! Check it out:

http://ririanproject.com/.../10-benefits-of-power-napping-and-how-to-do-it/

http://stress.about.com/od/lowstresslifestyle/a/powernap.htm

Love,
Emmy

Academic Lethargy

Does everyone reach a point when they feel like they just can't write anymore, just can't think anymore? The inertia for me to finish my schoolwork tonight is nearly crushing....I can't bring myself to do it, so here I am again, writing blog posts. I think I've "hit the wall, academically."
Is this the aim of the IB? To make its students apathetic, tired, and sad? Probably not. Nevertheless it snowed buckets today. Besides being ambushed by some campus children, it was a beautiful day.

I better put my head down and get the work done.

Uggh.

Yours in dilligence,

Emmy

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow...

As I write this tiny snowflakes are falling all around campus blanketing us in the first snow of the season! It is quite exciting and beautiful.

I found some old pictures of the campus after a week of snow when parts of the bay are frozen....looks quite amazing! Apparently this only happens every 10 years or so.

Pictures from : http://racerocks.ca/PCbooklet/booklet.htm

Seals, etc.

While the picture above might seem a bit scary, harbour seals are actually quite adorable. Today, after a long nap, I made a cup of tea and sat on the picturesque Director's Lawn. Down in the Bay, there was this harbour seal making friends (I hope) with a bunch of sea birds, occasioally popping his head out of the water and taking a look around.

It's quite common to see the seals up close and personal when kayaking. Although I sadly do not partake in the plethora of water activities here: SCUBA diving, kayaking, sailing, etc. I recently joined climbing (I think I already told you this) and it is mega fun.

I'm doing quite well on this blogging regularly thing!

Woot!

Sunshine and Rainbows, (I wish)

Emmy

Daydreaming again

For some reason procrastination has become my middle name and here I am again dreaming of travel destinations.

I really want to go to Tahiti. Can you say beautiful?

If only there were au pair jobs there.

*sigh*

This is what BC looks like right now:

TOK DAY!

Another quick note:
We had a wonderful special topics day a while back focussed on a feature of the IB - Theory of Knowledge. In the morning we attended various workshops. I led one with the other peer counsellors about active listening. In the afternoon we had TOK talks, where you could challenge someone to talk for 5 minutes on a TOK related topic, for example: Should our ethics supercede our culture when making decisions about what we eat?
I did a short one on spirituality and the brain. It was inspired by a fascinating talk by Jill Bolte Taylor on her "Stroke of Insight." If you've never heard of TED you are missing out. It rocks.

http://www.ted.com
and search Jill Bolte Taylor.

- Em xx

Where I'm Dreaming Of

School work gets you down.
Nothing like procrastinating with cool photos to lift you up!

First Year Production + More

Hello to the world!

I hope you are having a wonderful weekend, wherever you are. Yesterday was truly a lazy day for me. I woke up. Looked at places to travel during the summer. Watched a lot of episodes of Friends. Slept. And that's about it! There is something to be said for the art of doing nothing. I can't say it's an art well-practised at Pearson, but it is certainly necessary now and then.

There is this general rumour that November is a rough month. With all the work that needs to get done, I can agree somewhat. However, I've been waiting for all this stress to hit me and it really hasn't done so yet! Perhaps it's all in our attitude. What if we just approached each month normally? And were grateful for the chance to be educated here? One of the most frustrating things for me is when people don't realize this place is so much more than a school. It is an incubation period as my friend Spencer says. It is a time to garner all the skills and support required to positively influence the world.

Speaking of the world, our First Year Theatre Production was yesterday! I think it was a big hit. For photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/dbhawley/sets/72157625253168475/

The title was "Holding a Mirror up to Nature." It featured one scene from Hamlet with the whole cast and then several scenes from different eras, cultures, and places. From Athol Fugard to Commedia, it was a wonderful show. I did the lights with Mischa from Slovakia and it was a great (albeit sometimes stressful experience).

Besides that....project week happened a while back! I had the chance to meet some new people whilst staying in Victoria and volunteering with the Red Cross and going to a conference on the weekend. It was tres relaxing.

I have joined a new activity - climbing! We have a new climbing wall in the gym so I'm looking forward to being more active, even if it means being in a completely male-dominated activity!

On another note, I am looking for au pair jobs around the world for the summer. So far there are two prospects: one in India and one in Italy. I don't really know what I'm going to do this summer, but I really want to travel. I know it's going to be challenging to leave this place. I can't really imagine it yet. Maybe I don't have to.

I better get back to that pile of work.

Drop me a note to let me know how you are.

Peace and love,

E

PS: there are some cool photos on the Pearson college home page: http://www.pearsoncollege.ca/

November blues?

Hello dear readers,

I'm constantly amazed by the wonderful people who somehow stumble upon my blog. The comments really inspire me to update more often, thank you for commenting :)

This is going to be a really random post, since I'm in a rush....sorry for any confusion.
Well it's been more than two weeks. I'm sorry. I guess I just got wrapped up in school again. Let's see...this is what I've been working on. They don't call it November for nothing! (Reading that over, let me apologize for the Canadian tendency to apologize for everything!)


- My theatre independent project, actually quite fun
- My theatre research investigation
- My theatre Independent project portfolio (not as fun)
- Theatre First Year production - I'm doing lights!
- Rewriting my EE (sigh)
- Tests everywhere
-English world literature essay
- Math IA
- Anthropology IA (Internal Assessment)

Sometimes the days here pass so fast it's all a blur and I'm gripped with a horrifying anxiety at how soon it is that I am going to have to leave. At this point, I'm so scared. I know I'm going to be depressed for a while afterward. Maybe I just need to accept that. I'm planning on doing some travelling.

Ah, this brings me to another interesting topic. A teacher at Pearson has an amazing organization called Kule which sends volunteers to Kenya in the summer. It is open to anyone so if you're interested check out the website: http://www.kenyakulefoundation.org/

Maybe the trick with writing here is shorter, more frequent entries.

I went for a mushroom walk the other day with David and a bunch of students. It was quite interesting. The nature here on the coast is truly remarkable. There's nothing like breathing the sea air every day. It think it's one of my favorite parts about being here, right on the ocean, in a forest. I never forget how lucky I am. Sometimes I have these 'epic moments' at a meal or in class, when I'm in some crazily unique position and I can't help but wonder how I got here. It's such a blessing. I know I say that so much, but maybe it attests to how I feel.

I was reminded the other day that it was my selection committee that urged me to start a blog. I'm really glad I did, looking back. I'm really so grateful to them for allowing me this opportunity. So a quick shout out to John and all the great people on the BC selection committee.

The other day there was a helicopter hovering above campus taking some pictures! Apparently Chris Blondeau, our Director of Operations, pulled some favors from his time in the military so we can create a new brochure!

Pearson is currently embarking on a publicity and fundraising campaign. I think partly because we are desperate for funding but also that in Canada, we are not very well known at all! This is a tragedy because even though we are an international school we are also a Canadian school. So pass on the word!

In other news, I have applied to the University of British Columbia for next year. I can't decide whether or not to apply to other places. It may not be the most exciting choice, but I think it makes the most sense. I love Vancouver and I think it would be a great school to go to.....

Well, I have to run to grab some lunch. But sending you lots of love.

Will update soon.

Hugs,
E

Life Goes On

Today a comment on this blog brought a giant smile to my face. Thank you Danielle for the kind words, you really inspired me to write more frequently on here.

Okay so I will make it my goal to write at least every two weeks!

Well, it was Latin American Regional Day yesterday. Regional Days are days...well devoted to a region. The meals were from Latin America, we had workshops from Latin America, a great Latin American dinner and show and party! Oh and how could I forget? Infections salsa and reggaeton music all the time. You know, in my next life I really hope to be born a Latina. These folks really know how to have fun. It was a purely delightful day and I learned a lot about the unique culture this group brings to our college.

Besides that, many of us have been overloaded with work. Being at Pearson isn't all fun and games, there's a lot of dilligence required and sometimes I find that hard. Sitting at a desk for extended periods can drive me insane so today I took a much needed to break to play badminton with my lovely first year, Emily. I love the spontaneity we sometimes express here. The time is always now to have a tea party, play tennis, go swimming, jump in the bay, talk about politics, watch a hockey game, play cricket on the path....sometimes this type of education seems slightly unreal.

The other day in my Marine Science class we went on a field trip to observe a kelp forest. A couple students went scuba diving and took some video footage while the rest of us on the boat took various measurements and learned about the eco-system. There we were, sitting on the ocean on a sunny day learning about bull kelp. This is what school should be! The world as our classroom.

What does an education mean? To me, it's learning about yourself, about others, about the world. It's a lifelong mission. I hope I never stop learning. I think education isn't what we sometimes imagine it to be: doing homework, writing exams, getting diplomas. I think an education can also teach you how to love. It can also teach you how to work with people. It can teach you to appreciate nature. I look around at the magnificent douglas firs that I have the privilege of waking up to each morning, and I can't help but feel grateful.

Speaking of gratitude, it was Canadian thanksgiving a little while ago! I had a beautiful weekend at home with my family. Even though our house was getting painted, it was nice to have some time to relax and rejuvenate. I heard someone say that gratitude is the highest level of thought. I think it's true. Being grateful can shift our attitude in a moment. Oprah recommends keeping a gratitude journal. As well as writing on this blog every two weeks I am going to start naming a few things I'm grateful for each day.

It is one of my roommates birthdays tomorrow so I'll tell you a bit about her. Antsa is a wonderful person, full of kindness and generosity. She is from Madagascar and is hoping to go to the US for school. She has really beautiful curly hair and likes to go to bed early (like me). She speaks 3 languages. She takes Marine Science. She is best friends with Thao from Vietnam. She is a delight to have as a roommate and is a great person to watch Friends with. I love Antsa.

Speaking of Friends (the TV show), it is all the rage at Pearson!! It's rare to find a show with such universal humour appeal! Seriously, one day I couldn't stop laughing because people from Switzerland, Brazil, and Thailand were all singing, "I'll be there for you...when the rain starts to fall...." in their various accents.

My dear readers, please know you are dear to me. Thank you to people like Danielle who take time to see what's happening at Pearson. It means a lot to all of us. UWC is an incredible organization that is offering us the opportunity of a lifetime, and in return, we hope to serve the world with what we learn.

Lots of love and appreciation,
Emmy

Coming home to Pearson

At last, after a very tumultuous summer, I have returned to being a sane and content blogger! I can't guarantee a lot of regular posting since 2nd year has already proven to be very demanding work wise, but I will try my best.

So it's been 3 weeks since year 36 returned to the rocky shores of Pedder Bay and it has been truly lovely to see everyone again. All the memories of last year came flooding back, as my family and I drove up that familiar winding foresty driveway. I always become awestruck when passing through those tall trees. This time, it felt different though. The whole orientation process has felt very different for me, as a second year. I feel a bit less bubbly. A bit older, maybe a bit wiser. A bit more grounded. A bit quieter. A bit more familiar. A bit more rounded....it's hard to describe.

On the other hand, it has been a pleasure getting to know our 83 new first years, they bring so much fresh energy and revitalization to this place.

My roommates are: the extraordinary Nadine from Switzerland, the beautiful and melodic Belen from Paraguay, and the purely lovely Antsa from Madagascar. I'm overjoyed to be in a room with sunshine streaming in through the windows.

Some highlights of orientation week were picking up new Pearsonites from the airport, trying (more like attempting) the art of Ukranian Dance, kayaking and hiking around Sooke park, and watching the first years take their bike test in the pouring rain....

Metchosin Day was good fun too. This years performance for the local community involved singing, marjaani dancing, gumboot, hula, and tango. Despite the overcast skies, it was delightful to take part.

Besides getting back into the swing of Pearson life, I've been consumed with school work including my extended essay! Yippee! People familiar with IB will understand this "personal challenge". Second year theatre class has been diving headfirst into independent projects. Everyone but me has chosen Option A which involves creating a piece of original theatre....I'm so excited to see how it all turns out. I've chosen to do Option B which is an investigation into the more theoretical/academic parts of theatre.

Tomorrow is the 56km Great Lake Walk which a record number of Pearsonites have chosen to take part in. Coming up is European Regional Day and a host of new adventures.

I'm looking forward to an incredible year.

Lots of love,
Emmy

Real Love: Zero years, First years, Second years

Here's a link to a poem I wrote earlier, on my grief of leaving Pearson for the summer. It is dedicated to everyone in the 2009-2010 community at Pearson College, especially my friends.

picture of McL's dress like someone else (opp. gender) and then guess House Meeting

oh and reader warning: It is a very very random, emotional expression with one swear word:
http://www.fictionpress.com/s/2814351/1/Real_Love_Following_Up

It's a follow up poem to one I wrote and posted in January/February called "In Love"

I was inspired to put this new one up here, after reading about some of the incoming first years who are anticipating this adventure of a lifetime. It is amazing how this community (and the wider UWC one) has such a sense of cycle. Our second years were in the place that we are now, we are taking the roles that our second years performed last year, and I was that anxious/extremely excited zero year last summer....

---

On another note:

If I could say anything to my 17 year old self (how I was last summer), it would be this:

- Relax, Take it Easy...like Mika says
- Enjoy your summer at home
- Wait until you get to Pearson (in PERSON) to build strong relationships and friendships
- Don't overload yourself on information
- Don't stress about packing, things will kind of pack themselves
- Do not bring your whole life's belongings, just bring you and some helpful things they do not talk about in the handbook, which I will further detail later
- Cultivate only your best and most fulfilling friendships and relationships at home
- Don't worry that no one understands, you understand.
- Don't worry that no one really cares that you've just won this amazing scholarship, it's just that their lives are continuing on a different road
- Give yourself a WELL DESERVED pat on the back for all your hard work
- Nothing really matters as much as you think it does
- Life is not about doing, doing, doing, until you burn out. It's the things that make you feel more alive that you should do. And that is all.
- Light the fire within you and keep it well tended,

once you feel steady, once you feel ready, reach out into the world
- For a wise man, named Blaise Pascal once said, "We must learn our limits. We are all something,

but none of us are everything."

And maybe another quote from the classy Coco Chanel to counterbalance that one:

"How many cares one loses when one decides not to be something, but to be someone."

-

It's an ongoing journey to practise trust and faith and following our own individual truths.

Thanks, Blaise. Thanks Coco.

This blog is celebrating its one year anniversary. Hooray! I cannot believe I managed to keep it going for that long, and hopefully a long time to come.

Love, hugs, peace, and blessings to you.

-Em

Kay's Amazing Remarks

My good friend Kay is an extremely bright and sharp one. This is what she presented, beautifully, at the end of one village meeting. I found it very insightful and very close to what I believe, personally, this place is about.
Rock on Kay!

--

Often a hang-up of the Village Meetings I've witnessed have been that we are spending too much time addressing small issues like the size of the cafeteria's spoons, flossing our teeth, and the time at which we go to bed. Some people think we should be using this forum as a mini-UN to change the world from the comfort of the Max Bell, or at the very least, discuss the pressing issues that go on in the world beyond our enclave in the woods. Historically, this has always been a fine balance between the importance of global and domestic issues during village time, according to our resident Pearson historian, Mr. Andrew Spray. Personally, I, like many in the community, have come to value both levels of discussion. This is an excerpt of a piece I wrote on living in a five person room this year and the things I've learned from communal living:

Largely, any troubles in my room have arisen from deceptively small domestic matters: the overhead light being left on, the heater being too high or too low or the mug with the mouldy tea bag that nobody seems to remember owning. Rarely will we talk about what finally ended El Salvador's 23-year civil war, whether Morocco has a legitmate claim to the Sahara desert or if Canada should be sending more troops into Afghanistan. Though these are the very issues that an educational institution like Pearson should seek to explore and prevent through its education of young leaders, it cannot force this level of conversation upon its students. Part of the duty falls on the students to push themselves and each other to the next level of understanding of the world that will be demanded from them in just a few years time. It is then a balancing act between the two types of conversations within the little time we have together.

Because if Pearson scholars are to have any meaningful impact on the world through the course of their lives, they will have to distinguish themselves as individuals who have tremendous knowledge and insight about both the world they inhabit and their own selves. Both they can learn through those conversations but it largely a choice in the students' hands. Pearson's challenge, for its scholars and its own survival, is then truly based on an United World College value: personal challenge, personal challenge, personal challenge. We must rise to this opportunity presented to us for growth.

Growth comes in many forms and there is no doubt that we have done well so far, juggling all that Pearson demands physically, socially, academically and emotionally. Unfortunately, what Pearson demands morally is too often pushed to the back burner. We have a social responsibility to others—be they our national committees, home communities, sponsors or families—and to ourselves to pursue excellence in hopes of bettering our world. This moral commitment is one of the unwritten stipulations of our scholarships: to find our life's grand passion, pursue it doggedly and become forces for ruthless good in the world. This is what our mission statement should read.

You know if we can solve these 'deceptively small domestic problems', we stand a chance at solving the bigger ones. My friend from Egypt—or sorry, make that my friend, Martinos—once said that perhaps we need to tackle the small problems first, before they stockpile and turn into larger heaps of unresolvable issues; that is, after all, what global wars are waged on. It is what the El Salvadorian civil war, Western Sahara desert dispute and Afghanistan conflicts are. Nations do not just decide one day to go to war with each other. The conflicts first start on a smaller scale, between city-states, religious groups, neighbours, peer groups and perhaps even roommates. So if we can solve our problems about the overhead light, the heater and the mouldy tea bag, we can lay the foundation for going forth and solving some of the more serious matters in the world. The relative importance of our conflicts to the rest of the world is slight but we must start small; we have no other choice if we are to start learning the real lessons of life. If we realise we can live together, it is the first of many stones we can take off the heap of problems. As Mr. Pearson himself said in his Nobel Peace Prize Lecture, “how can there be peace without people understanding each other, and how can this be if they don't know each other?” This is our chance to look behind the flags to the faces. By getting to know our first-, second- and co-years, teachers and roommates, we stand a chance at standing together.

And I suppose the lack of small spoons, sleep and civilization are a fair price to pay for such an opportunity.

I'm Alive (in case you didn't know)

I don't know if I have any regular readers, but in case I do, you may have thought I have disappeared off the face of the Earth into some dark abyss and secret land in the universe. As cool as that would be, I'm sitting at a computer at my Dad's company's office and writing to you at long last.

I don't know how to explain why it has been so hard to write besides telling you that I haven't felt such unique grief in my life. Saying goodbye to the second years and the first years was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. It's tougher to explain Pearson to people who haven't been there. Nonetheless I am devoted to spreading the UWC message whenever I can (even if it means ice cream shop owners and skytrain store women and some odd glances from my friends). Alisha thinks I have a fan club at this adorable ice cream place in Kits, which is really sweet. Haha. Anyways, I got home last Wednesday. It has been 9 days since I left Pearson and the first two were absolutely brutal. I wasn't functioning that great at all.

Then step in, wonderful second year saviors! Alisha, Aneke, and Daphnee from Toronto, Manitoba, and Whitehorse, respectively came to stay with me for a few days and helped extremely to smooth this transition from


- Middle of the forest, on the water ---> Middle of the fairly big suburban city

- 200 people on campus -----> 216 000 people in this municipality

- Deep friendships formed by living together 24/7---> people I haven't seen in 9 months whom I'm used to seeing on an ad hoc basis

- Going back for my second year in September ----> all of my old friends have graduated grade 12 (their ceremony was the day after I got home, I didn't go)

Btw - CONGRATS to a lovely, beautiful, and sweet Sarah for being an incredible valedictorian for our class of 2010

- Family in a community ----> family of four

- Old house wooden house that is 36 years old----> We're building a brand new house this summer



Anyways, you get the idea. Some things change, some stay the same. And I'm appreciative for all of it.

So my therapy in getting back to a good place (which is very closeby) is going to be filling in some gaps of this year, that I wasn't able to do in the midst of scary exams. I finally have access to my photos and videos and will put them up from Pearson. I also wrote a poem last night detailing all of my innermost feelings about this process and will put it up soon. Juicy stuff, eh?

If any Pearson people are reading this, just know that I love you and miss you very much! The door of my heart and the door of my house is open to you. Everyone else out there who is interested in my adventures, I love you too!

Gonna quickly post up Kay's amazing village meeting remarks after this.

Will write soon,
Emmy

Hunkering down

Exams are on the horizon. I'm trying my hardest to be dilligent about studying and not too stressed, so I might be absent for a while. Maybe I'll keep up with the shorter posts. What have we been up to?

- The boys upstairs in McL woke up early last Sunday morning to make all of us ladies breakfast. It was very impressive and very kind of them

- The Golden Shoe - an epic inter-house soccer tournament - took place. It was some intense playing and McL brought the shoe back for the second year in a row.

- The babies on campus are growing up and pulling at my hair:)

- My roommate has started to take down all the things on her wall....and a lump of anxiety has settled inside of me.

- My practice "Independent Project" for theatre is tonight! There are three of us in the group: Makyla from Ontario, Chezev from Trinidad, and I. It has been a whirlwind journey of writing, directing, and acting in our own piece. We struggled and triumphed and hope to convey some truths tonight. It has been a delight working with these very talented ladies.

- I've had some great conversations with people, I guess to me, that's a huge part of what Pearson is about. Learning about other people in a very deep way, to a point where you can recognize yourself in the process.

I am looking forward to a relaxing summer with my family! At the moment we're planning to go to Belize for a short vacation. In the meantime I have a lot of work to do re: extended essays, internal assessments, universities, scholarships, theatre production planning, etc. etc! I'm planning to do my summer service with 10 000 Villages, and with my last position on co-op radio (hopefully, if they take me back), and maybe some work at women's shelters on the Downtown Eastside. The sunshine is warming the days and our tired souls here... hmm...have I mentioned how BEAUTIFUL the campus here is (especially in the sun)?

No matter what, it is going to be incredibly painful to leave in just under 3 weeks. I can't really think about it yet, I'm trying to look at this as a "see you later" not a final goodbye. There are so many beautiful people here, it will be hard to let them go.

Lots of love,
Emmy

Birthday Mania

A few weeks ago it was my 18th birthday. Yes, yes, I know. I'm now officially a grown up. What does that even mean? Anyways, it was a most spectacular day and I will always be grateful for all the people that worked to make it so lovely.

Here's a brief timeline:
midnight - woken up by the brilliant BCers for a bowling bonanza
afternoon - walk to Matheson Lake & have picnic with friends
dinner - close friends surprise me with fancy dinner in the caf
after dinner - find ENORMOUS AMAZING fruit basket from my family, call home
8pm - everyone visits and shares fruit
10pm - I'm getting ready to go to bed when Sune comes into my room and asks if I want to watch a movie. I agree....only to find out it's a ploy for a surprise party my roommates and house arranged!!!!!!!! Not only that but they all came up with beautiful inspiring words to share with me.

Three cakes, lots of hugs and kisses, and lots of happiness after...I reflected on a wonderful day.

I have pictures of the amazing fruit basket and the bowling bonanza. I will post them soon.

Thank you so much everyone again.

Love,
e

Otter

This a river otter. There are many of them around here. I saw one the other day in the parking lot by the pool. It slithered away. They kind of scare me when they're on ground.

Negative and Positive

If anyone knows me, I think I'm a bit of an over-optimist. Maybe you can tell. I am a firm believer in positive thought, positive self-image, and positive language. It was a major struggle for me in the past to deal with constant negativity and apathy. Hitting brick walls feels familiar. Bang. Bang. Bang. I've realized I can't make people happy, and I shouldn't really try. All I can do is control my own behavior.

Anyways, last night at the house meeting (forgive me if you're from my house) I brought up an issue that I had felt very strongly about. Pearson College is most definitely a very academic place. Whenever you have the IB, dilligence and hard work is required. I'll be the first person to say that school is important. But so are other skills.

Not to start a tangent, but I came across an article the other day where the writer was saying that she spent all these years getting degrees and fell into a depression after she finished school. Yes she could write an A+ history paper but she didn't know how to pay her bills. I feel the same way. I'm perfectly content working and having a family instead of getting my PhD. That's just me, I digress.

The issue arises because a LOT of people here are planning on getting their PhDs from Harvard. And now is a particularly stressful time (exams coming up) so lately everyone is walking around complaining about how much work they have and how they's so tired from staying up all night, etc. Now if you look at the below post I have been blessed to have the opportunity to escape to my "host family." I came back to McL and in the span of 90 minutes 8 different people had complained about schoolwork. I was feeling great having finished everything and all of a sudden, like a wave of nausea I was hit with dread and worry. I started to feel stressed, even though I had nothing to be stressed about . Stress is contagious and why are we spreading it everywhere we go? Isn't more productive to just do our work instead of saying how much work we do? I don't think it does us any good. I mean, I'm totally down for venting sessions and talking to someone you trust for a good conversation. But why are so many people going around daily telling this one sentence to everyone they meet?

In the house meeting, I got cut off and people started saying that explaining their misery is therapy. Yes I understand it was a bad time to bring it up because I was speaking with stressed people. Nevertheless, I could not believe that people wanted to complain! We discussed earlier how house meetings shouldn't all be complaints (and I tried to phrase mine as a suggestion to have more compassionate speech). Maybe complaining is cathartic. But ask yourself, does it really help? By dwelling on this big pile is it going to go away? Or is it going to get bigger?

No one agrees with me, but I say STOP. Think about how your words affect other people. We don't need other people's stress on top of our own. Maybe this could be different. Maybe we could all have a supportive home where we all just tried to do as much as we could. Maybe we can approach our work with acceptance and maybe even enjoy it? I found the other day that writing my essay was actually fun. Maybe I sound like a dork and all of this is crazy.

Just PLEASE don't tell me you have so much work. We all do, and we will ALL get through this.

Sincerely,

Em

PS: Sorry if this is too strong.

Home

It's nearly midnight and I'm sitting on my comfy red couch. Who knew that after living at Pearson I would see couches as well as countries in a whole new way? List of things I now have renewed appreciation for

1)My family
2) Cooking and beautiful food
--> Livingrooms, kitchens, single person bedrooms, and couches
3) Personal Space
--> bathrooms that lock
4) Getting up in the middle of the night to eat
5) Getting up in the middle of the night/morning and realizing you don't have to be too quiet because there's no else in the room
6) Time alone....did I already say that?
7) A select few TV shows
8) Reading the local paper with my breakfast
9) Looking out of my kitchen window in the mornings
10) Driving anywhere with my mom
11) The radio dial that has more than 2 stations
12) Being separate from school (like not living and learning in the same place)
13) Lingering over my food and eating when I want
14) Walking around wearing ugly clothes. Wait I still do that on campus.
15) Just being in the place where I've lived since I was four

It has been a challenging second term. A close family member of mine has been ill for several months and is only now recovering. It is an enormous relief to see that person back and ready for life. I elected to take this weekend off and spend some time with my family, alone. It's one of the best decisions I've made. I feel recharged and renewed. I am comforted that I still feel completely at home at either place. I am so happy.

I am so happy going back to Pearson, and I am so happy coming back home. It will be hard leaving my friends in a month, but there is something so beautiful about an unconditional welcoming, arms spread wide open, and a house full of love waiting on either side.

Today was great.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

In peace,
e

Dead Whale

About 2 weeks ago a dead grey whale washed up on shore at East Sooke Park, about 20 minutes away from campus. Our magnificent Marine Science teacher, Laura Verhegge, took us on a field trip to see it and learn about marine mammals up close and personal. Pearson College is one of the very few (if not the only) place in the world where Marine Science is an official IB science course (Laura developed the curriculum). It's a wonderful class full of hands on learning in this unique environment.

http://www.timescolonist.com/health/Beached+whale+might+have+been+killed+orca+attack/2766680/story.html

Tango Protest

A couple weeks ago, Nanu (a second year from Argentina) took tango to the Inner Harbour of Victoria in an effort to raise awareness about cuts to arts funding in BC. It was a great success!

Here's a video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5W0f21HHFWE

An Everyday Reflection

On the bathing-tub of King T'ang the following words were engraved: "If you would one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day. Yea, let there be daily renovation." ~Confucian Analects

I think I like Confucius' take on daily renewal. It's something that I've found particularly true here at Pearson. Every day I think I grow a little tiny bit, learn something new, feel something different, and appreciate something else. I'd like to keep doing that every day in my life, reflect on the adventures of the day and be ready for the next one. Coincidentally we talked about Confucius's Analects in English today when Vikram Seth alluded to it in his travel literature From Heaven Lake. One really cool part of the IB is the diverse and fascinating literature we read in English. From Heaven Lake is about travels through Tibet and Sinkiang province of China!

I'm sorry I've been absent lately - homework and life in general can be consuming ( I know I said I would stop apologizing about that, but I can't help it!). But it's great to be back and blogging! How are you doing, my dear reader? I hope Spring has turned up in your life. Unfortunately this morning I'm pretty sure it nearly snowed on campus. Speaking of the weather, we had an EPIC power outage last weekend (Easter weekend). The power was gone for about 1 and 3/4 days and it was a most enjoyable adventure! We played Hide and Seek in the Max Bell Building and built campfires...we watched movies on our dying laptops and huddled close together for warmth. The wind howled, we didn't scowl. It was a great opportunity to put our laptops down and actually look at each other in the eye and connect. Every now and then I find myself sucked up by day to day survival and then something magically appears to remind me how lucky I am to be here. I think the power outage was a message to never lose track of that.

Okay so let's rewind the adventures a couple weeks, to one fantastic night where the Vic High R & B Band came to Pearson and played some INCREDIBLE live music! http://www.sd61.bc.ca/vichigh/band/index.htm Their impressive repetoire had us on our feet for hours and grooving to the beat. It was a party to remember.

Easter Weekend provided a much needed break. Block Week required a lot of studying and since we are completing our IB in less time than usual, academics here are quite rigorous. I decided to stay on campus for the 4 day weekend to spend some valuable time not doing much except chillaxing. It was wonderful. One day my good friends Juan Manuel from Panama, Eric from Alberta, Kay from Ontario, and Khalid for Ontario went into Victoria. We had a magnificent brunch at a really hip diner called Floyd's and then headed into the trusty Chapters Starbucks to get some internet (no internet during the power outage) and reading time. I have this lovely memory of all of us just hanging out at the tables or reading by the window on this cold, rainy day, enjoying each other's company in such a beautiful place. Maybe sometimes that's all we need: good company, good food, and good books.

The next couple days I hung up my beloved hammock on the East House lawn (pictures to come) and spent some quality time with friends. On Monday I took my first sailing trip off the docks! It was a gorgeous day so Techi (my roommate from Uruguay), Anwen from Wales, Chris our Director of Operations, a guest named John from UWC-USA, and I headed out on the boat Wings for an afternoon sail into the bay. It was a very cool experience, listening to the captain giving orders, pulling ropes, tying ropes, and bringing up sails.

On Wednesday we had a village meeting - our first in a while. Often, village meetings renew my perspective on being part of this UWC network. No matter what happens, what controversy arises, what is said, I always see friends leaving arm in arm after. It is so inspiring. Kay read a beautiful reflection about how our village meetings often revolve around small things (10:30 rule, spoons in the cafeteria, new furniture) but the hope is that if we can solve these day to day issues, one day in the future we`ll be able to help solve global crises and emergencies. By recognizing our common humanity in this unique village we are developing strong ties across oceans and mountains. When I hear the news, I hear it differently. If there is a bombing in Israel or Palestine I immediately think of my friend who lives across the hallway. I want to make sure she is alright. If I am shopping in a store and pick up and item made in Nepal, I think of my Nepali friend and how he is doing. I feel a completely different connection to the world.

I thought I would end with a transcript of the end of Abiodun Williams' - a PC grad and world leader in his field - speech from a particularly memorable International Relations session. I hope you find it as poignant and moving as I did. For more info about Mr. Williams - http://www.usip.org/specialists/bios/current/williams.html

My friends,

Some of you will acquire wealth, some will acquire power, and some will achieve fame. Wealth, power and fames are not ends in of themselves but means to ends. If you acquire wealth, I hope you will remember that it is a gift, however hard-earned and therefore it must be shared with those less fortunate. If you acquire power, I hope you will remember that it gives you a tremendous opportunity to serve the powerless. If you achieve fame, it gives others, including the less fortunate to get to know you and seek your help.

You’ve earned on merit a special kind of education. It is my hope that what you’ve learnt about human values and human relationships in the international and multicultural environment of Pearson College will be a life long influence on your judgments and attitudes.

Pearson College has changed since I arrived here as a student in the fall of 1977. But the spirit of idealism commands the shores of Pedder Bay today as it did three decades ago.

You must never trade idealism for cynicism, and never confuse cynicism with wisdom. Cynicism corrodes, idealism strengthens. Cynicism imprisons, idealism liberates. Cynicism destroys, idealism builds.

May the idealism of Pearson College serve as a continuing source of inspiration, and spur you to build bridges of understanding throughout your lives. And wherever your paths may lead, may you always work for a better world.

Project Week Spring 2010 Photos

The Rose Garden at UBC - we went exploring the giant campus one afternoon.
I think the small town people found UBC a tad overwhelming (very understandable)
One day we had a wonderful lunch at the beautiful Kits beach (Makyla, ON, me, and Francis from Tanzania below)

Enjoying our tasty food from Capers - Sam, Lara's friend from Montreal, Emma from PEI, and Lara from Montreal at Kits beach.Our group at Eagles Estate after a morning volunteering in the beautiful heritage garden. It was good to get our hands dirty.