Alexi Adriano

The first thing that comes to my mind is, where do I begin?

Giving some time after graduating from high school, I thought that I should have one last blog. One last blog to give some sort of conclusion to this chapter of my life. I must admit, it was difficult to accept the fact that high school is actually over. Actually, it still is difficult. It’s difficult because I never thought that 5 years could go by as quick as it did. Where did the time go? That’s the question that runs through my mind every so often.

I can still remember the first day of high school where I entered the doors of RHS not knowing anyone at all. I was so terrified because of watching too many TV shows where they would depict high school students as being “delinquents”. Honestly, after 5 years, I beg to disagree with that fact. From day 1, I never thought I would ever be a part of something so wonderful. Not was it just Global Perspectives, but as well as the other opportunities that had been available to me during the 5 years of being at RHS. I had been involved in some Student Council events,been a  Colt Connection Mentor, a member of PE Leadership, Green Team, Colts that Care, and as well as Culinary Arts. So where did the time go? That’s where it went. Not only there of course, but I can’t forget to mention IB, work and as well as other volunteer opportunities outside of school.

It may be cliche to say this now, but, Global Perspectives was the best part of high school. Although it had only been available to us for one year; our final year, this did not matter. Time is never really a big deal.

The first time I heard about Global Perspectives, I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to be a part of it. I thought possibly I was not qualified for it. As well as I thought I was not good enough and that there are plenty of others that were better then me that are more deserving. Honestly, I feel bad that I ever thought of that because I learned that nothing is impossible and that we should never bring ourselves down just because of our lack of self confidence. We should always have confidence in ourselves because in the end, as long as we know we tried our best, we should be proud of ourselves.

Now, jumping to the moment where I first entered those doors into the classroom where Global Perspectives Colts to Fiji would take place, I had no idea what to expect. All I knew was that we will be doing fundraisers that will lead up to the point when we must leave for our destination. Honestly, I’m glad that I didn’t know what to expect because everything that happened would have still been beyond any expectations that I had. It’s true that once Fiji is starting to get further and further back into the past, the more I begin to reflect on more aspects of the trip that I had not pondered upon until now. Seeing as this is how I am at this point in time, I know that even 10 years from now, I will continue to reflect upon those moments I had in Fiji and with my Fijian family. The moments where new lessons are continuously learned that were not learned at a first glance. Overall, from just one year, I have been able to gain more knowledge about my friends, family, education, the basics of life and of course, about myself.

This may be the end now, but only the end to this chapter of my life. No one said this is going to be easy. But we have no choice but to get through it. There may have been times where we made mistakes, but the consequences only made us stronger. As well as shaped us into the people that we are destined to become. High school had its ups and downs but we will all learn that it was all worth it. Live with no regrets. Accept the consequences. Live in the moment because that moment will pass and it may never come again. Enjoy everything and make the most out of the opportunities given to you because you don’t want to live thinking, “what if?”.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank my Fijian family for the most treasurable moments of my life that I will remember forever. As well as Mr. Matheny, Mr. Kippan, Ms. Thomsing, Ms. White, and Mr. Singh from the bottom of my heart, thank you for everything. Some say that people make a difference in our lives and I agree because all of you have done so and I wouldn’t change a thing.

For the last time:

Yours truly,

Alexi Adriano (Fiji 2011)

PS.

I wish all the best to the Colts to Botswana and for the future members of the Global Perspectives family. May you all continue to pass down the torch and make us all proud that we are all part of the Global Perspectives legacy.

As I was writing my write-up for the “pick one significant picture” assignment, it really didn’t feel like an assignment. It felt like it was a moment where I was able to re-live a moment that I had in Fiji that was special to me. Now that does not sound like an assignment at all! Thinking back on everything that has happened, until now, many of it is still sinking in. There are times where I feel like the “spark” is not there anymore when I talk about Fiji. But then, sometimes, that “spark” just comes back all of a sudden. It’s a real roller coaster I must say. But I guess that’s just my way of adjusting to everything. I know that it has already been almost 3 months since then, but it’s a memory that will leave one of the biggest impact to our lives in the future. Maybe not to all of us, but I can sense that to mine, it already has. Before Fiji, I remember that I had always wanted to go into something in the sciences during my post-secondary education. But after Fiji, that road has shifted. Just today I had accepted my Bachelor of Arts offer at UBC and I’m quite happy with that decision. For a moment after Fiji, I was confused because I also had an offer to SFU Bachelor of Science. But as I thought really hard figuring out what my true passion was, I saw it through Bachelor of Arts at UBC. It was through multiple discussions I had in Fiji and the new passions that I had acquired through my experience in Fiji that had really helped in my decision. That is why until now, everything that happened during those 2 weeks in Fiji and throughout the whole Global Perspectives experience, they will forever be incomparable to anything else that has happened in my life and the things that will happen in my life in the future.

As I look back on the past 3 weeks, never in my life have I ever thought I could do 15 exams in that short amount of time. There were times were I just wanted to give up. But then I ended up thinking about everything I’ve learned this past year. This past year had been full of difficult situations that I just wanted to give up on. However, I pulled through them. I don’t know how, but I was able to. So, I tired to take that in consideration and just push myself and reassure myself that I am capable of getting through this. And, you know what, it worked. It made me realize at just how much I am capable to do as long as I continue to believe in myself. I know that sounds very cheesy but it’s the truth. This is something that everyone around me have always told me throughout high school, and I truly only realize this now. Which I also ended up realizing that in high school, everything is much easier because we are somewhat sheltered from the truth of the real world. But as high school is coming to it’s end for me and many others, it is going to be much difficult to learn things such as this because there is not always someone that’s going to be there to tell me things like that. There will be much more things that I must learn on my own, possibly the hard way. However, I know there will still be some people that will still guide me, such as my family, and as long as I surround myself with the right people.

Until next time,

Alexi Adriano

As everyone knows, IB exams are here. I’ve accomplished 3/15 so far and yet the end seems so FAR away. When it really isn’t as far as it may seem. Just 2 weeks… 2 weeks is all that it’s going to take until I finally reach that fulfillment of finishing 2 years worth of hard work and perseverance. In Fiji, I never wanted those 2 weeks to end. Yet here I am during exams and I have 2 weeks left and I wish they would just go by with a snap of my fingers. I keep trying to grasp the motivation that I was able to get from my experiences in Fiji, yet sometimes it’s hard. It’s hard because being back in my original environment, the person that I was before Fiji is still in me. I’m not disappointed about that fact because that’s what makes me who I am. But since I feel that there are still those aspects that I want to change about myself, then I know that I have to work harder. As they say, “No pain, no gain.”

To the Batswana’s, I hope you guys do amazing with your fund raising. These opportunities of working together before the trip will be the stepping stones to building relationships with one another. Relationships that will turn into life long friendships during the actual trip. I’m just so excited for all of you and best of luck with everything right now!

Until my next “break” from exams,

Alexi Adriano

Since we got back from Fiji, I’ve always had the urge to blog. But the thing is, about what?

I haven’t blogged in the last week or 2 because I feel like I’ve pushed aside the emotions that I’ve been feeling. It’s been such a roller coaster ride of emotions and I don’t know how to deal with them. I continue to face the challenge of how to “make the change” that I’ve been thinking of fulfilling since the second week of the trip. I feel that I’ve been afraid to face it and just pushed it aside because of other priorities and commitments that I must fulfill right now; such as IB exams. However, as I am typing this, I realized that I really shouldn’t just push it aside. Even though it’s difficult not to. Just the other day, I was asked by a friend, “what kind of changes” did I want to fulfill? And honestly, I did not know the answer to it. But just today, I had a sort of epiphany and now have part of the answer to it. The answer I ended up with was to be honest with myself through my words, thoughts and actions. As I reflect on the person I was before, I can see that before the trip, I was motivated and driven by the expectations that others had on me and how I would always seek for the opinion of others before I made my own decisions because I cared too much about what others thought when that really shouldn’t be the case. I will be making many life altering decisions very soon in my life and this time, I’m going to make them by just following my personal intuition. It may sound cheesy, but I’m okay with that. I’d rather face the consequences of my own mistakes rather than face the consequences the were brought to me because I cared too much about what others thought. It’s not bad to care about what others think, except I’ve learned that I shouldn’t allow them to dictate what I want to do with my life. It’s our life, and we should be able to live it the way we want to. I’m not complaining about the life that I’ve lived, but it’s just the sort of thing that I want to see a change in because I care. Not just about myself, but even the people that I surround myself with. Everything is a domino effect in life and this “change” that I want to pursue may just be another one of those domino pieces that’s ready to fall down and change something for someone else’s life as well.

On another note, I’ve been really happy for the Colts to Botswana. I can still remember that day last year where we found out that we were going to Fiji. Throughout the year, I remember Mr. Matheny always telling us at certain points of the journey that we would remember everything that has happened without the need for pictures. Now I can see what he meant about it. Although I can’t remember every single detail, as I reminisce, I can somehow feel those emotions and see everything as if it were right in front of me. A big advice that I have for the Colts to Botswana would really be enjoying every single moment. Not just on the trip, but starting now! Live in the moment because that same moment will never come again. You wouldn’t want to regret anything later on when you reflect back on that moment. Be open minded because there will be times where you will face adversity; whether as a group or individually. These are the most significant moments because this is what creates your true character. One last thing is, don’t be afraid of change. Change is always hard, no matter who it happens to. I find it ironic that I’m the one saying this because I personally am very afraid of change. But change always happens, whether we like it or not, whether we’re expecting it or not, it just happens.

I read another Fijians blog and they make a good point that this is the end of the year of Colts to Fiji, but is not the end of the journey. This is true and I am trying hard to accept this. I feel that this blog has not been very organized, but I’m just typing what I’m thinking right now. I guess until now I’m still a bit confused. But I’m trying to straighten things out, especially with the help of my other Fijians. It’s been great to know that until now, I can still talk to any of them and they always just seem to understand me, even the teachers. I love them all and I’m thankful to have all of them in my life.

Hopefully this won’t be my last blog. And… scene.

Alexi Adriano

As I read the blogs of my fellow Fijians, I can’t help but get teary eyed. I do not think that I have ever been this emotional because I’ve never had this kind of experience. Seeing the teachers and my fellow Fijians today was probably the best thing that happened to me today. Seeing their faces gave me the feeling of care, love, happiness and this whole positive atmosphere that I thought only family could give.

As I continue to reflect on our adventure in Fiji, I get kind of scared of the fact that I might possibly forget all these emotions and memories that I have right now. I don’t want to forget anything but I know that as time progresses, there will be some things that will be forgotten; not everything, but some. I’m both sad and happy right now and I don’t know which weighs the most. I get sad every time I think about how in just 3 months, we’ll all be graduating and going our separate ways. But I also feel happy knowing that we are all leaving with one similar thing, the experience of Fiji.

I recall a quote that goes, “Teachers open the door but you must walk through it yourself.” Due to this experience, I believe that I have much greater insight on this quote. By having the opportunity to be a part of Global Perspectives, this was the door. The door to an infinite number of opportunities. Up until the day we left for Fiji, it was still more like Mr. Matheny guiding us into the right direction. But once we were able to be hands-on in Fiji, this changed because through the previous guidance of Mr. Matheny, Mr. Kippan, Ms. White, and Ms. Thomsing, it was our time to learn for ourselves. We all felt various emotions and took in various lessons learned throughout the whole 2 weeks that have made us into the person we are today. It all started by the door of Global Perspectives and now that we have gone through the whole experience, it is up to us on how we will walk through the door and the fact that we must do it ourselves without the command of anyone. There are any factors on how someone may walk through that door and there is no right answer really. For me, I choose to walk through that door bringing with me all those lessons learned and overall, the whole experience with me because it’s thanks to those experiences that it has truly opened up my mind. As well as I will walk through that door knowing that I have a lot of people who support me with whatever decisions I will face in the future. Until about the end of the first week in Fiji, I was still unsure as to what I wanted to do after high school. Now, I have a few answers, but not all. I was finally becoming true to myself accepting my strengths and weaknesses and from there using them as a guide to what I would like to pursue in my future. Instead of going in the direction of what other people think is good for me, I will be choosing myself as to what I feel is good for me. The feeling of being afraid will always be there, but I have to keep the mentality that everything will be okay, no matter what life brings. Going through that door not knowing what will happen is just another adventure that we must face. However, this time, it will be done individually so that we may continue to learn from what life throws at us and continue to grow as a person.

One last thing that I cannot get out of my head is how I can’t thank the teachers enough for everything that they have helped me with. Just through little talks, they have helped me in so many ways. Knowing that they’re there for you not just as a teacher but also as a friend makes my heart swell with joy. Although we are graduating very soon, I know that I will try my best to keep in contact with them even after high school because just like my fellow Fijians, they too have a special place in my heart that will never be forgotten or replaced. Thank you so much again to Mr. Matheny, Mr. Kippan, Ms. White and Ms. Thomsing for everything, seriously. We know we were not always easy to deal with but you guys put up with our craziness and that’s why I can say that I love all of you, but as Mr. Matheny would put it, only platonically.

Now as Ms. Thomsing would say, AND… SCENE.

Two weeks.

Two weeks is what it takes for so much emotions to have been felt. Two weeks is what it took for life long connections to be made. Two weeks is what it takes to change so much of my thoughts and words. Two weeks is how long we were away and those two weeks were filled with unforgettable memories and experiences that I will forever cherish.

As we were on our last plane ride from LAX to YVR, it really got me thinking that this was actually the end. The end of one adventure but a beginning of a new one. From leaving the airport, I was faced with reality right away. I learned that I have gotten into the University that I have always dreamed of getting into. From this, it was the very first time that I truly felt that my family was proud of me. Just this fact continues to get me so emotional because it’s just so surreal. All of this.

I continue to think about my future and how I want it to be like. To think about the person that I am going to be and the goals that I intend to pursue. It gives me goosebumps on seeing the person that I’m becoming because I’m starting to think about so many aspects that I have never done so before. I believe that is what I took from this trip. If someone were to ask me what I learned from this trip, I am unable to give them a straightforward answer. Why you ask? It is because all these tiny lessons and experiences that I have gained, I’ve learned to take it all in and incorporate it into the person that I am now. There are many changes that I would like to pursue and I am motivated to pursue them. I have never felt so much motivation in my life until now.

I am honestly missing my Fijian family right now but I know that every single one of them are in arms reach of their loved ones; including myself, and by knowing that, I feel content. I can’t wait to see them all again.

March 23, 2011

As the last work day is here, it’s unbelievable to see how far we have all come. Yesterday there were some of us talking about how we’ve worked hard for almost a year to get to this point and how we have done so much already. Some pointed out how this point in time just feels like another event that our Fijian family has to get through to get to the final destination, but obviously this is not the case. To me, I feel like there is so much going on here in front of me that it’s impossible to grasp every single detail, but I do try to. On the bus ride here to our final work day, there was something on my mind that didn’t hit me at first, but as we approached the village, it started to. I was comparing my life back in Canada and the one we are living right now in Fiji. It really isn’t a vacation, it’s more like an adventure because you learn something new every day and have new experiences every day; not just the normal routine lives that we have. As I was comparing, it made me sad to think about tomorrow because it is when we must go to the village for the last time, in which we won’t have the chance to fully see the change that we are going to make by this project. Also something more personal would be how this Global Perspectives experience might be the only kind of experience like this that I will have in my life. Many of us are thinking about going to university and having a “good” life and yet if one sees the people who live here, that is what they also want but even if they don’t get it, they’re still happy. This made me realize that it’s still good to have dreams and goals in life but to always remember to stay happy with what we do have. I have observed many of the villagers here and every time that I do, they always make me think about the person that I am. They make me want to be the change that some hope for even in the different circumstances that I am in and what I will be in. Hopefully, I will be able to fulfill this in the long run because I know it won’t be immediate but I know that it can happen. That is what I will hold on to.

March 19^th, 2011

On day 2 of the work day, I can conclude that it was pretty amazing. It was full of everything that is very difficult to sum up in just a couple of sentences. The truth is everything that is happening around me and the people that we are surrounded by are difficult descriptions and explanations to be mentioned because it’s the kind of thing where you have to be there to understand. It may seem this way because you have to feel the connection you make with others and feel those emotions as well. If you are to witness these two things, it makes a tremendous difference. So today, I met this girl who was actually the same age as us. I met her during the opening ceremony as well and introduced ourselves. To my surprise, she still remembered my name. The fact that touched me the most is that on that day that I met her, she skipped school because she wanted to come visit us. Then on day 2 of the work day, she came again. She told me it was because she had no homework and that she wanted to visit us again. She even told me that she lived very far but she took the bus which was 50 cents per ride. This made me think about how much 50 cents would be for them and that by them taking the time and money to just come visit us and spend the day with us. This touched me the most because I can feel just how happy and excited they are when they come talk to us and even just by watching all of us work. Near the end of the day, she came inside the building while I was painting. She was also with her friend. I asked them if they wanted to try to paint. The first girl; Eleanor, said yes right away. While her friend Rachel, didn’t want to. I could see in her face just how happy she was because she felt that she was helping and that it was something she’s never done before. She even got paint on herself and even then, she was still happy because I feel that she has this connection with us. Near the end of the day, almost everyone was near the hole we were digging. She came over and was cheering me on, which I found so cute. Then after a while, she just grabbed a shovel and started helping us. From there I was just so happy inside because I feel that just the first gesture of asking if they wanted to paint, she felt that she can do everything else as well. After a couple minutes, her friend Rachel joined us as well. By then, I was truly ecstatic inside. By the end of the day, all of my tiredness was gone and all that was left was happiness. She said she would come again the next day and from there, I know that I’ve done something here that is incomparable to anything else.

March 20^th, 2011

Today was quite different then the other days so far. Actually, every day is different from the other. Today, we started with the traditional and very significant sacrificing of a goat. I was able to observe the process of the goat being sacrificed and that would later become our lunch. Although this is something uncommon to see back in Canada, I believe that this experience was very significant. Honestly, during the sacrifice, after and even until now, I am still unsure with what I feel about the whole thing. It was interesting because the whole time, I don’t really know exactly what was going through my mind. It was as if I was there but I was thinking so hard to try to learn from it when I don’t know exactly what I should be feeling.

After the sacrifice, we went on a hike. There are many beautiful hills here in Fiji and yet when one actually hikes on one, it is so much more difficult to get up then it seems. This made me realize that many people who come visit us on the site have to go through such heat and trouble. Making me appreciate this moment here even more because the people of this village has been nothing but nice to us.

Once we were back at the hotel, the teachers had informed us that we will be going to a Fijian ceremony (aka church). Honestly, I was quite interested in this because I wanted to compare my church back in Canada to the one that we were going to. Although we had some troubles getting to the location; having to walk around in circles pretty much, it was still not that bad. At the ceremony it was interesting to compare at just how much passion that they had when giving the sermons. Even though it was in a different language, they would translate it for us. This gave me the impression that many Fijians truly have a good heart and that there is much more for me to learn from them. This was a wonderful experience and I was glad to have gone through it.

Throughout the past couple of days, it really has been difficult for everything to sink in as I’ve mentioned before. But, no matter what, I am trying to enjoy everything as it comes and when we do have a Global gathering every night; it’s a good way to reflect on everything so far.

After about 42 hours, we have finally arrived in Fiji. I feel that even after the opening ceremony, it seems difficult to let everything sink in. Everything just seems so surreal and different from what we’re used to. The thing is, I absolutely love it. Everything we’ve done back in Canada was worth every single minute on hard work and determination. Seeing the people from the village for the first time was so heart-warming. Everyone treated us like we were celebrities or something. That was cool, but I feel like they too should be treated that way for accepting us in such an unbelievable way. Having some time to talk to some of the kids was interesting too. Especially when we talked to some who were the same age as us. It was hard not to compare the life that they live and the life that we live. Today is finally the official first day of working on the site and I am overly excited. I know it will be hard work but once we see everything coming together, I believe that is the time when we will completely value this moment of our lives. Right now, I’m just trying the best as I can to let everything sink in and enjoy every single second here because as Mr. Matheny has told us before, this may only be our only chance to come to Fiji. Hopefully though there may be another chance in the future.