Daisy Robinson

Wow, i’m actually done high school! Even though i’ve been waiting along time for this day to come i am still shocked that it is here. It’s so weird to refer to high school as something in the past; not to be able to say “see you on the fall”. It really hit me lately, the fact that i will never see some of the people i met in high school again or have that daily routine that we are all so used too. Everything is going to be new and different. It’s going to be an adventure; one that i am a bit nervous of but willing to take! All this change is confusing and intimidating but i’m just going to have to take it one step at a time.

Even though high school is ended it has been very exciting! Valedictory went well…and i’m glad to say i didn’t trip! I was expecting it to be long, and it was, but it wasn’t as boring as i thought it was going to be. Once i finally got past my nerves and walked across the stage i felt good and excited…i am actually graduated! So, on to the next event, grad! I’m looking forward too it and it’s going to a lot of fun!

All in all, i am happy with my high school experience! I met amazing people, and friends who i’ll hopefully know for along time. I was fortunate enough to experience some incredible opportunities; which i’ll never forget! I got through high school without any major pumps in my path and i am still normal on the other end of it! Now, it’s time to enjoy my summer and find a new path to conquer.

Daisy

This blog is definitely long overdue! I should have written one a lot sooner once we got back from Fiji but somehow i just couldn’t.

When i got back i didn’t know what to think or how i felt. I had mixed emotions about everything. I wanted to put what i learnt from Fiji into action but i didn’t know how, i was sad that the trip was over but excited to be back home to see my friends and family. There was so much going on in my head that for the longest time i just ignored it because i didn’t know what to think of it. A few weeks ago all my emotions finally caught up with me but i still wasn’t sure what to make of them. Finally i figured it out and actually let it out (something i’m not very good at)! I realized that i felt almost lost after i got back. I assume this is very normal after the trips but it was something that i wasn’t expecting to feel. I would give anything to experience global again, go back to Fiji, and i wanted to so badly. I missed that sense of unity that we all had; how we were a family everyday. I also missed having such an amazing goal that we all felt so passionate about and being able to achieve it with every step we took. I wanted to have it all back! I can’t rewind time though, so i figured that the best thing to do is to take a step forward and to find something similar to global where i can experience similar feelings. Nothing will ever take the place of global and it is something that i will never forget. The people we met and the experiences we had will live on in my heart forever.

I am excited but also nervous about the future. Everything is ahead of me- “the world is my oyster” as people like to say. There are so many things i want to do but don’t know how or where to start to get them. I’m not a little kid anymore and i can’t have everything handed to me. Not knowing what i want to do with my life or how i’m going to do it is nerve-wracking but also part of the adventure. I am obviously still young and i don’t have to have everything figured out. After all if it was, my life wouldn’t be that exciting!

So on a positive note, grad is coming up and i have an amazing summer to look forward too! This will be so much fun and a great way to end this chapter of my life.

Daisy

While looking through my blogs today i found this draft. I wrote it before the trip and now looking back on it, so many memories come back! The part about how the people will line up for hours just to get their teeth checked is very true! I was so amazed by that and i’m glad that i got to be apart of that amazing experience.

Last friday one of the four dentists that is coming with us on the trip came to talk to us. I knew they were coming on the trip and that we were going to help them with their patients but i didn’t know how much we helped each other out.

The dentists have been coming on the trips for quite a few years now and they are just as much as part of the global family as any of us are. We don’t only help them with dentistry but they help us with the project as well.

We found out that us students will not only be running the clinic but helping with the procedures if we want as well. I find this quite exciting because unless you wanted to become a dentist when would you ever get the chance to help with procedures! Another thing we found out that i thought was pretty amazing is the amount of people that come to get their teeth looked at. People from all over travel for miles for the chance to get looked at. Also, not only do they travel for miles but they will wait in line for days! I think that’s a pretty big eye opener because a lot of us have dental plans and it is something that we don’t like doing but for them it may be a once in a life time opportunity. This is just another example of how our worlds are so different.

Daisy

Bula!

The last couple days have been pretty steady. I’ve been doing a lot of painting and also helping with the leveling of the dirt. Today is the last work day and we are going to finish the community center, which is very exciting! We have also come up with a name- Colt Center. The building’s going to look really good. The outside is a soft yellow with a maroon trim and the inside is soft pink.

Today when I was painting one of the ladies started to help me. I thought that was very cool because they don’t usually do that. She was saying that she painted her whole house and she was showing me tips! I really liked how she did that. At home that would be totally normal and i’m glad it can be here too!

I’ve noticed or at least reassured a couple things here. Before I left I realized how lucky I am. I have everything in arms reach. As other students have mentioned a lot of people have things they need but not everything they want and they definitely don’t have the opportunities we have. I also love how happy everyone is. It is amazing how welcoming everyone is; they really make us feel at home. Another thing is the workers, who are so helpful and nice, come extra early and sometimes stay late as well. They are working these very long days even though they aren’t getting paid extra for it. They make about $3 american a day which barely gets you through the day. We think about that kind of money as nothing but yet it is everything to them. So to be working extra purely on the fact that they want to help and are very impressed with us is very rewarding because it shows that they have gained our respect.

Even though it’s been hard at times, it’s been a lot of fun and wouldn’t change it for anything.

Daisy

Day Four: March 21, 2011

Bula!

The last few days have been filled with lots of emotions, fun times and laughs!

The second work day was quite successful. I started out the day once again with rocks. This time we went in the oppoisite direction further down the stream. It was so peaceful where we were and everyone was so relaxed but getting work down at the same time too. I then came back and helped with hammering, sawing and a bit of digging. The hammering was really fun because it was very satissfying. Everytime the nail went in correctly I felt like I accomplished something. The sawing was fun too. If we cut the board we got to nail it in.

I was playing with some of the kids a lot on day two. They are so cute, I love them!! I was playing with two kids especially; a little boy and girl. The little boy kept changing his name so I don’t remember real name. In the end though, I called him the tickle-monster because a bunch of us was tickling everone. The little girls name is Limba, she’s super cute as well and the two of them came up behind your back and then tickled you! It was a lot of fun not only because they are fun but it was a good bonding experience and makes the trip that much more special. Bonding is one of the key things on this trip and I think we’re bonding quickly.

The third day was our day off because it was the workers day off. We were fortunate enough to witness the slaughtering of one of the Singh’s goat. Before we came here I was positive that I wasn’t going to watch it. I was still sure of my decision until we were on the bus to the village. Last minute I decided not to go. Partly because I was already starting to tear up just trying to make the decision and second because I know myself and I love animals and know I wouldn’t react well to watching something like that. Even though I was sitting to the side the slaughtering took place quite close. I could feel the heaviness of everyone. Myself as well started to cry because it was something that we’re not custom too and a difficult situation to handle. One thing I found interesting was how a lot of the people in the village either don’t or did not watch the slaughtering when they were kids because they thought it was just as hard as us. That made me feel a bit better. I also felt better when I heard that the program is going to buy a new goat,  female goat. This way they will keep it forever. The rest of the day was a bit of a rollercoaster of emotions. Sad from the goat, then very happy because of the festival of colour. That is where everyone put coloured powder on each other. It was very cool and I felt like it brought everyone together.

Today, day four, I got to work with the dentists. I thought it was a lot of fun! I got to assist them with whatever help they needed. It was a good experience though because you have to stay calm and collected to make sure the patients stay calm but it was also interesting to see the conditions of people’s teeth. It’s quite sad and makes you realize how lucky we are to have dental care like we do.

The trip keeps getting better and better and I love it here!

Daisy

Bula everyone!

We are finally here, finally at the village of WavuWavu using our own two hands to build the project we’ve been waiting so long for! Even though the travelling almost took two days from when we got up to when we went to sleep; every minute of it was worth it. When we came to the village in our bus down that long bumpy and beautiful road there was nothing but smiles and warm welcomes. Everyone has been so friendly and lovely welcoming us into heir lives for the next week.
Yesterday the opening ceremony was amazing! We all got welcomed with marigold lays and lots of entertainment and awesome food! Everything i’ve ate so far has been delicious!
Today we started working. I’ve been helping with everything so far… lifting rocks, sawing, and shoeveling! It’s hot and a lot of work but also a lot of fun too. You can already tell that nobody cares what they are doing or who they are working with, they just want to help!
For lifting rocks, we had two wheelbarrows and once we got to the stream..we just filled them up and them dumped them near the building. One of the workers that came with years is Vijay (I think that’s how you spell his name). He is so nice! He’s 65 and doesn’t have that money teeth but he’s always smiling! At one point he took us on a little walk and showed us this well. Him and four other men dug 20 ft. 40 years ago. There was no ladder or anything just ropes and their hands. Oh, and it only took 2 days…the 6 by 6 hole we’re digging for the toilet is probably going to take most of the week! We also got to taste bush ginger, Sugar cane, and some other plant that doesn’t taste like much but is good for headaches!
One thing we noticed when we first got here was the separation between men and women, including kids. There is separation of where people sit and there are not many little girls, mostly little boys. But everyone is very kind and it’s already a blast!
The one and only downside is my bag didn’t make it to Fiji. It got stuck in LA. I don’t think it even made the fight! Which is odd since we had a 10 hour lay over in LA! But everyone has been really great about it, offering me anything I need. I will get my bag tomorrow so all is good!
The teachers have been so great and so has Deep Singh, one of the techs at our school.He is the reason we are here because his family lives here. His parents are so kind!
I have to go and do more work!

Lots of love,

Daisy

Last friday past grads came in and talked about their experience on the trip and what they are doing now. I found it very interesting and quite helpful.

There were a couple things that stuck out to me. One, was this girl that is now part of World Vision at UBC. She was talking about how after she graduated high school she was missing a global perspectives type program in her life. She then found World Vision UBC and is now the president of it. This shows how much global can affect you and you may not even realize. Just the course not being in her life was making it incomplete but now she’s very successful and partly because of global.

The other thing that stuck out for me was another girl who went traveling by herself after the trip. I never thought about doing something like that because for one, i’m horrible with directions and two, i’m quite shy. So the idea of going off by myself seems quite daunting. She did say that traveling by yourself is not for everyone and at this point in my life i can’t really say but i don’t think it would be. After global is over though, my opinion may change.

I am looking forward to how i may change as a person after we come back from Fiji. Things i never dreamed of may suddenly be an idea for the future and i’m excited to find out what those may be.

Daisy

In P.E. class we watched a documentary called America the Beautiful. It is about how the media affects society and there was this one part in it about Fiji. It was talking about how in Fiji people loved their bodies and themselves for who they were and never thought about puking as a form of losing weight. This was until tv was introduced and the numbers changed drastically in terms of how people thought of themselves and their body image.

I thought this was sad because it shows how much the media can affect one person. The fijians were so confident in themselves and then once the media got involved it started to go downhill. This made me think about how they think of themselves and the media now. Some of the small villages probably don’t have cable and may have the same outlook on themselves as they originally did while other bigger cities may be more effected. I think that we should be careful on how we talk about the media and ourselves because our opinion may be completely different then the theirs.

In another part of the movie a woman was talking to another women in Africa and she compared people to trees. She started talking about how we don’t judge one tree to the other; we love them all but yet we judge ourselves and others. So her outlook: “Love your tree”!

It’s always good to be respectful of the people and the country when you travel some place new and not talking about the media in the ways we do here may make a big difference to the people there. It’s not only respectful but it doesn’t change peoples ideas about their “tree” as well.

Don’t forget…love your tree!

Daisy

A few classes ago we were given a piece of paper and put into groups. We had to present whatever topic we got to the class. My group got village etiquette and decided to do a skit. We learnt that when arriving at a village you should try to see the head chief right away because it is considered rude to show up unexpected. You should also dress modestly, carry your bags in your hands, not over your shoulder, and take off your hat and sunglasses to be more respectful. Now who knows how many people will actually do this but just in case you might, you should never touch someone’s head because Fijians regard their heads as sacred. A few other things that we learnt were there is a custom called kerekere where people may ask for things and you should politely say you can’t do without it and instead give the host a gift such as tea or money  as a way to say thank you. Finally, if the chief offers you a bed never decline it because they may think that their offering isn’t good enough.

It is always a good idea to look into the etiquette of a village. Every place is different and if going to a small village especially you don’t want to be rude. It doesn’t take much to do these things but it could mean a lot to the local people.

Happy traveling,

Daisy

There are now only 16 days till Fiji! Everyday i am shocked by how fast time is traveling and how soon we will be stepping on that plane! I can’t quite wrap my head around it. Every time i fasten one of those loose ends though, i get that much more excited for Fiji and it feels that much more real.

On February 1st i got my vaccinations. I’ve never been excited about getting shots but after 5 deep breaths and then a needle in my arm I was actually quite happy. Needles never scared me, i was always neutral about them but this time going to the travel clinic i was excited. It meant that i was another step closer to going to Fiji and it made me realize how quickly it was approaching!

The other loose end i tied was starting my shopping for Fiji! About a week ago my dad and i went to Mountain Equipment Co. and we bought a backpack and a rain jacket. I was originally going to borrow a backpack but after finding out that it is going to be used when we’re gone we decided that it would be best to buy one for myself, after all it’s not like it’s never going to get used! After trying on a few i finally decided on one and i am really happy with it. It is now sitting in my room and every once and a while i put it on and i can picture all of us Fijians in Fiji.

I can’t wait to tie that final end of zipping the zipper on my backpack and taking that last step out the door for two weeks. Before i know it, Fiji will be here and i honestly can’t wait!

Daisy