Fiona Szeto

In a blink of an eye, it’s already June. Everything is so surreal right now. You never really realize you’re actually going to graduate until you’re two weeks away from it.  Back in September, I remember not even giving graduation a second thought, there were just too many events happening before that. Backtrack a few years, I would mentally do a countdown for the days until the start of summer vacation, but now, with just a week of school left, I feel like I’ve been robbed of time. In two days, we will be walking across the stage to receive our diplomas (which I’m convinced I will trip), in two weeks we will be all decked out in our prom attire. And on June 30, we’ll no longer be in high school and everything finally comes to an end. Our class have finished our last assignment which helped us relive the precious moments we had in Fiji, and another assignment also which we would look forward to in the future 10 years. Two days ago, we had our Global wrap up party. I was super excited and reluctant to go at the same time. I knew it was going to be bittersweet, and the dinner meant that this was it. A closure of some sorts, I guess. Our Fiji plaque was also put on the large world map with bursts of excitement and sadness mixed in there. The plaque meant that we have successfully completed our project. We did it, but it also secured the fact that it’s time for us to face reality and into the real world now. Because let’s face it, we no longer have the safe haven of high school to keep us sheltered anymore.

Hi to all the Batswana! Congratulations on the very successful car wash today, and the bottle drive, meat sales and scratch cards! Seeing your dedication and hard work today makes me have complete faith in your group in your future endeavors to your trip next March. Although I only went for a quick visit, when a person was interested with what the fundraising was for, it was quite difficult not to answer with “We’re building a storm shelter/community center in Fiji next March,” but instead, it is now “We’re building an outreach center in Botswana next March.” March will come before you know it, and as many of us Fijians have probably put in our letters to you: Cherish every second and live in the moment! I’m extremely glad that your grade 12 year will be everything that you dreamed it would be, and I hope that next year for myself would be the same. I don’t know what I want to be when I grow up yet, let alone the courses I have to choose for next month, but in a sense I’m glad. This is the time for challenges, mistakes and adventure. Whatever life may throw my way, bring it on.

(History will be made in one more win! Bring it home, boys!)

The last 2 years of high school has been an adventure for sure. With  Global Perspectives and IB, it seemed to be only yesterday when we took the diagnostic test and listened to the Mongolia presentation 2 years ago. But now with the last of the exams completed and the Global wrap up party planned, I’ve finally realized what people mean when they say time flies before your eyes. With the trip to Fiji and all the events leading up to it, we would never have expected it to be done so soon. The weeks in Fiji flew by, and before we knew it, we touched ground in Vancouver again. Having been through IB (and surviving), the years, especially grade 12, went by so fast and now we’ve conquered and are done the exams. Everything just seems so surreal right now. We all especially missed Global class having missed it for almost an entire month. I missed the  murmurs of conversations we always seem to have right after the bell, and the excitement that the class always bring every time. But now that we had our second class today, it just means that there are only 7 more classes left. With the last assignment due next day, and the dates concerning the time capsule and wrap up party set, it’s difficult to think that we only have 3 more weeks left. I know that we are in grade 12, the graduating year, but I guess it’s to hard to take in that we’re actually graduating (did that make any sense?). I guess I just expected time to go slower, but with valedictory in a couple of weeks,  prom/dry after grad money paid f0r, and limo booked, everything is just real now. Matheny and Mr Kippan all have told us numerous times before to not regret anything in high school, and I can honestly say I’m perfectly content looking back now. I am so blessed to have gone through high school with a supportive family, amazing friends and caring teachers. There are only 3 weeks left, but that’s 3 more weeks we still have, so let’s make the most of it! This isn’t the end, but the end of one of the many chapters in the book of life. So, turn the page and start writing the new one.

Until next time,

Fiona

Time sure flies. Last week was our one month coming back from Fiji, and now the first week of IB exams are almost over! And I am glad to say that I 1/5 done! The first week of May has been treating me quite well actually, but next week is going to be the real challenge with 9 exams in 4 days!! I guess I won’t be blogging until the next weekend. Everyone else has been stressed out lately, but don’t give up now IBers! We didn’t come this far just to slack off the last 2 weeks. Let’s make those 2 years worth it! Certainly, writing 15 exams in 20 days puts a definite toil on all of us, but the experience from Fiji just makes me realize how fortunate we are to have IB and education in arm’s reach. When there are times when I find myself wishing that I wasn’t taking IB, I give a little reminder to myself saying that there are other people around the world who has it a lot worse and would love to be where we are now. We are not the ones who have to work in the fields when we’re 12, we’re not the ones who have to act as a maternal and paternal figure to younger siblings, the only thing we have to worry about is school and studies. It’s going to be hard work, but we all know it will pay off in the end.

To the Batswana, hope you’re enjoying the many discussion groups and class times you’ve been having! Good luck with fundraisers and we can’t wait to hear about your new ideas when we get back! We heard that there are a lot of fantastic ideas already, we’re all so proud!

Looking forward to May 19th, 2011 at 9:30AM (my last exam)

Fiona

Today has certainly been a rollercoaster of emotions. The whole day we were all looking forward to after school for the big reveal for 2012 trip! During lunch, we were all excited and taking guesses at where we thought the new destination would be. Chile, India, Russia, Yemen! all came up, but it didn’t matter where it was gonna be, we were ecstatic nonetheless. When we first walked in the classroom after school, we (or at least I was) were squealing like schoolgirls. It is so hard to imagine that almost one year ago, we were in the exact same situation, sitting and fidgeting  in one of the chairs and anticipating the flag and plaque that Matheny will reveal. Now we know what the Mongols felt like last year, as we are in the same position now. But what our excitement tells me is not just that we are excited for the new destination, but also because we care so much for the program itself, because the program has brought 28 people closer together than ever before, and that it had left an everlasting impression in our hearts. When Matheny turned the plaque over, and it read ‘Botswana,’ it took me awhile to figure out where it was, but when I did, I knew the 2012 class will be on a journey they will never forget. And of course, it definitely was a bittersweet feeling, half excitement for the group and sadness for ours. But I am genuinely happy and super excited for the new 30 grade 11s to embark on their adventure. I wish I could explain in detail to all of you just how amazing this experience will be, but I rather you figure this out yourselves.

Colts to Botswana, know that every single one of us would do anything to be in your shoes right now, so treasure every single second of this and make the most of it starting now! Also, remember all the days and months leading up to the trip is just as important as the trip itself. And most importantly, have fun and hold on tight, you’re in for the best moments of your life.

I guess I’ve been avoiding typing this blog for about a week now, probably because I don’t know how to to put into words just how amazing and inspiring this trip was, or how to put into words the feelings I’m having right now. I am having major Fiji withdrawal right at this moment, which is horrible since it’s kind of affecting my homework time. But unlike the rest of my Fijians, when I arrived back home, I was happy, still missing Fiji big time, but happy. My mindset a few days ago was that all good things had to end, and Fiji was the best way to end it. But now I don’t know if it was a super late wake up call or something, but I’ve been feeling the weight of the withdrawal lately.

Although still in the depth of Fiji withdrawal, the days back home has given me time to think. I often find myself just spacing out at my desk, thinking about Fiji and how our adventure seemed like it was months ago. This reminded me of the appointment clock with Geoff, I asked him if he always felt frustrated after all the trips he took, and he said yes. But the way to deal or to think about it was to stop asking questions like: Why am I here in Canada? or Why am I so lucky? because questions like these will never give you the satisfactory answer you want. Instead, he told me to just appreciate and cherish whatever I have here. And I like to think that I’ve started to do that. Appreciating the time that I’ve spent with my family, valuing the education that I have and will have next year. There is so much more that we have here in the town of Richmond than other places in the world will ever have in decades. What this trip have made me realize is just how special this program is, and I feel extremely grateful and lucky that myself and the other 27 Fijians were given the opportunity to experience what no other teenagers will ever witness in a liftetime.

Something that Matheny said to us yesterday jumped out at me. He said that he sees everyone differently now, and even back at the hotel on the last day, he said to everyone that they all have changed in some way. Personally, I used to be scared of change, I’ve always wanted things to stay exactly the way I like it. But after this wonderful experience, I can’t wait to see how I’ve changed and how it will affect my day to day life. Apart from the excitement also comes fear, I’m scared that I won’t see the change that Matheny sees, or that even I havn’t changed at all. I guess what I’m afriad of now is seeing all the people I know change around me, while I stay exactly where I was before.

To sum up, this week had started off great! The Friday, Saturday, and Sunday without seeing any of my Fijians had been extremely difficult. Although it was justs three days, and while other students were dreading to be back to school on Monday, I was ecstatic. The welcome I received, along with the other Fijians too I’m sure, on Monday morning showed to me that they all felt the same way. Running in flip flops with our shirts and sulus down the hall, I think we did that after every class. Then it occured to me how time had flew by, and how much we have evolved as a group of people going on a trip together to classmates meeting every other day, to friends and finally family. It didn’t matter where our destination was, whether it was to Fiji or not, the place didn’t define what we have and will have for the rest of our lifetime, it was the people we were with and the memories we made with the people that mattered.

Last work day today!

Yesterday we went to Wavuwavu’s elementary school for a visit, and the welcome they gave us was so warm. We got a chance to visit the classrooms and the students, and the minute I stepped onto the school grounds, I did not want to leave. The students there were so enthusiastic and excited to see us. I was pleased to see that both Indian and Fijian boys and girls are learning together and furthering their education together as equals and friends.  I was so happy to see that the school takes education very seriously. When we were given the chance to look around in the classrooms, we can all see that the materials taught in the class is very enriching, and some of the materials are something that we had learned recently too! I honestly wanted to stay there with the kids. Sadly, we had to leave to go to the worksite to finish up the project.  The community center is almost done, and it is extremely encouraging to hear the continuous support and Matheny’s and the other teacher’s constant words of how impressed they were of us. They are confident that the entire project will be done in the 5 days of work given, and Matheny said that this would be the first in 10 years! That fact doesn’t even fathom how excited and motivated that makes us. With some more holes to dig, rocks to collect, and walls to paint, the building will soon be done, and the villagers will soon have a community center and hurricane shelter. Whenever there is a hurricane warning in Wavuwavu, the villagers have to run to the top of the mountains for safety, but now the building can be where they run to for safety. The fact that the building will act as not only a place of rest and learning, but also a place for safety makes me feel that the work put into this project is the most rewarding thing I will ever do in my life. We were all extremely tired yesterday, especially during dinnertime when most of us were half asleep on the dinner table. And you know I was tired

Second blog and day 3 of the trip! And it feels like we’ve been building for a whole week already! Yesterday was a very very productive day, the weather was stifling hot, no clouds in the sky, which meant intense sunshine from when we arrived to when we left. We had to finish digging a hole for the washroom, which was 6x6x5. We were already halfway done by the end of day 1, but the hardest part was finshing it, since the clay and dirt was getting really hard at the very end. Matheny made a double or nothing bet on ice cream if we managed to finish digging the hole by 4 PM. Jeff and Ernest was basically the ones who worked from the beginning to end, digging away. Also, the sidewall on the school was put up, inside and out and painting on the inside has started. Since yesterday was Saturday, the kids of the village had no school, so they all basically came to visit us and see what they were doing. There were some boys and girls who were super excited to see what we were doing. They were so excited that they helped us with the landscaping of the school, placing rocks and dirt around the buiding. Something that I noticed yesterday was how cohesive the group is becoming. With the hole, we were all looking out for one another when we see the diggers getting tired, and I finally realized how a class of students can turn into a family. The perserverance demonstrated by everyone yesterday was surreal. Another thing I noticed was how the gender roles of the village has started to take a turn for the better just for one day. It wasn’t just the little boys who started to help us, but also the little girls too. They were hesistant at first, but after they started picking up the rakes and shovels and helped us with the digging. It was amazing to see how one day of working can possibly change how gender roles are perceived in the village.

Today was Sunday, which meant the day of rest in Wavuwavu, so we also had a day off from the tiring day yesterday. We had the chance to witness a sacrifice of a goat this morning. This was considered a big deal because Vijay, one of the villagers, said they only sacrifice a goat during Christmastime. I really wanted to watch it, but it was really hard to watch. But this made me think about how my food back home in Richmond comes from, because what we saw today was what happens back home, but behind closed doors. This experience just makes me appreciate my food more. After the sacrifice, we went for a hike up to the mountains. We stopped at a villager’s house, and we celebrated the Festival of Colours. There was dance and music, and they spread coloured powder and water all over our faces and clothes. That was the best celebration I’ve ever experienced thus far. It isn’t something you can experience in the city. We continued with our hike up to the top of the mountain afterwards. The view from the top of the mountain overlooks the whole village of Wavuwavu, and the view is spectacular. We all tried to take pictures of the view, but the camera lens can hold no justice to what our eyes saw. I am really glad that I got to share this view with the students, teachers, dentists and the villagers.

I miss you and I love you Mom and Dad!

Love, Fiona

Bula! After 42 hours of waiting for our airplane at LAX and the Fiji airport, we have finally arrived at Wavuwavu! The time getting here was as much as a lesson as the project itself, as it helped with patience and learning how things don’t go always as planned. The time spent waiting was also time for bonding between us Fijians, and it was a great start for the trip, with random games of Mao and Golf at the airport terminal. It also gave us group bonding when we asked Matheny ‘on the road’ questions.
The bus ride to the village was long, but very picteresque. We even saw cliff that resembled Pride Rock from The Lion King! Everyone, students, teachers, dentists, were super enthusiatic on the bus, taking pictures and saying ‘Bula’ to the Fijians. When we pulled up next to Mr. Singh’s house and the school, there was already everyone there waiting to welcome us. We received handmade leis and and it was very emotional. They danced and sang for us during the Opening Ceremonies. Knowing that they helped prepared so much food for us all day, made the food extra delicious! (Not that it wasn’t delcious already! Especially the curry.) We talked to the children of the village, and there was this 8 year old boy and 9 year old girl we were talking to. They were shy but I was glad that they were communicating with us. I’m glad that we can converse with the people, and that there is not as much as a language barrier.When we were talking to the kids, we witnessed that the boys sit together and gets attended to by the women, but the girls sit seperately in the corner, eating by themselves, some of them didn’t even eat at all. Unfortunately, we had to leave at 5 to go back to the hotel. Before we could shower and sleep, we had a conference with everyone. We discussed about what we learned today and for us to take notice of what roles the men, women and children played in the village
After a good night’s sleep from 8:30PM-5:30AM (Yay for awesome roomates, Joy, Justine, Jenny!) we were rejuvenated and ready for the first day on the project. We were all amazed that the carpenters have built most of the framework and structure of the school already. There were three groups, builders, kitchens, and dentals. I was assigned kitchen duty with Jeff, Joy, Erin and Justine, and we peeled garlic and onions. We were also given the oppurtunity to go down to the farms and see how they grew their vegetation. Their backyard is amazing, unlike any of our backyards in Richmond. We also painted the building, dug the hole for the toilet and collected rocks. Also, today gave me and everyone else an oppurtunity to work with people I don’t usually work with. Although this is only day 1 of the project, it seemed like everyone is already determined to finish the project in one day!

Here we are! All packed and ready to go. I honestly can’t even put what I’m feeling into words right now, I can barely contain my excitement. I don’t think anyone of us ever felt so relieved when the bell rang signaling the end of the day, but for us, it meant the start of our journey.

This is it, Fijians! Forget all the worries, the applications, assignments. It’s time to explore, feel, laugh, cry, grow, wonder, smile, cherish, appreciate, love and live.

Are you ready?

See you on the other side! (of the world, that is.)

Fiona S

10 days and counting! Holy cow, that’s fast. This entry is going to be super short since I still have to finish studying for my orals. I can’t believe it’s already March. Mr Matheny was right, once it hit January, everything has just zoomed by. I can’t wait until we start building the community center! And good news came yesterday from Fiji, they have started putting the foundation up in WavuWavu! And the weather’s starting to clear up! Yay! 10 days, Fijians. 10 days until we wake up at 4AM donning our Fiji caps and tshirts, carrying our 33 pound backpacks, with the biggest smiles on our faces.
10 days until the best days of our lives!

Until next time!

Fiona S