Joyce Lin

I was going to type my own response to one of your blogs and tell you how beautiful I think you are, but instead I figured the best gift I can give you is your own words.

Even when this blog becomes deactivated, unvisited, or lost, I hope you can take out your own words and read them to yourself…

“I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand”

I hope you will see your own words and remember: the happiness, spark, ah-ha, hope, ambition, whatever it is that you felt when you typed those words. And apply that to everything you do, and understand a little more about yourself, about others, about this world. My “gift” is a gift GP has given you already, and a gift you have to give yourself everyday.

Dear Mongols, wherever you go…
I wish you all the best with all my heart.

I hope you will all enjoy the letters,
but more importantly, that you enjoy your experience completely and put it into your own letters next year.

On the count of 3…
“FIJI!”

This morning when I walked to the school to find the parking lot completely full, my first thought was: uh oh, where is the car wash going to happen? Then I found out that nobody was here at 10am, so I sat in the rain and I thought: oh boy, I’m going to freeze by the time we start working.

I’d like to say, Thank you pupu, for the hot chocolate. One, because I love hot chocolate, but most importantly, because that was very thoughtful of you and I appreciate it.

Shortly the Fijians arrived and then MM, only to conclude that the rain and traffic of the parking lot just wouldn’t allow for the car wash to happen today.

But, on the note of your first lesson dear Fijians, you were quick to adapt and be flexible, and your spirits were not brought down (“soaring spirits”…you will understand that in the work week of March 2011). Of course, you were probably disappointed that the car wash couldn’t happen, but you didn’t let it get in the way of Plan B, so for that, I’d like to say that you guys have shown great leadership character today. Remember how you guys dealt with one of your first hurdles today when you face challenges in Fiji next year…it will help you a lot.

So, we all ended up doing what the Mongols showed up to do: clean the container. We had to move everything out because the textbooks were all buried inside the very end of the container, and it involved a lot of rain, assembly lines, and teamwork. Then we drove down to the depot, and there was a bit of confusion there (I apologize). We came back and found all the Fijians still there, and the first thing I said was, ”Why did you guys stand here in the rain silly?!” But thank goodness they didn’t leave because we had to move everything back into the container again…(laughs)

Today reminded me a lot of last year when Paraguay invited us to play football on the turf, our first bottle drive, and bits of Zuunkharaa. After coming back from Mongolia and missing GP a lot, I was glad today happened.

Another lesson you probably would have learned today after looking back on the day is something else MM likes to say a lot, life is all challenges but it’s how you deal with them that matters. Today worked out well even though the car wash didn’t happen. You guys didn’t end up doing what you came to do, moreover, it was something we Mongols were supposed to do. But this is what GP is about I guess. Sure, we may work for different projects, but there is no “yours” or “mine”…if someone needs help, we just do it. That is something I’ll need to remind myself to live by in the future outside of GP too. So I’d like to say thank you for helping out today and giving up your Saturday to do something you didn’t plan on doing. We probably couldn’t have finished it all today without you guys, so thanks!

Anyhow, it was really fun working with you guys. Finally met the Tommy that Puja always proudly talks about (the “Incentive pride”), Ivan who looks like a serious business guy on the website picture but turns out to be quite approachable and very strong, Alicia needs to have a better try at the car wash outfit next week, two girls who can drive while I don’t even have a L yet, and you guys officially have a Dumpster Diver!

 Anyway, my emotions from today can probably be summed up from the feeling in me when I read this: ”Both grade 11s and 12s, we are one Global Perspective Colts family now”.

I remember Paraguay saying that to us last year, and I certainly did write about this when Fijians came in last month…but seeing it coming from you guys after working together today means a lot.

Yay for teamwork!

With the coming of graduation and farewell to RHS, the thought of our experiences taking part in the Colt tradition seems to surface my mind everyday. I hear you (Fijians) are also doing a car wash now, good for you guys! : )

Alas, we’ve lived the tradition, passed on the tradition, and perhaps changed the tradition. Who knows, this might become a new “Annual” thing now.

Few more days until exams are over. Today marks my first time missing Global. Kinda bummed about it, but it will be my first and last. Heard there were more really good presentations too. Too bad. Just have to go bug my classmates to make them tell me their stories again I guess: D

Did I mention there are only a few more days until exams are over?! YAHOO!

Good news: Exam days are going by surprisingly fast. Not so good news: Exam studying is such a struggle. Good news: But the thought that we’re almost half way through makes me feel so happy!

Yep. Naturally, I’ve been thinking about Mongolia during these tough hours of studying and studying…and more studying, in search of the positivity which encouraged us a month ago when we first encountered it. I know it’s exams and we have to focus on them right now, but my whole body is itching to do something. Whether it’s because I’m stubborn, or I don’t know “when to stop”, I don’t know but I’m struggling with it a little bit. Just a bit.

I guess it’s partly because I’m scared. Priority right now is exams…next month we will be overwhelmed with the freedom of post exams, excitement and tears of grad events, the thought of summer and vacationing, then summer I’m out of here, I come back in September and a new school is awaiting me, and it’s more school and exams from there.
Priorities. Balance.
I can’t exactly say I’m scared I won’t do anything in the future, but I’m scared that I won’t be able to balance life and this little fire we still have in us.

Will I be good at taking what I learned from high school and applying it to my life after graduation? Will I be able to bring positive things to my community with the challenge of no longer having GP in my everyday life?

The doubt makes me a little gloomy, but I guess the thought that I can and possibly will, makes things better too. I know when life is overwhelmingly busy and I can’t seem to satisfy my “itching body” in the future, I will come to the website and read your blogs.

Thankfully you guys are here to continue. I know you guys will learn a lot everyday and when I read about it, I know it will inspire me (like maybe ours have inspired you in the past year) and ease my silly worries and doubts. So thanks for sharing Fijians.

Half a month ago in my sadness in the transition of the program between us grads and you elevens, I realized part of the thing I will miss most is learning with 29 other amazing friends and people I call dearly as my Mongols, but now the thought that I can continue to learn with you Fijians cheers me up a bit.

I got a bottle drive notice today from one of the Fijians and heard you guys got a bit from the drive at Burkville or something already right?

You guys are awesome, keep it up: )

IBMongols: ONE DOWN, THIRTEEN MORE TO GO…ADD OIL! (Fijians…start reviewing gr11 material after winter break next year, DO IT)

P.S. The website looks so good, but why do Fijian faces pop up when I press MONGOL blogs (huh Tony?! : D hahaha)

Reading the blogs on the website now feels so different and yet familiar. I see so much of myself and my Mongols in all your new entries and that makes me miss that excitement we felt a year ago so much. But at the same time I’m so happy to see that you guys are so happy.

I like to imagine you guys as the Mongolian kids who will grow up to be teenagers of your age someday…and I hope that they will be able to do great things for the world after receiving their education, and from whatever little influences we may have had when we were there…just as you guys would, and are already doing. I also like to imagine the Mongolian parents smiling when they think about their children and other children’s lives improving day by day.

I won’t lie, it’s hard trying to balance the two things…feeling happy for you guys, and feeling like life is being sucked out of you as you have to put this journey down for a bit now.

Then I remember. I remember what I saw in the picture I chose for the assignment. I remember the smiles of the older generation as they worked away at the school, content that they are able to construct something good for the generations to come. Even if they didn’t have any of it growing up themselves, even if it meant hammering from dawn until sunset. No self pity, no complaints, no hesitation.

If I really learned all that much from Mongolia, then seeing you guys take our positions and get to grow so tall in the months ahead should be so easy. Plus, I read that Fijians are very communal and attach great importance to the family unit.  

Again, Mongolia, you somehow make things easier for me each day. Byarlalaa: )

As MM said, Colts are about tradition. There’s something about tradition that never fails, and there is no doubt in my mind that we won’t be disappointed as the tradition lives on. I like how there is a little bit of friendly competition going on, but do know that no matter how much you raise, we will be proud of every cent you guys raise and so should you. Also be proud of the cents you don’t raise but made an effort and tried to get.

Ohana means family.
Family means support and more support.

Bula to the matavuvale, our dear Fijians.

I have a feeling some of our Mongols who were not able to make it would be checking to see what happened today. So, Hi! I hope the day was good and you guys studied hard/ had fun doing whatever you needed to do.

We drove out to Surrey at 8 with Ms Thomsing and Mrs Kippan and the school van (yes, we have a school van, surprise!) came into action. When we arrived at Tamanawis, we were all gathered in the front of the school looking at all the flags hanging down from the ceiling and extended all the way down the main hall (the flags for GP wouldn’t work out very well in that school because I think all the countries are there already). We then moved down the main hall, passed through these doors and the next thing we knew we were walking up on a stage to start the presentation.

We ran through the presentations we made for the Gr11s and then opened it up to questions from the audience. Initially there was only a few people who had questions but then one by one more and more people started to ask questions. It was fun because listening to my classmates talk I realized even though we went on the same trip the experience was different for each of us. Which is good, because on days like these when I listen to each of us talk I notice different parts of the trip that I might have otherwise not thought about.

For example, one of the questions was what was the most difficult part of the trip for you. Most of us felt that it was leaving home or leaving Zuunkharaa. For me, personally, it was that conflict of emotion inside me between frustration and happiness on the third day when we found out we won’t be finishing the building and half the group was sick…and then our friends came to help us to pick up rocks for the landscaping and everything seemed fine again all of a sudden. That was a hard day. More on that when I do my presentation on A Picture is Worth 1000 Words.

Anyhow, we did two presentations back to back and as Jasmar mentioned in his blog already, many of the students we talked to expressed interest to do the program when Gr12 arrives. Yay! So excited for Mr David. He’s having a parent teacher meeting next Tuesday when he would have to convince the parents…with his special cookies I suspect…so let’s cross our fingers for him.

Then we had lunch in Mr David’s classroom and we saw Mrs McCallum too! They work in two rooms that are right next to each other and both wore green today because they thought it was Earth Day today (WHAT?!)…I was going to go crazy, but at least they tried. We ate lunch with students who are interested to do GP with Mr David. It was interesting because they were not all Gr11s going into Gr12 but students in different grades. Natasha, Veronica, Justine and I was eating with a Gr10 boy who is actually the age of a Gr8 (reminded me of Fareeha’s brother a little bit) but he skipped two grades! He wants to become a doctor in the future too, and do humanitarian work. Impressive eh?

At the end of the day Mr David said he already heard students in the hallway talking about the presentations and the idea of doing GP. Yay! I think I kind of know what Mr M means when he says no thank yous to him. Remember how the Ambassador kept saying thank you, and then we were in Mongolia everyone said thank you to us. Today Mr David also said thank you again but it was almost like run!!! no thank yous!!!  You know what I mean?

That was a Pro D well spent.

From There’s a Hole in My Sidewalk by Portia Nelson

I 
I walk down the street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I fall in.
I am lost… I am helpless.
It isn’t my fault.
It takes forever to find a way out.

II
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidwalk.
I pretend I don’t see it.
I fall in again.
I can’t believe I am in the same place.
But, it isn’t my fault.
It still takes a long time to get out.

III
I walk down the same street.
There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.
I see it is there.
I still fall in. It’s a habit.
My eyes are open.
I know where I am.
It is my fault. I get out immediately.

IV
I walk down the same stret.
There is a deep hole in the sidwalk.
I walk around it.

V
I walk down another street.

Go out there, take the street less travelled, and help the world.
If you don’t do it, who will?

Good luck!

“…And will you suceed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and 3/4 percent guaranteed)
Kid, you’ll move mountains.”
-Dr. Seuss

A close second/third for "A Picture is Worth 1000 Words"

I see two children who are walking hand in hand to what we built short weeks ago.

Just finished using more than 1000 words to explain the 1000 words the picture of my experience is worth.

I miss them so much. Do you miss what I miss?