Joy Evangelista

Today was my last day of high school. Surprisingly I can recall my 8th grade year as if it was yesterday. Wandering the halls nervously, rushing to my classes, lugging around all 8 of my subjects in my backpack, feeling lost; yes it’s great to be past that confusion, but the nostalgic part of me is longing to feel that way again. Fortunately I won’t have to wait that long since my first year of university is just months away. But it’s time to move on, and today was full of mixed emotions. This morning I slept in until 11am with the school day ending at 12:15pm. I was devastated because I had missed the majority of my my last day at Richmond High. I spent a large part of it rushing to get my yearbook signed. I regret not just breathing in and taking a look around me during the day.

I just want to say a huge THANK YOU to global perspectives for giving me everything this year. Thanks for the memories and satisfaction and good times to come. I loved every moment of it, from all the highs to the lows. I love you all and I’m so grateful that I could share this experience with you. LOVE LOVE LOVE. I will never forget global. Ever. And I have a bad memory so this is a big deal.

Goodbye Richmond High, see you later Global Persepectives.

I do and I understand.

So all of a sudden it’s June when last month I swear it was September…what’s going on?! I used to be so completely aware of the end of the school year it was insane. I would count down the days and feel summer coming around February. But this year my sense of time has gone a bit downhill. Today’s date caught me by surprise. In two days we walk across the stage to receive our diplomas. In two weeks we have our Grad Dinner/Dance. In two weeks I’m no longer in high school. June seems to be the month of seeing things come to an end. On Thursday we had our global wrap-up dinner. So bittersweet. Part of me never wanted a yearend dinner because then it actually seems final. Like it’s actually the end, when I know I could see these people whenever I want to. But still, putting up our plaque onto the giant map felt both sad and triumphant. We did it! But that’s a past tense “did” and we’re not “doing” it anymore.

To all you 11th graders and whoever else may be reading this, have fun next year because people are not lying when they say it goes by fast. It’ll go especially fast for all of you global ed-ers. Take in each second! I do envy you but at the same time I came to a point this year when I knew I was ready to leave Richmond High. Every year until this one I always planned ahead for what I would do in high school next year. This year when I look to the future I’m glad I don’t really know what I’m doing next year. I’m ready for some adventure. So whatever challenges and excitement post-secondary may throw at me, I’m ready.

PS: ONE MORE WIN! GO CANUCKS GOOOOO!

Tomorrow we’re locking away our class’ time capsule for 10 years.  Each of us is supposed to put one item in the box along with a letter to yourself. It’s harder than it sounds to write a letter to yourself. 10 years is a really really long time. So many things can happen in one second, let alone 10 years. Right now I’m just writing about my current situation. You know, my favourite things, my best friends, the university I’m going to — the general facts about myself right now. I’m also putting in my hopes and ambitions for the future as well as my realistic predictions for how I think my life will end up in 10 years.

Writing this letter has made me think about how long I’ve been alive. 17 years. That’s a relatively short time considering most of the people I know are over 20, but still, 17 years is quite an amount of time. A decade and seven years! It’s still mind-blowing to me to think that I’ve lived for a decade. If I could make a judgment on the decade I’ve lived through I’d say it was the technological decade (2000-2010). The roaring 20′s, the depression in the 30′s, etc. The 2000′s were also the years when people became increasingly hungry for instant gratification. It seems as if no one can be patient anymore. If your internet’s slow, you get angry. If you have to wait in line, you get angry. People need to have everything portable, so it’s easier. It’s all about convenience these days. That makes me think, is that a good thing? Some people say that our generation is the most creative and innovative since we’re inventing things like the iPod or the Smart Phone; things that make our lives “simpler”. But in my opinion, doesn’t that make our generation less creative? Because instead of inventing necessary things like the light bulb or the telephone, we’re just adding on to those things. I can’t think of anything extremely necessary that has been invented during the 2000′s, just accessories that increase your standard of living, nothing essential. Of course, I am excluding scientific advances and medical research. Those kinds of things are progressing daily.

Okay my blog has sort of turned into a ramble about technology. But in summary I guess what I’m trying to say is that maybe our generation isn’t doing as well as we think we’re doing. This isn’t meant to be an attack on our entire generation, just my opinion. All of these upgrades (iPad 1 to iPad 2, HD TV to 3D TV) aren’t really amazing breakthroughs in technology, they’re just unnecessary improvements to me. Wow I really jumped around subjects in my blog. Sorry if it’s confusing, it’s just my thoughts spilling out into words. This is what happens after two years of IB, now I can barely organize my ideas.

As you can tell from the title, there is a short but much appreciated break between my IB exams so I’ll take this opportunity to blog. Lately everyone around me has been stressed out. This is pretty understandable since we do have about 15 exams to write in the span of 20 days. But everytime I find myself hating IB exams I just think about everything I learned in Fiji. I’m so lucky to have IB, or just education in general. The fact that my biggest problem right now is school says a great deal about my life. I don’t have to worry about providing for my family or where my next meal will come from, I just need to study. Yes, two years worth of knowledge is difficult to review, but it’s nothing compared to the obstacles many children around the world must face. Exams are evidence that we live privileged lives. So I guess I’m just saying that things could be a lot worse.

To the Batswana, hope you’re enjoying your classtimes and everything that comes with this experience. I hear you are all spewing out ideas like crazy; that makes me so proud of all of you!

Til May 23rd (my last exam day),

Joy

When the global perspectives page loaded and I saw the Colts to Botswana 2012 stuff on it, it felt like the wind was knocked out of me. I knew this moment would come but it still felt shocking. All of a sudden Fiji’s a “past trip” and you can’t even see us on the map when you go to this website. I was planning to write this long entry about how excited I am for next year’s group but now I feel so sad. I can’t help but feel like the program is slowly but surely slipping away from my fingers into the hands of next year’s group. Even though I know this isn’t true and I will always be a part of this program, today felt different. Today’s meeting was not for us, it was completely for 2012.

Onto happier subjects, as I’ve previously mentioned in other blogs, this program’s taught me to feel tons of emotions at once. Today was no exception. When Botswana was announced, I didn’t really know what to feel. First I was jealous because Botswana sounds really cool. Then I was so glad that they were going somewhere completely different from Fiji because I wanted our experiences to be original. Then I felt sad because it felt like the Fijian year was over. Then I felt happy because more people were gonna have this amazing experience. All of these emotions added up to confusion for me. But finally I decided to stick with happiness. I was genuinely happy for these gr11′s because they had just begun a beautiful and rewarding journey and I’m not sure if they completely realized that. It was heartwarming to see the excitement and I also felt a bit of deja vu sitting in Matheny’s room waiting anxiously for him to reveal the location of the next project. I finally understand how the Mongolians felt last year. You will never understand the mixed emotions unless you go through this program right through to the end. This must be one of my least organized blogs ever but this just emphasizes my confusion.

Colts to Botswana, don’t waste any time. If I were you, and I really wish I was, I would get to know everyone in the class immediately and start fundraising like crazy. Make the most of this!

When I wrote my last blog, I missed Fiji. Today, I still miss Fiji, but it feels like its been amplified a hundred times. At the closing ceremonies in the village and at the end of our trip, many people were feeling pretty emotional. I, on the other hand, seemed like a robot for the two weeks and at the very most I think I teared up once. I think for the past few days I’ve been making up for my lack of emotions because there are times when I will randomly start crying. It’s actually a little comical because I’ll be doing something, then suddenly a random memory from Fiji will flash into my mind and tears start falling. It’s so weird because now we’re all reunited so I should be happier but it feels like a part of me is missing, and the only place I’ll get that part back is in Fiji.

On a much lighter note, Monday was a fantastically sweet day. After just three days apart, we all missed each other. All of us were wearing our Fijian clothes and there was running and screaming and hugging and laughing. We looked like friends who hadn’t seen each other in years, when in fact it was just a few days (that felt like years). We bombarded Mr. Kippan and Mr. Matheny on their way to their classrooms and everytime we spotted a Fijian we would scream “BULA!” and form a group hug in the middle of the hallway. In every class I couldn’t stop looking at the clock and wishing we could just fast forward to lunch so we could all be together again. (Global is making school bearable for me right now.) When the bell rang for lunch, all of us Fijians in my class (there were 8 of us in the same class) made a beeline for Matheny’s room. To all of our surprise, Geoff came to our class! That was really awesome because it felt like the trip even more. Unfortunately, there was work to be done so we couldn’t really talk as a group. But still, that day was fun.

Today’s class was enjoyable because we were able to talk about what we learned from the trip together as a group. At the same time it made me sad because I longed to be back in Fiji. Mr. Matheny told us we won’t have class on Friday because they’ll already be interviewing the gr11′s, and interviews begin tomorrow. Needless to say, these facts depressed me. It was almost time for another group to start their epic journey. I know this is a “beginning” for us too, but I can’t help but feel like something magical is coming to an end too soon. However it really helps to talk to people about the trip and to look at all the pictures and watch all the videos. It just brings back the whole experience and helps keep it alive. I think it’ll take some time before I’m not sad about Fiji anymore but that doesn’t mean I’m not happy. This experience taught me a lot of things including how you can feel more than one thing at the same time. I’m extremely happy that this whole year happened but I am so incredibly sad that the trip is over, and that’s just the truth.

To all gr11′s who are reading the blogs like I was doing just a year ago, I know you’re excited. First, if I don’t seem very excited to talk to you, it’s just because it’s hard to let go of something you’ve had in your life for so long. But I am really happy that more people will go through this experience because it is so amazing. I encourage all 11th graders to sign up for the class because you may not seem extremely interested in the program right now, but every moment of it is worth it. You learn so much about yourself and others, you gain lifelong friends, and you have so much fun. I’m very jealous of you right now and if I could, I’d do it all over again. Take advantage of this opportunity, you won’t regret it.

Bula!

As I sit in my living room with the heater on and grey clouds looming outside, I can’t help but miss Fiji. But it would be too easy to say that I simply miss Fiji because I’m actually feeling a multitude of emotions right now. At the moment the dominant feeling is nostalgia. There are so many things from the trip that I’m longing for. I miss waking up and seeing all the Fijians’ faces, eating the same breakfasts everyday at the Hotel North Pole and fighting over the pancakes, I miss having long and interesting talks with everyone outside our rooms, I miss the bumpy hour long ride to the village, and of course I miss everything about the village. I miss seeing a dozen rainbows at each destination, and seeing millions of stars sprinkled across the night sky. I have constant cravings for curry, roti, blitz bars, and one dollar ice cream. Most of all I miss the people. The people at the hotels, the people in the village, the amazing children who taught me more than I could ever learn at school, and the other people from this trip.

As I was unpacking my things I inhaled the scent on my dress and certain moments came rushing back to me. I remember at the village Geoff telling us to close our eyes and inhale and you would always remember where that scent was from. From my dress I could smell sand, sun, and salt and I could also see the water in front of me with the beach around me. At that point my longing for Fiji had reached a climax.  After unpacking I decided to look at photos but unfortunately, my computer had gotten a virus while I was away so I took it to Future Shop to get it repaired. While there I was browsing new laptops for fun and one of the sales people came up to me and asked what I would use the computer for. My answer was for university. Then he asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. For the first time in about 10 years I didn’t really know what to say. Up until this year I’ve always known exactly what to do. Whether it was a chef, a teacher, or a nurse, there was always an answer to that question. This trip has taught me millions of things about other people and myself and one thing in particular is that I don’t have to have all the answers right now. On the last night in Labasa I remember Mr. Matheny telling me that we have the freedom to choose what we want to do in Canada after high school, a liberty that not many people are lucky enough to have. I realized that although it is good to know what you want to do in the future, it’s not necessary to have it all planned out right now. There are so many other important things in life that I could focus on outside of school and my career. But on the other hand, this trip has also taught me to value my education. The kids in the village were so excited to learn and they never complained about their situation. I often dread going to school and in class I just stare at the clock waiting for the bell to ring. I think I’ve learned that my education is a privilege that shouldn’t be taken lightly because so many other kids around the world are struggling to even have the opportunity to go to school.

Apart from nostalgia, I’m also extremely excited. I’m excited to share my experience with everyone I know and also to see how it affects my everyday life. I can’t wait to see how I change. But at the same time, I’m also extremely scared. I’m scared that I won’t be able to see a change or maybe that I haven’t changed at all. I’m afraid life might just go back to normal, we’ll all go back to our usual habits and Fiji will feel like a distant memory. Already I feel like I’m forgetting small details from the trip.

Finally, I feel grateful. I’m so thankful that I was able to have this experience and to share it with 30 other amazing human beings. Everyone who came on the trip is so amazing and I can think of a specific memory with each person. I’m so glad that I got to know all of these people and it also makes me realize how much time people waste not befriending others. I wasted 5 years not becoming friends with the people on this trip and I regret that. But this trip has shown me the light and I don’t think it’s ever too late to make new friends. Not to sound cheesy, but I love all of you, and as Mr. Matheny would put it, platonically. Thanks to everyone for making this experience the best one of my life so far.

And….scene.

Today is our last work day here in Wavuwavu. It would be an understatement to say that I’m sad about that. It’s really amazing how many bonds can be made in such a short period of time. Now we’re just doing the smaller jobs as the larger ones such as digging holes or sawing wood is pretty much finished. Mr. Matheny told us that this is the first time in 10 years that he feels confident that Global Perspectives is going to leave a worksite practically finished. I’m not too surprised because the team here is amazing. The foundation was up before we even arrived here, and all throughout the week we’ve been working well as a group. I think one thing I noticed today is the initiative everyone is taking. Compared to day one you could call us all pros. On the first day, there was confusion and jobs needed to be assigned. But today there’s this cool self-motivation I’m feeling around the worksite and everyone just seems to know what to do. Hopefully I’ll be able to take the same attitude home, and I know my parents are hoping the same thing too.

Yesterday before going to the worksite we stopped by the elementary school nearby. I found it really interesting to take a look at the classrooms there because I discovered that they weren’t that much different from the ones in Richmond. The only real differences were instead of a chalkboard we have a whiteboard, and I guess there’s more of an abundance of supplies in Canada. Also, there is a huge difference between the students in the two schools. In Richmond it feels like we take education for granted and a lot of people dread going to school each day. To be honest I often sit in class and look forward to the end of the day or just sit there bored. But here the kids walk miles and miles just to get to class and they’re so excited to be at school. It opened my eyes because it taught me that education is so important. For many kids here, it’s their ticket to a better life. And I’m happy to say that while here the kids have probably taught me more than I’ve taught them.

Every day here has been so eventful and interesting that it’s becoming more and more difficult to fit everything I want to say into one blog. But there’s one person who has stuck with me for a long time during this trip. While we work here, many of the boys and girls come out to help us dig or move rocks or just to talk to us. One boy in particular thought it would be fun to take my name tag and call himself “Joy” for the rest of the day. Now whenever I see him I ask him what his name is and he never fails to say Joy while calling me by his name, Avashek. Today I got to help with the dentists and observe how they treat patients. I found it so nice because I want to be a pediatric nurse in the future and this experience allowed me to witness real doctors work. Also, up until today I was pretty grossed out by anything to do with blood and whenever I would see someone else in pain I wouldn’t be able to keep a straight face. But I learned that doing that just scares the patients even more so today was really an educational experience. Yesterday (sorry to be going out of order), we hiked up the hill next to the work site and I must admit that I am very out of shape. But once we got up to the top my protesting lungs didn’t even matter because the view was just so amazing. It was one of those “one-with-nature/you-had-to-be-there” moments. Nothing I say here will really be able to convey the actual moment. But in spite of this, I will try. So we hiked up a mainly grassy hill, but when I say hill I mean a small mountain. There were random holes and deep puddles and also cow dung so my shoes went through everything that day. We were hiking with a bunch of younger people there including two girls who seemed to find the hike so easy it made me feel a little lazy. They told me that they climb this hill all the time and it takes them much less time than it took me. It just made me see even more differences between Canada and Fiji. Short walks in Fiji are marathons in Canada. But as tiring as it was, I am finding that the things I do here are way more rewarding than the things I do in Canada. Here I climb hills or dig holes and those things take so much effort but in the end you’ve accomplished so much. In Canada I watch TV or take the bus to school and it’s nothing really. Besides this, the trip has been full of amazing moments with my fellow Global Ed-ers. I can feel bonds being made and it’s a sort of bittersweet feeling. It’s really nice because we’re becoming so close with all of these memories but it’s also sad because it only happened now. It feels like I’ve wasted 5 years of high school by not making an effort to become friends with some of the people here. So while I’m trying to live as much as I can here, I also have to try to remember these moments because they’re going by too fast.

PS: I still miss you parents, Faye, & friends.

BULA!
After almost two full days of travelling, we’re finally in Wavuwavu! The travel time really taught me about patience because waiting for 10 hours at LAX was humbling. Also the long waits made arriving at the village so much more rewarding. We arrived in the village on a bus and were welcomed by all of the villagers with music and dancing. They gave each of us a REAL flower necklace and we were treated to a delicious lunch of authentic Fijian food. One moment that stood out to me was when we were able to interact with the people. I sat down with a group of 5-8 year old schoolboys and tried to find out more about them. One in particular was named Radinesh and he was so amazing. I discovered that he loves soccer, hates rugby, and thinks Spiderman is better than Superman. Besides this, I also noticed how there were only schoolboys present and no girls. I asked Radinesh if he had a sister and he told me he did but she was at home. It was interesting to notice all of the differences between Canadian and Fijian culture. Another difference was how food was eaten. All of us ate at a picnic table while the Fijians ate on the ground. Right now we’re in the middle of working and we’re all at different stations. This morning I was at the cooking station so at the moment we were chopping and peeling onions and garlic. Tears were definitely flowing. Others were painting, hammering, digging, and helping with the dentists. My favourite station has to be digging out the “poop pit”. We need to dig a hole six feet deep by the time we leave. Mr. Matheny said that it’ll take at least 5 days but we want to prove him wrong. Today’s the first day and we’re already at three feet. I’d have to say it is the most rigorous job but I think it’s also the most satisfying. After you dig out a huge chunk of earth you can stand back and look at your work with a smile. Once the hole is dug out I’ll be so proud. A few of us are becoming really fond of digging the hole and I’m pretty sure we will want to be the ones to dig out the last foot. While we work we also need to be extremely aware of hydration. The picnic table here is just a layer of blue because it is completely covered with empty water bottles. On a sidenote, there’s no recycling system here so we’re at a loss for what to do with all of the bottles. Some people have already felt the wrath of mother nature through headaches or sunburn. Today was so tiring and it’s just the first day. But instead of focusing on our fatigue we know that we only have a limited time here so we should spend it doing as much as we can. Kyla told me something that has really opened my eyes today which was that the person who lives at this house we are working at is fairly high in society here. This is because he has a flushing toilet, a car, and electricity. We take those three things for granted everyday at home. I’ve learned that certain things in life aren’t really necessary. Just today, little things like feeling rain on our skin or drinking some tea have been the most treasured things. One more thing that is sticking with me is the beauty of this place. Everywhere I turn there are breathtaking views. One of Fiji’s major crops is sugar cane so right now we’re in the middle of a sea of sugar cane. The hour bus ride to get to the village each morning is never boring because the view is just so spectacular. I have to keep reminding myself to live in the moment and soak this all up. I’ve fallen in love with this place already and I feel as if time is moving too fast. So I’m going to get back to work at the hole. By the way I don’t think I’ve ever sweat this much in my life! Normal temperatures here are around 30 degrees Celsius plus humidity. Til next time!
PS: I miss you mom, dad, Faye!