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  • Writer's pictureLena Grace

Regional Days, CAS Week and Haunted Houses


I told myself I’d write at least one blog post per month, that I loved writing so much turning inactive after an introductory to my site would be anything but the issue despite our busy schedules.

And evidently, that wasn’t what happened.

So now here I am, three months later, my first post since Orientation Week and with Christmas and Winter Break already right around the corner. *cues Jingle Bell Rock (I am the ultimate early Christmas advocate) and yay! but how?

The concept of time here at Pearson is unbelievable and impossible to comprehend. It seems so unbelievable to think that my first term here is already at its end (what) and at the same time it feels like it’s been forever and home just seems like it was so long ago. AND although I’ve started whining about classes, I still don’t feel like I’m at school. Which is a wonderful thought. As far as suffering from homesickness goes, I’ve been coping better than I’d expected given the drastic transition from living right in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world to smack in the middle of nowhere in an isolated forest. And strangely I'm kind of dreading, despite wanting so badly to see my family and friends (and stuff myself with food. Real food.) what it'll be like to be back in the hustle and bustle of the city and surrounded by the swarms of crowds and lights that are on 24/7, particularly in the festive season when the entire city comes to where I live for celebrations that will last until 4am when I've gotten so used to the absolute serenity that we get here. I guess we'll see.

What have I been up to these few months I've been MIA? Well firstly, Regional Days of the year are over. (ALREADY?) with the first being European Regional Day, closely followed by Latin America and Afro-Carib. I was able to do dances for European and Afro-Carib, and it was such an amazing experience getting to learn and perform dances I'd never even heard of before and just be able to truly, as UWC puts it, celebrate the diversity of cultures and learn more about the stories of the places where my peers came from. Of course, dressing up is always fun, too ;D and I absolutely can't wait to organise Regional Days for my cultures next year.

October was also a very busy month; the entire student body was off campus mid-month to partake in CAS week, where we spent an week dedicated to an activity of our choice, and it was just lovely to simply be able to take a breather in the real world before all the real work came on heavy and hard right after :o I stayed with absolutely lovely hosts along with 5 other Pearson students for my Classical Photography CAS, and it being my first ever host family stay was more than I could ever ask for with servings of ice creams right before bed every night and deep talks late into 3AM and me waking up absolutely groggy the next morning. And so running through the fog into the middle of the Trans-Canada Highway, seeing our buses leave right before our eyes every morning before finally realising that the real stop was across the street on the very last day, screaming over how mangoes are non-existent in Canada (seriously though why) and being able to make dessert from home will forever mark the memory of my first CAS Week.

Who could forget Halloween? As a part of East House, I got to experience first-hand preparation for the holiday since East House organizes the campus' Haunted House every year. Every two rooms would pair up to create a scenario in the Haunted House, and Room 5 and 6 ended up revisiting the past and bringing the Black Death back to life with handmade plague masks Rosie (Yr45, Canada) and I'd crafted out of cereal boxes and black spray paint. It was beyond exciting to see our month of brainstorming come to life and scare the hell out of everyone who passed the rooms we'd lovingly devised beforehand, and also to enjoy the day in a way I never had back home before.

Right after all of this was when I could really feel the work start piling up with a variety of tests, essays and projects that just came overbearing in an unexpected wave :' All good because my favourite time of the year is coming and I absolutely can't wait for the festivities to begin and when I can officially play my Christmas music as loud as possible without getting weirded looks from my loving housemates. And get to decorate. And binge eat everything to do with peppermint. And watch Christmas movies. And very much look forward to Winter Break. Fingers crossed for snow.

And it's back to classes everybody! On that note, I'm absolutely pumped for House Olympics right this very afternoon it's going to be such a blast

"WE'RE UP THE HILL WE'RE IN THE FOREST LET'S ALL SING THE EAST HOUSE CHORUS WHO LET THE BEAST OUT EAST EAST EAST EAST"

(AND DECEMBER ON SATURDAY OH EM GEE ITS THE MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR)

signing off, Lena

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