Refugee Day was this Sunday. Starting from 11, the campus became a hive of people, smiling faces, joyous laughter, and raucous dances. No, I’m not describing the students of Pearson College, but rather the refugees from Syria that have settled in Victoria.
The day was really eye-opening for me. I loved feeling happy based off of other people’s happiness. There was a big dance party in the caff, and to see my friends so happy and at home amongst the music and dances, a comforting reminder of the fact that we’re all from such different situations, and that the college embodies a new lifestyle for everyone, but that it does skew closely to North American high school traditions.
I learnt how to play checkers, and managed to spend 40 minutes playing against a lovely girl, we shared in each other’s delighted cackles or groans, and eventually we realised each of us was too stubborn for the game to ever end, so we cut our losses and declared it a win on my behalf.
My friends played soccer in the rain with the children, and I also learnt a few arabic phrases. I think most importantly though, that it isn’t about what I learnt from the experience: it’s what my efforts gave to other people. I think that the day really showed me how to be selfless, and I was just glad to see the pure happiness around campus.
Theo
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