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Review

2016

Belize 2

India A 4

India B 8

Tanzania 10

Thank Yous 12

Inside This Issue:

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Belize 2016 One of my favorite times of year is Spring Break. It gives me the chance to relax in the middle of a busy school year and experience new adventures. Our recent trip to Belize has become one of the great-est adventures I've ever personally experienced.

The sheer fact that West Island Col-lege has the capacity to send us, its students, to other parts of the world and learn about different cultures has always impressed me. When I first researched WIC, I was in-trigued by the International Studies program. I, like many before me, wanted to see as many sights and witness as many cultures as possi-ble.

This being said, when Belize was chosen as one of the three senior high destinations for travel this year, my decision to visit Belize was im-mediate. I had never been to a tropical rainforest environment be-fore and the opportunity to experi-ence this unknown place with my friends seemed like a perfect Spring Break adventure to me.

The trip was incredible – not only because of the cool places we visit-ed but of the fascinating things we saw, the rich culture we witnessed,

the exotic animals we observed, and the unique environment we experi-enced, but also because of the oppor-tunity to travel as a group of young students, some of whom I had not met before our trip together.

This year’s Spring Break experience shall not be forgotten. For all the “dangers” that international travel pre-sents Canadians, our two weeks in Belize were smooth and relatively une-ventful (including those pesky, “diseased” mosquitoes). The accom-modations were basic but adequate and our supervisors were diligent in making sure that our group followed the rules. Our supervisors and local guides allowed us to have fun while in Belize.

In summary, I would highly recom-mend going on any Spring Break trip with WIC’s International Studies pro-gram. I wasn’t disappointed and nei-ther will you be.

By Fynn M. (Grade 10)

“The trip was lit. The Sun God smiled on us.”

- Amelia C. (Grade 10)

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This March, some of the Grade 9s (initially expecting to visit the Nether-lands, Belgium, and France) had the unique and unexpected opportunity to explore Belize. For me, Belize was a phenomenal and unique ex-perience. I felt enriched by the ex-posure to a culture and way of life very dissimilar to my own. Belize is extremely different from many of the countries I have previously visited, so I found this trip to be a particularly eye-opening experience.

We spent our first few days working at the Cockscomb Basin Reserve, restoring some of the popular look-out points. All the staff on the Re-serve were very friendly ; it was great to be able to give back to the park. During our time at Cocks-comb, we also explored the trails, traveled to beautiful waterfalls and viewpoints, and even had the oppor-tunity to float in tubes down one of the Reserve’s rivers!

After leaving Cockscomb, we visited the Belizean city of San Ignacio. During our time there, we went cav-ing through the impressive ATM Cave. Swimming through the en-trance of the cave was breathtaking; the water was as clear as glass and little fish were swimming just under the surface. In the cave, we laid eyes on many ancient Mayan arti-facts, some of which were thou-

sands of years old! We even saw the remains of a complete human skeleton! Overall, the caving experi-ence was absolutely incredible and unlike anything I’d ever done before.

Next, we traveled to the largest city in Belize (and its capital), Belize City. While in Belize City, we jour-neyed to Lamanai, one of the largest excavated Mayan sites. We also visited the Belize Zoo and some wildlife sanctuaries in the area. We had many up-close encounters with wildlife in the area. At one point, a monkey even jumped right onto the front of our boat!

Our final destination was the island of Caye Caulker. There, we visited a crocodile sanctuary and went snor-keling in the warm waters. Snorkel-ing in the Caribbean Sea was un-doubtedly one of the most incredible things I have ever done. We swam with sea turtles, stingrays, and even reef sharks! Not to mention, we were lucky enough to spot some dolphins on the boat ride back to the island. By that point, just about eve-ryone was exhausted from soaking up so much sun, not to mention be-ing sunburned to a crisp (we should have put on more sunscreen), but I don’t think any of us would have changed a thing about our incredible experience!

By Alexandra W. (Grade 9)

Gracias al Sr. Ackerman, Sra. Ev-ans, y Sr. Matula

para aventurarse con nuestro grado 9 y 10 viajeros de Belice !

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India A 2016 WIC aims to offer students the opportuni-

ty to experience cultures that differ from

our own – and this year’s trips to India

were no exception. Experiencing a cul-

ture as ancient, as pronounced, and as

treasured as India’s has been one of the

most precious and enlightening experi-

ences of my young life.

Upon our group’s arrival, we were

astounded by the rich culture we were

welcomed into. Everywhere we travelled

– the Taj Mahal in Agra, the Amber Fort

where we rode elephants, and the HoliFestival in Jaipur – the rich colours and

culture were present. This was a drastic

change - almost a culture shock – from

Canada, where we consider our country

to be a melting pot of cultures.

During our trek around the states of Raja-

sthan and Uttar Pradesh, our group was

given the opportunity to visit some of the

greatest landmarks India – and perhaps

the world – has to offer.

Undoubtedly, one of the most exciting

and fulfilling visits was ours to the Taj

Mahal, one of the Seven Wonders of the

World. This exquisite piece of architec-

ture exceeded expectation and, to our

eyes, looked like a life-sized painting,

attenuated by a haze surrounding it. Alt-

hough the Taj Mahal was easily one of

the most anticipated visits, we were all

consistently mesmerized by the beauty

that each landmark invariably offered.

Another one of the most exciting and

memorable experiences of this trip was

participating in the Holi Festival of Col-

ours. This annual Hindu festival, com-memorating the arrival of spring, is cele-

brated by the throwing of pigmented pow-

ders and water, covering most everyone

with vibrant — almost surreal — colours.

We spent this holiday with a local family

in Jaipur who graciously welcomed us

into their home. We celebrated Holi in the family’s backyard, where the atmos-

phere was lively, fuelled by the drum

beats of a live band. The entire group became one, throwing dyes at one anoth-

er, dancing, and taking photos with one

another.

Even though we were immersed in the

thick of the rich Indian culture, the most

inspiring and fulfilling aspect of this trip

were the service programs we participat-

ed in, especially interacting with the chil-

dren in the foundations we visited, as well

as ran into on the streets.

During our bus trip from Agra to Jaipur,

we passed a small group of kids playing

cricket in the grass as the sun was set-

ting. Our bus driver pulled over on the

side of the highway and we spontaneous-

ly joined them. After playing with the kids

(and watching the WIC boys get beat by

them), we donated funds for a cricket bat

to the group. This was our first brush

with the Indian kids we had come to work

with.

By Emmy J. (Grade 12)

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“There were many blessings from above in India.”

- Zach J. (Grade 12)

Our real work began in Nawalgarh, where

we assisted in preparing a well for an all-

girls middle school. For our two days

spent in Nawalgarh, we volunteered by

digging the hole, while the remaining WIC

students transferred the sand from the

hole to a pile on the other side of the field

in an assembly-line fashion. Over our

two days spent in Nawalgarh, we accom-

plished developing the foundation of the

well – an eight-foot deep, six-foot wide

hole (we measured). The work was

strenuous in the beating Indian sun; how-ever, it was important.

The times we spent with the children at

Child Haven International’s Maitreya Chil-

dren’s Home and Adharshila NGO in Del-hi were perhaps the most inspiring and

satisfying parts of this trip for me.

At Child Haven, a residence for Tibetan refugee children, we presented a cash

donation as well as a duffle bag full of

items fundraised at WIC. This was made

possible by a WIC family’s connection to

the foundation (thanks Bhatla / King-

stons!). Afterwards, we were able to

spend time playing with and speaking to

the kids at the home. The resilient spirit

of these kids was astonishing, and their

personal successes with regards to edu-

cation were inspiring. Although we spent

only a small amount of time at Child Ha-

ven, the kids who welcomed us certainly left marks on all of the students, which

will likely never be forgotten.

At Adharshila, each WIC student paired up with a local child and went off on their

own to complete a worksheet aiming in

teaching English skills, angles, measure-

ments, and the like. The WIC students

were able to teach their mentee on a one-

to-one basis, allowing for each of us to

create a bond with our child. This experi-

ence was exceptional, and the two days

we were able to spend at the two cam-

puses of Adharshila, will not be lost on us as we return to our lives at home.

Throughout our trip to India, we were able

to experience and enjoy much of what

India has to offer, from the extraordinary

architecture, the (non-alcoholic) lassi

drinks we braved, the aromatic foods,

and the overall abundant culture, “India

A” was truly given the opportunity to be-

come immersed in a culture much differ-

ent than our own.

This trip allowed us all to develop much

more open minds as well as greater

senses of appreciation and gratitude for

what we have here in Canada. I’m cer-

tain that each of us will look back on our

trip during different times in our lives and

wish we were still in ineffable India.

Amerika ke saath bhaarat kee khoj ke lie Shree Davidson, Sushree

Huhn, Shree Poitras, aur Sushree Law ke lie dhanyavaad.

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Tanzania

Belize India B

India A

“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” (Gustave Flaubert)

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India B 2016 “Group B's" time spent in India was nothing short of amazing. Each day was a new adventure—whether it was celebrating Holi and throwing col-oured powder at others or riding an elephant up into an ancient fortress! Our time aboard brought us a greater appreciation for the profoundly inter-esting Indian culture.

Our first three days were spent in Agra, a touristy city in the western state of Uttar Pradesh. After driving from Delhi (and seeing all the intri-guing sights from our bus), we visited the Agra Fort and the Taj Mahal. The Agra Fort was the Indian capital in the sixteenth century, and visiting it was like taking a step back in time. Beau-tiful walls and courtyards made the history of the site even more fascinat-ing.

After visiting one UNESCO World Heritage Site, we made our way to another, the renowned Taj Mahal. The monument was huge, completed by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in 1653 for his wife, Mumtaz. Visiting the site felt surreal—looking at the pic-tures we took, it looks fake in the background; it is a site so incredible that it defies reality and accurate de-scription.

The Holi Festival of Colours the next day was probably one of the most unique experiences of our lives. It is, essentially, a huge party where peo-ple throw coloured powder and water at one another! There were some locals at the site that were hired to get us excited about Holi; they danced, sang, and led conga lines – it was hilarious! At one point, our whole WIC group was up on the festival stage doing a Bollywood circle dance; we had to stop because the stage was buckling under our weight! It was a great bonding moment for us all, and it really set the joyful tone for the rest of the trip.

While in Jaipur, we first set out to an ethically run farm called Elefantastic. There, we had the amazing opportuni-ty to paint, feed, and wash the ele-phants.

The next morning, we headed for the Amber Fort. All around us, at the Fort, were the sounds of bells and birds, as we rode up the steep hill on our very own elephants! When we made it to the top, we were able to see the vast landscape below.

Later in the trip, we set forth to Nawal-garh, a secluded area far from all the hustle and bustle of city life. It was there that we believe we bonded even

By Emma B. (Grade 12) & Aly R. (Grade 10)

Bhaarat mein is tarah utsaahee yaatra netaon hone ke lie Shree Bennett, Shreematee Bernier, Shree Grewal, aur Shreematee

Irvine ke lie dhanyavaad!

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“I won’t forget the tremendous eye-

opening experience that India provided me as well as all my friends in the group.”

- Chris D. (Grade 12)

more as a group. From cooling off in the outdoor swimming pool to playing cards in the courtyard, we all stuck together. It was at this hotel where we had Bollywood dancers come and perform for (and with) us. They danced on swords. They danced on rusted nails. They even danced while their heads were on fire making pots of tea! It was incredible.

Although our experience was full of adventure, throughout the journey there were vivid and memorable signs of poverty. The contrast of our luxuri-ous hotels to many people’s meagre lifestyles was astonishing. The dis-parity of wealth in India was some-thing novel to many of us and certain-ly left a lasting impression on the group. Coming from privileged back-grounds, and having the ability to help the needy on the street, being told to look away and act as though we had nothing was especially hard. Children and mothers carrying infants ap-proached our group regularly and begged for basic necessities, like wa-ter.

Although we could not help the people on the streets, our humanitarian pro-jects lead us to help the community in ways like no other. Building a well for rainwater collection, teaching children

in the slums of Delhi, and monetary donation to the children of Tibetan refugees are sure to make small dif-ferences in the lives of many, in a more responsible way. For us, these service visits made the most memora-ble experience of the trip.

All in all, this trip was one of the best experiences of our brief lives thus far. Friendships were forged and others were strengthened. Together we made a difference, and together we'll share the memories (and epic photos) for a lifetime to come.

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Tanzania 2016

After great anticipation and our final good-byes to our parents, our Tanzania 2016 International Studies group was off to the great continent of Africa. With adrenaline running through our veins, most of us were awake for most of the first flight! After our nerves settled, most of us man-aged to sleep during our second flight from Amsterdam to Kilimanjaro. We had great luck and the plane was only about half full so we were able to lay across rows and sleep. After arriving in the small city at the base of the world famous 5,895-metre-tall Kilimanjaro Mountain, we loaded our gear in safari jeeps and we went to the hotel in Moshi.

The next day, after a much-needed sleep, we flew to Mwanza (also known as Rock City) where we visited the Village of Hope Mwanza. It was a great experience to be able to see rural Africa instead of the hus-tle of a city. For the next three days, we divided into groups and worked in our re-spective areas of the facility. The first group was in charge of painting inside the classrooms and office facilities while the other two groups were in charge of build-ing walkways. Inside, it was humid and the smells of gas and paint filled the air as we worked with great enthusiasm and motivation. Outside, we lifted thirty pound bricks and lined them with concrete filling. It was quite a labour-intensive task howev-er, when we returned to the hotel, it felt very rewarding that we were able to jump into the ice cold pool and stare out into the sunset over Lake Victoria. On the last day of our work project, we were given the opportunity to play both soccer and bas-ketball with some of the local children that reside at the facility. It was an awesome experience to interact freely with the future adult generation of Africa and experience

their unique way of life and what brings them joy.

After the Village of Hope, we headed out to the Serengeti National Park. This is where everyone was excited to see the animals up close, in a real wildlife setting. When we arrived in the Serengeti, we had a two-hour game drive to our hotel, where we saw so much wildlife on the way! We saw zebras, wildebeests, buffalo, ele-phants, hippos! We were almost able to spot a lion in the area. We spent that night at the Serengeti Sopa Lodge — a hotel I will never forget due to all the mon-keys on our balconies! Additionally, we were able to catch a glimpse of a couple of bats later at night! So cool.

The next day, we set out in our safari vehi-cles and went on a full day safari. We added giraffes, lions, cheetahs and leop-ards to our running list of animals seen. After our full day excursion, we headed back to the hotel and resumed our daily outdoor pool tradition.

The very next day, we left on a game drive towards the Ngorongoro Crater. This was one of the most scenic and beautiful plac-es I have ever been to! The view from the ridge was breathtaking; our hotel was right at edge of the crater!

After another good night’s sleep, we head-ed into the Crater to have another full day’s dose of African animals! As we en-tered the Crater, it was noticeable that there were a lot more animal interactions and it was more densely populated with animals than anywhere we’d visited at that point. Within the first two hours, we saw a rarely spotted rhinoceros, which helped to complete our sighting of The Big Five ani-mals. Hours later, we witnessed a “lion versus buffalo” standoff! After an hour of

By Aleem V. (Grade 11)

Asante Bi Allen, Mheshimi-wa Goulet, Bi Hill, Mhesh-imiwa Rieder, na Bi Butz kwa ajili ya safari kubwa!

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“My favorite part of the trip was the Serengeti

because of the beautiful animals. They warmed my heart and left me in

awe.”

- Kennedy W. (Grade 12)

intensely watching and sore arms from holding up our cameras, the lions decid-ed to back off from the buffaloes. Sadly, there was no attack, yet it was still one of the most interesting interactions that I’ve ever observed.

After the Ngorongoro Crater, we headed to an even more extreme landscape on the island of Zanzibar. This was the part of the trip that everyone had anticipated. We were excited for the warm weather, the world renowned beaches, and some much-awaited time to relax!

When we arrived on Zanzibar, our first shock was the humidity. It was like nothing I’ve ever experienced. After a few hours, we were able to adjust and we headed back to our hotel to eat din-ner. The next day, we made our way to a facility where local tour guides are trained – the Jambiani Institute. Here, we were able to interact with the stu-dents and learn more about the island. They showed us how to weave baskets and they cut us fresh coconuts straight from palm trees that surrounding the facility. We were then taken on a tour of the surrounding villages, where we saw the local women weave ropes made out of coconuts and some of the students climb trees. It was extremely intriguing to see the alternative ways of life on the island compared to the mainland. It was then time to find some shade from the almost unbearable heat and eat some lunch. The food made by the locals was amazing! It was very fresh. After lunch, we headed back to the hotel where some of us went back to our fresh salt water pool and played an intense game of “modified water polo” while others rested on the white-sand beach.

The next morning, we were able to sleep

in and get some solid rest before we headed to a local house in the village to watch a brilliant lady make us lunch. Although it was difficult for everyone to engage in the activity, we were able to bond as a group of friends waiting in the African shade. We then visited a spice farm in the surrounding vicinity. It was amazing to see how the locals are able to grow lemon grass, cinnamon, and many, many, more local spices.

After our amazing last nights in Africa, filled with fun and dancing and, of course, the “drinks on Mrs. Allen”, we embarked on our last adventure in Stone Town the following morning. The town was a really spectacular city to see. The narrow alleyways and the rush of the markets and the city were exhilarating. We were able to visit an old slave mar-ket, local spice markets, and many his-torical sites (such as a famous Muslim mosque and many other churches in the vicinity). We then ate lunch at an ocean-side restaurant before our departure back to Amsterdam and then onto Cal-gary.

Overall, our group’s trip was a once in a lifetime experience filled with many great adventures and stories that none of us will ever forget. It was a terrific experi-ence and a great opportunity to make new friends. We enjoyed and appreciat-ed the opportunity so rare to most teen-agers our age.

I will never forget this experience and I would like to thank the teachers for “putting up” with us crazy students! I find myself reminiscing about the events of the trip every day. I made friends and memories that will last a lifetime and I hope to never forget our somewhat sur-real experiences as long as I live.

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Again, thank you to all of the Faculty and Staff members who accom-panied our WIC stu-

dents on their adven-tures this year!

Without kind, caring, energetic, and gener-ous people like you,

our trips would not be possible!

West Island College 7410 Blackfoot Tr SE Calgary AB T2H 1M5 Phone: 403-255-5300 Ext. 277 Email taralaw@mywic.ca

A huge thank you, as always, to Ms. Leeanne Toovey for her amazing organizational talents in preparing for all of

our 2016 trips! Ms. Toovey, we hope that you enjoyed your Spring

Break as well!

A very special thank you goes to Mrs. Grant-Watt, for being our On-Call Administrator back in Canada again this year!

Thank you, Mrs. Grant-Watt, for sacrificing your sleep for our safety and peace of mind! Your extra attention to detail, commitment to clear communication, and care for WIC students and staff is greatly appreciated!

Through WIC’s partnership with Mr. Nick Moskaluk of The Ball

is Round Society, we distributed 11 soccer balls and 5 pumps this year, in both Tanzania and Be-

lize. Thank you Mr. Moskaluk for con-tinuing to help us help you make

social change through sport!

Thank you again to Mr. Reid Morrison of Incredible

Journeys Inc. for all of his hard organizational and liai-son work before, during, and

after our trips. Here’s to another successful year of travel together, Reid!

Thanks again to Katie D. (Grade 11), Liz B.(Grade 11), and Lindsay H. (Grade 12) for their artistic contributions to this year’s International Studies program!