I only got 5 hours of sleep (pre-interview day jitters). Shortly after my Ninang (godmother) Precy told me that I should start getting ready since her and my Ninong (godfather) Felix were going to drive me there before he went to work. So I pulled myself into the shower and got dressed warmly since it was only 8°C out there.
After we left the house at 6:30am, we arrived at Woodbine Beach at around 7:10am. So I was there an hour before registration even started at 8:15am. The Subway opens at 9am so that was actually my only way of getting there on time. The volunteers were already there as well setting up their stations. I may be volunteering next year if I don't run it. What I didn't mind was watching the beautiful sunrise.
Encounter With A Strange Stranger
After sitting down and waiting awhile for registration to open, there was an old guy on the beach named Roger with his large 2 year old guard dog named Boss. He came over to where I was sitting and introduced himself. He talked about his son and how he's a a police officer that's living in Mississauga with his girlfriend and newborn child. He also said that he can't believe he's a grandpa now, that it was only just yesterday he remembered his son was in a police officer training school.
He asked for my phone number to keep in touch before I left, but I told him sorry but no because he was a stranger I had just met. He exclaimed it wasn't like we were getting married, he was an dramatic old man. He's said that with his dog he just sleeps on the beach benches some nights for fun...You would think that would freak me out, which it slightly did, but I did enjoy listening to stories about his family and his knowledge of the various things he's seen on the beach.
Registration
Finding My Runner
I didn't really want to single out a person to interview, nor did I really know how to. I was just awkwardly standing alone and looking around to where everyone was waiting for the go to start. I heard some Tagalog dialect being spoken and I, almost instinctively, turned to where the conversation was coming from. There was a Filipino father and his daughter standing just a few feet away from me. I kept debating whether or not I should head over there and ask the daughter who looked around my age if she was able to be interviewed. A lot of the people I've seen in the waiting area are with family or friends in groups and I didn't want to single out one group member so she was a good candidate to ask.
As I started to head over they went towards the refreshments area so I thought guess I'm not interviewing her. So I walked around a bit, but when I got back to the spot I was in before I saw that they had returned to their spot as well. So it was do or die and I headed over there. I told her it's for school and she immediately leaped at the chance to help me out.
A man saw that I took a picture of Eve in front of this sign (he didn't know if it was required for school) and offered that he could take the picture of the both of us on my phone. I said sure if Eve doesn't mind and she didn't. She was very sweet and helped me plenty on the interview. I'm not going into what I asked and what she answered in the interview as it will all be edited and uploaded onto my college's blogging website sometime by the end of the week for marks.
It was 8:50am and we still had time to kill so we both headed over to the area where a crowd of runners were doing warm ups the announcer was telling and showing them how to do. There was music playing and I was alongside Eve following the same exercises as everyone else.
Marathon of Hope
Just before we headed out to the front of the start line Eve asked me if I was jogging alone as well. I said I was and she said if I was jogging I may as well join her. She said this was her first time running a marathon and said her Dad was just there to take pictures and of course for moral support. So the horn went off and off we went to run the 5k Marathon of Hope together. We ran 4k then walked the remaining 1k. I wanted to walk during the 2k mark but she didn't let me. She said "Come on girl, you can do it!" and I responded with "Um...you can go ahead please. I may start walking from here on." but she wouldn't leave me to it so we ran and we ran until we both had to stop to catch our breaths and drink water.
Eve wanted to take this closeup picture of the names we're running for
Eve said we finished our 5k in just 45 minutes, I didn't believe her until I checked the time. I just couldn't believe we made it that fast. Afterwards Eve and I still had some energy in us but not enough so we decided to do it again, but this time jogging first, then speed walking, and then slowing it down into a walk. We even took some detours the second time around, and even saw monarch butterflies. Eve told me that I should blog about the story that I told her about what my Mom told me about monarch butterflies so here's an aside.
My Tito Manny died of cardiac arrest on August 9th, 2014. It was near the end of August and my Mom found a monarch butterfly and usually you don't see much of those. Then I heard her say "Hi, Tito Manny! Wow! How are you? I see you're passing through and checking up on us. Thank you, we love you!" And I was confused and asked "Mom, why are you talking to that butterfly like it's Tito Manny, are you ok..." She told me that when you see a monarch butterfly it symbolizes the deceased passing through onto their next lives.
Eve and I got told the 2nd time we went around the 5k route from the volunteers that a whole bunch of monarch butterflies were spotted just a turn away. We turned and we saw plenty of them! A whole bunch were perched in two trees beside each other and just flying freely all around that area. It was an unreal moment. I told Eve it may be some of the runners deceased loved ones, that seems poetic in it's own way. Speaking of poetic I haven't written a poem in awhile so when I've got the time I should get back to that.
Eve and I got told the 2nd time we went around the 5k route from the volunteers that a whole bunch of monarch butterflies were spotted just a turn away. We turned and we saw plenty of them! A whole bunch were perched in two trees beside each other and just flying freely all around that area. It was an unreal moment. I told Eve it may be some of the runners deceased loved ones, that seems poetic in it's own way. Speaking of poetic I haven't written a poem in awhile so when I've got the time I should get back to that.
We also went by a little spot where the boats were, although for some reason it wasn't easy to find the 2nd time around, but you can even see downtown a little farther down from it which was a pleasant view and while taking a break we even took some selfie's on her phone. Afterwards we bused back and took the Subway together since we were both heading Eastbound.
Part of the picture collage she made for her instagram
Thanks so much Eve for helping me out on my very first interview for my college's journalism program. I appreciate you sticking by me the entire time today and giving me some pointers on the differences between life styles and choices and how I can keep them in order, I'll keep all you said to me in mind. You have a kind heart and I hope that all of your future plans and goals fall into place. Again a sincere thank you for helping me out.
Since I've been blogging I've been getting nothing but positive feedback from many of you, even from those who I haven't necessarily spoken to in awhile. I am filled with love for each and every one of you who support me and wish me luck and my endeavors. Thank you. Never be shy to tell me you've read my posts and if you have any questions or comments then please do message me.
Today gave me a lot of hope. And I hope that with every year, Terry Fox's Marathon of Hope will have yet to inspire another person to run, pledge, or donate towards finding the cure for cancer.
Until then, Fatima
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