"I will buy some Onions now" (Some of Miss GK 06 - Karla Magayanes' moments in GK) By MARTIN PONFERRADA
"If you want to see results, if you want to get your
hands dirty, go—! If you happen to be looking for
direction in your life, a purpose greater than a
university degree, materialistic things, then go to the
great adventure tour; if you feel you’ve been sheltered,
go; if you want to help those less fortunate, go!"
Such
is the mantra espoused by Miss GK Australia 2006, Karla
Magayanes: "it sounds corny-- it wasn't my purpose to
“find myself', but I realized that in experiencing
everything I experienced, that life isn’t about finding
yourself...it’s about creating yourself. [It's about] putting
things you can be proud of into your 'portfolio of life'."
Bricklaying, digging, excavating, flooring, hauling,
mixing cement, were I to enumerate all of Karla's
responsibilities here the ensuing list would be more
than enough to fill the pages of this issue. To say that
GK is about building houses would be to put it all-too
simply; the building of relationships in the quest for
total transformation holds no less a weight of meaning
and consequence. Indeed, for Karla, it's the small
moments that stick out.
At the end of her six day stay in Iriga City, Bicol, she
recalls how her host-mother, affectionately titled "Tita
Marie Clare" -- who had but only spoken broken
English throughout –
glanced over her
shoulder to address Karla
on her way out to town.
In perfect English, Tita
Marie Clair said plainly
and distinctly: “I will buy some onions now".
Karla squeals with delight upon relaying this story.
That she had been speaking more Tagalog to better
communicate with her host family struck Tita Marie
Clare as a gesture that simply needed to be
returned. "I will buy some onions now" represents in
capsule form the essence of their relationship, a
quirky give-and-take that was nothing short of
special. "So many memories, so many stories...I fell
in love with my host family." And if that story is
anything to go by, they too fell in love with Karla.
On the day of their departure Tita Marie Clare had
revealed to Karla that she had set herself the task of
learning more English. Thus was her way of saying
thank you, of showing her newfound confidence, of
assuring Karla that her presence as a GK volunteer
did have an impact – a significant impact – on the
life of another.
And so grows Karla's portfolio of life.
Karla squeals with delight upon relaying this story.
That she had been speaking more Tagalog to better
communicate with her host family struck Tita Marie
Clare as a gesture that simply needed to be
returned. "I will buy some onions now" represents in
capsule form the essence of their relationship, a
quirky give-and-take that was nothing short of
special. "So many memories, so many stories...I fell
in love with my host family." And if that story is
anything to go by, they too fell in love with Karla.
