Editing Story 1: Ash

=Dear Diary,=

Last night was absolutely insane. So, get this – yesterday morning I stumbled upon some papers while snooping around my parents' work stuff. Accidentally, of course. And guess what? The whole history and social justice curriculum we're taught? Completely twisted. They're making it seem like the poor folks are living their best lives, all peaceful and rainbows, just like us. What a joke. Life for me is like, rolled out of bed at 10 am – no school stress, no alarms disrupting my sleep. Living the posh life on the rich side, you know? School's this virtual thing with Google glasses, tablets, and a somewhat too-perfect AI teacher. Math, English, Science – the standard drill. But after what I found it made me question my life, So i had to spill the tea to Venus and Jewandaya ASAP. We decided to dig deeper and find the truth ourselves. So, last night, we pulled off some serious spy-level stuff. Sneaking out, avoiding surveillance cameras like ninjas, the government put them up because they are tryna capture this women superhero group called the Night Scholars. Most people think they are dangerous or lame, but I think they are so cool. We reached the other side, Jane and Finch, and there we met Aikam – total (cute) tech wizard, turning discarded electronics into treasures for his neighborhood. Eye-opener, much, like how does he do that???? I told him about the papers I found in my parents home office. Turns out, he had a hunch about this too. We compared notes, and I realized we were onto something big. It's crazy how they're feeding us this fake version of reality.
While we were there Aikam was showing us Westview Centennial Secondary School, how it's this haven of unity and resilience for his community. But what really got me was when he said they have teachers teaching about the arts. I mean, seriously? I've never even heard of such a thing. We're stuck in this high-tech virtual education bubble where it's all about math, science, and the snoozefest trio. Arts? Drama? Music? Nope, not on our curriculum. Hearing that there are schools where teachers are actually teaching these things, it's mind-blowing. Aikam took us on a tour of the school's garden in his community, and it was like stepping into a different world. They're growing everything – potatoes, carrots, tomatoes – you name it. It's not just a garden; it's a living, breathing source of sustenance for his community. What blew my mind was the mini farms families have in the neighborhood. They cultivate their own crops and then sell them at barter markets in Jane and Finch Mall. It's like this whole sustainable ecosystem they've built. Growing their food, supporting each other, and trading what they've got. It's beautiful.
It's wild how different life is on the rich side. If Venus, Jewandaya, and I want something to eat, all we gotta do is tap away on our iPads, and bam, it magically arrives at our apartment doors. It's like having a personal chef at our fingertips, making the whole food experience a click away. But, after what Aikam showed us in Jane and Finch, it got me thinking. We've got this convenience, this luxury, while his community is growing their own food, trading in barter markets. It's like we're living in two entirely separate worlds. Sure, it's easy to order whatever we crave, but it makes me question the real value of that convenience. There's something genuine about growing your food, connecting with the process, and sharing it with your community. It's a different kind of richness. Aikam's community, they live in homes – townhouses, bungalows, and some even stay at the school. It's like a whole different world, where people have space, yards, and a sense of community. Our lives seem so detached, living in these towers that touch the clouds, disconnected from the ground beneath.
His hustle made me question everything. My parents, they're in those corporate gigs for the education government, but this guy's folks are the unsung heroes. Their grind is about real survival. The contrast hit me like a ton of bricks. Maybe there's more to life beyond these virtual walls, and maybe it's time to pop the bubble. Thinking of heading back to Jane and Finch soon, Diary. Wanna see Aikam again. Got this feeling, you know? Like he'd excel in our rich society with his technical skills and resourcefulness. But I don't want to take away that spark I see in him, maybe I’m the one that needs to change society. There's more to education than the sterile virtual reality I've been living in.

=Catch you later, Zena=