At this current point, I am beginning to be very stressed up about the Art Cart Project. Our team has been dragging on this CAS project for a very long time and since our last meeting that was close to 5 months ago, we haven't gotten anything accomplished.
Our previous problem still stands, Jia Cheng, who is our leader, has not been delegating responsibilities to me or Wei Qi and for close to 4 months has been pretty silent on this. I know that this is his project, but we have to have some urgency and get something concrete drafted out before the terms come to an end. Wei Qi and I were thinking of taking over this project from him, since he has shown the inability to deliver on his part. We have made some preliminary plans, but as it its the end of Term 3, we have a lot more work on our plates than before. Also, part of me feels as though Jia Cheng should be taking charge of his own project and as much as I want to be a good subordinate and help him do the work. He has to know that as a leader, he does have responsibilities and expectations placed on him, so he must be accountable to them.
As much as he wants to complain about having work to chase I think it is important to note that Wei Qi and I have work on our ends too. We are trying to keep afloat as it is and personally I find that bad time management skills and the inability to keep ahead of your assignments is very irresponsible. The fact that his irresponsibility means that Wei Qi and I have to cover for him and take over for him is ridiculous. Although we know that engaging an external contact for CAS immediately equates to expectations being placed on our shoulders, part of me thinks if I am really doing this for the sake of service, or to uphold the contact and the reputation of SOTA.
I wonder if what I am doing is actually right and if this mindset of mine at this point is the right one to adopt. The mindset of "just getting it over and done with", because such mindsets like that are very apparent in the work that is produced by us. Even though we want to say that we are doing this for the sake of service, are we really? Are we just doing this for the pure sake of maintaining a contact that might benefit us later?
Additionally, as I think about this act of service, I also think about the purpose of service and why we do serve. Around the globe, youngsters like me are engaging in acts of service but are these all genuine? Do we do service because we want to? Or do we do it because it is expected of us? Some people only engage in acts of service because that is what the universities want to see that in us. But part of me always thinks that service should genuinely be from us and not because it is an expectation that we fulfill.
Tuesday, 27 August 2013
Monday, 26 August 2013
Climbing Club #3
We've been climbing twice a week now, once for ExE lessons and another for our club meetings on Saturday. I realize that I changed physically since I've begun climbing more regularly, my forearms are stronger and my sense of balance has improved. My arms have gotten stronger and I can hold onto the wall for a longer time.
But at this current point I think that there is a limit to how much 'brute strength' I can put into climbing before real technique comes in. I find that I have easier climbs when I make use of my leg muscles more and switch my weight around, instead of focusing on my arms to pull me up. I've learnt that it's about efficient climbing and not about the hard strength of pulling yourself up the entire way. I've learnt how to make use of the wall features to climb. Using the rock-shoes, I can 'smear' the wall and use that as a foothold instead of just relying on the tiles. I've learnt to make the most out of the opportunities being presented to me and even make them if they aren't there. I can parallel this a lot to instances of real life, when opportunities aren't as apparent, but you have to make them happen for you if you want to move forward.
Also, thinking about what Mrs Wong said the other day about rock-climbing being a solitary sport, but this is contrasted against the fact that we are working as a team to support one another made me think about how I could relate this a lot to the IB and SOTA life in general. We are all on our individual paths, each path has its own problems or techniques to clear them. No one can climb the wall for you, or solve the problem you have before you. They can offer support and maybe guidance to how you might clear the wall, but how you get there is up to you. But it is very comforting to be in a group together and know that for each struggle you have, someone too is going through something similar and their support of your efforts is really endearing.I think that the whole team aspect of this CAS group makes me more motivated to climb, because I know that there are people there to support me when I climb and people to bounce ideas off of when I encounter problems. The team has helped to keep me more motivated to climb and with their support I've learnt to overcome a lot more walls, even those I thought I wouldn't be able to overcome before.
Additionally, I was also thinking about what Mrs Wong posed to us about doing an easy wall well or a hard one with difficulties. I think that if you asked me this a few months ago, I would say to do the easy wall well. I think it is because we, as people, have a tendency to want to do things for recognition or for other people's praise. We do seemingly hard things well, when in actual fact they are easier than imagined. But through my growth in my CAS activities and projects. I find that this aspect of me is changing, I find that I would rather do a hard wall that has a lot of difficulties and challenge myself, than do something that might be easy and do it well.
Because I think that we will become stagnant if we don't continuously challenge ourselves and push ourselves to work out of our comfort zones. I've learnt that if we keep staying within our comfort zones, we get stuck in being comfortable we don't look towards pushing ourselves to improve. I think that as an IB student, we as IB learners should push ourselves and challenge ourselves, because in doing so is the only way that we will grow.
But at this current point I think that there is a limit to how much 'brute strength' I can put into climbing before real technique comes in. I find that I have easier climbs when I make use of my leg muscles more and switch my weight around, instead of focusing on my arms to pull me up. I've learnt that it's about efficient climbing and not about the hard strength of pulling yourself up the entire way. I've learnt how to make use of the wall features to climb. Using the rock-shoes, I can 'smear' the wall and use that as a foothold instead of just relying on the tiles. I've learnt to make the most out of the opportunities being presented to me and even make them if they aren't there. I can parallel this a lot to instances of real life, when opportunities aren't as apparent, but you have to make them happen for you if you want to move forward.
Also, thinking about what Mrs Wong said the other day about rock-climbing being a solitary sport, but this is contrasted against the fact that we are working as a team to support one another made me think about how I could relate this a lot to the IB and SOTA life in general. We are all on our individual paths, each path has its own problems or techniques to clear them. No one can climb the wall for you, or solve the problem you have before you. They can offer support and maybe guidance to how you might clear the wall, but how you get there is up to you. But it is very comforting to be in a group together and know that for each struggle you have, someone too is going through something similar and their support of your efforts is really endearing.I think that the whole team aspect of this CAS group makes me more motivated to climb, because I know that there are people there to support me when I climb and people to bounce ideas off of when I encounter problems. The team has helped to keep me more motivated to climb and with their support I've learnt to overcome a lot more walls, even those I thought I wouldn't be able to overcome before.
Additionally, I was also thinking about what Mrs Wong posed to us about doing an easy wall well or a hard one with difficulties. I think that if you asked me this a few months ago, I would say to do the easy wall well. I think it is because we, as people, have a tendency to want to do things for recognition or for other people's praise. We do seemingly hard things well, when in actual fact they are easier than imagined. But through my growth in my CAS activities and projects. I find that this aspect of me is changing, I find that I would rather do a hard wall that has a lot of difficulties and challenge myself, than do something that might be easy and do it well.
Because I think that we will become stagnant if we don't continuously challenge ourselves and push ourselves to work out of our comfort zones. I've learnt that if we keep staying within our comfort zones, we get stuck in being comfortable we don't look towards pushing ourselves to improve. I think that as an IB student, we as IB learners should push ourselves and challenge ourselves, because in doing so is the only way that we will grow.
Friday, 23 August 2013
UniFEM #2
We submitted our proposal and it was turned down, after discussing the matter with Selma, we figured that our proposal was good, but there were a lot of areas that we needed to work on like the planning and engagement with the people we are going to invite over as well as the planning for such a short time frame. Even though I am disappointed that our event isn't pulling through, I think that this came at a pretty good juncture. At Term 3, where all the assessments and tests are coming in, I don't think we would have a lot of time to plan and organize a proper event. We would be too messy, running around and getting things done we wouldn't be able to work on a good event for everyone. Additionally, I also think our event would not pull through with the amount and quality of our manpower. Because I think at this point in time, people are more concerned with their studies than with CAS itself.
Mr Yai suggested that we start on small scale events, like setting up an information booth during lunch to educate SOTA about the issues of Sex-Trafficking and Violence against Women. I think that the small-scale information booth would be better than jumping into a big scale event when we don't know so much about event planning. I think that this is another area that I can work on, learning how to engage people and how to plan proper public events that will engage people. This would be a good springboard to build our foundation of public event planning first, before we plan a large scale event for 2014.
I think that this is a good wake-up call for us to be more mindful in our planning and be a lot more aware of the time-periods where we set events. Because what dates that we set aside on paper may not be implemented in a real-life scenario.
Also, I am very concerned that I do not know much about the Human-Trafficking situation in countries like Semarang, Indonesia and surprisingly even in Singapore. It surprises me that there are situations like this even in Singapore, but this makes me think of the Sex-Slave situation in Sweden too. I should probably read up more about such issues because this relates to me a lot as a female who, thankfully, has never had to confront these things first-hand in my life. Perhaps that this could be a situation or issue that I could further develop when I graduate.
Mr Yai suggested that we start on small scale events, like setting up an information booth during lunch to educate SOTA about the issues of Sex-Trafficking and Violence against Women. I think that the small-scale information booth would be better than jumping into a big scale event when we don't know so much about event planning. I think that this is another area that I can work on, learning how to engage people and how to plan proper public events that will engage people. This would be a good springboard to build our foundation of public event planning first, before we plan a large scale event for 2014.
I think that this is a good wake-up call for us to be more mindful in our planning and be a lot more aware of the time-periods where we set events. Because what dates that we set aside on paper may not be implemented in a real-life scenario.
Also, I am very concerned that I do not know much about the Human-Trafficking situation in countries like Semarang, Indonesia and surprisingly even in Singapore. It surprises me that there are situations like this even in Singapore, but this makes me think of the Sex-Slave situation in Sweden too. I should probably read up more about such issues because this relates to me a lot as a female who, thankfully, has never had to confront these things first-hand in my life. Perhaps that this could be a situation or issue that I could further develop when I graduate.
Tuesday, 20 August 2013
Singapore Memory Project #3
We just had our meeting after close to a month of not having meetings. We are almost done putting the final touches on our eBook on Goodman and Shruti asked us if we wanted to stay on with this project or stop. Initially, I thought I would stop this CAS project and move onto something else, but when I reflect deeper, I think that I haven't really been putting in my full to this commitment and I feel committed to at least see through another project well this time.
If I reflect more on my initiation with the SMP eBook project, it was not as if I wasn't doing anything. I was doing things, but it was probably the bare minimum that Shruti or Hsin Yee was asking from me. As I look back on this, I don't think that I was doing anything wrong. I did what was allocated to me and I did finish it in the end. The problem is, I don't think I was doing the task at hand to the best of my ability and taking this project as far as I could to help out.
That is probably something I should change, because this endeavor, to collect Singaporean History and our local history is something that is very important to me. I also think that it is something of great value to preserve the stories of the past so that the future generations have something to look back on.
People have asked me before why I study History and why do I feel so strongly towards our local history. I will admit that it may not really provide people with a 'better life' like the furthering of science and medicine, but history does have it's importance.
I remember that Mr Yeo gave us a Theory of Knowledge lecture on History and said that the importance of history is that it gives everyone a greater sense of belonging. History itself, provides people with roots and at this juncture where were are so undefined and constantly speaking about a being a country that has no roots. It should be important to document and protect our national stories. Because it provides the people with important anchors that allows them to have a sense of belonging.
It makes me think about the fact that more and more youths do not have very strong nationalist sentiments towards Singapore and feel no qualms against leaving as compared to other countries like Philippines or Vietnam. It may be due to the fact that we don't have much history together and that's maybe all the more reason why this project is important.
If I reflect more on my initiation with the SMP eBook project, it was not as if I wasn't doing anything. I was doing things, but it was probably the bare minimum that Shruti or Hsin Yee was asking from me. As I look back on this, I don't think that I was doing anything wrong. I did what was allocated to me and I did finish it in the end. The problem is, I don't think I was doing the task at hand to the best of my ability and taking this project as far as I could to help out.
That is probably something I should change, because this endeavor, to collect Singaporean History and our local history is something that is very important to me. I also think that it is something of great value to preserve the stories of the past so that the future generations have something to look back on.
People have asked me before why I study History and why do I feel so strongly towards our local history. I will admit that it may not really provide people with a 'better life' like the furthering of science and medicine, but history does have it's importance.
I remember that Mr Yeo gave us a Theory of Knowledge lecture on History and said that the importance of history is that it gives everyone a greater sense of belonging. History itself, provides people with roots and at this juncture where were are so undefined and constantly speaking about a being a country that has no roots. It should be important to document and protect our national stories. Because it provides the people with important anchors that allows them to have a sense of belonging.
It makes me think about the fact that more and more youths do not have very strong nationalist sentiments towards Singapore and feel no qualms against leaving as compared to other countries like Philippines or Vietnam. It may be due to the fact that we don't have much history together and that's maybe all the more reason why this project is important.
The Blind Set #1
I think the hardest thing that I have to confront when working with my Theatre-major classmates when I am a Visual Artist, is our clashing ideals and wants for the project.
Throughout the course of working with them, I found myself having to hold back and listen to what they want in their set. To me it was very difficult to come to a consensus with them because as a Visual Artist, I am very used to coming up with my own ideas and implementing things according my own wants and fancies. When acting out on this set, I had to remind myself that I am only a worker here and that someone else is in charge of the idea. Despite my liberty to provide input, the overall "look" of the set should be decided upon by the director, Diego.
Through this experience, I had to challenge myself to work with people from other majors and to work collaboratively with them to produce a final work together. I also found it very difficult to work in making the actual set because the team handed the project over to us very close to their show week. Although we promised to deliver them a proper set, I think it was very unprofessional of them to hand it over to me and Ching Yi a week before the show and expect us to deliver it to them. Also, I think that if they wanted us to deliver to them, I think they should have given us the breakdown of their sets before-hand and the measurements of the flats we were using. Because we did not have the measurements and breakdown of the set, we were delayed in making our end of the set. I am not trying to discredit their efforts and claim that they have not done to deliver on their end, but I think that if one was to engage external members to collaborate with you, I think that one should have all aspects covered. In the end, I think I managed to get a plan out and we were able to finish the set.
I also had to consider many aspects that I don't normally consider when I make an artwork, such as lighting and whether it would make people uncomfortable and dizzy. Because compared to an artwork, I learnt that a theatre piece involved with a putting the audience through an experience. So things like audience reception is more emphasized, compared to Visual Art.
Throughout the course of working with them, I found myself having to hold back and listen to what they want in their set. To me it was very difficult to come to a consensus with them because as a Visual Artist, I am very used to coming up with my own ideas and implementing things according my own wants and fancies. When acting out on this set, I had to remind myself that I am only a worker here and that someone else is in charge of the idea. Despite my liberty to provide input, the overall "look" of the set should be decided upon by the director, Diego.
Through this experience, I had to challenge myself to work with people from other majors and to work collaboratively with them to produce a final work together. I also found it very difficult to work in making the actual set because the team handed the project over to us very close to their show week. Although we promised to deliver them a proper set, I think it was very unprofessional of them to hand it over to me and Ching Yi a week before the show and expect us to deliver it to them. Also, I think that if they wanted us to deliver to them, I think they should have given us the breakdown of their sets before-hand and the measurements of the flats we were using. Because we did not have the measurements and breakdown of the set, we were delayed in making our end of the set. I am not trying to discredit their efforts and claim that they have not done to deliver on their end, but I think that if one was to engage external members to collaborate with you, I think that one should have all aspects covered. In the end, I think I managed to get a plan out and we were able to finish the set.
I also had to consider many aspects that I don't normally consider when I make an artwork, such as lighting and whether it would make people uncomfortable and dizzy. Because compared to an artwork, I learnt that a theatre piece involved with a putting the audience through an experience. So things like audience reception is more emphasized, compared to Visual Art.
Spoken Word Poetry CAS #1
Our first session today was quite unexpected, for me. Some juniors turned up without emailing me, so I had to improvise another session on the spot. I went through the ground rules and expectations of the group like:
We covered basic expectations of the group and the fact that members will be expected to perform for the upcoming Lit Night. We also covered our writing styles and what we write poetry about. I gave them some homework to work on the performing aspect of Spoken Word, they'll be performing a mini piece during our next session.
I think the first session went fine though, they were quite responsive to the prompts I gave them and quite open to sharing about their work after. After working as a leader for OSL and GPS Cebu, I found it in myself to work more effectively and think on my feet faster. I was able to come up with pretty decent prompts in less than a minute, so I'm quite proud of myself. Also after the session when I asked for honest feedback, they told me they learnt quite a bit about Spoken Word and a little more about the people they were going to be journeying with. I also made an effort to apologise to them if they felt if they wasted their time. Because as much as I can say I didn't know the number of people I was planning the session for, I am accountable to making sure they learn something and they aren't wasting their time. As a leader, I think I should put more effort into planning a better session for them next week and not reply on spontaneous planning to make my sessions work. I also got their contact numbers and emails so meeting timings and information will be disseminated faster.
Member Expectations
- Perform for one of the upcoming Lit Nights (CAS outcome for Year 5s)
- Bring a notebook/ have a folder on your Mac solely dedicated to the group. (Quite flexible with this one, just make sure it’s accessible and that you have a platform to write when we must)
- Be open & honest in sharings.
- Provide constructive feedback and criticism: substantiate feelings if any i.e. if a piece didn’t strike you, provide why. If it did, say why.
- It’s okay to not be good at Spoken Word when you first try it, ultimately we’re all here to learn with each other
We covered basic expectations of the group and the fact that members will be expected to perform for the upcoming Lit Night. We also covered our writing styles and what we write poetry about. I gave them some homework to work on the performing aspect of Spoken Word, they'll be performing a mini piece during our next session.
I think the first session went fine though, they were quite responsive to the prompts I gave them and quite open to sharing about their work after. After working as a leader for OSL and GPS Cebu, I found it in myself to work more effectively and think on my feet faster. I was able to come up with pretty decent prompts in less than a minute, so I'm quite proud of myself. Also after the session when I asked for honest feedback, they told me they learnt quite a bit about Spoken Word and a little more about the people they were going to be journeying with. I also made an effort to apologise to them if they felt if they wasted their time. Because as much as I can say I didn't know the number of people I was planning the session for, I am accountable to making sure they learn something and they aren't wasting their time. As a leader, I think I should put more effort into planning a better session for them next week and not reply on spontaneous planning to make my sessions work. I also got their contact numbers and emails so meeting timings and information will be disseminated faster.
I tried to emphasis the fact that we are here to learn together most of all because I didn't want a very competitive and un-conducive atmosphere for them to write in. Especially because, I didn't want to foster that kind of environment to permeate when we people come together to write. I am very adverse to the whole idea of making the whole club have a competitive atmosphere because I think that stops a person's creativity from flowing because they feel like they're being judged.
As a Spoken Word Performance Poet, I think that this session has really pushed me to step out of my comfort zone. Because I am too, not very comfortable with public speaking. The announcement to call members was especially nerve-wracking for me because of my fear of public speaking. Personally, I think that even the other members, like Almira, Gwen, Diego, Alina, Rachel Chew and Sophie are better speakers than I am. I also find it quite ironic because they're looking to me for advice but sometimes I feel like I'm not the best person to give them advice because I'm not that good at Performance Poetry, but I am very interested in it? As a Performance Poet, I think I should learn how to be comfortable in my own skin and comfortable under public scrutiny when I perform. I know that I have a lot of space to grow into, with big shoes to fill and a lot more to learn, but I am confident that we can do it as a group.
At this point I'm kind of doubting my ability as a leader and a performance poet because I feel very intimidated by the people around me who are infinitely better speakers than I am, but I think I should try and learn to be more comfortable with myself.
Monday, 12 August 2013
Rock climbing
Today we had our level one belaying course. We were tasked with learning how to belay our partners, learning the different aspects of climbing, the belay calls and the belaying technique.
I found the belaying technique the most difficult to grasp. As i reflect I'm a much better climber than belayer. But I want to change that as I move forward, because what our instructor Sig taught us was that even if we are good climbers it means nothing if your belaying technique is unsafe: because it would mean someone's life in your hands.
I found learning how to set up the ropes and belaying device most difficult. I struggled a lot to grasp the techniques of of the ropes and the belaying device because I want being very patient wit the device. As I'm reflecting, I find that maybe I was trying to cut steps a bit because we learnt this before. When I was more patient, I found that the ropes were much easier to manage than I initially thought.
When I'm thinking now, I think the safety aspect of the climbing really scares me. Because its very similar to having someone's life in your hands when you belay the person. One wrong move could render the person grievously injured and harmed permanently. I think this makes me a lot more cautious as a belayer when I have my friend's life in my hands. I think if I continue to keep this aspect of safety in mind it would probably make me a safer belayer and minimize any unnecessary risks when it comes to belaying.
Sig also taught us to treat the equipment that we are using with respect. We shouldn't step on the ropes, as it would introduce tiny particles into the rope that may cause it to break in the future. We should also not run with the climbing shoes as it will wear out the rubber and may damage the climbing shoes early. Our instructor taught us to value our equipment when we are using it, because all these things are going to help us save our lives and that isn't something we should take lightly.
Sig also taught us to treat the equipment that we are using with respect. We shouldn't step on the ropes, as it would introduce tiny particles into the rope that may cause it to break in the future. We should also not run with the climbing shoes as it will wear out the rubber and may damage the climbing shoes early. Our instructor taught us to value our equipment when we are using it, because all these things are going to help us save our lives and that isn't something we should take lightly.
I also learnt more techniques to climbing today. Which really helped me refine my climbing technique for that I am very grateful to my instructors Sig and Daryl. They taught us not to be afraid of the wall and that we should trust in our abilities and strengths while we were climbing. I think that the whole idea of trusting in my abilities can be applied to real life and when I'm confronting my academic struggles. I think that I should trust that if I have the abilities, if I put my mind to it, I will be able to succeed and eventually reach the top.
Thursday, 8 August 2013
Singapore Memory Project #2
If I reflect deeper, I don't think I have been very committed to the Singapore Memory CAS group.
I joined in January with loaded enthusiasm about documenting Singaporean history which I am very interested in. But I think I let a lot of my other commitments, like academics and the arts where I am more actively involved in and demand more of my time, get in the way of producing and staying committed to the project.
I believe that we were supposed to come up with a few pages for the eBook that everyone is contributing to. Honestly as one of my minor CAS projects, I put that very low on my priority list and set about completing everything on that list before I started on my pages. In retrospect. It would have probably only taken me an hour to complete if I had the patience and drive, but sheer laziness and procrastination made me delay it till the last minute.
I will admit that I was tempted to submit a very shoddy piece of work to my peers, which I did complete in time. But I decided against it. I thought about how I would have felt if I were in Shruti or Hsin Yee's shoes if they saw my lack of drive and commitment. So I held back, and submitted, what I think is a better set of pages to them, two weeks late. I know now that I did impede on the project schedule and that in future I should never do this again. Because it is not only doing my peers and this project a big dis-service, but I am also letting myself down. Because I know that I can produce better work than what I am doing now and that I need to up my game on this project even if it is one of my minor CAS projects.
I shouldn't let myself fall into the trap of complacency and procrastination. I find that I am doing that a lot lately even with my academics and that is really an area that I need to change.
I joined in January with loaded enthusiasm about documenting Singaporean history which I am very interested in. But I think I let a lot of my other commitments, like academics and the arts where I am more actively involved in and demand more of my time, get in the way of producing and staying committed to the project.
I believe that we were supposed to come up with a few pages for the eBook that everyone is contributing to. Honestly as one of my minor CAS projects, I put that very low on my priority list and set about completing everything on that list before I started on my pages. In retrospect. It would have probably only taken me an hour to complete if I had the patience and drive, but sheer laziness and procrastination made me delay it till the last minute.
I will admit that I was tempted to submit a very shoddy piece of work to my peers, which I did complete in time. But I decided against it. I thought about how I would have felt if I were in Shruti or Hsin Yee's shoes if they saw my lack of drive and commitment. So I held back, and submitted, what I think is a better set of pages to them, two weeks late. I know now that I did impede on the project schedule and that in future I should never do this again. Because it is not only doing my peers and this project a big dis-service, but I am also letting myself down. Because I know that I can produce better work than what I am doing now and that I need to up my game on this project even if it is one of my minor CAS projects.
I shouldn't let myself fall into the trap of complacency and procrastination. I find that I am doing that a lot lately even with my academics and that is really an area that I need to change.
Climbing CAS
I joined the Rock-Climbing CAS group because after the climbing session we had during ExE, I was really interested to join. At first I think I tired myself out very easily, I would stay stuck on the wall, on a tile, for a while before I moved on to another tile. As I attended more sessions and climbed more walls, I learn that I was not angling my body in the right way when I was climbing. After talking to a few of my more experienced climbing friends and teachers, I learnt that I was letting gravity work against me as I climbed up, by sticking my body out towards the ground instead of keeping my body close to the wall. Also, I personally learnt that once I got the momentum of climbing it became a lot easier to climb the wall instead of crawling up a bit and then pausing for a minute before going up again.
I also noticed that the more experienced climbers mapped out their routes first before they went up, I can also learn from that aspect of rock-climbing and learn to take things slowly and plan them out before just jumping into them. I learnt that I also tended to climb better when I roughly planned my route before hand instead of climbing instinctively.
After attending a few sessions of the rock-climbing CAS, I think I can climb up the walls a lot easier now. Especially after we've done a very intense strength training and body conditioning session. That session in particular really tested my endurance and strength. I find that I have quite weak forearms but my core is still reasonably strong so I need to train more to keep those muscles fit for climbing.
Honestly I was a little surprised when Grace sent the email and said I was in the CAS group. Because to me I don't think I'm a very good climber and I think there are a lot of areas that I need to improve on. But Grace said that the people who tried out were assessed according to attitude, commitment and potential. I hope that I can work on those aspects of my life, commitment and attitude slowly through this CAS group. Because of the strict training regime, I think I would be pushing myself to be more disciplined in this group. I'm very heartened to be a part of this CAS to not only learn a new skill of climbing, but also to work on my areas of discipline and strength that I feel are lacking in my life.
I also noticed that the more experienced climbers mapped out their routes first before they went up, I can also learn from that aspect of rock-climbing and learn to take things slowly and plan them out before just jumping into them. I learnt that I also tended to climb better when I roughly planned my route before hand instead of climbing instinctively.
After attending a few sessions of the rock-climbing CAS, I think I can climb up the walls a lot easier now. Especially after we've done a very intense strength training and body conditioning session. That session in particular really tested my endurance and strength. I find that I have quite weak forearms but my core is still reasonably strong so I need to train more to keep those muscles fit for climbing.
Honestly I was a little surprised when Grace sent the email and said I was in the CAS group. Because to me I don't think I'm a very good climber and I think there are a lot of areas that I need to improve on. But Grace said that the people who tried out were assessed according to attitude, commitment and potential. I hope that I can work on those aspects of my life, commitment and attitude slowly through this CAS group. Because of the strict training regime, I think I would be pushing myself to be more disciplined in this group. I'm very heartened to be a part of this CAS to not only learn a new skill of climbing, but also to work on my areas of discipline and strength that I feel are lacking in my life.
Wednesday, 31 July 2013
Alexandria Art Cart
I'm finding it very hard to still be motivated for the Art Cart project. I thought that we were supposed to have our proposals in by the start of the June Holidays and meet up to finalise the project so that we could get done before August at least. But, not having heard about it for a long time from Jia Cheng, I gradually forgot about this project entirely because of other commitments, I think I should learn to keep myself more on task when I work with my different CAS projects.
I think that as a group, we should try to be a bit more committed and focused on the outcomes of this Art Cart project. At the same time, I also know that I should have been more committed too, although I am only a member. I think that I should learn from this experience and in further projects I should remember to be more accountable to other people and other organizations that I am working with and for.
I think this speaks to me a lot because I learn know to be more committed and remember to be more committed in my future endeavors. As a response to taking initiative, I have emailed Ms Tan on Jia Cheng's behalf to get things going. I also need to remember that we are working with people with their own busy schedules so we all must be understanding. I did talk to Wei Qi and Jia Cheng on whether we can build and make a program for the Art Cart and hand the activity over to future SAC groups so that they can have an opportunity to be exposed to this form of service through the arts.
I think that as a group, we should try to be a bit more committed and focused on the outcomes of this Art Cart project. At the same time, I also know that I should have been more committed too, although I am only a member. I think that I should learn from this experience and in further projects I should remember to be more accountable to other people and other organizations that I am working with and for.
I think this speaks to me a lot because I learn know to be more committed and remember to be more committed in my future endeavors. As a response to taking initiative, I have emailed Ms Tan on Jia Cheng's behalf to get things going. I also need to remember that we are working with people with their own busy schedules so we all must be understanding. I did talk to Wei Qi and Jia Cheng on whether we can build and make a program for the Art Cart and hand the activity over to future SAC groups so that they can have an opportunity to be exposed to this form of service through the arts.
GPS
I think that GPS Cebu has really helped me to grow.
Not just physically but mentally and spiritually. Through this journey in GPS I think I've discovered what I want to do in life and what I hope to pursue as a career. I am very drawn to the idea of going into academia and maybe becoming a teacher.
From my family upbringing, parents being Professors for years, I always knew that I wanted to go into an academic field. I've seen the passion and love my parents have for the fields that they are in and the willingness that they have to share that passion with others has always inspired me. But having to sit through education in a normal or as we like to call it in SOTA "mainstream" school, I found that this sort of passion was almost never embodied in any of my primary school teachers. Safe for a few english teachers that inspired me greatly to read and write in english, most of my other subject teachers treated the profession like any other 9 to 5 job. They would come in, teach, give homework and leave. They wouldn't get to know us as kids, much less as people, they wouldn't even interact with us outside of school. This was the same trend I witnessed when all of my other team-mates presented on their unhappy times in primary school. Which left me questioning the purpose and roles of a teacher, and when I was younger, I used to be very upset by it.
I've always felt that as teachers, it is not merely getting a job done, but they have the futures in the palms of their hands. It used to anger me when teachers would blatantly not care about the student's wellbeing when words are being said. Granted that sometimes students do try to step over the teachers, I think that kids, primary school kids in particular, should be treated with a lot more care. This, of course, isn't just limited to only the domain of teaching, but rather how we treat the people around us. We may want to get things done, and strive purely for the tangible results, but in a sense we ignore the people around us. We ignore that the people that we have around us are still people at the end of the day; and people should be treated with love and respect even when they sometimes do not deserve it.
I'm very glad to say that the disillusionment and perhaps even anger at teachers and friends has been quelled. During GPS Cebu, I've had the privilege to be a part of this team, but I am especially grateful to have been led by and taught by, very amazing teachers who have taught valuable lessons, very selflessly. To me, it was very heartening to see the same teachers, whom I felt very distant from share deeply with us. To know that they did trust us with some of their most personal memories and believed in us despite us failing and not being the best we possibly could be.
That is what I aspire to be, not a teacher specifically but someone who loves and can love as deeply as these people have. I want to be someone who shares ideas with others, teaching them as I learn from them too.
I found this comic on Tumblr that really encapsulates why I really respect teachers in their own right. I don't think that it should be limited to teachers alone but the passion for the profession is what I really want to have when I graduate and get a job. I don't want to be in a job that just pays well, but one that I am passionate about.
Because that is what I think is the most important at this point in time, not necessarily tangible material results, but the more important ones of care and love.
Not just physically but mentally and spiritually. Through this journey in GPS I think I've discovered what I want to do in life and what I hope to pursue as a career. I am very drawn to the idea of going into academia and maybe becoming a teacher.
From my family upbringing, parents being Professors for years, I always knew that I wanted to go into an academic field. I've seen the passion and love my parents have for the fields that they are in and the willingness that they have to share that passion with others has always inspired me. But having to sit through education in a normal or as we like to call it in SOTA "mainstream" school, I found that this sort of passion was almost never embodied in any of my primary school teachers. Safe for a few english teachers that inspired me greatly to read and write in english, most of my other subject teachers treated the profession like any other 9 to 5 job. They would come in, teach, give homework and leave. They wouldn't get to know us as kids, much less as people, they wouldn't even interact with us outside of school. This was the same trend I witnessed when all of my other team-mates presented on their unhappy times in primary school. Which left me questioning the purpose and roles of a teacher, and when I was younger, I used to be very upset by it.
I've always felt that as teachers, it is not merely getting a job done, but they have the futures in the palms of their hands. It used to anger me when teachers would blatantly not care about the student's wellbeing when words are being said. Granted that sometimes students do try to step over the teachers, I think that kids, primary school kids in particular, should be treated with a lot more care. This, of course, isn't just limited to only the domain of teaching, but rather how we treat the people around us. We may want to get things done, and strive purely for the tangible results, but in a sense we ignore the people around us. We ignore that the people that we have around us are still people at the end of the day; and people should be treated with love and respect even when they sometimes do not deserve it.
I'm very glad to say that the disillusionment and perhaps even anger at teachers and friends has been quelled. During GPS Cebu, I've had the privilege to be a part of this team, but I am especially grateful to have been led by and taught by, very amazing teachers who have taught valuable lessons, very selflessly. To me, it was very heartening to see the same teachers, whom I felt very distant from share deeply with us. To know that they did trust us with some of their most personal memories and believed in us despite us failing and not being the best we possibly could be.
That is what I aspire to be, not a teacher specifically but someone who loves and can love as deeply as these people have. I want to be someone who shares ideas with others, teaching them as I learn from them too.
I found this comic on Tumblr that really encapsulates why I really respect teachers in their own right. I don't think that it should be limited to teachers alone but the passion for the profession is what I really want to have when I graduate and get a job. I don't want to be in a job that just pays well, but one that I am passionate about.
“Some people think only intellect counts: knowing how to solve problems, knowing how to get by, knowing how to identify an advantage and seize it. But the functions of intellect are insufficient without courage, love, friendship, compassion, and empathy.” - Dean Koontz
I think that this quote from Dean Koontz summarizes my view on school right now. I know that I may not be the best academically, with the best grades or match up to the standards of a model student. But I ultimately want to be someone who loves other people and inspires that same love irregardless.
This is why I am very grateful for the opportunity that I have had to study in SOTA and have a different view of education than most Singaporeans. With the skills that I learn and the diploma that I am working towards, I hope that I can finish university and give back to the places that I have learnt from. Hopefully I can too inspire those around me too.
UniFEM #1
We just had our first meetings with the whole planning team and Ms Mrinalini and Erny from UNIFem. Being a leader, even as a vice, I think that my previous leading experiences has refined me into being a more organized and motivated person. Personally I find myself more organized in outlining proposals and keeping the team organized.
Sometimes I feel as though I'm the main person keeping the team on-track with deadlines and delegations. I acknowledge that Selma is our main leader, but I do know that she is not very organized and sometimes a little erratic at times. That is probably why we work quite well together, I balance out Selma's disorganization with my slightly better organization. This too, shows that I have grown a lot since I first took on leadership roles in OSL, when I was very disorganized and had to rely more on experienced leaders like Yin Ying or Jia Wen.
Now with Selma I realise that she deals more with getting our contacts and brainstorming while I get her ideas organized and put those plans into action. It's funny how I've grown perhaps to become a little more organized to better suit the task I'm assigned to. This process may not be a very huge event, but this has shown that I am growing to take on better responsibilities as a person and even as a leader.
Although I am very enthusiastic about our project, I can't help feel as though we may not have enough time to plan for the event. If I do the math and count the number of weeks we have to plan and set up this event. We have less than 3 weeks to get the whole event with location, booths, people and overall logistics settled by National Day. With our very short run-way I think the whole event may not come together even with our planning. I am having my doubts but I will try to stay committed as a leader to this event.
Sometimes I feel as though I'm the main person keeping the team on-track with deadlines and delegations. I acknowledge that Selma is our main leader, but I do know that she is not very organized and sometimes a little erratic at times. That is probably why we work quite well together, I balance out Selma's disorganization with my slightly better organization. This too, shows that I have grown a lot since I first took on leadership roles in OSL, when I was very disorganized and had to rely more on experienced leaders like Yin Ying or Jia Wen.
Now with Selma I realise that she deals more with getting our contacts and brainstorming while I get her ideas organized and put those plans into action. It's funny how I've grown perhaps to become a little more organized to better suit the task I'm assigned to. This process may not be a very huge event, but this has shown that I am growing to take on better responsibilities as a person and even as a leader.
Although I am very enthusiastic about our project, I can't help feel as though we may not have enough time to plan for the event. If I do the math and count the number of weeks we have to plan and set up this event. We have less than 3 weeks to get the whole event with location, booths, people and overall logistics settled by National Day. With our very short run-way I think the whole event may not come together even with our planning. I am having my doubts but I will try to stay committed as a leader to this event.
Tuesday, 23 July 2013
Curatorial Project 2014
We met up as a group with our supervisor, Ms Adeline, to discuss our ideas for the project. Our main concept for the exhibition was to jump start a dialogue on Singaporean Identity. Because personally I feel that our exhibition should be grounded in a Singaporean context because that would not be like other exhibitions that are just left in a limbo - those that you go to and don't strike a chord with you and are there just for the sake of being there and showcasing art.
Because that doesn't strike me as what art should be. I think that art should be the collective conscious or at least the social conscious of society. I don't think that art should merely be set in the works or dictated by the people who make it. I think that art should be a two-way dialogue between the artist and the audience and then between the audience themselves. I think the art works and shows that are the most meaningful are the ones that we end up talking about, or resonate the most with us. The ones that sit there purely for aesthetic or conceptual basis without ever touching a personal emotionally or at least stirring up some sort of dialogue is, to me, a failed exhibition.
Even though I think that I should not count my chickens too soon before they hatch, I think that as an artist, a curator and a student from SOTA, we should be the people to start the ball rolling. Even if it is a hard task that we will be undertaking.
I feel that this entire process is a great link to my Extended Essay and my Visual Arts Investigation Work Book research. I realise that I am not very drawn or stirred by big conceptual ideas of the West that my other peers are drawn to. I am more interested in a very personal and intrinsic ideas that are perhaps more Singaporean. This entire process has helped me find renewed purpose as an artist in Singapore. Perhaps through this exhibition
Because that doesn't strike me as what art should be. I think that art should be the collective conscious or at least the social conscious of society. I don't think that art should merely be set in the works or dictated by the people who make it. I think that art should be a two-way dialogue between the artist and the audience and then between the audience themselves. I think the art works and shows that are the most meaningful are the ones that we end up talking about, or resonate the most with us. The ones that sit there purely for aesthetic or conceptual basis without ever touching a personal emotionally or at least stirring up some sort of dialogue is, to me, a failed exhibition.
Even though I think that I should not count my chickens too soon before they hatch, I think that as an artist, a curator and a student from SOTA, we should be the people to start the ball rolling. Even if it is a hard task that we will be undertaking.
I feel that this entire process is a great link to my Extended Essay and my Visual Arts Investigation Work Book research. I realise that I am not very drawn or stirred by big conceptual ideas of the West that my other peers are drawn to. I am more interested in a very personal and intrinsic ideas that are perhaps more Singaporean. This entire process has helped me find renewed purpose as an artist in Singapore. Perhaps through this exhibition
Tuesday, 16 July 2013
NaNoWriMo 2
Being a part of the NaNoWriMo group has really challenged me to write more. Before I joined this CAS group I used to be very sporadic in my creative writing and pen down two or three sentences before I would just stop writing. Being a part of this CAS group has challenged me to be more creative in how I tackle creative writing and not just sit by waiting for inspiration to hit me.
I remember that we were tasked to engage a writing piece for the school's next LOOP edition and we came up with the idea to work around the sentence: "These are my friends" and structure our individual pieces around this central statement to submit it. I clearly remember being very unmotivated to writing anything down even though the deadline was looming because I did not feel inspired. When I reflect deeper, I think that problem arises in me a lot when I'm doing work. I tend to get distracted or effected emotionally when I'm stressed out with things around me and stop working entirely. It's a very bad habit that I've become aware of since I've started Year 5 and I'm trying very hard to build up discipline in these areas of my life.
When the deadline was due, I remember I was at a church camp and during one of the breaks I was lying on the floor with my email open and trying to pen some ideas down to send to Megan who was chasing us frantically for our pieces. I just typed out a rough idea of my piece before sending it to her because I remember that it was a first draft and that I didn't need for the work to be 'perfect'. I think that is another aspect of myself that I need to start changing. When I reflect deeper I think I get very disheartened when my works aren't produced to the standard of which I want and when I feel that it is a bad work, I loose motivation instead of making my work better.
I think there is an important point to note here, that I need to learn that I don't need to be such a perfectionist when it comes to making creative works and that I shouldn't let my emotions come in the way of my work and that this is applicable to all my areas of study.
Thursday, 11 July 2013
On People
I think I challenged myself a lot this GPS trip when I had to work with people. I generally really like the team, it's filled with very energetic and passionate people that I'm very thankful that I've gotten the opportunity to work with. But being an innately introverted person, sometimes I struggle with people on a whole because I tend to loose a lot of energy when I'm around people for too long and I get very frustrated very easily.
Working with people as I've always maintained for a while, has always been some of the greatest pains and joys of the pre-trip and of the trip. I got very frustrated having to mingle with group dynamics and tiny cliques that formed/ already existed within the group. I guess I was placed in a spot when I joined Cebu in OSL and GPS having no closer friends along with me. I think I would have just clung onto the said best friend for everything and not interacted much with everyone else, becoming exactly what I found the most frustrating. And I also found it very difficult to negotiate with people that I assumed were not pulling their weight during the pre-trip preparations and during the trip itself. I thought I was being pragmatic I suppose, I assumed that if we followed to what was the marker and criteria wanted that we would get our 'A' just like in our report books and be on our merry-way.
I re-learnt that when talking and interacting with people, there has to be the level of 'love' involved. When I mean love, I mean love in the holistic aspect, the love between brothers or sisters where understanding, acceptance and patience is involved. Even when the said brother or sister does things to annoy you or even hurt you, you move on from that and accept the person for who they are because everyone ultimately has a place and a role to play; it is also ultimately not up to us to decide whether they are of worth as well or not. And even when someone does something to hurt you, whether intentional or not, you have the strength to be the better person and move on from that.
I guess I was not very comfortable too, sharing parts that were very private and intimate to me with people that, although I schooled with, would never really want to let into myself. I guess I've always been wary of people and their words. Part of me does not want to admit that the friendlier exterior of me is a very big ruse that I use to divert people from my more private me. I think I've always been afraid of judgement and even know as I'm about to tell my teammates about my life, part of me still holds back. And to that I wonder why.
I did try to share things that really changed me when it came to my 6 milestones, but I didn't really go very deep into how it made me feel and I could feel the barrier that I put up between myself and everyone else when I shared with them, which is quite ironic really because I felt even more distant from my team mates than closer to them. I could empathize and relate to their sharings, but I think I wasn't truly being genuine with mine.
But it is honestly not because I've never been exposed to group sharings, because I have. But I think its the prior instances when I did share something very private and personal to me and that sharing was later used against me to blackmail me, in addition to a person telling me midway through my sharing that what I said was redundant and pointless even though it really meant a lot to me just made me feel very sad (I would use anguished but that's a bit too dramatic) inside
Seeing how everyone was very open and truthful even on the first night did help to break down a lot of fore-mentioned barriers and hesitations about opening up and being vulnerable to other people. But I think part of me that still holds back in terms of sharing with other people is just the fear of being judged and the fear of not being good enough that still plagues me very much even today.
I don't think I learnt anything new about people, but rather re-learnt it and remembered how to treat people right even though they may not appreciate it. I remember now that the people matter as much as the ideal and one cannot be compromised for the other. I also know now that I can apply this to when interact with everyone else in school and that I think I can move on from prior bad experiences when dealing with people.
Working with people as I've always maintained for a while, has always been some of the greatest pains and joys of the pre-trip and of the trip. I got very frustrated having to mingle with group dynamics and tiny cliques that formed/ already existed within the group. I guess I was placed in a spot when I joined Cebu in OSL and GPS having no closer friends along with me. I think I would have just clung onto the said best friend for everything and not interacted much with everyone else, becoming exactly what I found the most frustrating. And I also found it very difficult to negotiate with people that I assumed were not pulling their weight during the pre-trip preparations and during the trip itself. I thought I was being pragmatic I suppose, I assumed that if we followed to what was the marker and criteria wanted that we would get our 'A' just like in our report books and be on our merry-way.
I re-learnt that when talking and interacting with people, there has to be the level of 'love' involved. When I mean love, I mean love in the holistic aspect, the love between brothers or sisters where understanding, acceptance and patience is involved. Even when the said brother or sister does things to annoy you or even hurt you, you move on from that and accept the person for who they are because everyone ultimately has a place and a role to play; it is also ultimately not up to us to decide whether they are of worth as well or not. And even when someone does something to hurt you, whether intentional or not, you have the strength to be the better person and move on from that.
I guess I was not very comfortable too, sharing parts that were very private and intimate to me with people that, although I schooled with, would never really want to let into myself. I guess I've always been wary of people and their words. Part of me does not want to admit that the friendlier exterior of me is a very big ruse that I use to divert people from my more private me. I think I've always been afraid of judgement and even know as I'm about to tell my teammates about my life, part of me still holds back. And to that I wonder why.
I did try to share things that really changed me when it came to my 6 milestones, but I didn't really go very deep into how it made me feel and I could feel the barrier that I put up between myself and everyone else when I shared with them, which is quite ironic really because I felt even more distant from my team mates than closer to them. I could empathize and relate to their sharings, but I think I wasn't truly being genuine with mine.
But it is honestly not because I've never been exposed to group sharings, because I have. But I think its the prior instances when I did share something very private and personal to me and that sharing was later used against me to blackmail me, in addition to a person telling me midway through my sharing that what I said was redundant and pointless even though it really meant a lot to me just made me feel very sad (I would use anguished but that's a bit too dramatic) inside
Seeing how everyone was very open and truthful even on the first night did help to break down a lot of fore-mentioned barriers and hesitations about opening up and being vulnerable to other people. But I think part of me that still holds back in terms of sharing with other people is just the fear of being judged and the fear of not being good enough that still plagues me very much even today.
I don't think I learnt anything new about people, but rather re-learnt it and remembered how to treat people right even though they may not appreciate it. I remember now that the people matter as much as the ideal and one cannot be compromised for the other. I also know now that I can apply this to when interact with everyone else in school and that I think I can move on from prior bad experiences when dealing with people.
On Children
I don't remember when exactly this happened, but it was very early on in the trip. I remember holding a baby in my arms during one of the interaction periods. She was a small baby, probably no older than a year. After communicating with her mute caretaker, I discovered that the little girl belonged to a family of about 5? Because of language and communication barriers, I didn't manage to get the little girl's name. The caretaker, Christine, had tried to write it on my arm but I couldn't make out the letters she traced on my arm, so I gave up and didn't want to exasperate her by making her repeat it again (this brought me to my point on Language barriers but I'll write about that in a separate reflection) I remember holding that little child in my arms and thinking about the future that the baby would grow into and what of other children like her that will grow up in Brangays similar to Tap Tap.
I thought and even know I still think about the children who aren't growing up in Singapore; who aren't given the privellege of complusory National Education and who aren't like us with the convenience and modernity of Singapore. I thought about the potential that would probably go to waste because of a lack of public education being enforced in Cebu. About teachers that don't turn up for lessons and just let the kids roam about and wasting their time after they walked 3 hours to attend school. I think about students and people that fall through the cracks and aren't caught by safety nets like here in Singapore, even though we may not be the 'best', there are still systems being put into place to ensure we do end up somewhere.
This trip and the people that I have met have taught me to value my education, to value that opportunity to let my voice be heard; and with the knowledge that I am, to some extent, indebted to the society that had gifted me this opportunity when they pay taxes to fund my education.
Working with Share-a-Child and the kids here in Tap tap really made me think about children and empowering them in a sense also empowers us. Because children are the next generation and it is in their hands that we place our futures as well. Being given the opportunity to work with them also makes me want to continue serving as well and in a way re-affirms my passion when I do work with people and with children.
This trip and the people that I have met have taught me to value my education, to value that opportunity to let my voice be heard; and with the knowledge that I am, to some extent, indebted to the society that had gifted me this opportunity when they pay taxes to fund my education.
Working with Share-a-Child and the kids here in Tap tap really made me think about children and empowering them in a sense also empowers us. Because children are the next generation and it is in their hands that we place our futures as well. Being given the opportunity to work with them also makes me want to continue serving as well and in a way re-affirms my passion when I do work with people and with children.
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
On Accounting and Currency
Another task that I undertook during GPS
was being the group’s accountant and I’ve learnt very important lessons on
accounting and currency.
Being the accountant meant that I worked
with Mr Ong almost every other night to take accounts of the group’s
expenditure. I knew about the Singaporean Dollar to Filipino Peso exchange rate
(1 SGD to 30 PHP) but I never realized how ‘powerful’ that exchange rate made
us, it enabled us. Right now, I’m wondering if that is truly a good thing. A
few figures stuck with me, one was the 25kg pig that we bought for the Barangay
to have Lechon Baboy (Roasted Pig), it was glorious feast during our closing
ceremony of the arts camp and we ate that pig for probably 4 days straight
after. The pig cost about 4000 PHP converting that it’s about 133.33 SGD it
does not seem like a lot us but it was a real treat for them.
The same was also true for our groceries
lists, that most of the time reached staggering numbers in the thousands. If I
converted all the numbers and figures in Pesos to Singaporean dollars never
seemed like a lot of money to me. Our biggest grocery bill that came up to
14,630p is only close to 500 dollars and that bill fed close to 60 people or
even more for about 3-4 days. This was also true when we provided the kids with
stationary and materials for art or when we bought paint for our mural project.
Our currency probably empowered us to make more ambitious decisions in our
planning and execution. I also noticed that whenever we were confronted with a
problem that required us to change our plans we didn’t have any qualms on
logistics because we had the means to acquire them. I’m not sure if this
impeded in how creatively we problem solved and how effectively we worked with
all that we had already; But I’m just wondering now if our Singaporean
mentality to problem-solve is ultimately influenced by the currency that we
hold in our hands and not in engaging the people around us.
Perhaps this might be the same for people
in every other Capitalist country. We are wired to make our decisions around
our money and I feel that sometimes when problems arise one of the first
questions we ask is about our budget. One cannot deny the importance of money
as a means to reach out to the masses at the same time I’m very certain that it
is not the only means at our disposal. But there has been a shift in that focus
I realize, our GPS group grown in the sense that our budget becomes quite
secondary, it is the means but not the end. Throughout our planning and
conducting the arts camp, we focused on the kids and how we could improve our program to benefit them.
I thought that this was a very heartening shift from the material and physical to the emotional and inter-personal relations between people. At the same time too, we as a team became more bonded and aware of each individual's actions and well-being. And in that sense I would say that unconsciously we did learn from the villagers in Tap Tap, we learnt to be accountable to the people around us.
I noticed that the villagers from Tap tap were more focused on the inter-personal relations than the material. It's quite paradoxical in a sense. We who have so much, don't 'value' what we have as much as them. What struck me was the way they cherished every single thing that was given to them, even to a point of almost possessiveness, because they valued what was given to them. Which again struck me because in Singapore, we are well attuned to people moving in and out of our lives, we become somewhat desensitized to acquaintances that we make and perhaps after a while, we forget about them.
But the people in Tap tap were different, they valued the friendship that we had with them even though we had not seen each other in months. From their warm hugs to welcome us back to Tap tap to the tears and hand-written letters when we left, it made me think about the fact that we did make an impact into their lives. And ultimately we do every-time we interact with someone, we leave our marks on other people, therefore we have to be accountable to them.
I thought that this was a very heartening shift from the material and physical to the emotional and inter-personal relations between people. At the same time too, we as a team became more bonded and aware of each individual's actions and well-being. And in that sense I would say that unconsciously we did learn from the villagers in Tap Tap, we learnt to be accountable to the people around us.
I noticed that the villagers from Tap tap were more focused on the inter-personal relations than the material. It's quite paradoxical in a sense. We who have so much, don't 'value' what we have as much as them. What struck me was the way they cherished every single thing that was given to them, even to a point of almost possessiveness, because they valued what was given to them. Which again struck me because in Singapore, we are well attuned to people moving in and out of our lives, we become somewhat desensitized to acquaintances that we make and perhaps after a while, we forget about them.
But the people in Tap tap were different, they valued the friendship that we had with them even though we had not seen each other in months. From their warm hugs to welcome us back to Tap tap to the tears and hand-written letters when we left, it made me think about the fact that we did make an impact into their lives. And ultimately we do every-time we interact with someone, we leave our marks on other people, therefore we have to be accountable to them.
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