Audition Process : The thought of auditioning made me extremely nervous, and reminded me of last years auditions when I wasn’t able to make the cut. I decided to audition very last minute even though I was still unsure and uncertain of my abilities. Underneath the general nervousness, I felt quite felt generally insecure of my acting capabilities in comparison to the rest of those that were auditioning. At the end of last year, I was also very busy and overwhelmed with all the work and external tasks I had to handle. Nonetheless I did audition, and ultimately, I am so glad I did.

The first few weeks of the production process consisted of very hectic and creative brainstorming sessions. We immersed ourselves into the books context, researching daily life in the “annawadi” slums, the culture and the beliefs that brought the communities there to life. Along with constructing the facades of our own set, we also focused on little details (kids playing cricket, ladies fetching water) to create add depth and reality into our performance.

Here is the link to our in-depth SWOT analysis. 

Here is my reflection video. 

This years service experience has been extremely fulfilling and I am grateful to this experience for broadening my understanding of what it truly means to give back to my community.

#LO1 Identify your own strengths and develop areas for personal growth.

Naturally I find myself to often take on a leadership position, therefore during our planning process I took upon the general management role, and did the first aid course. The first aid course was arduous but I found it incredibly useful and made me a more aware traveller and group leader. I found that I become more of a mother figure during the trip, and found that my tendencies to try and control my surroundings are very strong when I travel.

#LO5 Video Reflection 

#LO6 Video Reflection 

#LO7 Video Reflection 

brainstorming initial ideas doc 

Final Planning Document 

This history and culture tour of Intramuros was my highlight of the trip. Initially I had low expectations but I was immediately blown away with how much historical significance and value this small section of manila had. It was an incredibly fun yet eye opening tour as our guide (Manny) highlighted both the gruesome stories that emerged in this area, but also stories of empowerment and strength.

Our Aerial Yoga Session was a new experience for all of us and was physically demanding, especially after a long car ride the day before.

Beginning

123

I am a Project Manager. Connecting with Participants – all like minded, hard working individuals (5)

Facilitator

(4) Weekend sessions – 8:30-4:30, Afterschool long sesh 4:30-8

(6) Lots of consequences and areas to go wrong. Cultures with existing conflict coming together. Potential turmoil to arise, we must educate, mediate and support those attending the conference. Many diff. ethnic groups. Responsibility of producing a high quality conference, lots of pressure. A very new experience in managing and Facilitating.

Middle

End

Conflict Transformation Sessions :

Presentation

Planning and Research document

Service Sessions:

Presentation 

#LO4 #LO2 Softball was extremely challenging this year as I had to take on a new position: pitching. It required me to learn foreign skills from scratch in a very short amount of time. Although it was initially mundane, I knew the repetition was key in building a good pitching foundation. During pre-season I had felt that although I was putting in a lot of time and effort, I was seeing little improvements in game results. Of course this was extremely frustrating, but through perseverance and confidence in my play, I could see clear improvements by the end of the season.

Throughout the season I have grown increasingly comfortable with the girls on the team, and often relied on my team members to cheer me up when I was feeling particularly down about how I was playing. Spirit and cheer is such a key component to many team sports – including softball – and over the years I have recognized that apart from performing well, putting in the effort to lift the spirit of the team is a responsibility of any team member. Lastly, this season also taught me that winning doesn’t always mean we are entitled to celebrate: we must win with grace.

I’m very excited for my last and fourth year of softball next year!

 

Kahaani was an extremely fulfilling and memorable experience that challenged me far beyond my usual level of comfort. The dance itself was incredibly fast paced and complicated, hence why it required so many weekend and afterschool training sessions. (LO4) It was also a dance with little people I actually knew, but after the first few awkward sessions it was nice to expand my circle and interact with those I had never talked to before. The fact that funds made through ticket sales would be donated to the Kolkata GC was another incentive as to joining a dance. This activity was both fun and rewarding.

How are you feeling, what are you seeing when you do the service

It’s incredibly heartwarming to witness the strengthening of the bond between me and my partner Shaban. I have worked with him consecutively since the beginning of the year and still enjoy the conversations we have before and after our sessions begin. It is clear by the sense of guilt I feel when I am unable to attend a session that on my behalf, there is a great level of responsibility and fulfillment I receive from the time spent with Shaban.

What are you learning so far?

So far I have learnt to techniques that help me overcome times when Shaban has trouble understanding a certain task or skill. Often I will ask him to pause, observe how I do the skill and then carry it out himself. It is in these moments I recognize the importance of adapting to an individual’s pace. Many people have the misconception that individuals with ID are unable to activities independently and require constant support, when in actuality they are well capable of accomplishing most tasks, but simple register and process the steps at a slower pace. In bustling nation like Singapore, it is easy to get caught up in the whirlwind and pace of life, a pace some may find difficult to understand. When interacting with individuals with ID we must consciously make the empathic decision to increase our patience. I also have learned critical elements of running a successful service. As I am the head of communication I have been to meetings about podcasting and means of documenting our service progression, and have also become more comfortable carrying out a through SWOT analysis.

What impact are your actions having?

There is a definitive impact of the friendship we have created, as if i miss a session Shaban will be sure to tell me off the next session. I also notice SHaban opening up more regarding the topics we discussed – initially talking about what he does at MINDS centre and we now discuss topics such as his plans for holidays, his favourite things about his families and the little details that make him uniquely himself (like the love his ‘supreme’ shirt).

What knowledge, skill or understanding might you develop & how might you know?

The skill of developing meaningful relationships despite the possible language or communication obstacle. This is an incredibly important skill especially given the global network of people I am working with and will work with in the future. Inherently the shared platform of yoga acts as vessel allowing us to build a deeper layer of comfort and openness then a regular face to face conversation.

Are your initial goals still meaningful?

My initial goal to expand conversation with Shaban has clearly been reached in my opinion, but there is definitive area for further growth and comfort. Furthermore I’ve realised the most beneficial thing I can do to extend Shaban’s interest and level of yoga is to integrate a sense of challenge. Shaban is genuinely passionate about yoga and is incredibly immersed and devoted to each of the yoga skills we practice during our sessions, showing an incredible level of flexibility and concentration.

What evidence do you have?

The most clear evidence presented is the clients themselves. Shaban has shown great measures of improvement: He can stand and bend to touch the floor with his legs fully straight, independently isolate areas of his body to tense and relax and remembers to maintain proper breathing. All of these things he was not fully polished in before.

Are there any other forms of evidence you could use?

Apart from the observational evidence, there isn’t much that can support and verify my claims (eg photographs and pictures)

LO7 – Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

This Yoga service with clients from tampines minds raises certain ethical questions. One large one being society’s responsibility in bettering the wellbeing and livelihood of those challenged with intellectual and physical disability. I believe I am actively contributing to improving Shaban’s social skills through our weekly catch up and conversations. Furthermore I believe the sense of empowerment he gains is greatly beneficial towards confidence in social situations. Although this service stands primarily as a brief outlet and opportunity to get strengthen physical and mental health and wellbeing, it also functions as a point of enhancing their sense of belonging and satisfaction of life. I do believe as a member of a national, and global community I have a vital responsibility to create a more socially inclusive society for those who hold a primary disadvantage and often are treated unfairly.

What is Peace?

Here I explore the fundamental understanding what peace is.

Kay and Jah Simulation.

What I Learnt from the Simulation.

 

Volleyball has so much mental complexity, it is so much more than physical activity, Playing volleyball teaches you a number of lessons that are applicable to life both on and off the court.Over the course of the two years I have been playing it has taught me the most valuable lesson.  The lesson on stopping negative self talk, even when you keep messing up.

Things I’ve learnt:

1. Communicating in a Helpful Way – Negative energy can manifest and spread insanely fast in volleyball as it’s often easy to pick up the feelings of your other teammates. Spiralling into frustration is an issue that is easy to give into, and is why keeping positive and encouraging your teammates is so crucial.

Things I improved on:

1. Playing When You’re Down Volleyball teaches determination and tenacity, and has embedded in me the idea of never losing face, and never accepting defeat even if the chances of winning seem almost impossible. There has been multiple occasions in a game when it had felt like winning would be a miraculous event. As points are won very quickly in volleyball, a score gap is can common to occur. In some instances the team may be 15 points down, with the opponents reaching close to winning the set. But how we remain optimistic, energetic and determined to fight back is what demonstrates the importance of tenacity, and in some circumstances our boisterous cheer, energy and skill allowed us to close the gap. The difference between giving up and fighting through adversity is very noticeable in volleyball. Spirit is such an important aspect in volleyball, and closely relates to the GRIT a team possesses. Grit is defined as the sustained and continued effort over long period of time and is the skill that I believe makes an individual or a team ‘successful’. It is a skill that transcends outside of the court and into every aspect of my life; academic, social and personal.

1. Accepting and Owning Your Mistakes: Volleyball has enhanced my collaborative an empathic skills. Playing in a team often comes with a lot of pressure to perform, as you’re not only letting yourself down but others down as well. This season I believe Ive strengthened my ability to learn and move on from my mistakes, as well as being more understanding when others make on. Not allowing oneself to dwell on past mistakes makes one strike to perform better and to reach their potential. It is another mentality that transcends many other areas of my academic, social and personal life. (LO2) Many of the challenges I faced this season were mental roadblocks that often led me quickly to frustration. During practice I would find myself hitting especially well, but come time to apply those skills in the game, I would time and time again mess up, or avert to the same mistakes I used to make. My inability to hit powerfully and remain calm on court when under pressure was incredibly frustrating to me as I wanted to prove to myself, teammates and coaches that I was a good player. I understand now I often seek for immediate results and success, and forget the journey before I reach my goal.

(LO7)There were moments through out the whole trip – on bus rides, waiting between games or just before bed – where I would feel a tug of uncertainty and unease. Knowing by flying into Myanmar, by staying in it’s hotels, I was contributing towards the countries economy. A country which was currently committing ethnic cleansing and mass genocide of over 727000 Rohingya Muslims. Although I agree it is unfair to punish and exclude a school which has no connection or ties to the crisis apart from their location, another part of me believed that hosting SEASAC in another location would have been a more viable option, and should have been discussed earlier on. I am uncomfortable with how quickly the commotion and the urgency for change has diminished. I am uncomfortable with the fact that during the whole trip, not one word was mentioned to acknowledge the crisis or what the school was doing to raise attention and support change for the crisis. I am uncomfortable with the fact that the whole trip I knew I should’ve said something, but was too afraid of the consequences and implications it would bring upon me, the staff and the school I represent. For most of my childhood, and life as a teen, I have been constantly told if I seek to change something in the world, I must take the initiate to ignite that change. By chance I was born into such a privileged position, by chance nearly 3000 km away another girl is fleeing her home and fleeing death. I am still confused as to where the line between sensibility and bravery should stand. A part of me feels ashamed, as a muslim girl, I felt a sense of responsibility. Although I believe silence is nothing but acceptance for the issue, I understand that the flights, hotels and accommodations had been booked, and as I was sitting in my bed in Yangon I understood that more could be accomplished through aid, donation and service when I reached back home then causing commotion during the trip.