Final EE Reflection – Viva Voce

From the very beginning, my EE process was very surprising and contained some unforeseen turns. The way I had to change my subjects from World Studies to English after a month, lead to choosing an unexpected book, The Good Omens, which didn’t come up as a subject to analysis when I first read it years ago, but showed so much complexity when I looked at it now. I believe that I had a process, which taught me the importance of flexibility. When I did my first draft, my supervisor and I realized how I could still narrow down my focus in order to investigate more nuanced perspectives, which meant that I needed to cut out whole paragraphs and shape others. At first, it felt rather uncomfortable, but as I continued, I saw how this focus helps me see a more complex picture and message from the authors.  The more I delved into the novel and its themes, the more I realized how many ways I could have gone from the start if I look at the other, narrower focuses. However, I feel that it would have been harder to reach that aimed complexity with the more, but shallow topics.

End of Year Service Post

Finishing Service is a weird feeling. Volunteering for me wasn’t something I felt that I had to do. Visiting my patient in Apex every week was something I was looking for, even though, I often felt the frustration that I can’t help enough. Especially, in the last couple of months, I felt that she’s getting into a little bit worse position with her dementia, which is understandable, looking at her age. I believe that music can have the most positive and powerful influence on us in many ways, but I feel that I was a little bit naive, and expected to make miracles, while in reality, I had to appreciate that with it, I could reach out to my patient. I felt that we truly have a connection when we could both enjoy and be thankful for what we were listening to and sing/move together to the beat. Personally, it was quite funny when I started to learn how to pronounce Japanese words, as an old, famous Japanese singer was one of her favorite. I try to do a lot of explorations what she could like, and while the singer remained in the best position, surprisingly, she responded quite well to some children’s songs as well.

We had a journey together, which I’m very happy to participate in with her. I had to accept that I in some cases can’t help, some things are beyond my abilities, but it always filled me with happiness to see her enjoy herself, and I will miss that smile.

 

IFP Mae Sot Reflection

IFP Mae Sot was one of the most challenging and rewarding experience, and probably, the most UWC one. Us, both individuals and as a team, faced and overcome multiple challenges throughout this week (LO1).

Personally, I had to be strong and persevere, as I got food poisoning on the second night of the week. It took a lot of energy to balance facilitating and giving myself enough time to rest and gain back some energy. I wanted to be always with the delegates, who taught me so much more that I could ever imagine. They were wonderful, very inspiring people, and while we were the facilitators, their spirit and positive energy, which they were so ready to use in order to initiate changes in their community when they go back, showed us what it actually means to be a ‘Peace-maker’.

For instance, I facilitated a public speaking activity, where they could share their stories in a safe space. It was the most mind-changing 2-hours of the week, as I listened to how the people with the kindest spirits, and brightest smiles suffered because of war, lost their loved ones and saw so many deaths. They were incredibly strong and powerful people, who could use their voice and stories to show the world, how indifferent we can be. How often we get so caught up by everyday problems that we don’t even recognize how extremely privileged we are to live, study and work in a safe place.

It was a week full of reflections both from the delegates and facilitators. We needed to process so many things! As facilitators, we had to adapt and be flexible with each other. We needed to be mindful of how we all need to rest, as everybody gave their 100%. We changed our timetables as we saw how in real life what’s more important and requires more time. This meant that sometimes we missed out on some people’s (once my) activities. It was the question of how well we can realize that it’s not about our pride, but to be an effective team.

All in all, I loved Mae Sot and I know that the people I met there will be always close to me, just as their inspiring positivity and energy.

Image may contain: 33 people, including Ye Lin Oo, Hsu Pyae Sone and Myat Noe Khant, people smiling, people sitting

End of BTBF

End of the Behind the Beautiful Forevers

Learning Outcome 4 and 5


Today is the first day that I don’t have any rehearsal anymore. One part of me still don’t believe that last week with all of its craziness, nervous waiting, tired and little bit sick periods is over. It was my first and last production week in this school. I still remember when it all started, in Grade 11, with researching and just trying to understand the people’s lives we aimed to embrace on stage. I remember when it started to feel overwhelming, the academic pressure clashed with the 3 hours rehearsals, which are sometimes occupied even our Saturdays. It was crazy, exhausting, but I didn’t think about it for a second to quit. Because it was such an incredible process that I knew that I shouldn’t/couldn’t miss. And at the hard times, we always had the others next to us. The little family that we have become during the rehearsals. We supported each other both in real life and on stage and it was an essential element in our play. Our collaboration needed incredible focus on each other, helping out if someone missed something, fit our movements and pace to the others, and never judge if something is not going according to the plan or someone’s idea is not working. We needed to provide open, safe space as the most amazing thing in theatre, the creative process only can be accomplished when everybody is contributing and feel confident to share their ideas.

I’m extremely grateful to have the opportunity to participate in it, and will never forget my little life in Mumbai.

 

Behind the Beautiful Forevers

During the rehearsals, I learned many things. Not just about the life in the slums of Annawadi, which would be interesting and complex in itself, but to work together and try to be always creative even after the longest days. As it’s such an ensemble piece, there is no ‘break’, you always have to be conscious about what you’re doing and how you’re doing it. There’s no backstage, no momentary relaxation. But I believe that this intensity is what makes it so lifelike, a reminder about the complexity and deepness, and hardships of real life for these people.  Personally, it was always challenging for me to concentrate and be active for such a long time, often I wanted to turn off my mind. But in this piece, I can’t do this. We are all in this together, thinking cooperatively, building on each others’ ideas, assisting one other at small victories. I’m not very used to the ‘theatre world’ even though, I have participated in previous performances last year. But I’m able to see how special is our ‘little project’, how many people are working so hard for it, including the ensemble, building crew, sound team, teachers and many others, and I can’t wait to see the effect on the audience, when they recognize the piece’s specialness.

In addition, through the research about the life in the slums of Annawadi, I learned about poverty, and what it means to live in it, even if it’s in a controlled environment like this. I understand more about the hardships, the corruption, or about the non-existent healthcare. Through the production, our team is able to spread this awareness and initiate new thoughts, showing new perspectives, which we are not exposed to in our safe, privileged everyday world.

Challenges of being a Student Director

Hey hey,

Being a G11 director with the Junior school students was one of the most challenging 1,5 hours in my week. During these sessions, I could experience both incredible proudness and really strong frustration and annoyance as well.

Many times I had to think about how to handle and discipline them. I can’t expect Grade 3-5 to be always focused and mature, but letting them completely free is not a solution either. I had to adapt to a certain dynamic, rhythm that we could both work in. Sometimes it was quite challenging to be the ‘teacher/facilitator’ as often I just wanted to be a little bit crazy with them and play along. And honestly, if I wanted to be really productive, I had to calculate this time in the classes. I needed to think when was it appropriate to be a little bit harsher with them (LO7) and if it served the group’s purpose to let them looser a little bit too.

But now, looking back and evaluating the whole experience, I’m happy that I joined with all of its momentary frustration and stress that ‘We are not going to be ready!’, which I realized that it’s not the best mindset. The students did their best at the end and the process was yes, rocky and sometimes had some unexpected turns, but we came out of it together, as a team. And I think that’s what matters.

EE Interim Reflection

Through the investigation of my topic, I explored different literary elements and techniques, which I haven’t been able to use before, in order to fully unpack my points. While my analyses were quite successful, after talking to my supervisor, I saw how I could still narrow down my focus into one character, as the majority of my points were targeting him. This will allow me to cut out some parts for the sake of the further development of my argument.  Therefore, I’m shaping my original question to clarify my new focus on Crowley (who would still represent demonic forces just from a different perspective) and formulate my points more evidently around him. This challenges my current structure and conclusion as well. In addition, my supervisor and I were talking about how I need to use formal language during the whole essay, which effects my introduction, as I wasn’t clear about the appropriate tone and applied a more colloquial style there.

Posted in EE

EA Reflection

Below is my Verification for my EA:

Date(s):

 

30th June – 8th of July
Length of time involved in the activity: As I’m staying there for a week, it’s hard to say. The biggest is 24*7=168 hours
Description of activity:

 

I’ll be working with the Biosphere Foundation in Bali and live in a National Park with 18 other students. Next to the fact that we will be working with nature and learn about sustainability, we are going to have discussions and debates about various issues, like Climate Change. In addition, we will be learning about Environmental Activism and how to spread awareness. In this activity, I’ll evaluate the NGOs role in connection with environmental activism towards a sustainable future and the education of the upcoming generation with the work of the local leaders and community.

 

 

Name of person in a supervisory capacity:

 

Sally Silverstone, Director of education Biosphere Foundation
Comment regarding involvement by person in supervisory capacity:

 

 

 

Masa was a delight to have on our course. A vibrant young woman with plenty of initiative. She contributed fully to the course throughout. Her passion for tackling environmental issues shone through. She will go far.

 

 

 

Signature of supervisor:

As it’s shown above, I spent a week at Bali, focusing on the role of one particular NGO in pursuing human development and tackling environmental issues with the education of the local community.

Through this program, I had the opportunity to organize an interview with the leader of the program, and Director of Agriculture and Forestry, and Director of Education of Biosphere Foundation (the big environmental NGO I was focusing on), Sally Silverstone, and learn about environmental activism, while discussing environmental issues and the significance of education, from the local leaders like Nono Suparno or Ketut Sutama. I shared the experience with 10 local students with whom we learned about forests, coral reefs, sustainable ways of organizing our plastic and about ‘sustainable food’. I visited the local recycling place, where I learned about the plastic initiatives towards the community and tried to help to improve it. I helped planting trees and participated in clean-ups, where I was able to see the the significance of the problem in Bali, and the way the non-governmental organization is trying to change the attitude towards it. After that, I visited the local school where we were talking about these initiatives and shared a little piece of our own culture with each other.

I feel that I learned a lot about not just the issues our world is facing nowadays, but the impact of tourism in Bali, the initiatives the NGOs are trying to start, and the way they are co-operating with the local leaders in order to raise awareness and support education even, if not especially, in the rural parts of Bali. Often, it was quite challenging to face the circumstances the local community have to deal with, and help them in their different projects, like reforestation or ocean/beach clean-ups. While previously I thought the NGOs are more distant and less effective, I had to change my way of looking at them. They were so considerate in the way they try to tackle the problems and improve the livelihood of the local community while promoting education and environmental awareness that I couldn’t help but be inspired to work with them again and spread their methods and mindset more.

Me at the recycling center.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At one of the clean-ups.

 

My new Balinese sisters (Eva and Sayu).

Starting our reforestation project.

The international team (in the front local leader, Ketut Sutama).

 

EE Initial Reflection

After changing my World Studies Subject into English, as I realized after speaking with my supervisor and various teachers that my previous topic would be very hard, almost impossible to go through with, I needed to find a new way to go. As I love the work of Neil Gaiman and feel very passionate about the different religious topics, since it was always a big question and subject of debate in my family, I wanted to choose from his writings. Good Omens seemed to be an excellent decision since it discusses and emerges questions in connection with Christianity in a very comedic style. My topic of linking the evil with the technological wonders came from my conversation with my supervisor, who found the religious allusion too vague to be properly analyzed and asked about the aspects which I liked during the novel. From the significance of modernization, I came up with the idea to discuss the consequences of human development.