LAST Dialysis Center Visit.

            Yesterday, I had the last visit to the dialysis clinic. Just like the other days, we prepared little snacks for the patients, nurses and doctors. Although it was the last visit since I graduate next month, it felt the same as the other visits to the clinic. As usual, as we arrived to the clinic, we distributed the snacks that we have prepared and assigned ourselves to interview the patients. I was also in charge of interviewing one of the nine patients.
            I went to her and briefly introduced myself as Brent International School student and a member of GIN: Dialysis Chapter Club, who came to console them and deliver the information of how GIN: Dialysis Chapter club is doing its best to raise funds to support the dialysis patients. Then, Ms. Eufemia Buenaobra, the patient greeted and showed how she feels so thankful about the project that we are doing. She told me about the inadequate condition that most of the dialysis patients who visit the clinic are in. She said that most of the old patients who have dialysis cannot earn money by their own, so they have to rely on the money that their daughters or sons earn. However, since one filter that they use to filter their blood costs almost 2000 pesos, they recycle the filter for at least five times, which should only be used for one time. For these reasons, she said that us helping them is such a meaningful action and we should go on this project for a long time. We also had somewhat meaningful talk for a long time, because Ms. Eufemia Buenaobra seriously took account of our actions and provided us a lot of information about the situation of dialysis patients.
            This last interview with Ms. Eufemia Buenaobra was the most significant interview that I had in few months of visiting the clinic. It seemed like other members of the club also felt the same. In the van, on the way back from the clinic, we talked about how the patients take our actions seriously and the fact that we are helping them actually supports them to not lose hope any time. Then, graduating members talked about how we feel sorry for the patients. As we interviewed the patients, we actually got closer to them and got to know about them. However, as we leave, they have to meet new members. I am not saying that we are better than the new members, but I am saying that the patients can be disappointed in the fact that we do not come back anymore. To some of them who do not know that we are graduating, they might think that we do not visit the clinic anymore because we do not care about them anymore. However, I believe that the new members will do a great job to fill the space of graduating members, so that the patients would not be disappointed.
              Through being part of this club, I have learned a lot about helping others. I learned that I should be able to share what I have, to those who do not have, whether it is finance or even education. Also, I realized that what the patients most need is the "awareness" of the disease, dialysis so that more people could donate funds to them. As I visited the clinic and Baguio General Hospital, I have seen a lot of people who lack finance to care their diseases. I think GIN: Dialysis Chapter is actually doing meaningful thing through helping the dialysis patients. I hope as I go to the college, I would be able to join such club so that I could continuously help the others.

Table Tennis - Practice Videos

Table Tennis - Receive and Smash.

                  Last weekend, I had another session of learning table tennis. This time, I had chance to learn how to properly receive the ping-pong ball. Last time, I learned how to serve the ball but I had difficulties in receiving the ball and hit it back to the other player's spot. What my friend taught me was to first focus on the direction of the ball. I agreed on what he said, because I felt that whenever I concentrated on the ball, I made a good receive, but when I lose the concentration, I could not get the ball. So I started practicing to receive the ball with patience and concentration, and as I did it continuously, I was able to receive the ball directly without missing it.
               However, only receiving the ball was not enough. Although I was able to receive the ball, I still could not win the game because I did not use any particular skills. I wanted to learn how to smash the ball, so that the other player would not be able to receive the ball. What I learned is to slowly watch the way how the ball moves, and hit it strongly so that it will reach the other player's plot fast and strong. Then I learned how to move my body in order to smash the ball. Although the explanation seemed easy, I had to practice smashing over and over. It was not an easy task.
                After the learning session, I and my friend began to play a game. I used the skills that I learned that day, which are receiving and smashing. Before, I was able to make only 2 or 3 points over him. However, that day, although I lost, there was only small differences between his points and my points. As I saw myself improving in playing table tennis, I wanted to learn other skills too, so that I can actually be an expert in playing table tennis.

Table Tennis - First Session

           Honestly, I am not a type of person who enjoys sports. Most likely, I actually hate sports that require many movements. However, I felt that I need some kind of exercise in my life, because I could feel fats in my stomach. So, I decided to do a table tennis. Although I have learned it during PE class before, I did not know particular skills in playing table tennis. Fortunately, I had a friend who is expert in playing table tennis, and I started the first session of playing the table tennis.

           I wanted to start from learning how to win the table tennis. However, as my friend saw me playing the table tennis, he said that I need to learn from the very beginning. I learned how to flick the ping-pong ball. 

Although I could only do 5 flicks of ping-pong ball, after few practices, I was able to do a lot, as shown in the video. Then, I learned how to serve the ball. I first learned how to grab the racket properly. I thought I was grabbing the racket in a right way, but I was not. After that, I learned how to serve. I learned that I need to make my ball flick in the other player's spot. Although it seemed easy, it was actually very hard to serve. However, I was able to serve well after practices. 

              After learning few basic skills of table tennis, I realized that table tennis is actually fun exercise. I played it for more than an hour, to win the friend who taught me how to play the table tennis. However, I couldn't. But I believe that after few more sessions, I will be able to be an expert in playing table tennis. 

GIN: Dialysis Chapter: Christmas Bazaar

           In Christmas Bazaar, our GIN: Dialysis Chapter group participated to raise awareness of the disease, dialysis, and funds for the patients. We sold awareness bracelets, and distributed the pamphlet that includes information about our club, the disease, and the conditions of the patients. I stayed the whole day, selling the bracelets, and it was a meaningful project to increase the awareness of dialysis, to the people.

           Honestly, I thought it would not go well, because most of the times, people come to bazaar to buy the things they want. Also, personally, I also do not give attention to the campaigns in the market. My expectation was right. Although we stayed in the entrance of the bazaar, no one gave attention to our bracelets and campaign. We thought that we had to grab the attentions of the people. Then, we began to stand up and shout out “bracelets for dialysis patients”. Our enthusiastic voices and passionate movements actually caught the attention of the people. We were able to sell a lot of bracelets and thus raise the awareness of the people towards our club and the dialysis patients.  

        

           Throughout this activity, I again felt responsibility towards the dialysis patients. Although it was very hard to stay whole day, shouting and catching attentions of the people, thinking of the funds that we had to raise, in order to support the patients, I could not sit and rest. Also, I was very happy when other people who had no idea about how the conditions of the dialysis patients in Baguio are like, acknowledge about them through reading the pamphlets of our club. Some people thanked us for doing such an activity that brings people to be aware of the patients and the disease. It was a meaningful activity that increased my sense of belongings towards the club, and towards the patients. 

Lessons and Carols: Choir

           In my school, Brent International School Baguio, there is a Christmas activity called, “Lessons and Carols”. Just like its name, “Lessons and Carols” is all about delivering the lessons of God, and singing the carols. I participated as a choir member.

           Choir of “Lessons and Carols” consisted of people who were experts in singing. I was surprised at how skilled they were, compared to me, who just knew how to follow the tone. Unfortunately, all the songs required high skills to sing. I thought I would do fine, because I had an experience of participating in a chapel choir. However, my ability was way behind the one of others. I had to practice more and more, not only in school but also in house. I got the CD from the instructor and listened to it every night before I sleep. Although listening did not dramatically improve my singing skills, it did help in singing along with others. After practices, I wanted my voice to be noticed by others, because I thought I was doing well. I wanted to be recognized and be complimented. However, later, I figured out that my attitude was wrong. I realized that the most important thing in the choir is “harmony” and it is only formed when everyone has the same tone and energy. After realizing this, I tried to be blended with the others. Actually it was harder than being recognized.

           Finally the day came. Throughout several practice sessions, I was able to feel the sense of belonging to the choir. “Lessons and Carols” ended successfully with meaningful lessons of God, and beautiful harmony of the choir. I think I was able to do a great job in being together with the others in the choir. Although I did not know others very well, but still I thought that at least while we were singing, we were in the same mind, with same intention. I learned how to collaborate with others. It was such a great experience to be a member of choir. 

GIN: Dialysis Club - Fundraising Activity: Breakfast Sales

            In GIN: Dialysis Chapter group, we decided to carry on an activity that could help us to raise funds for supporting the Dialysis patients. Throughout two meetings, we decided to do a “breakfast sale” for teachers and students. Because our school starts early and several students and teachers have not enough time to eat breakfast, the fundraising group thought that it would be a great activity to earn high funds.

           As a leader of fundraising group, I had to bring all the members of fundraising group to participate well from planning to the actual activity. However, in the beginning, I had some difficulties in gathering the ideas from the members, of what menus would be good to sell in the breakfast sale. Also, distributing the roles equally was another hard thing that took me a long time to think about. Nevertheless, because every member actively participated, I was able to set the plan and prepare for the activity well. The menus for the breakfast sales were mainly focused on the foods that the school canteen does not provide: tuna rock rice, spam rice, fruit bowl, yogurt and baguette sandwiches.

           Fortunately, our breakfast sales went well. We were able to make a high profit from it, and teachers and students liked the food very much. Also, unlike my concern, everyone in the group did very well in selling the foods through using their own ways of advertising. It was a successful fundraising activity.

            The funds that we earned will directly go to the Dialysis patients. What we are planning on is to buy filters to every patient in the Dialysis clinic that we are regularly visiting. In the process of doing the fundraising activity, I was able to overcome the hardships and laziness by thinking of the patients who are in an insufficient condition, recycling the filters for 10 times. In grade 11, when I first joined the club, I did not have any sense of responsibility to the task that GIN: Dialysis chapter is doing. However, as I meet patients who suffer from the disease and do not have enough funds to care about their diseases, I began to think that I should not think this activity as an easy thing. I think what is important is the way I perceive the club and the patients. I want to continue raising funds for the patients with high responsibility towards the GIN club and the Dialysis patients.