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.