Piano Lessons Update

I have done about six months of piano so far, and I thought it would be beneficial to summarise what I have learnt thus far. The pictures summarise the majority of what I have covered this year in piano lessons.

I've really enjoyed my lessons so far, the teacher is supportive and I love this new scope of learning. Usually learning, for me, involves reading from textbooks and memorising vocab words, and it's very refreshing to step away from all that and immerse myself in something more creative.

However, the amount of concentration needed to remember notes and piece a song together is unbelievable, and I actually feel like it aids me in other academic areas.
Learning the piano therefore allows me to develop my patience and determination. It can be awfully frustrating when you miss out a note, or have a blank while you're playing and you just have to keep pushing forward to finish the piece.

I am looking forward to moving more across the keyboard, because at the moment we've only really been focusing on the key region of the board. Furthermore, being able to choose my own pieces of music will be fun and just generally making more time to practice so that I can improve.

OVC Trip

On December 7th, 2013 I went on an OVC trip for interact club. It took place from 9:30 to 12:30 on the Sunday. This was actually only the second time that I'd visited the children (not counting the easter and christmas parties), so I was pretty excited to see it all again. We all met at ISK and collected the food and candy bags that had been prepared. We actually made these candy bags in NHS, and I bought a few bags of candy for them and helped put them together at lunch one day with the other members. After we had all of our gifts we walked down together - the OVC school is just a little ways down the road, but it feels as if you're moving into an entirely different world. Everything contrasts so drastically with what we have available at ISK, and it is really quite shocking.

When we arrived we were told about the various activities that were going to take place - these included soccer, card making, and much more. We started out all doing card making, and I helped to hand out the paper, glue, scissors, glitter and other supplies to the picnic tables. I joined a table with Sabrina, and we cut them each little cards and showed them what kinds of things they could write and draw inside. The kids were thrilled with the stamps and glitters, and before long everyone was fighting for the glue (as there was only one bottle)! Needless to say, in a few minutes almost all of the cards were slathered in glitter and the children were putting them out into the sun to dry. They were all really enthusiastic about the christmas cards, and near the end of the time some kids asked me to draw things for their cards.
After the card rush had faded out Sabrina and I decided to teach a couple of girls some christmas carols.  We taught them a few lines from 'We Wish you a Merry Christmas', and they were really quick learners and (I think) thoroughly enjoyed singing and laughing with us both. After they had done it a few times we decided to do a 'show' for some of the other interact and OVC students. Everyone was really supportive of their performance, and they were all smiles for the rest of the time. A group of girls also came over and braided Sabrina and I's hair, which was really sweet. While this was going on the majority of the OVC children were playing soccer, games and making cards with the other ISK students, and the atmosphere was really amazing. I feel like we bonded a lot more than on the other OVC trip I attended because of the variety of activities that we could do. Furthermore, the festive mood connected us all.

After a bit the head of the OVC kids stepped up and ushered up a group of OVC children. They performed a series of songs for us, and they were fantastic. There was a harmony to the music, and they were loud and confident. Unfortunately for us, the ISK students were prompted to go and perform right afterwards, so we had a lot to live up to. We sang jingle bells and 'we wish you a merry christmas' (the girls we had taught coming up and doing this with us).

We finished the day by forming a circle and playing a few games together. The first consisted of two people being blindfolded and then made to find a football (placed somewhere in the field). This was really fun, and everyone shouted commands at the two players enthusiastically. The second game was duck duck goose, carried out with similar passion. The kids sprinted around the circle unbelievably quickly, and I was a little intimidated. The final game was a push and pull activity - like tug of war, but with people.
We then handed out the candy bags to the kids. We were originally afraid that we wouldn't have enough, but we even had leftovers afterwards! The kids seemed extremely grateful, and we left them all with smiles on their faces, which felt amazing. Hugging the friends I had made goodbye and wishing them all a merry Christmas, we headed back to ISK.

I really enjoyed this trip because of the extent that I was able to connect with all the kids. I felt like they were much more open and friendly this time, and I was honestly sad to go. I find it sad that I don't get to visit very often, and next semester I'm going to try and go on more OVC trips and less runda feeding ones - this is because in OVC you are able to connect more directly with the children, forming bonds with them. Runda feeding is important, but you don't really get to speak with any of the people there.
In OVC trips I am able to continuously work on my interactive skills - I am able to develop as a leader and person, through taking charge and becoming aware of the social situation in Kenya (and the world as a whole).

[photos coming soon]

KCCL Trip

On Wednesday, November 20th, I went on my last KCCL trip for the semester! We had planned to have a christmas party, so I brought a huge 2 litre bottle of coke and a packet of chips for the kids. I was really excited to see how the party went and talk to all the kids again, but I was also melancholy at the prospect of not seeing them for a whole month.

When we arrived everyone got out of the bus with their food and started to set up a table and chairs. We laid all of our snacks out on it, pouring out drinks into small plastic cups provided, and opening up packets etc. All the kids were sitting on chairs around us, but we realised that it may of been too chaotic if everyone was unleashed upon the 'buffet' at the same time. We decided to pile up plates with food ourselves, and just hand them out. Unfortunately, we soon ran out of plates, so we began to use napkins instead. Everyone seemed really pleased with how things were playing out though, and the kids all had wide smiles plastered on their faces. However, once everyone had a plate we opened up the table for people to just come and take things as they pleased. It was MADNESS. I turned around for two minutes and when I glanced back at the table there were wrappers scattering the ground, and the children had food on their faces and clothes!

The party went on for the duration of our trip - it was very relaxed, kids came and went to get food, and we sat in circles and talked to each other. It was clear that the children didn't often get occasions in which to just sit down with each other, eat, and socialise. It was really loud in the room, and shrieks of laughter emanated from the school!
Time flew by, and soon enough we were clearing up everything and the kids were heading home. It was sad to say goodbye, but I'm grateful that I can return next semester.

Doing KCCL this semester has been really good for me. I've been able to be more accepting of others, and to appreciate how lucky I am to be the way I am. It must be really difficult for these kids, but the level of strength and perseverance that they show is incredible. No matter when or where they are, they're smiling, and that makes all the difference in the world. It really does.

I've been able to develop my leadership qualities and communication skills on the trip - being able to convey ideas and messages to those who see the world in a different light can be challenging, but it allows you to expand your knowledge and self-awareness.

Next semester I hope that we can do a little more painting, and perhaps work on educating the kids a little more about some world issues - like animal abuse for instance (I'm wondering if any of them have been to KSPCA?).

[photos hopefully coming soon]

Save The Rhino Talk

The representative presents for us

On Monday, November 19th, a representative of Laikipia Wildlife Forum came to talk to the Save The Rhino group about poaching. This occurred after school, and took place in Mrs Wilkin's room.

We all met in the classroom after school, and in around 15 minutes or so the representative arrived. He first introduced us to his foundation - the Laikipia Wildlife Forum. This is a conservation organisation, that considers the views of locals, private rangers, pastoralists, tourism ventures, etc, in their strive to protect the natural resources and animals of this beautiful region. Their mission is to bring the people of the region together and conserve the wildlife, ecosystem and natural resources as a result.

You can find out more about this organisation at: http://www.laikipia.org/

The representative was really nice, and a great public speaker. He had prepared a powerpoint for us, which was really interesting, but brutally shocking. He included some very graphic photos, and there were numerous times when I just couldn't look at them. For instance, there was a particularly awful one of a mother elephant who had been killed, and her stomach has been split open and an almost fully developed baby elephant has been dragged onto the ground. I just don't understand how anyone could do this to such an innocent creature, who's never harmed anyone in it's life - how can you put your own material needs over the life of something so innately pure!? We are all equal in this world, a human is no less superior than a mouse or an elephant, and we all deserve to have long happy lives. The level of suffering, exploitation and ignorance in this world leaves me shellshocked and confused, I wish that I had the power to make change immediately, but I know that making myself heard (as well as getting others to consider and accept my views) will be very difficult indeed. For instance, in track and field the other day I heard two 10th grade boys discussing meat - they were talking about chicken, and they spoke with so little consideration for the fact that, what they view as simply a source of food, is a living breathing creature, which can feel pain just as they can. We have no right to carry out this mass murder each day, and I know that there are some who may disagree, but I feel that it is morally wrong.

To get back on topic - the representative continued on to talk about how farmers often poison lions and other carnivores that attack their cows (by putting acid on the carcass), and this spreads throughout the ecosystem (as other scavengers feed on the carcass of the lion), which is disastrous. I found this terrible,  because so many are hurt for one simple action - an action that cannot really be labeled as negative, for the lion has to eat just as much as anyone else.
He discussed many other things, linking them directly to the people in the area as well. For instance, he talked about water, elephant raids of villages, education, fencing, tracking and dealing with poachers, etc etc. It was all extremely dynamic and eye-opening, and I was really glad to see that they're making a  considerable impact on the wildlife of Kenya. I want to go into wildlife-conservation later in life, and this empowered me and increased my passion for this area of work tenfold.

I'm really glad that it was arranged for this man to come and talk to us, because in Save The Rhino we have a tendency to fundraise with no background information or exposure to the issue. Hopefully the other members of the group were impacted as greatly as I was.

Interact Club - Runda Feeding Trip

We begin to hand out plates to the elderly
[I am in the grey shirt and blue shorts]

On Sunday, November 17th, I went to a Runda Feeding trip. We all met at java at 10:30, and ended at around 1:00. This time we finished a little earlier, at around 12:30, because less children showed up. There were around 15 of us on the trip, and it felt really good to be going back. I haven't been on this trip for a while now, and I wanted to see if things had progressed, and how everyone was doing.

The kids wait for the food to be handed out

We managed to all fit in the cars, and when we arrived at the site for the feeding we all immediately set to work. Most of the food had actually already been unpacked, so we only had to tear open a few bags of candy and mandazis. However, after this had been done we put the food on various bowls and then carried it out for the old men and women. They smiled gratefully at us, but seeing their living conditions I felt really awful for them all. Their houses smelt strongly, and they had a single bed in a little cubicle. There wasn't any privacy, and it was grey and dark and empty. I hope that one day we can possibly arrange to go and do something about this, but I think there's a little too much going on at the moment right now.

After we'd finished this there was already a long line of children outside the little shelter. The line winded up all the way to the gate, and even extended out onto the road. For once, I didn't hand out milk - I decided to give out candy and lollipops. I had small butterscotch type sweets, and I was told to give two to each child.

Piles of bread ready to be handed out

At first, the kids came in slowly, and it was all very organised. I've always found it slightly disconcerting that none of the children smile or say thank you when you give them the food, but I noticed that far less of them were rude or pushy this time. I did receive a few promptings to hand out more candy, followed by annoyed clicks or shakes of heads, but I suppose it's to be expected - these children are pretty desperate, and I'll never be able to understand the extent that they are forced to endure. I can only hope that I make a positive impact.

This went on for a really long time, and the crowd grew as the time went by. There were points where there were four kids holding out their bags to me at once, while a mass of other people writhed just behind them. It was all very overwhelming, but we managed to get through everyone fine - we even had extra food at the end.
As usual, there was a wee bit of disarray and disruption at the end - people came back with more empty bags, and kids and adults alike tried to reach the extra food. It was clear that the people who run this are well versed in how to deal with this, because the crowds soon dispersed.
We finished with a prayer, and people made comments about the day.

Sweets we were handing out

I can never fully describe the extent that these events affect me on this blog, it's not a feeling that can adequately be captured in words. I know I've said it already, but it really does make me so appreciative of all that I have, and the opportunities that have been presented to me. These kids have already been exposed to so much, and I really hope that these feedings make things a little easier for them all.

In this trip I was able to increase my self-awareness, and knowledge regarding the community and country that I live in. I was inspired to start something like this myself, and I really admire the founders of this event - especially for their commitment and compassion.

Ushering for 'Our Town'

 On Friday and Saturday night I had to usher for the play 'Our Town' for ARTSCO. This wasn't an arduous task at all, because I got to see the play and help ensure that it all ran smoothly. I was at school at 5:15 both nights, in order for there to be time for Cora to explain everything to us. We had to stand outside the doors of the auditorium and pass out programs and rip tickets for the people going in. We also had to remind those with food and drink that they weren't allowed to bring them into the auditorium.

This was actually a lot harder than it sounds, because at times there were crowds of people all bunched up trying to get through the door, and only 2 or 3 ushers to keep track of everyone. There were times when I had my hands filled with the small pieces you had to rip off of the tickets and was trying frantically to hand out programs at the same time, dropping paper everywhere. However, it was nice seeing all the excited faces, and hearing the anticipation in there voice as they handed you their tickets and headed inside. It all felt very official, and we had to tell everyone to go in after the bell rang and then, when the doors on the ground floor were closed and the play had started, we were responsible of telling latecomers to head upstairs and enter through the top of the auditorium.

Friday night was definitely more busy, and there were quite a few latecomers. On Saturday, however, it was fairly well controlled. During the two intermissions we also had roles. In the first, we had to usher everybody back inside after the break, and ensure that they didn't bring food or drink back in. In the second, we had to stop anybody from leaving the auditorium. However, we let a few people out to go to the bathroom.

I know that my role in the production of the play was small and almost insignificant, but it felt nice to be doing something in the ISK community. I actually really enjoyed my nights ushering, I got to see the play and really feel connected to everybody.

GIN & Golden Hearts Workshops

On Saturday, November 9th, we had the GIN and Golden Hearts Workshops. These went on from about 8:30 in the morning to 3 in the afternoon, and consisted of numerous games, presentations and activities that revolved around awareness regarding global issues and increased motivation to make change. I felt like this meeting actually inspired me a great deal, urging me to start up my own project and speak out for what I believe is right and just.

The circle - Tito talks to us all

The day started off with the two groups meeting in Mrs Lavender's room and introducing ourselves. The leader of Golden Hearts was Tito, a young man who brought life into everything we did. Whenever someone spoke up about what they were doing or thinking he would make them go "ka-ching!" afterwards, and the group would have to point at them and say "ROCK STAR!" I thought that this was a really nice way of motivating everyone and making us feel good about what we've accomplished, even though it was a little cheesy!

We played some ice breaker games (one called 'fruit basket', which was a little like musical chairs, and another called 'mingle mingle', where we had to form groups of certain numbers), and then sat in a circle and shared what we were currently working on. The Golden Hearts members amazed me, they were not from the most well off families or schools but were so passionate about everything that they were doing. They never stopped smiling, and I could tell that this wasn't about CAS for them - they had a genuine urge to make a difference. I know that I have this same earnest hope within myself, and I hope that I can start doing things as impressive as they are. For instance, one boy had gone back to his village and started up volleyball and football games, etc, as a means of raising funds to plant trees and conserve the environment. He is only 17, and seems well beyond his years in terms of awareness and enlightenment.

Challenges poster 

After the discussion was over we split into four groups and were given poster paper and pens to record our thoughts on various topics. We were told to discuss what success is, and what challenges us (in terms of stepping out and taking action). We also had to think about the pros and cons of our work in GIN (plus and delta). I think that this was really useful for us, as I've never particularly thought about what success is to me, and why I haven't been doing as much as I'd really like to. Not only did it allow me to gain a fresh perspective on how I'm approaching global issues and change today, but it also gave me the opportunity to connect with the Golden Hearts members in smaller groups and speak out. We all presented what we'd brainstormed after a few minutes, and it was interesting to see the range of ideas.

My group and I discuss challenges

We had a brief break in the middle of these activities, and we got to eat mandazi and drink tea. After we had finished everything we went out to eat lunch, and we were served an amazing kenyan meal with soft drinks. We had around 45 minutes to finish, and one of the Golden Hearts boys (the one described above who runs the project) came and sat down with some friends and I and talked about what he's done.
After lunch we had another game. We had to look at the ground and then glance up and look at someone's eyes, if you made eye contact you had to act the most ridiculous death possible. Whomever's death was most earnest got to stay in the circle, while the loser had to leave. This was pretty challenging for me, due to my shyness, but I think that it really helped me to step out of my comfort zone and get to know everyone better.
Then came the workshops themselves, consisting of poaching (my workshop!), gender inequality, water and education. Two went on at the same time for half an hour, and then we all switched. Poaching was one of the first two, so I went with my group up to Mrs Lavender's room and we did our powerpoint and game. The powerpoint was reasonably short, but contained vital information and wasn't too boring for everyone. We focused mainly on poaching in Kenya, so speaking about Elephant's and Rhino's in particular. I presented with Natasha Hira and Elly, while the other three members of the group arranged the game afterwards.

Brainstorming

The game was really fun. We each got a different colored ribbon - transparent, gold, pink and brown. The transparent ones were poachers, the gold's were conservationists, the pink's were carnivores and the brown's were herbivores. The game was a game of tag, where 'killing' was making somebody sit down. Poachers could kill herbivores and carnivores, carnivores could kill herbivores, conservationists could bring carnivores and herbivores back to life (allowing them to stand back up and run), and herbivores could be killed by poachers and carnivores.  I was a brown, and we were the largest group of the lot. The game was very interesting, as as it progressed conservationists had to step out (displaying the fact that people drop out of this area of work due to low pay, etc), and it effectively showed the fact that with all of these threats animals cannot easily survive - leading to extinction.
I think everyone enjoyed our workshop a lot - I certainly learnt a lot from it.

Our posters

Afterwards I went to the education workshop. They gave a small powerpoint, comparing finland (which has the best education) to Kenya, and showing us videos and statistics. The gap was shocking, and it opened up my eyes to the severe inequality between these two countries. Afterwards we had a debate between quality vs quantity. I was on the quality side, and we argued about the role of teachers in society, and the fact that it is better to have one well educated person who can come back and make a change for others than a great deal of poorly educated people who cannot find jobs. The quantity people made various other solid arguments against our points, and was interesting to hear both sides of the 'story'.

Finally, we all gathered in the classroom in a circle and went around and said what we had learnt. People spoke about the educational and fun games, and the fact that they had been surprised by what had been pointed out to them. A girl beside me from Golden Hearts said that she had previously believed that Kenya had good education, which shows how little she has been exposed to or experienced in her lifetime.

Hannah and I present the plus's and delta's

This meeting taught me a great deal about world issues, and increased my leadership skills and confidence in myself. I was prompted to interact with those I knew very little about, which is one of my weaker points, but I feel like I did a good job. I loved seeing people from two different communities coming together in this way, because there's no ignoring the fact that we share the same Earth.
However, it was still somewhat challenging to talk in front of everyone and to be comfortable in sharing my points of views, for fear that people would disagree. Hopefully as I get to know everyone better this will stop being an issue for me.

To conclude, everyone had to say one word that described the day for them. 'Motivating' and 'inspirational' came up a lot, and I used 'enlightening'. As we said our goodbyes I saw a change in the eyes of my peers - we are already seeing the world in a different way, a different light. We are the leaders of tomorrow, and we need to be thinking about these issues and coming up with solutions for generations to come. I am very determined to do something outside of the original CAS groups at school - even if it's just going to KSPCA on my own from time to time.

GIN with Golden Hearts

The Golden Hearts members taught me a great deal, but most importantly the fact that one person - rich or poor, male or female - can light the way for others.

Piano Lesson

The book I'm on now - filled with ridiculous monster creatures

Today Rachel and I covered the songs that I practiced for homework (Go For The Gold, Pirates Of The Sea, and Long, Long Ago) and did a little more review. We didn't learn any new notes today, but we've moved on to a harder book now (though still for beginners).

We focused mainly on keeping the beat and going quicker than normal. As we were playing I realised how lovely we sounded together, and I actually found myself humming the song for a while after the class ended. We also learnt briefly about quavers, as described below.

Through piano lessons I have found myself increasing my responsibility (as I have to use better time management in order to practice sufficiently), focus and concentration, and creativity. It's really a unique experience, so different from anything I've done before - of course, guitar was also challenging, but it didn't require the same absorption in the subject matter. 

Part of a piece I'm playing

KCCL Trip

Today I went for my second KCCL trip. We left just after school finished, and the drive was around half an hour or so. When we got there the kids were all waiting in the garden, and ran up to us to give us hugs, introduce themselves (if we hadn't previously spoken), and ask as how we were and what we'd been up to. A girl of about 11 came up to me and without saying a word hugged me extremely tightly and wouldn't let go! This was really sweet, and we talked a lot on this trip.

We all headed over to the mural painting site. Unfortunately, there had been a small mishap - some kids had gotten their hands on paints and had scribbled over the entire wall! Therefore, after setting up the paints and plastic sheets, we set to work painting over everything with white paint. A few KCCL kids stayed to help us, while the others went inside to do other activities. The children were laughing and playing with each other, and we all conversed as we worked on the wall. Luckily, none of them seemed disappointed that we were covering up their artwork!

This took the majority of the time, as the wall was huge and there was a limited supply of paintbrushes. By the end we had covered all of it, though some images were still showing through slightly. Hannah and I started to draw on our design in pencil - the theme being friends, so the pictures of pooh and piglet, and people holding letters to spell the world 'friends'.

I think that this was a reasonably productive day, as we can now complete our two pictures on the next trip. The kids all seemed extremely happy with our visit, and were excited for our next trip over. We spent a lot more time bonding with the kids this time, and I feel that I now have solid friendships with quite a few of them.
I learn a great deal about leadership, understanding, creativity, and the overwhelming passion and positivity of life from these KCCL trips and I'm looking forward to continuing this for 12 months.

[photos coming soon]

Piano Lesson

I had a piano lesson on Wednesday last week. It was fairly short, but very productive. I learnt some more keys of the piano, and I now know almost all of the ones below:

Rachel continues to be very supportive, and she urges me on despite my frequent mistakes. I find it quite hard to immediately recognise the written notes and associate them with which finger should be used, etc. Another thing I find challenging is connecting notes, in a sense. It's hard to make smooth transitions, letting one note continue to ring as the other one starts. It's all a bit overwhelming to begin with, but I try to practice for at least 15 minutes everyday and I'm already noticing that it flows a lot smoother now.

We are now looking at notes which are tied (and therefore held out for a longer period of time), and playing two notes at the same time. We've done songs like Good King Wenceslas, and Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen. We do a lot of duets together during the classes, and it's really nice to hear how the two pieces come together. Rachel constantly amazes me with her amazing playing, and it motivates me to improve. She gave me a few songs to practice in one of the books, and says that she's going to bring a book full of christmas music for me to practice. I'm pretty excited about this, as I'm already in the 'christmas mood'. 

OVC Christmas Party

 On Saturday, November 2nd, we had the OVC christmas party for Interact club at school. This went on from 9:30 to around 12:30, and consisted of:

- swimming activities
- a hot breakfast
- a play in the elementary playground
- distribution of new clothing

When we arrived we were split into groups for each location, and into small parties to take around the children. I was put into one of the groups taking the kids around, and started off by collecting them all at the gate. They all looked extremely excited, despite the fact that it was raining slightly and they were all dressed in old and rather dirty clothing. I was both happy and sad at the sight of them lined up there -  both grateful that we were giving them the chance to experience that of which they rarely have access to, but melancholy at the blunt realisation of the inequality in society today.

We first headed for the swimming pool, and all the kids stripped down to their bare essentials and jumped in. They did a few kicking exercises, and then played around with toys and floaties. They shrieked and howled in their excitement, and we didn't have to do much interaction at this point for them to have a great time. When they got out we stood outside the changing rooms and dried them all off with a few towels that we had. They then got dressed, and we hurried over to the breakfast room.

One of the kids plays on the slide

For breakfast, there were mandazis, boiled eggs, tea, and hot chocolate. The children ate vigorously, gulping down the mandazi in huge bites and smiling at each other with cheeks stuffed with food. This was eye opening for me, as I had gone out for dinner only a few nights before hand, and had eaten my sushi with far less enthusiasm. I realised the extent that it's necessary for me to appreciate all that I have, and make a change for these children.

We then went to the playground, where the kids swung about on the swings and monkey bars. We helped them onto the slides, and pushed them on the swings and roundabouts. Afterwards, we headed over to the science blocks where the clothes were waiting. Each child got one item of clothing, and then we played musical chairs outside. They all loved this game, and got a little too excited running around after a while! Luckily we stopped it before things got too out of hand.

The kids wait to be picked up

Leading the children back up to the parking lot and watching them walk away smiling and laughing amongst themselves was amazing, and I felt like I had really made an impact on lives. There is honestly no better feeling in this world than seeing a child smiling and knowing that you are part of the reason why. I learnt a lot about leadership and perseverance during this event, as we had to take control of the group throughout the activities when it was rather challenging (we had 17 kids amongst the 4 of us). We also had to work on our communication skills, as the children don't speak much english and see the world in a very different way from ourselves.
All in all, these OVC gatherings allow us to look at life through a different lens, and to appreciate what we have and the differences that we can make in the world today.
I think I made some great friends, and I can't wait to meet with the OVC kids again soon.

Piano Lessons - First and Second

Last week on Friday and today I had my first two piano lessons. My teacher is Rachel Mwakughu, who also works in the music department at ISK. I plan to have lessons every Friday after school, for around half an hour. This year I really want to improve, and I will be much more dedicated in practicing to allow this to become a reality.

In my first two lessons we have covered the key notes - middle C, etc, and learnt how to play a few simple songs. We've also covered how your hand should be placed, and finger movement. It's a lot more complicated than I thought it would be, as you have to remember where all the keys are as you play and move quickly and confidently across the board.
Rachel is really supportive, she understands that it's really difficult and goes slowly and is encouraging throughout. She's amazing at piano, and is really an inspiration for me to get better!

We will be expanding on this knowledge in lessons to come, and will work on playing more than one note at once, etc. My homework over the next week is to practice various pieces in the books that we have, and to get a feel of the scales as well.

I really want to become better at this instrument, and my goal for this year is to make time to sit down and practice for at least 15 minutes a day.
I can't wait for my next class!

ISK Track Meet

The ISK team enters the stadium - (I am in a red jumper)

We do a warm up run

On Saturday, October 12th, the whole ISK team went to the moi stadium to have a practice meet. We spent from around 8 in the morning to two thirty in the afternoon there, and competed in both field and track events. I was signed up for a 4 by 400 meter relay, and I was pretty excited for it. Going into this however, I must admit that I felt drained and a little annoyed by the fact that, after missing a day of school on Thursday to run 5 k at St Andrews, I was having to give up my Saturday for track as well. I tried to keep my attitude positive though, and I think that I benefitted from this experience in the long run.
The stadium was huge, and it was great to get the feeling of running in such a prestigious and well known place. I loved the laid back and friendly attitude of the team - everyone was very accepting and you could tell that we were all having fun.
A number of events took place - such as hurdles, long jump, relays, sprints, a 3k run, and much more. The coaches were giving advice throughout, and parents took photos from the sides. I didn't have much to do, so I spent the majority of my time cheering on my teammates. I think this was really nice, because it all brought us together so much more and increased our team spirit as a result. I think this support will help us all perform better in our next official meet.

We wait to start the relay - I am net to coach Smyth

  Running my relay was difficult, but it taught me a lot about pace. I started off fairly fast, and was dying at the end. I was made aware of the fact that it is better to go slowly at the beginning and conserve your energy for the final sprint. It is so easy to be influenced by the runners around you, but you have to remember to do what's best for you.

To conclude, this was a productive day - our team coming together a great deal due to the cooperation between athletes. I really hope we do something like this again, as it was both fun and educational.

NHS Induction & Commemoration Ceremony

NHS Inductees!

I wasn't sure whether I needed to blog about my NHS induction or not, so I thought I'd briefly reflect on it in this post.
On October 10th I was inducted into NHS. The ceremony started at 6:00 and ended at around 8:00, and I was extremely relieved that I arrived back in time from track to attend! I was both excited and nervous for the ceremony - I have a tendency to be extremely clumsy and awkward when under pressure and I was scared that I would set my hair or someone else's dress on fire with my candle, etc.

We stand with our candles

The ceremony was really nice. Mrs Henderson, Mr Blanchard, and a number of other people gave short talks and then we were introduced, lit candles, and sworn in. I was inspired by everyone present, and motivated to excel further in academics and service. I can't wait to become a greater part of NHS and to be involved in activities that we carry out.
I'm so happy to have been given this opportunity, and I am determined to make the most out of this honour.
_____________

Today was the commemoration ceremony for Nuriana Merali and the other people affected by the Westgate terrorist attack. It started at 2:00, and we had shortened classes for the beginning of the day, The ceremony consisted of a band performance, speeches, an unveiling, and balloons being released in memory of the member of our community lost.

As a part of NHS I was in charge of ushering and handing out balloons in this ceremony. I helped Natasha Mawjee usher for middle school, which was challenging due to the lack of space and the chaos that followed the elementary, middle and high school all trying to find their way around in the limited space. However, we managed and could soon sit down and watch the ceremony with ease.

The balloons rise into the sky

I was so touched by everything that took place, and words can't describe my confusion and sadness in the face of this attack. I don't understand how someone could have so little regard for human life and its importance, and how somebody so pure and kind could be lost to us. It is shocking to think that I could easily of lost my life in this attack, and it makes me all the more appreciative of every second that I have on this planet. I will make the most of this life, and I will make change in this world. There will always be good to combat evil.

After the first part of the ceremony we went into the MPR and retrieved the balloons. We then went out and handed them out to the 9th graders, who released them into the sky in a beautiful final act. I feel that watching them rise into the sky set everyone into the stage of accepting and letting go of the horrors that we have witnessed over these past few weeks.

I was happy to have helped out in this ceremony, if only a little. These kind of leadership tasks make me enthusiastic that NHS will help me to develop these qualities in myself. I think this was a good start to my time in this club, even if it was such a solemn occasion.

Turi Cross Country Meet

 On October 10th I competed in the cross country meet at Turi. We went up on the 9th and camped overnight, and we had to run 5 kilometres. I was very nervous for this meet, as I'd never competed in track before and was inexperienced in terms of how to keep pace and put myself in the right mindset (etc). Furthermore, I hadn't been training for very long and in practices I had not done five k without breaks before. It was all rather daunting. However, I was also excited - I couldn't wait to see where I would place and was looking forward to getting a feel of cross country. I was really happy because my two good friends Hannah and Sabrina were also competing in the run, and we provided each other with moral support and made the whole experience so much more fun and enjoyable.

After school on the Wednesday I grabbed my bags and headed up to the bus. We all hauled ourselves in, dropping our various suitcases on the back row. The rid was a good 4-5 hours, consisting of a great deal of traffic and a cascade of music from my ipod. Finally we arrived at Turi, and I was amazed at how large the campus was and how green and luscious everything appeared. It was all so beautiful, and I couldn't imagine having a better place to run. There was everything from tall silver trees to rolling meadows filled with sheep!

Me in my track uniform

The bus parked in one of the fields (by the bathrooms and showers), and we all got out and put up our tents. I shared a tent with Sabrina, and Hannah parked herself right beside us. After this was finished and we had all unpacked we changed into warm clothes and headed down for dinner and a movie. We watched Breaking Bad in the church! I feel like this brought all of the teams a little closer to each other, allowing us to see each other as friends and equals - not just competition. This helped me a lot because beforehand I was feeling extremely intimidated by all of the tall lithe runners and the looming failure before me.

I slept reasonably well, spraying deep heat and massaging my aching calf muscles before I went to bed. I had been having some trouble in practices with my legs cramping up when I ran, making it virtually impossible to run (let alone walk), and I was terrified of this happening in the 5k. In the morning we ate breakfast and packed up our tents and the coach showed us the course, and we did a warm up run around it. I really liked the course and it was shorter than I had anticipated, which relieved me a little. However, during the jog my fears became a reality. I already started to cramp up! I couldn't believe it, and I was at a loss of what to do. If I couldn't make the warm up how was I going to do the entire 5 k run to the best of my ability? When we got back to the tents I stretched and stretched, and tried to relax my muscles with deep freeze.

It was almost time to race, and the under 15 girls started to line up to go - there were 60 people in each division. We all gathered up into our teams and cheered them on from the starting line. It was a sight to behold. We were all in our different jerseys, filled with team spirit and pride in our separate schools, and yet, at the same time, we were united by the feat we were about to undertake.
Before the race began the coach had reminded us that ISK had a slightly negative reputation in track and field due to bad attitudes in the past, and he urged us to be supportive of runners from different schools. I was ashamed and I promised myself to put superficial feelings of rivalry and fear aside and keep in mind that they probably all felt just as nervous and wound up as I did.

The under 15 boys left next and Sabrina, Hannah, the other 60 over 15 girls and I lined up at the starting line. I was at the back of the crowd, which worried me slightly, but the coach assured me that everyone would disperse very quickly. The whistle was blown and it began.
Everyone sprinted. Very fast. I did so for the first 5 seconds (Mr Z's recommendation), and then slowed to a jog with a friend called Georgia (a great runner and a really nice girl). We kept a steady pace together and overtook a lot of runners walking. As I ran I gave words of encouragement to those struggling - ISK or not - and my legs didn't cramp up! I think this was because I managed to take my mind off of the actual running and onto other things. I also took in the scenery and environment as we ran.
It was harder than I could of imagined though. My legs were burning, I was wheezing, and sweat dripped down my forehead. As my body begged me to slow to a walk I kept thinking about what Mr Z had told us - your physical body gives up long before you do mentally, don't let it win. I envisioned myself crossing the finish line, envisioned myself taking a long draught of water, and envisioned the pride I would be filled with. I pushed on.
We had to do two loops, and the last consisted of a HUGE hill. It was extremely steep and we had done it in our warm up, reminded countless times not to walk on it. Georgia and I ran all the way up, but unfortunately we walked a little bit afterwards. However, we soon broke back into a jog and continued on our way. I pulled ahead of Georgia near the end, but she overtook me in the final sprint (she was trained in sprinting in the past and is far better at it than I).
As I crossed the finish line I was red in the face and showered with blissfully cold water. I received my placing and was very proud with it - I came 13th out of the 60 girls! I thought that considering that I hadn't had much training or experience in competition this was quite an achievement! Georgia came 12th, and the other ISK girls and boys did amazingly well too! It was a very successful day.

My certificate!

After lunch we all gathered round for the awards ceremony. ISK ended up getting 3 of the five trophies, and winning overall first place for the first time ever!! I helped win the trophy for the over 15 girls, which I was really happy about, and I received a certificate for this achievement. A few members of our team also managed to get medals (Sabrina, Makena and Sebastian).
We drove back directly after this and I made it back in time for a lovely NHS induction!

I was very very pleased with my progress in this meet, I was amazed at the mental and physical strength that I discovered in myself and the power of teamwork and sportsmanship. It made it all the more clear to me that with a positive attitude and belief in yourself you can truly go far. I was so impressed by the positive attitude displayed by everyone on the team, and their willingness to put differences aside and support those who were our "rivals" in the competition. I think it is in times like these that we discover our innate strengths and form lifelong bonds with our teammates. I can't wait to continue to improve in track and achieve better times in my future meets!

[photos hopefully coming soon!]

PTO Picnic

On Saturday, September 21st 2013, I attended the PTO picnic. I was really excited to go along, as it allows you to have fun with your friends while you help out with your CAS groups at the same time. In this event the various groups at ISK have a chance to advertise themselves and raise money for their cause through fun events (like sponge tosses, 'pin the horn on the rhino', selling cupcakes, etc).

We had been discussing this event in our groups for a while beforehand, and each club had plans for their stalls. I had decided to do shifts for three of my clubs, as I could only be at the picnic from around 12-3:30. My shifts were as follows:
- 12:00 - 1:00 - Save the Rhino
- 1:00 - 1:30 - Photography Club
- 1:30 - 2:30 - ARTSCO

I arrived just in time with my arms filled with cupcakes and a poster that I had made for Save the Rhino, and headed over to their stall. As I passed through the fair I was amazed at the positive attitude - there were people laughing wherever I looked, and everyone looked like they were having an amazing time. There were people singing and performing on stage, each stall was bustling with activity, and everything smelled amazing.

My poster

However, when I arrived at the Save the Rhino stall I found it mostly deserted. There were two girls selling cupcakes, and I added mine to the ones laid out on the table. There was also a 'Rhino Toss' set up (where you have to throw hoops onto a rhino horn), and a 'pin the horn on the rhino' game (like 'pin the tail on the donkey' but with a rhino and a horn). You got prizes for the games, and it was all exactly as planned. The cupcakes cost 50-150 shillings each, and the games were 100 shillings a turn (including a prize at the end). I sat down at the ring toss stall and, unfortunately, spent most of the time sitting with no customers. There were more people buying cupcakes, but I feel that our slightly desolate location (it was further up the hill, and not many people walked up there) limited the funds that we raised.

Photography club calender

After I finished my time there I went down to the photography stall - located on the basketball courts. One of my friends and Ms Bock were there, and I sat down with them. This was definitely more interesting for me, I watched all the other clubs interacting with the community and spreading awareness, and it was really captivating. Furthermore, a number of people came up and inquired about our calendars (which we were selling), and we sold a few. They were the calendars from last years photography club, and even though my photos weren't in them they were amazing. They cost 500 shillings each, and I feel like we raised a fair amount of money.

An example of Sabrina's amazing face painting

My last slot in ARTSCO was very busy. Lots of people wanted to get their faces painted, and even though we dropped our idea of tie dying shirts this was enough business. It cost 50 shillings to get a painting on your cheek, 100 to get a large one, and 150 for your entire face. My friend Sabrina was in paradise, as she loves art and puts so much effort into everything that she does. Her face painting was amazing, and soon enough there were crowds of people watching her work and waiting for their turn. I helped out with a few, but I decided to leave most of the painting to her!

I think that overall it was a really successful day, I had a great day and enjoyed helping support my CAS groups. I hope that we have more chances to do things like this in the future, and that this event will aid us in our goals.

KCCL - First Trip

On Wednesday, September 18th 2013, I went to KCCL for the first time. I wasn't expecting much of a surprise, as I've visited there in the past with ARTSCO, and I got onto the bus knowing exactly what would follow. I was unaware of the entirely new experience I was about to undergo!

There were a lot of people on the bus for KCCL, mostly consisting of 9th-11th graders. It was a big difference from KSPCA, as there were no middle schoolers present. The bus ride was also quite long, and we drove through a very poor area as we approached KCCL. Despite the location of this school the facilities are actually very good, and our murals are making the place even more lovely!

When we got off of the bus we were greeted by crowds of smiling children, all shaking hands and hugging us. I was amazed at how well they remembered all of our names! We were then led into the courtyard area, passing a room full of kids making bracelets and necklaces. It was explained that we were going to be making collages, self portraits, and jewellery with the kids, which wasn't what I was expecting at all. It was a pleasant surprise, to be honest, because merely painting murals on the walls gets a little monotonous if repeated every single trip. We had mirrors (for the self portraits), paints, oil pastels, pencils, etc.
Everyone went to find their partners, which had been chosen the previous visit, and since I didn't have one I joined in with my friend Hannah. Her partner was Ranika, a mentally disabled 22 year old woman. She was very different from people I am used to being around, reminding me of a very young child, but she was really sweet and friendly. She wanted to do painting, and drew us numerous colourful flowers. Afterwards, she did a collage, and we cut out words like 'beautiful', 'funny', and 'smart' for her to stick on her piece of paper, and her reactions to these compliments were very cute (she would squeal and cover her face with her hands in happiness).

The other kids were very focused, sitting and drawing very abstract pictures on their papers. It was very nice to see how they viewed and expressed themselves through art. The kids making jewellery exhibited the same amount of determination and creativity, and I really hope that their work sells at the PTO picnic this weekend.

Eventually we started to clean up the materials and the KCCL kids waved us goodbye and climbed onto their own buses.
I was really touched at how welcoming the KCCL children were - Ranika was hugging us and telling us that we were her best friends by the end of the trip, and the other children clasped our hands in their own and asked us not to leave. It's really eye opening seeing these kids and how they make their way through everyday life, I find it inspiring and also a reminder of just how fortunate we are in life. Their determination and individuality is amazing, and I definitely look up to them in this respect.

I think that I will really enjoy visiting KCCL, especially as friendships are so easily made at this school. Furthermore, it involves art, which I am very passionate about. I hope that next time we will be able to interact just as much with the children, while still getting to explore the creative aspect of the trip.

[PHOTOS COMING SOON]

Group Updates

So I am settling into my various groups now, and I thought it would be useful to give you an update of what is going on in each one.

Track and Field:
I am enjoying track a lot at the moment, it's amazing how quickly your fitness improves and how much you love the running after a bit. I honestly look forward to my practices, and I have a lot of friends in the team with me (which makes it far more enjoyable). I am in the long distance group and we're doing short runs (4-8 minutes length) numerous times in a practice, followed by a ring or two around the school. Our first meet is coming up soon, and I'm signed up for two long distance events. Track is definitely challenging but I'm looking forward to seeing just how much I can improve, and what I will achieve in competitions.

GIN:
I had my first GIN meeting last week, and we had a powerpoint on water and some activities. I love the atmosphere of the group - it's so welcoming and friendly. Furthermore, I think we're tackling some very interesting issues and discuss them well together. We talked about the conference and the PTO picnic in the meeting.

Save the Rhino:
We haven't done much in save the rhino yet, but hopefully our next meeting on Friday will be slightly more productive. I think that at the moment Josh is just working on getting everything organised, and I'm sure that we will do some really fun stuff this year.

Photography Club:
So far in photography I have sent in various photos for critique - we put them up on a projector and the whole group gave feedback. I really enjoyed this exercise as it allows you to see it from a new perspective and notice the things you previously didn't. I have already learnt about the "rule of thirds" (never put the subject in the middle of the photo), light, focus, etc. I have decided that I probably won't go on the trip for this club, but I'm looking forward to taking photos around the school during our meetings.

Piano Lessons:
I have yet to organise my piano lessons, I was hoping to do it in a week or so (as we are moving into our new house, which has a piano that I can use and practice with). There isn't as much pressure with this, as in presidents award I still have to complete the silver award. However, I am itching to get started and can't wait to learn this instrument.

President's Award:
In PA at the moment I am continuing swim team (this was the only activity for silver that needed completion), and Mr Tucker is trying to get me a new record book. Unfortunately, mine got lost over the summer and I now have to renew my signatures. I'm hoping once I get my new book things will start flowing a little more smoothly.

KCCL:
I haven't been on a KCCL trip yet, as I was doing KSPCA previously. However, the coming Wednesday is my first trip and I'm really excited to see how it goes.

ARTSCO:
In ARTSCO we have been discussing tshirt designs, the talent show, and the PTO picnic. The plan is to do tiedye shirts at the picnic and face painting, which should be really fun. I've signed up for a slot sometime during the day and I can't wait to get creative! We're having a little bit of trouble regarding the talent show, as we don't know when to schedule it. However, I'm sure we'll find a spot and will be successful in advertising.

Interact Club:
In Interact we've been planning our OVC visits (food, etc), and I've signed up for 6 trips during the course of this school year. We are also planning to have a stall open at the PTO picnic, selling second hand books and tshirts for a charity organisation. I am really pleased with the leaders of the group this year, and I'm pleased to find that there are even more people present than last year!

Swim Team:
I am definitely enjoying swim team so far into the year, my meet went well and I can't wait to continue to build my fitness. The coach has been very understanding, and I like his new approach to training. I have another meet the weekend after next, which is more formal than the Rosslyn gala (it is the NASA A, which I have to do because I don't have any times at the moment).

Rosslyn Swim Meet

The Coaches

I prepare to dive off of the blocks

On Saturday, September 14th 2013, I took part in the Rosslyn swim meet. It was a slightly smaller meet for schools to compete in, and I enjoyed it a lot.

My events were: 50 m back, 50 m breast, 50 m free, and a relay at the end.

I arrived at Rosslyn with my friends (Kai and Sabrina) at around 8:00 in the morning (we took the bus with the rest of the team from ISK), and we were one of the first people there! There was steam rising off of the pool and it was very cold - needless to say, I was terrified. I hadn't competed since middle school, and some bad experiences (along with my shyness) had made me feel very negative towards meets. However, the coach was very reassuring and my teammates were also encouraging.

Waiting for marshalling

ISK girls! (I am on the far right)

Some Teammates!

The events started, but it was a little while before I actually had to compete. When my turn came I was handed a small paper slip with the event, my name, school and rank on it. I had to give this to the timers in the lane I was placed in. I lined up for marshalling with Sabrina, and was placed in one of the highest heats (I found this strange, as I did not have times yet and I was competing with the faster girls). However, after pulling on my cap and goggles and hearing the familiar "on your marks, get set, beeeeeeeeep" I was in the water and swimming as hard as I could. I was relieved that my events consisted only of 50 m sprints, as it is over really quickly and you have almost no time to think. 

There were huge time gaps between my races, but I had a lot of fun hanging out with the team in these periods. I found that as the day went by I grew less and less nervous, the butterflies in my stomach fading away. I was really proud of myself, if only for this accomplishment! Furthermore, I did well in my races considering the fact that I haven't competed for years, and that I'm now in the 16 and OVER age section! I came 5th and 7th place for two of my races, and got ISK a few points.

Racing!

I am so happy that I decided to compete this year, I feel much more confident and integrated into the team now. There was also a really positive and carefree attitude about this meet, and no one was really judging one another on the results. The ISK football teams were playing on the field just outside, and there was a canteen area that we could go to. Kai and I got snow cones during the lunch break!

To conclude, I had a great time at the meet yesterday and was proud of my attitude and results. I look forward to improving my times in the future!