CREATIVITY: Dance

Dance was something I pursued since June 09. Gradually it became increasingly interesting and so I decided to continue this acitivity within school as well outside school.

For Ally's 18th birthday a bunch of us were required to dance, or at least learn how over the months. Over the course of six months we learnt how to dance Ballroom, sway and hip-hop. This was indeed a knowledgeable 6 months, picking up moves and a scope of different dances that required different skills and movements.

Being effective communicators was also required between our dance partners and coach in order to progress and keep the dance smooth and flowing. Most of the time I was failing so this taught me how to inqure more often and ask when in doubt or crippling my partner.

In school, I joined the Nepalese dance club. I have been really interested since 3-4 years ago when I first watched my class mate perform solo. I figured with all this contemparary dance knowledge, a change to something more culturally rich, drowned in years of tradition, would be particularly interesting, ultimately enjoyable.

I believe I proved to be a risk taker at most as there was indeed a lot of pressure on the guys who, on the whole were less capable then the girls. Some moves were particularly interesting and it required boldness and some risk-taking in order to really replicate the Nepalese dance tradition. Furthermore joining this club meant that we had to put on a show for International Day, performing to the whole school, including parents. Nonetheless we were all effective communicators which helped with confidence.

CREATIVITY:ART CLUB

To show my support this again was a method of showing my caring attitude towards my friends self-initiated CAS. What I really enjoyed besides being able to express myself freely throughout the club, was the reflective sessions, being able to interpret my artwork and describe the techniques and inspiration behind these artworks. Furthemore as we all have different perspectives and different backgrounds I learnt to remain open-mided to the various artworks produced by the different artists.

SERVICE: ISB splash

To end the school year, we had an ISB Splash which was basically an event which invovled a full afternoon packed with water based games. Some particular popular games included, water balloon volleyball, water balloon throwing, water gun wars and more.

My role in this event was to conduct the water balloon throwing store. The dominant characteristic I showed was probably being knowledgeable. Being head of the store I had to be aware of rules, pointing systems and as well as keeping track of the money. Moreover running the store also required me to be principled by sticking to the rules, playing fair and keeping the game under control. Being a communicator also proved to be essential as I shared my store with my friends, so being caring and taking turns on shifts for the store.

ACTION: Volleyball

I believe the first and foremost IB attribute I illustrated was to be caring as this was my friend's self-initiated CAS. Next as the game depended heavily on team co-ordination we had to be communicate wtih each other to get the volleyball successful across to the other side. Being a newbie, this require me to be knowledgeable, and inqurers as I did not know most of the rules and how the game works. Like every sport being principled was important to present myself as a good sportsman, playing fair and well. As most teams had a team capatain, it was aslo crucial to be open minded especially to team formations, tactics and how to get the most out of the game by not doing as much.

Creativity: Origami Club

Joining Origami club was a risk itself. I was never proficient with my hands, and therefore this was a big risk joining origami club. Over the course I learnt from the CAS supervisors to be caring in general, patient and how to excercise open-mindness as most of the time I required EXTRA help, and at times I required complete guidance in order to build a decent origami.

Furthermore by joining origami club it has also helped me to be knowledgeable in being able to recognize different types of folds, paper sizes, and other specifications which can be adapted to other origami instructions.

As each session went by, I learnt to be more of a thinker, and less reliant on help as I felt I needed to put worth and effort into my origamis in order to feel acknowledged and worthy.

ACTION: SELF-INITIATED CAS - Frisbee

Sports has always been a passion so after some consideration I decided to begin a self-initiated action based CAS. For a long time i believe frisbee to be unrecognized and just a hobby-type sport. So after some research and previous experience, i learnt the complexties and also the fame of ultimate frisbee! So this sport has really challenged me to be more knowledgeable.

As a coach, I also learnt how to be a risk-taker as it required me to take control of the game or players, and at times to be stern and serious despite most of the CAS members being my friends. Simultaneously it also helped me to be open-minded and listen to some of the more experienced frisbee players who had been having P.E. classes on frisbee.

Our term ended with a smashing game agaisnt JIS, and even in our defeat, after the game i learnt how to improve by being better communicators, thinkers, and reflective, trusting in the future for improving our skills as a team and countless victories.

Kota Kinabalu Trip: Creativity, Service, Action

The year 12 K.K. trip involved a variety of activities that involved all aspects of C.A.S. During our stay in the city, most of our activities; geography field work, counted as part of our action. On the other hand, when we were in the interior, we embraced a range of activities from mountain biking & white water rafting, to renovating a community village hall.

Over the week I personally learnt few “life lessons”. In the beginning the obvious moral that I encountered was to be punctual. In addition this also meant that I have to learn how to pay special care and attention to notices that are crucial i.e. being more accountable and principled. Moreover the warning of the consequences allowed me to realize the importance of teamwork, to be caring and sensitive to each others burdens. Although there were rules that did not facilitate our needs, I soon learnt that they were beneficial, i.e. sleeping on time and therefore waking up fresh. i.e. being knowledgeable. Overall I believe that the main focal point of this trip for me would have to be self-evaluation, criticism, and the development of practical skills (fieldwork). Essentially I would say the biggest challenge for me would be criticism and self-evaluation instead of being “spoon-fed” all the time and accepting whatever is presented to us. i.e. being responsible.

In conclusion I would have to say that all these acquired skills and lessons still require more attention and practice in order to see the enhancement of our studies. They stay in the forest first taught me to live under harsh circumstances – cold water, sleeping in the open. The next challenge involved creative work as well as the physical labourous work. Despite all this I have to admit I enjoyed these obstacles and miss the sentimental moments in K.K.