Though it has always a dream for me to be able to perform for Special Awards 2009, I have been quite surprisingl for me to think that I am set to be in for Special Awards guitar performance team. It is my first time starting to prepare for such a grand event and performance.

I think that it was quite stressful, in the sense that during guitar practice, it is starting to be very serious, and as I said it is my first time preparing for it, I got that kind of weird feeling. During lesson time, we would practice and practice, and to perfect the timing of the song.

When clique go extra practice, we would be very serious, knowing what we want to achieve at the end of the practice session. For me, i feel that it is all about my confidence level. If my confidence is high, I believe i can play to the best of my ability, to express myself well. But otherwise, i dunno why i will do very badly at times, pressing the wrong notes and hard to getting back to the right notes, and also getting the wrong timing.

Because my part, bass 1, is to set the tempo and speed of the song play, it is crucial that i need to play well. So, when I go one note wrong, some of the team would like say me, why suddenly i wrong note etc. Yes, it is right in a sense, because firstly, this is a team performance. So, all have to coordinate together to play well. But, one thing is for sure, the chemistry in the team i thought is great as they would constantly encourage each other to try again.

My aim is now shifted towards success towards guitar. Last time, I thought tt soccer is my winning "talent". But now having guitar as my passion, I feel tt the chances of guitar success is more than compared to soccer.

I hope amanda and sylvia, my 2 best friends with Special Awards' performance experiences, they can guide me through to help me achieve my first "silverware" with AWWA...

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Guitar Practice

Yesterday, went guitar practice with clique as usual. Meet shawn at Yishun Interchange, go ACCESS together. Then halfway, Yuan Ping called me say going rain liao, ask me faster and also to be careful. Thanks for concern, YP.

Reached ACCESS, saw inspiration, among others. We prepared for the lesson, then Daniel taught us abit of the Cannn In D theory, where each part was to come in at which appropriate timings. I thought tt that was quite important as they know well when to come in and when to rest, while others play their parts.

After the "lecture", the team warmed up for practice by getting used to the notes of each. When they were ready, I initiated the playing of the Cannon In D, with my bass, while others slowly came in. I felt that the team did very very well instead as we managed to complete the song to where we stopped, to such an extent that the timing was good, Daniel also was like clapping and encouraging us. I feel that it was a good start to the practice session. I think that with more practices, we can be ready for the actual performance liao.

After which, the team split into difernt groups to practice on their particular roles for about 15-20 mins, when theother teachers walked round and guided us. At the other end, bestie Amanda was like playing the Cnnon In D mp3 file from her handphone, loud enough for me to have the temptation to follow the mp3 file and play my bass 1 HAHA. We then came back together as a team again to play the song again, for the last minutes prior to the end of yesterday's session. And yes, We dd well again, without really much stumbling.

After the lesson, clique, along with peter and sharman went for lunch, before we headed for extra guitar practice again, at the nearby void deck. But yesterday was "special" or can say is a shocker, bcoz of 2 shocking incidents.

Firstly, while we were practicing our Cannon in D, a man who walked past us at the void deck there, suddenly stopped and listened to us play. When we played our song finish, he was just standing there clapping!! I wasnt attentive enough to know of the man in the first place coz i was like concentrating hard on playing. But Amanda was attentive enough to realise that the man was there applauding. Then shockingly, he ask us play again zzz. So we played for him. While we were playing, i dunno what he is trying to do, walking around lifting his handphone dunno what he want to do..?? Best friend Amanda was claiming that he was taking a video of our "performance"???. Then, he suddenly ask where we from(AWWA), how to contact AWWA, say that he is school teacher or something, then he was like impressed by the look on his face, that he actually asked whether we interested to appear in his dunno-what-school performance?? Quite a shock for me though haha. Quite a shocking experience for me, but i tink this will make our team stronger as we go forward as a team for Special Awards 2009.

Then second incident is when we play halfway, got 2 policemen walk towards us. I thought we gonna get police warning for playing guitar at void deck?? My first thought was that man previously, thought he video-ed us playing as evidence and called the police. I was like telling Amanda, faster go awa from here HAHA. But in the end, the police was like so friendly, doing some random check only. haha

We then conntinued to practice until 6.15pm, then went Mac for dinner. We accompanied amanda to wait for her mother fetch her home, before we all went home separately, to end a shocking, but fun-filled day with clique and Guitar Ensemble team.

My Inspiration
Sunday, June 28, 2009

Monday, June 15, 2009

Sibling Camp: Skull Island 2009

From 13-14 June 2009, I and my friends from AWWA participated in the Sibling Camp: Skull Island 2009 as the junior camp committee, jointly orgaanised by AWWA and Happy Friends Club(HFC).

As the name of the camp suggest, the objective of the camp is to incorporate sibling bonding among the clients and their sibling. There was a total of 8 pairs of siblings who participated in this camp.

This is the 2nd time that i helped HFC as part of the camp commitee to plan a camp for the AWWA. Before that, i also was part of the committee running the Penang camp last year. This year, My commitee include:

Pin Xiu, Victor, Zheng Kai, Sylvia and Peter

This project was appealing to me, because it came with the added incentive to lead the young clients of AWWA, which to me is an offer that was too good to turn down. Also, the location of the camp(MOE Labordor Park) was also a factor which told me to go for this camp, remembering that 5 years ago, I was there for a camp as a younger client too, Sec 1 at that time. Since then, It has been a dream that I hoped that i could lead the younger clients. How that dream of mine came true, starting on Saturday, 13 June 2009.

Saturday, 13 June 2009

I met the clients and staff at harbourfront MRT. I was not surprised to see parents bring their children there. When 5 years ago, my mum also brought me there. After all the clients came, we took the bus and headed for the MOE labordor Park, which wold be our home for the next 2 days...

While on the bus, I and Victor was like chatting about the activities that we were going to plan in this camp, and also the experience of going back to the place, where it all started for me..5 years ago. Annd never woul I have expected that 5 years down the road, I would be going back there, this time not to participate, but to be a leader to the young clients, like i was 5 years ago...

Reached the Labordor Park, then saw some of the camp commitee members, Pin Xiu and Sylvia ya, so chatted with them a while. And as I looked around, I still reminds me alot of the last time i went there for camp. Seeing the clients, sitting with their brothers and sisters, on the benches, wah..they are very cute. Took some time before i went to mingle with the children.

We helped to distribute the pirates' weapons to the clients and also their siblings. We also went to find all our group members. I was the facilitator for the best Yellow group=D

Then, camp committee start to work liao, giving ourselves a name that was linked to the theme of pirates. I was named as 1-eyed captain, dunno why they give me de LOL.

The camp committee took time to introduce ourselves to the clients to start the camp. Played some ice-breaking games, so that the clients and siblings are able to interact and miingle with each other.

After all the introducing and mingling, the groups were provided with materials to make their pitrate gears and weapons. For yellow group, there was a assortments of different types of weapons, ranging from swords and pirates arms bands and many more. I just assisted the clients to do their weapons, and also to watch over them when they are using the penknives and scissors. I was impressed with the creativity and design whch the clients and siblings demostrated..They are also reauired to come out with a group cheer.

After some time making the weapons, HFC would ask them to present their weapons along with their group cheers. After lunch, we checked in to the pirates bunks and after which came back for the groups to use their imagination with the materials provided to design their own pirates ship. I helped my group suggest some designs and also helped the children with the paintings and stuff. Hands got quite dirty in the end, but i tink that thats the fun of arts and crafts i guess? I feel that it was quite fun to do painting with those kids, though my art not say to be very good haha. The clients and all were given a break to rest before the next activity.. but unforunately,the camp committee wouldhave no rest as we prepare dto run our first activity of the camp.

Sylvia and me was in charge of the first game, me being the game master while sylvia the time keeper. Our game was to blow a ping pong ball across 3 cups, of which is filled with water to the brim. I briefed te clients and I got to say that it was a fine experience again to be in front briefing, just like i did during the Penang trip. Victor helped me with the demostrations and from then on, the clients and siblings took over liao. It was cool to see them play the game which we created haha..while I supported and cheered for my yellow team.

Next on, was the game run by Peter and Zheng Kai. I just watched how they run while i stayed with my group. I felt that all did well for this activity, be it they won or lost.

The third activity, run mainly by Pin Xiu and Victor, assisted by the others, the games require the clients and siblings to use binoculars to see word and interpret them by drawing the images out. I wasnt directly involved in this activity, as i and Sylvia had to start preparations for our last activity of the set.

This game might be familiar to those that went for the ILS Camp 2006 three years ago. The game idea was originated from there and it is somewhat similiar. Items were put in the center of a boundary, while the clients were supposed to use the materials provided to create a thing to hook out the items, differentiated by their group colours. Seeing them play the game certainly allow me to remember the time we ILS Camp de we also play.

They had a refreshment break before they played the rescue the Damsel game, run by all the junior camp commitee members. it was quite fun to see them play, going under tables and walking round cones etc.

Campfire night was also interesting as the groups performed skits and a song. It was much like the penang that time like that. The only difference was that I was not to be the campfire MC, a role i kinda wanted as i wanted a taste of that experience of that night again. It wasnt to be this time haha..

The respective groups performed their skits and song and cheer ya. It was kinda funny to see the young ones do their skits, some of which was really cute haha..Then we all did the pirate dance together, the camp committee standing in front of their respective groups to lead them. The day ended quite late, so the HFC decided to call off the confidence night walk.

Sunday, 14 June 2009

All had to wear the camp t-shirt yea. The t-shirtdesign credit has to go to my inspiration, Pin Xiu, to consolidate all the images haha. Nice to work with my inspiaration to design this camp T-shirt haha=D

Morning exercise do the pirate dance again haha. Breakfast was outdoor cooking. i saw first hand some of the clients cooking independently while the volunteers watch over them.

Then after breakfast, played the telematch. The junior committee represented their respective groups at then ending point I represented my yellow group at the ending point, waiting for them to complete their obstacles. Upon completion, they would come to me, to blow 2 ping pongs balls covered full of flour. And wah I was like flour-ed LOL.my yellow captain, Anneliese, who was on wheelchair, also got flour-ed very much. It was the fun of it i guess.

After that, the siblings went for a workshop orgainised by TM, while the clients learned to mix and match soft drinks to make a mocktail. Helped those clients along the way. Mine was like so sour cozz i anyhow add LOL..

The last Activity of the camp was by far the most fun de, the pirates battle. The groups were given a base to defend, which was the respective pirate ships bult earlier. Anneliese was my captain so she was the main person to defend the base, while the others went to attacked the other teams. Theyplayed with water guns and water bombs. It was just so fun, it was a pity that the commitee is not allowed to play haha, but no matter i still got water bombed, with my shirt being wet hahahaha..

Awards were given out the end of the camp, with the volunteers and the camp commitee among the lot to be recognised for their contributions to the success of this camp.

Personally for me, this camp was really a big dream come true to lead the young clients. I always wanted to pay back by helping as many clients as I can. And I feel that leading as camp commitee was just a bonus.

My Inspiration
Monday, June 15, 2009

Monday, June 8, 2009

Inspiration

Yesterday watched the charity show, support HuiQi on TV. When it was time that they interview HuiQi and also show the video of her struggles with her disabilitiy, I can say that I am yet again inspired by the way she cope and manage despite her disability.

Like me, She also suffer from celebral Palsy. Unlike me, she requires crutches in order to walk, to support her yea. I only needed crutches when I was younger.

I got to see the video of how she managed to walk with the aid of crutches, barely all by herself. Despite this, she is still a very cheerful girl and always put a smile on her face. Always whenever I see her during sparkz and guitar together, no doubt that i will see her laugh and with that smile that is so special about her, her uniqueness.

I remember seeing the video that she walk on her own to a table. Then, she will walk slowly and very calmly. When she reached the table, she would release one of her hand of the crutch, and lend the crutch on the table, before releasing the other side. I understand very much that it is not easy, definitely not. As I see the video of her struggles, those struggles that i gone through with my disablity, it just came up to my mind, seeing it very clearly...

I can say it for her that she is a gifted singer, vocalist. She will always have that passion for singing. she will do Sparkz proud de..

I remember well one time, where we all left awwa after lessons. Although she is very slow in walking,nand she told me to go first and not to let the others wait, I still chose to wait for her. At the same time, I see that she is very strong-minded. One quote that I tink speak volumes of her is:

"I am a slow walker, but i never walk backwards"

Jiayou HuiQi, you are my inspiration, a inspiration that I will always look up to..

My Inspiration
Monday, June 08, 2009

Saturday, June 6, 2009

Celebral Palsy

Celebral Palsy is a medical condition which may affect a child, if they suffer problems such as brain damages during delivery of a baby. Its effects and symptoms can be seen when the child reaches the age of 4 or 5 years old.

I am a childd who was born with celebral palsy. I was 45 mins later to come out than my twin brother, because i came out using the carsesian section, which is to take the baby out from the mother's stomach.

I had an operation when I was a baby to try and operate on my condition I tink.

Celebral Palsy is a medical condition which makes me special as compared to others. My legs was born differently, as i tend to walk specially. Unlike normal babies, I started to walk only at the age of 4.

Due to Celebral Palsy, my walking style was abit different when i was young. I tend to cross my legs and cross, which u all can call it, walking like a drunken prawn.

When i was in the age of 5, I joined AWWA, an association which help disabled people. From age 5-7, i used to walk like a duck feet, meaning my feets are tilted inwards, instead of the normal V-shaped waling style which is by right normal. My leg muscle are tight, was also in some part cause to walk the way I am walking. Celebral Palsy affects mostly my left side of the body, Left hand, brain, and most obviously, my left leg.

During that period, due to my medical condition, I used to walk with a walking aid, for me is the walker.

During end of primary 3, I went for another operation, in another attempt to cure my medical condition. After the operation, I sat on wheelchair for about 4 -5 months while recovering from the operation. I spent months to recupulate from my operation, where i would do alot of exercising to strengthen my legs.

After I recovered, I must say that I am lucky as i am able to walk better liao. I remember very clearly that last time alot of TM staff would always tell me when I was older, that I am one of the most luckiest with respect to the condition of celebral palsy.

With that in mind, as I grow older, I has always been my wish to help as many people with disablities as possible. Because of this, I am always very passionate about helping the disabled clients,in any way I can. Be it, push wheelchair, even picking things up for them, i also will say yes. I will always feel happy if I am able to help the disabled. I will not let my disability deter me from helping those that is also suffering from disabilities. It is time I give back to the society by helping those clients that who like me, are also suffering from physical disabilities

My Inspiration
Saturday, June 06, 2009

Tuesday, June 2, 2009

Great Friendships

The first we met

that was quite along time ago

But despite this, We now still are very good friends

We study in our different paths

To achieve what we individually wanted

In this clique full of enjoyment

There was 9 people, with 1 heart

With care and concern for each other

Reaching out to help

To the best of our abilities

Great Friendships of where we enjoy thus far

Despite the differences in movements

We go past obstacles as 1 clique

No more, no less

Show us that in our eyes

We are all the same

Great friends to each other

In the clique we will forever remain

My Inspiration
Tuesday, June 02, 2009