*o. Semester Reflections .o*

*o. Semester Reflections .o*

Service + Creativity :

As the semester is wrapping up, so is my service activity for this year. Throughout the semester in Alzheimer's Awareness, my group and I have worked diligently with the patients, proving ourselves to be competent communicators, capable of handling ethical issues that may have been brought about in the course of the program. Such instances brought out our best communicative skills when we had to collaborate with patients and carers to ensure the best outcome for everyone. Furthermore, perseverance and commitment was shown throughout the semester when we gave up school mornings to go work down at the center. In planning and initiating different activities for the patients we fulfilled the creativity component of our activity, drawing and making Christmas cards for the patients. Working independently without relying on a supervisor we learnt new skills in time management. In our group we also discovered areas of strengths as well as areas to grow in when we split up our roles to play to each member's strong points.

Action :

Although the year is coming to an end, SAISA Badminton doesn't actually end till after the Grade 9-11 Week Without Walls. Due to this, the members of the team will be practicing badminton at least once a week over the holidays demonstrating perseverance and remaining fully committed to the game. We will also be undertaking new challenges during this time as we will be practicing on specific drills and shots that we personally feel we lack strenght in whilst maintaining and improving on strengths. Hopefully this will lead us to learning new skills as there are still several sections of the game we can all improve in. As a team, we will be collaborating with each other, not just as a whole but also as partners in our doubles and mixed doubles games which we will be practicing for, eagerly looking forward to the actual tournament towards the end of January. GO GECKOS!

❦ Service and Creativity in Alzheimer's ❦

❦ Service and Creativity in Alzheimer's ❦

So, two weeks ago, we sat down with the 6th grade kids and discussed their opinions of their visit to the Alzheimer's center. We debriefed on what happened and, after brainstorming and reflecting on the events of the previous week, we gave the class over to Ms. Lenk (our supervisor at the moment). She came up with the great idea to have the kids write 6-word-stories about their experience. We did this to identify areas of weakness and of strengths. For those of you that are interested, a 6-word-story basically gets people to write their feeling and thoughts about a situation in exactly six words. The kids were asked to write six words each about one challenge during the visit, one fun thing, and one thing they learned.

Here are 5 of the best, most awesome, hilarious, and sometimes concerning responses that we got from the kids when we collected in and read what they wrote. The pictures are all the authors own and any sentences/words written in brackets are basically my running commentary). Here's hoping you have as much fun reading them as we did!

" Two ladies did not speak English.
I got to watch her paint.
The Alzheimer's lady painted very well. "

(how sweet) 

" The man could not hear me.
I liked playing carom with them.
The center is a nice place. "

(not bad)

" First I thought she was dead.
It was fun playing carom board.
People enjoy while suffering from Alzheimer's. "

(I'm not sure what to say...)

" They would sometimes talking without speaking.
We painted with cool water colours.
Always be nice no matter anything. "

(the first one is a bit fishy but nice overall)

" They would not talk to me.
We played carom with a gang.
They like to talk to people. "

(one and three contradict each other)

 On another note, for the creativity section of the service, we planned and initiated and activity where we got the kids make the Alzheimer's patients Christmas cards for the coming holidays. They were told to design the cards, colour them in and write a warm message inside them and finally sign them with their names. I unfortunately don't have the pictures as they're still in a WIP (work in progress) but I'll get them asap. It was quite fun because we too made some cards for the patients. We also told the kids that if they weren't Christians or particularly religious they could simply have 'Happy Holidays' instead of 'Merry Christmas' which shows consideration of ethical issues,

♕ Action and Service Updates ♕

Action:

Soooo, it's been a couple of weeks in SAISA Badminton for me and I'm actually pretty happy with how everything is going. The team hasn't been chosen yet, duh, so we're working on skills training at the moment. We've focused a lot on serving, specially short serves which I find incredible hard to be honest. Long serves however are a lot easier for me so I haven't paid much attention to those. We've also worked on drop shots and placing these shots since a lot of people keep playing right back into the opponents hand. The best part so far about training would probably be the fact that now, as a senior and a returning player, Mr. Pradeep gets us to instruct the newer members should they need help. I find this awesome cus well, I like helping people haha but also because it helps me understand the techniques of the game when I need to explain it to others. So yeah... Here's a picture of us warming up before the session starts. I'll get more pictures over the next few weeks for a cool as picture post :)

 (Warm up - photo credits : Lawrence)

Service:

Well, I have service this afternoon and we're going to take the time to talk to the kids about how they found the Alzheimer's visit was. We'll have them talk about the reflections and we were also considering getting the kids to make some cute Christmas cards that can be given to the patients when we go next. We will most probably start this activity and plan out the things we need before we get paper, glitter, etc to make the best cards ever :)

SAISA Badminton

Hey guys,

So yeah, sorry if this post is a little lackluster but I have a sorethroat/cold thing so I don't really feel up to doing very much... Anyway, I'm just trying to update my action activity which is something I'm actually very very excited about. If you couldn't guess from the title, my activity is SAISA Badminton XD It's badminton season again so yeah, much excitement!

I'm trying out for the school team again because frankly, I loved the experience last year. This year I'm hoping to make it into the top 3 in girls singles (which I missed by one game last year -_-) as well as place in doubles and these two are going to be my goals for the season.

To achieve these goals I know that I have to learn and improve my already existing short serv, polish it up till I can nail it every single time. This is porbably my biggest area of weakness in the game as I can't get flat, slow short serves which means I lose points within the first few shots. I'll also need to practice getting my drops/saving drop shots from high up s that I don't lose easy points trying to dive for those shots.

As well as this, I will work on my areas of strengths which are usually my long serves and my smashes (if you can call  them that). I need to keep practicing these particular shots in order to improve my game and make it to the top.

I am, quite honestly, surprising myself with how committed to the game I am this year and how much I've been preserving in my need to improve my game. I've got my game face on. I realize that this is my last chance to play a SAISA sport (I won't be traveling after January due to exams) so I'm giving it my all. I'm making every single practice on time with all my gear (including shoes haha since I like playing barefoot) so that's three days a week for 2 and a half hours each session. We'll soon start Saturday morning practices as well and I'm looking forward to it :) I've also been on top of my fitness, running with my dog every day I don't have practice and doing 4K on Saturday evenings.

So, aside from the physical aspect, I've found badminton to be a fairly mentally challenging game this year. Not just strategy wise but with the team, it takes a lot of willpower to play the game and survive practices. Our team was reduced to just 4 members from last year once the seniors left last year and now I find myself having to collaborate with the other members to help in practices and sometimes plan and initiate activities when we play with the new kids which is as annoying as it is fun. That is to say, as a senior player I'm expected to help the new player and teach them some skills. I love doing this when people are willing to learn but I do have a short fuse when people muck around when I'm trying to be serious so playing the game is teaching me to be mindful of other people's opinions and feelings which is considered a bit of a challenge for me personally. Apparently I'm intimidating (pshhh as if, I'm adorbs :P) on the court so I'm trying to work on that too. I'm really looking forward to this season, I'm ready to play the game and I just really want to do my best. I can't wait to start the team practices and start playing doubles with both the guys and girls. 

Well, I guess that's what badminton is about in a nutshell. It's pretty hard balancing it with studies but at the same time it helps because I have limited time to do things so I do my work rather than procrastinating. It's the type of game that gives me a pleasantly swooping feeling in my stomach when I think about it and I look forward to a successful season ahead.

Fingers crossed for the tournament~!

Have a great weeks guys, stay safe, stay healthy and talk to you soon! :D

Alzheimer's Update

Service Update:

So here’s an update about everything that has been going on in the Alzheimer’s Service Group. We were planning on taking all the grade 6 students for this visit (happened last week Wednesday) but unfortunately there were some unseen circumstances so the little kids couldn’t go.  However, the four high-schoolers from the group (me, Anjleen, Yannis and Carla) were able to make it and all in all, I think we had an extremely successful visit.





(Our Alzheimer's group, dancing as usual; photo by Bella)

For the last visit we went on, we planned to play board games and then have a game of ‘pass the parcel’ to play when we got to the Alzheimer’s center. We also compiled a music list of old songs (mostly ABBA since they like that) for the Alzheimers patients to pass the parcel to. For the actual making of the parcel, Anjleen and I let lose our creative side and went out to buy some small presents for the elders. We planned the activity and brought some cute knitted ladybugs, some hanging stars, ribbon flowers and novelty erasers which we then wrapped up in layers of colourful crepe paper. When we got to the center we initiated the game of pass the parcel, explaining the rules of the game and began the music to start the game.

It was a really fun activity to do because the elders seemed really happy to receive present; not many people usually gave them anything so they were really surprised and touched which made me very happy. It was also kind of funny because a lot of the patients tried to open more than one layer and we had to remind them that it was one layer for one person. 

There was also a few ethical implications to consider because one of the patients didn’t want to play but we had to find a way to include her without getting her upset. Another one of the patients also refused to move from one room to another when we began the game so we had to coax her along since she was becoming pretty adamant and upset at the situation. At that point I recognized that I couldn’t handle the situation myself without further upsetting the lady and had to hand it over to someone more equipped. It was somewhat sad that I couldn’t take care of the lady myself but it allowed me to understand my strengths and weaknesses when it comes to helping people. I can get them laughing and dancing and keep talking to them forever but I tend to feel guilty when I upset helpless people so that sometimes holds me back in handling sensitive situation but I suppose it’s a skill I need to learn.

The end of the Alzheimer’s visit was generally quite good from that point on because we did some impromptu planning and put on the songs really loudly and started dancing with the patients. It showed a whole load of commitment because for one I’m a really weird dancer who usually doesn't like dancing in public but when it comes to this service group I never say no to a dance with the patients, encouraging them to get on the floor, often the first to get up and dance. I really liked getting groovy with them and teaching and learning new dance moves!

(Me dancing with the ladies; photo by Bella)

All in all it was a very successful trip and we got a lot done. It was the first time we’d tried pass the parcel and it went amazingly well so I’m really happy. It inspired me for the next few visits with planning new activities and so on.

❂ Fun Footy ❂

❂ Fun Footy ❂

Hey guys,

So here's a really quick update about how my football endeavors are going... pretty good. And that's it.

Jokes, no, that's not it. I actually have some videos of how we play, not amazing or particularly exciting videos but just what I could get Mikka to film for me. Video credit skills goes to Mikka the awesome :)

Can you see all that exciting teamwork in that video? It's actually pretty cool because you can see how the entire team moves towards the goal and our keeper when the ball comes in so that some epic teamwork and collaboration right there. It's actually really important for us to know where our teammates are and how we're going to play the ball or we'll be fighting each  other for it haha.

And in this video I obviously leave the ball alone (right hand side) because I know that personally if I'd gone for the ball I wouldn't have been able to successfully pas it off to my teammates. This helps to identify areas of weakness that I can build on.

So yeah, that's just a really quick update because for the most part we've been playing games and I really don't want to bore you with any more videos. 

Stay cool my little cupcakes and rock on \m/

Also, go listen to Ozzie Ozburn's 'I Just Want You' because wowowow it's amaze :D

♣ O . M . G ... I Forgot! (a.k.a the Alzheimer's Post) ♣

What is Alzheimer's?

Alzheimer's Disease is a neurological disease that causes brain matter to shrink. This shrinkage of tissue causes people to lose their memory and be unable to carry out simple tasks and can often lead to Dementia. It's a progressive disease that gets worse as it progresses, causing more and more of the brain matter begins to shrink and lose mass.

(Image comparing a brain with advanced Alzheimer's disease and without as seen by the shrinkage of mass and large areas of empty space. (The Star))

How bad is it?

Well, the thing is that Alzheimer's is a global disease, it's an issue of global importance, so there is no way to 'escape' it or stay safe from it. It's also a disease that has no known cure as of now which makes it impossible to combat. As well as this, although Alzheimer's isn't a primary cause death, it can be a secondary cause given that people with Alzheimer's eventually become unable to respond to their surroundings. 

(Global Alzheimer's death rate per 100,000 people (WHO 2011))

How do we cure it?

As noted before, there is no cure for Alzheimer's. The only thing we can do for it now is take care of the people that have it and try to make them feel less alone and less scared in their situation. It's a matter of ethical implications; choosing to help those who are not as fortunate as you without pitying them, simply lending an ear so that they can talk to you and feel connected, relevant, to the world. Caring for patients include tasks as menial as playing board game or singing songs to helping the with daily activities like eating or walking. Things we take for granted such as counting, using the bathroom, talking, are all tasks that Alzheimer's patients struggle with and need help doing. 

Alzheimer's as CAS in OSC

Alzheimer's in OSC is a student run, student led group that works with the Alzheimer's Association in Sri Lanka to try and help Alzheimer's patients in the country. As part of our group, co-led by me and Anjleen, we visit the Alzheimer's center once a month in order to spend time talking to and helping the patients that visit the center. This year, it is opened up to Grade 6 students and above should anyone feel like joining us on a Wednesday morning on a trip to the Alzheimer's Association. 

Some of the activities we carried out last year was making cookies and baking, having 'Just Dance' sessions, playing board games and talking and having an end of the year tea party. They were all activities that the patients enjoyed as they were unusual and a break from the norm. All the patients are really quite fun to interact with and enjoy having us there.

(Making cookie dough at the Alzheimer's Association (Photo credit:Anjleen))

I'd have to admit that Alzheimer's Service is an incredibly rewarding service group to be a part of. Often times I've been told that a patient won't remember me after we visit them and often times, they haven't/ Occasionally though, there are patients that do remember and are overjoyed to see you come back to talk to them again and the feeling of knowing that someone who has a loss of memory can indeed remember your name. As I am the only student in the group that speaks Sinhala, I have the unique opportunity of helping the Sinhala speaking patients, translating conversations and for the most part, giving them my one on one attention.

For me, the service is really quite personal as I have a grand-uncle on my father's side who is diagnosed with Alzhiemer's. Every time I help a patient in service, I remember my uncle and it makes me feel good that I'm helping out people that really do need help and it makes me feel warm inside.

(Last year's Alzheimer's Service group 2013-2014)

☆ Second Week of CAS ☆

Hey guys,

Just in case you’re wondering, I’m listening to some really good music right now so if you’re interested you should definitely check out some of The XX or Dire Straits. They both make some really good music so have a listen and let me know what you think. Oh and also, Maroon 5 has this new album out called ‘V’. You should definitely go check out the song ‘Unkiss Me’ from them, it’s awesome.

Other than that, in the world of CAS, we had the first week of activities so I’m pretty excited to talk about everything that happened. So, let us start with…

Creativity

So ummm yeah. Let’s be real here, there’s little to no chance that my artwork is going to be politically oriented, that was completely and utterly whack so let’s ignore that I ever said that. Sound good? ‘Kay, great then. I actually came up with a better plan for what I’d like to do during drawing club; I’ll work on making a full cyber-punk cosplay outfit for Halloween! 

If you don't know what Cosplay is, here's a link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay. And FYI, cyberpunk is a futuristic movement that focuses on "a genre of science fiction set in a lawless subculture of an oppressive society dominated by computer technology" or in other words is part of a lawless, dehumanized society where everyone is oppressed by their higher ups or the ultimate power. The costumes are very Judge Dredd reminiscent.

Anyways, I’m hoping that it’ll work since I’ve already got a lot of the gear I need to pull it off, I just need to adjust them. For example, I have some plastic weaponry that I need to papier-mâché into shape and paint which should be pretty easy. I’m hoping to get that done quickly because it’s something I’m good at, I should be able to finish it quickly and further myself in areas of strengths whilst working on it. As for the actual costume, I need to make a lot of armour which means that I need to find my old knee and arm guards and papier-mâché those into something useful, a more realistic shape for the costume I’m going for. This should help me develop areas of weakness in my cosplay endeavors. I also have the chaps and boots needed to make some proper cyber-gear but I’ll need to get some help to make them into footwear that looks like it’s made up of buckles and strips of cloth. 

 These are the short sword and staff that I've already made, mostly out of paper-mache and cardboard and a bit of painting.

 My next piece of work will have to be the actual sword seen here. I need to add some details to this, change the shape a  bit and make it look more futuristic.

 And of course the ciggy. 

(Not real of course, just rolled up paper and tape.)

Somewhat related to actual art, I’ve been looking at ways to paint my face into a cyber-punk design which means a lot of kohl in very intricate designs. I have yet to find a style I like so I’ll try a few and then put up pics, especially of the one I chose in the end. The cyber-punk look also entails a lot of funky coloured hair. I’m working on making coloured gel and in case that doesn’t work there is an alternative chalk colouring method I can use. Hopefully I’ll be able to get that done quickly as seen from the tutorial here : http://www.wikihow.com/Chalk-Dye-Your-Hair There’s also this other tutorial where they also show you how to do chalk dye here: http://www.littlepinkmonster.com/2012/03/20/how-to-dye-hair-with-chalk-pastels/ . The hair deal is actually something that is completely new to me so I fear I’ll be out of my depth but oh well, I will survive. After all, I’m learning a new skill and it’ll be something I can use in the future!

I’ve already made myself a fake cigarette as well to go along with the costume so now I’m getting really excited that it’s coming together. Here’s the picture of the cig and this is a staff I’ve already made (from a cosplay the previous year). I still need to change the stem colour to black though and I’m going to try and do some special goggles if I can so yayayayay I’m really excited if you can’ already tell XD

Ehem. Anyway, I need to discuss Action now so…

               

Action

So I’m doing fun footy which is, as its name suggests, much fun! I realized though, how bad I’ve gotten since I haven’t played for over a year now. That’s really sad but I’m getting back into the groove of things and hopefully by the next few sessions I should be able to get back on track. It’s also so strange playing on a team again. I find myself forgetting that I have team mates that are helping me play defense and it’s just a strange feeling. I have to keep in mind that the point of the team is to collaborate with others, something I tend to forget. 

You know how when you haven’t done something in a while and you have the opportunity to do it but because you haven’t done it in a while you feel really sluggish and unsure about what you’re doing? Yeah, that was my second session playing. I have to admit I thought about not playing after the second session because I felt utterly useless since I’d forgotten how to even trap a ball and I started panicking when I couldn’t pass the ball to my teammate. But then of course I had to consider that this was a minor setback, I simply had to persevere and stay committed and my skills will come back eventually.

It was really scary though, forgetting the basics, so I’m just going to keep at it till I get somewhere and re-remember how to play my game.

Talking about memory and remembering, I should talk about my service activity….

Service

I’m going to do a solely Service based post later but for now I thought it’d be nice for you guys to know what we’ve been doing. We only had two sessions so far and the first session was dedicated to planning for the year ahead. Since we don’t have a permanent supervisor, we have to plan everything ourselves so we decided to get the younger grades involved in our Alzheimer’s service. We figured we could get the Grade 6 kids to come along for our visits to the Alzheimer’s Society and help us out.

Along those lines, this Thursday we went and spoke to the Grade 6’s about memory and had them make some posters about an episode in their lives that they were forgetting. I was surprised by some of their comments, how when we asked them why memories are selective they said that ‘it’s because only the important things are remembered’. I was also speaking to the kids individually and they seemed fairly interested in service but we couldn’t really talk specifically about Alzheimers. 

Here are some of the posters they made though.

Welp, I’ve gotta go; work to do, places to be. Catch you guys next time J