Writing and Composing Music

I've finished writing the Bridge for the song that Adrian composed last time. In fact, I finished it a while ago, but I've been busy with my Extended Essay and other assessments, so couldn't update it on my blog.

So the lyrics for the Bridge goes:

Bridge

Let's give them love and a hug
Don't let them live in the muddy slum
It's time to throw the bloody guns
Don't blow it away like a chewy chewing gum

Because there's still brighness in their eyes
Look at the stars, and no more scars



We will soon record the whole song PROPERLY and decide whether to perform it or not, or when to do so. At the moment, we are also practicing for the band performance for the assembly, so we are not sure if we are going to perform it SOON :P

Prison Babies

Thursday, 30th od Sep. we visited the prison for the first time of the year !
This was planned to be done last week, however, it was canceled in the last minute due to the rain. It also rained today, but fortunately, it stopped at lunch ! so we could visit them.

This was the first time for many of the students from OSC who joined this project only this year, so I think this was meaningful !

We painted with the children there, they seemed to feel much comfortalbe in the prison with their moms ! No one cried !

It was really a good opportunity for us to get familiar with the children and also to attract and move mothers' mind, who are yet not sending their children, to send them to us every Thursday !

for more information: http://pbatosc.blogspot.com/2010/09/first-visit-to-prison.html

Saturday Basketball

I actually thought I'd rather not play for last week(Saturday, 25th of Sep. 2010) because I was too tired from playing football on Friday. BUT then, my sneaky Korean friends somehow convinced me and brought me to the court. and I played several matches at OSC.

There were not so many people compared to the week before; there were more Koreans came this time, but not so many from the American Embassy and none from the local school teams.

It was still fun and a lot of exercises.

Friday Afterschool Football

Because of the weather, 'officially' the afterschool activity was canceled last Friday(24th of Sep, 2010), however, Adrien, Sasha and I were eager to play a match even in the rain; we actually thought it'd be more fun to play in the rain :P and also, the next day OSC boys football team was to play Lanka Lions(one of the best local football teams), so we thought it'd be a good practice if we play.

Anyway, we were enthusiastic about playing a match and gathered players afterschool and we played. We first decided to play a half-match(for around 30 mins) but then everyone really got excited about playing and winning the game that we played till 3:50.

It was fun, a little tiring though.

Saturday Basketball(Canceled)

Like I have mentioned earlier, I started coming to play basketball on Saturday rather than Sunday Church Basketball since I moved my house; the place where I used to paly basketball on Sunday is a little far from where I live now, so I decided to play for Saturday only.

But then, I was too tired from the school sports day on Thursday and Afterschool football on Friday, and I decided not to go play for this Saturday. I needed some rest, I thought.

Friday Afterschool Football

After the sports day, I realised that I have signed up for the friday afterschool football :S My whole body was soar in fact from the day before, and also I caught the cold my condition was evn worse.

But I still played. Couldn't resist, more likely. I always have to exercise more if I get sick, then I feel better. So I thought it'd be good if I play and get sweat. So I played football afterschool.

Like before, it ended around 3:45 PM, lasted around one hour. It didn't feel so long, which means it was fun :) BESIDES, this time the team I'm belonging to won ;) so it was like a payback from the sports day.

School Sports Day

On Thursday(17th of September, 2010), like I wrote earlier, we had an Inter-house sports day at school.

Again like I said earlier, I participated in playing football and basktball: in three football matches and four basketball matches. In fact, my 'secret' goal, even though it was jut a little part, was to win the matches of course and so to contribute something to the Yellow house in placing at the end. HOWEVER, it didn't really work out so well. We didn't win so many games in fact, we have more lost actually :(

NOT because we were 'bad' but we were just a little unlucky :P It's not an excuse, but then the football field was too slippery in the morning due to the dew, I believe. Especially, the field that we were scoring at was in the shade, it was even worse. In basketbal, other houses were lacking of the players that they 'illegally' scouted some good players from other grades. So the Yellow house who played fairly without any violations :P couldn't win as many games as we should. :P:P
The same thing happened in the swimming events, so FINALLY Yellow house came third, out of four houses :P

WELL winning was just a little part of my secret goal, and it didn't really matter if we won or not. It'd have been bettter of course, but it's still ok because I still have achieved my main goal which was to have fun and interact with other people.

It was a challenge for me to play basketball actually, since we had enough football players, but not so many basketball players. In fact, I was the only one who actually plays basketball for leisure or during lunch or my free. So I felt A LOT OF pressure around me to play ball and to cheer up all my memeber players at the same time. They were a little intimidated, I must say, because most of them never played basketball or so. I believe, we still did a great job; no fouls, no violations and no injuries.

It was a fun day, indeed, though a little tiring as well. As the matter of the fact that this would be my LAST sports day in high school ever, it'll be unforgettable.

during the football match, calling out 'foul'(Ayla, Tara, Me and Paul from the left)

School Sports Day

So tomorrow is a school sports day. I have signed up for and to participate in playing basketball and football for the Yellow house where I belong to.

Today, right after the school assembly, each house gathered around and decided who's going to play what. In fact, we were lacking of players since it's going to be inter-grade verses, which means it's still an interhouse competition within the same grade; so grade 11 yellow against grade 11 blue while grade 10&12 yellow vs. grade 10&12 red.

Grade 10&12 Yellow house, where I'm belonging to, was lacking of boys :S I was the only grade 12 boy who'd play since Ichiro Dohi, also a grade 12, will be taking photos for the Yearbook that he can't play and Rajindh is not willing to come and support the Yellow house.

ANYWAY, good luck to the Yellow house tomorrow. It's going to be a long long tiring day, and fun. :D

Saturday Basketball

I again went to school to play basketball. Today, not many Koreans have come since all of them went on the church trip while my brother and I didn't due to a lot of works. Then to take a break from working, I went to play basketball at 2:30 PM.

We first had nine people came, so we splited ourselves into two, and had a match. Then three of local students, who have also come for the earlier practice, joined later. So we played five on five.
It was fun, maybe too fun that I felt the time just flew. It ended early actually around 3:30 - 4:00.

BUT then I had to wait for my brother to finish with his football. I knew this would happen from last time, so I again came prepared with my football gears ;)
I played the another match with them. OH this time, football match :P
We played for about two hours with one water break. Then, during the second half, one of the parents banged his head with other player's head, that he got a huge cut and started sheding a lot of blood :S
We stopped for a while, he said he was fine, but he didn't seem so fine. So he went to the hospital to get some stitches, and we started the game again.
Other than that, it was fun too!
It's been a while that I exercised 'properly' like this after about two weeks. I felt it was good. I will probably come for next time as well.

Band Performance at the Assembly

Filippo Stopponi('11), Adrian Raguin('11), Camie Raguin('12) and I have decided to meet up and practice for several songs to perform at the assembly since like Mr.Coles, the Secondary Principal of the school, has mentioned earlier that school's going to have more performances during the assembly this year.

We thought this would be fun to do and a good practice. For me, for example, I have never played in a band, so I thought this would be a good experience. For Adrian and Filippo, they are in the school band, called 'What Happened?' but then there hasn't been much time to meet up and practice. So they were thirst for some goood music with goood people(like me ? :P)

So, my personal goal would be to learn the bass line of several new songs and so improve my personal skills at the end. Since this would be officially my first time playing in the band, I will need to collaborate with the other band members well, making harmony, not carcophony. To do so I will need to do a lot of practice !

We had the first practice today after school(Monday, 6th Sep, 2010)

So we thought of practicing several songs, having two guitars, Adrian and Skylor who hasn't showed up for the first practice that we had today afterschool today, Drum by Filippo, Vocal Camie and Bass guitar covering by me.

Filippo came up with the several songs to practice, and they are :

• Polygraph, Right now - The Spill Canvas
• Scar Tissue - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Soul to Squeeze(optional) - Red Hot Chili Peppers
• The Great Escape - Boys like Girls
• Higher - Creed

However, since Skylor didn't show up today, we ended up practicing one song from the list we've got and a new one, called Sitting, Waiting and Wishing by Jack Johnson. It went pretty well, I must say, and we decided to perform at the next week Assembly. We will still need some practice, but another two or three would be enough. :D

looking forward to this

After School Activity, Friday Football

From this year, school has decided to have more after school activities so that the students can get involved in them more actively. I, in fact, decided not to sign up for any this term or next, since I thought I'd have a lot of works to do.

HOWEVER, my brother has signed up for the Friday After School Football and so I had to wait for this this week(Friday, 3rd Sep. 2010). I could have gone home by myself, but then, there's something in me holding me back from just going home.

I first watched them play, and thought 'it looks fun,' and I couldn't resist playing with them. So I asked Ms.Wolf, who is in charge of the after school activities, if I can play or not. She told me that 'I can' only if I have signed up for it. I haven't, unfortunately, like I mentioned earlier.

BUT THEN.... there was one less player on one team, who seems to be losing because of the lacking number of players ! I asked her again, very gently. She was stubborn, and said I should have signed up for it, which means if I sign up for it, I will have to show up for every Friday after school. I hesitated, because I thought I may not have much time for it later when I get a lot of schoolworks.

First half was over, by then. I couldn't waste any more time, because that means it'd be less time for me to play and have fun. It only lasts for an hour, from 2:40 to 3:40. I thought it'd be ok. I decided to sign up for it! finally. :P

SO I played the second half. IT WAS FUN. Indeed. and believe it or not, as soon as I joined, my team, who was losing in the first half, started winning ;) I wonder why :P:P

Since I decided to join, I will set an aim for this term.
In fact, this is meant to be for fun. I'm not planning to try out for SAISA boy's football team or play for any team. It's rather to have a time off from hard working. Besides, since I have put on some weights, which is a bit of problem I thought, I will do this to keep me fit :)

Prison Babies

Prison Babies started again ! after about three weeks since school started.
So yeterday (Thursday 2nd Sep. 2010), we had the first meeting to discuss what we are going to do and how we are going to do them this year.
6 students have shown up, and as I know we have 7 in total. It looks good enough to me, since there are around 5-6 children coming to our school, in average. If we get to visit them, there are more, but 7 students are reasonable, I thought.

What we have planned this week is that we will have the children to come to our school for three weeks and will visit them in a monthly base. We will do the activities that we plan to do with them, and if possible, we are going to plan some big activities also in a monthly base such as we bring them to Zoo or have a superhero-dressed party.

I am not leading this project any more since I handed it over to Maheshi who is currently in 11th grade also doing IB, but I will still work hard as if I'm still the leader who's dedicated and willing to work. In fact, I'm looking forward to seeing the children next week :)

My this term's goal would be, as an ex-leader and as a friend and as an assitance, to help Maheshi who's just begun to leading this project, to plan and organise better even though I'm no better than her.