Excursion - Telunas Indonesia

Before that, who is the "me" I have become this year:

I think the ME leaving CIS TK Singapore compared to the one that came two years ago is a much more risk-taking, confident (balanced & socializing). I joined more teams and activities like student council, ACSIS badminton team, MUN. Also, compared to last year, I did big projects more individually instead of often asking to see if I am on track. Those projects include the science waves investigation video, science solar cooker lab, I&S religion research project.

Onto Excursion:

This excursion has one of those moments where my eyes opened up and my view of the world widened.

Firstly, I was enjoying the moments themselves during excursion. Even simple moments that weren't very thrilling. I experienced days away from busy life with electronics, days with almost everything, to days without much. Together with my friends, in houses on stilts, with great sunrises and sunsets. In the islands where the view of the ocean extends so far. I saw myself compared to nature. I felt like a tiny piece of salt, easily and quickly dissolving into a big cup of water with other dissolved salts. That feeling was provided by the surroundings of nature and being away from busy life.

Secondly, I experienced many new, exciting, interesting things. I have never jumped off a jetty into the ocean; I have never mixed cement; I have never stayed in houses, simply built, on a quiet island; I have never swum in a lake, not that I remember of; I have never spent time to observe the sea or sunset. Some of those in which I learnt.

Thirdly, I saw the simple lives of the villagers, experienced the heat and the bugs. I knew before, but I experienced and was reminded how in many places people don't have as much as we do. I was in their shoes, but even that was only for two three days. However, I observed that they can be just as satisfied. I realized that perhaps how lucky we are and how we should treasure what we have, and also share it by donations or voluntary work.

Community & Service Project - Recycling

Community & Service Project - Recycling

My commmunity and service project was about improving the recycling programme in the school itself.

I chose this project because I thought that the environment is for all animals and it affects the generations that come after us, it affects the future globally. I found that many people at school just throw plastic bottles and tin cans into the canteen's or the classroom's rubbish bins.

I put bins around the school, but the one that was useful was only the one in math class. So I collected and clear that bin along with paper recycling bins from other classes so they aren't full the whole time. I posted some facts and statistics on the canteen wall for attention and awareness.

It wasn't the most successful project. I problems with changing the statistics regularly, starting the project itself was hard as I couldn't decide my project and I was busy at the beginning of 2015 (interviews, tests, MUN...). I also encountered challenges where people just don't notice the posters or the bins even if they were right in front of them.

Though I learnt a lot. This was one of my reminders to start earlier and plan my time wisely. It also changed my opinions that partners are more helpful than I thought they were. I also learnt that action should be done and less time should be put on decisions.

On the presentation day, I had a slide that introduced what I do, why I did it, how I did it, what I learnt, and what I will do next time (improvements). Moreover, I had a video to alert people the situations we have today, combined with some facts, seriousness of pollution today, music for self-reflection, with some habits we can change to make a change. I also had a slide people can scroll through with their own will for more details of daily habits that we often don't realize is harmful to the environment.

Habits slide:
https://www.haikudeck.com/hgo-uncategorized-presentation-c3UfDEpARJ

Introduction slide:
https://www.haikudeck.com/i-thought-for-a-while-uncategorized-presentation-b1w1pW5MA7

Video

My Goals

These will mainly be short-term, practical goals.

I have a bunch of short-term goals:

• To memorise all the elements in the periodic table.
• Read an English book for at least 35 mins.
• Take 15 mins to review french stuff.
• I won't watch TV during dinner.
• To finish my Math textbook (out of school, HK)
• Do exercise regularly
• Practise the piano more

My main goal: I will not be spending more than 45 mins for each subject per day. This is about homework, study time can by added. That will be maximum of 3 hours working with my CIS homework on weekdays. And hopefully, my time with electronics, my laptop especially, will also be decreasing (because it's not good to my eyes, my neck, and my back). I feel like that I have been losing a lot of time because I spend too much of it with my school things, especially homework. I think that I have to be more efficient for my own advantage, my own fun, and even just reviewing or reading or doing sports, not homework. I will use my time for doing homework for each subject daily for an ordinary week and look at the time. Then, I will eventually be subtracting 3 mins in total everyday. I don't want this to fail so I have to do this gradually. When I reach 3hrs, I'll divide it into four equal parts and do it according to the # of subject that have homework, and I think I will end up using less time if I shorten my "longer subject homework". Because some other I probably don't need 1-hour time. If I've successfully done it, and feel comfortable with it, I think I'll shorten it even more (but with the same quality of work). I can also use some focusing methods: no music, rest for 5mins for every 25mins... But I will also be doing the other above goals at the same time because they are short goals that should be accomplished soon, and they all go together - mainly about time.