CAS (Service): Helping in the Orphanage

I started to do service in the orphanage since August 2011. The orphanage is located in Karawang and we do the service every Friday from 15.00-17.00. In the orphanage, we help the children with their homework, mostly their English homework. When they don’t have any homework, we will teach them English. In the orphanage, we devide ourselves into three groups. The first group will teach elementary school children, the second group will teach junior high school children and the third group will teach senior high school children. 

After teaching the children for a while, I learn that teaching English can be very fun when it is done in a small group, where the children are learning but we are also having fun. I learn to collaborate with my peers to prepare for the teaching materials and also to work collaboratively with the students when helping them with their homeworks. Moreover, I am also teaching them English to help their preparation for their national (Indonesian) final examination in English subject. Overall, it is a really precious experience to be able to contribute in teaching them English for their future.

CAS Big Project to Lampung

I had my CAS big project in Lampung on the 11^th-13^th of December, 2011. The big project was done in my school’s sister school which was Lentera Harapan School. The project included teaching the students and also built a library for them. We had a bazaar to raise money to buy the books and the bookshelves. For the teaching part, I was in the group that would teach “musikalisasi puisi” in Bahasa Indonesia (musikalisasi puisi means poems that are read in the form of music or reading poem with background music). Before I went to Lampung, my friends and I had to do a lot of preparations that included buying the materials, preparing for the teaching materials, putting the pile of books into boxes, and many more.

Below are the pictures of me putting the books in the boxes.

For the musikalisasi puisi, my group that consisted of six people decided to do a poem named “Aku” (I am) written by one of Indonesian greatest poets which is Sapardi Djoko Damono. My group gave an example of how we turned the poem into music using several guitars, and we taught them the steps to make a musikalisasi puisi. After that, we divided the students into some big groups and gave them some selected poems for them to turn into a musikalisasi puisi in around 40 minutes. Finally, each of the group would perform in front of the whole class. Each of us would also join in to the group to supervise and give them some help. After three hours of teaching musikalisasi puisi, my friends and I helped to built the shelves for the library and unpacked the books from the boxes and put them in the shelves.

Besides the musikalisasi puisi team, there were also other groups that did the sport section, which was Frisbee and basketball. There was also a group that taught English, Art and Science. It was fun but challenging at the same time.

Below are the pictures of me teaching the students about musikalisasi puisi, and when we performed in front of the class.

From this big CAS project, I learned to work collaboratively with others and learned to initiate activities. This is because I need to work collaboratively with my teammates to perform the best example of musikalisasi puisi and also to initiate and planned our own teaching materials and way to teach the students. Without working collaboratively, my group would not be able to teach the students effectively about the steps to make a musikalisasi puisi and they may have failed to perform in front of the class. Fortunately, our teaching was good enough that all of the students at least understood and most of them were able to make a musikalisasi puisi.

CAS (Action): Badminton

I first started my badminton course on the 9^th of March. I am not really good at playing badminton and cannot play it properly before because every time I hit the ball, it always fell on the ground before I can even hit it. Therefore, this course is really beneficial to increase my skill in playing badminton. At first, as I anticipated before, I did a terrible job at playing the badminton as my body gets so stiff. However, the coach teaches me that my right hand swing needs to be fixed. She says that I need to be more relax and raise my hand a bit higher in order to hit the ball that is coming from up above. She also teaches me to move my legs more often to chase the ball.

After doing this activity, I achieved my goal to undertake new challenge, which is to learn to play badminton properly despite my weakness in playing sports. It also changes my point of view, where I used to think that playing badminton is easy but it is not as easy as it looks and the techniques are a bit challenging too.

CAS Leadership Camp 2011

On July the 29^th until July the 30^th, 2011, I had my leadership camp together with my friends from the 12^th graders, 11^th graders and the student council body in Pasir Randoe, Cikarang. In this leadership camp, I did activities together with my juniors about what is the real meaning of Creativity, Action and Service. Throughout the first day’s sessions, I learnt that a leader should be committed in every aspect of her actions, but first of all, she needs to be committed to herself before she commits to other people. She needs to stand up upon the wrong doings that is happening around her. On this first day, I achieved my learning outcome, which is working collaboratively with my friends and my juniors. This is achieved when I am doing the sessions’ activities and when I am doing the second day’s activities.

(Above) Me and my small group, discussing about the meaning of CAS

The next day, I do the outbound with my friends. Personally, I am not really excited to do the outbound because my weakness lays on physical activities and the fright of height. This is clearly seen when I am about to walk on a rope 5 meters high from the ground. I am really scared but I challenged myself because that is what a leader should do. Even though it takes a while for me to walk on the rope and I am thinking of quitting in the middle of the rope, I finally overcome it and feel really satisfied. Another thing that impresses me is that I am chosen to be the leader of the “blind fold” game, where I should take my friends to a certain place but they should be blind folded and I will lead the way. I do not think that I can lead them properly, but I do a good job and am very proud.

Overall, this leadership camp teaches me a lot of things. I learn how to be a good leader, both through the sessions in theory, but through doing real activities as well.

CAS (Service): Teaching in Serang

I started my teaching in serang on 19^th of February 2011. On the first day to teach the children in Serang, I felt scared and uncomfortable because I never teach so many children before. My group consisted of three students; Yves, Kevin and me. The class we were teaching were grade four, which consisted of around forty students. We made the lesson plan to teach the children on that day, which was teaching about greetings: good morning, how are you, good bye and many more. The children responded very well. I obsreved that the boys were braver and more active than the girls. We asked them for their names and their personal datas too. Then, we took their pictures at the end of the class, where we would make name tags for each of them. Afterwards, we asked for the principals signature and stamp to approve that we already teach and teach in a well manner.

However, I enjoyed teaching them to make artworks the most. It was on April the 2^nd, 2011. We were teaching them to make pencil cases from the tissue roll and ice cream sticks. Teaching the children to make it was a piece of cake, because they were excited (they are even more excited to make the artworks than to learn English). After a while, they finished doing the artworks.

I learned to plan and initiate activites, which is to make the lesson plan of to teach the children in Serang. I learned that it was not an easy job to make a lesson plan and it took a lot of thinking whether the materials were suitable (too hard or too easy) for the children. I also learned to take new challenges because it took quite a lot of patience to teach the children, both to learn English and to make the artworks. But I do really think that it was worth it because I get to see them excited and happy with what we were teaching them.

Creativity (CAS): Self-Image Programme

On 27 February 2011, I did my self-image programme in Martha Tilaar, every Saturday for three meetings. Each meeting started from 09:00 to 15:00. This programme consisted of hair dressing (the first meeting), facial and manicure (second meeting), and make-up (third meeting). During the hair dressing programme, the teacher (named Ms. Riska) taught me to blow my hair after applying foam and to do sanggul (lifting up the hair to form a full bun). It took a lot of time to do the curling, but the result was not too bad. 

The second meeting was a lot more fun than hair dressing. I was taught to do facial by Mr. Ari. It was a lot of fun because after I did the facial, I felt that my face was very clean and fresh. I felt like a professional because I could apply the mask and massage my face in a correct way. The manicure process was a bit hurtful, because I hurt my finger during the cuticle removing. But it was less fun than doing the facial. The third meeting was doing the make-up, and I thought that it was the most fun. I was taught to do day-make up and night-make up. Applying the make-up was fun because it was like painting on canvas. You get to apply colorful eye shadow, lipstic and blush on on your face. At the end of the programme, I found it extremely useful as I got a lot of knowledge upon how to clean your face and manicure, and also to apply make up without looking “too much”.

Creativity (CAS): Sewing

I started my sewing programme on February 10^th 2011. During the very first meetings, the teacher named Mrs. Sumarni asked me to copy the text book about basic shirts, sleeves and skirts for women. I was taught to measure the drawing with the exact measurement of real people. It was not an easy thing to do. At first I thought that measuring was easy, but to do one measurement, it took almost an hour to do it. Thus, I had to do the programme for 3 hours every meeting. 

After drawing the basic shirts, sleeves and skirts, the teacher taught me to draw different kind of sleeves and colars. After I did the colars, it was time for me to do the real measurement on the cloth. This programme taught me a lot about being patient, because to make the measurement, I need to be really careful so the clothes will fit the person. If I am not careful, one cm can affect the size of the clothes. After finishing drawing the measurement on the cloth, I will learn how to sew using the sewing machine, which will be in this week's meeting.

CAS Live In Tasikmalaya

On December 20-21, 2010, grade 11 and 12 from Sekolah Pelita Harapan went to do the CAS Live In program in Tasikmalaya. It took 4 hours to do the journey from the school to the village. When we arrived, we needed to ride pick-up cars in order to go into the village through the narrow roads. We arrived around midday, and we were brought to the house we are going to stay. In this house, I ate lunch with my friends that are going to do the work in the tea leaf plantation. The house's owner is also the owner of the tea plantation. He was very welcoming, and we ate our lunch that was prepared by his wife. My group consisted of 4 people. After the lunch, we went to the tea plantation, around 50 meter away from the house. We were taught about the tea leaves, which leaf is best to be picked and which needs to be picked later on. 

After that, we went back to the house to take a bath. Actually, this house is not my real live in house, because I was there only to get ready for the tea plantation group. My real house's owner was the 'kapol' (balsam) man. I stayed there with 2 of my friends, Elka and Yves, and also Ms. Hana. At 6 o'clock, after taking a bath, we ate our dinner and get ready to entertain at the village's school. 

My job were to serve food and sang Indonesian songs, such as Laskar Pelangi, Sempurna, and Bendera. After singing, our EO brought an Indonesian CD also called Laskar Pelangi, about a boy from a village, who became successful in the big city (Jakarta). At around 10, the activity ended. I also cleaned up the classroom before we left. 

The next day, after breakfast, I went to the tea plantation again. Then, I went back to the house of the red sugar man (gula merah) and tried it. It was sweet but delicious. After taking photo of all the students in front of the school, we went to the water fall. It took 15 minutes to walk through the tea plantation, on the narrow, steep and slippery road (and small river) to the water fall. But the view was very beautiful. I stayed only for 5 minutes and return to the tea plantation to have lunch. After lunch, we went back to take a bath and went home at midday. 

This is an unforgettable experience, that i got to live in a place that i did not imagine i will be able to live in. The view was incredible. The food were delicious, but most importantly, the people were very welcoming and solid, as they lived together in a village. Thus, I learned the importance of being able to try new things and be able to go beyond my limit (taking risk) in the tea plantation, as I do not like doing outdoor activities.

Creativity (CAS): Drum Lesson

I started this program last year, on September 7, 2010. This program for me is very interesting because I learned new musical instrument that I never played before. In this lesson, I learned the name of the drum, which are the cymbals (hihat, ride and crash), bass, snare, low tom and high tom. In order to play the drum, you need to hold your drum stick, with your palm downwards. Your right hand is on the hihat cymbal, and your left hand is on the snare or the ride. That is what I learned so far.

 It is very fun to learn drum. Because I used to learn to play piano, so playing drum is not that hard for me, but still it is challenging in a fun way.By learning drum, I train myself to be more focus on what I'm doing, because if I do not focus while playing drum, it is hard to move both my hands, while also thinking about my feet that needs to hit the bass drum. 

CAS Bazaar

On November the 13th, 2010, grade 11 and grade 12 of Sekolah Pelita Harapan did our CAS Bazaar to raise fund for Cibunar Village that we are going to live in on December. In the morning, we already gathered the food together. I brought Indonesian traditional snack. Because each one of us brought food for the bazaar, our booth was full with delicious food and attracted the people that passed by. My friends took turn to help our booth. 

My job, however, was not to help with the booth but to sing in front of the booth, together with my other friends. We handed out a box to the people that passed by, for if they were entertained with our singing, they could give us money for our CAS fund. We sang more than three songs all together, for around twenty minutes. After singing, I also helped to sell bags made from unused products' packages. These bags came with different sizes. Some of them were made into pencil cases, bags, and even wallets. 

This bazaar taught me to work cooperatively with others. In order to entertain the people passing by, I needed to sing together in harmony with my friends. And to sell the food and bags, my friends and I needed to work together to attract our customers.