Tea Ceremony Reflection (Senior Year)
My last tea ceremony course has drawn to an end. This year in tea was another fantastic and enjoyable year for me. Being one of the last fourth-year students in tea ceremony, I feel I was able to mature more as a tea student and observe the way of tea more carefully than I did the last three years. This year, my class was a very small one; it consisted of one more student other than me, and sometimes I had a 1-on -1 lesson with Tami-sensei. Being in such a small group for learning tea was a fantastic experience for me, as I was able to fully concentrate on the skills I needed to develop.
I learned many precious things in tea ceremony this year. One is that by performing tea alone, I was able to see my strengths and weaknesses not only as a tea student, but as an individual as well. Until now, I had thought that Japanese tea ceremony was something that I could enjoy by sometimes having lively conversations with my friends. However, working on tea ceremony alone sometimes completely changed that thought. While I studied tea alone, I was able to enjoy tea more and improve my skills, because I felt at peace and Tami-sensei would also help me out with small pieces of advice. Because it was such a small group, Sensei also seemed to have more time to point out what each of us were doing wrong, and how we could improve on particular skills.
It also took me a lot of commitment and perseverance to continue tea throughout the year. Being a senior with the IB Diploma close to finish, I was extremely busy throughout the year. For me it was especially hard because I only had 3 blocks of free periods in a week, as I had TOK both semesters due to schedule conflict. Although my schedule was always quite tight, I always found time to go to tea lessons at least once a week because I was so committed to tea. I am very glad that I did so. Being in tea lessons with Sensei really calms me down and takes away my stress.
Last of all, I believe I was able to develop lots of new skills this year in tea. As written above, this year was my fourth year in tea ceremony; as you continue learning tea, things to remember and to keep in mind increase continually. This year, for example, I learned a whole new level of tea called “Shikaden” that are preserved only for intermediate tea students. I personally believe that it is quite an achievement, considering the amount of knowledge I had about tea 4 years ago. By learning the four styles of making tea in “Shikaden” I believe I was able to fully understand the fundamentals of tea ceremony, and to hone my tea skills overall. I also developed more interest in more intermediate levels of tea.
Learning tea ceremony under Tami-Sensei was an extremely valuable experience for me, and I am really happy that I took tea classes all through my high school career. If any underclassman asked me if he/she should take tea ceremony, I would say yes without hesitation.
Thank you so much for everything these last for years, Sensei! I will never forget all the fun times we had and the spirit of tea!
Arigatou gozaimashita!
APAC Band 2013 Reflection
This year, I was a manager for APAC Band.
Overall, this was a fantastic experience for me.
Although I never had musical experiences in band at CA, I feel that I was able to help out the band members to a large degree, and that this year’s APAC Band was a great success.
Being a manager for Band was a new challenge for me, as I had never had musical experiences in band at CA before. Therefore, it was a new challenge for me every time I was exposed to odd jobs that required some musical or technical concepts. However, as I spent more time in Band, I became used to those musical concepts, and was able to execute the jobs much more quickly than I used to before. Facing these challenges also helped me to develop new skills. Not only was able to develop my knowledge of musical concepts, I was also able to develop understanding of technical skills because I often had to help out the tech crew for the performance.
Being a manager for band also required me to work collaboratively with band members, Mr. Vest, Mr. Sim Cook, and the tech crew. I believe I cooperated with everyone to create a fantastic show at the end of APAC. Although it was sometimes difficult to try to cooperate with everyone, I gradually got used to taking in everyone’s demands and trying to solve each issue as peacefully and professionally as possible. This also helped me to show perseverance and commitment.
Overall, I had a lot of fun in my first and last APAC Band at CA.
Thank you, everyone!!!
APAC Band 2013: http://apacband-2013.weebly.com/
Senior Nakasendo Hiking Trip Reflection
Our grade went on a hiking trip to Nakasendo a few weeks ago. I found the trip to be a very good experience.
One significant outcome of this trip was that the students were able to know each other better and bond with each other. We were also able to work collaboratively with one another when we walked; we shared some of our food and helped each other when it was getting hard to walk.
Another outcome is that because we walked a long way and some of the trails were quite challenging, our mentalities became stronger. For me, this activity provided a personal challenge because we will have to walk 20 km a day maximum. Because I do not take PE classes anymore, I am not as fit as I used to be a few years ago. Therefore, I was very worried that I might not be able to walk the entire way. However, although some parts of the trail provided some challenge for me, I was able to show perseverance and commitment, and walk the entire way.
Overall, it was a very satisfying experience, and I gained a lot from the trip.
Thank you!
Japanese teacher’s assistant Reflection #1
This Monday, I helped out Ms. Sugiyama with her Japanese class for the third time this year. In the last several sessions in which I helped Ms. Sugiyama out, I feel I have learned some new things and skills.
During the class periods when I helped out, I had some opportunities of interacting with middle schoolers, and I feel I have developed some skills to communicate and connect with them well. At first, it was slightly difficult for me to talk to them because I did not know many middle schoolers before and some of them intimidated me. Also, because I am not good at interacting with people I don’t really know, it was hard for me to talk to them at first. However, as I started talking to them, I was able to develop skills to connect with them more and more. I learnt that it was very important for me to listen to them, emphasize with them, and most of all, teach them carefully.
Another important factor in being a Teacher’s Assistant is that I have to work collaboratively with the teacher. As I worked with her over the summer and this school year, I feel I was able to connect with her more and work more collaboratively with her.
I look forward to helping Ms. Sugiyama out more this year!
Habitat for Humanities CAS Reflection
Over spring break (March 17th ~ 24th), I went to Udon Thani, Thailand with some of my classmates to build a house, an event sponsored by Habitat for Humanities.
By taking part in this activity, I believe I was able to help out a family who does not own a house. For me, this was a personal challenge because I had never built a house before; I was also not good at physical work. However, I ventured to take part in this activity because I thought that it would be important to move my body now that I don’t take PE class anymore, and that I would never really have a chance to get used to physical activity.
Through this activity, I believe I was able to increase awareness of my strength; I was able to find that I worked well with a group efficiently in a short amount of time. The weather was hot and the work was hard, but I was able to complete the task without complaining and efficiently, collaborating with my classmates and the other volunteers. I was also able to show perseverance and commitment; even when the task became more and more difficult, I did not leave a job undone. I think I also developed a new skill for building a house, and I also managed to pick up some Thai. This was the first time I was too part in a project that engaged with issues of global importance; through this activity, I believe I was able to increase awareness for global poverty and needs. Overall, Habitat for Humanities was a fantastic experience for me.
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