Learning Outcomes

 

Tennis

 Today people we usually train were absent, and two others whom I have never played with filled their place. I immediately noticed their skill greatly exceeds mine and identified it as an opportunity to learn. 

This attitude began to be difficult to keep as I simply did not know how to defend myself against their attack. It was really frustrating and took a lot of self-control to keep playing, even though it seemed pointless (in terms of winning of course).

This is another thing I learn while playing tennis. I learn how to accept defeat and treat every game like this as an opportunity to learn more. I know that if one stays in their comfort zone it is really hard to improve, but it is also hard to step out of this comfort zone and face the challenge - which I am proud to have done today. 

(this week my mom didn't get a chance to take a picture of me on the court as we were always playing at the same time)

Violin

 Today I attended my first violin lesson after the holidays. It was supposed to be on Thursday, but my teacher had to cancel and we met today. 

It was so great to see her in person, it is definitely different than seeing her via zoom. She reminded me of correct hand movements and corrected a couple of things I have learned long ago, but that were not noticeable on zoom. 

I have started by playing D major scale, one of the easiest ones and the one in which Canon D is set. Then I practiced the bow movement to this very melody. 

After that, which took most of my lesson I started learning a new song, for which notes I post below. 

It is so great to finally meet for a violin lesson and to do it in person! I cannot wait to see what I am going to learn this year and what challenges it will bring!

Amnesty International

 Today at Amnesty International meeting we have discussed work camps in China. 

People there are kept in inhumane conditions and it is horrible to even imagine everything they have to go through. 

We have also discussed the influence it has on the global economy. It is awful that China can and is benefiting from violation of human rights and so are many of us, without intending or even knowing it. The awareness of this issue must rise, as as more people talk about it and know about it the better chances there are for a change. 

Tennis

 Today at tennis I played my first double match which actually made sense. 

My first try was last week, but I did not really understand what I am supposed to do, it all seemed pretty pointless to me as most of it depended on the serve. This week, however, I got a hold of it. 

I was in the team with my mom who is good at serves, which gave our team the opportunity to win. She started off and I tried to defend the court after that. 

I think we did pretty good as the match ended with a tie, which made me very proud. 

This is training in the thing I think tennis lacks - teamwork. I am always rooting for my mom and my friends, but I feel like when all the matches are played one on one it might be hard for someone to stay supportive when at the same time wanting to defeat your friend/competition. 

Violin

 Today I decided to spend some time revising the tunes I have played last year. I started with Pirates of the Caribbean because I thought they are both beautiful and easy. 

It turns out I was wrong, and the melody has some tricky parts. I spent quite some time making it as perfect as I remember. It was hard work, but so rewarding. I can't wait to meet with my teacher again and continue learning and improving myself.

What is the hardest right now is to find time, not for the lesson itself, but in between. With all the work I have in IB2 it is going to be extremely difficult to practice in my free time as I will hardly have any. 

Amnesty International

 Today I took part in organizing the Amnesty International bake sale at our school. Although I did not bake anything, I spent almost an entire 14:05 break sitting behind a table, selling cakes. 

Many of us have brought home-baked goods and even more, students bought them. 

This experience has helped me to learn how to organize an event in a big group, stick to the plan and keep my obligations. 

I have shared my turn of selling with my friend Natalia so it also gave us an opportunity to become aware of the latest events in our lives. 

Amnesty International

 Today was the first Amnesty International meeting in the new school year. It mostly focused on telling people who have just decided to join Amnesty International at our school how it works, what its goal is and what we will be doing. 

It was a short meeting, but it reminded me of the main goal of Amnesty International - protecting human rights and educating others about them. This is what I am planing on doing this year as a part of my Service. 

Tennis

 Today was my first tennis lesson after the holidays. I was pleasantly surprised to see that I did not forget much from what I learned 2 months ago. I played a usual couple of matches with my traning-mates and, although they won, I found it pretty satisfying. 

This was a challenge as I have not held a racket in quite a long time, and I felt others expecting me to be worse at playing than I used to be.

I had to be much more focused than I usually am because I wanted to show them that I did not forget that much, and am still good for my level.