I always believe in learning something new at any point of time. It could be academic or just plain out of interest. My learning experience over the last couple of years includes music, more music, Internet/computer related, finance, photography related and the list thus goes on....
Current focus: New languages.
Tool: livemocha.com
This site helps you choose:
~The language you want to learn
~The level that you want to learn basic/intermediate/advanced
~Learn words, pronunciations and sentence formations
~and learn learn at your own pace.
The best feature according to me is review of submissions. After each lesson, you are given exercises to complete - in both pronunciations and writing skills. This gets reviewed by real people. If I want to learn Spanish and I am fluent in English, I would get my exercise reviewed by someone who knows Spanish... and I may help them learn English. So you learn and you also help others learn.
People reviewing my work have told me my pronunciation is good. I have no complaints :D
So much to learn and remember. For the past one week, I've been spending about 2 hours every night on this... and I realize 24 hours is just not enough for all that I want to do :)
Am so glad my brother told me about this site. People at home have been warned... around midnight, if they hear some blabbering in unknown languages... then know what it is :D
Friday, August 21, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
A day well spent
August 12th was the day of my Community Team Work (CTW) this year.
70 Children + Teachers + 20 volunteers = A Big group to handle and a lot responsibility. It took a lot of effort from my co-team captain (my good friend and namesake) and my side to plan, organize and execute the project. It helped us discover that we were brilliant together :D jokes apart it made us aware of our great planning and organization skills.
Our Planets - Was the project. We were to take the children from the slum school to the planetarium. More details here...
2 months before the project we had made calls to enquire show time/ticket price/availability only to be told that the Planetarium would be closed on that particular day. That gave us enough time to reach out to all the parties involved (volunteers, project manager, charity) and re-schedule the project.
The show at the planetarium show was for an hour. Next round planning of revolved around what activities we could have for the children after the show. We wanted to make it fun and also a learning experience. Based on the age groups, we had planned for a quiz, painting and street play activities. Street play - was a request from the charity. The older girls being very talented did not get a chance to perform and be appreciated so this was an opportunity for them.
4 days before the actual project, swine flu panic spread like crazy. Volunteers were now worried. We faced a lot of questions on what precautions we were taking, if the children would be checked for illness before they were sent with us etc. Contacting the internal wellness centre, we understood that it would be best to cut short the project. Having the many children in an enclosed space for a long time would only increase the risk. We spoke to the charity and expressed the concern and told them to ensure that any child with even the slightest sign of cold/cough should not be sent on the trip.
Again, change in plans - meeting held, everyone made aware that the project was being cut short. Not all the volunteers were happy with this. Cutting short the project meant spending lesser time with the children, but we had no choice :(
August 12th: We left from office after breakfast in 2 buses. We had to pick-up points for the children and teachers. We made most use of the time we had in the bus to interact with the children and ensure they had a good time.
T planetarium was a real hit with the children. They had never witnessed anything like that before. When initially the lights went out and the tiny stars started peeping out, they were so thrilled that they started clapping and hooting :) Every new picture displayed was followed by a WOOOOW. Was such good fun being a part of this :)
After the planetarium show we spent time with them in the playground outside, as they ran around and screamed their heads out :D
We then headed back to the YWCA centre where all of us had lunch together. One group here (from one bus) lost its way and took time to reach, by the time we'd served lunch to the younger kids. Less space, well managed... thanks to lost directions? :D
The children were thrilled with the trip, the teachers were happy, the YWCA members were glad that the children had such a good time ~ most of all it was a satisfying experience for all of us.
Though just for a day, however small it may have been... we had made a difference.
70 Children + Teachers + 20 volunteers = A Big group to handle and a lot responsibility. It took a lot of effort from my co-team captain (my good friend and namesake) and my side to plan, organize and execute the project. It helped us discover that we were brilliant together :D jokes apart it made us aware of our great planning and organization skills.
Our Planets - Was the project. We were to take the children from the slum school to the planetarium. More details here...
2 months before the project we had made calls to enquire show time/ticket price/availability only to be told that the Planetarium would be closed on that particular day. That gave us enough time to reach out to all the parties involved (volunteers, project manager, charity) and re-schedule the project.
The show at the planetarium show was for an hour. Next round planning of revolved around what activities we could have for the children after the show. We wanted to make it fun and also a learning experience. Based on the age groups, we had planned for a quiz, painting and street play activities. Street play - was a request from the charity. The older girls being very talented did not get a chance to perform and be appreciated so this was an opportunity for them.
4 days before the actual project, swine flu panic spread like crazy. Volunteers were now worried. We faced a lot of questions on what precautions we were taking, if the children would be checked for illness before they were sent with us etc. Contacting the internal wellness centre, we understood that it would be best to cut short the project. Having the many children in an enclosed space for a long time would only increase the risk. We spoke to the charity and expressed the concern and told them to ensure that any child with even the slightest sign of cold/cough should not be sent on the trip.
Again, change in plans - meeting held, everyone made aware that the project was being cut short. Not all the volunteers were happy with this. Cutting short the project meant spending lesser time with the children, but we had no choice :(
August 12th: We left from office after breakfast in 2 buses. We had to pick-up points for the children and teachers. We made most use of the time we had in the bus to interact with the children and ensure they had a good time.
T planetarium was a real hit with the children. They had never witnessed anything like that before. When initially the lights went out and the tiny stars started peeping out, they were so thrilled that they started clapping and hooting :) Every new picture displayed was followed by a WOOOOW. Was such good fun being a part of this :)
After the planetarium show we spent time with them in the playground outside, as they ran around and screamed their heads out :D
We then headed back to the YWCA centre where all of us had lunch together. One group here (from one bus) lost its way and took time to reach, by the time we'd served lunch to the younger kids. Less space, well managed... thanks to lost directions? :D
The children were thrilled with the trip, the teachers were happy, the YWCA members were glad that the children had such a good time ~ most of all it was a satisfying experience for all of us.Though just for a day, however small it may have been... we had made a difference.
Saturday, August 01, 2009
Quotes from Illusions
Read Illusions - The adventures of a reluctant Messiah, by Richard Bach - the author of Johnathan Livingston Seagull. Not sure if it is the subject or the way the book is written, I was not too impressed with it. However the author had some very interesting quotes, like the ones below:
This one's my favourite:
Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't.
- Quit anything you want, if you change your mind about doing it. Its better than keeping the job and hating it.
- The more I want to get something done, the less I call it work
- If you want freedom and joy so much, can't you see its not anywhere outside of you. Say you have it, and you have it. Act as if its yours and it is.
- Live never to be ashamed if anything you do or say is published around the world - Even if what is published is not true
- The best way to avoid responsibilities is to say "I've got responsibilities"
- There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.
- Argue for your limitations, and sure enough, they're yours
- A cloud does not know why it moves in just such a direction and at such a speed. It feels an impulsion...this is the place to go now. But the sky knows the reasons and the patterns behind all clouds, and you will know too, when you lift yourself high enough to see beyond horizons.
- You are never given a wish without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.
- Don't be dismayed at good-byes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetimes, is certain for those who are friends.
This one's my favourite:
Here is a test to find whether your mission on earth is finished. If you're alive, it isn't.
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