Term 4 Week 1 Learning Log

*Monday*

For the literature lesson on Monday, Mr Chua came in and gave out some papers he had marked. He went through the important ones and then told us about the exams thingy with those marks on it and how important our performance is to us to help us pull up our marks. Okay so, Mr Chua told us about the Exam things and the marks until the bell rang. To me, I think that this lesson really means a lot, because that lesson tells us how we should prepare ourselves for the upcoming Literature performance and exam. It also tells us about what we have done so far so that we can go back and revise those topics that Mr Chua had said. Plus, it also updates us on our progress on Literature. There’s one thing that I’m concerned about which is my sketch for the Mighty Mandarin… I didn’t pass that up because I was absent and I did not know anything about it. On Monday, when Mr Chua gave them their sketch back, I found out that I didn’t pass that up, I'm not sure when they were passed up, but I was really scared of Mr Chua as he is very fierce and sometimes not understanding… and I’m scared that if I tell him that I did not pass it up last time he might scold me in front of everyone and I might just get a fail grade… I’m still thinking about the sketch I drew… I don’t think if I drew it correctly… I drew all the characters inside with the gates and the walls… but no slippers and the gong, and the chair… it’s really confusing because Xin Yin drew something like mine and I don’t think she failed… and because most of my classmates said that even though I drew them wrongly, they still look cute… well I do hope that’s true.. and I hope that Mr Chua will give me a pass in that ^^

*Thursday*

We had a full dress rehearsal again. Luckily, this time round, our Juliet did come to school, so I just had to act as someone who’s at the Capulet’s party, someone talking to Juliet… okay I’ll begin at the start… we went to our ‘stage’ again and the whole class gathers around Mr Chua and he briefed us about what we have to do and by what time we have to finish. After the quite short briefing due to Daryl being called to stand up for talking, Mr Chua let us have 10 minutes to go and prepare for our rehearsal… that means we have to get ready, wear our costumes and set the props up… for my group, I think, our costumes are the worst… because the wardrobe IC in my group is Ann Gek, and she is responsible for all the costumes with Yu Zhen. I’m not insulting or trying to say anything bad… I just want to voice out my opinion. But, Ann Gek made those costumes look… a bit… old and more like rags than clothes? I’m really sorry to say it that way but…. She did make them look bad… For Romeo’s costume… it looks just like a plain tee shirt with some extra sleeves on them. And for Juliet, it’s worse… tight old clothes with cartoon sleeves which Putri can’t even fit in? Really bad… and lastly, Ann Gek’s role is to play the nurse… and her costume? Really pretty… she look more like she’s the Juliet and Putri’s the Nurse… But, nevermind, that’s my point of view… But as a group, we will all work hard together and try to get good marks and perform well on the actual exam which is on Monday… And for the rest of the Literature rehearsal, we learn from every wrong that we did and try our best to follow the Director’s instructions. As for me, I have to rack my brain for any creative ideas for the stage props and stuff…

Term 3 Week 10 Learning Log

(Monday)

This Monday, we had our full Literature rehearsals for the Romeo and Juliet play. Lessons start at the music room and all students are to sit in their Literature group. When we are seated in our group, Mr Chua saw that we do not have our costumes and props with us. Then he asked us about it. He then called the ICs of the wardrobe of each group to stand up and explain. My group, the IC said that she hasn’t made the costumes. Well, I’m not sure if I’m also in charge of that because I’m the stage manager, or IC of stage people. And then Mr Chua called the IC of the stage people to stand up and asked each of us to explain why we didn’t have our props with us. Well, for me, earlier that day, me and the director had already discussed about the props stuff, so, I didn’t know that we have to bring the props and costumes on that day. Anyway, after that ‘lecture’ all 4 groups are to prepare for the rehearsal which the director would be recording them down in their camera or hand phones. As we are the 2^nd group to ‘perform’, we still have a bit of time to practice. Once we are outside the music room, the director get into business. I have to say that my group is really lucky to have a director like Guang Hao, because when it’s time for serious matter, he really put all his heart and mind to it. And so, while the Director is setting the actors to their place, I was standing at the side, watching them. As I do not have to play a role in the play or there was no need of me in the play as an actor, haha, I just have to concentrate on just preparing the props. And well, on that particular day, our dear Juliet, Putri, was AGAIN suspended. GREAT! Just my luck… The director again pulled me inside into the play and said, “Please! Just today…” well, for the sake of my group, *sigh* I act as Juliet… again… anyway, the practice went quite well. And when it’s our group’s turn, everyone was very nervous. I wasn’t sure if I have to memorize those conversations of Juliet and do I have to act out those actions… But before we start, the director tells Mr Chua that our Juliet is in suspension and I am the substitute for that day, I can take the dialog with me to the ‘stage’^^ and so, while acting an watching, I was really nervous as almost half the class, plus Mr Chua, plus the director and his camera are all ‘watching’. And when it’s my turn to talk, I found that it’s quite easy as I just need to ‘stare’ at the file I had in my hand and just read it out loud:] well, when the others are doing their part in the play, I stood aside and I asked Romeo if later me and him have to do the actions like holding hands and the kiss… He said something really soft and I can’t really hear what he just said and well, it’s our turn already and so, me and him just went on ‘stage’ and speak out lines. When it comes to the kissing part, he was supposed to move towards me and act out the kissing part. Haha… well, I don’t expect him to REALLY act it out right now, because I’m not the real Juliet. And when he really do come near me, well, I got a bit nervous and scared and I just move backwards a bit, and when he tried again, I move back a few steps and the whole class laughed… haha, he then ‘gave up’ and returned to his speech. Everything is quite well after that. And when we go back to class, Reneita and Izyanti kept calling me Juliet… *sigh* nevermind, at least I get to go home now:]

(Thursday)

For literature that day, we got back our results for the test. And for the rest of the lesson, Mr Chua showed us a video of Romeo and Juliet’s movie. Well, I have the movie at home and I have already watched it before, but it was quite a nice movie, so watching it again won’t bother me. ^^ At each particular important scene, Mr Chua would pause and asked us about the atmosphere of the scene. Then at the romantic scene, slow music was played to show the peaceful and serenity of the scene. It was really very nice and we do not have time to watch the rest of the movie and they almost kiss when Romeo pulled Juliet away, which was then the bell, rang. Haha anyway, we can always watch it some other time:]