A few Sundays ago, I stayed at home to finish up some homework and decided to cook lunch for myself. I realized that this could be a good spontaneous CAS experience.

The process of cooking this meal was not so difficult, but it did take me several tries to get the best soup flavor. I made sure that I was safe throughout the cooking by setting up the kitchen before-hand and ensuring that the heat of the stove isn’t too high. After eating, I remembered to clean up the pots and bowls used.

via GIPHY

Final Product!

I decided to combine two of my CAS experiences in creativity—making YouTube videos and singing. I really like the song “pov” by Ariana Grande and wanted to film a cover of that song. To start out, I learned the chords on my piano, which allowed me to familiarize the lyrics and melody. After practicing a few times, I turned on my camera and began filming. It was until then that I realized how hard it was to perfect the cover, especially when it has to be one take. I was always able to find something wrong with the singing, the piano, or just the video clip itself. Eventually, I accepted that the cover will not be perfect and I shouldn’t be so hard on myself as this is the first cover I have made.

The editing process was easier as I just had to organize my clips together. After posting the video, my peers were able to give me feedback. Regarding the content, I think I should be more confident in myself. As for the quality, I want to use a better device to record for the video and audio to be clearer.

I had my very first ever singing performance on Friday (10/30)! The theme of this Cadenza performance was “movie soundtrack.” I decided, after being extremely indecisive, to sing “Always Remember Us This Way” from the movie A Star Is Born. One of the main reasons why I chose this song was because Lady Gaga’s character, who sang this song, is named Ally.

Prior to the performance check, I tried to practice as much as I could. Since I already knew the song beforehand, what I had to focus on was my piano accompaniment. The most challenging part was performing solo and, on top of that, having it be my first time singing in front of an audience of this size. I contemplated on not singing the bridge of the song because I felt that my voice did not fit t

On the day of the performance, I listened to the song and reviewed the piano chords. Placing my hands onto the keyboards, they were visibly shaking. I was definitely nervous; fortunately, my voice did not reflect that too obviously. I ended up deciding to keep the bridge of the song, but it was during this part of the song where my hands slipped and pressed the wrong note. Though it took me by surprise, I did not show any reaction to it. I found that I carried the same mindset that I usually have for taekwondo competitions, which is to try my best and remain as calm as possible.

After the performance, I was still a bit shaky, recognizing that I was able to accomplish this task. My friends and some teachers gave me words of encouragement, which was rewarding. I value this performance because it allowed me to prove to myself that it is possible for me to to this, and that this is actually very enjoyable.

Here is the video of my performance:

This might sound odd, but I find studying videos super satisfying! They motivate me to study more and become more productive.

Since I bring my sister to her choir practice almost every Saturday, I found a place near her to do my homework, which happens to be a Gong Cha tea house. I decided to film myself studying and edit them together to make my own Study With Me video.

In the beginning, I thought it was quite awkward filming myself, but I started to be more comfortable doing so. When editing the video, I spent some time looking up non-copyrighted music to use. I came across this helpful video and website, which I have also included in the description of my video.

I understand that these videos may be a bit boring for some people, so I hope to engage more with my audience by talking more.