Since this summer, my taekwondo coach has been anticipating for my friends (in taekwondo) and I to start taking performance classes. These classes would incorporate taekwondo moves into dances. We have been looking forward to this experience as it would allow us to perform at events. For this particular class, we have two dance teachers that would guide us through the choreography. The experience is safe with the support of our coaches and dance teachers. The dance teacher told us about what she generally have in mind, but we were able to input any thought on more appropriate taekwondo kicks or movements, which allowed us to be more engaged in the process.
I have not danced since elementary school, so my dance experience is quite limited. Recently, I have only danced to some TikToks with my friends. Dance and taekwondo have their similarities and differences. While we have to memorize certain movements in taekwondo, dance choreography has to correspond to the rhythms of the music. Therefore, memorizing and keeping up with the choreography was definitely more difficult. However, I really tried to push myself to improve by focusing on one specific part of the song first, then combining them together. To better prepare myself by the next practice, I have been practicing the section of the choreography where I am not as familiar with.
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.
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.
My black belt is a physical representation of my growth and journey in Taekwondo for the past 6 years. Through the opportunities presented to me in this sport, I have been significantly impacted as a knower.
Knowledge acquired from this sport ranges from technical movements to aspects regarding myself. I have never been to any martial arts classes until one day almost 7 years ago. Naturally, I was only capable of clumsily moving around the gym during my first lesson. Learning every movement and perfecting each of them was a gradual process. My starting Taekwondo lessons is an example of exploring something new. Since I enjoyed this sport so much, I have been open to trying something I have never experienced (given that it is safe, of course).
From the numerous competitions I have attended the past years, I observed that my self-imposed mental obstacles are one of the hardest challenges that I face on a daily basis. The information may not be academic, but it has helped me in life. The more I learn about myself over time, the more I am able to overcome these challenges. The high-intensity atmosphere cultivated by the competition forces me to adapt and alter my thinking to conform with the environment. Thus, I believe the environment is another influential aspect that shapes my perspective of a knower.
Taekwondo has allowed me to open myself up to different experiences and consequently, new perspectives on acquiring knowledge.
During this practice, our coach wanted us to focus on our core strength because they are essential to kicks and other movements. It was definitely a challenge for me as I consider my core strength to be the weakest. What I had to do was to do a plank on two sets of weight balls and then to support myself while my legs were on the yoga ball. The last exercise was the hardest and the most dangerous. Therefore, the coach taught us how to fall safely without injuring ourselves.
I was surprised that the first part of the exercise (supporting myself on the weight balls) was not as difficult as I imagined. The second part with the yoga ball strained my core muscles the most. I could feel the soreness for the following two days. To relieve this, I stretched out my stomach with the help of my roller.
Though it was tiring, the exercise made me feel like I had a stronger core. One thing I would change about this set of exercise may be the length of time I plank for. I believe that it would be more effective if I gradually build up the time and not force myself to plank for too long the first try. I should practice this at home and during future trainings to improve myself.
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.
Ever since fourth grade when I began my taekwondo lessons, I have fallen in love with the sport. I attended my first competition when I was a yellow belt. I can’t believe that was more than six years ago. Sadly, most of my time has been spent doing homework and studying for tests during my sophomore year. I was able to regain my interest in the sport over the summer. A few weeks before school started, my lower back was hurting from training. Therefore, I focused a lot on stretching prior to practices throughout the past month.
Last Sunday (9/20), I had my first high school competition. If you’re wondering why I am only competing in the high school category so late in my high school career, it is because I am 15 years old and a little bit younger than others. I tried to go to as many practice sessions, mostly on Wednesdays and Saturdays. However, since most of these high school athletes train for 3-4 hours a day at special school programs, I lack a lot of skills relatively. Unsurprisingly, I did not perform as well.
I want to be able to improve the next time I compete. During this period of time, I hope to practice more of my basic techniques to increase my confidence on the mat.
Here are some pictures from training:
Here are some pictures and a video from my competition:
El vuelo a San Juan, Puerto Rico fue más largo que el vuelo a Narita, Japón. De hecho, el vuelo fue un poco más de un día. Por consiguiente, nosotros estábamos cansados y fuimos a dormir cuando llegamos a un hotel que se llamaba Embassy Suites by Hilton San Juan Hotel & Casino.
El primer día en Puerto Rico, el guía turístico nos trajo al Bosque Nacional El Yunque en autobús que el paseo duró aproximadamente treinta minutos. El bosque era muy hermoso. A mi madre le encanta tomar fotos y ella tomaba muchas durante todo el día. No tuve wifi entonces no pude usar mis redes sociales, pero es bueno para mi salud porque mi padre siempre dice que yo uso demasiado mi celular. Por esto, yo disfruté la naturaleza y los árboles, aunque no me gustaron los mosquitos.
Nosotros fuimos al parque acuático Las Cascadas. A mi hermana le gustan los parques acuáticos y había querido ir a una desde el verano pasado. Entonces, ella estaba muy feliz cuando averiguó sobre Las Cascadas. Había muchos toboganes de agua y piscinas. Mi familia se divertía.
Otra localización famosa en el plan de viaje fue La Playa Flamenco. Porque mi padres estuvieron ocupados con los trabajadores, no hemos ido a las playas en Kenting, Taiwán por mucho tiempo. Cuando yo era joven, me gustaba jugar en la arena con mi hermana. En La Playa Flamenco, había muchas familias como nosotros. Me relajé en la arena y jugué al agua con mi hermana. Por supuesto, nosotros construimos castillos de arena.
Mi lugar favorito fue en el cuarto día—La Bahía Bioluminiscente. Era una ubicación muy fascinante y bella. Fuimos en canoa en una bahía que ilumina. Yo aprendí que el agua puede iluminar porque hay dinoflagelados. Entonces, cada movimiento en el agua crea un brillo. Me encanta el ambiente y no puedo esperar a volver.
Para el día final, la ubicación fue el Castillo de San Cristóbal. Está muy cerca del aeropuerto porque nosotros iremos allí pronto. El castillo era largo y yo pensé que era interesante también. Se puede decir que había una historia detrás del monumento.
Una cosa que no he hablado sobre es la comida. Algunas de las comidas favoritas que comí fueron arroz con gandules, empanadillas, rellenos de papa y pasteles. Me gustó el arroz con gandules porque era similar al arroz frito en Taiwán. Las empanadillas son empanadas pero más pequeñas. Quiso intentar las empanadillas porque las empanadas que mi maestra compró para mi clase de Español fueron muy ricas. Nunca he comido cualquier comida como los rellenos de papa. Para mi sorpresa, la papa y la carne juntos fueron deliciosas. Finalmente, yo comí pasteles. Pasteles me recordó a una comida tradicional de Taiwán. Igualmente, la comida fue envuelto en hojas.
Hi! I’m Allison Chen. I was born in Taipei, Taiwan and raised in Kaohsiung. Currently, I am 15 years old.
Signing up for the IB Diploma Program was like signing an agreement form that will commit two years of my time to rigorous studying. Of course, I was introduced to the DP Core class I would have to finish in order to complete this program. All I knew were terms such as CAS, TOK, EE, which translated into “unfamiliar requirements that I am afraid that I would not like.” Yet, I found myself already looking forward to DP Core class after the first week.
Creativity
I have never really considered myself an artistic person. However, I found a way to express myself creatively through my studying account on Instagram and YouTube. During freshman year, I found videos on studying and taking notes. Initially, I found them satisfying, but I just viewed them for entertainment and did not notice how inspirational they were. Then, I realized that I could also make a study account to showcase my own notes. I soon created an account on Instagram (@allyxstudies). As the Personal Project neared in my sophomore year, I decided to make a “Study With Me” video on a newly created YouTube account dedicated to education and school. I wish to continue uploading videos and pictures to my YouTube and Instagram account. Through this, I want to motivate others and show that learning can be fun.
A picture that I took for my Instagram account.
Activity
My individual competition.
I began attending Taekwondo lessons in 4th grade. With it starting off as an exercise outside of school, I was surprised to find myself liking it more and more. This gradual interest eventually leads one competition than another. Since then, I have competed for a little over six years. In 8th grade, I had the privilege of representing Kaohsiung city to the National Middle School Games in Taiwan. I used to train 9 hours a day on a Sunday and stay until 11 PM at the studio. I believe that participating in that specific competition was definitely a challenge especially when I am not in a special Taekwondo program at school. Unlike me, many other competitors can replace a certain class with training at school. The most recent competition I have partaken in was a day before school started this year, which was on August 9th. My goal in this CAS strand is to have Taekwondo as my ongoing exercise.
Me and my teammates during the competition on August 9th.
Service
For two summers (after 8th grade and sophomore year), I volunteered at the Zuosin public library near Hanshin Arena. This opportunity allowed me to give time back to my community. I felt that this volunteer activity was suitable for me because I like learning and education. The summer between my freshman year and sophomore year, I went to a Johns Hopkins’ CTY Civic Leadership Program at University of California Berkeley. This summer camp focused on learning about social issues, service, and giving back through active engagement with the community. Throughout the three-week program, I served at homeless shelters, lake clean-ups, and daycares. At school, I also have joined clubs such as Zonta club and Invisible Children. Through these clubs, I give back to my community at school. This year, I want to be committed to a longer service time.
CTY Civic Leadership class.
IB Learner Profiles
I retrieved this image from a post by @sjtylr on Twitter. This image talks about the different IB Learner Profiles and their characteristics.
When I found this image, I also found this test that could see which IB Learner Profile I am. The results said that I am open-minded.
Those I identify with:
Open-minded – After taking the test, I do find myself identifying with the characteristics described under this Learner Profile. I have always liked looking at the different sides of an argument as much as I support my side. I also enjoy learning about different cultures.
Inquirer – I think you don’t necessarily have to ask questions to associate with this Learner Profile. Being an inquirer can be shown through learning by myself outside of class. I often go home and try to research beyond the things that my teachers or what my coach teaches. Moreover, I value education and its impact on myself and others.
Thinker – To be a thinker is to analyze and think deeply about decisions. Due to my tendencies to overthink, I believe I already do so on a daily basis. In all seriousness, I practice a lot of this during classes such as Literature or Mathematics where analysis is involved.
Principled – As for this Learner Profile, I hope that I display this. I believe that taking responsibility for my actions and being honest is essential in any relationships with other people.
Reflective – Reflection is something I do the most often. Not only do I do this during any Criterion D of a project, but also in my daily life. Especially for Taekwondo, I always have to reflect on competitions and trainings in order to improve. Given that the process of reflection is fundamental throughout the CAS process, I will be expecting more of these to do.
Those I want to improve on:
Knowledgeable – I feel that being knowledgeable is something that can always be improved on. There is still so much more to learn. For example, I want to learn more about different aspects of Taiwan as well as the United States. Gaining understanding and perspective is important especially in the community I live in.
Communicator – I want to be able to express myself more coherently through words and art forms. For instance, I plan on practicing music more as part of my CAS program.
Caring – Hopefully, I am not a cold person to others, but for this Learner Profile, I want to be able to dedicate more of time to services. It is particularly helpful that service is included in CAS.
Risk-taker – I want to be braver in regards to trying out new experiences. I feel that I have to be able to take risks before I am able to succeed.
Balanced – Balancing my time is difficult for me to do because I tend to want to do everything. Sometimes, I would do my homework for a little bit and go into my leisure time for hours. Other times, it would be the opposite. I should not just write down the to-dos in my bullet journal; instead, I should create daily schedules for myself to keep myself accountable and on track.
I look forward to what my CAS experiences will bring me.
/images.trvl-media.com/hotels/1000000/60000/54400/54367/9f008845_z.jpg)
