1h
This break I have started a new weight training routine to build strength for sprint season. It involves getting a mass gainer from the vitamin store. This will add 600 calories to my 3000 calorie diet bringing me to 3600. At 3000 my weight remains constant at 145. I hope to steadily increase my lean body mass to 155 so that I can have the max amount of muscle for sprints and remain in the light weight limit. I am feeling very comitted to this goal and I hope that it will result in positive speed gains.
Monday, November 28, 2011
November 26, 2011-Recorded music for Burra Katha
4h
We got the Jazz
Taxi
Fast Lane
Beneath the surface
These are the songs that I managed to record today with Taylor. We sent them to Jaewon to be mastered and put on the mixtape for CAS. All of them need to be regulated and recorded over again because of nuances with the mic. I have a lot of respect for professional artists who must spend weeks trying to get a song to sound just perfect. I have learned a lot about myself through this session. Without jaewon to do all the software management, I had to record and edit mine and Taylors voice myself. I learned that I am actually competent enough to do this. Jaewon was able to use my edits in his computer via email which means I was good enough to record on my own. This is a very comforting thought and makes me feel accomplished and confident.
We got the Jazz
Taxi
Fast Lane
Beneath the surface
These are the songs that I managed to record today with Taylor. We sent them to Jaewon to be mastered and put on the mixtape for CAS. All of them need to be regulated and recorded over again because of nuances with the mic. I have a lot of respect for professional artists who must spend weeks trying to get a song to sound just perfect. I have learned a lot about myself through this session. Without jaewon to do all the software management, I had to record and edit mine and Taylors voice myself. I learned that I am actually competent enough to do this. Jaewon was able to use my edits in his computer via email which means I was good enough to record on my own. This is a very comforting thought and makes me feel accomplished and confident.
November 24, 2011-Lyrics for Burra Katha
4h
I wrote several new songs today. The one's I will be keeping are We Got the Jazz and I Dont Need Brighter Days. The first is simple braggadocio in the style of old school alternative rap. Its very light hearted and a lot of fun to rap and recite. The latter is much more somber and deals with the bitterness that comes from having relationship problems. I took elements of my own life and incorporated them into a song to advocate against feeling bitter. I try to encourage people to walk away from stress and live life normally because there is no use in stressing. I love writing these lyrics because they are very introspective and creative because you have to think of word play and interesting metaphors.
I wrote several new songs today. The one's I will be keeping are We Got the Jazz and I Dont Need Brighter Days. The first is simple braggadocio in the style of old school alternative rap. Its very light hearted and a lot of fun to rap and recite. The latter is much more somber and deals with the bitterness that comes from having relationship problems. I took elements of my own life and incorporated them into a song to advocate against feeling bitter. I try to encourage people to walk away from stress and live life normally because there is no use in stressing. I love writing these lyrics because they are very introspective and creative because you have to think of word play and interesting metaphors.
November 11, 2011-Volunteered at Wine Tasting
We helped to setup (rig) and then wrap up (derig) boats for the annual GAR Wine tasting event. This is the largest fundraiser for Gainesville Area Rowing. They usually make $8000-$10,000 at this event.
I also helped serve the wine to people by passing bottles to the servers. I was enjoying the live music and the company of my friends. The event made me feel happy because I got to hear music which makes everything better and I got to see Dr. Morris, my 8th grade history teacher. He was a very big part of my child hood and it was nice to see him. We talked about college and he wished me luck for my choices of schools. He then recited his old motto "Do your best today" and I felt absolutely wonderful to hear those words from him. I learned that it is important to continue to keep in touch with those important to you because you want their friendship to last forever.
October 22, 2011-Scrimmage at Bolles School in Jacksonville, FL
4h
Scrimmage at Bolles. This was a fun race. We raced against 4 bolles boats. We beat all of them except the V8 soundly. This was to be expected because they are 2x heavier than us. We beat the boats that would be in our lwt8 category so thats all that was really required of us. This was a good outcome for the boat as a team because it boosted our confidence. Bolles has much more money than we do and much nicer equipment/facilities. Their boathouse is 2 stories tall with an airconditioned erg and weightroom, with an elevator and shower room. Despite all these luxuries, old-school rocky training managed to prevail over the russian-beast Bolles. I learned that despite disadvantages one might face, you cannot get discouraged before the race even begins, you have to go into the race believing you can beat anyone. Only then can you race with focus.
Scrimmage at Bolles. This was a fun race. We raced against 4 bolles boats. We beat all of them except the V8 soundly. This was to be expected because they are 2x heavier than us. We beat the boats that would be in our lwt8 category so thats all that was really required of us. This was a good outcome for the boat as a team because it boosted our confidence. Bolles has much more money than we do and much nicer equipment/facilities. Their boathouse is 2 stories tall with an airconditioned erg and weightroom, with an elevator and shower room. Despite all these luxuries, old-school rocky training managed to prevail over the russian-beast Bolles. I learned that despite disadvantages one might face, you cannot get discouraged before the race even begins, you have to go into the race believing you can beat anyone. Only then can you race with focus.
November 19, 2011- Head of the Giblet
4h
I raced in the lightweight 8 at the Head of the Giblet in Orlando. I was extremely angry after this race. We had to stop in the middle because the boat in front of us that we were passing would not yield to us like you are supposed to. This cost us a lot of time because of all the speed we lost slowing down, stopping, and then speeding back up. In the end, we missed 3rd place by a margin of only 20 seconds. Far less than we lost because of the St. Andrews River not yielding. This means if it wasn't for them, I would have medaled. This is a big blow to my morale, but I used it as motivation and hung the results of the race in my room to remind me victory is within reach. St. Andrews was assessed a 30 seconds penalty which helps no one because they were dead last anyways. If we had been given a 30 seconds boost we would have had 3rd place easily. I take this race as motivation to keep pushing and getting stronger.
I raced in the lightweight 8 at the Head of the Giblet in Orlando. I was extremely angry after this race. We had to stop in the middle because the boat in front of us that we were passing would not yield to us like you are supposed to. This cost us a lot of time because of all the speed we lost slowing down, stopping, and then speeding back up. In the end, we missed 3rd place by a margin of only 20 seconds. Far less than we lost because of the St. Andrews River not yielding. This means if it wasn't for them, I would have medaled. This is a big blow to my morale, but I used it as motivation and hung the results of the race in my room to remind me victory is within reach. St. Andrews was assessed a 30 seconds penalty which helps no one because they were dead last anyways. If we had been given a 30 seconds boost we would have had 3rd place easily. I take this race as motivation to keep pushing and getting stronger.
November 4-6, 2011- Head of the Hooch, Chattanooga
This was my 4th year at the Head of the Hooch!! The final race at the Head of the Hooch was the best, the weather was perfect and so was the racing. We placed well in the lwt 8 and we were actually 1st out of all the JV8 times. This puts us in great position to continue. We do not get enough water time on account of the lake being dry, but that did'nt stop us from rowing extremely well in the 4 and the lwt8. These were 2 of the best head races ive ever participated in. After every power 10, the pressure did not drop, it maintained and actually built up over time. This was proof to me that focus and hard work can sometimes overcome even the worst of conditions.
October 22, 2011- Speech writing for the Debate
2 h
I worked on writing my speech for the electoral college debate. I am finding some very interesting facts about the electoral college i.e. that there have been 500 attempts to change it and all have failed. It also preserves the rights of less populated states because of its minimum of 3 electoral votes. It was interesting to see that even though something like the electoral college is opposed by so many people, it is still the only viable solution to elect a president who is not based on regional power bases. This makes me ponder other similar things where there is something universally opposed yet necessary for efficient functioning.
I worked on writing my speech for the electoral college debate. I am finding some very interesting facts about the electoral college i.e. that there have been 500 attempts to change it and all have failed. It also preserves the rights of less populated states because of its minimum of 3 electoral votes. It was interesting to see that even though something like the electoral college is opposed by so many people, it is still the only viable solution to elect a president who is not based on regional power bases. This makes me ponder other similar things where there is something universally opposed yet necessary for efficient functioning.
November 12, 2011- Debate Tournament at EHS
At this debate, Akash and I were ready to win because of all the prep work we had done previously. We were debating about the current system for electing presidential candidates. We were able to argue on the side of the electoral college each time we debated. It helped that we agreed with the electoral college when we debated because it allowed us to have more conviction. I was happy with our performance untill I received the ballots and they showed we had only won 2 out of the 4 debates. It was disheartening to see the judges who voted us as a loss say that we did not mention counter arguments to certain points even though we mentioned them in our speeches. It is very annoying when parent judges are unable to keep up with the flow of the debate and correctly record our points. I still gained a lot from the debate because I have a much fuller understanding of the electoral college system. The novices we trained won the novice trophy and the rest of EHS did well. It was overall a success for EHS forensics. I learned that we must be more clear in our presentation of points and perhaps tone down the aggression to make room for more argument.
November 27, 2011- Haven Hospice
3 hours
This day was pretty nondescript. There was nothing of note to be reported.
This day was pretty nondescript. There was nothing of note to be reported.
November 20, 2011- Haven Hospice
2 h
I started my new position today. I now volunteer at the Front desk of the Haven care center. My job involves watching the CC televisions and allowing patients visitors in to the building. I am not supposed to let suspicious people in or those who appear to be homeless. My other responsibility is to greet visitors and help them locate their family who may be staying in the building. I am also supposed to retrieve wheelchairs for those who need them. I am quite happy with my job because it allows me a lot of free time to accomplish school work and music. There is no one there who I work with so its a very solitary job, however, I enjoy the smiles I get when I greet people entering and help them with their needs. The job is important for the safety of the Haven and it makes me feel very confident in myself for helping to safeguard such an important institution.
I started my new position today. I now volunteer at the Front desk of the Haven care center. My job involves watching the CC televisions and allowing patients visitors in to the building. I am not supposed to let suspicious people in or those who appear to be homeless. My other responsibility is to greet visitors and help them locate their family who may be staying in the building. I am also supposed to retrieve wheelchairs for those who need them. I am quite happy with my job because it allows me a lot of free time to accomplish school work and music. There is no one there who I work with so its a very solitary job, however, I enjoy the smiles I get when I greet people entering and help them with their needs. The job is important for the safety of the Haven and it makes me feel very confident in myself for helping to safeguard such an important institution.
November 11, 2011-Debate Practice to train new debators
My partner, Akash, and I helped to train the new debators today at the practice party before their first tournament at EHS. We observed a debate between two of the novice teams and gave them critiques. We tried to teach them what learned throughout our years of debate. We attempted to give them wisdom from our mistakes and tell them what approaches have worked for us in the past. It was nice to see the novices look up to us with such respect because they knew how accomplished we were in the field of debate. We crossfired against a novice team and showed them how to approach a case in many novel ways. The kids all tried to grab our points and cross fire questions, but we refused to give them any points because we wanted them to learn for themselves. The activity meant a lot to me because I have never been in the position to teach other people about things which I know better than other people. I am happy to help my teammates but i feel resentful because we never had anyone showing us the ropes like these novices we trained.
November 1, 2011-NEHS
Today I helped a student at GHS edit his essay. He sent it to me in the late hours of the night and asked me to edit it before he sent to UF. His essay had a multitude of errors in grammar and word usage that I fixed to the best of my abilities. I did not think the essay as it was before I edited would have stood a chance against the admissions officers, after I edited it, I think he will fare better. I tried not to alter his meaning at all, but I suggested that next time he write an essay, he focus more on a specific expierience and not on a broad ranging topic like he discussed. I was glad to able to help a friend in the road towards making a good future.
October 5, 2011-NEHS
Today was our first meeting. The turnout was not very high. I suspect this is because of the fact that most college apps are due mid january and people simply have not had enough time to begin writing significant essays. Regardless, we discussed creativity when writing essays. We concluded it is important to be creative, but not so novel that it appears you are not taking college seriously. We considered the ethics of reading other peoples essays and decided that it may be on the edgy side. However, we reasoned that as long we did not keep copies of essays there was little risk of plagiarism or idea theft.
October 2, 2011-NEHS
Today we officially started planning for our NEHS group: College Essays. We read a small pamphlet on the writing of college essays and gained an understanding of what Colleges look for in the essay. We learned a lot about how they interpret a students true worth from 500 words of writing. We envisioned a direction for the club that allowed us to help other students by giving tips and possibly editing essays of willing students. I am working with Akash and Daniel to work out a schedule for our meetings.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
October 16, 2011-Docent at Haile Homestead
4h
Docent at Haile Homestead
Today was the single largest amount of people who ive ever witnessed at the Homestead. There was a group of 10 people following each of the 3 volunteers here. There were also a large amount of small children. I was volunteering with Caitlyn and and older volunteer, we had to work together to make sure the kids were contained and kept entertained while we gave the adults information. Me and Caitlyn handled a large amount of people while the other volunteer kept the other segment of people occupied in a different area of the house to prevent over crowding. Throughout the time I spent there, I noticed that I was getting better at extemporaneous speaking and making my info relevant to the audience accumulated. The only thing I was not very good at was greeting the guests and being as personable as my female counterparts. I have noticed this in other volunteering positions. I have learned that being personable and friendly to strangers starts with the assumption that everyone is there to be treated nicely and that you have to approach them as guests and not strangers. It helps to pretend that you've known them for a long time so that you are more comfortable.
Today was the single largest amount of people who ive ever witnessed at the Homestead. There was a group of 10 people following each of the 3 volunteers here. There were also a large amount of small children. I was volunteering with Caitlyn and and older volunteer, we had to work together to make sure the kids were contained and kept entertained while we gave the adults information. Me and Caitlyn handled a large amount of people while the other volunteer kept the other segment of people occupied in a different area of the house to prevent over crowding. Throughout the time I spent there, I noticed that I was getting better at extemporaneous speaking and making my info relevant to the audience accumulated. The only thing I was not very good at was greeting the guests and being as personable as my female counterparts. I have noticed this in other volunteering positions. I have learned that being personable and friendly to strangers starts with the assumption that everyone is there to be treated nicely and that you have to approach them as guests and not strangers. It helps to pretend that you've known them for a long time so that you are more comfortable.
October 16, 2011- Golf at Ironwood.
6h
I played golf today at Ironwood. This all started yesterday, I first baked brownies for my golf buddies, it took me 2 h to finish baking the brownies. Taylor came over and we made 2 batches of brownies for everyone to enjoy during the course. When we got there the next day, we were disappointed to find that we were not allowed to rent a golf cart on account of our age. We found it both amusing and irritating that we are allowed to drive 2000 lb hunks of metal at 70 mph down the freeway, but we are not allowed to pilot electric powered carts around a scarcely populated course. Regardless, we enjoyed ourselves playing a game of 4 holes. It took us especially long to play the 4 holes because we were 4 people trying to play with the same clubs. It was my first time playing golf and while I was not very good at using a driver, I was able to hit the ball further than all my experienced friends while using the irons. I practiced my swing with help from my friends and was able to consistently hit it far with the irons. We resolved to go to the driving range next time inorder to hone our skills.
I was surprised how fast I picked up the golf stroke. My perceptions of golf were also changed, I always knew it required skill, but it really struck me after I attempted to hit it. Its much more difficult than it looks. My friends were amazed by my ability and I resolved to play more golf and continue to develop my natural skill.
I played golf today at Ironwood. This all started yesterday, I first baked brownies for my golf buddies, it took me 2 h to finish baking the brownies. Taylor came over and we made 2 batches of brownies for everyone to enjoy during the course. When we got there the next day, we were disappointed to find that we were not allowed to rent a golf cart on account of our age. We found it both amusing and irritating that we are allowed to drive 2000 lb hunks of metal at 70 mph down the freeway, but we are not allowed to pilot electric powered carts around a scarcely populated course. Regardless, we enjoyed ourselves playing a game of 4 holes. It took us especially long to play the 4 holes because we were 4 people trying to play with the same clubs. It was my first time playing golf and while I was not very good at using a driver, I was able to hit the ball further than all my experienced friends while using the irons. I practiced my swing with help from my friends and was able to consistently hit it far with the irons. We resolved to go to the driving range next time inorder to hone our skills.
I was surprised how fast I picked up the golf stroke. My perceptions of golf were also changed, I always knew it required skill, but it really struck me after I attempted to hit it. Its much more difficult than it looks. My friends were amazed by my ability and I resolved to play more golf and continue to develop my natural skill.
October 15, 2011- Ronald McDonald House
2h
I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House today. The Ronald McDonald House is a very unique place to volunteer. The goal of Ronald McDonald house is to provide the pediatric patients and their families a place to stay and eat while they children are being treated at the hospital. A big part of the Ronald McDonald house is the volunteers who provide support by spending their hours to cook and help the patient and their families. Today, we baked brownies at the Ronald McDonald house. This was something I have not done before. However, I found the task really easy, because I opened up 2 boxes of brownie mix, added the indicated ingredients (oil) and then baked them for 40min in the oven. The brownies were ready and they were delicious. I felt that I may have brought a small bright spot in someone's day when they eat the brownie with milk. This task was so easy that I decided to come back home and bake another 2 boxes of Brownies for my Golf buddies, whom I am going to meet tomorrow morning.
I volunteered at the Ronald McDonald House today. The Ronald McDonald House is a very unique place to volunteer. The goal of Ronald McDonald house is to provide the pediatric patients and their families a place to stay and eat while they children are being treated at the hospital. A big part of the Ronald McDonald house is the volunteers who provide support by spending their hours to cook and help the patient and their families. Today, we baked brownies at the Ronald McDonald house. This was something I have not done before. However, I found the task really easy, because I opened up 2 boxes of brownie mix, added the indicated ingredients (oil) and then baked them for 40min in the oven. The brownies were ready and they were delicious. I felt that I may have brought a small bright spot in someone's day when they eat the brownie with milk. This task was so easy that I decided to come back home and bake another 2 boxes of Brownies for my Golf buddies, whom I am going to meet tomorrow morning.
Thursday, October 6, 2011
September 24, 2011-Haile Homestead Docent
4h
I was a docent today at Haile Homestead. It was a beautiful day in general, however in the morning there were not many people who came out to the Haile Homestead. Although, it was a bit warm outside the Haile Homestead is always cooler by 10 degrees. I learnt that the way the home is designed, if you open the doors on the front and back of the house, cross-ventilation really cools the home down. In spite of the slow start to the day, as the day progressed some families came to visit the Homestead. I gave them tours and talked about the history of the Homestead.
I am always amazed by how different people ask completely different questions about this Historic home. Most people are very intrigued by the talking walls. The Haile family had a habit of writing on their walls. I think that is an excellent way of leaving your mark and thoughts for your next generations. Most people ask about the date of the oldest writing on the wall. The oldest dated writing is from 1859.
Overall, it was fun volunteering today. Every time I am a docent at the Homestead, I realize the value and importance of history. When you study history from a text book, the feeling is very different than actually being a part of that history.
I was a docent today at Haile Homestead. It was a beautiful day in general, however in the morning there were not many people who came out to the Haile Homestead. Although, it was a bit warm outside the Haile Homestead is always cooler by 10 degrees. I learnt that the way the home is designed, if you open the doors on the front and back of the house, cross-ventilation really cools the home down. In spite of the slow start to the day, as the day progressed some families came to visit the Homestead. I gave them tours and talked about the history of the Homestead.
I am always amazed by how different people ask completely different questions about this Historic home. Most people are very intrigued by the talking walls. The Haile family had a habit of writing on their walls. I think that is an excellent way of leaving your mark and thoughts for your next generations. Most people ask about the date of the oldest writing on the wall. The oldest dated writing is from 1859.
Overall, it was fun volunteering today. Every time I am a docent at the Homestead, I realize the value and importance of history. When you study history from a text book, the feeling is very different than actually being a part of that history.
Monday, October 3, 2011
October 2, 2011- Sarasota 5000 in Osprey, FL
3h
We participated in Sarasota 5000 in Osprey, FL. This is a head race of 5000m. Head races are time-trial races, where you row a certain distance (in this case 5000m), in the fastest time you can. Typically, we launch at the dock and row at least 2-3 miles before launching from the start. So, the skill that has to be learned in the head races is to take it easy till you actually reach the start line. Usually, 4 of the 8 rowers row at one time to conserve the stamina of the whole team. Usually boats are seeded, and the top-seed boat launches the first. After 15-20 seconds, the next boat starts and so on. We were seeded second for this race behind the Sarasota Scullers. This is a really tough team to be competing against, the Sarasota Scullers were the National Champions 2010-2011. They also have more money and recruits compared to Gainesville Area Rowing. I was rowing in the Varsity 8+. I had not rowed with some of the team mates since my novice year. So, this was a whole new team, and in rowing it is really important to have the chemistry with your teammates to do well. So, I was really nervous to be on the same team with Jared, Ben, Alex and Peter. And, also really nervous to be rowing against Sarasota Scullers. The other obstacle was the course, which was quite treacherous, we also had no clue what the exact course was because it was so poorly marked. When we launched our Coxswain was like wait a minute where are we going. It was really hard for the cox to keep the course. Sarasota Scullers had an advantage because this is the Lake they row on for practice and they already know the nuances of the course and the shortest route. Anyways, I think we did pretty well, because we came in 2nd. This was also the first medal of the year for me, so it was special. All in all, my take from this race was that the more obstacles you are put up against, the better you perform because you now have to work really hard to overcome those obstacles. Epiphany: More obstacles = Better performance! Can't wait for the Head of the Hooch on the Chattahoochee river in Chattanooga, TN.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
March 20, 2011 - Indian Festival Holi Celebrations
4 h
Indian Festival Celebrations:
This is the most fun Indian Festival that exists. It is called Holi (festival of colors). Growing up in an Indian family has its advantages, because you still get to experience the culture of India, while still enjoying the luxuries of America. I have been involved with this festival all along, however, this was the first year that this was celebrated at my best friends back yard. So, we get there in our clean clothes, and soon find ourselves doused with every possible color and colored water that anyone could lay there hands on. Soon, I realized I was ill-equipped and had to devise sleazy ways of putting color on other friends and family. This was a great learning experience for me because I had not played Holi like this before. I understood the significance of the festival for the first time: after you color everyone with the same color, everyone is EQUAL. The Indian society is very class conscious and everything in India is based on Caste and Class. So, this is one day where everyone forgets what class or caste they are from. This is also a spring harvest festival, where the previous night there is a bonfire and some of the new crop is offered to the fire. After 2h of being wet and colorful, we played the Indian drums to entertain the people and ping-pong to entertain ourselves. Overall, this was the most fun I had in a while. And above all, my parents were happy and I was happy at the same time.
Indian Festival Celebrations:
This is the most fun Indian Festival that exists. It is called Holi (festival of colors). Growing up in an Indian family has its advantages, because you still get to experience the culture of India, while still enjoying the luxuries of America. I have been involved with this festival all along, however, this was the first year that this was celebrated at my best friends back yard. So, we get there in our clean clothes, and soon find ourselves doused with every possible color and colored water that anyone could lay there hands on. Soon, I realized I was ill-equipped and had to devise sleazy ways of putting color on other friends and family. This was a great learning experience for me because I had not played Holi like this before. I understood the significance of the festival for the first time: after you color everyone with the same color, everyone is EQUAL. The Indian society is very class conscious and everything in India is based on Caste and Class. So, this is one day where everyone forgets what class or caste they are from. This is also a spring harvest festival, where the previous night there is a bonfire and some of the new crop is offered to the fire. After 2h of being wet and colorful, we played the Indian drums to entertain the people and ping-pong to entertain ourselves. Overall, this was the most fun I had in a while. And above all, my parents were happy and I was happy at the same time.
July 10th, 2011 - 2nd Annual Crossfit Swamp Challenge
2h (9-11am)
The Challenge itself was pretty hard and there were parts where I did not want to continue, but it was easy once we passed the half way time. We also tried to win best costume by wearing our girlfriends clothing and pretending to be 70s athletes, our costumes recieved praise but we lost to the Casey Anthony Justice League (dressed as superhumans). First lesson learned: You can do whatever you set your mind to, however hard it maybe. Second lesson learned: it is difficult to compete in women's clothing.
Sunday, September 18, 2011
July 27, 2011-Ropes course at Brown University
2h
9am-11am
A day at the ropes course.
The course consisted of a series of ropes, and obstacles between trees about a foot above the ground. These obstacles examine physical conditioning by testing strength, balance, stamina, agility, flexibility and examine mental conditioning by inviting us to confront issues such as a fear of failure or a fear of losing control.
It was a fun course because we learned to trust our teammates and I actually made great friends in my short 2 weeks at Brown. My best friends were Jacques, Austin, Kevin, Heather, Tori, and Leah. I learned more about myself here than anywhere else and I decided firmly that I wanted to do Doctors without borders later in life because of the things I learned at Brown.
Overall, the idea behind the ropes course was personal development and team-building. Lesson learned: Physical fitness, and mental fitness are both required to overcome challenges. Mental strength is important to accomplish even the most physical tasks.
August 27, 2011- Strength and conditioning workshop 4-6pm
2h
4-6pm
I attended the strength and conditioning workshop at Lake Newnan.The workshop included rowing-specific strength and conditioning assessment and implementation of exercises. This would be very helpful for injury prevention during the rowing season. The workshop was conducted by two of the master rowers, Renate & Jason Lambert. Rowing is such a repetitive activity that there are specific types of stretches and movements that we can all be doing to make sure we stay balanced and reduce injury. The workshop included instruction, demonstration, and a workout!
Renate & Jason are very knowledgeable personal trainers who have recently joined GAR Masters. Renate was at Erg Sprints attempting to break the world record in the 500 m dash last year. Overall, this was a very informative workshop. I learned some of the stretches that I should perform after rowing to keep myself injury free. Sometimes, my back hurts after rowing because you sit up so straight to row. The back stretching techniques were very useful and I have incorporated those in my routine after I am done with practice everyday.
4-6pm
I attended the strength and conditioning workshop at Lake Newnan.The workshop included rowing-specific strength and conditioning assessment and implementation of exercises. This would be very helpful for injury prevention during the rowing season. The workshop was conducted by two of the master rowers, Renate & Jason Lambert. Rowing is such a repetitive activity that there are specific types of stretches and movements that we can all be doing to make sure we stay balanced and reduce injury. The workshop included instruction, demonstration, and a workout!
Renate & Jason are very knowledgeable personal trainers who have recently joined GAR Masters. Renate was at Erg Sprints attempting to break the world record in the 500 m dash last year. Overall, this was a very informative workshop. I learned some of the stretches that I should perform after rowing to keep myself injury free. Sometimes, my back hurts after rowing because you sit up so straight to row. The back stretching techniques were very useful and I have incorporated those in my routine after I am done with practice everyday.
August 27, 2011- Lake Newnan Cleanup
8am-11pm
Today, we cleaned up the boathouse and the shoreline at Lake Newnan to get ready for the crew season 2011-2012. The boathouse is the enclosure where the boats are kept, the ERG machines are stored and the weight machines are stored. Twice each year, we clean up the boathouse so that it is functional for the rest of the year. As the year progresses, day to day activity in the boat house takes its toll on the boathouse. Things start getting cluttered and since we do not replace everything to its spot after using it, the clutter keeps increasing. The first thing that comes to mind is it would be so easy to replace the equipment and weights after use, but somehow it is overlooked every single time. I am going to be more mindful and try to keep things organized everyday rather than doing a lot of work on one single day.
Lesson learned: 1. Keeping organized is important to becoming clutter free. 2. Putting things back in place can make you more efficient. 3. It is fun to hangout with the crew buddies and work as a team on something other than rowing.
After we were done with the cleanup, this is what the boathouse looked like. I wish I had taken a picture before the cleanup, it would have clearly illustrated how much clutter we had on the floor.
Today, we cleaned up the boathouse and the shoreline at Lake Newnan to get ready for the crew season 2011-2012. The boathouse is the enclosure where the boats are kept, the ERG machines are stored and the weight machines are stored. Twice each year, we clean up the boathouse so that it is functional for the rest of the year. As the year progresses, day to day activity in the boat house takes its toll on the boathouse. Things start getting cluttered and since we do not replace everything to its spot after using it, the clutter keeps increasing. The first thing that comes to mind is it would be so easy to replace the equipment and weights after use, but somehow it is overlooked every single time. I am going to be more mindful and try to keep things organized everyday rather than doing a lot of work on one single day.
Lesson learned: 1. Keeping organized is important to becoming clutter free. 2. Putting things back in place can make you more efficient. 3. It is fun to hangout with the crew buddies and work as a team on something other than rowing.
After we were done with the cleanup, this is what the boathouse looked like. I wish I had taken a picture before the cleanup, it would have clearly illustrated how much clutter we had on the floor.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
July 16, 2011-Music for Burra Katha
4 hours
I wrote several new songs called Fastlane, Horror, Taxi, Weve got the Jazz, and tinging. It remains to be seen how many of these songs we will actually record, but I think they are the best material I have produced in a while.
I wrote several new songs called Fastlane, Horror, Taxi, Weve got the Jazz, and tinging. It remains to be seen how many of these songs we will actually record, but I think they are the best material I have produced in a while.
July 15, 2011- Haven Hospice
4 hours
I was a volunteer at the Hospice again today. As I am a teen volunteer, I can only work in the Hospice Attic. My main job today was to accept donated items and then process them by sorting them out into similar categories. I was very surprised at the number of people who bring in things everyday. There were at least 20 bags of clothes and things to sort through. I thought this would be a slow paced Job, but I was busy almost all the time and it was pretty hard work to sort and continuously process items and clothing.
It feels rewarding when you place the sorted items out into the sales area after the staff decides what items are suitable for resale. It is very interesting to see how the staff prices the items for resale. Sometimes, I did not see the value in some of the clothes, but the staff said that these were very hot items and have very good resale price. I also learned that people in general are very generous and like donating to the Hospice because it is for a good cause. I will ask my parents to donate items to the Hospice for resale. I will myself donate some of my old clothes and toys, which I don't use anymore. Volunteering at the Haven Hospice has further instilled in me a feeling of helping those who are not so fortunate.
It feels rewarding when you place the sorted items out into the sales area after the staff decides what items are suitable for resale. It is very interesting to see how the staff prices the items for resale. Sometimes, I did not see the value in some of the clothes, but the staff said that these were very hot items and have very good resale price. I also learned that people in general are very generous and like donating to the Hospice because it is for a good cause. I will ask my parents to donate items to the Hospice for resale. I will myself donate some of my old clothes and toys, which I don't use anymore. Volunteering at the Haven Hospice has further instilled in me a feeling of helping those who are not so fortunate.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
July 6, 2011- Haven Hospice
Today was the first day I volunteered at the Hospice Attic. The Haven Hospice provides support for patients with a life-limiting or terminal illness. This support improves the quality of their lives and relationships during there final days. The hospice requires the help of volunteers in various areas. You can volunteer pretty much at any position, like patient volunteers: provide companionship, support and assistance to patients, administrative volunteers: office and clerical support, alliance volunteers: organize fund raising activities. I personally wanted to volunteer as a patient volunteer, but I am not 18 yet, and therefore considered to be a teen volunteer and I can only offer my services at the Haven Hospice Attic store.
The Attic is important because it provides revenue to support the Hospice. The attic voluneers are involved in day to day operations of the stores. I arrived at the Attic bright and early at 8am. I started accepting donated items. I also realized that there were 3 days worth of stuff that people had brought in for charity. So I started to organize the received items. There was a milieu of whatever you can think of: old cassette players, chairs, clothes, furniture, canned food etc. I also realized that this was a surprisingly dirty job because people's old junk was very dusty and smelly. It was also more physically demanding that I had expected which was pleasant because I got to work my forearms a bit. I had to lift heavy bags of clothes and toss them into a bin. It was nice to know that I was helping the hospice resell items and create revenue to support the patients.
Lesson learned: 1. Somebody's junk can be someone else's gold. 2. Being organized can help in all walks of life, right from school work to processing large number of items.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
June 11, 2011- Sunshine Games at Lake Wauberg
6 hours
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110609/ARTICLES/110609409
I volunteered at the Florida’s Sunshine State Games, 2011. The Sunshine State Games held competitions in a total of 26 sports over a period of 3 months. I volunteered at the rowing regatta for over 6 hours. I directed boats to the docks, helped people with handing them oars for the boats, and then helped to unload them from the dock. Later on, I helped with the ice cone maker. It was fun to just watch other people participating in a sport that I am so passionate about. Also, it was an experience to sit watch the sport from the perspective of an observer, rather than a participant.
Lesson Learned: The sport of rowing can be run efficiently only with the help of volunteers. The sport involves a lot of help from the volunteers in directing boat traffic, loading, unloading and serving food.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110609/ARTICLES/110609409
I volunteered at the Florida’s Sunshine State Games, 2011. The Sunshine State Games held competitions in a total of 26 sports over a period of 3 months. I volunteered at the rowing regatta for over 6 hours. I directed boats to the docks, helped people with handing them oars for the boats, and then helped to unload them from the dock. Later on, I helped with the ice cone maker. It was fun to just watch other people participating in a sport that I am so passionate about. Also, it was an experience to sit watch the sport from the perspective of an observer, rather than a participant.
Lesson Learned: The sport of rowing can be run efficiently only with the help of volunteers. The sport involves a lot of help from the volunteers in directing boat traffic, loading, unloading and serving food.
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Feburary 27, 2011 - Debate preparation
2 hours
Prepared for the debate with Akash Salwan. Resolved: North Korea poses a more serious threat to United States national security than Iran. The topic is clear, but it takes a long time to do the research and get a speech together. We have been working very hard to keep the speech clear and concise (under 4 min). It always seems a challenge to write a powerful speech. I start writing, and then I write so much that then I have to start cutting down.
Prepared for the debate with Akash Salwan. Resolved: North Korea poses a more serious threat to United States national security than Iran. The topic is clear, but it takes a long time to do the research and get a speech together. We have been working very hard to keep the speech clear and concise (under 4 min). It always seems a challenge to write a powerful speech. I start writing, and then I write so much that then I have to start cutting down.
March 6, 2011 - Florida Catholic Forensics League Grand FinalsPreparation
2 hours
I am still tired from the scrimmage at Tallahassee yesterday, but I have promised Akash that we will be preparing for the debate. The topic is pretty clear, "Resolved: North Korea poses a more serious threat to United States national security than Iran". We have in the past done pretty good, but this time, we want to win the the debate.
I am still tired from the scrimmage at Tallahassee yesterday, but I have promised Akash that we will be preparing for the debate. The topic is pretty clear, "Resolved: North Korea poses a more serious threat to United States national security than Iran". We have in the past done pretty good, but this time, we want to win the the debate.
March 11-12, 2011 - Florida Catholic Forensics League Grand Finals
6 hours
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110417/ARTICLES/110419546
I and Akash Salwan participated at the FCFL Grand Finals at Lake Mary Preparatory School in Orlando. We were well prepared this time. We were debating whether North Korea or Iran was a bigger threat to the United States of America. Each time our name was drawn we went with North Korea. We did better than we have ever done at the Public forum debate format. We were placed 7th out of 29 teams that had competed. We were named as Alternates for the National Catholic Forensics Grand National Tournament in Washington, D.C. May 26-30, 2011. If we had a little more preparation, we could have been going to the nationals. However, this was a really good experience because we had prepared hard for this debate and we got a taste of defeating several teams before reaching the final 7.
http://www.gainesville.com/article/20110417/ARTICLES/110419546
I and Akash Salwan participated at the FCFL Grand Finals at Lake Mary Preparatory School in Orlando. We were well prepared this time. We were debating whether North Korea or Iran was a bigger threat to the United States of America. Each time our name was drawn we went with North Korea. We did better than we have ever done at the Public forum debate format. We were placed 7th out of 29 teams that had competed. We were named as Alternates for the National Catholic Forensics Grand National Tournament in Washington, D.C. May 26-30, 2011. If we had a little more preparation, we could have been going to the nationals. However, this was a really good experience because we had prepared hard for this debate and we got a taste of defeating several teams before reaching the final 7.
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