Friday, July 23, 2004
Hey guys and girls,
Another excerpt from my busy summer schedule. Well, from Monday to Friday I did volunteer work at the Stronach Recreation Centre, where I served as a volunteer for a program called "Drama Camp". When I first got to Stronach, I was overwhelmed, I didn't know a single person there except for Carmen. I found the group of volunteers and stood with them while a lady from the Thames Valley Children's Centre gave us a short orientation of the area. After that we were led into a main "activity room". I immediately was told to "mingle" with the kids, I found a child named "Jacob" and immediately started to draw and colour stuff with him, he was a nice enough kid with a strange accent that I couldn't pinpoint. After waiting for a few minutes, we were told that everyone was present and that we could begin. The day began with the "boss lady" Lisa leading the kids in writing up rules for the Camp, then we introduced ourselves and told the kids which group we would be assisting with. We then went out into the "Arena Pad" where we played a ice breaker game, then we broke off into groups. My group consisted of all the guys (7 in all not including the counseller "Rob" and myself) we went to paint a mural of a Safari. Immediately we had a problem with two kids fighting, they were told to play nice or something like that and we finished the mural. Then we had a snack and played a few games, then we had lunch. After lunch we went out to play a game and finish off the day (yes, I cut a few things out from this entry).
Day 2
By now I had learned the names of the kids and the counsellors, there were a few kids in particular that I really enjoyed hanging out with. Ian, Chris, and Colin, they were the kids from Thames Valley Children's Centre, they had conditions, Ian was confined to a wheelchair, Chris and Colin were (I think) smallish in size and wouldn't grow again for their lives. They were all the most normal kids I could ever meet, maybe even better than normal, their outlooks on life were all just mind boggling. The second day, we began practising for our play about a Safari with animals dying and mauling and such (keep in mind that these kids are only like 7-13) anyway we got those out of the way and began making our masks, we also swam a bit and I learned the essence of fear. These kids enjoy jumping up on my shoulders and stuff, and that's fine and all, but when you're in water, it's frightening, when kids are pulling you underwater unexpectantly. You're left underwater with kids laughing and pushing you farther in while you're actually trying to stay alive, anyway, needless to say, I survived.
Day 3
We started off the day with some Speed with Chris, we practised our play and finished of masks that day. We played a game in the Arena and went swimming, we didn't really do much for the rest of that day. Swimming was scary as usual and the kids kept coming. At the end of it all, I was left with a few bruises and a headache the size of the Texas. We also met our new volunteer and my partner, Houissan, or pronounced Wee-San. Or aptly nicknamed, Wee-Wee.
Day 4
We started off playing games and presented our plays to everyone and had our mini-talent show. It was relatively calm that day, until swimming where I helped a couple of the kids have a splash fight with some other kids, the pool was so packed that day. Houissan was "big pimpin'" with some of the girls and had them all over him (literally) in the pool.
Day 5
Day Camp Day, four hundred little kids in one Arena, loud? Yes. Painful? Yes. Tiring? Definitely. I think I went crazy seven times all the time we were there. But in all it was a really enlightening experience when we returned to our home Centre. We just said our goodbyes to each of the kids and left them for good.
Until next time,
Gavin
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Another excerpt from my busy summer schedule. Well, from Monday to Friday I did volunteer work at the Stronach Recreation Centre, where I served as a volunteer for a program called "Drama Camp". When I first got to Stronach, I was overwhelmed, I didn't know a single person there except for Carmen. I found the group of volunteers and stood with them while a lady from the Thames Valley Children's Centre gave us a short orientation of the area. After that we were led into a main "activity room". I immediately was told to "mingle" with the kids, I found a child named "Jacob" and immediately started to draw and colour stuff with him, he was a nice enough kid with a strange accent that I couldn't pinpoint. After waiting for a few minutes, we were told that everyone was present and that we could begin. The day began with the "boss lady" Lisa leading the kids in writing up rules for the Camp, then we introduced ourselves and told the kids which group we would be assisting with. We then went out into the "Arena Pad" where we played a ice breaker game, then we broke off into groups. My group consisted of all the guys (7 in all not including the counseller "Rob" and myself) we went to paint a mural of a Safari. Immediately we had a problem with two kids fighting, they were told to play nice or something like that and we finished the mural. Then we had a snack and played a few games, then we had lunch. After lunch we went out to play a game and finish off the day (yes, I cut a few things out from this entry).
Day 2
By now I had learned the names of the kids and the counsellors, there were a few kids in particular that I really enjoyed hanging out with. Ian, Chris, and Colin, they were the kids from Thames Valley Children's Centre, they had conditions, Ian was confined to a wheelchair, Chris and Colin were (I think) smallish in size and wouldn't grow again for their lives. They were all the most normal kids I could ever meet, maybe even better than normal, their outlooks on life were all just mind boggling. The second day, we began practising for our play about a Safari with animals dying and mauling and such (keep in mind that these kids are only like 7-13) anyway we got those out of the way and began making our masks, we also swam a bit and I learned the essence of fear. These kids enjoy jumping up on my shoulders and stuff, and that's fine and all, but when you're in water, it's frightening, when kids are pulling you underwater unexpectantly. You're left underwater with kids laughing and pushing you farther in while you're actually trying to stay alive, anyway, needless to say, I survived.
Day 3
We started off the day with some Speed with Chris, we practised our play and finished of masks that day. We played a game in the Arena and went swimming, we didn't really do much for the rest of that day. Swimming was scary as usual and the kids kept coming. At the end of it all, I was left with a few bruises and a headache the size of the Texas. We also met our new volunteer and my partner, Houissan, or pronounced Wee-San. Or aptly nicknamed, Wee-Wee.
Day 4
We started off playing games and presented our plays to everyone and had our mini-talent show. It was relatively calm that day, until swimming where I helped a couple of the kids have a splash fight with some other kids, the pool was so packed that day. Houissan was "big pimpin'" with some of the girls and had them all over him (literally) in the pool.
Day 5
Day Camp Day, four hundred little kids in one Arena, loud? Yes. Painful? Yes. Tiring? Definitely. I think I went crazy seven times all the time we were there. But in all it was a really enlightening experience when we returned to our home Centre. We just said our goodbyes to each of the kids and left them for good.
Until next time,
Gavin
Friday, July 09, 2004
Hey Everyone,
Just an update on this week, I've decided to blog weekly now...Monday, I didn't really do much on that day, it looked really rainy that day and Mat called me to play basketball with him before he went out and served as Umpire for a little league softball game. So I went and played with him, surprisingly the weather cleared up, I left soon after the softball game started, I don't have much interest in it anymore. So then I went home, at 8 pm, Mat calls me back to play MORE basketball, so I go back to the school and try to beat him...which I don't...
Tuesday, nothing much happened, just sat around same for Wednesday...
Thursday, Andy comes over for a sleepover with my brother. That night I go to Badminton and an announcement is made that this would be the last session of the summer, now I have no where to go to get excercise..I AM gonna be fat..
Friday, not much happened, Andy is gonna spend another night here..
Later
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Just an update on this week, I've decided to blog weekly now...Monday, I didn't really do much on that day, it looked really rainy that day and Mat called me to play basketball with him before he went out and served as Umpire for a little league softball game. So I went and played with him, surprisingly the weather cleared up, I left soon after the softball game started, I don't have much interest in it anymore. So then I went home, at 8 pm, Mat calls me back to play MORE basketball, so I go back to the school and try to beat him...which I don't...
Tuesday, nothing much happened, just sat around same for Wednesday...
Thursday, Andy comes over for a sleepover with my brother. That night I go to Badminton and an announcement is made that this would be the last session of the summer, now I have no where to go to get excercise..I AM gonna be fat..
Friday, not much happened, Andy is gonna spend another night here..
Later
Monday, July 05, 2004
Hey everyone,
Okay, I'm just going to relate to Sunday Church in this post because nothing happened today (Monday)..
Let's see, Sunday Morning I woke up and headed down to Church, nothing too exciting until we (Joe and Me) met up with some sweeeeeeeeeeeet Garlic Bread man, I mean sweeeeeet garlic bread. We munched on that for a while as Pastor Dale ushered us onto the stage and begun our lesson which consisted of hearing Nebucchadezzar go crazy then..mysteriously..un-crazy. It was a cool lesson though. Well then after class we had some time to sit around and do nothing, and do nothing we did :D:D:D
I then went to do Children's Sunday School worship, I wanted to stay there to watch a movie with the kids but Josh's Mommy wouldn't let me :'(
I did the song "As We Gather" and for the first time, I really enjoyed doing worship, everyone sang their hearts out and it was just an eye opening experience for me. Then I travelled up to Joint Service, the service was fine I guess, Pastor Dale's message was good too, but the one thing that struck me as being really, really wrong was when the Communion started and the Meditation time there. Lina and Carmen were giggling and talking through it, and once I just looked at Carmen during meditation time, she was picking at her nails and giggling at Lina for whatever reason. I mean COME ON PEOPLE, LINA I CAN UNDERSTAND BUT CARMEN HAS BEEN IN CHURCH FOR HOW LONG? which seriously made me rethink some things about people. It made me consider the point of "Sunday Christians" those people who just go to Church and act good and polite just to fit in with people. I mean if you guys don't really feel like being Christian or just don't want to, why not just skip the acting and come out with it? That thought made me and still does make me absolutely furious, how can we think that we can cheat God or cheat good friends into thinking that you are a good Christian when you're just acting? Where's the honour in that?
Anyway, I just don't want to be thinking about that as of this moment, I'm doing well enough with my relationship with God and I need to focus on that moreso than my beef with other people...
Later
|
Okay, I'm just going to relate to Sunday Church in this post because nothing happened today (Monday)..
Let's see, Sunday Morning I woke up and headed down to Church, nothing too exciting until we (Joe and Me) met up with some sweeeeeeeeeeeet Garlic Bread man, I mean sweeeeeet garlic bread. We munched on that for a while as Pastor Dale ushered us onto the stage and begun our lesson which consisted of hearing Nebucchadezzar go crazy then..mysteriously..un-crazy. It was a cool lesson though. Well then after class we had some time to sit around and do nothing, and do nothing we did :D:D:D
I then went to do Children's Sunday School worship, I wanted to stay there to watch a movie with the kids but Josh's Mommy wouldn't let me :'(
I did the song "As We Gather" and for the first time, I really enjoyed doing worship, everyone sang their hearts out and it was just an eye opening experience for me. Then I travelled up to Joint Service, the service was fine I guess, Pastor Dale's message was good too, but the one thing that struck me as being really, really wrong was when the Communion started and the Meditation time there. Lina and Carmen were giggling and talking through it, and once I just looked at Carmen during meditation time, she was picking at her nails and giggling at Lina for whatever reason. I mean COME ON PEOPLE, LINA I CAN UNDERSTAND BUT CARMEN HAS BEEN IN CHURCH FOR HOW LONG? which seriously made me rethink some things about people. It made me consider the point of "Sunday Christians" those people who just go to Church and act good and polite just to fit in with people. I mean if you guys don't really feel like being Christian or just don't want to, why not just skip the acting and come out with it? That thought made me and still does make me absolutely furious, how can we think that we can cheat God or cheat good friends into thinking that you are a good Christian when you're just acting? Where's the honour in that?
Anyway, I just don't want to be thinking about that as of this moment, I'm doing well enough with my relationship with God and I need to focus on that moreso than my beef with other people...
Later
Friday, July 02, 2004
Okay, back now guys and girls..Wow I just realized I didn't even blog up on my birthday..-_-
Anyway, I'll start from last night, I went to the Canada Day Celebrations at Harris Park. At first I went over to Graham's house and owned him at Rainbow Six 3..then we were driven to Harris park where we met Liam, Greg, Kelsey and Devyn..We then proceeded to the "concert area" where a local band was doing covers of crappy/good songs, Biden then showed up and we sat there for a while. There was also an EXTREMELY slutty seven year old girl dancing to the music, which spurred me to puke several times. We then decided to walk away from the "concert area", which is where I bumped into The Fungs (minus Vince) and Pastor Dale. We ended up near the river as the fireworks display was supposedly about to get started (LIES!) so we stood and talked, there was this one tree that was partially hollowed out which looked like an elevator (we could see the hole because the tree had a whole side missing) Biden then proceeded to explore the tree and commented by saying.
"I bet it leads to Narnia or something.."
At which everyone laughed except for Graham who had no idea what Narnia was. The fireworks display was mediocre and wasted my time, I then was driven home by Graham's parents at which I had to sit through Graham's little sister and her friend poking me with rolled up paper and some skater with his girlfriend in the back..(you all know what was happening) I got home and watched the end of Along Came Polly with my parents then went to bed...
And for today? I did nothing..:D
Later peoples..
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Anyway, I'll start from last night, I went to the Canada Day Celebrations at Harris Park. At first I went over to Graham's house and owned him at Rainbow Six 3..then we were driven to Harris park where we met Liam, Greg, Kelsey and Devyn..We then proceeded to the "concert area" where a local band was doing covers of crappy/good songs, Biden then showed up and we sat there for a while. There was also an EXTREMELY slutty seven year old girl dancing to the music, which spurred me to puke several times. We then decided to walk away from the "concert area", which is where I bumped into The Fungs (minus Vince) and Pastor Dale. We ended up near the river as the fireworks display was supposedly about to get started (LIES!) so we stood and talked, there was this one tree that was partially hollowed out which looked like an elevator (we could see the hole because the tree had a whole side missing) Biden then proceeded to explore the tree and commented by saying.
"I bet it leads to Narnia or something.."
At which everyone laughed except for Graham who had no idea what Narnia was. The fireworks display was mediocre and wasted my time, I then was driven home by Graham's parents at which I had to sit through Graham's little sister and her friend poking me with rolled up paper and some skater with his girlfriend in the back..(you all know what was happening) I got home and watched the end of Along Came Polly with my parents then went to bed...
And for today? I did nothing..:D
Later peoples..
Okay, back now guys and girls..Wow I just realized I didn't even blog up on my birthday..-_-
Anyway, I'll start from last night, I went to the Canada Day Celebrations at Harris Park. At first I went over to Graham's house and owned him at Rainbow Six 3..then we were driven to Harris park where we met Liam, Greg, Kelsey and Devyn..We then proceeded to the "concert area" where a local band was doing covers of crappy/good songs, Biden then showed up and we sat there for a while. There was also an EXTREMELY slutty seven year old girl dancing to the music, which spurred me to puke several times. We then decided to walk away from the "concert area", which is where I bumped into The Fungs (minus Vince) and Pastor Dale. We ended up near the river as the fireworks display was supposedly about to get started (LIES!) so we stood and talked, there was this one tree that was partially hollowed out which looked like an elevator (we could see the hole because the tree had a whole side missing) Biden then proceeded to explore the tree and commented by saying.
"I bet it leads to Narnia or something.."
At which everyone laughed except for Graham who had no idea what Narnia was. The fireworks display was mediocre and wasted my time, I then was driven home by Graham's parents at which I had to sit through Graham's little sister and her friend poking me with rolled up paper and some skater with his girlfriend in the back..(you all know what was happening) I got home and watched the end of Along Came Polly with my parents then went to bed...
And for today? I did nothing..:D
Later peoples..
Anyway, I'll start from last night, I went to the Canada Day Celebrations at Harris Park. At first I went over to Graham's house and owned him at Rainbow Six 3..then we were driven to Harris park where we met Liam, Greg, Kelsey and Devyn..We then proceeded to the "concert area" where a local band was doing covers of crappy/good songs, Biden then showed up and we sat there for a while. There was also an EXTREMELY slutty seven year old girl dancing to the music, which spurred me to puke several times. We then decided to walk away from the "concert area", which is where I bumped into The Fungs (minus Vince) and Pastor Dale. We ended up near the river as the fireworks display was supposedly about to get started (LIES!) so we stood and talked, there was this one tree that was partially hollowed out which looked like an elevator (we could see the hole because the tree had a whole side missing) Biden then proceeded to explore the tree and commented by saying.
"I bet it leads to Narnia or something.."
At which everyone laughed except for Graham who had no idea what Narnia was. The fireworks display was mediocre and wasted my time, I then was driven home by Graham's parents at which I had to sit through Graham's little sister and her friend poking me with rolled up paper and some skater with his girlfriend in the back..(you all know what was happening) I got home and watched the end of Along Came Polly with my parents then went to bed...
And for today? I did nothing..:D
Later peoples..
