Saturday, January 08, 2005

Ok. i thought i should update my blog again. PAE Orientation 2005 is finally over! Really had a blasting time with fellow OGLs cheering, playing and setting the freshies (aka Year 1s now) on FIRE. It was totally awesome, and was definitely a good learning experience for handling and crowd management. Made me realise to yet another depth, the importance of team work and self emotional control. Gathered some thoughts after orientation though... which i would like to share.

Recalling 3rd Jan, on the first day of orientation, saw the freshies. Got a terrible impression of some of them cos of stuff like dyed hair and bad uniform sense, of course, also from the way they talked and did stuff. But at the end of 7th, i found all of them really really nice people and well mannered individuals, juz... really fun-loving. This whole thing made me realise something before i slept last night... I should kick the habit of judging a book by it's cover. I should stop being so sensitive to every word and comment that people say, i should stop being paranoid always and acting based on emotions, i should stop raising my voice unnecessarily, i should stop believing in authoritative measures, i should stop believing in ordering people, i should stop thinking that i'm a super know-it-all. I should learn to be more open, less sensitive, more welcome to alternative opinions, more agreeable to ideas from the crowd, less like a leader-leader but more like a servant-leader. I should lead to serve, not lead to lead. This will apply to my position in the band.

Also, when i first met my fellow OGLs of Zosma, i was really really feeling not so good about knowing them. At times, was even critical as to how they do certain things. But i've come to realise that crowd management cannot be done alone, in one person's way, with one person's ideology. I will need a team of people to help out, to come up with a consensus, to bring the spirits up. Of the OGLs, many didnt actually have leadership backgrounds nor positions. But in certain aspects, they could do things with a better approach than me, and look at things from a different and probably better angle. I should also lead to learn.

Orientation 2005 has made me realise how i've failed almost thoroughly as a so called leader, to think that i've had all that training and experience from council and band back in cchs. Experience will not count, without the correct approach of leadership. Times and situations are different, and so experience has to be GAINED in this instance, not USED. Some freshies made me realise this point... Really glad to see potential leaders in the Orientation House.

Above all, orientation experience was pure fun for me. I'll always remember the times. And... i got "taupoked"(it means many guys stacking up on u when u fall on the floor) for the very first time in my life ! while filling water bombs. Not bad actually, makes u feel appreciated.

Peace out.