Band Assignment: Power of the Void

Part 1: The International School of Kuala Lumpur provides an exceptional education (silence) that challenges each student to develop the attitudes, skills, knowledge and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen.

I think that adding a silence after the word 'education' creates the best tension. Since we know that silence can create tension, excitement, curiosity, etc., adding a silence after education will create curiosity within the people who are listening. They will want to know what kind of education the school provides, and how it will affect the students studying there. They will also want to know what the students will become (in this case, responsible global citizens) and if the education ISKL provides is truly exceptional.

Part 2: One way composers can create tension and release in their music is to create a void. Since tension is a 'Question' and release is the 'Answer', you can put a silence right when you are about to find out what the answer is. For example, if the music sounds rather scary and foreboding, and you want to know what happens next, you could use dynamics, starting from piano and ending in fortissimo, and right when you have played the fortissimo, cut off into a silence. The silence creates tension and makes the audience ask questions. And when you start playing again, that's the release and the answer!

Holiday Snapshot: Boracay 2010

Many things happened during the holiday, but I'll write about a certain day at a beach in the Philippines called Boracay. Boracay has white, sandy beaches, wonderful water... but not many fish. I was there with my dad's side of the family, meaning two grandparents, three cousins, two uncles, two aunties, five siblings, and my parents. We all flew from Manila to Boracay on same plane, went on the same boat, the same jeep, the same bus... you get the point. Our family was going to spend five days there, and we went snorkeling on the third day of our stay there.

I got into the boat all set to go, wearing my swimsuit and prepared to have fun. After my grandparents boarded the boat, and everyone was all set, the boat zoomed off to the first site. When we arrived at the designated spot, I changed my mind about going snorkeling rather suddenly. The shining sun had vanished behind grey clouds, and the waves were strangely strong. Even though I was reluctant to jump into the water, my mom and dad encouraged me to go snorkeling.

"This is probably the only chance you'll get for a really long time." My dad told me. So, hesitantly, I dipped my foot into the water. I decided that I had to jump in sooner or later, since my cousins were right behind me. They, unlike me, looked extremely eager to start snorkeling. I sighed, then plunged myself into the water. I was momentarily engulfed in an icy layer of cold water, with the waves splashing over me. The minute my head was above the water, I gasped and made my way over to my sister, Trina, who was desperately scouting the water for fish.

It didn't seem like there were any. Pieces of bread we had thrown into the water to try to lure the fish toward us were bobbing along on the water's surface. No fish seemed to have come. I eventually spotted my Aunt Maricel waving frantically to me some distance away. Maybe she had spotted some fish! I swam over to her.

"Under there!" She exclaimed. I ducked my head excitedly under water. She was right! There were fish, though not many, all clustering around a piece of bread she was holding. Trina soon came out of curiosity, and we three looked quite a sight, floating and gawking at the fish under water. Twenty minutes later, we boarded the boat, and went to the second site, which was pretty much like the previous one, but with less fish. Aunt Maricel complained that there weren't any fish.

" The current is strong," the guide, Manong Eric explained, "So there aren't any fish."

Since lunch was included in the trip, we had lunch at an island which was called 'Magic Island'. Funny thing was, there was a ton of coral on the beach. This meant that you couldn't take a step without a mound of coral and sand entering your shoes.

"This place should be called 'Coral Island'," I grumbled. My cousin Julia and sister Denise didn't think so. They were happily collecting coral and shells of all shapes and sizes.

"It shouldn't be called 'Magic Island'!" Denise exclaimed. "It should be called 'Treasure Island'!" Later, I climbed up to the dining hut for lunch. Delicious aromas filled the air. Aside from our staple food of rice, there were platters of succulent squid, a wonderfully flavored and cooked chicken, some steamed oysters, A LOT of 'tahong' (a long, greenish kind of clam with appetizing meat in it), a scrumptious fish, and a tray of pork. Also, there were three bottles of soft drinks and two big containers of water. Everyone enjoyed the meal, and when the meal was done, there wasn't much left except a pile of leftovers!

After the meal, I found out why the island was called Magic Island. If you went down a flight of extremely steep steps to a little platform on the island, you could see the ocean. When I cast my eyes on the marvelous sight, I gasped in wonder. (I don't think I can tell you what the ocean looked like, but I will try.) The ocean was a deep, deep, navy blue, and the sound it made when it crashed into the rocks was like a pair of cymbals crashing together, except it was stronger, more majestic, more powerful, and more wonderful. This, with the sound of a light wind whistling softly in my ears, was truly music. It was as if the sea was playing a song of peacefulness and happiness. To make the scene prettier, the sun had come out and was shining over the ocean, and the sky was a beautiful azure, soft, pale, and delicate. I took a deep breath of salty sea air and sighed. The place was perfect.

Later that day, when we got back to the hotel, and after we showered and changed our clothes, our family watched the sunset. (I don't think I will be able to describe this to you either, but I will try.) As the sun sank in the horizon, the sky turned a pale golden color. As it sank lower, the sky kept getting darker, from a pale golden color to a rich, ripe, yellow, which turned into a strong, fiery, orange. The orange color evolved into a sensational shade of red, glowing with a heavenly radiance, and at that moment, the whole sky seemed alight, as if it was day again. Then slowly, slowly, slowly, the sun slipped to the other side of the world, leaving ours in darkness.

I smiled happily. 'Wherever I was, whatever what I was doing,' I thought, 'the sunset would always be something to remember.' It was a sunset I had never seen before. It was... out of this world! And so the day ended, with everyone happy, and of course, when watching other sunsets... I would always remember and think of this one.

New Year Blog Reflection

It's been a really long time since the beginning of sixth grade. In fact, it's been half a year since we started Middle School. From the many skills I've learned since school started, I will pick the new skill of being able to write in different types of writing. So far, I've learned how to write memoirs, autobiographies, personal narratives, essays, discussions...you get the point. I've also learned to write certain types of writing the way it's supposed to be written. For example, I've learned that a discussion should be written somewhat seriously, as if it is very important. (Thank you Mr. Sheflin!) Also, from Mrs. Reiser, (and Mrs. Mac) I've learned how to write personal narratives and how you have to put your whole feeling and soul into it. Whatever the type of writing, I'll be ready for it!



Number two for this reflection is to 'Explain how you handled a challenge these past 5 months.' I've always liked a good challenge (not too hard, though) and it's fun to accomplish it (eventually!). To accomplish a challenge, I always persevere and by that, I mean working on it with the spirit, vigour, and zeal that is in all of us. I sometimes go by this saying: 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try, again.' It's a lovely saying, which inspires us to go on, and don't give up, no matter what happens. And if you really can't go on, think about the joy and happiness and how ecstatic you will feel when you are done. It's really fantastic!



This year, I want to learn how to be able to learn how to speak French fluently. It would be such a wonderful achievement if I succeeded! This would help me a lot when I grow up and start traveling around the world. It would be wonderful to visit France and speak in French. I would always remember the many steps and days used in learning...and remember that I learned the language in ISKL! Also, if my whole family went to France, I could be the translator! To me, that's kind of cool.

I guess everyone contributed positively towards the 6th grade community so far this year. I'd like to give one example of how I demonstrated kindness, which is one of the Middle School Core Values. At the start of the year, a friend of mine couldn't open her P.E. locker. She asked me to open it, I gladly unlocked the lock for her, and we arrived at the class within five minutes. (Plus, I considerately forgot her lock code! I forget all locker combinations, excepting mine, anyway.) There were many more incidents concerning lockers, and when asked, I happily opened them. As I have said, I forget the codes anyway.

Everyone usually sets new goals for the New Year. I'M setting goals for the New Year and the next 6 months of school. (It was actually part of the reflection!) One goal I am definitely having for the New Year is to be able to make it to the ISAKL Track and Field meet this year. To get to the ISAKL, I will try not to miss any P.E. classes, not miss any Track and Field practices, and have lots of exercise. I will exercise by jogging or biking daily at Lake Gardens. By the time the meet comes, boy, will I be fit! Now, my goal for the next 6 months. I really want to keep my grades higher than a B+, so I will have to work hard to achieve this goal. To achieve this goal, I will have to be at the standard the teacher expects of me. I will have to work hard, finish my homework and hand in projects or assignments on time. On top of that, I have to keep in a good humor!

Well, I guess that's it. I do hope you enjoyed reading my reflection. Hope you liked it!