Journal 8.3: Nachde ne saare

'Nachde ne saare' was the next cheery Bollywood number we decided to dance on. This we saw on another pair of YouTube dancers; Poonam and Priyanka. A 1 minute version we chose and incorporated light, graceful steps with a touch of some robotic moves.

At first, we weren't very satisfied with the initial few steps since it turned out too simple. After modifications, additions and subtractions of steps, we managed to get ourselves fulfilled. We practiced close to 10 times and had two rehearsals before getting the dance recorded. Patience was the most necessary element since either one would make a mistake or forget the step at the time of recording the dance. Also, co-ordination had to be sharpened.

We discovered that we had finished choreography real quick, since we could connect to the song easily. Editing took about 15 minutes of time.

Duration: 4 hours

Reflection 14:

Working on this farewell was pure difficult and important. Important because one, we were indirectly told that we cannot accomplish whatever we planned to do, two, in the last eight months we became pretty close to our seniors.

At the beginning, we all thought that we are dedicating quite a bit of time and hard work just for the farewell, by taking out time to do so, however, we discovered that we could actually do everything.

This was by far the best teamwork after the food stall. Everybody was in love with the décor. Our Chairman was also happy and said that the seminar hall would remain this way until the parents see it. That all got us even more fulfilled. We served food, with love, although it was a buffet.

It was quite a task to keep all the 45 of them engaged and not bored.

This was how it went about:

1) Welcomed them with Corsages after escorting

2) Interviewed each pair and play a small, fun prank

3) Took a picture of each pair at the photo booth, with a prop

4) captured their million dollar expression when they entered the Seminar hall

5) Showed to them the trailer and movie (memories and lines by DP teachers)

6) Began asking them to guess each nickname and then ask them to go forward to collect their momento

7) confession session (gave them chits and pens for them to confess and put it in the respective envelope)

8) Nerf war (at the auditorium)

9) Treasure hunt in the ground

10)Dinner + Flash mob

11) DJ Night

12) Lantern flying

13) Photo sessions

The seniors had an amazing time and that was all that we wanted to hear. They specially thanked us and did the three cheers too.

This project made me open-minded, more responsible, balanced and reflective. Good teamwork and will power were two things that really got a lot stronger from before.

Journal 14.6:

 Today was THE day, so we had to get all pepped up. The photo booth turned out really well, but the 'lantern chandelier' came off the ceiling. Rolf sir got a disc with six mini holes on it's surface. We re-tied the threads from the lanterns in the same spiral design. I did let him know that it was a brilliant idea!




This was the rest:
- I got a few questions prepared for the interview 

- We hung the seniors' photos on the ceiling and arranged the chairs
- We stuck yellow light papers over the white lights so we could get a yellow light setting of the hall
- We got the props for the photo booth set (I got some funky ones from home)
- We set the main entrance frame




















- We hung the balloon lanterns outside, by the red carpet
- We decorated the walls with balloons and the four symbols (of the card game), that I drew and cut
- We hung the symbol streamers on the curtain railing and card streamers at the entrance of the seminar hall
- I made the IB clock (there was a mistake the first time I made it, so I remade it)
- We hung lights in the lawn area and practiced for the flash mob

We were damn exhausted but I'm proud to say that we did almost all the work and the arrangements.


Duration: 12 hours

Journal 14.5:

This was the last day we had in our hands, before the farwell. The lanterns had turned out really well, so that was like a happiness booster, first thing in the morning.

Now, there are two kinds of streamers we are deciding on making: one with cards, one with the symbols. I helped make the symbol streamers for sometime and then went on to making the card streamers. Next, Rashwanth and I made three more balloon lanterns and for that I had to get more starch solution made. We didn't have a minute to waste and so we got the photo-booth frame work started. Simultaneously we began decorating and setting up the Seminar hall.

Starting off, we wrote 'Kings' and 'Queens' on bang opposite white boards, respectively, at the ends of the hall and stuck the envelopes accordingly. We then put yellow LED lights around the curtains.

It was a true hustle-bustle scene as everyone were on toes working with seriousness. We didn't realize we were making memories.

I went on to making a spiral of six lanterns at the centre of the hall, with two others. We used masking tape and all pins to make it hang, temporarily. It was a false ceiling and so we were able to dig in the all pins easily.

I had given my name for the 'Flash mob' and so I was called with the others for dance practice. It was really good, since I love dancing, any day, any time.

Duration: 5 hours

Journal 14.4

Today was dedicated to making the balloon lanterns. We got a lot of yarn and so we set up everything to begin. Amudhan gave us an idea to make this process more efficient. I got starch solution made from the Biology lab, to mix a little amount with the fevicol, to make it thin and stick properly.

After about an hour or so, we tried bursting one yarn covered balloon, to see if the method would work and BOOM! The yarn crumpled together and it didn't work. We were enough tired and the results didn't make us happy, so we stopped for today, but didn't lose confidence in our team.

Duration: 1.5 hours

Journal 14.3:

We had our exams going, however we décor team members spared our study times to put our best in here. White charts were painted red (for diamonds and hearts) and more black charts were got in order to make the streamers. I drew the pictures on the charts and helped in the cutting also. Next we punched a hole on both sides, let a ribbon through it and added three others the same way in the same ribbon. This was very time-consuming yet fun.

Duration: 3.5 hours

Journal 14.2

All of us decided to come to school on a saturday to get the envelopes, lanterns, soldiers and dice done. Some of us could make it to school and so we finished the little bit we could, with preciseness.

To make the dice, we used black and white chart paper to cover different sized cardboard boxes. A lot of patience and speed was required. We made four dice, only since we had run out of material. Being productive, we resumed making the lanterns. Initially we used our fingers to smear the fevicol on the balloon, but later we realized that the process would be quicker with a paint brush and so we did just that. Approximate number of lanterns that we decided on making were 30 with each lantern being needed to dry for a day before bursting.

Duration: 6 hours