Review of Spring 2014

Gosh it's been long since I have written a post.

Well, life has been good.
Lots of things has happened this term that made me proud of being, I guess, an "Old Millhillian". Not that I explicitly want to join the club. Just that I feel I have achieved quite a few things coming to the end of my school career here.

I have learnt a few things about myself and possible the way I should work and live my life at its best. By that I mean, I have learnt to set goals properly for the first time this month and actually use it as my motivation.

Now let's break it down to categories!

School:

Not doing so well in my mock. We got in trouble too! I knew I had a lot to learn a month from now and gosh, I am scared!

My goal this term is to get all my theory down and make my revision note ready for my revision over Easter.

I am getting there. So much to do!

My EPQ has been catching up to me. The thesis was based on the question " What have been the causes of Vietnamese migration and of migrants experiences?" The paper itself is getting up to 15 pages and I have interviewed 19 people. However, the most scary part is actually giving this presentation which I have just done on Monday.

I don't think I was fully prepared for it. My PPT was finished at the last minute. As people were coming in, I realise it was going to be a room full of, well, adult audience! Okay, I am an adult but these were all teachers and only two of them were my friends Hoon and Wang. The head was there too! No pressure, no pressure. I was literally spitting out fear.

Everyone could see how nervous I was 5 minutes in. My hands were shaking! And then I started forgetting stuff I needed to say. I was so relieved when it was question time and people were asking questions because I knew what I was talking about. Damn it! I did the whole paper on it. Anyway, I am glad they were all my favourite teachers of whom I have great respect for and have helped me so much over the years. They all congratulated me and that made me extremely happy.

I have a few days left to polish off my paper and then solely focus on revision.

I have stepped down this term as head of Collinson. I am still a school staff and I believe I do take my "job" seriously. It has been fun being on duty too.

I also went back to the Drama studio and help out with lighting. It was great because that was my dream job. Such a lovely place and awesome for my technical skills backstage.

Swimming and Sport:

Let just say I think it is a bit too late for me to enter the sporting world and really excel anywhere beyond. However, I am still going to try and beat my PB. I can say I wish I had the chance to do competitive swimming or be an athletic child but the fact is it's not going to change. After all it's all about my personal achievement right?

My goal this term was to run the 5 mile cup for Collinson at the best time I have ever done, run my first half marathon and continue improving my swimming to get my place at the Olympic pool.

Siena has been helping to run. We have decided to train throughout the week together to make sure we will ACTUALLY do it! I think it works splendidly. After a few weeks, one Tuesday afternoon and I ran my first continuous 6 miles. My awesome swim coach is... well, AWESOME! She is so supportive and encouraging to help me reach my goal.

We had a meet against Highgate at our school. It was my second time at a meet. We didn't have enough swimmers so I was entered for 25Breast, 25Fly, 25 Free and a 100IM, followed by 100Relay. Although I was very slow, I guess I am not that disappointed since my "competitive" career is rather late. Plus the fact that I only learn how to swim properly like 3 years ago, I think I have done well.

A week later I found out I was selected to enter the 200Relay at the Olympic pool. It was a magnificent day. We didn't get through our heat but I cannot believe I was swimming in the beautiful 50m pool where only the very best athlete get to swim in. Come on, it's a life time opportunity! It was also a fun day to talk to Mill Hill swim mate :D Our boys team did rather well, only missing by 2 seconds I think.

I have also decided to join XCountry with the lower school and it has been fun. It is an all boys team and we run through mud. They are awesome and I had loads of fun!

A week after my awesome day at the Olympic, I joined the Lower Sixth to run the Hasting Half-marathon. They all thought I was rather mad choosing to do this. I know I was trying to fundraise for my summer expedition but I also wanted to challenge myself. The course was tough, going uphill for the first 5 miles and then we ran along the beach in our last 3 miles. I did not walk even one mile. Those last 3 miles were the most painful miles I have ever run in my life. As I approach that finish line, eyes closed and I sprinted, making my time of 2hrs5 minutes.

Others:

I have got a job to try and pay for my Madagascar trip. I think I will carry on as I get into University. Not paid yet though because of the NIN issues.

Talking about that, I have purchased my plane ticket and paid my deposit. I received the generous travel grant from Old Millhillian and have raised 400. I am still trying to raise more. Hopefully I will be able to go.

Hasting Half Marathon

I have done it! My very first Half-Marathon!

2hrs05'

It was a cold sunday morning. I came to the carpark to join the rest of the Lower6 partnership troops going run their Half Marathon. I was introduced as "the crazy girl who choose to do this for fun!"

Lol, to be honest, I did have the intention to raise money for my Madagascar trip and I raised £100 from this but also I wanted to challenge myself. I felt I needed to do something more to push myself harder and see where I could go.

The problem is that I have stopped training 2 weeks ago since I did my 6 miles run with Siena. I was rather unprepared… We got on the bus and it was a 2 hours drive to Hasting. I slept!

We arrived their in a streamline of traffic of which we could not get pass. Finally when we got out, everyone had to rush to the starting line because we were running late. haha running late!

I started running,  more like jogging very slowly to try and maintain my slow pace. The first 5 miles were just constant hills! No jokes but it was just hill and it seems endless. Lots of people were all out of their house, cheering and kids were my best motivation because every time they raise their hands out for me to run pass them. I feel the energy being pass on to me!

I ran and ran and ran as my legs are burning up. I tried to catch up every chance I get of just throwing myself downhill. As we approach 10 miles, we were running along the coast. Yes the beach is nice and the sun is shinning but I have gotta tell ya it was the most painful 3 miles I have ever run. It seems endless and I constantly having to close my eyes to forget about where I was and just RUN!

I dragged myself towards the finish line. The group of women in front of me were trying to pass together so I shut my eyes and SPRINT to the end. All I could do then was collapsing onto the woman who was handing out medals…

It hailed. I was absolutely freezing with a thin shirt and a short. We walked back to the car pack with pain as the adrenaline starting to wear off.

Mill Hill 5 mile cup

Honestly, what a day! After all the handwork and training, it was time to perform at our very best. I have been training for weeks with Siena and yes I have broke PB at 7minutes24s for that 1 mile. Above is my Collinson girl 5 miles relay team.

And now you can see how funny my face looks when I run!

A memorabilia that we have finished our race! My awesome tutor has been training with me. Siena is my best supporting running partner as she helped me train for my coming half marathon. I doubt I can do this without these two awesome people!

Of course, later on that day, I went swimming and out to see Michael Palin. The very best explorer of the world!

At Olympic 2014

When I heard the news that I selected to swim at the Olympic QE pool. I was absolutely ecstatic. 

On that Friday morning, we headed off early taking the tube to Straford. The excitement in me was just beginning to grow. I constantly find myself searching for distraction - reminding myself that I have packed everything 3 times the night before, listening to music, talking to the team about food (obviously!)…

Just stepping out to Westfield, I could feel my heart racing up. I could not stop smiling as we walk to the enormous Olympic park. I scanned my eyes around 360* like a paranoma camera in slow motion trying to absorb the absolutely everything.

It was so crowded. So many other boys and girls were there. We estimated some 30 schools must have been there. We entered as a small school because we did not have enough swimmers. We all went straight on to the balcony to take picture. It was the first time I have ever seen the Olympic pool. I watch amazing swimmers swam here 2 years ago on TV but somehow being here was just surreal. Michael Phelps, Allyson Smith, Rebecca Soni, -

My list can go on forever.

Once we got out neck passes, the team dived straight downstair to get change and get ready for our heats. Not gonna lie but even the changing room look amazing! We met outside, wait for our coach to take photos of our team at the pool and do some stretches, waiting for our warm up. I stood right by the pool, still stunned of how beautiful the building was.

As usual, warms up are always like crazy. I finally get to dived in the pool and found myself having to “race” with other swimmers because they were all so fast! We only had 3 lanes for warm up so it was very difficult to warm up all together and they were all so so fast! 4 or 5 of them passed me every 50m. I just did the most I can to keep myself warm until our heat.

Mill Hill swim team with 4 boys and 5 girls - 

The girl team was in for heat 2. I swam 3rd, standing next to Kimberly who is a very good swimmer. I raced the best I knew how and even though we did not get through the final, I am glad I had a chance to do this. Stepping on those block where Olympians stood on them. Gosh! It was a moment to remember.

Here is me diving in!

Our boys team did splendidly well. We had two boys who were competitive swimmers and I say that because they properly train with a private club 6 days a week. Very impressive! One of the boy was the first to touch in his race too.

Here is our boys team. Celebrating their awesome moment.

My last memory at this amazing place.

Lan at Warwick Viet night

I asked for great permission to go see my sister perform her beautiful dancing skills at Warwick Vietnight. I know she is an excellent dancer but she still manage to make me squeal in amazement. How proud I am of her. She danced so beautifully and gracefully. How proud I am of my sister!

The rest of the night, well, let just say we had fun!

Half term Spring 2014

I was time to pack my bag again. I am not sure why I am even annoyed by this fact. haha

Anyhow, I was warmly welcomed by my sister and her pact (her fantastic housemate).

It was Qian's birthday the next day so we all went out for dinner. I got to eat good food and spend good time looking around Leamington.

Apart from the swimming and studying, I decided I had to go to this lecture on the Future of the Ocean at RGS. Luckily I found these two cool geographers to tag along with me. Making me less lonely is always good :D

I also spend a rather nice day going to the Natural History Museum with my awesome tutor for the Photography's exhibition. It was so crowded! I mean JAM PACKED! Absolutely no space to even get in to breathe. The exhibition was good and I got a few more postcards to add to my collection.

Before I say goodbye to my sister again, we met her dancing friend who came to our house to cook. They cook japanese dishes and my sister with her Vietnamese talent while I was cutting vegetables (because that's my talent!) Oh mine they cook wonderful food! I also found out one of the girl does politic and development so we had a nice chat there. :D

Yup! that's it of my short half term.

Me Swimming

On the way to making my Leaver photo with the help with Sharon. Here is me swimming in my favourite pool!