December

SAISA football practices started on the 1st and I, from the beginning, had intended to try out for the team as a defender. My aims for the football season were to rid myself match tension and, of coarse, make it to the team. There were not too many practices this month and the practices themselves were relatively relaxed as the try outs were to officially start next month in January. However it was good to be playing football again after a long time. Again I felt a bit nervous playing with one of the best school teams in Sri Lanka.

Meanwhile I was still persisting with my tennis. My coach tells me that my technique is fine but it is only my fitness that is letting me down. Thus, this holiday I intend to conduct my own exercise routine evryday, or at least every week, to improve my stamina and agility. I also have to find some more time to get some more match experience to prepare for a few tournaments I intend to enter next year but right now my work and social life seem to be the problem.

Recently I had enrolled myself into the organising committee for the annual talent show due to take part on the 18th of December. On the 4th of December we held an audition after distributing messages in the bulletin and using sign up forms to attract volunteers. The audition turned out to be of a rehearsal after everyone was accepted to take part. We used this opportunity coordinate the different groups handling different aspects of the performance such as decorations, lighting and sound. I learnt a lot of things myself in coordinating, planning and working with a team in order to get this show running on the 18th.

Talent show ran, as planned, on the 18th and we were in a frantic rush to get everything ready. Things were made more complicated when we realised that we didn't have a Master of Ceremonies and so Umeshan, Seong and I were told that we were to be MCs around 20 minutes before the show started. Now we were really nervous as we had to try and live up to the tremendously funny and popular MCs at last year's show and they had been planning there performance a week in advance. None of us had never done this before At the beginning of the show we were really tense, at a lost, and practically had to improvise and create jokes on the spot. However, as the show progressed we became more confident and began to take more risks and in the end we came out in flying colours, and even started dancing on stage when the school band was playing. This was, at first way out of my comfort zone, but the compliments from the crowd, and the knowledge that I am capable of doing such things was a huge confidence booster and greatly increased my self esteem.

During the holidays I have, relatively successfully, implemented my exercise routine with the inclusion of 20-30 push ups a day when I could, and jogs or cycles around the neighborhood. I guess I am faintly starting to feel fitter.