2017-04-22

【Aiden in English】

        There has never been anything like this in my life. I have never been so unprepared for a performance. For moments like this, the term “winging it” fits perfectly.

        Ironically, this was the first Chinese Yo-Yo performance that we practiced outside of school hours. We had 2 one hour sessions to work on a performance for the annual Lansdale multicultural fair, which is somewhat enough time to prepare. However, because of the short notice, we struggled to put together a reasonable show that matched the time of the song ahead of the performance.

        After a while of messing around, we mashed together tricks to fit the time frame. And then, things were put back to square one.

        Our teacher realized that the same day on Saturday was taken up by an AP Calculus Monk Exam, which left the rest of the Yo-Yo group without a major component and, more importantly, without a leader. It is said that cutting the head off a snake will result in the death of the animal, but I hope this isn’t the case.

        Therefore, it was time for the performance spotlight to be passed onto the next awaiting shoulders. Because our star group member, the one with the crazy combinations and tricks every year, was also absent, it meant the star of the show would have to be me.

        Not to sound narcissistic, but truthfully, I had two of the most difficult tricks. However, when our teacher bailed (I know he had a reason, but it feels like he bailed), a friend and I scrambled to find replacements for difficult tricks that took the required time to practice. And guess what, we didn’t have time!

        Enough complaining. When the show came, things began to fall in place. Although I was nervous and unconfident, fortune seemed to favor us. The attendance was perfect, and the performance had a sturdy, albeit a flexible plan. But knowing how these things go, plans are discarded around the halfway mark. However, this show went flawlessly, for the most part. A single mess-up was all that occurred, and it didn’t cause that much of a problem. At the end of the day, this made me feel really good inside.

        I guess the real lesson of the day is that I can lead a group. In my life so far, I’ve always been a follower. Even though I still do not feel as if I can lead a class on my own, if the moment calls for it, I can take charge.

【紅霞譯文】

        長這麼大我從未經歷過這種場面，演出當頭仍毫無準備，用術語“即興表演”來描述現狀恰如其分。

        半路殺出個程咬金，想不到今天我們竟要破天荒到校外練習抖空竹。雖說我們已為蘭斯代爾春季國際節周年活動兩度集訓，每次不惜花上個把鐘頭進行充分準備，然而計劃趕不上變化，登台前不久我們接到臨時通知，需要補加更多花樣配齊全套背景音樂。

        幾經嘗試幾經挫折，我們整編好登台動作，事情總算有了眉目。

        演出當日，空竹老師前去參加微積分大學預修課模擬考試，讓學生一下子覺得少了主心骨，更重要的是空竹隊群龍無首。人們常說蛇若被砍掉腦袋必死無疑，但願今天的結局別太悲慘。

        這麼一來，表演重任自然而然地落到後備成員肩上，而隊裡技術全面、每年亮相都身手不凡的明星又因故缺席，這就意味着我必須義無反顧地挑起大梁。

        我絲毫沒有王婆賣瓜的意思，但論真格的，本人確有兩招難度最大。不過當老師要務纏身（我明白情有可原，但感覺身不由己），我和同伴即便有天大的本事也得花功夫湊在一起練習配合，你猜怎麼着，我們沒有時間！

        抱怨歸抱怨，表演開始，一切準備就緒。儘管我甚感緊張缺乏自信，但運氣不錯，演員們個個精神飽滿，一招一式彰顯紮實的功底，畢竟整套動作編排得自由靈活。鑑於以往經驗，預期部署頂多完成一半，好在這次出場基本完美無缺，僅出現一點疏漏並無大礙，結束時我內心感覺無比欣慰。

        我覺得今天真正的收穫在於勇挑重任，在此之前我一直甘做群眾，雖說如今依然覺得無法獨自擔當空竹班小頭頭的角色，假如情勢所迫，我還是能夠勝任的。

Today in History(歷史上的今天):

2016: College Friends Forever(大學同學終生朋友)

2014: Fifth Grade Reading Olympics(五年級閱讀奧林匹克賽)

2009: 玩中學(Learning Through Play)

Crosslinks(相關博文):

The 2017 Year of Rooster Celebrated w/ Yo-Yo(抖空竹過雞年)

Yo-Yo @ 2016 PHL Travel & Adventure Show(2016年費城旅遊探險展抖空竹)

The 2016 Year of Monkey Celebrated w/ Yo-Yo(抖空竹過猴年)

Yo-Yo @ 2015 Lansdale Intl Fest(2015年蘭斯代爾國際節抖空竹)

The 2015 Year of Goat Celebrated w/ Yo-Yo(抖空竹過羊年)

2015 CNY Celebrated w/ Yo-Yo @ CGCC(2015年神州教會抖空竹)

GHCS Camp─Yo Yo-2(光華夏令營抖空竹之二)

GHCS Camp—Yo Yo-1(光華營抖空竹之一)