每个华裔子弟在成长过程中或多或少地都会去尝试一些课业之外的才艺活动，年龄小的由父母筛选定夺，年龄大的基本上自个拿主意。一项才艺究竟要学多久，到底能达到什么水平，固然离不开个人努力和家长支持，但最终起决定性作用的因素恐怕还得靠兴趣爱好。

      对於小学以下的孩童而言，如果所学才艺恰与自己的兴趣爱好相符，那么算家长走运，因为孩童既可得利於先天资质造化，又能受惠于后天发掘栽培。随着孩童的参与意识提高，自觉性增强，才艺水平被锤炼得日新月异。

      倘若所学才艺恰与自己的兴趣爱好相去甚远，孩童这边纠结，家长那边矛盾，最受煎熬的更在彻底放弃之前，双方不得不硬着头皮去挖掘潜能，磨炼意志，甚至挑战信心，消耗财力倒算不了什么，枉费精力绝非小事一桩。

      假如所学才艺恰与自己的兴趣爱好若即若离，孩童说不清到底喜欢还是讨厌，家长摸不透究竟坚持还是放弃，于是路漫漫兮其修远，求索征途上只好顺其自然，走一步看一步。

      对于进入中学的青少年而言，课业加重，时间有限，其才艺活动往往都是围绕升(大)学指南而展开的。因此，他们不再像孩童那样随心所欲，想学什么就学什么；也不再像孩童那样漫无边际，想怎么学就怎么学！青少年的兴趣爱好常常不得不随“实际需求”而发生定向变化。

      我家童少正处在“想学什么就学什么”“想怎么学就怎么学”阶段。坦率地说，上述三种状况我们正在体验、已经体验或者将要(继续)体验。就拿这回暑期来说，他决定重操旧业，承接去年美好经历并再过把戏瘾。当妈的我禁不住暗中窃喜，看来好戏还在后头哇。

Monday, July 2^nd, 2012

     Today we had to learn another song and dance from "The Music Man Jr.". Dancing, I think, is hardest out of everything, especially the setup.

      When we went to outside for break, a kid named Michael brought a soccer ball. He must have been a soccer player for a long time because when he kicked it, the ball knocked 7 people over! And on July 1^st, it wasSidney's 9^th birthday. She was my schoolmate of the 3^rd grade and we knew each other. Today brought in Munchkins Dunkin's Donuts, each person got 2. They tasted really good.

      Afterwards, we went inside and danced some more. It got a little hard when we had to cross our feet multiple times and span around. It looked as if the tempo was very fast and we had to sing while we were dancing.

      At the end of the day, the junior campers came to meet us. I saw a kid name Eric who used to go to Tiger Schulmann's Mixed Martial Arts with me.

星期一，二O一二年七月二日

      今天，我们得学会少儿剧《音乐人》中另一首歌和新的舞蹈。看来跳舞最难，尤其是舞台站位。

      中间休息时，麦克拿来足球叫我们一起踢，他肯定是足球能手，不然怎么大脚一开，便拿下我们7位队员！昨天是我的校友悉尼九岁生日，今天她特意带来“唐恩都乐”小甜甜圈与我们分享，每人可以吃掉两个，味道真不错。

      过后我们返回室内继续练习跳舞，两腿交叉旋转，并快速跟着节拍一边唱一边跳，做起来一点都不那么简单。

      临结束时，小班营员赶来跟我们见面，我一眼便认出同在“老虎舒尔曼混合武术馆”习武的锐小弟。

Tuesday, July 3^rd, 2012

      Today we learned a new song called "Ya Got Trouble" or "Trouble" and danced with the music. we did that all morning long.

      At snack time, we watched Michael play an APP called Action Movie FX on his iPhone. When you recorded a video, you could add dangerous effects like a nuclear explosion.

      After break, I got a new part in the show. My name became Jacey Squires, i.e. Mr. Squires. We all listened to Harold Hill sang "Trouble" as a soloist. Everyone thought that Michael who played Harold needed to practise more. Finally we performed to the junior campers. They really looked so scared that they did not want to perform. They jumped at every word when a teacher gave them some instruction.

      I highlighted my lines on the way home.

星期二，二O一二年七月三日

      今天，我们又学了一首新歌，名叫《麻烦缠身》，而且整个早上都在随歌起舞。

      茶点休息时，我们围观麦克玩苹果4频段手机上软件游戏──摄影炸弹。他先录制一段影像，然后再编辑出象核爆炸之类的惨烈视觉效果。

      重新开始排练以后，我拿到新的角色。剧中我将扮演杰茜•史奎尔，即史奎尔先生。我们还要聆听主角哈罗德•希尔独唱《麻烦缠身》，大家都认为扮演哈罗德的演员麦克需要多加练习。末了，我们演给小班营员们看，结果把他们吓得不敢演戏，老师当场教了几句台词，他们竟不知如何是好。

      回家路上，我圈阅了自己要表演的台词和唱段。  

Thursday, July 5^th, 2012

      Yesterday it was Independence Day. We went out to see fireworks at Palmer Park. The show was fantastic! We did not get home until 11:30pm. That was why this morning I was still tired.

      When we went to dance "Iowa Stubborn ", the junior campers joined in this round. We learned how to dance together in the song "Trouble". I didn't know how everyone wanted to rush in theater stage.

      As usual, we had break. However it wasn't much interesting except that my friend Jason set up a timer bomb for fun. This timer bomb basically is a timer that counts down from a number set up. When it reaches 0, it vibrates and rings.

      When the break was over, we went to the theater and finished learning the dance "Trouble". All the theater camp council members watched us perform. and we also finally got it right. It seemed as if we practiced a trillion times. It was a very long day.

星期四，二O一二年七月五日

      昨天是美国独立节，我们去帕莫尔观看烟花，简直妙不可言！回到家中已近午夜十一点半，这也是为什么今个早起我仍感觉很累的缘故。

      正当我们跳《爱荷华本色》时，小班营员来了。随即我们一起伴着《麻烦缠身》的音乐载歌载舞。大家蜂拥登上舞台，我实在搞不懂怎么回事。

      我们照常休息，如果不是朋友杰森随身携带个“定时炸弹”供我们一起玩，真没多大意思。所谓的“定时炸弹”不过是一个定时器，它按照设置好的时间倒数计时，等回到“0”点时，便震颤响起来。

      休息过后，我们重新回到舞台，继续排练歌舞《麻烦缠身》。这时剧院所有的工作人员都目不转睛地盯着看，我们好像跳了一万亿次才终于完成任务。今天可真漫长啊！

Friday, July 6^th, 2012

      Today we learned to sing another part of "76 Trombones". It wasn't too different from the first part though. However, the teacher wanted us to memorize all of the lyrics we learned. Okay, maybe I was wrong about not different from the first part because he never straightened out memorizing at the first place. Then he asked me and some other people of the Quartet to come with him. He told us that we were gonna learn "Rock Island". I was singing as Salesman #3. At the time everybody left except the Quartet. I was a part of it. And we had to sing "Ice Cream" in different pitches. Unfortunately, I got low A.

      So we were late for break and I barely got to eat my snack.

      Also we did choreography of "76 Trombones". The council acted as the junior campers parading in front of us. It was a confusing day after all.

星期五，二O一二年七月六日

      今天我们学唱了《76把长号》另一部分，跟第一部分不同，它一点不长。不过待老师要求背诵全部的时候，我才发现蛮不是那么回事。没错儿，他一开始并没说清楚。不久，他点名要我及其他几位四声合唱队的成员留下来学唱《石头岛》。我要出演第3号推销员角色，当时所有的人都离开了，只剩下四声合唱队，而我恰是其中一员。接着，我们还学唱了《冰激凌》不同声部。太不走运了，我唱低音A。

      拖到很晚才中间休息，结果我连零食都来不及吃。

      我们又排练了《76把长号》舞步，剧院工作人员充当小班演员，在我们眼前穿来穿去，搞得我们晕头转向。

(二O一二年七月七日，小暑)