Hillview Surprise Visit & Performance

Date for Entry: (Friday 28th April, 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 23rd November, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today I went back to Hillview to perform the school song and national anthem because on Wednesday night around nine o'clock our Captain Ifeaye had asked us in our WhatsApp group chat a request to come back to Hillview to perform the National Anthem and College for the last time as an Ensemble. I saw Joshua comment soon after and then he said he will see but for me, I wasn’t going to miss it. 

    This morning, I woke up and oh my goodness it was so super hard to get up early as if it was a day of Hillview class but I did. I got showered and waited for dad to bring my black and grey stripe shirt and black pants I wear for church. It really felt like I was dressing to go to school at Hillview. I even packed my bookbag with books and other stuff last night too. I was a bit nervous seeing that I was not in school clothes and that I was wondering if the new Hall was built and they were having it in there.

    Upon walking into the gates, I switched off my phone and put it into my bag. Before I could walk up into the compound, I asked the security where the service would be and she said to follow the feller who’s walking up right now. I walked a good space behind him and then went to the two glassed sliding doors where two boys on both sides were holding programs. I took one and walked into the hall on the red carpet. Without looking at the student with eye contact, I could see how they watched me as to how I was dressed and I was like, “Keep it calm, Daryl. Don’t be worried” in my mind.

I went up to the front row and rest my bag. Then I walked up on the stage and then went over to say hello to Ifeaye and then he said, “Aye, I really thought you weren’t coming this morning yuh know.” He laughed and then I saw a new pan but I had a feeling that it was his tenor pan. It was a boring tenor pan that I got to try a time in individual pan class with Mr. Sharma. It looked good and Ifeaye even played a solo and another girl from the sixth form did another solo by voice. 

I sat a while reading the program and then the bell rang. I went to look outside and then I saw the five tenor pans in the long corridor behind the school's podium ready to play for the assembly. Then it was there that I saw Harold and when she spots me He said, “A! Daryl! Way yuh doing dong dey so?” I was wondering how come all these fellers got so taller than me. Then I saw Christian from the ensemble too. He came and shook my hand. 

Soon after I saw Mr. Narish and he asked me how I was doing I told him that I was doing music in UWI when he asked me. Soon, Mr. Hawkins came and then he gave me a nice good hug and then asked me the same along with if I was the one who sent him a towel for Christmas in the office and then I said yes. I played for the morning assembly. I must admit that I forgot to practice the national anthem and felt so rusty but as soon as the song started, I remembered playing it and went right into playing it. 

While the pan boys and I sat there in the front row, I gave Ifeaye a copy of the full score of the school song I went and put together yesterday along with a fancy design of the sixtieth Anniversary logo and the real Hillview logo on it. I knew that by the time I gave Ifeaye and he showed it to the rest Christian would have wanted one. I was thinking of printing one for him too but when I finished making one for Miss Saunders, the ink in the printer was about to finish. I didn't get to share the textbook I made with them because the timing of things went so quickly. The persons from my older Form Five class were far to the back and mixed up. Didn't see the rest of them.

The service began and then I saw Mr. Mahase there on the stage with the others who were leading the service today. A very nice lady was the leader of Worship and then I soon got to learn that she was the school’s new Vice-Principal. She spoke very lovely and gave really good inspirational words.

After the end of the service was the College song and then the Choral Benediction, which we do at Aramalaya. After the service, everyone left. I saw Jordan again and for nicknames, since Form four we used to say “onks” as short for Uncle and also a good friend Isaiah. Then I saw Christian again and I asked him for his e-mail. I didn’t have much paper again so I lend him my program paper to write it down and then when he said that he only had a marker I didn’t mind. However, it would have partly destroyed my program copy for the music journal, lolz.

While Ifeaye and the rest of the boys left the school with their parents, I took my book bag and went up to the staffroom door to see if I could have gotten to see Miss Saunders. When I knock and wait which was a big problem in my days, Mr. Ramsingh came out. It was so nice to see him and then I asked him to see Miss Saunders. He told me that I could go in if I wanted. I felt like I was given special treatment because a student wasn’t allowed to be in there.

 As I went in the door, A lady gave me a nice hug and then I knew the lady's voice was Miss Saunders'. I can’t believe I didn’t recognize her at all but it was so nice to see her after so long. We both sat there for a long while near her desk chatting about me and how UWI was going. I also carried three volumes of my Magical Creatures paintings to show her and Miss Tappin the Visual Arts Teacher. I still used some of the tips that Miss Tapin told me about in Form One about outlining with a black marker. She then gave me tips about putting a border and then asked me about the intended audience. At that present time, I wanted it for little children but my main idea was to have it as a carton story for adults. Miss Tappin told me that if I wanted it to be for children that I "have to be really specific to make sure that they understood what was happening, especially with spelling because this is where they might be learning from as well."

Miss Saunders also showed me the trophy I gave her. I didn’t remember I gave it to her at the end of Form One and two others to two teachers. Then I got to show her some of the textbooks I did over for UWI at DCFA. She looked impressed and then say, “Hmm! You write book already? I didn’t even do oneself.” I didn’t get to explain myself properly because there was too much to catch up on. One of the other things she told me she said that she kept on noticing that I was keep on pulling things out of my bookbag. It was a lot of things because that bag was really heavy on my shoulders as if it was a regular day of school at Hillview. I couldn't speak to the class about doing Music for CXC so I waited for daddy to come to get me at the gate and we went down Curepe.

 

Link(s):

1. Hillview Faith and Confidence Service (2017) - Program. 

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Final of Steelpan Literature Classes

Date for Entry: (Unknown/Forgotten)

[April 2017]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 17th November, 2021)

Dear Diary, 

    Today was the last of the three remaining classes that Dr. Remy had called back the entire class to meet in Studio 4 for notes in preparation for the final exam. All of us were wondering what was going to happen because all we did for the Semester was work in the Library for coursework assignments. She also went through some slides as well as some of the documents she sent us over the time in emails and then told us about definitions and questions based on what we had done.

    In the last one of our classes, the sad part about the assignments was that she was taking away our assignments 3 and 4, and she said that they would be donated to the Library. When I heard I knew that I wouldn’t be getting a copy to have for this journal entry. 

    There was a very important comment from one of the many articles I found for my project by Mr. Amrit Samaroo. I ended up misplacing the paper I wrote it down. I could recall him saying something about taking a regular three-minute song and changing it into a ten-minute arrangement that must include changes and run and must be interesting and fun enough for the steelpan players and audience. 

Link(s):

1. Music Literatures of the Steelpan - Assignment #1.
2. Music Literatures of the Steelpan - Assignment #2.
3. Artice Quote from Amrit Samaroo.**b10

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Three-piece Examination (GMM)

 Date for Entry: (Unknown/ Forgotten)

[2017]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 17th November, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today we had to teach the class a lesson based on the three types of listening exercises using the beat board, flow chart and listening maps. This is the second class that we have with students teaching their lessons. My turn had a really long time with laughing as I told the class numerous jokes while teaching. I came to think that if you can get the students to engage themselves in a short joke to something positive and class-related while having them with a smiling face or positive vibe, you might just be able to grasp all of their attention and make your job more effective.

    I started off my teaching with a message about Christmas and presents being given to each nice little boy and girl and when I asked them if they were ready for the surprise, I turned around the first listening exercise which was the listening map in my hand and said, “Good, cause I got a pop quiz.” They all burst out in laughter again. I began to play the excerpts from my phone. I created a WhatsApp group chat for myself to upload the songs there so that I don’t mix up the recordings. All of the music was played on the sound system in the classroom and the students had to answer the questions on their worksheet after each playing. This was one part of the exam accomplished.

    Another requirement for the exam was to give a background about the excerpt. Next, came the Beat board. This one had another joke to go with it. I told them about the mane of it and told them that it was called a beat board. The joke was, “Now I hope that since allyuh know is call ah beat board allyuh doh go an beat up the thing and then come and say Mr. Aliiiii, ah could geh anotha paypah? Cause these thing very expensive tuh go an print.” Mrs. Nicholas hid her face for the third time in laughter because as the examiner of the exam, she was not supposed to be laughing or engaging in the 'class' session. She was supposed to be serious behind her table. 

    As I went through the shapes to the what I wanted them to draw to indicate the dynamic, as seen in my answer sheet. I made questions on the dynamic and then they told me. Another one of the jokes was, “Yes! And when would we be drawing the square?” Everyone said not a word and then I said, “People! We are not drawing a square. We are just drawing a triangle when we hear the music played fortissimo!” The whole class laughed out again.

    This was played twice and then I asked them about the change in dynamics and then the meter of the music. I could remember Natasha laughing so much and then she said, “Allyuh, ah rell weak” as she said breathing hard and then I pitched in when I was about to give out the last exercise for the exam and said, “Well don’t worry, cause de pepper ain’t hot yet.” They burst out in laughter again and then I split the paper in half and gave Kern the first half to share as I was walking across the class to hand the other side and said, “Now please take one and make cause to write in your name because you know what happens when someone loses a piece of paper.”

    For this next exercise was quite simple. I did it as Mrs. Nicholas did and this time I did a story that I created about Suzie and me on an adventurous journey to meet Mrs. Nicolas at our Bible Study. At one point during this part, Mrs. Nicholas whispered over to me to try to hurry it up because my time was running out quickly. At the end of the story and excerpt, they wrote in their answers on the paper. I then went through the answers with them then took my seat. I couldn’t believe it was over. I was glad it was because it is really difficult to do. 

[UPDATE]

    For this course as well, we were set into groups and as a final assessment examination, we had to teach the members of the course about our findings as well as to teach them some music. Each person in the group was allowed to play an instrument. There was one group that was able to have Ms. Marge Blackman come in as a guest performer for their presentation. The two pieces that we performed were "Mother nature" and "De Floor" by Ataklan. 

    There may have been several fallouts in the group and ill-treatment from one individual in the group towards me. It really fired me up but I just decided to make up something for the performance, get it done and over it on that Wednesday evening.

 

Link(s):

1. Teaching & Presentation Exam (GMM).
2. Presentation Materials by other Colleagues (General Music Methods).
3. Rapso Project - Group Minutes and Journal Entries. 

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Day at the National Archives (Steelpan Literature)

Date for Entry: (Monday 17th April, 2017)

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Tuesday 16th November, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today was my group for “Steelpan Literature” turn had to go to the Archives in Port-of-Spain to do more searching into old newspapers for articles on Steelpan. The tough part in it was that we had to search for things on South bands if any and also results of the panorama competitions from the 1900’sto 2000s.

    When Dad and I got there, I only saw Eric and Toyanna sitting at a table. They told me that I had to go to the lady by the indoor counter and the lady there gave me two forms to fill out and a pencil since I was not allowed to walk with any materials or bags inside that room. I took the paper and fill them out and then sometime after when came to my signature, I added the big ‘Z’ on it and then I saw Brian’s face light up bright with a big smile.

    Minutes later, everyone was there and they had gone through the same thing with the forms. We decided that we would have a big injustice if we all had to go through the same thing in all of the 10 years so we decided as a group for each of us to pick a year. Since my favourite number was 7, I choose to do my searching from the year 1970’s and the others selected their year. 

    Soon Dr. Remy came into the building and then she went through the class attendance for the day. We all spread out along the two columns of tables. She then told Justin and me who Mr. Handy was because he was right there at the front desk. Dr. Remy and I both had a good laugh out and Justin on the other side of the table gave a very uncomfortable look.

    It was a funny joke and then Joshua came in the building really late around eleven o’clock. Dr. Remy had to leave us because she had a class to go to in a while. I enjoyed my visit there in the Archives but as time went by the enjoyment had to pause because of the hard pain and the amount of patience I had to give in. Especially pain where the whole side of one leg was hurting so much and I had to keep on standing. Standing usually gave me more confidence and comfort to go through the newspapers rather than sitting on the padded chairs. In that case, all of us were standing.

    The attendant named Mr. Singh came out with a trolley packed with papered newspapers that were covered with brown paper. I saw that the newspapers were taken and bound like a book where they were bound with thread and a hardboard cover on both sides. I carried the digital camera we had at home but the minute that gave out one flash of light spread throughout the entire room. I knew it was not going to be useful today and my friend Sheamya next to me say, “Nah boy Daryl, Doh use flash” I took out my phone and quickly began to take pictures. The battery was full thank God but I didn’t want it to run out. (I was in Jay's group at the time.)

    When it was twelve on the dot, the group members were finishing up their things and we were exchanging what we had. Everyone had to make sure they had ten articles to give and receive one of those articles from the ten years. We got a WhatsApp group created and from there we will submit the pictures we got for the day. We got green slips of paper from the counter and wrote down what each member had to get.

    Then everyone left me there and Joshua came back. He told me "they wanted something else from what he gave them" and he remained there for a while. This was about after one in the afternoon and then he needed my help to snap three pictures of articles. I told him I will send it to him later when I got home because the Wifi in the place was too slow even though it said excellent connection.

    Joshua soon left me and then I was the only one in the group there. While working for the next three hours, as I was doing my work, there was a short quarrel that happened and then a lady had another one and then another story was with a confused man who said he was writing a book. I wasn’t just eavesdropping, he was talking so loud to the four women behind the counter. Everyone could hear. I and another lady had the same reaction when we were both watching him hard. I didn’t see her there on the other table because she picked up her things and left. Poor lady, but for me that was not going to be a problem because I had things to do. 

    He finally left and then the attendant Mr. Sing came out. Besides the story of Mr. Handy as Dr. Remy told us about and then she also told us too earlier about "this old Indian guy who" was Mr. Singh and "his temper". I saw a lot of those episodes today. Three times with the group and four times after they left. There was even one time when he saw a brown paper covering a document ripped up. He was looking angry and began to make noise. Of course, the lady at the counter and I was helping him wrap up some of the unwrapped documents so that he could take them back inside. She then said, “Calm down Singh. Is nuh de end ah de World.” 

    Another episode was when he was complaining over the same thing he was mentioning that they don’t have supplies to paper the documents. They have to try to protect the brown paper and he also argued talking to himself that they are running out of masking tape. Coming to the ending of the time, I had run out of paper and I had to go by the desk to ask for more paper and the same lady earlier from the counter gave me some. I was lucky and thankful that Sheamya had given me a long sheet of her notebook to use and I used it well. 

    I saw dad come back from a long time. One part of the day I saw him and then the next he left. Then when Mr. Singh came pack he got vexed when he saw the package opened up on the other table that Joshua left. He was gone for a long time and then he came back with the trolley. I helped Mr. Singh paper back up the documents with him and then I cleaned up the mess the other group members left from earlier on the tables and all over the floor. I felt to talk off the gloves I had to wear all day. That was another thing about here that you couldn’t touch the documents barehand.

    I gave back the lady at the counter the extra paper I didn’t use and thanked her for her help throughout the day. She somehow looked familiar as if I knew her from somewhere. When I walked out of the room with all of these strips of paper in my hand from today, I took my book bag to the Security counter and rest it on the single chair next to dad. She watched me and started laughing. He asked me, “Dar? Whays all that yuh was doin’ in dey boy? Ah, thought yuh say yuh finishin’ in ah while?” I answered and went to use the Washroom before we walked down the road to City Gate. A long day holding all that up.

    While walking down the road, Daddy told me that after he came out from checking me, which was an hour and a half ago, he spoke to the lady at the counter and she said that she was our neighbour in the building at the back in Tunapuna. It was then I said “yes” because I knew I felt I saw her from somewhere. Some of them have to come back another time to get all their work. Another thing was that I didn’t get to eat anything for the whole day and yet I was still perfectly fine.

    The rest of the streets were like going through the market. A lot of people and children about the place because school was over at that time. It was after three. Even outside of Hosein’s Roti Shop was packed when we went to get a Taxi to Curepe. One thing I did not like about the taxi ride was that my leg began to cramp for a while and when I told dad to take my bag and I went to squeeze my leg, the lady next to me on the left looked scared. She asked me if I was alright and I told her I had a cramp. Thank God it was over quickly. 

    That was really a long day and even so, this was a really long journal entry. Five letter pages in all. I made sure to send the article pictures when I got home at house number two in Curepe. I also sent the pictures I had promised to send to Joshua when he asked me. That was over with. Responsibility for giving the group their stuff was done. All I have to do now is save the articles on the computer at home in Tunapuna and then fill out the Book Report forms we have to do when submitting them for marks to Dr. Remy.

Link(s):

1. Notes and Documentation from Archives 'Field Trip'.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali

Learning about the Flow Chart

 Date for Entry: (Forgotten/Unknown)

[2017]

Actual Date of Online Entry: (Wednesday 17th November, 2021)

Dear Diary,

    Today Mrs. Nicholas taught us about something called a flow chart. This was General Music Methods class, which was another teaching class. She gave us two sheets of paper with a snake looking figure or almost like a game where you would roll a nice and move according to the numbers with the little plastic avatar as you. She read a story and then there were excerpts to go along with them. With each story piece said and then the excerpt played, we had to match pictures on the flow chart to questions she asked after each playing.

    I just didn’t have a pencil to erase the answers to make the paper look presentable but it looks like it will have to do since it wasn’t marked up on much. Mrs. Nicholas also went through something called a beat board from last week’s class and she was not satisfied with the answers we were giving her because we were supposed to know about it and then most of the class was part of the Chorale and they had to go on a field trip to perform somewhere. 

Link(s):

1. Flow Chart.

 

Daryl Zion M. Ali