Jabba Jabba Jembe

Last week all of class Emnet gathered in the music room for a percussion workshop. We all helped bring in the instruments. At the beginning i had no clue what was in the large bag covers, but when the covers where taken off we all saw that they were musical instruments. David (the instructor) then told us that they were jembes and not bongos. We then all got to work learning how to use the jembes. I loved just hitting the jembe aimlessly but I also loved making rhythms with them! The noise from the music room must have been awful as one person described the noise coming from the room as ‘a racket and a half’! Then we worked on making rhythms, he gave us simple tips to remember the beats for example ‘Pat the Bak-er’. When we had learnt all these we all performed an orchestrated rhythm together. Some people were on the jembes while others where banging chairs and other drums. All together the rhythm sounded amazing! We then watched video clips of the place where jembe was originated. The people who live in the town live and breathe rhythm and they also have a very ancient way of life. I was amazed at how their culture was so well maintained as they still had very old traditions and ways compared to my life. today. After that we all tried a little freestyle. Now that didn’t go too well. When I stopped and listened to the noise around me all I could hear was random beats! J I had a great day and I would absolutely love to do it again or learn the jembe myself. But I found that the day was a bit long and I was very tired by the end of it!

Work Experience

For my second week of work experience I decided to go to the district courts in the Nass Courthouse. On my first day I was so nervous and I was panicking having a wardrobe disaster :about what I was wearing, whether it was too formal, or too casual. But after I met my supervisor and when I was settled in in the office I was soon discovered there was no need for my panic as I was dressed just fine! J

When I first thought of doing work experience in the courts I presumed I would always be in court. But to my surprise I spent 3 out of the 5 days doing administrative work. I spent my time working alongside the clerks and I was so surprised at the amount of paperwork and calls they had to answer. I soon found that I liked working in an office environment , but that I didn’t really enjoy office work.

My first day in court was amazing! I loved it! I was really nervous as I got to sit next to the registrar helping with writing fines. I really enjoyed listening and observing the cases even though I was sometimes lost in what was happening.

I found that I got a really good sense of exactly the type of work people do I the courts, and I got a really good insight to the other people who also worked in the court. I had a great week as everyone there was so welcoming and kind and I enjoyed my week in the Naas Courthouse.

And its time to announce the winners....

Last week four groups from the school hoped on a bus and went to the Osprey Hotel, for the Kildare finals of the Student Enterprise Awards. We were all so excited as this year, we were told we had the largest amount of companies from St.Wolstans that had gotten through to the Kildare finals! When we walking in the entrance of the conference rooms are hands were full of all the materials and boards that we could get our hands on. Soon we were quickly setting up our stall , but we were quickly disappointed when we saw a balloon company arrive with an amazing stall ! After awhile our stall was ready. And this time, it didn't fall down! Then we were invited to lunch in another room! I was staving so when I saw the chief dishing chicken and chips I was smiling :) ! Soon I was ready for action (and judging :S) . When the judges came we were all confident and as each judge came our interviews with them got better and better! After the judges , it was time to wait! And after a time the judges came out to announce the winners! Just Desserts scooped up the prize for best judges prize. Then they announced that the company I was on 'Knot A Problem' won 2nd place! We were over the moon and we couldn’t believe that we got so far just with our simple concept ! On the bus home we were all so proud to be apart of TY in St.Wolstans ! :)