Fostering Unity Amidst Differences: A Three-Day Preparation for Our Midterm Presentation

Life is certainly a drag. I mean, it's sure tedious because sometimes you have to compromise to attain things that you want. Well, in my case, I got to deal with the people I, let's say, don't fancy to be with. They're not entirely unlikable, but you know we don't have the same wavelength, and their constant whining somehow irked me. Unfortunately, I don't have a choice, and a crucial question lies ahead: will I endure their not-so-likeable behavior or will I surrender to the pressure of their torments?

---

Good day, Hivers! Konnichiwa! It's me, your one and only ridgette, and for today, I will share with you all my experience from our three-day preparation for our performance task in our midterm presentation. It was really an unusual experience for me because, in this three-day preparation, I witnessed how differences can really divide people. You see, I'm not used to seeing people argue with meager causes. I was raised in a family where we are taught to ignore small grievances and, as well, forgive or forget them in the process.

Further, that belief strengthened when I entered high school because there we are taught to always humble ourselves. Honestly, being humble isn't my best point because I'm also a woman of pride, but when I know that humbling myself is the only way to resolve a problem, I usually put my pride down. The problem in our situation is that no one wants to put their pride down, and it's taking a toll on our group's unity. A crucial decision was made, and I thought it would resolve the problem, but little did I know that's just the start of something more tormenting.

---

Day 1

The rift was apparent, but we have to move on; that's why we took decisive action. I know that action didn't resolve the misunderstanding, but time is running out and there's a deadline to catch up. That's why we decided to start even though our whole group wasn't in for it. We went to the house of our groupmate to help her make the props for our presentation. We were weaving nipa mats to make it our makeshift house in our play.

_{groufie after weaving the nipa mats}

I thought it would be easy and fast to finish, but it's actually not. Well, it's not hard, but it's just tedious to make, and you really need to concentrate on weaving tightly the nipa leaves so that those will lock tightly and you can fasten it easily when you staple the leaves together. We finished weaving a lot of nipa mats when dusk came. We haven't finished making the other props yet, but we're positive that we'll be able to finish them before presentation day comes. Thankfully, one of our groupmates volunteered to finish the makeshift house by sticking the finished nipa mats that we'd woven earlier.

By the end of the day, we were able to make one makeshift house. Although we were not complete at that time, our group was able to make some of our props, and that somehow gave me hope that we'd be able to get through the problem we're facing and overcome our individual differences. Little did I know that this optimistic thought would burst the day after.

---

Day 2

Rumors came that some of the members of the other group somehow anticipated that we would not succeed in presenting our play. They saw our not-so-organized practice; that's why they're quick to assume that we'll fail the moment we present. I don't believe in that rumor, but somehow I got affected by it. I mean, if they truly said that, how can they possibly judge us just because of our uncertain practice? That seems unfair, but later on I realized—why should I care anyway? With that realization, I'm somehow propelled to exert more effort in making props as well as in participating in the decision-making of our group.

_{our finished makeshift nipa house}

After our class, we went again to our groupmate's house to finish the props. This time we're fewer, and somehow I understand the reason why some didn't come. Unfortunately, I find the reasons of other members irritable because their excuses were shallow and obviously fabricated just to deceive us and earn pity. The worst part is that those people who flatly refused and deceived us were the ones who didn't help in making the props on the first day. The audacity of those thick-faced hypocrites! (lol, forgive me for my indecent display of rage.)

Anyway, there's nothing I can do to crack the shells of their thick heads and faces—I mean, they're already adults; they know what they do, and they're also aware of the possible consequences of their actions. We finished some of the props again, but honestly, our work would be much easier if we're all doing it. Sadly, we were not.

---

Day 3

The first thing I noticed when I entered our classroom was the gossip about which they were talking. I don't want to be a hypocrite and say that I don't love gossip, but that day was different. Let's say I'm stressed and really irked by their immature behavior. They kept on complaining about the place where we make our props, reacting that it's too far (lol, the one who complained was just near the house where we make our props). I know this is just their scheme to show their dislike for the presentation, but it's our presentation, and whether they like it or not, we need to present it.

_{our group in action, a carton taho, and a glue stick burn}

I thought they would not join us on our final day of propsmaking and our practice afterwards, but miraculously they did. I can see the grudge in their eyes, but never mind—I also had this hidden grudge for them. Although we haven't practiced thoroughly, I'm thankful that we're able to finish all the props needed for our presentation. Hopefully, we'll be able to use those well in our presentation.

---

Presentation Day

This isn't part of the three-day preparation, but I want to share the fruits of our hard work. That day, I didn't arrive to school early for some reason (huhu it's my ID. I thought I lost it, but I just unfortunately misplaced it). They were already decorating when I arrived. I immediately changed my uniform into our costume, and later on, when most of the members of our group were there, we started setting up our props and backdrops. Right after we finished setting up our props, we practiced a little.

_{group 1 and 2 presentation time!}

We're the first presenters, so I was quite nervous about our presentation. The thought of failing horrified me because I didn't want to give them a sense of satisfaction from our failure. Gratefully, we're able to present our play with just minor mistakes. After our presentation, we immediately ate the food that we had used as props earlier. It was delicious, and I noticed something. We got united the time we ate (lol the irony).

Anyway, after all the presentations, the moment of truth is here! We got 98/100, which was really worth rejoicing about because we just prepared for it for three days, and we actually don't have any script for the play, just the flow of it. The lines and dialogues were made by us, the characters, and some of them were also impromptu. So yeah, I'm totally satisfied with the outcome of our presentation; at least we didn't fail like what others had predicted.

---

Overall, the experience of the preparation for our play gave me some eye-opening insights. I realized that our individual perspective really matters because, even though we explained it well to them, the fact that they viewed our plan from a different perspective made them misunderstood us. We have a diverse perspective, and somehow I can't blame them if they're raised like that. I don't want to discriminate, but at least they should have tried to understand our point, like we did with theirs. I know that the dislike for our play didn't stem from the plan itself, but from the person who made it.

They should have acted as decent adults and overcame the dislike that they felt for that person. Maturity doesn't indeed come with age, for some people still can't handle problems and situations maturely. It's not solely based on age; rather, it is how a person chooses to respond and react to various situations in life. I'm hoping that someday we'll all mature and view situations from a wider perspective. May our future experiences mold us to be better and more mature versions of ourselves.

That's all for now, Hivers! See you next time for my new blog. I'll be waiting for you there!

Mata ne~