Monday 22 September 2014

SG50 Fifty For Fifty (The Social Co)

Hi guys, so today is the day of the launch of the SG50 Fifty for Fifty event. I'm going to try to live blog as I go for my first event as a media representative of WhatsUp newspaper.

4am: Woke up panicking that I had perhaps missed my alarm. I was 3 hours too early for that.

6.45am: Woke up 15 minutes before my alarm.

7am: My alarm went off and I started getting ready.

7.45am: Started panicking again because I found a spot on my dress that I hadn't seen the day before. So I got a marker and went over the spot. It pretty much worked I think. Also I realized too late that I had forgotten to shave my legs. I am so fabulous it's funny.



8.15am: Finally ready, I head down to the kitchen to make myself a Nutella sandwich. I'm having the worst lady pains by the way guys.

8.30am: After checking my stuff 3 times, I am finally off. I'm 1.5 hours early. If you know me, you would know that I hate to be late or to have to rush. I am always early and today especially is no exception.

8.42am: I just caught my bus after missing 2 buses trying to get good photos. It was worth it though. I was told that I'm not allowed to post photographs from the event on this blog even if I take them myself. So I'm going to go around that by including street photography on the way there because I really want photographs in this post. 









8.44am: I am so nervous. This is my first time attending an event as a media representative. As an actual journalist. As a person with a bit of social anxiety and who is introverted, I am terrified of having to ask people questions and to have  people possibly looking at me. I'm scared. I'll admit that. It's worst that I'm going alone. I had to give myself a pep talk before I left. I was so nervous. It not helping that my cramps are basically making me feel like puking. I know this event and what I'm about to do isn't something I should be afraid of. But I am. It's my first time. I'm scared I'll screw up and say the wrong thing or ask the wrong questions or look stupid.  

8.52am: Still on the bus and I think I might be about to have a panic attack. I can't breathe and I'm shaking. My heart  is pounding so hard. 

9.01am: I just caught my train. It's so packed and I already feel so awful. I feel like I can't breathe People are loud next to me and loud noises give me a lot of anxiety so I'm not okay right now.

9.10am: I finally reached Somerset and I can get out of this awful train. It kept stopping in the middle of the tunnels.

9.25am: Okay i'm at SCAPE. I'm pretty much the only one here though. My stomach is in triple knots and I think I'm on level 4. The event is on level 5 but  no one is there. Probably because I'm more then half an hour early I guess. There's a room behind me that says SG50 but there's hardly anyone there so going in would be awkward. I wish I had someone to be awkward with right now.

9.33am: I'm seeing some other confused teens. Hmm... Still feeling awful




9.41am: So the confused teens apparently look like they are just here to dance. Fabulous. I have no one to be confused with.

10.16am: I'm sitting in the event right now. I'm so nervous. Everyone looks so professional and they are all adults and everyone is so tall. I feel like a midget. Everyone seems to know what to do except me.

10.30pm: The event started. A guy was talking to me. He was sitting next to me. He seemed nice. He wasn't from the media though.


11.30pm: I've made friends with a university journalist called Velda. She's really nice and seems about as shy as me. We just stood around together for a bit till she met a friend and started talking. Then it immediately felt like I was some child waiting for her mother to finish talking a friend. It was not very nice.


12.03pm: I interviewed the youngest change maker here called Elijah and the person who started Fifty for Fifty, Rebekah. They were both very nice people.

12.22pm: It's over. I just need some time to be by myself for a bit because that was the most stressful thing I've ever done.

2.39pm: I've had lunch and I'm now home and safe in my room. The event was stressful mostly because I didn't know anyone and I didn't know what to do. I also worked myself into quite a frenzy long before the event even started so there was that.


Overall though, the event was wonderful. The Treetop room we were in was gorgeous and I really enjoyed what everyone was saying. When people got up to speak, they made sure to keep it light and that was very nice.


I especially loved hearing about the cause. I think it's such a wonderful thing for these youths to be doing. They are raising money for charities that are not very well recognised. And for every dollar they raise, the government and corporate companies are matching it. So basically $1=$4. Isn't that amazing? I thought it was wonderful and such a brave thing to step up and do. Not to mention that these people all have full-time jobs except for the youngest there who is 18 and going into National Service.


I'm so grateful for this opportunity and even though it was so scary, I look forward to more events in the future. Thanks for following me as I live blogged this morning. My 30 day challenge post is coming up tonight after I finish writing the article from the event so stay tuned for that.

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