The Middle - Hello, how are you?
Today is circuit breaker day “XX” - a common sight as we browse through our social media platforms. Project Zero had our e-picnic about a month ago, during which we explored ways to turn rejected ideas into opportunities. Since then, much have happened – including our first Walk-Walk journey with Mdm Yu. While we all try our best to adapt to this new ‘normalcy’, we decided to connect with the stars of Project Zero and have a brainstorming session for Walk Walk on Zoom!
To be honest, we were hesitant. I felt it was intrusive to ask the stars to brainstorm for Project Zero with the current COVID-19 situation. After all, there’s so much going on right now. Should we take things slow and postpone the session?
Yet, a handful of stars readily said yes to the session and I thought, “this may mean something for them”. So, we went ahead, and it was humbling to meet all of them via Zoom. Among them were Saharidah who had difficulty logging on but persisted (and eventually succeeded, yay!); Martin who had troubles with Zoom during the e-picnic but has since build a set-up with his desktop and phone so that he can hear, talk and join in the activities; Madeline and her sleepy pet bird.
“How are you feeling?” A simple yet often overlooked statement (more so for adults). So, we started the session with a check-in on how everyone was feeling. While some were feeling “alright” as they have been able to engage in some of their usual activities still, others were “stressed” with the disruptions — especially in the realms of work — in the face of COVID-19.
We then explored what were “rejected” with the implementation of circuit breaker. While there are more restrictions to their movement and many activities thus “rejected”, many shared how they had ‘more time’. In turn, they did things they usually “rejected”, such as watching Netflix. That was when we realised that there were common themes being raised by the stars. Namely, self-care, self-entertainment and self-learning. We wondered then: How else can we connect with others – especially since physical gatherings are “rejected” now – using these “opportunities”?
In particular, Saharidah liked to Karaoke with others but could not do so now. That was possibly when Simon – our gamer – was most awake, not because he was a fan of Karaoke, but because he spotted an opportunity in Saharidah’s “rejected” idea. We could have a Karaoke session on Discord (a VoIP application and digital distribution platform designed for video gaming communities). And that was how our next Walk Walk idea came about.
Our friends from Nukampung also shared an upcoming mobile application which the stars could use to connect with others in their neighbourhood. Maybe we could use it to jio others to join our Karaoke session on Discord!
During the “How are you feeling?” check-in, I shared I felt “stuck” because I have allergic rhinitis and my whole nasal passageway was blocked. Magically, I felt none of that throughout the one and a half hour Zoom session. Perhaps, the magic was the connection with the group, who gave me a dose of laughter, clarity and motivation. The discussion on “rejected ideas” also prompted me to revisit my own “rejected idea” -- taking photographs outdoors. I snapped a picture #frommywindows while it was raining and here it is!
#BeBoldBeHome