Hello everyone :-)
As promised, I will be blogging about The MP3 Experiment: Singapore's Soundtrack in this post and it's an event that I participated in last Saturday (27 July). Before that though, if you are clueless about what this event is all about, hop over to the website HERE to read more about it if you'd like. Essentially, it is sort of like a flash mob but cooler - all participants download the same track, gather at the same venue, press play at the same time, and do what the voice on the MP3 instructs us to do. It is all in the name of spreading kindness and raising awareness; breaking the boundaries of strangers and doing something nice, especially in the context of our conservative and cold Singapore society.
Improveverywhere, the New York based group is one that first came up with this idea of the MP3 Experiment - it's really cool because unlike flash mobs, there is no need to rehearse! I have been following their Youtube videos for a long while now and I've always wanted to be part of it, pity they were based in the US. When I first heard that The Hidden Good was going to team up with Improveverywhere to organize one in Singapore, I jumped into it immediately. It was a coincidence that this event was publicized in my school as well, under Peer Support Board's Singapore Kindness Movement.
On Saturday, after watching The Addam's Family (see previous post!), and walking around Resorts World Sentosa for a bit, I headed to meet Tiffany, Hui Ying and Minglu as we planned to go for this together. We saw tons of RGS girls though, so it was pretty cool :-)
Tiff, Huiying, myself & Minglu! :-)
The website link which I provided in the earlier part of this post has the track that anyone can listen to and it'll give a clearer idea of what we did exactly at the event but it was quite a success. Although it was super obvious to all of us at the start (because we all had earphones on and were acting rather suspiciously), it was amazing when all of us pressed play at 6.00PM sharp.
We attracted so much attention, especially when we froze on the spot and did jumping jacks - mass activities like these were very effective. Not so much for the things where we found fellow participants to play games like rock, paper, scissors and thumb war, though those were fun as well. It was really funny because I was playing with this dude and he was somehow really bad at thumb war and I kept winning and he gave up. I would never have walked up to strangers and tell them jokes or play with them or simply wishing them a good day but I did because of this experiment and it felt truly amazing.
The balloon war was quite exciting too, but I thought it defeated the purpose of the entire thing - it became more of an exclusive event rather than reaching out and breaking down boundaries of the people not in the know of this event! It was fun though, so much creativity and thought must have been put into it. I was drenched in sweat by the end of it because we all huddled so tightly together but it was worth it, really.
Yay caught Jiaying there :-)
When the event officially ended and when balloon scraps were left on the floor, it touched me that most, if not some people actually stayed to clear up and place because that, I believe, is the true meaning of kindness - taking action without being instructed by "Ah Meng", as the voice called himself/ itself.
Minglu, Nadia & Huiying being amazing :-)
This cool hovering camera was capturing videos of us :') I am very exciting to see the final compiled video which will be released tomorrow if I'm not wrong!
After everything was over, I went around to find all the people I knew and it was so heartening to see so many RGS girls supporting this event!
With Swan! :-)
With Shermaine! :-)
Shermz, myself & Nicole! :-)
Yay 4/6 of boings - Phionna, Wang, Swan & myself!
I had dinner with Phionna, Wang You & Swan and it was one of the most insane nights ever - we were just at McCafe laughing like maniacs and it felt amazing :') I wish we had more of such gatherings because it truly makes me feel so carefree and happy to let go of everything and just laugh. We were doing the craziest things and making so much noise but we didn't really bother and no one really bothered with us as well!
Phionna & Swan! :-)
Wang & myself! :-)
Ma dinner yoz (I wasn't feeling very hungry at that time and was dying for something sweet) To be perfectly honest, I think one shouldn't eat the brownie by themselves, even if it's for dinner - it's crazy sweet and too thick for one person to consume, really!
I WANT TO EAT.
The three of them have actually already eaten before coming so they just got drinks or in Swan's case, a few McWings (which looks really good, just look!)
C H I C K E N!!!!
Profile picture worthy shot of Phionna :-)
Wang You insisted that I filter this in black and white - here you go m'am!
And Swan was super annoyed with all of us (as she usually is) because we kept saying she was Wolverine (long story, but yes)
Group photo! :-) No one normally takes photos in McDonalds of worse, ask the staff to help us take photos but we did (we were all drunk on sugar and salt, in Swan's case)
When we walked out, we realized that the sky was super duper dark and wanted to pretend to be super badass so we took this photo to show that we stayed out late (HAHA) 
When we got to Vivocity, Wang You went to meet her parents (they were there eating too how scary!) and Phionna, Swan and myself didn't feel like going home immediately because it wasn't very often that we got to spend time together. Plus, the night sky was so perfect for chit chatting :') So we headed to the open air water park place and sat around a lamp and had nice little "bonfire"!
Another profile pic worthy shot, Phionna! :-) I am so good at this HAHA
Final shot of the day :-)
Yes :-) That was part 2 of my very lovely Saturday, made amazing by wonderful company and meaningful events! I do wish for more of such things happening because these are the things that makes my life fulfilling and I'm so fortunate to have been able to go through such experiences. I say this a lot (and I still mean it everytime I say this), but I'm truly blessed and I'm so thankful for everything in my life at the moment.
I do think that The MP3 Experiment focused too much on the fun aspect than the reaching out part, but considering that this is the first time it is organized in Singapore, I truly respect those in the organizing team and for even thinking of bringing such a concept to Singapore because it must have taken a lot of courage and faith to think that Singapore, the increasingly cold society will have people as spontaneous enough to support and execute the event. Indeed, this might not have been perfect but it is a wonderful start to a more gracious Singapore, though cynic me thinks that there is really a long long way to go and there is a need to make such a mindset a sustainable one and not simply a one-off thing. However, at the moment, I don't have any suggestions for improvement so I shall keep my mouth zipped and appreciate what has been carried out and done because it was truly an honour to be a part of this :-)
Here's the video if you'd like to see it!
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