Reddit Secret Santa 2010 — Thoughts and Experience

Around one month ago, I signed up for Reddit's 2010 Secret Santa. This year's secret santa featured 17543 people in 90 countries, up from 4523 people in  57 countries a year ago. I made sure to check the option to only be matched with somebody in Canada.

The matching process was set to be finished on November 26. However, the huge influx of people caused the process to be delayed around two days. I finally received my match on Nov. 28: a 26 year old college student in Barrie. Pretty good match for me; a match somewhere on the other side of the country would send my shipping fees through the roof. Having a lower shipping cost would let me spend more on the actual present.

On to my presents... After dragging Zammar and Jordan to Wal-Mart a few times I picked these well-decorated liquor-filled chocolates. It was on sale and set me back $10 plus tax.

I chose my second present after yet another Wal-Mart raid with Zammar / Jordan. Cyber Clean, a substance in a short cylindrical plastic bottle which seems like a cross between Silly Putty and jello. It's antibacterial and fits into crevices in your electronics to lift dust and destroy bacteria. Cost: $7

I brought these two items to school on the last day to ship [December 6th] and went to Shoppers at lunch to ship them. I wasn't sure what to expect; I've never shipped something before. Not even a letter. There ended up being a moderately-sized line of people waiting for the single woman behind the counter —not surprising as it's the Christmas season. She helped me shove the chocolates and jelly into a bubble-wrap lined package and shipped it for $11.

My Secret Santa confirmed that my gift [the one being sent to me] was shipped the next day by UPS. Like any other anxious gift-receiving kid, I made an UPS account to track the gift. It arrived the day after that at my front door. My mom saw the UPS truck [I didn't tell her about this] and dismissed it, saying "they went to the wrong house". I snuck out and grabbed the package around a foot away from the door. Instantly noticeable: it was a package from amazon.com. It was also moderately weighted; it felt around a few pounds.

 Again, like any other anxious giftee, I tore the package open where it said "tear here". Inside I found a Blu-Ray / DVD / digital copy of Scott Pilgrim vs The World and Under the Dome by Stephen King. Amazing gift choice —I was planning to buy the book and the movie's great. Unfortunately, I don't have a Blu-Ray player. I'll steal a PS3 or something. Thank you, Secret Santa!

I'm totally going to do this again next year. I'll also participate in the Arbitrary Day in the summer —an event created as an excuse to send more secret santas. Thanks again, Scott Carmichael from Calgary, if you ever see this.

UPDATE: My giftee just posted the gift on the site :)
goo.gl/Fa4Gf

Cool Bus

This was meant to be part of a post about the Music Department but I separated it because of its length.

Music camp —the first music event of the year— is essentially what set me into the Music Department two years ago. While barely knowing any of the other grade nines and a far cry from being able to play my new instrument properly, I set out after only a few weeks into high school to go to a music camp. It was pretty long bus ride (—again, with people I barely knew—) to the camp, situated up north.

What we do at the camp is relatively simple. On the first day, we are introduced to the area and shown around. We also play a few simple games to get to know each other a bit. We eat dinner then settle down to watch a performance. The next few days, we practice our instruments, have band rehearsals, take part in electives, and watch performances or perform after dinner. By the third year, the excitement of being shown around the place has completely dissipated and the games felt chore-like.

This being my third consecutive year going to the camp, what exactly has changed? The performances by the camp councilors and staff have remained relatively the same; likewise with the events —Crazy Olympics, cabin performances— with the occasional deviation. Our cabins, however, have changed. The CIT cabins I was situated in during my first year at the camp have since been deserted. The food also has sporadically differed —the "love it or hate it" music camp veterans all know about. The students sharing my grade also changed. From 60-80 in my first year to around 20 in my second year, the numbers had dwindled to around 12 by the time I went as a junior.

Another major change? For me, becoming a mentor. As I'm now in grade 11, I now have the privilege of  of becoming a mentor for the lower grades participating in the camp. That also includes the privilege of staying up late and maintaining order within the various male cabins at night. However, the most enjoyable part in being a mentor, to me, was taking part in the mentor performance.

A word now on the performance by all the mentors —we played and sang a series of pop songs based on the four chords in Pachelbel's Canon. The four chords written generally would be I - V - VI - IV. Although I knew the lyrics to only two out of the twelve or so songs, I still enjoyed being part of the event. There was also brief speculation as to whether or not the grade nines would enjoy the performance. Speaking to a few of them later, however, confirmed my thoughts —they loved it.

At this point I cannot help but to be agnostic as to whether or not I will attend next year. Although it will be the last year I can attend, the price and declining enthusiasm may set me off. That's not to say that Music Camp isn't the best way to start a new school year —meeting new students, hauling off to Horner's trumpet, the food (—from which opposing opinions sprout—), and of course: hours of practicing and band rehearsals.