It all started 57 days ago. I went home from work and checked Steemit. I saw that was hosting a new selfie contest. The task is to take a new selfie each day that meets the requirements of the challenge. I usually don't take many selfies but decided, why not? I didn't expect the contest to run more than 2 weeks but I lasted until Day 56, and was "almost" in the top 10 players left. Alas, I was No. 11. That's ok because I had a lot of fun and learned a few lessons in the process.
57天前我看到 的新比赛。任务是每天自拍一张照片,但要依每天挑战的规定才不会被淘汰。我平时很少自拍, 但我决定参加了。可惜我是第11名, 没有进入前十强。但我学到很多。
Lesson 1: It is ok to make a fool of yourself. Don't take yourself so seriously
People who know me in real life know that I am usually a serious person who cares about how others see me. Some of my friends who helped me with ideas for the contest were very surprised that I was willing to do silly things. At first I was hesitant but then I went all in. Take for example the photo below, taken in a public place! The people eating noodles at the next table must have thought I was crazy. But even looking at this picture now makes me laugh.
第一,我学到不要太严肃, 可以不顾面子。认是我的人知道我平时蛮严肃, 所以他们很惊讶我願意不顾面子完成任务。例如在牛肉面店扮鬼脸。
Lesson 2: Strangers are nicer than you think
One of the tasks was to take a photo with 9 other people, and I was thinking to myself, where am I going to find so many people? I was away from home and far away from my usual group of friends. It so happened that I was going to lunch with 3 other friends that day and I decided to ask the wait staff and manager of the restaurant to help me. They were a bit confused but willing to help out!
第二, 我发现陌生人其实蛮好的。有一天的任务是跟9个人照相。我的朋友分散个地所以只好问餐厅的经理和服务生願不願帮忙。他们听不太懂我到底在做什么但願入镜。
Lesson 3: Learn to observe your environment carefully and you will find many resources
While I was travelling with my friends, I saw that the task was to make myself into a flower, with the requirement that I change the colour of my face and have at least a leaf on my arm. It was too late to buy construction paper and tape to cut petals, so I decided to "borrow" the orchids in the hotel we were staying at. I also got some leaves from a nearby park. This also ties in with Lesson 1 as I was also making a fool of myself in public.
第三,多观察环境,可以找到好多资源。有一天我还在旅行的时候要把自己变成一朵花。文具店关了所以决定用饭店的蘭花和公园的树叶。
Lesson 4: I have more creativity than I thought I did
第四,我比我想象中还有想象力。
Some of my favourite photos that I found captured my ideas well:
Task was to be buried in something
把自己埋在书里
Task was to act like The Statue of Liberty
把自己变成自由女神。用柚子当皇冠。
Lesson 5: Where there's a will, there's a way
One of the hardest challenges was to make a vehicle look like it caught on fire, have another person hold a Steemit sign and hold a Steemit sign myself. The day the challenge was set, I was still in the middle of traveling and couldn't use a car or bike at home. I was scared of asking a stranger to lend me theirs but managed to find an abandoned bike to complete the task. Also hard was the making it look on fire part. Luckily I found this metal bowl that had handles which worked out perfectly for holding the fire.
第五, 有志者事竟成
在外要完成任务不易。有一天要假装一台交通工具烧起来。後来找到了一台废弃的脚踏车。
Lesson 6: My parents are creative people and good actors
I wouldn't have lasted this long in the competition if I didn't have my parents
第六, 我的爸爸