City Mosaic

Volunteers Sharing

Melody Ho

City Mosaic 2021 must be one of the most challenging ones to plan for to date. I had been a part of the planning committee on and off for the past seven years. What used to be a fun community of like-minded individuals getting together, visiting new places and supporting each other through the tasks that needs to be done for the game has reduced down to spending grueling hours in front of the screen for planning, game designing, and virtual meetings. Then it is pulling yourself out of the house to do site visits and on location research—oftentimes, alone. What used to be enjoyable has rendered down to dry and unassuming tasks that just need to be completed. It was then that we realized something was wrong. We were so focused on creating something for the community that we had neglected our very own community. There is no way we can spread joy to our participants if we cannot find the joy in it ourselves. Two months into planning, we started investing time with our own team. Setting aside the to-do list, we called, we messaged, we talked, and we listened. Week after week, we saw more members committing to the meeting, less members being distracted and on mute. Week after week, we saw the team coming together. It has been six months in the planning and City Mosaic 2021 is finally here. In the past, the game itself was a big to-do list. But this year, it is different. We hope you find it refreshing to dive deep into your neighbourhood and to experience the community through our eyes. As you walk the streets, take in the labour of love that we shed knowing that we have been there, and we so hope we can experience this with you as a community.