Day 27 — The friendliest person you knew for only one day

Surprisingly, I had a few in mind on who to write to, but, I did not know their names! Initially, 10 faces came right after I saw the topic. Some of them, I knew their faces, but did not know their names. Some I knew their faces and names, but did not know if I had correctly matched the names to the faces. Only one, I could remember, just in time for me to write a proper letter to.

Hey, I met you just yesterday(maybe even a few times before, just that I had forgotten), together with Andy and Zhong Rong. It was one of the rare days I had dinner with them, and thanks to them for allowing us to have a nice chat yesterday, to find out more about the changes taking place in school, 3 years on.

We learnt a lot about what our future would be like, through the chat we had yesterday. Many things I found out that were similar or different between the different groups. Guess the two main UGs are having a cold war again, though I doubt there's anything to be worried about, as there's bound to be a turning point where everyone would come together to stage something impressive just as the first camp fire was, years back.

I never expected you to be a nice person who's easy to talk to. Just ask them. It's really that difficult to get someone like me to put my shell aside. You have that level of maturity in you, which somehow makes me all the more interested in what you shared with us about your training. It sure has benefited you lots, and made you a better individual.

Though I'm not sure if I'll be able to have a meal or something similar with you guys again, I sure had a great evening with you all, celebrating boxing day!

Day 6 — A stranger

Hi! Just wanted to ask, what makes a stranger? I don't know you, you don't know me. Somehow, I don't know how, we're friends online. Was it this year, or last year? Well, though we were probably taught by the same teachers, but in different buildings, on the same parcel of land, somehow, we're strangers. Till now, I still don't know how it came about. Alright, this is probably going to be the shortest letter I have ever written,but anyways, maybe since we have exchanged words a couple of times, it wouldn't be that awkward for me to write this to you(for fun), though I had a hard time finding someone in my friend list to write to.

Hope you don't mind this being short, since the length is more or less, pretty much an idea of how much I know about you.I wouldn't mind getting to know you a little better, though.

Day 1 — Your Best Friend

The Year End Special. Something to end things off differently this year!

Each year, I'll spend a little time, pondering over little stuff that has happened over the past 364 or so days. This year, I wanted to make it special, since it's 2010, I'm probably in my final year as a teen(unless 20 is considered as the last), and I'm graduating in less than three months. Many thanks to Xing Dan, who inspired me to take on the challenge, since it's probably the best way to mark the end of the first decade of the second millennium(or, the third).

Ever since my age had a second digit to it, I stopped figuring who was truly a best friend. Honestly, I can count the number of friends I have with my fingers, and be left with a few still standing upright! I shall remember three friends. Three friends who have helped shape me from someone people would call a sitting duck, into a simple-minded individual who simply enjoys being there for others(even when he knows it's out of his league to do that much).

I have known this boy since I was 10. One of the few friends I had back in Primary 4. Zheng Yan. Probably the only prefect back in 2001 to spot 4 different badges on your left. Wondered how you managed to bear that weight, walking around during recess, climbing stairs, taking the bus home. Outspoken, always taking initiatives, you have showed me the basics of the meaning of friendship. In 2003, you looked at me with tears in your eyes upon seeing the green laminated script with the three digits that somehow dictated the future of every 12 year old. I could only stare back at you blankly, helpless, not knowing what to do, other than to tell you ,"don't be upset, you did better than me." You know, the incident at the fish shop that same year, was the last time I visited similar shops until 2 or 3 years back. Gosh, we stood there like status, as if looking at the fishes for answers to our innocent deed(it was their fault to place the tanks at such a position where there was little room for them to balance on their own). Still taller than me, you have become better looking, definitely more mature, but hey, you still sound almost the same!

Miss Lim(have yet to find her Facebook account), our first and last secondary school teacher(and the best teacher I've been taught by since I started schooling), sat us beside each other back in January 2004. A month later in February, we decided to go ask for her endorsement for us to make it to the councillor interviews. Like everyone in the world, you started small, and gradually made a name for yourself. We took similar, yet different paths. I still remember, we used to jostle with metal and plastic rulers, typical of 13 year-olds back then? Always there for me, yet I took things lightly every now and then. Perhaps the camera incident in 2006 was a blessing in disguise? The thousands of volts that ran through our hearts at the science lab taught us many things. I don't know what to say, although I had misplaced your trust, you welcomed me back almost as soon as it all ended, as if nothing had happened. Recently you had just returned from your overseas stint, a better groomed person, at least you're more tanned now. I just feel, though we seldom see each other, Randall too, it does wonders how simple stuff like meals, a movie series, books and the like could always help us relate to one another. Sometimes, we don't even need to think about what each other was thinking to know what we're feeling! I miss the days we studied together. Perhaps, history could repeat itself if we became course mates, or beter still, classmates, at NTU?

I don't know about this one. I just, don't know what to say. It all started with us electing a class representative back on Monday morning, 7th January 2008. There were the four of us. One who was the life, organising last minute class gatherings and lunches right after the dismissal bell went off everyday, without fail, there was one, who was always there to provide us with the support we needed, and there was you, the one who would never fail to point out your miss beautiful in the crowd to us every morning(well, almost). Sean, you have been like a guru, ever since the four of us left in different directions on our respective journeys. Many times, I come to you, you'll provide some useful advice, without fail. You gave me the chance to meet not one, but two friends who I came to know and grew really close to. Ever since I knew you, I have had many opportunities to travel those long journeys from the West to the East, to kill time, release stress, and to just catch up on the times. I can't wait to meet you guys soon!

Although it's been quite a while since I met them, I still see them every now and then, though not as often as when were were still seated in the same respective classrooms. I have 4 others, but I doubt I would stop at 7 if I were to type away.

I wonder, would it be possible, if some of the days, I end up writing to the same contact since I can't think of any other?

"Journey" To The Past And Back

In the past week, my mind and subconscious travelled back in time. On Monday, I dreamt of me being 14 again, going to a polytechinic which looked like a secondary school.

During the rest of the week, my dreams were somehow filled with images of the past, showing what the future would be like if I made the choice to take a different route at each junction back in those days. My waking life over the week was miserable, filled with nothing more than sheer regret. It's the same thoughts of "Why didn't I have the courage to make the move back then? Why didn't I sign up for it? If only I hadn't done this, if only I had done that."

Wednesday, I had a dream, as a result of too much video games. Found myself in a boss fight with 2 other characters. One girl, and a knight. The knight refused to accept me for some reason, which I forgot what it was after I woke. The fight took place at a small village, defeated the boss, and moved on to a cave, where we fought off monsters. Somehow, we ended up at school, and fr some reason, we made our way to the SDAR office. There, for some reason, the knight finally accepted me, and things started happening at a fast rate. A girl(not the one I started out with), rushed to me, passing me a small, A5 sized ring binded booklet, its cover made of recycled paper. Along its left side, was 2 words spelled in capital, and 4 digits, in olive green colour. On the right, were 4 photographs, presumably from a tour. She said that she was there to pass me the booklet on behalf of a Dr. __________ (it's an Indian name). On it was a note, which was a message written to her asking to pass the booklet to me, his name was at the bottom of the note. I fell into a daze as I saw the cover page and flipped the booklet open. I woke after that. That evening, I wrote a message, which might not mean anything to the recipient, but it helped me let go.

On Friday, I went to Pizza Hut with the peeps from N4. On the way back, I 'saw' the girl who passed me the booklet in the dream I had on Wednesday. She asked for directions to the school, and ran off. So, in the dream, she passed me a booklet, while in person, she asked for directions. Weird.

In the evening, went to Kismis field for the ME fun day. The tug of war lasted 5 seconds, with us petite friends, losing to a bunch of muscular students. It wasn't demoralising at all, in fact, our bonds got stronger. Then came the relay. It was funny to meet the same opponents, but it was funnier to see how we reacted to one another's ways of completing his leg of the relay. Rushed off to meet Zheng Yan and Zihao for the barbeque at Toa Payoh.

We took 157, and arrived at 7. Someone said Ryan would be late, but she never mentioned which one. As a result, both were. Nearly the whole class was there that night, and it was a night worth remembering, although there was no stayover due to a low response. Went for supper at King Albert Park with Zheng Yan, Ryan Ng, Jing Hui, Chiahua and Gekshan. At 12.45am, Jing Hui and Ryan Ng accompanied back home for the night, after we saw Chiahua, Gekshan and Zhengyan off halfway during the journey.

In the morning, they left, and I headed off for Lakeside at 10.15am. I reached at 10.35, and met up with Zhong Rong and Zijie(Yes! I finally met him in person!). Zhong Rong gave mr Liew a call, which gave us the reassurance that we could crash the secondary 1 CCA Open House without any complications. Went on a tour, and noticed the changes in the school(not physical changes though). At 12, went to Jurong Point for lunch with Andy, Zhong Rong, Zijie and the juniors. Had a nice time getting to know them a little over lunch. 1pm, we went to take a group photo. Before that, a few more joined in. A strong sense of Deja Vu. Many thoughts ran through my mind at the time, and that, prompted me to tell someone something later that day. Whatever the dream was, don't think it would be appropriate to describe it here nor what I felt due to sensitive issues(leave me a message if you are serious about it).

Took the train home after taking the bus back. Finally, I could catch up on my sleep. That night, was probably the best night I had that week. Regrets that I had back in old school that I kept close to me, I finally let go that dreamless night.

Sunday, I had my first driving experience on the expressway. It was no different than driving on the road, except that with low mental stamina, I found it hard to concentrate, to maintain the vehicle's course within the lane, for it was always moving toward the right. Even as I kept to a speed of 60km/h which made things easy for me, I found myself starting to become mentally tired 15 minutes into the drive on the way home. It's better to be physically tired, than mentally tired, for the consciousness of an average person is way stronger than the physical strength of the strongest person alive.

So many things happened in a week, I found myself 'travelling' to the past and back, through gatherings and re-visits. On Monday, I opened my eyes to a whole new future. I am starting to let go of the past regrets which have, and will continue to prevent me from doing some things in the future. Only by letting go, would one find more roads to choose from. Looking forward with no regrets, is better than looking back and wondering if the choice made was the right one.

Experience Drive-24

Saturday afternoon. Went through the whole test process. Warm up followed by the mock test. I committed lots of careless mistakes, such as mounting the kerb and striking the pole while doing the parallel parking. He took a short break efore we went for the evaluation. Scored a total of 12 points within the circuit, and I nearly failed the parallel parking segment. On the road, I took too long to turn twice, which cost me an additional 4 points. In all, I received 16 out of the maximum of 18 demerit points allowed. That was a close one. The final one in roughly less than a month's time, would cary much higher standards than that day. From that day on, it would be another 5 weekly revision sessions(except for one), before we come to the actual traffic police practical test.

This morning had a short reunion with Edward and Darren at Clementi. We took the shuttle bus to school, before carrying on toward our own venues for classes. CAD practical was, a challenge today, and I'm glad the lecturer received the email I sent him the night before. Got to know moe about the types of lines the program could draw and the ways the lines coud be manipulated to remove material from the solids. One thing I was sure of, this program is better than the one we were trained to use a year ago. Went for lunch, before going off for Calculus. The lecture was fast paced once again, though we managed to cover all the topics for the lecture. One thing that we were told. This module carried a failure rate of 23%,while the next one, Further Calculus, carried an appalling 100% failure rate for the previous semester! Wow. Let's hope we could bring down those numbers.

Looking forward to ED tomorrow.

Experience Drive-13

Learnt about overtaking and being overtaken. However, since I was moving at the same speed as other vehicles on the roads, there weren't chances to overtake any other vehicle. Overtaking is just like changing lanes, however, it's only temporary, for after overtaking the vehicle, one would have to return to the original lane once again. Till that day, I have never went beyond 60km/h on the roads.

Yesterday, went to Wei Fan's place to celebate her 18th birthday. Met up with them at Lakeside MRT Station before we went to her place via the same canal we used to run at back in those days. After some time, her current classmates arrived. Among them, there was one, who looked almost like her, except that, her hair was longer than the one I "saw" those nights. Up in my head, which said,"It might be her ya? You never know when might be the next time you might meet someone who has a resemblence that close."

However,my heart said,"Hey, it has happened once. Don't let it happen again. Ok? You saw her picture for the first time the other day, right? The girl you met online and dreamt about for 5 consecutive times, only to lose contact with 10 months later and find out that her looks are exactly the same as the one you saw in your dreams back in January this year. Be patient. Wait. The other girl you saw for the sixth time on Thursday, you might just meet her in person when the time is right. Don't give up."

There were only the few ofus who were able to cook and prepare the food at the pit. Though the light conditions were not as good as expected, and I did not help around much, we still managed to do a great job preparing food for everyone there. The night ended when we took photographs together and had the cake cutting ceremony.

Anyways, it's less than 10 hours to the start of the new school semester. been a long holiday, with lots of happenings, both good and bad. I'll remember the good, and take the bad home as valuable lessons learnt. Tomorrow's the start of a brand new day. Lost some friends in the past, but I'll be sure to meet new ones in the future.

Perhaps, That would bring me a step closer to finding you? I don't know how, but like Jon said, I get the feeling that the day we met is drawing closer ith each passing second.

Teachers' Day Celebrations @ YCSS && SG "Tour"-Day 2

Woked up at 7.30, and went to Lakeside to meet up with the others. I left at 8.20am, an arrived 30 minutes later as usual, at 8.50. Zhong Rong came first, followed by Gabriel, Randall and Darren, Andy, Edward and as for who came after that, I kind of forgot.

First teacher we met was Mr Liew, who was gathering some councillors for a briefing of the students-teachers games. This time missed the chance to have a chat with him and other teachers, probably since we stayed only at one place, the canteen for almost the whole time. We went on to the Staff Room to meet Miss Lee, Miss Loh, Miss Kang and Miss Chee before we left, not to forget some of the photos we took!

After that, went to the coffee shop behind the school for lunch, before we left for the street soccer court. That's when I started to take pictures of the flats once again. For the record, that was the first time I did not play a single game when we got there. Soon, we were joined by more friends and I started to get a little bored before I started to go take some pictures of the area as well as of them, before going to the void deck nearby with Randall. fter awhile, we went back to watch them, and we stayed there for about an hour before we walked to his place. We reached about 2.35, 10minutes earlier than I had expected. Didn't stay too long, just had a change of clothes and left for Eunos via Boon Lay. Had a bad stomache on board bus 154 during the journey. Upon arrival at 4.45, went straight to the toilet and left on 63 for Funan the IT mall at 5, for a short walk before heading home.

Here's a few pictures taken at school:

More pictures can be found at these sites(from top: Teachers' Day Celebrations @ Yuan Ching Secondary '09, "sg tour"-Day 2, 1st soccer game of the afternoon):
http://www.facebook.com/photos/?ref=sb#/album.php?aid=32509&id=1040930846

http://www.facebook.com/photos/?ref=sb#/album.php?aid=32513&id=1040930846
http://www.facebook.com/photos/?ref=sb#/album.php?aid=32516&id=1040930846

Happy 44th National Day

This year's celebration was unique. On Friday, woke up at 4.45am. Somehow I managed it as I slept at 2am the night before. Had just recovered from mild fever and alost fully recovered from flu the day before, and hopefully, I won't get chased out by the secuity when we enter the school later on. I took the 6.45am bus with my brother to Clementi, and after 2 years, it was just the same. That morning, half the bus was dressed in the patriotic red. Decided not to wear red this year. I had wanted to wear red at first, but, on second thought, let's try giving this year a miss.

Reached Lakeside at 7.20am, andthey were nowhere in sight. Weirdly, anything tht hasgot to do with meeting friends from secondary school, I'm always early. But when it came to activities with friends from polytechnic,I'm usually either very early, or I as very late. Classes included. 7.35am, Randall and Jin Tian arrived, and as we were way too early, we went for breakfast instead. Went back to the coffeeshop behind the school, and stayed there for over an hour before we went back to school. Like the year before, I skipped clases before lunch time, which meant I skipped the EM3B lecture hat morning from 9 to 11am.

We waited at the foyer after signing in, listened to his usual long speeh, listened to and sang along to the songs, and watched the performance by the students involved in the actual parade on Sunday. The performance was in fact a nice, close-up preview of what's going to happen on the big day. That short morning sure broguht back memories. One again, they had a carnival this year. We were soon joined by others(I can't remember everyone). As I woud be running around a few places the whole day, I decided not to ring along my camera. Thus, there were no pictures taken. Met up and caught up wih lots of familiar friends and teachers while we were there. There were also inter-class games for netball and table tennis.

At 11, the alumni formed a team to play against the current students(mostly players of the school team). I took part as well, just for fun. As expected, I had not fully recovered, and after just 5 minutes, I started walking. It was a nice match, although e lost very badly(which is a good thing). Good thing I informed the club that I would not be turning up for the friendly match in advance that night, as after the friendly match ended at 11.30, I went straight to the toilet to make myself feel better. The match lasted only 10 minutes. At 11.45, Alicia and I shared a cab to school, for I was late for a test, and she had classes at 12.

A cab arrived just in time, and it was a nice coincidence, as, the driver who brought us to school used to fetch our vice principal to school in the past. What a small word! We had a nice chat with him during the journey. Very memorable morning. In the taxi, I felt unwell again. Damn. Let's hope it would be gone by the time I arrived in school. During the journey, he asked if we both knew which school we were in. coincidentally, we only knew that our courses were both from the Mechanical Engineering Division, just minutes before we boarded the taxi(while we were walking to the school's main gate).

Rushed straight to the classroom(still perspiring very badly after the game). How nice, just after I got off I felt like fainting. Bought a drink, and once I sat down, I felt better. In a minute, the test began. Nice timing.For th rest of the day, I was back to normal, except for the flu that was still there. My mind went blank in the first five minutes as I was changing my mindset of the holiday mood to that of the studying mood. Completed the test for Thermodynamics without much difficulty although it was just 5 questions. Went for IA after that, got back my draft for the case study, and we started with the lessons. Toward the end, I became very restless and my mind just switched off.

3.50pm, I took 154 and headed for Toa Payoh Hub to meet Bernice and some others from Joy 5, class of 2002. Maybe I would consider it to be luck that the Meals on Wheels service was cancelled at the last minute, which gave me the chance to catch up with my long lost friends.I was the last to arrive. Everyone had changed so much, although I could still recognise everyone. But, like in the past, the nicknames had not changed very much, although we did not use them as often. We had a nice walk to Mr Peck's home. Drank some drinks, sat around, chatted a little and took a couple of photos before we went for dinner at 6.15. He brought up the old jokes we once shared, and we still remembered the essay where the "buglar ran to the bicycle and ran home", among many others. Sadly,when I said I had to rush off at 7, that was when the gathering ended. Mr Peck walked me to the bus stop and everyone offered to come along. Bernice went off to met her boyfriend, Yong Jie rushed off to get ready for a wedding at pm, Eugene and Andy most probably went home. Took 88 with Wei Yang to Bishan before we parted ways once again.

The part I liked about the evening. Travelling. I took the Circle Line,operated by SMRT, for the first time that evening. The train ride was pretty nice, especially at the front, where unlike the train operated by SBS Transit, the emergency exit had a window. I got off and transferred at Serangoon. The walk was really long. Did not walk very fast, for fear I might become unwell once again. Got onto the train just in time and headed straight for Harborfront Station. I was to meet my lecturer and some friends for a nigh of German Cuisine at Brotzeit, #01-149 Vivocity. I arrived on the dot at 8pm, and the queue was really long. Perhaps it was Friday night. We got a table for 4, and we learnt the pronunciation of some of the German food on the menu. We did not really order food in German(which I was looking forward to nervously), but we did learn that some of the ingredients were flown in from Germany! Wow. I ordered the German style of fish and chips. Instead of the coleslaw and mashed potato, it came with mushrooms and a unique sauce. The fish was really tender and nice, though, like other dishes, the price was high, but still affordable. We had desert, and it was really good! Definitely value for money! We chatted about a possible future educational trip to Germany which would last 2 weeks. I would very much like to go on that trip as well, but sadly it clashes with the schedule of the California Challenge in June. 2 great trips, but only 1 me. I definitely want o take on the California Challenge, but at the same time, I wanted to go on the educational trip to Germany. At 10.15pm, we went off. Not only did she offer t pay our bills, she also offered to give us a lift home! Wow thanks lots!

Saturday was the first day of the long holidays. my holidays were going to be slightly longer than most students this year. For me, I return to school only on Wednesday. Anyways, Saturday was spent more on resting, gaming, and a little on studying as well.

Sunday morning. Happy 44Th Birthday Singapore! I woke extremely early that morning, before falling asleep again till 10am. Studied in the morning, before going out for lunch with parents at Chinatown. We went to Chinatown square as they were looking for a Chinese stall to have lunch at, but as we had to walk a long way to get there, we decided to return to the hawker centre instead. At Chinatown square, there were many stalls selling all kinds of toys. They ranged from as early as the 80s to as recent as this year. Great place to get old stuff at low prices which look as good as new too.

After lunch, we bought dinner and supper before heading back home at 3pm. Slacked around till 6.15 when the parade was telecast 'live' on television. Did not go head down to take photographs, as I would be alone for the whole event, and my brother was already going there with the camera to take some shots with his friends. This year's parade was definitely better than last year. The displays, decorations, plot were a lot better. The aerial displays, theme song and fireworks were not as good as last year. The fireworks were better to look at, however, it did not last as long. Wondering how much better it could have been if it lasted a couple of minutes longer.

Today, I was gearing up for the examinations arriving in less than 2 weeks. Slack in the morning, did some Math again in the afternoon, and took a nap after that. I cried out a name again this time, though it wasn't as loud and clear as the first time a few years back, where I woke my dad, who came to check on me. Went to study a little more, before I continued slacking for the rest of the night.

Tomorrow, I don't think I'll be doing as much math as I did today. Tomorrow, I'll be doing and completing my IA case study so that I could submit it for checks on Wednesday, in case I had to make some changes to the mistakes.

Hey, I enjoyed this afternoon lots. Didn't really expect you to be there when I only had thoughts in my mind. So much I wanted to say, but I couldn't. Longing for the day where I could meet you once again. Always dreaming of that one day I could finally see the real you. Would you grant me this one wish?? Oh and by the way, sorry if the post was long and boring as usual.

Entering the 13th Week.

The weekend was rahter eventful, thankful the competition was cancelled till further notice. Friday went to Ang Mo Kio for Steamboat with the founding members of the Videography Club, to celebrate a birthday. Yes,it's late, but Happy Belated Birthday Violet. Still partially legal, but you're almost there. Met at 5.30, but we only started at 6.30 when everyone arrived. Had a hard time making up our minds where to go next, and finally decided on playing pool. As I did not have time to get a gift, I decided to pay the full rate for one of the two tables we used. Left really late, and I reached home close to midnight.

Saturday, I started revision for the final examinations, though I did not really do much.

Sunday, it was out to help prepare for as well as attend Chi Kai's Farewell party at Zhong Rong's place. Met Xue Li, Gabriel, Wei Xiang, Jun Jie, Kwan Wei, Ying Xiu, Chie Heng and some others(sorry I can't remember everyone) at IMM. We managed to get everything we needed in a mere hour! Wow. We arrived at the pit close to 5pm, after climbing over and crawling under two sets of barriers before arriving at the condo's gate. Everyone had changed. That evening was great. The food was just enough for everyone. There was exactly half the class who attended(minus Sean and Vignesh who are already overseas) the barbeque. Finally met Miss Lim after one long year. As usual, I am 'too shy' to speak. Anyway, it was a great gathering, and I managed to catch up with all the scandals going around, and catch up on lost time with everyone there that night. Siang Lin if you're reading this, your dream was kind of right. I had a bad outbreak shortly after the common tests were over, but now at least I have about 2 to 3 left on my forehead. Anyway, when we left at 10, I felt as though I was still in holiday mood, as though there was no school the next day. Just before the remainder of us parted ways, we met Mr Liew and Chun Hui at the MRT Station. It's been a long time, but, I still think they look just the same.

It's been a long long time since I heard the rumbling of MRT trains and walking along the long path to school. The school(just opposite Zhong Rong's place) really brings back lots of memories. Perhaps, that place, was just the perfect venue to have our class gathering. Seperated by the school by 2 fences, 2 cycling and running paths and a canal,and that was also the place where Chi Kai has been, and would be staying till this Wednesday when he flies off. So, 2 friends are already accepted into university. One in Australia, the other in San Fransisco. In a year's time, my turn to register would arrive. Everyone's changed, but it doesn't end here. Live goes on. To the near future, where we would all soon meet again, all 46 of us.

Today, Left for home immediately after school ended, due to my lower back injury. It's been there for more than a week. But today it was so bad I can't run for that long when we were late for the last lesson of the day at 3pm. Alright then, off I go.

YCSS SYF Gala 09

It was sort of unexpected for me. I had no idea there was such an event until one fine Monday morning when I received Andy's SMS about the event that was going to be held this evening. Today rushed off to Jurong Point from school after classes ended at 4pm. Met Andy and Randall for dinner at 5.15pm. Catched up on the times, and I just got my next polytechnic T-shirt today! Singapore Polytechnic's off the list. Went to walk around the shopping complex with Andy after sending Randall off at the entrance. Met up with the rest at 6.50pm at the bus stop outside the school.

The new school building was finally completed, and there was also the new indoor sports hall. We went to the Multi Purpose Hall which had two really gigantic fans, providing lots of wind for everyone present for the concert. This evening, we did not have to purchase any tickets, as we were part of the alumni. The environment sure has changed much over the past 2 years, but the atmosphere is still there.

Somehow, I managed to become a little "high" during the three hour event, but still, the feelings died away as it was only nearing the finale item when I started feeling that way. On a side note, it takes lots of effort just to make someone like me to become "high". Took lots of photographs before, during and after the gala, and you can find them here, and here. After it ended, Gabriel, Edward, Hong Yong, Zhong Rong and I went to the coffee shop behind the school for supper, and I had to leave halfway through in orer to catch the last bus home, as I still did not have a license to drive yet, nor do I have my own vehicle.

Tomorrow, I'll be doing really intensive revision for the upcoming common tests which would be arriving in slightly more than a week's time. Hopefully, I would be able to go for a short run to regain my stamina lost during the period I was unwell and ended up in more than a week of abstinance from exercise. Sunday I would be having my final theory evaluation for driving, and upon passing(I strongly hope I can clear this in one shot so that I can start my practical lessons in October without the need to use an extra two to three hours a week for theory practices and tests), I would be taking the Final Theory Test, which I really want to pass in one shot as well, so that the time and money would not be wasted.

My "Blacklist":
NP, SP, RP, TP, NYP

End of the Storm

Actually, it has ended quite some time ago, just that, I'm breaking the news late. Finally found time to update, so here I am posting(of course). This is so going to be one extremely long post.So, ya, do read if you think you have got the time and interest to.

Last weekend was the very first time I fought in a Inter Varsity-Polytechnic championship(IVP). Went to NTU on Saturday to gain some first-hand experience of full-contact sparring at the tertiary level. The difficulty of each match varied greatly, depending on the amount of experience each side had, as well as the expectations of the judges and referee.

On Sunday, I experienced my first match. That, was the third time I wore the head gear since I first joined the sport as a CCA. Was extremely afraid before the day started, but as time passed, I found myself becoming someone very different(I wasn't that quiet self, my confidence level was very high, and I forgot the meaning of fear). However, the match was fast paced. We were both very fast, but he was just faster. 2 moves by me would be equal to 3 of his.

The very first counter that was dealt was a direct hit. It was a very nice score, though it left me stunned for a couple of seconds. The intensity of the blow was similar about 10% of Adrian's. to Each time I attacked, it would only end up with me being countered. I tried to retreat to time my counter, but that, too failed. So, I sort of gave up, and decided to take the blow when he attacked, go close(close enough that it seemed as though we were hugging), and try to make my move once he forced me away. The first part ended with a devastating 4-0 score( I knew I had 2 hits, though they were not very clear to the judges).

In the second round, I tired the same thing, except that I attempted to aim for his head this time round. It proved fatal. Two attempts met with two swift, direct counters. I gave up, decided to buy time, so that even if I lost, it would be about 30 seconds or so into the second round before I lost. Everything ended in the evening, so went to Jurong Point for dinner before going home.

After that match, the storm ended. Relaxation here I come! So the next day, went back to school for an hour of briefing on the general outline of the trip, before going to the Alumni Club House for the first time to accompany them for lunch, before going off at 12.30 for Sentosa for class outing. The moment I reached, it rained. Sad. That day, was the first time I sent the most messages. And it seemed to my friends that I had a partner. Well, I'm still not attached, and I'm proud of it!

Tuesday, was spent slacking and sleeping at home.

Wednesday, was the first time I stepped into National Junior College. The atmosphere, was well, different. It was about 4.20 when I arrived, and everyone was about to enter the school. There, both sides of the team met each other for the first time, and we also knew, for the first time, the whole backbone of the plans.

Thursday, was back to training, and I seemed to have gotten worse, and my stamina had dropped.

Friday, another day to slack and sleep.

Saturday, that's yesterday. Reached the TV room at 8.30am to find that the place was still locked. At around 9am, everyone had arrived and we went in shortly after the doors were opened. Played a few ice-breaking games, and I still found it hard to remember everyone. Forgot the names of almost everyone 30 seconds after the games were played. Anyway, we got down to our groups real quick, and we successfully came up with the complete list of things to do and bring for most, if not all our activities in just 3 hours? After that, we learnt one of the college's mass dance, and it was easier compared to the one I learnt last year back at MI. Mostly hand movements which made it easy. Went for our first group lunch, and we learnt lots os stuff about the difference in our education systems. we left at 3pm. Had a minor infatuation that morning, but, I'm just glad it's gone.

Today, it's slacking and sleeping again, only that I decided on the bags to use for the trip this coming Friday.Alright. I'll say it now. I'm part of the 30-member team comprising of 2 teachers and 28 students from National Junior College and Ngee Ann Polytechnic. We're going on a 7-day trip from this Friday(Friday the 13Th) till next Thursday(19Th March...4 more days) to Cebu, the Philippines for a Community Problem Solving Project, where we will be visiting two schools for activities, and after that, we'll be back in Singapore to complete our research, report and present on the trip( definitely for some of us at NP, but not so sure about the NJC side). This would be the second time I'm going on a joint Overseas Programme. The first time was to China back in secondary school.

And, here's the plans for the up-coming week. Tomorrow, go to Grandma's place in the morning, before going to Dhoby Ghaut MRT Station to meet Jian Hui and the others for a movie, change some money if there's the time, and head back to school for taekwondo training.

On Tuesday, it's the one day where I'll slack, sleep and pack up.

Wednesday, it's back to school to pay the 400 bucks for the trip and to NJC for the second and maybe, the last time. We'll be there to learn the mass dance as well as finalise some plans for the trip on Friday.

Thursday I'll be out with WM and Jon on a tour around Singapore I guess? One of the stops is a visit to the IT fair, post my NYAA application and also to change some money if I have not done so tomorrow.

Friday, it's plain simple. Get myself and my bags to Changi International Airport Terminal 2 by 6.45am and everything else will fall into place over the next few days till the 19Th. I can't wait!

Alright, here's something random. Was interesdted in thsi quiz found on Amanda's blog, and went to try it out. Surprisingly, it's very accurate! I'm still unsure about the commitment part and the one on death seems interesting.

What is your True Fear? Your Result: Losing Someone You love affection and the people in your life more than anything. Your greatest fear is that one day someone you care about won't be there anymore. You are a very friendly and inviting person, who draws in a lot of friendships with your kind, considerate, and loyal nature. However, deep down you are slightly insecure and unsure of yourself. You couldn't deal with it if you didn't have one of your loved ones in your life anymore. You don't have too much to worry about though, because with a friend like you, no one will want to lose you either!
Disappointment
Where Your life is Going
Being Alone
Commitment
Looked down on
Death
What is your True Fear? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

JAE 09 Day 1

Today's the first day of the JAE for 2009, and it's also the day where the 'businessmen' get to relax the most. Instead of telling the 'potential customers' or potential students about the course, we ended up talking about lots of stuff during the first 2 and a half hours of the JAE week, which started at 3pm, although the results were released at 2pm. We came up with a couple of theories about why on the first day of JAE, or rather after the results are released, there are usually few students who visit the polytechnics or take part in the online posting. One was that the students are out celebrating or have broken down after knowing their results. Next was the students already know exactly which path they want to take, so there was no need to visit the polytechnics to undergo course counselling or seek advise from the students and lecturers there. During the time there, I did manage to notice a few schools today at the convention centre, such as MI, Bukit Batok Secondary, St. Margaret Secondary and a student from a CHIJ school. There were others as well, but I was unable to identify the schools by the uniforms.

Today's post is going to be short as well, for this week is one busy week, and I'm giving myself only an hour to post this up.

Next up, was CCA at 6pm. Trained a lot today, and it ended pretty early as well. I guess it's been confirmed. I will be going to Temasek Polytechnic for the friendly match tomorrow evening, and it will also be the first time I'm there(do expect some photographs, if I can remember to take them). So, tomorrow, I'm expecting myself to fall asleep during the journey home, and risk falling asleep again in class on Wednesday. Good thing I'm not down for duty tomorrow, for I might consider skipping the lecture on Wednesday morning if I'm too tired after a day's work tomorrow night.

On Saturday, I can gurantee that I will make full use of the time to sleep and slack in the morning and evening, while having 6 hours to revise my Engineering Mathematics 2, Engineering Drawing and Economics. By the way, the same goes for Sunday, except that I would be going to bed a little earlier at 11.30pm, if there's no one to talk to online.

Great, at least I can control myself a little for now. Just hoping that it does not get out of control, for doing so simply equates to me doing badly in my studies,the same way I did badly after Secondary 1.

Simple Goodbye to 2008, Challenging Introduction to 2009

Hi there again! It's been some time since I updated. Alright, first up, the top 15(decided to bring down the number as I felt it might be a little irrelevant).

15. 1 Month long PAE(provisional Admissions Exercise) at MI, from 2nd January till mid February.
Although it was just a month-long stay, I sure made many friends from all over the country, and till today, I still keep in touch with some of them.

14. Many long breaks and holidays.
School life up till the third quarter of last year was pretty slacked, with breaks lasting from as short as 2 weeks to the longest ever of 7 weeks. Even during the school terms during the first semester, the lessons were easy to understand, compared to the second semester where things gt tougher.


13. JAE(Joint Admissions Exercise) posting results

At first it came as a big blow, but over time, I gained much interest in my current course, ME(Mechanical Enginering) although I had very much wanted a place in AT(Aerospace Technology) before that.

12. Combined Toastmasters meeting with RJC and students from Hong Kong.
1 word to describe that 1 reason: Memorable.

11. 4E1-07 Class gathering at IMM.

That was definitely not a night to miss, when we invited Mr Liew to dine with us to celebrate Teachers' Day.


10. 42km runway cycle.
That was the first time I ever cycled such a distance, and on a heavy bike as well. I successfully cycled the distance, but with a couple of stops along the way for breaks.

9.Cycling the East Coast Park- Changi Village route twice in a year
The first time I travveled that route with friends from the Cycling Club, it was one tough challenge, with a short stop over at Changi Village to stock up on water and have lunch. Instead, I went to buy chocolates to eat while cycling back, which made things a little worse on the return part, as I could not cycle at the normal rate while eating. On the second time with a couple of friends, this time, we were able to cover the distance over a much shorter period of time, even though we stopped quite a number of times to watch planes landing an taking off from an active runway of Changi Airport, not too far from the cycling track.

8. First birthday celebration organised by friends
Earlier in March this year, it was a single sms that made me realise that I was actually noticed in class(I used to be so quiet that I always had a nice, cosy corner to myself). Really have to thank them once again for the gifts, dinner and cake, so thank you guys! So, getting a year "younger" to 17 was great I guess?

7. No Camps in 2008.
If I remember correctly, I did not attend a single camp in 2008, although I did attend orientation programmes organised by the Mechanical Engineering Society, Cycling Club and the Student Toastmasters Club.

6. Collection of 'O' Level stuff from YCSS
Decided to fill in this spot with something different, so ya. I guess that might be the last time I went to the school's office to collect a document that belonged to me, unless, in future I return as a teacher(which I'm still considering if I have not made up my mind on what I really want to do in future).

5. 08S6(PAE class) gathering at East Coast Park
This was the very first class gathering that I organised, which turned out very well, except that the weather was not in our favour that day.

4. 08S6(PAE class) second gathering
That day was the first time I brought girls home(please notice the 's'). Yes, that was the first time. Usually I brought only guys to my place for projects and the like, but that day, was solely to slack, just one day before the posting results were out. That, was the first successful barbeque for the class, and I hope it might not be our last.

3.Earned a place on the Director's List of Students
I had expected to be in the list, but never to claim the top position for the first semester. For the second semester of the academic year, I guess i might not be so lucky, for to date, I have quite a number of B and C grades, and possibly failure grades as well.

2.New Computer
The third laptop that I owned since 2003. This time, it's a Windows Vista operated Fujitsu S7211. At first during the first term, I used it purely for studying, but over the months I started installing games to kill time. Now, it's become such an asset that I don't really know what to do should I lose it.

1. 2 day 1 night stay at Downtown East Resort.
Learnt many things during the night of the stay, some of which came in handy when I walked the longest distance ever back home from the Marina Countdown.

So, now that you have the top 15 of 2008, let's head off into 2009! HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!

The first minutes of 2009 was welcomed with a big bang. Met up with a few friends at city hall at 6.30pm on Wednesday, 31st December 08,and we ate quite a lot at Swensen's, before going to the esplanade, to slack, before going to Merlion Park to find a place, stay there for 2 hours and watch the fireworks at 12am, on the first second of 2009.

The next part is practically about madness. After the event, there was a large crowd moving toward the City Hall MRT Station and the Raffles Place MRT Station. I got lost after they went to take the train home from Raffles Place MRT Station. So, somehow, I ended up at Tanjong Pagar after 30 minutes of walking at 1am. Over the next hour, I set off for Raffles City via Clarke Quay and Chinatown(somehow I managed to do that, though i did not know exactly where I was headed). That was the worst part of the journey, but I won't go on with the minor details(it's going to be one long story). At 2am, I found myself back on the route home when I arrived at Raffles City. So, from that point on, it was mainly the physical part of the journey. For the next 2 hours, I continued traveling on foot from Raffles City to Clementi, with 3 breaks of 10 minutes each. The toughest part was at Holland Village, where I had to take a slightly different route due to the on-going construction works there. I still enjoyed the 10 minute bus ride home though I had to pay $3.50 just to cover the last quarter of the journey. It was very difficult to complete the last part of the journey without transport, as although I had passed that area many times over the years, I still do not find it safe to walk there, as it's an industrial site.

At 4.40am, I reached home. After waking up at 10am, I did some calculations, estimating that I covered a distance of at least 14 km from Raffles City to Clementi, taking my average speed to be 6 kmh and total time spent of walking as 2hours(excluding resting time).

Anyways, I just hope that this year would be a better year than last year, though this time round, it just felt as though the digit 8 in the calendar was simply replaced by the digit 9. Since the journey home, I had been thinking of some resolutions, though I have not come up with the list yet(don't worry it's not as long as you think it is).

Time Waits for no One

Today's post is going to be a short one.

Firstly, let's go back to yesterday. I managed to wake at 9am yesterday morning, 30 minutes ahead of my scheduled time for waking. I left for Jurong Point at 10.25am, arriving at 10.45am(I maintained my current record of 20 minutes!). Had nothing to do, so just did some walking around as I heard that the complex has gotten bigger. Indeed, the extension that was once under construction is nearly 100% complete, and there are more and newer shops. However, it was a little disappointing as I completed walking around the whole place in under 10 minutes. Other than that, I got lost at first as I did not know that I was already in Jurong Point, the moment I entered one of the side entrances, until I entered the older part of the building and recognised the design of the floor tiles. I bought an organiser at a bookstore at the basement, before going back to Pizza Hut to meet the rest. Did not take a picture as I thought that I was late when Pei Xuan gave me a call almost immediately after I made the purchase at 11am.

When I reached, almost everyone was there already. There were about 10 of us in all; Andy, Ko Hein, Gabriel, Yong An, Wei Xiang, Kamal, Chie Heng, Pei Xuan, Carina and me. The purpose of the lunch was to celebrate Ko Hein's final 3 months in Singapore before he sets off on his 12 month voyage around the world(I'm so envious. I had always wanted to travel around the world to see the sights), which would be split into two phases of 6 months each. Guessed our bonds were still there although we had not seen each other nor sat together for lunch for almost a year. Although it was only a quarter of the class, the mood during that one and a half hour was the same as always, I really missed those days in the classroom. Anyways, at 12.30pm, Andy left for home as he had training later on, Carina left for school, Pei Xuan left, Kamal and Ko Hein left to do some shopping, leaving Gabriel, Wei Xiang, Chie Heng, Yong An and I to walk around. We met Augustine later on, who happened to be in Jurong Point at the moment to collect his spectacles. At 2pm, we finally left for we were all bored with nothing left to do. I took the bus with Wei Xiang and Gabriel, while Yong An and Chie Heng walked home.

It was a bit of a last minute plan, but I alighted together with Gabriel one stop after Lakeside MRT Station, and went somewhere to slack with friends, till later in the evening before heading home.

Next, on to today! Nothing much happened, except that my cousin came to help troubleshoot the desktop at home, and found out that the power source was damaged and had to be replaced. So in the afternoon, we travelled to Sim Lim square to get a replacement at 50 bucks, the amount that we expected to pay the moment we set off to get the replacement. After that, in the evening, I passed time by playing games on the computer and watched the next installment of Star Wars on TV. So, I guess that's all for tonight?

It's almost coming to the end of the year, and so far, this year has been an exciting one, definitely. many things have happened, good and bad. I've felt that fear many times, great or little, depending on the number it affected in the near future. So, what exactly am I? Nearly always spot-on in detecting such things, is it good or bad? I just don't want to know whats the next one, for I still have no idea the best steps to take.

A Simple Christmas in 2008

Here's the first thing I did on a Christmas morning:

It's been 10 months since I last logged into my account, so today I finally reinstalled the game and played it, going all the way to kill some time before sleeping and waking at 10am in the morning.

Had lunch at 12.45pm, before continuing with training, but I soon gave up when I lost 10% in an hour. So, at 2.30pm, went to collect my new glasses and went on to Ikea with parents to get new stools for our dining table(our dining area is very unique). So reached home at 4pm, and we had guests coming down soon after. Heard and learnt a lot of things during the conversation too.

At 6.15pm, we went to Jurong East for dinner, before going home. So, I broke my television record for tonight: watching programmes on free-to-air channels from 7pm to 11.30pm. Guessed I neglected the computer so much that it appeared to my contacts that I was having lunch from 1pm to 11.30pm tonight.

Alright, that's all for today, and I'm glad it did not turn out to be a boring Christmas! Tomorrow, going for lunch at Jurong Point with some classmates from 4E1, looking forward to seeing everyone again after 3 to 4 months!

After the Hiatus

It's been a month since I last posted something up here ya? Alright, today I'll continue from where I had left off then. Going to be one extremely long post, so take your time to read it though.

Anyways, let's just skip to Saturday, 22nd November when I brougt Sean and wm back to school. Somehow, the three of us managed to ake the same train to Lakeside MRT Station that morning. Met Darren and the others at the MRT station, before I actually met the two of them. So, we walked as usual to school, before taking a tour. Went straight to Qi Long to bring him a message from Andy, before going to take a look at the Drama Club at the auditorium, followed by the St John booth to take a look. Seems like there were quite a number of new members this yar, though I did not enter, for I did not really know the new officers who were appointed to the school this year.

Next, met Meng Yan and another friend before we walked around behind her. Throughout, Sean and wm were intrigued by the new building and were jealous of the facilities(they were from a reputable school you see). The school seems to have grown,with the new canteen, equipment, furniture and hall. One thing that caught my attention was, how did the school suddenly become so wealthy in just 1 year? Maybe, perhaps they were cutting back on funds back in the old building so that they can spend more on the new building. The library now has bean bags and touch screen computers, there is even a Problem Based Learn room equiped with a new projector which uses cutting-edge technology. Met almost all the teachers who taught me over the past 4 years, and I guess some were surprised to see why two strangers were with me as well? Went for lunch at the coffee shop, before we heaed to Funan to get the flight simulator game, before walking a couple of kilometers to Sim Lim to get Sean's joystick. They took the train home after that, while I walked to the esplanade to take the bus home. It's worth the effort, as I have a wider choice of seats and also have more time to sleep on the way home.

And that's all for the month of November. I dont' really have much to comment about that month, for it was very smooth, except that I had problems with Economics and Communication Toolkit. Other than those, everything else was just fine.

Now, let's head on to December. On Tuesday, the 2nd of Dcember, I was almost too afraid to do welding at first. However, after the demonstration, everyting started to become fun and easy. Maybe that's what most might feel on their first attempt. That, sure was a nice start for the last month of the year.

Later that Friday, I did badly for te first Engineering Drawing test. I made a couple of errors on the second question, denying me of a chance to complete the whole paper. I'm expecting a borderline pass for that paper, but I'm just going to let the grades go just this once. I'm going to working at double or even triple the pace just to recover from that fall.

The next day, on the 6th of December, Jon, wm and I went for Changi Airport's Terminal 2 for lunch at Popeye's. The portions were way larger than KFC's, but was it worth paying the price. As we could not find a suitable spot to study, we decided to make our way to the national Library branch at Bedok to study instead. We had planned a couple of days ago to study economics together, to clear our doubts and questions, for Jon's and my test was going to be held just 3 days later on Tuesday morning. I managed to cover every single chapter during the 4 hours we spent there, thanks to Sean's notes. We went to Burger King for sundaes, before going to the hawker centre to buy food and then, head home. I decided to take the bus once again, for it's cheaper and I can sleep peacefully on the way home again. Shortly after I entered City Link at City Hall MRT Station, I met Sean and Cherie, by coincidence. The moment Sean saw me, he took no time tryig to explain and prove that it was not because of cherie that my first call could not get through once again. Of course, although I bought his reason, but afterall she was also with him, so perhaps that made it even more difficult for him to pick up my call. I reached home at 8.50pm, just in time for the first episode of the animated Star Wars series.

On Monday, I went to King Albert Park to study with the usual group; Jun Jie, Jian Hui, Janna, Amada, Jenere, Billy, Zhi Jie, An Yan, Swenson. We stayed there till 6.30, before Jian Hui, Janna, Jenere, Zhi Jie and I went fo dinner at the hawker centre narby. I went home at 7.

Tuesday was the first day of the common test. In the morning, there was Economics. It was pretty do-able, and the MCQ questions were really easy. I must say, that the reason behind why I would not be getting an A grade is simply due to the fact that I did not put in enough effort during the revision. I'm expecting a C grade for that paper. I went home for lunch before going back to school in the afternoon for the Engineering Mathmatics 2 paper. Not to offend anyone, but, this was the only paper that i did no revision at all, for I was ready for the test about a couple of weeks before the day the paper was due to be held. I'm expecting an A+ grade for the paper.

There was a few days' break before the last paper(also the toughest for the term) was to be held.On Wednesday and Thursday, I spent a total of 18 hours revising and memorising chapters 3 and 4 of the syllabus. On Thursday, maybe not knowing that the others were meeting up to study was a good thing, for I would have wasted 4 valuable hours of my time on travelling alone, but still, meeting up with friends was way better than shutting oneself from the rest of the world, tryig to get information into the mind. Currently, 18 hours is nowhere near my 48 hours of memorising and revision, made last year during the O Level period, while studying for Physics papers 1 and 2.

On Friday, practically, I did not open my notes nor did I went through the slides. I spent the whole day relaxing. In the evening, I met the comittee of the Mechanical Engineering Society(I guess?) and went for a Christmas concert at the esplanade concert hall by the SSO. Really enjoyed it thoroughly, especially toward the end where there was a sing-along session. AND, I REALLY SANG. Guess I built-up too much stress over the past two days.

After the concert, joined them at a restaurant that sells only chocolate related food and beverages for a short moment before I took the bus home. This bus ride was going to be one that I might remember for quite some time. On the way back home on the bus, spotted a group of three girls(I'm usually not the type of person who is so free to do such stuff). Every 3 to 5 minutes, I took glances. However, after a while, I found myself looking at them momentarily, until it became so obvious they, too turned to look at me, and soon, we were staring at one another. That's when I got afraid that I might have done something wrong and stopped. Frankly, that was the first time I did something like that. It only ended when they alighted from the bus, and it felt as though time flowed normally again. That 20 minutes sure felt like an hour.

Anyway, now, it's on to yesterday, and it's Saturday! The moment I arrived in school at 8.30am, everyone was getting ready to leave for the examination room at block 50. The paper was easy, if one had studied the chapters thoroughly. That, was a paper where, if you studied, you would not only pass, but have a high chance of doing well for the paper, and if you had not studied for the paper, you might fail, or if you were lucky, you would pass decently. I'm confident of at least an A grade for this paper.

After the paper, we went to Vivocity, for lunch and to watch a movie. Once there, Janna was just too excited when she saw that Twilight was showing in Singapore at last, and it was 5 days earlier than the actual release date. What's more, we only had to pay 8 dollars for each ticket as Amanda had the Safra card. Sadly, Jenere could not join us as the movie was at 4pm. So, we, Janna, Amanda, Jian Hui, Jun Jie, Wei Yong, Kenzi and I wet to Carle's Jr for lunch. It was only 1pm, so we had 3 hours before the movie started. At 2pm, we went walking around. Around 2.0pm, I found out that there would be more joining us later on. Janna had called Chengwen and Chengyun to join us for the movie, while Jun ie and Jian Hui asked their friends to join us as well.

We accompanied Jenere to the bus stop, before going with Jian Hui to withdraw money(and we got a shock), before going to the cinema box office to wait for the others to arrive at 3.30pm. At 4pm, we were ready to enter.

At 4.15pm, the movie started, but during the first part of it, the graphics were not very good, but after the scene, everything seemed to be in place. I must say, that the movie was definitely worth watching. 2 hours, lots of action, especially in the second part of the movie. Now, I'm thinking if I should watch it again, and I'm also considering of reading the books in the series. Janna! You have influenced me as well...

Alright then, that's all for today's post. Not sure if this 3 week break is going to be boring or exciting though, as it has only just began.I'm skipping CCA tomorrow as I'm having flu and can't do very much physical activity as yet, but should have no problem doing so on Thursday. Jun Jie is also planning a roller blading trip which I'm so looking forward to, and I guess I better prepare some plasters as well for that day. So far, at least 5 people I know are already on holiday, and soon, more would follow. If you're one of them, enjoy your trip!!!

Oh, and before I end the post, expect a mass blog makeover tomorrow, for it's that time of the year where I change my blogskin and make some major changes once again!

Pictures from Saturday

Today's post would not be covering for today, as although things were more fun, but it might put anyone off to sleep if I went on about today's happenings. Instead, I will doing an extra post for Saturday. And yes, today, there will be pictures in the blog again! been so long since I posted pictures in here.

I did not take these pictures though, for my SE K770i's camera had a 3.2 mega Pixel picture quality, and I wonder why everyone sat so far back that night. Some pictures were taken by a Samsung OMINA I think, and were taken from Pei Xuan's blog. More pictures can be seen from her blog.

Anyway, here are some:

From top: Programme sheet and ticket, Taufik and I, Finale Item, Yisin and Randall.

Next up, this was something that I had been trying to get for a long time. So, on Saturday I went to get it, before going to the concert. It's the Wacom Bamboo Fun tablet. Although it's used mainly for drawing and writing, I guess I would be using it more for calculations and drawing, though at times I might use it for writing as well.

The tablet, well, is definitely user friendly, with 4 programmable function keys, a touch pad to improve navigation and it also came with a mouse which I don't very much depend on as I am currently using a Razer mouse. The Pen is exactly like a stylus with a difference. It comes with a built-in eraser so that one does not need to click on the erase tool when drawing or writing in the event of making an error. I'm not so sure about WM and his Genius tablet though, for I have never used it before. But, there is one thing that I agree with WM, is that, a tablet PC is definitely better than a laptop that requires tablet accessories. After getting the tablet, my table has sort of become very messy with all the wires lying around. Microphone, headphones, tablet, tablet pen and mouse, mouse and power adapter.

Well, that's all for tonight. Tomorrow's going to be a tough day with my first economics quiz which would be held online during the lecture. Wonder how I am going to fare, for I have not prepared very well for the quiz. Lots of last minute work again. Hope I am able to do well and manage at least a B grade for tomorrow if I still want to get a GPA of 4.0 for this semester. There would be another test for Engineering Materials on Wednesday, which I do not have much of a problem coping with, and a written test for Communication Toolkit on Thursday, of which I am prepared to lose 3 marks for writing beyond the 250 word limit. I seldom write less than 250 words for any essay or composition (not a problem for summaries though), so I would be finding that a real problem. By the way, a summary can't really be considered to be a composition nor an essay as it is the shortened version of one.

Wave 13

This post is for yesterday, as I was too tired to sit down and post something decent. I woke up at 11am, did some revision till 12, had a snack(it's a snack as I did not take enough for it to be considered as a full meal), went back to sleep, and left home at 2pm. Anyway,I'm trying something different for tonight's post, using phases. So, let's see. There were 10 phases in all, almost every phase has a time limit at least 30 minutes. Come to think of it, I spent more than 10 hours away from home.

I had three main things to do yesterday. First, was to get a suitable and affordable tablet from either West Mall or Challenger at Funan the IT Mall. This first part was a little challenging, for if West Mall had a less costly tablet, I would be facing a it of a problem rushing back to West Mall before heading to do the next task, which might cause me to be very rushed for time when doing the third thing for the day. The next thing was, to collect 2 tickets from Andy, who sadly was not able to make it that day as he was still recovering from a stomach flu. The third, was to deliver the ticket Taufik and watch a concert at Singapore Polytechnic. A fourth came out later on, which I will touch on later on.

Phase One was to get from home to West Mall in 30 minutes, and that was pretty successful, and I was 6 minutes ahead of schedule. That 6 minutes might become very useful when I have to rush back from the City Hall area or when I am waiting for a bus or train to arrive. Next, at West Mall, I had to check out the shops which sold IT products. However, I did not manage to find any shops which sold tablet products there, so in 20 minutes, I was back at the bus interchange, waiting to catch a bus down to Funan the IT Mall. Phase 1: Get to West Mall before 2.30pm(completed at 2.24pm). Phase 2:Search for a tablet at West Mall before 2.50pm(completed at 2.45pm).

In case you are wondering why I did not take the train, I wanted to save up that money BADLY. I only have a concession pass for buses, for I only need to take 2 buses to and from school each day. Although I'm still a student, I don't eally understand why Transit Link or the authorities-in-charge did not grant polytechnic students concession fares in bus and train fares which the stdents in the Junior Colleges have been and are still enjoying since their Primary school days.

Entering Phase Three, I took bus 106 all the way to Suntec, and walked all the way to Funan the IT Mall in under 1 hour and 15 minutes. So now, I'm 5 minutes behind schedule, with the time at 4.15pm. I spent 20 minutes at Challenger, of which I bought a Wacom tablet, the company that WM recommended me to buy a tablet from. I also bought a pack of printing paper for Andy before leaving at 4.35pm. Now, here's the silliest thing I did yesterday. I made a terrible mistake at Phase Four by estimating that the journey from Bras Basah to Boon Lay would take only 50 minutes, when it took 1 hour and 20 minutes. To make things worse, I was more than 15 minutes behind schedule when I boarded bus at 4.48pm. I was supposed to reach Andy's place at 5.30pm, so that I could take a bus and train to Dover MRT station at 6.35pm. Instead, I ended up reaching Boon Lay at 6.10pm, 30 minutes behind schedule. The journey to Andy's place via bus service 242, took another 20 minutes. It was a good thing that service 242 had a high frequency, or I would be exteremely late. Phase Four ended at 6.30pm, 1 hour behind schedule. DAMN. It was a good thingAndy was feeling a lot better than the previous day, for if not for him, I might end up being behind schedule for another additional 5 to 10 minutes. Phase Five was completed under the planned 10 minutes.Phase 3: Get from Bukit Batok to Suntec before 4.10pm(completed at 4.15pm). Phase 4: Get from Challenger to Andy's place before 5.30pm(completed at 6.30pm). Phase 5: Deliver Andy his printing paper, collect tickets for Wave 13-the concert that I would be watching with Taufik-before 5.40pm(Completed at 6.35pm).

I was in luck, as Andy had to go to Queenstown MRT station to meet his family, so we could take a taxi to Dover MRT station together, and the cost would be divided between the both of us. So, Phase 6 was completed very quickly, and I recovered quite some time. It has been more than 3 years since I took a taxi, and 17 years since I hired a taxi. This was the first time I took a taxi in the event of an emergency(though it did not seem to be like one). I was surprised when Pei Xuan suddenly called my phone. As far asI can remember, she has never given me a call before, and I could not recognise her voice at all! It turns out that that night, Taufik and I would be accompanied by friends I have not met for some time. Randall told us in the taxi, by sms that Yisin was also performing that night! Wow! Anway, we caught up on quite a lot of things that happened over the past 2 months, it was very delitful to know how well many friends did for their promotional exams in the JCs, and at the same time, it was sad to hear of friends being retained in the JCs during our journey to Dover MRT station. Phase 6: Get from Andy's place to Dover MRT station before 6.35pm(completed at 6.45pm).

Once there, I ran to meet Taufik, who has not really changed much, so it was definitely easy to recognise him! So sorry for making everyone wait so long for me yesterday!!That was the first time I was so late for a gathering. Normally, I was either the first or among the first few to arrive at a place. From here, Phase 7, things went on very normally. Phase 7: Attend Wave 13 till 9pm(completed at 9.00pm).

So, this is where the next 3 phases came in. After I met up with everyone, Suzanne suddenly asked u if we wanted to have dinner after that. My immediate answer: YES! It's been a long time since I had a meal with the group, and also, I had not eaten breakfast, lunch an dinner, nor have I drank anything since I left home at 2pm. The performance was really great! The choreography, lights, sounds, everything was very well planned out. We spotted Yi sin and Randall many times as well. At 9pm, they came up to meet us, and Justin and his sisters came up too. Justin's looks has changed, though his character was still the same. His sisters have grown quite a lot as well. Phase 7: Meet Randall, his sisters and Justin before leaving.

After that, I left with the group for dinner. We took a train to Jurong Point. Taufik alihted at Jurong East MRT station, leaving 2 guys in the group, and they are Hui un and I. by the way, I still don't know some of the names of the people in the group I joined yesterday for dinner, for I was sort of like a no-body during my four years of life back in Secondary School. I guess, only mainly the people from 4E1 would know me, though there are more as well. Whatever it is, I will always remember those days. We chatted a lot, and ate a lot too I guess? half of us went to MOS burger, while the rest of us, Pei Xuan, Suzanne, Hui Jun and I went to MacDonald's. As expected they were stunned at the amount of food I ordered at MacDonald's. I ordered a full up-sized meal, and an additional burger. Frankly, that was around a third of my total capacity. Throughout, We found out a lot about one another, and I got to know them better as well. Just like the old days, Suzanne and Hui Jun never failed to provide an enjoyable entertainment. I' m so Looking forward to going out with them again someday! I seldom sat with their group in Sec 3 and 4. We chatted till 10.45pm before leaving for home. I was dead beat when I reached home 2 minutes before midnight, breaking my record for this year. My previous latest time was 11.45pm, clocked somewhere earlier this year. Phase 8: Get to Jurong Point from Singapore Polytechnic before 9.30pm. Phase 9: Have dinner till 10.45pm. Phase 10:Reach home before 11.59pm.

I was extremely tired yesterday after reaching home, and turned on the computer for an hour before going off. I guess Pei Xuan was still very surprised when she saw me eat that amount of food yesterday, as I seldom ate so much whenever I had lunch back in the old days at Yuan Ching. Photos wil be up tomorrow.

It's been a long time since we sat together as a group to have a nice chat. Really brings back lots and lots of memories. I will never forget the last days of Secondary School life and all the memories. Dinner last night was great! I'm so looking forward to the next time we could all meet up again, though I don't think it's soon either.

Come to think of it, I would rather have a group whose bonds are strong and a group whose members are always in touch with one another and there are always opportunities to meet up for gatherings, compared to a group whose bonds are extremely strong and whose members lose touch with one another over time and there are few opportunities to meet with one another for gatherings.