Falling behind

Well, guess this is going to be one long post. Let's head back to last Saturday. Had wanted to post this up, but as I wanted to add some colour to the post, decided to keep it till tonight when all the pictures were ready.


Last week met up with CATS group for our project on jaywalking. Looked simple at first, but on closer look, there was a lot more things that had to be done, such as information gathering on the Internet, photo taking, recording short clips, compilation of a report, designing, circulation and analysis of surveys and the design of slides for our presentation, all of which will be compiled into one report. If I'm not wrong, most of the people in JCs would be doing that as well, perhaps, on a larger scale. For us, everything was done in 3 days, compared to the one year or so time frame for Project Work, done by students in the JCs.

Our group(from left):Jun Jie, Jia Jia, James, Yee Xiang, ME

Our class..




We started off from Orchard MRT Station, and walked from Wisma Atria to Plaza Singapura. The moment we were on ground level, there were already jaywalkers around us. Our job during the walk was damn simple. Just snap away at jaywalkers or take video footage of them jaywalking, without being detected by the jaywalkers themselves. Along the way, we were sort of slacking, crapping around, taking photographs every now and then, chatting with two groups of student buskers along Orchard road, either helping them complete a task or taking a photograph with them. By the way, Jia Jia was the best. She completed 6 things on that day itself. 2 projects, 1 short meeting with friends, collection of promotional hamper and helping two groups of students. Actually, she started out with 2, while us guys started with only one thing in mind, to complete the project. Soon, we had more "mini tasks" to fulfill. We took photographs for two groups of students, the first was for fun, and the second group was for a national event, carried out by students from SMU. Upon arrival at Plaza Singapura, she sort of coerced us to join her in the queue to collect a free promotional hamper. Once done, we trained down to Woodlands to complete half of our project(a quarter was done 2 Thursdays ago in school, and the last quarter was done on Wednesday).




Here's a small portion of what we took Last Saturday:

Our "starting" point(Not exactly ours, but this was Jia Jia's starting point)

Things we did when we were bored:





We brought us back souvenirs!






Dinner & project @ Woodlands

Well, come to think of it, why was someone missing rom the picutres? Well, Yee Xiang had to meet a friend on that Saturday, and as we believed that it was a date, so maybe we should let him go, just in case we become the cause of a break-up.

Thursday was the submission day for our project, and everything was in place, until we ran into some problems during the presentation. The report was really well done this time, with little touch ups being done at the eleventh hour.

Today was the first and last Parents' Forum in school, as it was held only for the first year parents, to let them know moe about the education system in a polytechnic, a things such as the starting time each day, grading and examination system as well as the learning system are totally different from secondary schools. Only a handfull from our class turned up today, and there wasn't much things to comment about as well, as we spent like only 2 hours there talking to the lecturers and finding out about our grades, before heading for home. And, as expected, I did score straight As for the common tests last term. And, in less than 2 week's time, it will be the finals, and sadly, I had not started on revision of any sort. Well, will just have to start in the morning then, otherwise I would really lose sight of 4.0...



[BLOG UPDATE]
Added 2 new links:
Nicole(MapleSEA) and Janna(NP)

Replied tags

Little time, little progress...

Another week is about to end, taking us closer to the final examinations for the first semester. So far this week, I had been slacking off. Not doing any revision at all. Even if I did, it was pretty much last minute work, which can't really be considered to be revision at all. Yesterday stayed behind after class to do our project. Within 3 hours, we completed the backbone of the project, defining the problem, elaborating on the problem, finding the solutions, and creating the surveys. All that's left to do is the final report and to get pictoral examples as well as videos to support our report, so that we can be assued of a higher A grade this time round.

So far this term, had not been meeting up with friends that often, and I had not been revising either. All that I have been doing was, well, catching up on sleep?Looking forward to the days where I can meet the different groups of friends again, but, first, I have got to clear the semester, and secure the straight As I had back in the first term. It's just a month left before the next 2 month long break sets in.

Well, just finished creating the survey, and was pretty much an easy task, thanks to the JC peeps who looked me up since the start of the month to do their surveys. So, maybe I could say that it's time to get them to return the favour? By the way, don't worry, it wun't kill off more than 10 minutes of your life. Oh, and here's the link:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=M_2bdI0_2fixcH5JH9gjdqcTIw_3d_3d

First C Grade

Today was the first time I studied so damn hard for a test this year. I studied from 9pm yesterday, till 3am this morning, and went to take a nap till 9am. School was easy going today, especially for the lessons and practical before the lunch break. Today was also the last day of the POLY experience for secondary school students, but, it was also the day of an examination for the computer programming module. Was expecting it to be extremely easy today, as the lecturer had reassued us it was going to be easy for us to handle. The practical for Mechanics was the same as the previous one, and today, it was also the last practical for our class. So, everything went really smoothly this time round, and because of that, I'm already looking forward to the new semester, where there will be more practicals.



After that, we went off to the library to study after lunch, and then back to class for more lessons. This time, I forgot to sign my attendance for the tutorial class. Damn. Well, perhaps being assumed absent just once for class would not hurt yea? After that, we went for Electrical Technology class. There were more things to remember, and this time, and I was dosing off in class, again. Anyways, I managed to note down everything taught in class today so that revision will be alot easier tomorrow. Today we were also released early as the people who took the retest could have their question papers returned to them.



So, we headed to the library, once again, to revise for the programming test. At 5.40pm, we went to the examination hall. The hall was on the eighth floor of block 53. I never knew that there could be such a large room on the eighth floor of that block. The papers were distributed at 6pm, and all hell broke loose. The paper was way difficult than expected. The first question, told to us by our lecturer, was really easy, so I should be getting the full 45 marks for that. As for the second, I knew almost everything except for the last part, so I should be getting around 25 to 30 out of 35 for that question. Finally, the third. That was truly a killer. With an estimated 50 lines of codes, with the total obtainable marks for that question capped at 25, who would even bother attempting that question? At least, that was the thought of some of the candidates who left the hall early after finishing the first two questions of the paper, while leaving the third question totally blank, without much trace of an attempt on the question. And I wonder, would you even do a survey on behalf of 50 people, and to make things worse, on a program that only the command prompt on the computer can decipher and tabulate on your behalf? I know that I won't waste my time on such things. Well, but, since it was just to test our proficiency on the codes and sequences, I must admit that, that question was very original. It seems that, although I put in lots of effort for the revision, it seemed that all I revised was not enough. So, for that test today, I should be able to secure between 65 to 70 marks for the test.



i have finally decided, that, for the rest of the term, I should become a little more lifeless, so that I can acheive the aim of getting 4.0 for the semester.

Drift

Yesterday had the thought that everything was going fine, only until it was the second lesson of the week, Computer Programming, did I notice that I was in fact still not ready for the up-coming examinations. The first was going to be held this Friday, and it was for Computer Programming. I would do perfectly well for the first 2 questions. However, I might have to leave the last question blank if I do not do any reading up or practice the codes before Friday arrives.
ELTech was worse. After the common tests, I seem to be getting more slacked. I can't remember simple formulae for the 3 new chapters that were taught during the past two weeks. And as for Math, so far so good, not much problems other than the usual careless mistakes. Better start revising for Complex Numbers or I would not be able to get an A grade. With time passing so much faster now, there's less than 2 months before the exams. Even though it's just three papers, they still mean alot to the final grade. I really need the grades to achieve my first 4.0 for the first of six semesters.

Anyways, today was pretty slacked, and today we were building bridges! It's damn fun, as long as you don't get burnt by the hot glue. The bridge Hamzi and I built, can withstand a total stress of 5kg, but when the last frame is completed, I bet it could take much more than just 5kg. Instead of following the rest of the class to Bugis today, I headed straight for home. I believe that now's the best time to really get down to work to prepare for a possible project presentation for German class tomorrow, and for the Computer Programming exam on Friday. Guess I won't be slacking as much this term compared to the previous. And finally, I think I'm ready for some lifeless studying from next week onwards, once I clear the exam this coming Friday.

Noises,Voices,Choices 2008, The History Project

This week sure was tiring and very packed. There were rehearsals from Monday to Wednesday, from 6pm to 10pm. Did not really focus much in class this week so that I could conserve some energy for the rehearsals. On Monday, almost evrything was in place, audio, lights and props. Tuesday it was the same, and Wednesday, everything was in place, almost as if it were the actual day. On Monday, things seemed as though almost everything just fitted in nicely, and that standard was nowhere near the expectations of the lecturers and directors. Anyway, with only two rehearsals left, things picked up speed. On Tuesday, everyone was more familiar with the cues, positions and lines. That was especially so for the speakers, who improved tremendously just over a day!

Wednesday was a day before the actual show. There were only a handfull of hiccups here and there, but on the whole, everything looked almost like a masterpiece. The speeches were almost perfect. Everyone had memorised their lines, and as for the backstage crew, there were some minor final adjustments being made, but everything blended very well. Everyone were in high spirits by that night, eager for the actual.

On thursday, everyone gathered real early. So early that about half of the crew arrived before a lecture ended at 4pm. Once it was 4pm, everyone got into full swing for the preparations of the stage, lights and sounds. At first things were messy, but as soon as the props were in place, the stage was neatly done. In fact, it gave the effect that the audience was going to look forward to a team of professionals giving it their all for that one performance that would last for 2 hours. At 5pm, some of us were getting restless, so we went to get some ice cream. At 6pm, there was this one last briefing for everyone involved in the production. After that, everyone got into posititons before the show started at 7.05pm.

That night, it was a perfect showcase of talents, and everyone gave it their all. Exactly how great everyone felt during the prodcution, I doubt words can describe that. Only when one is experiencing it, can he or she feel greatness, difficult to describe with words alone from the experience. The Interval provided a short moment of celebration for the actors, some of the speakers and the crew, but, that was only half of what everyone had prepared painfully for. The next segment of the show was going to be way better than the first. After 15 minutes, everyone got into positions once again, and this time, it was alot better than the first round, with our voices
projected with greater volume and clarity. At 9pm, was the moment we were all looking forward to, the curtain call. That short moment of great satisfaction was great, we were on cloud nine.
Soon after everyone had left, we cleared the props, packed up, had the last debrief, and finally, went for a short celebration at a place near the school.

And as for yesterday, well, sort of overslept, but somehow, managed to reach school 15 minutes before the lessons started. So, for the record, it took me only 20 minutes to travel from home to school. Reached the classroom at 9.50am, and I was only fully awake for the first half of the day. ELTech practical was damn easy and smooth yesterday, and I was second to finish. After that, headed over to KAP for lunch at 12.40pm, and at 1.40pm, headed back to class again. I was first to finish the assignment for Mechanics, but after that, I was starting to fall asleep. For the whole lecture on ELTech, I was dosing off in class...



That night sure brought back memories from past experiences. That night also opened new windows to how life would be like over the next few years. For now, my guess is that, that night was just the beginning of a new journey...

Second Full Run-Part 2

Today was a really tiring day. In the morning there was the gym session again, and we had to do abs exercises. It was only the third or fourth exercise when everyone became half-dead. Long time since I had trained like that. Even for the running part, I lost alot of stamina and speed.

After that was CATS, and our group got an A grade for the previous assignment. Another A for the first term. CATS has got another assignment in line for us again, and this time round, we have got to come up with a video as the final product. Tomorrow I would be getting the third and final result for the common test. And I'm positive that it's going to be another A+ grade.

So, after school, went to KAP with Jian Hui, Hamzi, Amanda, Janna, Jun Jie and Yin Feng for lunch. Submitted the Eltech project there as well. So, it's back to 5 projects again.

After that, at around 3pm, went home for a short nap before heading back to school for another round of rehearsals. Slacked alittle, rehearsed alittle, crapped alittle, and at 10pm, we were done with another day's work. On Monday, it would be the first full dress rehearsal and that would also be the first time the AV crew will be in action for the actual performance.


By the way, TO YCSS 4E1 PEOPLE, YOUR 'O' LEVEL CERTIFICATES AND TESTIMONIALS ARE READY FOR COLLECTION!! Anyone free on any day to head back to the school to collect the certificate and testimonial with me??

Anyways, heres another poem that I had a sudden urge to compose, which I don't think would be a good one, since it's been a long time since I did something like that.

The night so serene,
The shadows providing shelter for the soldiers of darkness.
The peacemaker hiding among the moonlight,
Waiting for the perfect moment,
To lay his sword on the menacing darkness.

The night so calm,
The wind fuelling the coldness of the air.
The fire burns among the piles of wood,
Waiting for the perfect moment,
To conquer the icy elements.

Results

The start to the new term was sort of great, but then again, it was not so good. Here's what happened. On Monday, we collected three of our Common Test results. I had straight As for my tests so far, and I have been feeling high over that for slightly more than three days now. I had 88/100 for Engineering Mathematics 1, 80/ 100 for Electrical Technology and 95/100 for Computer Programming, which I topped the class unexpectedly.

I must admit though, though the results for Engineering Mathematics 1 and Electrical Technology were promising, I did not put in much effort into the paper. It's all due to carelessness and mis-interpretation of concepts, but, I must say, it was just because of over confidence that the paper would be damn easy, that I ended up losing the unecessary marks. For the very next examination, the Semestral Examination, I will put in 100% for every paper, so that I will avoid the unecessary loss of marks like what has been happening since Secondary school.

I'm still waiting for the revelation of the last paper on Friday, and that isthe module of Engineering Mechanics. By the way, in case you do not know what Engineering Mechanics and Electrical Technology are, they are two modules that make up your Science known as Physics. Electrical Technology covers the elctrical part of the subject, while Engineering Mechanics covers the force-related topics in Physics.

And now, on to yesterday. Darren and I had arranged to meet up on Monday to collect our 'O' Level certificates yesterday. We met at the school bus stop, took a bus to Clementi MRT Station, took a train to Lakeside MRT Station, and walked to school. On the way, we met Ming Wei who was heading home, and Chong Siang, who was coincidentally also heading back to the school with us. Once there, the security guard had changed, and we were not stopped like what happened earlier this year. Anyway, we went to the office and met some teachers who taught us back in those years.

We were told that only the testimonials for 4E3, Darren's class, was ready for collection. 4E1's(our class') testimonials were still being sorted out. So, we had to come back another day to collect them. Once done, we took a walk around the school, only to find that some new chanes had been made to the environment there. We found out that there was going to be a performance in school on the 11th in the evening, but were not very sure if it was opened to former students like us. We went to the school library to relax for about an hour, before walking to the staff room with Miss Lee. Talked alot, and we did not talk the way we used to back in those days when we still had the school uniform on us. Anyway, although no longer part of the school, I still look forward to the day that I can visit it again.

You know, I really hoped that there was one day, or maybe, a couple of days where we could just meet up and catch up on lost time. Well, but as time catches up on us, it seems like it would be an eternity before something as good as that could really become a relaity...

First Full Run-Part 1

Today was the first full run of the first part. Had to be a temporary understudy again, but it sure was fun! Brings back some memories though. Today there was nothing much as well, but it sure killed 6 hours. All we did were listen to speeches, re-ran the scenes a couple of times, went to grab a bite from the sandwich stall, and of course, went home. don't intend to say much though, but, there's something to share:

Ticket Sales for Noises,Voices,Choices 08, the sequel to Noices,Voices Choices Have Started! This one-time only production will be performed on the following Thursday, 3rd July 2008 in Ngee Ann Polytechnic.Each ticket costs 2 bucks, and it only costs 9 bucks for 5 tickets! Hurry! Limited seats available.

Second Rehearsal

Today was the second rehearsal for an up coming school event that would raise the fame of NPSTMC to a significant level. Nothing much happened, except that we went through a list of things that had to be gotten ready, went through lines and roles, as well as filled up some vacnacies for the production.

I went today, though I did not have to, but since I was dying of boredom at home, and two friends were going for the rehearsal as well, maybe I should just go over and kill some time. The effort to head down was paid off, since the rehearsal was damn fun and there were jokes along the way as well. Had wanted to go for the third rehearsal tomorrow, but, as I have got two projects to complete in one day, maybe I should just give tomorrow a miss, and clear both projects in one afternoon. There's one on electromagnetism and one on computer programming, both of which are due in less than seven days.

The next major rehearsal would be on Friday, and I'm looking forward to it, since that's going to be the very first full rehearsal that would involve the whole club!

An Unique Birthday Celebration

I had a very unusual invitation yesterday. I was invited by Wei Ming, Sean's friend, over to his place to celebrate not just his belated 17th birthday,but his sister's 21st birthdayas well! Well, a little strange, but, since I had nothing better to do at home, so why not? After attending a friend's wedding(thanks for the invitation and best wishes~), I rushed home, got changed, and left the house.


At around 1.40pm I boared the bus and headed for Clementi MRT station. The time I was suppossed to meet them was 3pm. But, since I was travelling from the West to the East, I would need alot more time to travel. So, at 2.45, I reached Aljuned MRT station, and depended on a small map to locate The Alcove, the place where the party was to be held.



Well, true enough, I got lost, since the directions on the map were wrong in a sense. Whenever Im not used to a place, I tend to find a traffic junction when it comes to corssing busy roads. However, in that map, well, I was suppossed to jay walk. So, in the end, I took the correct route, but ended up getting lost as the map did not cover the area that had the traffic crossing. So, Wei Ming had to come escort me, just because I did not know where to turn.


Anyway, once we arrived at his place at 3pm, we played games,listened to music and surfed the net with our laptops. All three of us, Wei Ming, Jon and I, except for Sean who has yet to own his first. Well, at least Sean had something that we did not have(an ipod touch). Sean and I played counter Strike which became a game that was boring to play after spending close to an hour playing the same map over and over. So, after watching the first semi final match of the Aviva Open on TV, we went to the gym for a short workout at 4.30pm.



The gym was really small though, but the equipment were decent. This time I hit a new high on the treadmill, 16.5km per hour. I usually ran at 15, but since it has been 3 weeks since i ran on one, maybe i could use the extra speed to make up for lost time. after that I hit the machine. Sean handled 12kilogram weights without any effort. Well, for me, I was close to being half dead when I tried the 7kilogram weights. Finally we used the 6kilogram free weights, since those were the heaviest we could find(damn). By then, it was almost 5.30pm, so we went for a drink before playing at the playground. We were damn bored by then, so we played on the see-saw, and took photographs.The food arrived 15 minutes later.





At 6, we were back in his apartment, changing into dry clothes and slacking in front of our laptops again. We listened to more music, and I saw how the game of AuditionSEA was being played for the first time. At 6.30, we went down to the barbeque pit for buffet dinner. The food was nice and we ate quite a bit. At 7, we continued with our stuff on our computers, but an hour later, we went down again to cut the cake. The cake weighed 3kg, but when I carried it down, it felt as though it was only around 1kg. After we finished our cake, we took another photograph before heading back to the apartment, and locked ourselves in Wei Ming's room after viewing a short video clip made by him to his sister(and seriously, that was really my first time I watched it, though he did mention something about using The Click Five's sountrack for that).




Around 10.30pm, I left for the MRT station, with the escort of Wei Ming and Jon(just in case I got lost). surprisingly, it took me only 30 minutes to reach home, since it took me at least 45 minutes just to travel to Aljuned from home. And, I look forward to seeing you guys again sometime soon!

First Week of Poly Vacation:Pre-occupied Week

Finally I hit the Hundredth Post in this blog(after 2 years). This week was not a busy week at all, since there were only 4 things that kept me occupied on 4 different days. First was last Saturday, followed by yesterday, today and Saturday.

Last Saturday, met up with Sean and his two close friends, Wei Ming and Jon who were from St Patrick's School at 1pm at City Hall MRT station.We went to Raffles City in search of a gift for Wei Ming's sister who would be celebrating her birthday this coming Saturday. Well, we were at a total loss about exactly what to get her, since she is an university undergrad and we have no idea what a girl her age would like. So, Sean, Jon and I asked the friends we knew about what someone like Wei Ming's sister would like, and we all ended up with the same answer: Bracelets and Necklaces. Sean and I got the same answer as to where to get them: Diva. Eventually, we did pass by Diva, but they did not have in store what we wanted. In the end, we decided to go for our last resort: chocolates.

We trained down to Vivocity and got a 38-dollar package of 6 assorted chocolates from GodDiva. We felt really bored after that and stoned for a short period of time, before making the decision to train to Terminal 2 of the Changi International Airport(all because a friend did not want us to meet her, and even "chased" me home in the process).It was around 8.30pm when we left the airport, after witnessing an SIA Boeing 777 plane being delayed in its flight.

Yesterday, I was finally able to reunite with Andy and Randall. They sure did not change much, except that Andy has improved in his studies, and Randall was just as slacked as ever. Long time since we met up yea? Anyways, Andy wanted a change in cinema this time round, so we decided on the Shaw cinema at Jurong Entertainment Centre. That building might look small, but its cinemas sure prove it to be otherwise! We watched the much talked about movie, Kungfu Panda at 10.20am at Cinema 3. Heard many critics saying that it was a must-watch during the holidays, and we wanted to watch it for ourselves to believe it. True enough, the 7 bucks we spent on tickets(one of the CHEAPEST so far since the price hike),and the large portions of pop corn(the cup was so damn big that you could not hold it with one hand!) sure was worth spending. That movie was a cocktail of action, humour and trust. The audience was laughing almost throughout the whole movie(us included of course)! After the movie, we walked around as we were too full to have lunch, and there was still some time to spare. So, we went to the arcade on the second floor to kill off 45 minutes, before heading in our separate directions once again.One more thing. The movie ended with humour, which put it at a notch above many other movies, for you would expect such scenes to be placed after the credits. There were two quotes that were insightful in the movie. They were "Yesterday's a history, tomorrow's a mystery and today's a gift" and "there are no such thing as accidents". I quite like the first one more, for it's definitely applicable to our daily lives, and as for the second, well maybe it's to reassure us that anything we do could be helpful to our future?

Finally, on to today! Today's meeting with Sean and Wei Ming was sort of like a last minute-plan, and I mean TOTALLY. We arranged to meet at 10am this morning at 1am the same morning(that was last night). So, this morning, we met up as usual, went to Sean's place to place our bags, and off we went for a jog near his place. We ran on the road of a private housing estate of bungalows, and the route was coupled with slopes that provided a bit of a challenge to us. We had prepared to run 5 laps, but on our first, Sean and i had stitches. Guess we did not eat enough for breakfast this morning. Nonetheless, we decided to walk for just one more round before heading back to his home. We talked about quite a lot of things before we arrived at Sean's favourite downhill slope. There, we sprinted down the slope and I easily went beyond my top speed and nearly lost my own balance.

As we had only spent a total of 30 minutes, we decided to go for a cycle from East Coast Park to Changi Village. There goes my third time cycling a distance of 40km. Sean was ecstatic when I told him of the route that the NP Cyclng Club used on our Orientation Ride in April. He's an airplane fanatic as well yea. We trained down to Eunos before taking a bus to the park, reaching there at around 12.30pm. We had a light snack, rented our bikes, and stocked up on water, before commencing on the first 20km of the ride. This time round, we managed to see many thrilling sights of plane landings and take-offs up close, but, those were only the warm-up. We reached our destination of Changi Village at 2.30pm. We stayed there for close to 30 minutes for a short drink and chatted before setting off at 3pm. On our way back, a Singapore Airlines Boeing 777 jet passed directly over our heads. What's more, its flaps and landing gear were fully extended! NICE! Sadly, we did not bring our camera with us, so we were unable to take any photographs of the ride today. At 5pm, we completed the final gruelling 20km of the ride, with me tackling Wei Ming's bike almost every time he rings his bell at ignorant park users who stay on the wrong side of the track. Had a late lunch and early dinner at MacDonald's before we head back to Sean's place.

We reached Sean's house at close to 7pm, and went to slack in his study room after a nice drink. his whole family met up for dinner today, and the atmosphere was great. And for dinner, they had steamboat. Lots of delicious stuff tonight. Well, the food sure looked tempting, but, maybe i should not join them in their dinner? By the way, Sean brought Wei Ming and I into his room where we watched TV and looked at his collection of plane models. At 8pm, we had a short dinner before leaving for home. And, once again, many thanks to Sean for the great day of activities which were a bit of last minute, but they were really enjoyable!

So this is how the days will be like till the holidays are over? Days are slacked, but i still fear the probability of being off form once school starts again. So, how are things going on? Still good, or have things gotten a little tougher??

Blog Update

Time sure flies! Finally, another six months have passed, and it's time to change the looks of the blog once again. Well, some updates are:

-A new skin
-New Links
-New Link Categories

The next time would be in December, so until then, do expect more things to come by!! So long~

First Class Outing

As soon as the first hurdle has been successfully tackled, there is celebration. The atmosphere lurks in the air, welcoming the holidays in full swing.

Today was the very first class outing of 1A03, which was pretty much successfully and well planned, except for the meeting times and places. Met up with Hamzi and Wei Yong at 9.40am at Pending LRT station, before taking a bus down to vivocity, rendezvous with Jian Hui and Jun Jie. We had lunch at 12.30pm before meeting Issac and trained down to Sentosa. Then we had a hard time finding the rest of the class at Siloso Beach, our venue for the outing. When we finally did, it rained alittle. Went for a game of basketball, before playing soccer with the other guys. Not really sure myself, but, I was never that good at soccer. My stamina had fallen quite a bit, but at least my basics were still intact.

Once we were all tired, we went into the waters for a dip to cool down. After around an hour in there, Jian Hui, Jun Jie, Hamzi, Janna and I went to slack under a coconut tree, while the others simply left us to play volleyball. Since we had nothing better to do after taking a short nap, Jian Hui,Jun Jie, Hamzi and I decided to dig a shallow pit to dump some sandals in. As if that took alot of time, we went to dig another pit at around 3pm, this time with the aim of reaching the depth where we could obtain sea water from the pit. It seemed futile when, an hour later, we were still trying to reach our target. So, we changed plans and decided on bulding a "wall" surrounding our bags.

It was around that time that I noticed the group of students participating in an activity near us. Not just that, it soon dawned upon me that they could be, or maybe, they were Catholic Junior College students, since I noticed a familiar face there, but not sure if I was right though.

So, it was 4pm when the rest of the class returned from their game of volleyball. Some of them became nervous and frantic when they found out that their sandals were missing. So, pitying them, we gave the exact location of where the sandals were buried. We then went to wash up and change, before heading back to Vivocity once more, this time for dinner.It was around 8pm when we left for home, since tomorrow, there was another activity in line for us. Mechanical Engineering Course Inter-class Games. Can't wait for that, but now, maybe I should worryabout whether I am able to play in tomorrow's games of Captain's Ball, since I sustained a minor injury on my right foot.Oh! And the photographs will be up soon, maybe on Saturday.

First common test

Quite alot has happened over the past few weeks. Good or bad, there are many. Some activities over the past few weeks were three insightful Student Toastmasters Club meetings and a cycling Endurance Challenge stretching 45 kilometers at the Paya Labar airstrip.

Anyway, on to this week, the common test period. Long time since I sat for an examination since the O Levels close to 9 months back.The examination style is slightly different from your average secondary school and JC. Rules and regulations are more stringent, and the penalties for cheating are more serious, and in some cases, that could cause you your school life.

Monday was the first paper, Electrical Technology. Since this module made its debut three years back in 2005, each year, the papers get significantly tougher. This year's paper, was the most challenging in terms of conceptual problems where you had play around with the laws and formulae just to arrive at the answer. I should easily get a B grade for this test though.

Yesterday, we had the Engineering Mathematics paper. Difficulty was 3 out of 5 stars. The paper was a breeze, with only a couple of tough and tricky questions. I'm almost certain that I would get at least an A grade for this paper.

Today was the final paper for the common test. Engineering Mechanics. Rating 1 out of 5 stars. The difficulty level was the same as the past year papers, up to two years back in 2006. There would be only one calculation error for that paper though (guess I forgot to check my claculations, apart from the method). I would get an AD grade(A grade with Distinction) for that test. Here's a spoiler: I did less than hour's worth of revision for this paper.

By the way, this was also the first time that I had less than five papers for a common test. It sure was surprising at first, but yea, after checking the announcements and all, there really was in fact only 3 papers for this term's common test.

So, with three days taken out for common tests, the other two would be left for fun and relaxation. I would be going off to Sentosa with my class tomorrow, then on Friday, it would be back to school, but this time, it's not for lessons, revision nor exams. Instead, it's back to school for a games day organised specially for the first year students of the course of Mechanical Engineering by their very own lecturers, to commemorate the completion of our first examination in a totally new environment.

Back to Vivo

The time and place were confirmed way back, to around early April, where we first sat down to think of a good place to hold a birthday celebration. Finally, that day arrived, and today, though there were hiccups along the way, things didn't turn out to be as bad as they seemed to be. Earlier on this year, we went to Vivocity, three quarters of our class, just to help a friend who was always clueless on his fashion sense to get three sets of clothes for the Chinese new Year celebrations. Today, we were back there again, this time, for a different purpose.

Things started today with a two-hour long return trip to MacRitchie Reservoir at 8am, as I had to take my brother there in time to come for his guide assignments there each Sunday.

So, did some stuff from 10 to 2.30pm, before leaving the safety of the iron gates to head down to City hall to meet Sean and Cherie to get a group gift for the birthday girl who would meet us with others at 5.30pm later on. Turns out that the bag we intended to purchase was not on sale at Raffles City, so, it ended up with us heading down to vivocity instead to join Joycelyn with the search of a gift. In the end, we bought a green Tee and a pair of flip flops as the gift. It was close to 5.30 when we were done, so we headed for the intended meeting point, which was in today's case, the Harbour Front MRT station. For the second time, Weiwen(the birthday girl) was right on time. Maybe we should have asked er to arrive 30 minutes earlier since her church session had ended earlier today. Thadd, Lim and Fiona were with her when we arrived.From there, we decided to head to Marche' for dinner. Priscilla and Jerome joined us at the restaurant a little later.

Since dinner ended early at 7.50pm, we cleared our bills and went to a nearby arcade to wait for Sean and Cherie to finish their meal in the most romantic way. It took them quite awhile to finish, so we were able to delay the final surprise a little longer. While Fiona and I went to Bread Talk to get the cake, the others made their way to the amphitheatre to get ready. Finally, everything ended with a photo taking session(a Must Have whenever Jerome is around for our gatherings). Tomorrow's going to be another pretty relaxed day with most of the day spent at my cousin's place to celebrate my Grandmother's birthday(could that mean another cake to savour?).

Yea, those were the times when we were still alien to one another. True enough, it turned out that gradually, one of us would get attached to someone we knew well from that small union of friends who were always close to each other, and perhaps, maybe, even until each of the 5 of us found a partner... Would that day for me come soon?

First month

Today marks the first month of a new life at Ngee Ann. Well, nothing much to say, since everyday is like studying, with the only time spent on releasing stress during breaks or after school. Before I forget, I was sort of losing inspiration on what to post up here, and as for this post, well, was forced by someone to update, so, here it is.

The commemoration of the first month spent in school sure was great. The first rainy day in school. Not just showers. The study area outside Cheers was flooding, and there were crockroaches and grass hoppers roaming around the area in search of dry ground, forcing us to head back to the bus stop before taking the longest route ever to class(but no doubt this route was also the safest). Just when I thought that the rain was all, the wind had just took up its share of the fun. Now it was not just wet, but cold as well. Been a long time since the outdoors was cold.

When everyone went home at 6pm, I continued on with 2 hours of enrichment lessons which was definitely enjoyable. After that, met up with jenere for late dinner at Cheers(again, but it's dry and cleaner this time). Right now, well, I'm at home, slacking after spending 12 hours in school. And tomorrow's no better. It could hit 13 or even 14 hours spent in school.

Sunday's finally going to be the next reunion with my MI friends. Been a long time since we had sat together for a nice meal.

TIme sure flies...looking back, just after we had received our posting results,but now, in two weekss' time it's going to be back to the examination hall...

Time

School had just started, but with a simple blink of the eye, it's already the third week of school. Time sure flies when you have got things and unfinished tasks to do. These three weeks alone were a real challenge, for life now not only involves studies, but also one's social life and character,especially in the way one does and handles things. Many people, many perspectives. Well, guess that's the way it'll be for the next three years down the road.

The past two night have been enjoyable with the gun bound sessions. I still have trouble visualising the effect of relative velocity in the game, but I should be able to see it with more practice, while ensuring that I don't get addicted to the game.

Anways, watched three movies over the weekend. Yesterday I watched Priates of the Carribean: At World's End and Step up 2 the Streets. Pirates of the Carribean was shown in cinemas around the same time last year, and as for Step Up 2 the Streets, it was shown recently this year if I'm not wrong. The movies were great, and kept me occupied when I was bored after doing some revision. Just a couple of hours ago, I watched Night at the Museum. My first impression was it being a horror movie,which turned out to the exact opposite of what I had thought it to be. It was more of a fantasy coupled with adventure and humour. Come to think of it, these movies might be just another form of entertainment for many, but, set deep in their respective sets, each story teaches a lesson in life. That's usually what I look for in movies,apart from watching them for pure entertainment.

Tomorrow's going to be another day in school. I'm still looking forward to Tuesday though, for it will be more of working with something I like doing, which is building miniature models, except that this time round, I will be working with not just a model, but one that is able to run on its own with motors. Tomorrow, well,I don't really know much about what's going to happen, just that it could end up being a pretty tiring day,with school ending at 5pm.

Friday's going to be another day of reunion with friends met back in MI during the one month trial of JC life.Though there's going to be another one on the 19th of next month, this one might be able to help us catch up with lost time I hope...



School has only started, and I have yet to find my rightful place in there. Why? Why is it that things have to go this way?Whenever and wherever time plays a part, the people we meet are different,and the things we do are alien to us? Is it all predestined? Or was it just the simple fact that life goes on?



[Blog Update]

-Updated Valerie(MI-PAE 08S6)
-Added Lynette(MI-PAE 08S6)

1st Week

The first week of school was not as bad and as stressful as I had thought it would be.It was more like doing revision for the O levels,and, the pace, when compared to a JC, is alot slower, making things easy to be absorbed.

Anyway,after 4 years, I finally found the website for gunbound(an old game, but at least each game lasts for less than 10 minutes),and started playing it with my poly friends who play it to release stress(not after spending an hour on downloading).I realised its alot like worms(with the high angle shots and weapon types),making it a rather easy game to pick up.And, a good thing is, the game's not addictive at all.

So, today, somehow I regained my speed in doing Mathematical and Physics questions while doing my tutorials. It's been some time, but I felt as though my speed has increased(I myself was surprised).So ya, finished the physics tutorial ahead of most classmates today, and went around helping others spot their mistakes. As for today's Mathematics lecture, there were some glitches with the projector, so whatever word or digit was screened had some sort of a pink shadow behind it.So the lecturer gave up and decided to use the whiteboard instead(finally the speed of teaching I was looking forward to).

Tomorrow will be pretty slacked other than a short 3 minute presentation, and a possibly chance to build a mechanical car too...




[Blog Update]
-Added Amanda(NPP) and Angeline(MI-PAE 08S6)

First Day

Today marks the first day of school at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.It was more like a normal day of school. I got lost in there again, but managed to find the classroom just before lessons started.

The first hour was Mathematics, which was pretty easy,as it was just revision. At 11 went for the first computer language and programming class. Had some hiccups here and there, but with time and practice, I should be able to master the basics.Then,went for our lunch break as a class(almost as a class) at the canteen near the convention centre, before going for a short walk and heading for the next lesson after that. So,the next lesson at 2pm was a 2-hour tutorial session,where we did basic mesurements,and I'm still having some minor problems with that. The day was ended off with an hour long Mathematics lecture by a humorous lecture. Quite liked the way he taught though. His lecture was entertaining, yet simple enough to get the information carried across(I can still remember most of the things taught).

Well, the day was not as bad as I had originally thought it to be,and it's good that I still don't feel the stress as yet, so going at my current pace in class should be fine for the time being,until more challenging lessons come along.At least today, I finally know the reason behind why the best students say that it's constant effort that contributed to their success in school...

Carefree No More

There might be 5 more days before I start school in a totally new environment, but tomorrow marks the start of a new school life, though it has not exactly started yet.

Those 60 or so days, I did many things, like some preparatory Mathematics and Physics, learnt some basic culinary skills,did some exercises and went for outings(at least 5 if I remember correctly).Tomorrow and Friday would take me to meet my future classmates and lecturers as well as the places where I would be having my lessons and hands-on stuff.

So,tomorrow,new start,new lecturers,new friends,new environment,new things to learn and new life.

10 Days

It's just 10 more days to feel care-free about studying,before I have to sit in front of my study table once again.

Just seen my time table for the first semester which starts the following Monday.School practically starts at 9am every Monday and Wednesday,at 1pm every Tuesday(just the way I like it),8am every Thursday and 10am every Friday.However,as school starts late, there's little doubt that school would also have to end late(Damn,but seems like that's false for Tuesdays). On Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays,school ends at 5pm.School ends at 4pm on Tuesdays (now I like it even more) and 12pm on Thursdays.Compared to Secondary school,this time table sure has got some great starting times,but,I still prefer the early dismissal times of 2.15pm daily and 12.45pm on Fridays to the current 5pm dismissal time on Mondays,Wednesday and Fridays.True enough, there are some pros to accompany those late dismissal times as well.On days when I'm dismissed at 5pm, there's an hour of break from 12pm to 1pm or from 1pm to 2pm.

Now, it seems like Tuesday is still my favourite day, and Friday has taken the title of Most Hated Day(it's simply due to the end time of 5pm instead of 12.45pm in the past 10 years).


So,today,met up with Sean at Bugis at 4pm, before heading to Sim Lim square to get his screen protector for his Ipod Touch.For 12 bucks, he gets two sides worth of protective plastic screen.Nice.Sure was tempted to get the 8GB one at a 73 dollar discount, but in the end I did not make a purchase as I could end up facing the possibility of spending another 20 bucks for the software update by Apple.On the way back,met Cherie who arrived 8minutes earlier than expected,since we had expected her to arrive at 5pm to meet Sean.

So,I crept away back into the station, but forgot to get a drink before heading home. Nevermind, so just went back up to say "Hi",get my drink and head home again.I had the best surprise today on the bus ride home though.The moment I tapped my card on the reader, I heard not two,but only ONE beep.I din't really notice that my concession rates were no longer activated on the bus ride to Clementi earlier today.Well,it was really confirmed upon alighting later on that my card really lost its concession after I noticed I paid more than the usual 45cent rate and heard only one beep again...

No wonder the value fell from 17++ bucks to 12++ bucks.So that meant that yesterday was the last time I would hear those two beeps till I get my new card the following Tuesday?

Marina Square,again

Today the same few of us,Wei Wen, Joycelyn,Lim,Sean and I went back to Marina Square for a nice and appetising dinner at Long John Silvers. Tonight was perhaps one of those times that I took longer than usual to finish my food ya,since I had just undergone dental surgery a couple of days back.

Well,before that, went over to Bedok to meet a friend for a short moment before heading down to White Sands at Pasir Ris to stock up on some basic stationery for the new life in two weeks time.It was already 4.20pm when I received Joyce's message saying that the time was indeed confirmed as 4.45pm today. I immediately rushed back by train to City Hall Station in 40 minutes,reaching there at 5pm, and met her and Wei Wen near New York New York.. So we headed for MPH where we met up with Lim and adjourned to Long John Silvers at Marina for dinner. Sean came soon after, meant as a surprise for Joyce and Wei Wen.

Once we were done, we went to Famous Amos to get Joyce's cookies for her school visit tomorrow,before parting ways to head home.Met one of Joyce's friends on the way home,and Lim helped form the new bonds with a fellow freshman from Ngee Ann.So,for now, it seems like I cant complete a model given to me by Thadd,Vera,Wei Wen and Valerie as a birthday gift and another model given to me about a year ago by a friend.So, hopefully I can stay up late into the night tomorrow till sunrise.

So,guess it's just going to be at least the same few of us for the next few outings yea?Well, at least I know, that I have made many great friends back in MI, and even though those days are over, we're still together as a small flame of the torch that would never die out under harsh conditions...

[Blog Update]
-Re-linked Chong Siang(CS LEO)

Completion of Gundam GN-002 Dynames

Well, I got this as a birthday gift from Sean and Cherie last Tuesday, and it was a new model from a new series, Gundam 00. Seems like Ban Dai has improved the details of its 1/100 scale models,adding new features and materials to the models. This sure was one of the toughest models I have come across.

Name: GN-002 Dynames

Details:
Actual Height:18.2m
Actual Weight:59.1 tonnes

Model Details:
1/100 Scale Model
Time taken:6 hours 30 minutes

Anyway,although I just realised that the legs have been joint in the wrong position, here are the pictures:


Just completed


"Docked" state



The Head



"Launched" state



GN Full Shield fully extended



Upper torso




Primary Weapon: GN Sniper Rifle(wielded)

Secondary Weapon: GN Beam Pistol
wielded

Casing and pistol(view 1, casing opened)

View 2,casing opened

View 3,casing closed



Melee Weapon:GN Beam Saber
Wielded

Un-activated and activated modes

Holder and un-activated saber

Rear Thruster(s):

Poses,views and details:

New Chapters

Well,this post is for Tuesday,25 March.

Sean,Cherie,Thaddd,Vera,Fiona,Lim,Priscilla,Wei Wen and I met up at City Hall Mrt Station, before walking over to Marina Square for dinner.Before that, Thadd,Sean and Cherie gave Priscilla and I a nice surprise.Gifts for our birthdays(least expected that)! Thanks you guys!Well, it was quite a long walk, but soon we settled for dinner at Swensen's.Ordered lots of dishes, and Lim gave us yet another good surprise.How could a double birthday celebration do without a cake?

Then on the way back home at around 9pm,we discovered 4 new chapters in the lives of 4 friends who were ahead of us.Well, seems like a great start for them ya?So, that should mark 6 new chapters in the month of March, with many more new challenges ahead waiting to be overcomed.

Well then, since there's nothing much to say,I'll just compose another poem:

The tide was coming in,
But the moon never showed its light.
Where was the moonlight,
The light that has always guided our ship?

The Desert heat was closing in,
But the Sun kept showing its fury.
Where was the calmness in its glory,
The warmth that has always reassured us of our destination?

The darkness was setting in,
But the lamp's flame showed its determination.
Where was our trust in its resolution,
The perserverence that always seen us through time?

Back to MI, and off to another outing

Two days ago, I was all dressed up just to head back to a former school to pay some outstanding school fees. Well, the journey there was the same, just that on the way back I met three friends.The security guard was still the same, and so was the school environment.The payment process was pretty fast.It was 4pm when i arrived, and it was just 4.30pm when i left It was surprising to meet Afian at the stadium, though it was not a CCA day. And on the way out, I met Pei Xuan, who was surprised at seeing me in the school(I dint expect to meet her there at all).
So, I decided to see who else I would meet if I walked back to the bus interchange. And I sure met someone again! Kuan Wei was almost reaching home when we ran into each other, and he was back in IJC after his JAE posting.

Later that night, Pei Xuan and i gave each other a pleasant surprise. She was surprised to see me in MI just so that I could pay my school fees. If there was not a need to, I would not have went there already,plus, I never expected to meet her there either. After that,I was appalled to hear from her that a friend who was from MI during the PAE period was actually still in there, though I previously believed that all my friends had left MI for their JCs and polytechnics.

Well, now on to yesterday...

It was a pleasant outing.Weiwen,Joycelyn,Fiona,Lim,Sean,Thadd and I met at Somerset Mrt station at 1.30pm and left for Orchard Cineleisure for lunch at Subway. We had a nice lunch, but were unable to decide on a movie to watch, so we just went to an arcade at Plaza Singapura to pass the time.After that, at around 4.30pm, After Lim and Weiwen went off,the rest of us went on to Star Bucks Coffee at Wisma Atria,while I went to the Gmask kiosk there, and found out that the was no avaliable stocks for my laptop wrap that was free.So, empty-handedly, went back to meet the rest at Star Bucks, before leaving for Bukit Batok shortly after that, so that I could meet up with my parents and head on to a friend's place for dinner.

Their place sure was great, and it gave a peaceful sort of feeling.And, I finally had a possible job offer,though it came a little too late.So at around 11pm,we left for home.Well, i'm still not sure if I am still willing to work, but I will think it over for now...

[Blog Update]
-Updated Link:Clara(Cousin)

I'm starting to wonder if the good things in life are the things that really come later than one can expect...

To The First Step Of A Journey Of Fantasy

Looking at the remnants thou left behind,
Retraced the footsteps of thou.
Crack and shattered was thyself,
Embracing those short moments.

Aye,those were the days.
The days we enjoyed and lived,
Left settled in memories,
Awaiting the day to be relooked upon.
Souls and spirits shall enlighten our path,
Together,into the depths of the unkown we shall go.

Dedicated to a close friend, of MI, PAE-08S6.

A Short Reunion

Had a small and short reunion with 4 other members of 08S6,which was quite light as always. Met up with Thadd,Sean,Weiwen and Joyce before heading to Sunshine Plaza for lunch at 3pm. Well, I'm not sure,but I did not see that place on a map yesterday.After that, took a bus to Wisma for a light snack at The Coffee Bean. Planned and came up with some of the details for the next gathering, though not all 25 or so classmates would be expected to turn up for this one.We headed on to the next destination, Taka, for some of us wanted to get some stationery for school.Well, din't turn out so well, when Joyce gave us the wrong information, leaving us running around the 1st,2nd,3rd levels as well as the basement.

At around 5.30pm, the guys and the girls parted ways, and it was left with the three of us.We took the train to City Hall, where we took a short break at City Link. It was close to 6.30pm when we decided where to go next. Thadd was going home, while Sean would be waiting for his family to have dinner at Raffles City, and as for me, have a little look around the IT Show at Suntec International Convention and Exhibition Centre.

It did not turn out to be very great as the papers said it would be, but the 4m wide walkway sure helped me move with more speed than during similar shows and fairs back in those days.As such, I managed to gather up some information about some of the products and assesories within 30minutes after I entered the first exhibition hall on the 6th floor. Anyway, I still did manage to pick out some of the booths that I should be visiting tomorrow, so that I can get some things done before I go around the whole complex again, this time paying more attention to the other products being sold there.

With time the footprints fade,
With memory they will be remembered.
With each day we forget,
With each thought we trace.
With every second,
With every mind,
There will never be anything that would be deemed impossible.

Long Holiday

49 days before school starts. Man, it's going to be one long,boring holiday before school starts on 14th April.

I haven't been doing much at home these days,just slacking around, doing little preparation for the new school life ahead. Nowadays, I'm just passing my time off with at least 5 hours of game time daily,usually in the afternoon on weekdays, and up to 10 hours on weekends.

Yea,I still do some household chores, but they only take up most of the morning, followed by some other things,which vary from day to day.

Anyway, the only good start of the 55-day holiday was to take my brother to a park for his school's annual cross country run. We were almost late, but good thing there was a long line of taxis waiting at the MRT station. So, by the time I reached home after dropping him off at the entrance of the park,it was close to 9am. Did some chores, and then it was back to my lifeless,gamer self.Had thought that I would not be like this once the O levels were over, but, it seems like I would be back to that helpless state real soon.

[Blog Update]
-New contact added:Valerie

Last day of the last PAE, new life awaits...

Monday was similar to the previous Graduation Nite I had in Yuan Ching. Morning, there was school as per normal, but after that, we decided to make a move early after Math, as there were no other important lessons from 11am onward. So, invited Lim,Thadd,Lynette,Cherie,Angeline and Priscilla over for lunch, before going on to Fiona's place at 4.30pm for the barbeque party.

Really enjoyed ourselves that day, and it might be the last time that we would be able to meet together as a class.Anyway, there was bound to be more similar gatherings in time to come, so 08S6, just get ready for the next gathering,ok?

So,the next day,I received an SMS at 6.20am. Wondered who was so excited about the posting results that day. Well, so I just opened the message, and I ended up having one of the worst Tuesday mornings in 2008.I was not posted to either of the Aeronautical courses in Ngee Ann Polytechnic or Singapore Polytechnic.Instead, I got posted to my third choice, Mechanical Engineering at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.THe moment I saw the results, I did the simplest thing. Maybe I was just imgining things,so a short nap would do ya?Ok, so at 10am, I woke up, checked the SMS again, well, itwas true.Ok, fine,it's not a bad course anyway, and I still have the chance to consider what I really want to do in a University after I graduate from the Polytechnic.

So, for now, all I know is that I will be meeting 5 friends more often over the next three years,which is quite a good thing actually, even though we're not bound for the same course.


[Blog Updates]
-Added New categories(MI,PAE 08S6 and NPP)
-Added new contacts:Ferdi, Jane,Lim Ther,Priscilla and Thaddaeus.

Another Long Hike In Town

Picked myself up slowly at 7am,turned on the internet to plan my route for the day, and went back to sleep. Well, I sort of overslept and was not able to make it to Lot 1 at Chua Chu Kang,to scout for a suitable gift for Monday.So, as Sean could only make it at 3pm, Thadd arranged to meet me at West Mall earlier today.I had wanted to head over to Jurong Point at first,but when Thadd told me he was heading for West Mall,I had to make my way back to my starting point.Anyway, this was the route we took for the day:

1. West Mall(11.30am-12pm)
2. Jurong Point(12.20pm-1.30pm)...we had lunch at a MacDonalds' fast food outlet here
3.Bugis Shopping Centre(2pm-2.55pm)
4.Suntec Convention Centre(3.15pm-4pm)
5.Millenia Walk(4pm-4.30pm)
6.Marina Square(4.50pm-5.45pm)
7.City Link(6pm-7.30pm)

As expected, close to 50% of the total time was spent solely on travelling,with the remainder on scouting and making purchases.Well, met some of the OGLs,who could not recognise us at a shop at Bugis Junction.After meeting Sean, and going on to Millenia Walk to take a look at the plane models,we headed back to Marina Square on the return leg of the whole day's plan for the main gift.We spent lots of time at our second last destination,Mini Toons, just to get the personal and class gifts for her,before making our way to City Link.

As the crowd was closing in at around 6pm to catch the Chingay Parade, we decided to snack-out the long jam,so that we would not be affected by the overcrowded trains later on.So, we went over to Polar cake shop at City Link from 6pm to 7.30pm.Before that,we were at MPH bookstore to get ourselves some greeting cards to go along with the gifts we had bought.

After that, it was a terrible journey back home, with the Large gift being a burden to my normal movements...

January At A Glance...

This year did not start off quite well, perhaps it was due to the transition from a secondary school to an instituion of a higher level,which is MI.MI stands for Millenia Institute,but it is not your average Institute of Technical Education.In fact, MI is just like any other JCs in Singapore, just that,instead of the usual one year and three months,an average MI student takes two years and three months before he or she is ready for the General Certificate of Examination Advanced Level examinations.

Anyway, I got posted there as a Provisional Admission Exercise(PAE) applicant. My clan was Neutron(kinda like the most slacked clan in the whole orientation), group 4. Well, made some friends there, and found out that majority of us were posted as science students.I was eventually posted to the class 08S6,the class that will be taking the combination of Biology,Chemistry and Mathematics.No H1 subjects were offered due to the short period of time, and as a result, we were dismissed daily at 1.25pm daily, and 12.45pm on fridays. As for the starting time of school, it starts at 9am on Mondays, and 8am on other days.

Friends wise, they're a great bunch, and I must say, our bond gets stronger with every passing day.So, whenever possible, we always chip in anyway we can, even though the time we will spend together will be a short one.

Anyway... back to yesterday,the first ever barbeque party organised for the class.I'll make it a short one.We missed the busstop, and walked a little further towards the pit. I made a run for the van parked outside Road Safety Park. The caterer, though he waited for over 40 minutes, he was still very modest and helpful, I really appreciated his patience during that time under such weather.Kudos to him and BBQ House! The rain was overpowering our morale, but although we did not manage to cook everything, but like what Lynne has said "Though today the weather was not favourable,but we sure had a great time going through all the rain".

Ok, on to Miss Lim's house warming at her new temporary home this evening. We all met at Boon Lay MRT station, and made our way there once everyone had arrived.There was a buffet waiting for us upon arrival, and guess wat, there were not many guests when we arrived.But, as we ate and chatted, more arrived. I had a whale of a time there, and hopefully, the others did too.So at about 9.30pm,everyone left for home, while Randall and I went to buy some personal items...

Though we had only known each other for two months, why do I find myself drifting further and further away from the place I once called home during the last 4 years...why is that? Was it because of the new bonds, or is it because life goes on?