Memories...
Friday, June 22, 2007
4 DAES TO ARTS CAMP...WHERE IT ALL BEGINS AGAIN
Looking at these 2 pictures bring back so much fond memories for me..Most of these S House freshies last year would be my councilors this time round..haha..
It reminds me of last year as well, where i watch my year 1 freshies such as Shifty, Fel, Weilong, Peiyong, Wayne, Anders, Joshua etc become excellent councilors and o commers themselves haha..how shud i put it..it really feels heartwarming to see year after year of your freshmen step up to take leadership roles.
I guess this kind of feeling ll only be experienced by super lao laos heh..
This year's Camp is really shaping up well, n the excitement is building up again just like past years haha!
AH WOO! AH WOO! AH WOO!
Thursday, June 21, 2007
BACK FROM TIOMAN - THE BIG FISH ENCOUNTER
Yeah i m back from tioman island since Mondae evening. I last visited there in 1999, almost 8 years ago wow. Time flies man. Anyway e water over there now still rocks at certain parts of the island, but i must say its definitely not as pure or clear as compared to the past. And yes, there are much less of those irritating sea cucumbers which i swear flooded the entire seabed 8 years ago!!
Actually, there were more disappointments during the trip than highs. 1st of all, the room which me and Princess Shuang Er got on the 1st dae at Salang Beach Resort was a total crap one! While its true that we booked kinda last min and thus ended up getting the last available room, but it was really really bad. Shouldnt elaborate more hah! Thankfully when we switch rooms on e 2nd dae to the air-conditioned one, it was 10 times better.
2ndly, the food overall, was well disappointing. Wasnt really special and quality was really bad for some of the stuff we ate. Me and Princess Shuang Er both swear that bukit timah al zahar food n drinks are so much better!
3rdly, as expected actually, the prices of the shirts/ shorts there increased liao, due to the influx of tourists. What was disappointing to me is that there were seriously v few Tioman shirts that look unique or nice. Really! I rem 8 years ago i bought this really colourful n exotic shirt as a souvenir. Didnt really feel like buying 1 this time round. haha, but ended up the couple shirts we bought were too small for me!! And i look like a retard squeezing into a mini-shirt bah! Thus, Princess Shuang Er gets to keep 2 shirts in e end haha. =p
Finally, thank heavens that Salang is the more happening area on Tioman at night. There were a few pubs and i must comment that the beer and alcohol there is cheap man haha! But wasnt much else n most of the restaurants n pubs also close by midnight.
Well, n certainly 1 of the major highlights of the trip was seeing this freaking big fish while snorkelling in the shallow waters near to our beach la!! Basket i got a real shock when i saw it. It was freaking huge and look freaking wierd! At least 1m long and blue in colour! I rem Princess Shuang Er was swimming beside me and ya noe, while snorkelling most of the time u only see small fishes and corals there underwater. So really i was stunned when i saw the fish and i tot i was seeing things! But i immediately surfaced and quickly dragged Princess Shuang Er and swimmed asap away ahha!
She didnt see the big fish n was clamouring to see it, while i was like "Holy shit! Let's get out of here quick before the big fish decides to grab a bite of us n see how we taste like." After we were in safe waters, i kept analysing and discussing with her whether i could have seen things. Manz, at that point of time, i felt like those kinda chaps who sighted the Loch Ness monster or Bigfoot or UFOs and was trying to convince others what i really saw, and that what i saw was not illusions hahaha!
Yea, and guess what? When i reached back in Singapore and during Arts Camp meeting, i ask lion king the expert diver, whether could it have been eye tricks n described the big freaking fish, n he told me what i saw was a BUMPHEAD PARROTFISH. duh! What in holy smokes was that?! So i went to google and found lotsa pics of it, and most importantly,
I WASNT SEEING THINGS!!!
Apparently this bumphead parrotfish is kinda like a giant luohan, with a bump on its head and can grow up to freaking 1.5 m in length!! Lion king apparently told me that he got witnessed even up till his size wan! Considering that lion king is not v small, u can imagine how big these bumpheads can grow until!
What i researched was that these bumpheads are very gentle creatures, n serve very important eco purposes of generating sand. They are also not exactly very common. haha, which means dear hock here got the honour of sighting a rare sea creature somemore in the shallow waters.
But trust me man, unless u re a seasoned diver, the amatuerish 4th grade snorkellers like u n me, when coming face to face with a 1.5m bumphead just a freaking 1 m distance away from u, u wont stay around to cuddle it man. I mean really, Man have mood swings. Woman have mood swings (10 times worse heh). Dogs have mood swings. Tigers have mood swings. Heck, even camels have mood swings. N lets not forget bout the damn stingray which attacked Steve Irwin, 1 of my most respected Animal Planet activists. Even stingrays have mood swings (cant blame them sometimes, considering how delicious they taste with sambal sauce).
So, whose to say that bumpheads wont have mood swings!!?? And suddenly decide to bite a chunk off u?? Manz..
This episode has served to make me think deep n hard about how shud i prepare myself mentally when i eventually come face to face with the Loch Ness monster Nessie..my childhood dream haha.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Had dinner with the SMUN O Com at Arab Street just now. Hahaa! I must say we had tons of fun talking cock, rubbish, bitching and what not. Newae the food there was great man. Must recommend others to go there next time hee.
Kelvin and Nat would most prob be coming to Arts Camp Spartan house as well. Yay! Makes me happy as well, coz it ll be the 1st Arts Camp they are going. Never too late to have a happy childhood eh. =) Ulric, Jiesheng, Harris, John, and Kim Seng from the SMUN O Com have also oredi signed up.
Heard from Rabbit that todae's sign up alone for freshies oredi had 100 plus pple! haha! thats great news! I guess funkygrad's branding us as Best Orientation Camp of 2006 really does help in publicizing us heh heh.
Even though Father's Day is coming, but I like to think instead that i have the best Mum in the world. n_n Even tho she's naggy, loud, and cynical at many a times, i noe she always have the best interests of e 3 of us at heart.
Off i go then, for my short vacation!!
Friday, June 15, 2007
On another note, it does feel a bit wierd going into a new Arts Camp without old familiar faces of yesteryears..wonderful friends, peers and councilors such as Xiao Tian Tian, Carrie, Ernest, Clement, Swi Swi, Eric, Gina, Michelle, Bian Bian, the crazy Weiliang, Siew Fan, Ivan Kwan, Jono etc etc..the list is just endless really...
It does take a while and some re-orienting of the mindset to adjust to such a scenario..esp when these are pple tat u have grown up with thru e years..and thru so many camps..
But hey, i think its really part and parcel of life. =) As i told ji1 dan4 tou2 just now, sometimes we have to leave the beautiful memories of the past in our little jewel box inside our brain, and move on to the present and the future. While there ll always be a special connection between peers of the same level, i really believe that there are a lot of gems and wonderful councilors in the new batch to carry on some of the wonderful traditions of the camp, and to bring in new styles of their own. =)
This will be the last ever orientation camp of my life. And i intend to treasure it to the utmost...i ll like to leave my university life with no regrets, and i m positive at the end of the camp, everything ll have been worth it. =)
The dedication and commitment that this year's Organizing Com has put in most certainly also warrants a lot of support and it ll be great to see how they feel when they come face to face with the hundreds of freshies at Arts Camp 2007. Really grateful as well, that there are others such as Chonghan, bobsie, ji dan tou and leonie around who help keep e old foggi spirit around. =)
Before that though, i ll be leaving for the weekend to Tioman with Princess Shuang Er for a much-needed vacation by the beach =) Really excited hee. And i ll be back by Mondae late afternoon.
Wednesday, June 13, 2007
Pre-camp was great. =) Felt the o' Arts Camp spirit all over again haha! Shall blog more about it again..
Quote of the dae:
"Its not about your experience, but about your commitment."
- Jay, from Bukit Panjang YEC
Monday, June 11, 2007
And its not for a good reason.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
Finally at home now..after the past 5 daes in school for SMUN 07..
Wow, what can i say? haha.
Had an absolutely brillant time. The closing ceremony scenes kinda reminded me a little of how Arts Camp 05 ended. Seeing the student delegates making lotsa new friends from different schools and cheering loudly and happily as an individual committee all around LT8..Was really touching.
I m sure Alvin feels really touched as well..and i m glad everyone gave him a standing ovation at the end. Like what i told him, though he still have much to improve on personally, but i judge him as the Secretary-General and as a leader over 10 months and not just 5 days. And thus, i feel really happy for him, that his 'baby' and his dream has finally come true. I noe that kind of feeling..it is unspeakable n undescribable, and it can touch n leave a person smiling to himself for weeks. I m glad i could help him along this journey as i told him..Right from the beginning 8 months ago, my main reason for promising to be a SMUN moderator was to repay the personal debt i owe him for helping me in Arts Club for the past 2 years.. =)
But along the way, i realize i have made many many new friends as well in the com.. My fellow moderators Kelvin, Yong Keong the Yoggi Bear, Edwardy, Justina..of whom we spent so much time cracking our brains out talking, discussing, debating, practising, etc etc haha! Others such as Yi Jian, Parvin, Aldil, Mingyan, Charles, Kayjal, Ayuni, Ouyang Feng, Matthew, Ulric, Zafirah, Kyairul, Theresa, Kim Seng, fadhillah, and of coz Harris and John. John did great as well, and lotsa pple love him and noe the real him, so its kinda disappointing how some people choose to judge him based on just a single interview instead of listening to recommendations.
And most importantly, my dais and Research Experts for WHO => Nadiah, Natalie, Manu, and Maryam. You guys ABSOLUTELY ROCK!! I had a great and fantastic time working with the 4 of u! To Nad and Nat, thanks in particular for being there ever since Dec' 06, and for hammering out the damn long research guide with me! And then for being such wonderful, meticulous, supportive and responsible research experts during the past 5 daes itself. To Manu, ya the man man!! All along, i knew u were those kind of chaps who are zai wan, and yr wonderful, crazy ideas and technological superiority, as well as yr expertise n experience with the Rules of Procedure really aided me and made us such a stronger com!! To Maryam, thank you so much for volunteering to help as usher even tho the job is really tiring and can be irritating at times. And thanks for offering yr advice and viewpoints as well! =)
Last but of coz not least, the delegates from all the various JCs gathered collectively in the World Health Organization committee!! n_n You guys absolutely rock as well! I have always believed in mutual respect, and in this case, right from the start, i treated them not as kids, but as sensible students capable of making their own decisions and capable of taking care of themselves. You guys left me with so much sweet memories, and thanks for making me feel so special at the closing ceremony haha! And congratulations to the respective winners. =) There were so many occasions when i was really left amused by u guys but of coz, as chairperson, i had to maintain a serious face and stance during com sessions even though i am obviously more of a whacky than serious person ahahah! But really, i learn previously during Arts Quiz 06 n 07 not to underestimate jc students and i was right. Some of them really left a great performance and impression on me.
Must organize gathering soon k WHO! Love u guys from the bottom of my heart. n_n
I have a feeling this ll turn out to be another great and wonderful holidaes, just like the past 2 years.
My next mission is to aid Jeremy irons and help him deliver his 'baby' and fulfill his dream. =) So that on the last dae of Arts Camp, he too can experience what i felt on 24th June 2005 n what Alvin felt on 8th of June 2007.
Pre-camp coming!!!
Sunday, June 03, 2007
Mr Wang has a few recent blog posts about goal-setting and success in life which i really enjoyed reading, and which i largely agree with. I have always felt myself that the human mind is a tremendous and incredible contrivance, capable of willing a person to extraordinary heights and beyond imaginable limits. That is why success in life often starts from the mind, and it is so important to dare to dream. Many people do not even dare to dream in their mind, and if you cannot break through the mental barriers, you can never achieve your grandiose dreams or turn them into reality. But of coz, only dreaming and not pursuing concrete actions will never do as well.
Hyflux President Olivia Lum and Creative CEO Sim Wong Hoo share snippets of their experience in today's New Paper. Apparently there's a new book in town "Chicken Soup for the Singapore Soul- Stories to inspire and uplift the hearts of Singaporeans". I am definitely going to get it man. Always love reading books like these since young.
Here's a quote from Oliva which i very much believe in as well:
"The most dangerous thing that can stop a person from being a successful entrepreneur is to listen to others who will say things like, 'This is not new' or, 'If it is so wonderful, then why haven't other people done it before?' If I had listened to those words when Hyflux was in its infancy, I would never have made it. I have always dreamt big. I still do."
I m sure all of us have always met people, friends, relatives or even family members who tell you that certain dreams/ ventures are not worth pursuing, or what u re doing is a waste of time, or doubt/ look down on your passions. In Chinese, its called "Puo1 len2 shui3" or "Dumping Cold Water". Frankly, since young, i never really pay much attention to these discrediting or dampening opinions.
After all, you are living YOUR own life, NOT your parents', your friends', or your relatives' lives. Why then should you listen to how others want you to live your life?
Saturday, June 02, 2007
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Source: The New Straits Times Online, 15th May 2007
Website:
http://www.nstp.com.my/Current_News/NST/Tuesday/National/20070515084531/Article
Websites can help youth get heard, says Rosmah
KUALA LUMPUR: International dialogues and forums will enhance greater understanding and respect for cultural and religious diversity, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor said last night.
Rosmah, who is the deputy prime minister’s wife and the honorary patron of the Global Youth Symposium 2007, also said that to address some of the challenges faced by youth today, sports and culture should be encouraged to motivate them.
Networks could be established, through websites, to enable youth voices to be heard clearly.
"Youth should also take the initiative to forge greater understanding and co-operation without relying on efforts made by governments or international bodies," she said at the symposium’s opening dinner at Universiti Malaya.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak also attended the dinner together with Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapa Mohamed, former director of Institut Teknologi Mara (now Universiti Teknologi Mara) Tan Sri Arshad Ayub and UM vice-chancellor Datuk Rafiah Salim.
The six-day symposium, organised by UM’s Undergraduates’ Representative Council, is a platform for students and academicians from around the world to discuss current issues and promote greater co-operation among youth.
Went to JB for seafood dinner just now..
Wah piang..butter cereal crayfish, chilli crab, fried sweety sotong, frog's legs..gosh...Washed down with wonderful apple sour plum drink and free coconut agar agar desert..phew!
I need to pay more of such recreational visits heh. And next time, i must hunt down my beloved dunkin donuts.
*Hint: If anyone wanna make my day, just buy me a box of dunkin donuts ahaha!!
Men and ladies shop really differently indeed. We men go inside a store, having normally oredi decided what we want, grab it and go. Case closed. Game over. Like what we guys from Armour formation call, "Swift and Decisive".
Ladies get enshrined into a world of their own when they go shopping. Sometimes u cant blame them, not when there are 1001 varieties/ colours/ textures/ types of shoes (esp shoes!) enticing them. They may try dozens but end up not buying any also. haha.
Come to think of it, my mum was like that as well when she was younger. heh.
Ok i need to go and jog now, to shed off the extra pounds i loaded just now.
Friday, June 01, 2007
*smug look to myself* Now i feel as if i have immunity during Survivor HAHAHA!
No more summon tickets for me HAHA! *smug look again*
heh, at least for June that is..
As I was marking the Position Papers of all the delegates from SMUN, it really dawned on me as to how our lecturers must have felt when marking tons of essays.
Or when HR personnel are selecting candidates to be interviewed from the tons of resumes submitted to them.
It really pays to be unique and different from the crowd. And of coz, to be short, sweet, concise and assertive.
People just dun have time to read through every single word you write. Thats the cold hard reality of life.
