IF YA SMELL WHAT THE HOCK IS COOKING??!!

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Memories...

Friday, August 29, 2008

New butterfly garden opens at Changi Airport Terminal 3

By Satish Cheney, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 28 August 2008 1814 hrs

SINGAPORE : Changi Airport Terminal 3 has opened a new Butterfly Garden.

Located at its Departure and Transit Mall, the two-storey garden also lets visitors observe the life cycle of the butterflies at close range.

There are about 47 varieties of them at the garden, and educational corners located within the garden enable visitors to gain a deeper understanding of butterflies.

There are also individual enclosures that allow visitors to witness the breeding and feeding of butterflies.

The airport said the new addition is part of its efforts to introduce novel facilities to its passengers. - CNA /ls
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Mdm Ho Ching and Senior Minister of State Mrs Lim Hwee Hua graced the occasion today. Glad that everything went relatively smoothly, except for the rain. =)

Been really tired the past few weeks helping out with the planning of the opening ceremony for today, among many other things. Still, I really learnt a lot thru out the process, and had fun at the same time hehe.

Took quite a no of pictures with our T3 colleagues again. I really love them a lot haha! So thankful for such a wonderful office environment :p
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Going for ROP tom as evaluator. Ll be a very interesting one i m sure. 29th MC appears to have a lot of potential and energy, which is great for the future of the club.

Long weekend, but def a fun one haha.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

Another weekend of booze...haha. End of Arts Bash, as always, signifies the end of FOP.

And another hectic week at work coming up, esp with Butterfly Garden Official Opening at T3.

And an entire upcoming weekend gone due to ROP Camp haha. Ll be going back as Evaluator. Quite excited to see the new batch of 29th Elects. And of coz, even more excited personally to unearth the next President of Arts.

So all in all, another packed & tiring week ahead... But one which I m very much looking forward to. =)

Carpe Diem! Seize the day!
-------

If there ever is a competition involving the loudest laughter one can evoke, I sure ll like to take part haha.

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

I WONDER

I wonder...

I wonder...

I wonder...

I wonder where & whom to buy Arts Bash tickets from wahahhahah! :p

Newae e feeling of hobbling around todae sucks man. Right leg hurts. N the feeling of not being able to run or jog for at least a week absolutely guns me.

Well, at least it has given me the impetus to finally decide to sign up for the gym membership at the airport CARC hehe.

Monday, August 18, 2008

OUCH

While accelerating during todae's football game, I strained my right hamstring. Felt a sharp pain at that instant kaoz. Sibei xian. Will prob be out for at least a week. Hobbling around now haha.

Watched the Olympic table tennis final with the football lads. Felt proud of the team's achievement and battling performance. Another step towards our nation's nation-building efforts I guess, though I m sure many Singaporeans ll feel even more excited had our athletes been born in say Choa Chu Kang, Pasir Ris or Bishan.

Football season is back! Yahooo! :p

Ok, even tho United didnt get off to the best possible start, but given the slate of injuries we had, I m sure we ll get better gradually. We havent always been the earliest pace-setters in the EPL over the yrs.

Hope for a good week ahead. =) To those starting their final yr of school & NUS life, treasure the times k! Must say I miss those daes of waking up late & skipping lessons heh heh.

Saturday, August 16, 2008

THE AO FAMILY :)

A happy ending to the T3 Official Opening.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

RAG DAY VIDEO

I just watched the Rag Day video & victory scenes uploaded by Mao Mao. Thanks dude.

......

Felt so surreal......

Years ago I rem I kept watching the infamous Sheares Hall victory video over and over again..even sent the link to Prof Chng, Cynthia, & the Dean's Office staff to hope to generate more interest for Rag.

Watching the real thing now on video..wow...

I think what was esp touching to me was the initial scene..when i saw former juniors like Applie, Kenneth, Serene, Michelle, and Shuping etc looking so upset & forlorn..can absolutely understand what was going thru their mind.. These are the raggers that went thru the injustice, pain, n heartbreak of not winning since Casino Rag yr...

N then as they all burst into tears when Arts won..... =) N saw Gerri n a few other oldies screaming their hearts out as well...N the A-R-T-S Cheer...N then Naga hoisting the 2 trophies into the air...

=) Priceless scenes really.

I absolutely hated & detested the last line inserted in the video though: "You had to be there to experience it."

It just rubs in the pain of those who worked so hard in the past years but couldnt be there coz it was a god-damned Fridae.

That aside, congrats to all the Raggers of 2008 once again! You guys deserve it!! =)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

A VERY LATE 26TH MC TREAT HEHE

Ok, so after 2 years, I finally repaid the treat I owe 26th (for all their hard work in office) after stepping down wahhahhahaa!

Bo bian la, when studying dun have much $$$ heh heh.

Yayz! But it was a great dinner and we top it off by celebrating Shifty's impending birthdae. As usual, she tries to act young heh.

And then there was the cam whoring. Spend dunno how long trying to capture the girls jumping tog. Wah lau sibei unpro leh u all ahaha!

Pity Rayner boi, Meiyi, Ruby & Eileen couldnt come though. Nmind, there's always next time! Or maybe I shud arrange a separate coffee treat haha.

Mahjong after that with Bit, Jackson, & Guanguan was damn shiok also. Hands were really itchy man.

Anyway, like I said that night, thank u all for coming down. =) And hope that u all enjoyed the dinner!

I would be nothing without the 15 of u. n_n

Sunday, August 10, 2008

SOME DREAMS DO COME TRUE.

Behind every Arts ragger, past and present, is a dream & a story.

A story that only he or she knows the first chapter.

A story that he or she writes for him/herself.

A dream that kept each of us going thru the days & nights.

This is my story.

And my dream.

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Wednesday, August 10, 2005

REFLECTIONS ABOUT RAG 2005.......

wow..i have so many things i want to say about Rag, and i dunno where i should begin..

All through the past few months, it was personally very very hard for me to juggle between O Week and Rag..A lot of times i felt very bad when i m enjoying myself at O Week while at the back of my mind, i knew that there were a lot of people like Jianwu, Keyou, Fiona, Jasmine, Alvin, Reuben, Lionel, Rachael, Gerri, Yuimin, Benedict who were suffering at the Rag house.

So i try my best to go down and help out when O Week debriefing ends, but the problem is that most of the debriefings ended very late. And by the time i reach the House, it was oredi v late or i was dead tired, or i had to help my other O Week com members with the next day's stuff. I fell sick on Flag Day when i had a high fever, when everything just took its toll on me.

And to be frank, throughout the past month when i started going down regularly for Rag, there was always an internal struggle within myself. I was always asking myself whether i was a real Ragger, becoz the truth is that i am not a dancer, and i am not a very good tech person, nor am I a full-time Ragger due to O Week commitments. A lot of times i was only down there to talk cock with the people there, entertain them, sometimes buying supper, keep the real techies company...

But when it came to the last 24 hours of Rag, my god, everything, all the hard work, was worth it. It was tough working throughout the night to meet all the deadlines and till todae, i still found it hard to believe that i pushed the JING SHAN (GOLDEN MOUNTAIN) all the way from the Raghouse to SRC. And then staying on to help push the float in the actual performance..My god, Jianwu was right. All those months of preparations for just 10 minutes of presentation may seem stupid to others, but they will stay with Raggers for the rest of their lives. I cant believe the atmosphere there and then realli...and being a part of it was really a wonderful wonderful feeling. Those 10 minutes make everything, everything worthwhile...the blood, sweat, mosquito bites, and tears.

You always hear the term "Be Raggerfied" around, but to me, that term really meant something on Rag day itself. I remembered that while Arts was awaiting its turn to push our float in to present, everyone took a picture together, and Jianwu wanted us to shout "Be Raggerfied!!", which we did. It was at that moment, that moment when i opened my mouth to shout that phrase, when i truly realized that yes, i am god damned Raggerfied as well, and i am bloody proud to be a Ragger. It was on Rag day itself, when i finally finally understand why every year people come back to be Raggers. You look at all the faculties and halls' dancers, techies, and cheerleaders..Rag means so much to these people, and it was touching, really really touching.

You have to do Rag to truly understand what it really means. Just coming down for 1 or 2 times wont work. At the end of the day, Rag is about hard work. One needs to come down for an extended period to really really understand Rag.

After our presentation, Keyou went to one corner and cried. Four years he told me, four years of Rag, and this is going to be his last. He couldnt stop crying, and after working with him for the past month and getting to know him much better, i have absolute respect for this man. For goodness sake, he is going on to year 4, he could have just went on an internship or get a job, forget about Rag and let it suffer, but he chose to stay on, and guide it through. I used to hear some negative stuff said about him, but after working with him in this Rag, i totally salute this man really. Rag means so much to him..and i have always admire people with a lot of passion for their dreams.

You see Arts Club seniors and oldies such as Jianghao, Ridz, Sean, Haoran, Big Ben and so many others coming down to help out before Rag day...it was fantastic really.

i cant thank people like Jianwu, Jasmine, and Keyou enough for giving me the chance to be a Ragger, and to experience the highs and lows of Rag. It has made my FOP experience this year a much much much more complete one than last year, and the truth is that u cannot understand FOP totally until you have been thru Rag, really. At least thats what i feel.

I am oredi beginning to formulate plans for Rag for next year oredi. Science fac has shown that the stranglehold by Bizad can be broken, and if they can win, why not Arts. In fact, Arts fac won in 2002 if i m not wrong..Big Ben, Jianghao, and Ridz were wearing their Championship winning year T-shirt when they came down on Rag day.

Jose Mourinho once said that to be champions, you have to first get the players to believe in themselves. If we do not convincingly believe that we can be champions, we will never win.

Arts RAG will rise again. I am determined to make it happen.

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Sunday, February 05, 2006

Before i know it, january's gone...

bash 1 is over..

bike quest is over...

website's ready.. (www.nusartsclub.org..go support it yeah? :) )

cny charity collection and visit over..

new noticeboards and club banner..

not to mention last sem's projects..

lotsa other events coming up..blogfest..foodhunt..arena..v-day bazaar..insom (cant wait for this issue to be released, realli looks good)..beach vball..arts bazaar..arts quiz..traditional games fiesta..isis charity drive..arts vital..

and the march to fop continues all this while...

arts camp..o week..matric..flag..bash 2..and of coz..rag..

i was riding home last fri night..it was realli heartwarming to see people like jianwu, keyou, paul, alvin, yuimin, gerri..old hands who joined forces with new blood of Rag..guan guan, jingyi..ayumi..lionel..rachael..yuanmei..

it felt like old times once again..back at the Rag house...and i cannot ever recall any arts club rag com starting so much work so early...

can feel the excitement..before don left, he asked me about this year's Rag..and i told him all the stuff the com has been doing so far..he was realli cursing and xian that he couldnt be down for this year 's rag..but he told me he ll be supporting us in australia somehow..haha..

and before he went into the departure hall, the last thing this wonderful person, friend, arts club member, and ragger did was to thrust $10 into my hands.

"Take it, hock, and win it this year."

I didnt decline him.

It may be a mere $10..but as any ragger will tell you. Every bit, from every single person counts.

I cannot forget Rag 2005, when the winner was announced to be Science Club..their crowd went ecstatic..their Dean and staff were overjoyed..their people, tons of freshies among them, went delirious, went crazy. Their rag com and leaders broke down..Big grown men standing above the crowd, crying. This is how much it means to them.

At least 6 months of hard work for that one 5 min presentation.

For that one day.

For that one moment.

For that one priceless moment u ll never forget for the rest of your life.

I had mine on the last day of Arts Camp 05.

And i want to do everything i can when i am in my position to generate and create these moments for the new generation of Arts Club leaders...

So that 1 day they too, will carry on the baton, and pass on these moments to future generations.

Leaders come and leaders leave, but what will always remain is the Club.

....When i was riding back halfway on Fri night, i dreamt that we won Rag...i dreamt of delirious joyous scenes of celebrations....

Will we really do it...?

The dream continues.....

-----------------------

Saturday, July 08, 2006

Another happy and heartwarming thing i felt from the Camp, was to see most of the freshies last yr brought in FOP '05 returning as seniors and councilors. It was good to see the 26th MC members step up as well..haha..although i feel some of them are not used to being lao laos yet..

Yupz, have a lot a lot of other thoughts as well..but think i ll just keep them to myself...

Everydae i think of 12th August...RAG DAY!!!

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Wednesday, July 26, 2006

When we assembled the Rag float for a while a few nights ago, the feeling was awesome and out of this world.

=)

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Saturday, July 29, 2006

I waited for realli long today to download the Sheares Hall Rag video for last year..but it was worth it.

IK was rite..watching it brought tears to my eyes..

And it makes me wonder again..about something that i have been thinking for the past 12 months.

Ever since i thought about running for President last year, countless people have asked me what are my reasons for doing so.

Few people know the exact reasons.

There are many, but 1 was Rag.

Watching the video..esp the ending part..

I thought...

On 12th Aug 2006, would it be us who wud be hugging and huddling together..praying before the release of results..and screaming out together in artstasy right at the end....?

Would it be jingyi going up the stage hoisting the championship into the air...?

14 days left.

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Monday, July 31, 2006

The past 2 daes have been mentally and physically draining for me.

I feel numb. And i m bracing myself mentally. I cannot fall, not now when Rag and O Week are coming.

I m afraid. Very afraid.

I dun want to receive any sms or call ever again, telling me that my grandpa's condition is worsening, and to see him possibly for the last time.

I want to see him healthy, happy, enjoying his retirement, and at every Chinese New Year gathering again.

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Wednesday, August 02, 2006

Feeling better =) Grandpa went through a major operation yesterday, and the doctors were glad that it was successful. So were all of us. He' s conscious now, but cant talk yet, and still in ICU. But generally, he's better...

My speech on Orientation Talks went ok as well..i m so glad that finally the Deanery as a whole could see what the Club and the 26th has done for the past year..a lot of them came up to me after the speech, shook my hand, and complimented the Club.

It was a great feeling...not for myself, but rather, i see it as another big big step yesterdae towards mending and improving ties between the Club and the Deanery..something i set out to do ever since i decided to run. And i could really feel it yest..some started asking me on their accord about Rag and how they can help..Prof Chng even visited the Rag site and the Raggers..

It really was a big big step foward yesterdae..and long may this good relationship now continue. It wasnt easy to achieve this..and i dun think anyone will ever understand the efforts and things i did to improve relations..maybe except Jianghao.

------------------

Saturday, August 05, 2006

Todae was 1 of the toughest daes of my term.

Grandpa still in ICU ward.

Quarrel with mum.

Friends around who are down.

Unsure of how to help them.

Feeling misunderstood for the umpteenth time.

No sleep for the past 24 hours.

Tons of admin stuff still not done.

6 days to Rag.

------------------------------

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

Pushing myself to the max.

4 days to Rag.

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Thursday, August 10, 2006

Todae was a tough night esp...due to the massive storm that almost created havoc on our float again..luckily there were a lot of people around and we managed to shift everything quickly...those who werent here wouldnt understand how we all felt..how helpless we felt as the rain seem to keep swarming in and onto our float..

2 days to Rag.

The dream still lives on.

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Friday, August 11, 2006

THE BIG DAE IS UPON US. .

THE LAST DAE OF RAG.

24 HOURS LEFT.

The final countdown has began..

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Sunday, August 13, 2006

On the 7th of August 2004, it was the 1st time that i witness Rag Day. I regretted not helping enough as a freshie, and I told myself then that i ll return the following year to help out for Rag.

On the 6th of August 2005, as i witness Science Fac celebrating their Rag victory and crying tears of joy, my mind was made up to run for Arts Club President. To get into a position where i can deliver these scenes to our own people, to make them believe in Arts Rag and Arts Club once again, and to bring them a sense of heavenly victory that has eluded us possibly for 26 years.

On the 12th of August 2006, we march into SRC, determined to right the wrongs of yesteryears and wash away the past negative memories. I expected tears, tears of joy from everyone. There were, especially after our performance.

But what i witness in the end were tears of bitterness, tears of anger, tears of anguish, tears of disgust, tears of disbelief. We were robbed. We were FUCKING ROBBED. We dun deserve this for all the 8 months of hard work that we had put in. It was so clear to neutrals and many many people that we deserve better.

It was the 1st time i ve seen so many friends around me cry. My heart was shattered when i heard the results, and when i see all of them around me breaking down. I was at a loss of what to say and what to do then, but yet i know i have to lift the spirits of the people around.

Lots of thoughts swerved thru my head. Where do we move on from here? Did we go wrong, and if so, where? Is this the highest peak Arts Rag can ever go? How do we start encouraging people to come back next year and fight on again? How can we improve ourselves and go 1 step higher next year? Who will lead Rag next year? Who will carry on the baton and ensure that all that we have built up over the past 2 years is continued and brought to greater heights? Can my dream ever come true?

Feeling disillusioned and tired now..will talk again...but at least 1 thing is clear to me. Arts Rag 2006 was one where as a whole, we shed no tears of regret, for we gave our best, and we have nothing to be ashamed of. We showed the world what we are capable of, and walked out of Rag Day 2006 with the respect of past seniors, friends, even rivals, and the public.

I have a friend, who is the President of another Club, and as his lorry drove out of SRC and past our float, he raised his hand and saluted us.

----------------------

Tuesday, January 02, 2007

~ OF 2006...LOOKING BACK AND FOWARD (PART 2) ~

Haha, its kinda interesting that here i am, 365 daes on from January 2nd 2006, same time same place, blogging about my reflections of the past year and hopes for the new year..

Maybe before i touch on the highs of the year 2006, i ll like to think about the lows first, or what i didnt achieve...

First would have to be the failure to win Rag 2006 for Arts. I remember the burning desire that i had to bring the championship shield back to FASS after Jianghao did the same when he was President 4 years ago. I remember the feeling of helplessness, disgust, anger, disappointment, and sadness inside my heart when they announced at the end that Bizad and SDE had won instead of us.

I never really told anyone before, but the saddest thing about being a President is that while others were crying around me at that moment, i cannot allow myself to cry as well..for i have to give people hope. Hope that we will all be back 1 day, and that 1 day, indeed, we ll win 1 day, no matter how long it may take us. When i reached home that night, i allowed my grief to pour out. It was painful really. Despite the fact that we did produce a magnificent and probably the best float in years for Arts, friends who noe me and used to play football with me noe that i absolutely hate losing. Thats why i love Roy Keane.

What about the highs of 2006? =)

Next wud be when we were pushing the Arts Rag float out on Rag Day 2006..the immense sense of pride and satisfaction that we had in completing the float..and i rem moments before Arts was about to perform, i was giving another raraing speech to pysche up everybody to rise and give their best..I dreamt of what to say for months..and it was really an unforgettable feeling as we prepared to showcase our efforts to the whole world..

What then, are my hopes for 2007? An interesting new year and beginning where i ll officially start without any MC commitments for the 1st time in a long long while....

I hope that the 27th MC and the Arts Club will enjoy a successful term! And that hopefully, Rag wud be won this year under their leadership!

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Tuesday, July 24, 2007

THANK YOU MY FRIENDS..

Had an enjoyable time doing Rag todae. n_n Wow, its like only 19 daes to Rag Day 2007...time flies.

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Thursday, July 26, 2007

MY LAST FOP....

Was chatting with Alvin during Rag just now (finally finished cutting the remaining 80 cans todae!! heh), and it dawned on me how we kept subconsciously saying that this is our "last" Rag, "last" O Week, "last" this, "last" that etc...

And while there are so many "lasts" for incoming year4s like us, I figured that on the other end of the spectrum, there are and will be so many "firsts" for the freshies... Their "first" Arts Camp, "first" Rag, "first" O Week, "first" this, "first" that etc....

Its called the passage of time. I have always told many people that at the end of the dae, leaders will leave and move on. But what will always remain is the Club. And new leaders will rise. That is what we call leadership renewal and succession.

Which is why it has been really heartwarming to me, when I see this year's freshies being so enthu and garang for Rag. Most importantly, I see most of them happily doing Rag, opening up, and making friends both within themselves and with seniors. This augurs well for the future, esp if this year's Rag does well again, as the freshmen ll noe the standard to upkeep for the future.

And of coz, among 1 of these freshies will rise a future leader to lead Rag 2008. And perhaps a future Arts Club President as well hee =)

I have been really busy the past few daes. And it ll be getting even more hectic in the coming daes n weeks. In between settling House stuff for O Week, planning for the Elections, preparing to send applications for internships in the Dec holidaes, joining Bukit Panjang Youth Executive Committee officially (with the BGM this Sat finally!), catching up with old friends, I have also tried to squeeze out at least a few hours each dae to go down to help out with Rag.

Bracing myself mentally for the exhaustion which ll come during O Week period..coz durin e dae i ll have to do lotsa ra-raing, and then evening/ night onwards go over to Rag site to help out. I noe what to expect becoz this was exactly what i did when i was year2 then, during Xuzi's O Week and Jianwu's Rag. REally shagged back then man..and frankly, when u reach year4, even though yr experience level is high but your energy level does go down significantly.

But in any case, i wanna leave my last FOP with no regrets. n_n

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Wednesday, August 08, 2007

THE END IS NEAR.

Ragging with Wenhui, Jennifer, Guan Guan, Gandhi and Yuen mei was like deja vu suddenly for us haha..reminded us of last year's Rag at that moment. With all e usual banter and the "WoUlD YoU RaThER" questions heh..

Lotsa thoughts flowing thru my mind tonight. Hard to put them down here though haha....

4 more days

To the end

Of O Week

And Rag.

There is still time

For those in power to rise above themselves

And make these 4 days count

Not for you

Not for me

But for the freshmen.

For the future.

--------------

Thursday, August 09, 2007

JUST LIKE OLD TIMES...

Over at Rag, the early morning storm where everyone had to chiong to protect the float brought back many memories as well. It happens every year during the final days of Rag.

Just hope that by the end of Saturday, everything ll end on a high. Both Rag and O Week.

People reap what they sow. For those who gave everything they had: I believe, and still believe, that they will not regret the individual journeys that they have embarked on during this FOP adventure, when everything falls into place on Saturday.

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Monday, August 13, 2007

THE END OF EVERY JOURNEY IS THE BEGINNING OF ANOTHER ADVENTURE

And so it ends..the 4th and very last FOP for me..like i said a lot of times, I like to leave NUS with no regrets. And i think i have achieved that after my final Rag and O Week.

And over to the Rag side, despite Arts not winning anything again this year, I believe and still feel that we are on the right track. Like i said at the end of Rag dae, it took years for Science to build up to where they are todae, and i m still optimistic that the time ll come when Arts will win Rag.

But still, emphasizing on not winning Rag will be unfair and an injustice to the Raggers this year, who put in so much effort, blood, sweat and tears to push out the giant yellow submarine, and to come out with possibly the best Rag dance in years. At the end of the dae, i believe that the collective Arts Rag efforts for the past 2 years have genuinely won a lot of respect and admiration from the public and our opponents, and made many people sit up to recognize that Arts Rag is a serious competitor unlike the past.

Definitely, there are many things and many areas where Arts Rag can improve on, and it is impt that future PDs and MCs are open-minded and keen to learn from the past, and build on for the future. But for now, lets not take anything away from the Raggers who gave so much to Arts Rag. =)

On a personal note, it has been my last Rag as well, and really mixed feelings i guess... Those who were pushing out the Rag float on the last dae will realize how crappy and noisy i was haha..on 1 hand, i was trying very hard to cheer and lift the spirits of everyone up coz i felt the atmosphere was kinda tense, and on the other hand, i was really genuinely happy and proud to be pushing out the Arts float 1 last time in my life. It hasnt been easy splitting myself up doing both Rag and O Week together, but i m glad i made it as well =)

And so to a new phase of life..... but the memories ll always stay. n_n

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Thursday, August 23, 2007

HOPE ARISES.

"We must view the young not as empty bottles to be filled but as candles to be lit."
- Robert Shaffer

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Wednesday, August 29, 2007

PERSEVERE.

"Pay as little attention to discouragement as possible. Plough ahead as a steamer does, rough or smooth - rain or shine. To carry your cargo and make your port is the point. "

- Maltbie Davenport Babcock

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Saturday, September 15, 2007

END OF A LONG WEEK

Thurs began with the presentation in the morning. So glad that it's over. =) Chaired the Internals and glad that finally the whole elections process is over as well. I like the 28th MC and hope that they really give their best for the term ahead. n_n

The other dae, an Honours friend of mine was telling me, that he envied me in a way and he wished that he had been more involved with NUS co-curricular activities during his uni life, esp during his year 1 to year 3 daes. The only active event he felt he went thru was his SEP to France, but even thru that experience he felt it just didnt complete and colour his university life. He sorta regretted becoz now that he's in his honours year as well, there wasnt pretty much anything he could do to join any of the societies/ clubs/ union and turn back the clock.

Maybe that explains why at the end of internals, I felt really happy and heartwarmed for both the 26th, 27th and 28th. =)

26th, who were and are still there for the club even after stepping down 1 year ago.
27th, for going thru a tough journey and finally stepping down soon to earn a well-deserved rest.
28th, for daring to take up the challenge of leading the club and daring to make a difference in the lives of others.

My journey is almost complete. And my job is almost done. When Ridhwan graduated 1 year ago, I promised him to help take care of the club. The time ll come very soon when i wont be around but new 'guardians' will arise to take over. Thats the way life is. =)

Sometimes guardians dun say very nice things but at the end of the dae, they want the best for the club n for the people in charge.

-----------------

Sunday, December 23, 2007

Was nice to see the next generation of FOP leaders present their ideas n plans for the year ahead. Heartwarming as well. =) I walked away from the clubroom yesterday feeling confident that FOP 2008 is in safe hands.

-----------------

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

ON STOCK-TAKING FOR THE YEAR 2007

The last Rag for me at the Padang was also a sweet memory for 2007. Pushing the float out 1 last time time together with the new generation of Raggers, n with oldies like Jianwu & Alvin..Wow, what a moment man. Memories like this u cannot describe in words really.

Wow, after such a long post of reviewing 2007, it is time to switch my attention to hopes for 2008!

As always, a brand new year promises new beginnings, new hopes, n new memories. 2008 ll be another unique year

With those factors in mind, my hopes for 2008 ll be:

(7) That the 28th MC and Arts Club ll enjoy a successful term, and that FOP 2008 ll be a great success.

-----------------

Wednesday, March 26, 2008

Finally, while I was showering just now, I was thinking about setting up an official Arts Club Alumni now that i m graduating soon.

I thought about how the various seniors including those from 22nd MC donated almost $600 during our 26th MC term in office for Rag & Flag. That amount of money really helped us a lot then.

And the reason why Bizad keeps winning Rag & Flag in the past was because they had such strong support, funding, & network from their alumni. I ll never forget what Steve (the Bizad President during my term) told me then. He said that his Bizad raggers were eating Bengawan Solo pastries sponsored by their alumni for the entire Rag period, so much that they eat until xian oredi.

I am sick of seeing how year after year, our Arts Raggers put in so much effort and hard work, and end up being heartbroken and crying when the results are announced.

I noe that winning isnt everything, but the fact is that something can be done to improve this situation. And if that hope and channel is there, it means that we shouldnt stop trying.

... I dun want future generations to go thru what some of us have to go thru. That sense of helplessness, dispair, heartbreak and disappointment, noeing that u lost Rag not because of a lack of effort and drive compared to the other faculties, but becoz of a lack of resources. said

1 day, I am hopeful and I believe we will see Arts Fac winning the overall Rag and Flag Challenge Shield at the Padang. But 1st, we need to take the various steps to reach there.

-----------------

Sunday, May 25, 2008

When the Arts Rag float is being pushed out before the NUS population at Padang (or SRC), and all the techies, dancers, & raggers huddle together to give that 1 final pep talk...u finally understand why u put yourself thru so much over the past year.

Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the number of moments that take your breaths away. Do not wait until its too late to have regrets, because life never stops for us to reclaim our regrets.

-----------------

Friday, August 8, 2008

230pm.

Phone call.

Jackson: (Crying) "Hock! We won! We fucking won Best Float!!! And Most Environmental-Friendly Float!!"

Sms.

Jianwu: "We won best float and most env friendly."

Carol: "We won best overall float and most environmentally friendly :)"

Ivan Kwan: "We won most environmentally-friendly float and...Best Float! Woohooo!"

Phonecall.

Guanjie (crying): "Hock!!! We won best float and most environmental friendly!!"

Phonecall.

Shuning: "Hocky pocks! Have u heard? Arts won the best overall float!!"

Sms.

Mao Mao: "Hock, I have captured the winning Rag moments. Will upload to facebook soon."

Jackson: "Naga also overwhelmed."

Peihong: "Heys did u tear in joy when u received news that they won rag this yr?"

Peihong: "I know..like missed e historic moment rite."

Xuzi: "Arts won the best float!"

Yong Soon: "I do shed a tear. I m happy that foundations built since jianwu time paid off. Remember I told you we need a few years (3-4) to reach bizad level 2 years ago. Now that its reached. Its how its going to be sustained. Thats the difficult part."

Alvin: "Yeah - but a classic irony don't you think? It just has to happen when we are not around to witness it.. Still I am proud of them :)"

Alvin: "Think about it this way...We have to move on... Rag has been with us for a while but this means that it is time rag goes to the hands of others...I salute these guys for achieving what others can only dream of..."

Me.

Me: "I just heard..v nostalgic feeling..sigh are u there? Fuck man I couldn't be there..damn xian."

Me: "Really wish I could be there now n join u guys in e tears of joy. Took so many years for us to finally reach here. Thanks for making a long long dream come true. V overwhelmed now..u guys have created history! Congrats!"

Me: "Thanks Mao Mao. I ll really treasure them. Waited 4 years for this..N maybe 28 yrs for arts fac.. Really sad I cant be there. Tearing now man..."

Me: "Ya..cant go down. Really sad. Waited yrs for this u noe..."

Me: "Yong Soon, thanks for yr help all these years. Thanks for supporting us all these yrs, even tho u didnt always believe in us..."
---------------------

We did it. =) Finally.

They say that to win rag, u need 3- 4 years of building the foundations, infrastructure, pool of talent, belief, & support.

Over the past 4 years, we have surely improved each yr.

From repairing & building up relations with the Dean's Office...

To recruiting future talents...

To the sense of determination we had to prove to the world never to look down on Arts Rag again after 2005..

To new ideas such as Saving Arts Rag Scheme (SARS)..

To successfully getting a conducive Rag room at AS3...

To getting more funding from Dean's Office

To building the 1st ever Faculty Club float (Casino Rag) with mechanisms...

To finally being able to get a permanent tentage like this year...

To ensuring the continuity of the core raggers...

To washing away the tears of yesteryears...
-----------------

When I 1st heard the news in my office, the tears just flowed.

I was overwhelmed.

Life can be so cruel to u sometimes. In 1 of the greatest moments in Arts Rag history, I was unable to be there & see it with my own eyes.

The moment that I dream and dream about since 2005.

And as I type this long post, the tears cant help but flow down again.

Thank you Raggers of 2008...

Thank you for creating history.

Thank you for washing away the pain of the past 4 years away...

Thank you for allowing our past Rag juniors & seniors avoid another yr of heartbreak and despair. Thank you for allowing us to finally graduate in peace with less emotional baggage.

Most importantly, thank you for making past & present Raggers believe that some dreams do come true in life.

Savour the moment, but let us ensure that future generations of Arts students & raggers can cry the same tears of joy that we did on 8th August 2008..No matter where u were at that point of time.

Let us strive for the entire Arts supporters to stay back with us for the results next year.

And let no one ever look down on us or dismiss us as genuine contenders again.

Be Raggerfied. Passion. Friendship. Triumph.

Friday, August 01, 2008

POST T3 OFFICIAL-OPENING LIFE =)

------------------
Changi Airport Welcomes 18.7 Million Passengers in First Half

Channelnewsasia:

SINGAPORE: Singapore's Changi Airport registered good passenger growth in the first half of this year.

It welcomed 18.7 million passengers during that period, a 5.4 per cent increase from the same period last year.

The numbers were released at the official opening of the airport's newest Terminal 3.

Six months since the terminal started operations, 5 million passengers have passed through its gates.

The terminal currently handles more than 900 weekly scheduled flights including Singapore Airline's A380 jumbo jet.

Overall, Terminal 3 has a total passenger capacity of 22 million a year. This represents about a third of Changi Airport 's total passenger handling capacity including the Budget Terminal for low-cost carriers.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, speaking at the official opening of Terminal 3 on Friday, said planning for the terminal started in the 1970s and it is this foresight that enabled Changi to expand over the years in a systematic manner.

Today, the airport holds a special place in the hearts of Singaporeans.

" Changi Airport is probably the only airport in the world which students flock to during exams in search of a cool and pleasant place to study, and I think it's one of the few airports where wedding couples come and take pictures," said Mr Lee.

Not everything, though, can be planned.

Mr Lee cited the growth of low-cost carriers and how Changi reacted swiftly, building the Budget Terminal within eight months.

The move has paid off. Low-cost carriers contributed some 11.5 per cent of passenger traffic at Changi Airport and 47 per cent of its net growth in traffic.

Terminal 3 was 30 years in the making and already plans are underway for a fourth airport terminal in Singapore.

Prime Minister Lee said that moving ahead, Changi Airport needs to stay nimble and focused to face challenges like rising fuel cost for airlines and competition from other airports.

Part of the strategy is the corporatisation of Changi Airport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). Mr Lee said this is a major step forward to enable Changi to react faster to new needs.

He also paid tribute to the staff, in what could be seen as a move to allay fears of possible layoffs as a result of the corporatisation exercise.

Mr Lee said: "We will not forget the importance of the people who make Changi Airport work so well. It's not the bricks and mortar, it is not the lights or the architecture, it's the people, the team.

"We have a very special team and we will do our utmost to take good care of them, both during and after the corporatisation process."

The Transport Ministry will announce details of the corporatisation exercise "soon", said Prime Minister Lee.

- CNA/ir

-------------------------------------

Been a while since I blogged haha. Been really really busy. And glad that T3 official opening went smoothly. Feel really lucky to have joined CAAS & the T3 team at a time to experience this event. =)

Coming on to 2 months in working life. Sounds so short in words but in practice, there seems to be so much that I have been thru n I have learnt.

Am still very grateful for 2 funny & wonderful boss haha, a great & selfless buddy cum mentor, & really helpful n warm colleagues. All of them have helped me settle in much better, but there's still soooooooo many things that I need to learn and do fast.

Fridae' s coming & another happening weekend coming up haha.

Think O Week started todae. All the best to the O Com, House ICs n councilors! :p

And to the Raggers as well. Seems to be only 1 week left to Rag Day. Really hope that everything comes together in time...Will be really sad if.....the same mistakes are made again.

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