5/30/08
So much so about putting in our best efforts in our SL project.
Its quite disappointing to see 0908 heading towards such a direction. People were not willing to spend much of their time in it, even though its a mutual understanding that we will make this a success. Maybe i have been ignorant, maybe i am being oblivious, maybe i am just as clueless. But today's meeting gave me the impression that people just can't bear to part with their precious time(i admit i'm one of those).
Is it that hard to find just one more volunteer to attend the meeting with the sponsors/whoever they are? Does it have to come to a point that main commitee has to ask around and wait for zero replies? I can't bear with it anymore: i just volunteered. I just want it to be settled ASAP and save everyone trouble. Let me be the good guy for the first and last time.
In the end i don't have to go for the meeting after all. Someone from main comm decided to replace me(he went for lunch and not for the earlier meeting). Ironical? Feeling guilty? No one can say for sure.
God bless.
5/29/08
Omg i'm down with PCS(Post-Camp Syndrome). Symptoms include keep talking abt AB Camp, shouting "time check! attire check!" and rushing about everywhere because of the sense of urgency. I'm probably not the only one,and i guess everyone enjoys relieving the memorable scenes. But not to the extent of being obsessed over it laaaa.
Went back school for PW workshop today. Its so tough trying to stay awake for the whole lecture, and i bet everyone's dozing off at some time or another. I mean, come on la, some of us just came back from a camp and teachers expect us to sit through the 3hr+ lecture. Dream on man!(literally)
Then 0908 met to discuss our SL project. The meeting was like a river flowing with different emotions. Some cried, some furious, and some clueless. I just wanna say that please don't let our very own SL project disrupt the harmony of 0908, its not worth it at all. Some of us may have our personal views about certain stuff, but i believe that all of us want our project to be a success. Yes, we all do have opinions about how things work, and views may clash over the project. I just wanna say that at the end of the day, we all just want our project to be a success. So please, let there be no unhappiness or grudges against anyone, and even if there are, let them be your own private thoughts. Our project is already well underway, and we can't back out now. We can't afford to have any more problems that may potentially halt our project now.
On a happier note, i'm glad that everyone got the chance to trash out whatever problems they have with each other today. At least we are able to determine the root of the problems and work out a solution for it. Let's just press on until we achieved what we want!
Lord, please be with us as we continue our preparations. Give us the courage to face the challenges, and the strength to overcome them.
5/28/08
...realise that gravy is rice's best mate
...find out that homecooked meals are the best food you can find
...finish the food in 10mins time, not matter how awful/awesome they taste
...never get to find out how does being thirsty feels like
...dread drinking water from now onwards
...took a walk to East Coast Park in the middle of the night for the sake of Expedition
...serve to lead,lead to serve
...build castles out of sand(aka sandcastles)
...do headcounts and shout "Group 1 Full Strength!"
...rush about so as not to get pumpings,or get pumpings so as not to rush about
There are much more to life in ABCDE '08(Alpha Beta Camp Delta Experience), these are just some which i can think of now. If you can think of more, say it out in Say It Out!
It was a memorable and meaningful experience, and a honour to be able to take part in AB Camp this year. Thank God for this rare opportunity for me to continue my path of self-discovery. I still remeber praying for answers to the numerous doubts I had in God, and by His grace, He answered them all. Now i understand well why i chose the path of SC, or rather, why He guided me there. I had no more regrets now, because i know He wanted me to take on much challenging obstacles in time to come.
This camp inspired me a lot. It reminds me of the fact that i have much more heavier responsibilities to hold now that i am a student leader. It also adequately prepares me of the tough days ahead, although i have to acknowledge that Elects' Camp did a better job in instilling values of a leader in me. Still, after going through this camp, i can feel the thirst for more knowledge of being a leader and the desire to put these to good use. I pray that God will be there for me as i go through the tough journey and face the challenging obstacles.
Apache rock on!
5/22/08
I lost my life and virginity as well. H1 Chinese was a killer and we got screwed by it. Nvm if you don't get the joke lol.
I will very happy if i managed to get even a B for it. Listening and paper 1 was no problem but paper 2 seems determined to kill all of us. The passage i hated and understand the least came out and the other 2 passages aren't manageable either. My answers would probably be seen as crap. Ah forget it, shall not talk about it anymore.
AJ guys lost to HCI in bball finals today, but their performance today was commendable and i salute them with respect. The match was an eye-opener as i watch for myself the real standards of A'div basketball.
AJ: They put up a really good fight today and did not lose their fighting spirit until the very end. I was deeply impressed by their offensive abilities, though defense was slightly...lol. Centre no.9 fouled out when its only the second quarter, which was a morale-dropper for them. Shooting guard no.6 didn't have much chance to score due to tough defence from the other side. However, the other main players were pretty much on form today did a good job on the court.
HCI: AWESOME. Key players turned out to be real key players. No.13 shengyu was a almost unstoppable centre, but he made several mistakes during the match. Guess he's getting tired after all(he rushed back from shanghai for this game). No. 15 power forward was another gorilla on the court, with his experienced and tactful offenses that drew many fouls from AJ.
The match was highly exciting with several turning points from both teams. AJ centre already commmited 4 fouls in the 1st quarter and was forced to sit on the bench, while HCI centre got injured at about the same time too. Still, AJ centre went back to the game for the second quarter but got fouled out this time round. HCI then began its steamrolling afterwards. Red flags for both teams were already up by the mid of every quarter, showing how aggressive both defences are. AJ could not regain its lead as HCI widens their lead over AJ, even after no.13 shengyu got fouled out during the 4th quarter. Nevertheless, they did not give up and fight on all the way. Score was 98-76 by end-game, but their fighting spirit touched me a lot.
God's ways are always unfathomable. Sometimes you think you understand them, in fact you don't. I was wondering, why God put me in SC when He already gave me the passion and desire for bball even before i came to AJ. For me, basketball is more than just a sport. It's a source of motivation,a pillar of support and a good friend which i can rely upon. Yet He slowly guided me towards SC as i seek what i wanted most.
I know i shouldn't be saying all these, because the fact that God placed me in SC is because He knows i would do better in there. But now, i am, again, thinking of going back to play bball even if i may not get into the college team next year. I just know i have to give it a try and if i don't, i would stand no chance at all.
I understand that He wants the best for me, thats why he placed me in SC. But i just can't stop thinking about playing basketball for the college. I pray that the upcoming AB Camp would change my mind totally, so that i would no longer have any doubts in God.
Note: Won't be blogging/online for the next few days. Will be 'enjoying' myself in camp -.-
5/21/08
...has wings. It flies. (crows fly by...)
On a serious note, Common tests begin tomorrow and i prepared next to nothing for them. Ok maybe its because i'm taking only Chinese and GP for the next two days and there's nothing much to preapre, so can't blame me lol. And then i'll be off to AB Camp for a whooping 6days5nights. Hope i'll have an enjoyable time there as i prepare for more leadership roles in term 3(FYI: investiture is in August).
Mr Cheng once said something like: People won't remeber all the good things you have done, but will remeber the single bad thing you did. How true it is. Human is created in such a way that they tend to forget/neglect all that you had did well (unless its very significant), but they particularly keep in mind what are the bad things you had done. Nevertheless, we should not bother so much about being recognised, instead to put our minds on continuing to do the right things. Let's just be reminded from this that men aren't perfect, they will make mistakes somehow or another and you can't prevent it.
A mistake made is a step towards success.
5/20/08
If my life is a volcano, i would probably erupt anytime soon.
Tough day it has been, and i shall not elaborate much. All i hope is that the holidays will come soon so that i can spend time to adjust myself approriately for school again. This term has been very taxing and i can't wait for it to end. In a short span of 10 weeks i'm being forced to face the harsh reality of JC life and to adapt to it, which i admit i failed at doing so. I just hope that i have the time during the holidays to reflect upon myself and correct the wrongs, so that i may start term 3 on the right note.
God bless.
5/19/08
As if once isn't enough,I'm being forced to do school stuff on a public holiday the second time this month. God help me before I go nuts -.-
I met up with my groupmates to do another draft of GPP today. Was aiming for an approval this time round (please!), as we received not-so-bad comments for our last draft. We spent hours just to squeeze out any ounce of brain juice we have just to get it settled, yet we only managed half of the draft. Seems we have to work extra hard before the deadline though.
Somehow i feel that the PW system is rather screwed up. MOE says it teaches us life skills which are highly applicable when we enter the working world. Fine enough, i second that. MOE says it nurtures us into workers who are capable of working with others easily. Fine enough, i second that. MOE says we should focus on and learn from the process of doing it, not the end-product.
Not fine enough, i
don't second that. They want us focus our minds on the process, yet they want PW grades to contribute towards university entry. How ironical. How could they expect us to reap from the process if the end-product matters much more?
At the end of the day, Singapore values meritocracy much more than our individual skills after all. Personally i would still put in my best efforts in PW because its a A-level subject. But i believe there has to be better alternatives (than considering PW for university entrance) in order to arouse interest in the subject. If they chose to resort to drastic measures, so be it. Let their own policies backfire for all i care.
5/18/08
Ok i'm doing an additional post today as i really felt the urge to =D
It amazes me how God works in my life. Just this morning i find myself struggling to wake up for church. I was really exhausted from yesterday and i found it hard to make a trip to church. Nevertheless, i still went and I did not regret it at all.
On the journey, i was thinking why is it that difficult for me to spend just 2 hours each week in church. Perhaps it was due to lack of faith in God. What a coincidence, today's sermon was about staying faithful to God in times of uncertainity. Judges 4 showed how one can secure a victory by staying faithful to God despite the uncertainities and obstacles. A loss in faith, however, will mean a loss of God's blessings, even though His plans will carry on.
Still, we can find assurance in His words as we live through each day. He promised that as long as we stay faithful to him, our victories are granted. Therefore, its even more important to stay faithful in times of uncertainities, for eventual victories will be yours.
Timely lesson learnt: Walk by faith, not by sight =)
Take me deeper
Deeper in love with You
Jesus hold me close
In your embrace
Happy 24th birthday to AJ? You're getting old, face the truth!
Both 24th and 25th SC were assigned to be usherers yesterday. Kinda boring job(and some say sai kang) actually. Many people would comment about SC doing all the dirty jobs. Well i guess its true to a certain extent, but as SC we represent the entire student population. So its not really an easy job as we strive to leave a good impression of AJ on our guests. After all, we are chosen leaders, and you can't lead without being a servant first(servant-leadership). And i believe we all are happy and proud as we see our guests leaving with smiles on their faces.
Sai kang aside, SC provides a conducive environment for deeper bonding within the college. Whether is it between students and teachers, among the students or even within SC itself. I daresay SC is one of the most bonded CCAs of all, with the numerous events we plan and/or take part in. Still remeber the part when we have to carry the benches and tables back to the canteen yesterday evening. Beneath all the drops of sweat is our friendship getting stronger, as we share the troubles and the enjoyable moments.
College Day this year was an memorable occasion. It began to dawn on me why God guided me to join SC. I'm starting to understand His plans for me, as He answers each prayer i prayed. Whether is it about CCAs, studies or life itself, He never fails to shine a way through for me. I pray, that i would walk in obedience and faithfully with the Lord.
Just to clarify something about my previous post:
I'm not saying i'm very good or whatsoever. Overall performance of the team was commendable, and kudos to them for making it into the finals. But they are highly dependent on only a few key players, and the rest warmed the bench throughout the game. Some did get the chance to play, only to commit a few silly mistakes and got back to the bench after a while.
That's where all my frustration began. Yes, they got awesome players which i salute with respect. But still, I never expected that even AJ's team has the problem of bench-warming by the rest of the team. I don't mean to say that they are lousy or anything. Making it into the college team is already an achievement of some sort, as they showed the coach what they are capable of. I can only infer that most of them do suffer from 'stage fright', meaning that they underperform during real matches. Its actually ok to feel the stress on the court, but i guess they can't manage their stress level well enough.
But then again, what's the point of being average/good when you can't perform your best on the court. It irks me a lot to see them on the bench throughout the game, busking in the glory of their better teamates. I really felt like going back and train real hard, and to get into the college team next year. Hence my previous post, about how i felt at that moment.
A word of disclaimer: All that i mentioned is based on what i observed during thursday's match. It does not reflect the true quality of AJ's team, and i may not have what it takes to join the college team after all. They are only my personal opinions, no offense meant.
5/17/08
Cheer support for AJ bball team this afternoon. AJ won the semis and will face HCI next week. Shall not elaborate much on the game, i'll only say i'm quite disappointed with AJ's team though.
They are not that good after all, not like what you expect them to be. If you stay in the team and train real hard, you could make it into the team next year. Why did you give up? You could had at least tried, and even if you failed you can still be proud to say that you tried. But now you gave up the fight before it even began...It was a tough decision for me to join SC which i'm totally unfamiliar with. Yet now i can be sure that SC is the path for me, and i have no regrets. But still, that tinge of regret of not trying for the college team is back to haunt me, and its so overwhelming.
Praise the Lord for the courage to face my real self.
5/15/08
Title-less. Why don't they just remove that little blank space so i don't have to think of any new titles.
天之涯,
地之角,
知交半零落,
人生难得是欢聚,
惟有别离多.
Part of the lyrics to some farewell song which China students used to sing at graduation ceremonies. Many would had find this familiar, because this is mentioned in chapter 6 of our chinese textbook. I love this part especially, as it seems to make the most sense. In our short lifetimes, we can hardly find any friends that we can really pour our hearts to. That deep mutual friendship is rare in today's world. Therefore, what we should treasure most are the moments when we can meet up and gather with our beloved friends, friends who left their deep imprints in us. However, we are bound to go our separate ways after that short-lived moments of reminiscence. After all, 天底下无不散之席...
Simple tune, powerful lyrics that brought out the sorrows in seeing each other off as we continue on our own journeys. Therefore my friends, do treasure every single soul that, by God's work, passed by your life and became a friend of yours. For one of God's greatest gifts is the precious gift of friendship bestowed upon you and that chosen one =)
5/14/08
Win or lose? They are just part and parcel of life,though some people may not realise that.
Winning:
You gain something for what you had done. Go ahead and celebrate, because you know you had done the right thing and you had found favour in the eyes of the Lord, which is why He gave you something you deserve. Let your happiness flow out like the river, and let the whole world know about this joyous occasion, because gaining itself is something you can be proud of. However, a word of caution: don't be overjoyed and let your guard down, for complaceny may take roots in you and you could end up losing all that you had received.
Losing:
You lose something for what you had done. You feel dejected, depressed and maybe even furious at youself. The only question that go through your mind is: Why? You were sure you did the right thing or perhaps at least tried, yet you did not get/lose something. You start questioning God, seeking the answer as to why you lost. Fret not, for its all part of His great plans. Losing is only momentary. God meant it to teach you the precious lessons and to guide you from making the fatal mistakes again. So take this as a learning opportunity and face the setback squarely. Try again, and you would eventually succeed. Remeber: it is by losing that we win =)
Today's post is in response to cheer support for AJ's volleyball teams this afternoon. Both the girls and guys team lost and earned only the 4th placing this year. Kinda disappointing especially when vball is one of AJ's niche sport. I can see the fighting spirit in them draining away as the matches continue, which inspired me a lot. The basketball team will also be playing in the semis in two days time. All these remind me of the days when i used to play for PHS, those long-gone days, which gave me the inspiration for today's post. Just a reminder before i end off: God is in control, so worry not!
5/13/08
Jealousy...
...is when you want it, yet you can't
...is when you know you should have it, yet you didn't
...is when you know you can have it, yet you did not take it
...is when it is meant to be yours, yet it did not became yours
...is when you see others having what should be yours
...is when you have to stop thinking about having it, yet you can't
....is what corrupts the mind
May God remove all of such negative thoughts, that i can have a clear state of mind and not be distracted.
5/12/08
Robotic day again. Everything follow timetable and go wherever i'm required to. At least i still have a mind of my own, and i don't have to take instructions like a robot.
Just some random thoughts i had over the day. During econs lessons i heard someone saying AJ basketball boys entered the semis already. My heartfelt congratulations to them, though somewhat i felt that weird feeling in me all over again. I was thinking, perhaps i should had been in the team, this year or the next. One reason i chose AJ is due to its bball too, as i really wanted to pursue it further. I could had stayed and strived for next year's team, even though i know that chances may be slim.
Yet i took the path of being a councilor. Thoughts of being one never once went through my mind, until the end of orientation 2, when i realised my passion for serving the school. The satisfaction of working together to achieve the common goal is overwhelming too. And so i picked up the application form months ago and here i am, a council elect. Please dun misunderstand me, i did not once regretted it. The road may be bumpy at times, but i know i am determined to reach the end. Its just that...when you have too many chairs waiting for you, you can't help but to desire more when you are already sitting on one. Typical human nature i would say. If only one day i could pick up the ball again and play for AJ, but i know its but a facade, not the reality. Nevertheless, now i know where God is leading me, and i'll follow the road through.
Another characteristic of human i would like to point out: The hunger for power. People often desire for more of authority, for countless reasons which i just can't figure out. Does having so much power means a lot? Does being in power satisfies your inner desires? Did the lion chose to dominate the jungle? I would think now, because some are meant to be good leaders while some are not. Yet people seek to rise up the authority ranks regardless of their abilities, which irks me a lot. Been through it several times this year already, no names mentioned though.
Peace out.
5/11/08
Basketball never fails to be the best therapy for me. So what if i lost a few matches today? I know i just have to try harder next time, meanwhile preparing and training more(not that i can afford the luxury of time though). This encourages me to strive hard and perserve in all that i do, whether in my studies or anything else. Still, i pray that i will keep this spirit with me all the way til the As, and then i can have a looooooong break before touching the books again.
Was physically drained and mentally strained when i reached home yesterday evening. I went to sleep after dinner, only to wake up for some TV and mugging afterwards(still can't believe i stayed up to 12am+ just to mug. this isn't like szewei at all =/). This reminds me of the HOG during elects' camp, when we have to carry a jerry can that weighted tons around while trying to solve the games. It was really taxing on both your mind and your body. Our UCs later told us that it was meant for revealing our true characters, because only through making ourselves physically and mentally exhausted can we see ourselves clearer. Hard to believe but i guess it's true after all.
Life gives you many chairs to choose and sit on. But don't try to sit on more than one chair, for you will fall down in between the two. So choose carefully and wisely which chair you will sit on, you won't want to fall down, do you?
5/9/08
I came here,only to be greeted by spam messages in the cbox. wt*?!
And so friday ended well. Math lecture was freaking hot,due to the absence of cold jokes from Mr Seng lol. For the first time in chem Mr Yeong really talked sense into us(or tried to). His words may seem insignificant to others, but to me they were golden words. He gave us a lesson on "The vicious cycle of being nagged". It goes something like: "First you will get nagged at by me, and you guys will reply Orh!(meanwhile he continues drawing a flowchart-like thingy) But some students choose not to listen to me and don't do their work. In the end you will get nagged at again and the cycle continues(ta-da! the flowchart was completed)" But i managed to extract some 'golden' words though, like "Motivation to study is the hardest problem students are facing" and "You can give me the wrong answers, but you can't give me no answers. At least it shows you attempted and tried".
Bio SPA was...practically screwed up also. Shall not elaborate much on it. Oh yes,math make-up tutorial. Perhaps he didn't get to lame around during lecture this morning, Mr Seng tried to make rm 414 FREEZE. Coz we saw him surfing some website about the economy of the Gulf states,and he commented "I would like to marry a rich Persian princess so that i can enjoy life without working!" Everybody just burst into laugher at that moment. But when he gave us back our CT 1 papers,i can see the disappointment and worriedness in his eyes. Our class was the worst-performing out of his 3 classes(and we are his form class after all). So sorry for that, Mr Seng. Hope that 0908 will give our best shot at the coming block tests,especially at math!
Then there's the 2.4km run for NAPFA. Last-minute preparations helped me to get a C grade, from a fail two weeks ago. So happy with that,although i'm quite disappointed(i walked for like 5 times during the run). Nevertheless,i tried my best and i thank God for that. Afterwhich i went for RMA. It's fun and enjoyable especially when you have great friends around you during the training. It's tough,but we know we can learn a lot from the hardships. Endure on!
Long post,short-lived memories. Kinda ironical isn't it? Each day starts and ends fast,it's hard to find a moment when you can actually reflect on what happened over the day. That's why I turned to blogging =).
5/8/08
Nostalgic mood. I miss the announcements...well,i mean i miss the phrase "end-of-day" lol.
Just another day passed by. Nothing much to blog about actually, because each day seems to be repeating itself. Lectures go on and on(oh,i still don't get bio after all), tutorials go on and on(imba math by Mr Seng today),homeworking and mugging as usual. As much as i want make these days to be different, i know i have to bear with it until the As come along.
Nevertheless, i have wonderful classmates who never fail to brighten up my days. There's this sing-along session (When you're happy you know we emo together *clap clap) with the guys. There's the dramatic chinese lesson (literally) with all the meaningful discussions. Not to forget the countless cold jokes we came up with in class:
Why does cinderella sucks in soccer?
Coz she ran away from the ballHighlight it to read the answer(credits to kexin).So that sums up my day. Pretty boring life i lead huh? -_-
TGIF in 45mins' time!
Simple life,simple blog. No fanciful features like cool-looking blogskins or music here(or I should say i don't know how to put them in here -.-).
Just a blog to rant. Ok i'm not really serious about it. It's just that...life seems to pass so quickly that you won't know it until it's the end of the day. Which is why i decided to blog: to keep track of each day to treasure it and not let it become just another page of my life. I hope and i pray each day will be an enjoyable and pleasant one for me to blog about. Good way to improve my powderful England too =D.
Let me set some ground rules: I am free to post whatever i like and you are free to read and comment(*points to cbox). Sensitive stuff will not be posted, or at most a hint or two. Don't bother about anything, just read ^^
Ready? Then start reading!
...well, it's actually time for me to start mugging anyway. Econs and bio tests coming up and i don't want to get double-killed next tuesday. Don't want end up like junhao (no offense xD) Anyway i'll start my proper blogging tomorrow onwards. So stay tuned!
EDIT: Alright I am posting on borrowed time. I'll get the links ready tomorrow. Sorry for that~
