The Year Gone By

Woah, hold that champagne bottle! New Year is not here, not yet anyway.

Where has the year gone?! I wonder. It seems like I just read the newspaper about the The Aughties and write that post to celebrate 2010.

Looking back, 2010 is a year filled to the brim with events and memorable memories.

The inaugural Youth Olympics Games held in Singapore, now who can forget that? It was a defining moment for us as we stood in the stands at The Float singing the National Anthem and world youth athletes celebrated their legacy. We are part of history.

Riverdance at Marina Bay Sands is another first. Riverdance tours is bidding Singapore goodbye and I am so glad that I managed to catch it live, for the first time at the gleaming new Marina Bay Sands theater.

Not to mention, this is our first time staying at Marina Bay Sands, in a suite no less. The view from the Sky Park is amazing and now I see can why it is the new jewel in the skyline of Singapore.

I got into Director's Honours List 2010 which made the past year of hard work worth it. I have been waiting for that day for one year. To earn that certificate is more than what I deserve.

How could I forget the 11weeks of internship that haunts me till this day. It was, overall, a good experience but I wouldn't want to do it again. Now, that is one thing best left in the past.

On the entertainment side, 2010 earns special mention for "movies of the year". There is the start of an end - Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1, Eclipse, Rapunzel: A Tangled Tale, How to Train your Dragon, Alice in Wonderland etc.

There is also the grand opening of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Orlando, Florida, World Cup at South Africa which Paul the Oracle Octopus got famous, the problems-packed Commonwealth Games at India and many more.

Orchard Road flooding, anyone? Where passers-by were trapped by knee-height muddy waters along the prized shopping belt. Now, that was memorable because up till that day, flooding in Singapore is close to non-existence.

Other more sombre matters to note are Mdm Kwa Geok Choo's passing - others would remember her as the late Mrs Lee, the Downtown East fatal slashing where apparently gangs are still thriving in Singapore.

Like always, I don't want the year to end. It's too fast, always too fast for me to play catch up. I look back and think, why? Year 2010 leaves much to be desired and yet, 2011 is not any better. For a start, the first 2 months are jam-packed of exams and projects submissions and did I mention, I am graduating.

Missing You

Gods, it never fails to move me to tears whenever I watched those snippets of athletes and the journey they and we have come. Those songs sung at the end of the Closing Ceremony are really touching.
-
I don't know why is it that only this Olympics, albeit the Youth Olympics, invoke such strong sentiments and emotions from me.
-
Perhaps, it has to do with pride as a local. The Games won't be a success without the public's passion. Still, I feel as if I'm part of the gigantic celebration and milestone, even though I am not a volunteer.
-
And now, of course, the Games were over and literally, so is my "honeymoon" period. I've to start revising for the 2 exams. I can't bring myself to sit down and do this, my brain don't seem to work at all! What should I do?

Slowly, Softly, Sweetly End

With the tune of a single flugel-horn, and the beating of drums, the sacred flame was slowly, softly, sweetly extinguished. This brought out a torrent of emotions from me.

I didn't even watch the whole closing ceremony, just snippets of it. But, I think it was a fitting finish, it's very touching and reflective. As with the dramatic and youthful opening, the closing is a finish of promises to come.

As the young athletes bid goodbye to each other, the night was still young as the closing ceremony was dedicated to them and the volunteers. It was just reward for them as for the past 12 days, they have toiled and competed.

Ahh, how great it is to be young!

It's been too awesome a journey to put into words. Kudos to the team of volunteers, who have stories of sacrificial to tell. Kudos to the team of reporters and media who bring us news. Kudos to the people manning the twitter account and Facebook, whom a lot of people rely on for live updates.

Kudos to the organisers and committee who did it despite all odds. For a major event like this, past experiences are crucial when it comes to decision-making. Only from mistakes made in the past, will the current host country delivered a better event. Therefore, for us, without any main guides, we did well.

The IOC president akin the birth of the YOG to that of the birth of a child. In that short 12 days, the "child" has grown up and is ready to move on, in the words of Mr Ng Ser Miang.

Indeed, for many of us, how could we forget the day history was made? It has been two weeks of celebrations, competition and mingling. I'm extremely pleased with the rave reviews from athletes.

Through the Cultural and Educational Programme, athletes and volunteers learnt about different countries. The clinics and talks held by some Olympic medallists is great as well.

This is not farewell, because the Youth Olympics is just the beginning and the stepping platform for many of these athletes.

As spoken by Mr Jacques Rogge, goodbye and see you in Nanjing, China. The spirit of the YOG will live on and all this starts in Singapore. I hope that by Summer Olympics in London in 2012,
we can see many of these athletes again.

Good Times Fly

"Good times fly"

Ahhh, I'm getting the post-YOG blues!

It's with a lump in my throat that I typed this post.

I'm feeling a little forlorn, dejected and a flurry of sentiments over this whole event. I now get what people call the "emotion factor". This is the most powerful tool, to ignite passion and pride and get the country together.


It's that period of time when everything ends and you feel like there's a part of you missing. With all that daily action and news articles, it is hard for life to go back to normal.


It's been a wonderful 12 days of action, with all those athletes and news coverage. For Singapore, we have displayed our best and won medals.


With such a grand opening, the closing will be bittersweet as another chapter comes to a close. It's too bad that we can't go there live or for me, even watch the closing at home during the designated time. Because I have to work!


Sigh, as with everything, good times fly and we should be happy that we have the honour of hosting the inaugural Games. Don't cry because it's over, smile because it happens. But all good things end too quickly, before we warm up, things are coming to an end.


I'll remembered YOG 2010 for the passion it brought to a lot of people, of putting Singapore in the Olympic history, of showing the world who we are, of attracting young talent to have a taste of local culture. I'm proud that I have a chance to have a piece of history to myself.


Because this is the first, memorabilia will be more priceless and memorable than the subsequent events.

I'll remembered YOG as the time that Singapore did it and show that positivity can win over negativity. Also, this is a good chance to see what whiners some people are.


Most Singaporeans are what marketers called "late adopters" and this is usually the bane of their existence. It is difficult to foresee what and when they will buy.


People always wait till the last minute before making purchases or feel the passion for something. When the tickets were first made available, it seems that no one wanted them, then when the event is half-way there, they started scrambling for tickets and gifts.

It amused me to see almost all things sold out on the online counter. I'm so lucky to have bought them before YOG was even hot. Still, I hope I can get some more items.

Sweet Victory

In case you haven't heard the news, Singapore hauled in 2 bronzes during this fateful day. It was a good day for us, especially from the football field.


We beat Montenegro 4-1 in the bronze medal match and it is sweet victory for us. It's been too long since something good came from the football field. If only we went in to the gold medal match instead...

Thank you, Cubs! For bringing joy to Singapore and invoking passion and belief in local football action again. I sincerely thank you guys.

I guess it is easy for by-standers to say "no, you did all this wrongly", "you should have done this, done that". But, by putting yourself into another's shoes, would we still keep these in mind? I think not. It is so different when on the pitch and sitting on the stands.

It had definitely been a roller coaster of emotions when I viewed the match on TV. I'm literally biting my fingers when Montenegro players were in better shape than ours. I believe, with stronger regiment and more experience, the young athletes will flourish and bring glory once again for Singapore.

From sailing, we won a bronze in windsurfing and lost out on the other two segments. Still, sailing is more difficult than other sports because there are 16 matches to compete in and sailors have to be in top shape all the way.

There will be good days and bad days and you just have to deal with the elements and luck.

With that, the YOG will come to a close, seeing that the athletes are nearly done. Improvements are obvious but normal Singaporeans should stand behind these athletes who gave in their best despite not necessary gaining the utmost experience during their training.

Because, we, unlike other countries' athletes have lives and other aspects to look into, like school. It is to my belief that some countries' athletes just dedicated their whole lives to that sport and perhaps, even never have proper education if they have to train from young.

Who knows what goes behind closed doors, right? All we see are stars, medals and accomplishments, but behind closed doors, who knows what punishments they get when they fail?

Someone should definitely do a study on this aspect of sport, of sacrificial and failure. It will be nice to know.

Saying Goodbye to Fond Memories

As Day 11 of the Youth Olympic Games winds down, you know it's time to snuff out the flame.

Tomorrow, the closing ceremony for the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games will take place and Nanjing, China will be the next host, in 2014.

Soon, YOG 2010 will become a distant but fond memory to many, for me as well. As some may rejoice life going back to normal, many will suffer withdrawal symptoms. Already, I can feel the panic settling in, because it will be D-Day soon. As soon as the YOG closes, it is technically, the end of holidays as well.

I will never forget this period of time, I have been, from the start, an active participant in all things YOG. While I did not sign up to be a volunteer, I was there when the flame arrived in Singapore. I was there, live, for the Opening Ceremony. I bought lots of memorabilia, from collectibles such as collar pins to official coin to DBS card. I have my daily dose of YOG action online and on TV.

It has been a great lesson for us all. For me, YOG 2010 is a crash course of Event Management, from risk management to staging to volunteerism to sponsorship.

Of course, how could I forget the hostility and negativity some Singaporeans had? It has truly been a good time to filter out all these people. Now I understand how some people, adults and what not, can whine and groan and complain at everything. For god sake, this is a joyous occasion, and yet it has to be marred by these people. And please, posting all these negativity online, where the whole world can see what whiners they are? And in turn, they may form bad impressions on Singapore.

Although, I must say, in every major event and decision, there will be people for or against it. Perhaps, it is the smaller-scaled here in Singapore. Perhaps, other places have it worse, what with riots and demonstrations.

For us, at least, they are confined to online sources and "fake" newspapers. These naysayers and trolls are on a roll and by right, the most efficient way to deter them is to ignore them. Their minds are so twisted and narrow that nothing positive can go in.

Frankly, we should ignore them and don't care about them. But, sometimes, they just get on people's nerves and you feel like rebutting them.

Anyway, it's ending. I am so angry that I will miss the live feed of the closing ceremony because I am working! It's too bad we are not going for ceremony, but we have already spend a lot on the opening.

Cultural & Educational Programme

The mission is to engage and educate young athletes. It’s not just about being a winner. The 3 key values are “excellence, respect, friendship”.
-
Therefore, when hosting the games, a separate programme is going on at the same time. This is known as the Cultural and Educational Programme. It seeks to educate these young athletes and promote friendship and interaction.
-
As a youth myself, I feel that this programme is extremely welcomed. If I am a young athlete, I would have the time of my life, taking part in these activities and learning about the different countries cultures. It all seems so fun and this would appeal to me. But, obviously, as someone who detests taking part in sports, I would never be one of them.
-
But, it’s ok, because I can just view all these on the side-lines and cheer them on.
-
Sometimes, it makes me ponder, the world is made of so many different kinds of individuals.
-
On one extreme, there are those who have goals and dreams when young, they know what they want and how to get it. The young athletes kind of belong in this category. They push and challenge themselves, breaking personal records and gaining the admiration of their country.
-
Then, there are those who partake in all sorts of vices: drinking excessively, smoking, drugs and all. Don’t they notice that they are wasting their lives away? Why not be normal, if not extraordinary?
-
To add on, I love the feel of the Olympic Village in NTU.
-
It seems like a home away from home. Everything seems meticulously planned out for the total comfort of these athletes. And what is heartening to know is that those athletes appreciate all that. It’s great to know and great to see how they are enjoying themselves after the competitions.
-
I know that if I am an athlete, the time I would treasure the most is to make new friends and enjoy what the host country has to offer. Being a pin-collector, I just love how the hobby of pin-collecting is actually well and alive in the Olympics! I didn’t know that until recently.
-
Athletes are given their own country pins and they can exchange them for other countries pins. It’s just so awesome! I wish I have the chance to do this too. But, my pins are one and only so there wouldn’t be much exchanging going on.
-
I have made up my mind for London Olympics 2012, I will buy pins online. But, it’s kind of insane as the shipping fees is going to cost so much more than those pins. We’ll see.

Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

The Youth Olympic Games 2010 Opening Ceremony at The Float at Marina Bay was held on 14th August 2010.

-

I felt honoured and privileged to be there live in action, together with my family. There were an estimation of around 27,000 viewers sharing this special moment. We parked at Marina Square at around 5pm plus. Unfortunately, we were off to a glitch because we ended up queuing for entrance at a hotel for officials. We were directed out and headed off for the green zone.

-

Boy, was the conditions tough at the stands! The earlier rain had stopped, making the conditions extremely humid and hot. I was perspiring away just sitting at the seat. It seemed that there were quite a lot of foreigners and tourists there, which kind of surprised me.

-

It was supposed to be free seating yet we have to sit packed to the sides first. I can understand that but the system will be better if they allowed us to choose the seats in the beginning, just like booking for cinema seats. They can also disallow people from leaving spaces in between.

-

The goodie bag wasn't as good as the National Day's. For one, there was only a muffin to eat. And fans should be provided as well. I hid beneath a huge pair of sunglasses and used a pamphlet as shade.

-

Already I tried to dress as minimally as possible. This beat some officials who wore long sleeves and jackets.

-

As the day waned, the heat sweltered on, more and more people arrived. As the sun set, a mild breeze blew past and everyone sighed in relief. Alas, dark clouds gathered on the horizon. As the time ticked by, the dark and heavy clouds moved steadily towards us, people began to unpack their ponchos. It was such a bad timing if it was to rain.

-

We saw the clouds moved above us and slowly, as if a miracle, moved onwards near to Marina Bay Sands instead. It's almost time for the ceremony to start.

-

Luckily, as the day turned into night, the clouds disappeared into the dark skies and the show went on with nary a problem.

-

The Opening ceremony was unlike others, it was upbeat and not that solemn. It was like a gigantic party, which fits the theme as this is the Youth Games afterall. It's young and energetic and the songs used kept your feet tapping. We rummaged our goodie bags for the torches and mini flags.

-

Furthermore, this is a special place to host the opening, traditionally, opening and closing ceremonies are always held in stadiums, whereas in Singapore, we held the ceremonies in an outside setting, on a floating platform no less. That has to count as something.

-

Athletes arrival was done in a quick manner, it was not wishy-washy and they were quickly led up to their VIP seats in the middle. It must be great for them, to be able to sit in the stands and witnessed the opening as well. In my experience, athletes always don't have a chance to watch the ceremonies, as they have to be in the middle of the stage.

-

The flags bearing was done in record time too. I salute them for that. The flags came in one after another and was handed over to the volunteers.

-

The appearance of the golden dragon was something special for us as it was driven by my cousin. The dragon head looked fantastic in shimmering gold scales and fire-breathing nostrils! He drove up the slope without any problem and the "body" made of of carps followed closely. Although, I have to say that the "tail" of the dragon didn't follow as closely, so it looked disembodied.

-

Pretty soon, it was time to "Blaze the trail" as the sacred flame which had travelled through the five continents and the whole of Singapore finally arrived in a grand fashion, on a Phoenix no less.

-

The whole bay was dark and over the distance, I can see lights as the dragon boats entourage came into sight. The gigantic Phoenix-designed boat held the flame and it was so whimsical and gorgeous. I bet no one thought of arriving like that before.
-

In a zig-zag fashion, the flame was passed from bearer to bearer and finally, it arrived on stage. The final torch-bearer, whose identity has been kept hush-hush until then, ran across the reflecting waters and literally, lit up the beacon. The flame travelled in a spiralling pattern, until it set the "lighthouse" on fire.

-

Wow, what a grand spectacle! The people behind all these sure know how to create an entrance. It was sure a grand finale.

-

The fire burned on strongly, unlike other ceremonies. Up close, it looked like a tornado of flames.

-

Fireworks lit up the skies, but I felt it wasn't as good as the National Day's There was too little variations and colours.

-

And we cheered! For Singapore and the world. I felt so proud at that moment, it's finally our turn and I have the chance to witness this.

-

We saw my cousin on the way out and we took a photo with the dragon head, unfortunately, it wasn't lit.

-

The journey back took a long time, because of road closures and what not. We reached home at around 12am plus. But, looking back, it was all worth it.

Singapore Youth Olympic Games

Because nothing else comes close.

After nearly 2 years since winning the bid to host the inaugural Youth Olympic Games here in Singapore, after passing the 99 days countdown, all those planning, organising and rehearsals will finally take form tomorrow!
-
Congratulations, to those who make this happen and work! You all deserve so much more than just another echo of thanks.
-
Tomorrow, we'll show the world what we are like and what we have to offer. Tomorrow, hopefully, people will form new perceptions of us. A small country, an island to be exact, has manage to come this far and the first ever to host the Youth Olympic Games, which is the first big-scale event for us.
-
By big-scale I mean that it is a smaller-scale version of the Olympics which can never occur in Singapore, likewise for FIFA Worldcup and others. Therefore, it is a blessing that the Youth Olympics comes along and small countries like us will now have a chance to welcome the world too.
-
I'm so excited for tomorrow's opening ceremony because we're given a chance to be part of a historical moment. Yes, it may cost a lot but I think it will be worth it. There could only be one Opening and there could only be one chance to view it live, perhaps in this lifetime, especially so for my parents.
-
How many years will it take for Singapore to host the Olympics again, perhaps never, perhaps in the not-so-near future. And when you think of it this way, it will make you feel better because a chance lost will never be found again.
-
Even if the Games does come back, I'll be no longer the same person I am now, a youth. I'll no longer be feeling the same, the excitement and pride of a young person.
-
I'm so glad we are going to be part of this movement. As Singaporeans, I feel that we should all have a part in this. Of course, the Opening Ceremony will be an eye-opener as well as a lesson.
-
I will be really surprised if the Event Management exam does not have a question on the Olympics. Knowing the kind of person he is, the lecturer will surely pose questions on this, be it on sponsorship or volunteerism or event planning and staging. I want to do well and there are all these articles which are real-life examples of what we learnt in classroom.
-
Now, I really feel the event management is a big business and all, but too bad, there are no more lessons. I feel that we can really discuss a lot in class. Surprising, huh?
-
Once again, I'll not have the time to update again until I return home tomorrow night. Tomorrow is a long day, what with work in the morning and going to Auntie's house in the afternoon and leaving for the Floating Platform in the evening.
-
I can only hope that it will not rain tomorrow, especially in the afternoon and night.
-
Here wishing all the best to the performers who have come so far for this big day!
-
Cheers!