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.
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I don't know why is it that only this Olympics, albeit the Youth Olympics, invoke such strong sentiments and emotions from me.
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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.
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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”.
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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.
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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.
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But, it’s ok, because I can just view all these on the side-lines and cheer them on.
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Sometimes, it makes me ponder, the world is made of so many different kinds of individuals.
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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.
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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?
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To add on, I love the feel of the Olympic Village in NTU.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.

Footballers' Dream

Damnation!

Singapore football team lost to Haiti's in the semi-finals football match. In a stadium fulled of mostly Singapore supporters, all decked out in red, it's heartening to know that these people are behind the Cubs.

But, now that we lost, will the same people who cheered them on, turned around and accused the players? We, people, are a practical bunch, but there has to be a limit to it. So, I think the best therapy and consolation for our young players is full support. Please, don't let these players down.

I can't believe we lost. However, in every game, there will be winners and losers. We just happen to fail this time.

So, now, Singapore is off for the bronze medal or the fourth place. Be it either of the two, let us be proud that these footballers have come this far, bringing football passion into people's lives again.

Although, I sure hope we can get a bronze medal.

Cheers for Team Singapore! Cheers for our footballers!

Youth Olympic Games Opening Ceremony

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.
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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.

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

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

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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.

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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.

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

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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!
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Congratulations, to those who make this happen and work! You all deserve so much more than just another echo of thanks.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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I can only hope that it will not rain tomorrow, especially in the afternoon and night.
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Here wishing all the best to the performers who have come so far for this big day!
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Cheers!

Issues on YOG

“You can lead a horse to water but cannot make it drink”

Isn’t that true in this case?
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Many Singaporeans are clueless and have a "heck-care" attitude when it comes to such important events. My lecturer was right about the “if it’s here, so what, it doesn’t concern me” attitude.
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"If the Games are here, so be it. If there isn’t, we’re not missing anything. I won't waste money and time supporting them, even if the atheletes are Singaporeans". How pathetic.
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Maybe we’re still a young nation, that’s why there is no sporting culture yet, or maybe we’re just too harsh upon ourselves. Perhaps it is the case of “the grass is greener on the other side” syndrome. We keep seeing the beautiful things that are of other countries and compare ourselves to them.
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In my opinion, Singapore do lack the softer aspects of culture, be it arts or sports. And that is where we fail. We are so fixated on doing things in monetary terms and expecting our wills be heard and done.
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Singapore has successfully win the bid and is doing its best to make it a memorable experience, if those who don’t wish to bask in this glory, who is to stop them and more to the people who are enthusiastic and passionate anyway.
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We are going down in history and it’s laughable that some don’t care. Oh well, let them be stuck in thier tiny well and looking at the same piece of sky. Here wishing to a beautiful night at the opening ceremony!
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What makes me madder is the fact that some pathetic people state that Youth Olympics is a waste of time. Perhaps it is useless to these naysayers, seeing that they are neither athletes nor youth. Obviously, it don't matter to them. *roll eyes* But the very least they could do for this generation is to let them have a chance to compete at world's level.
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Why should you deny others a chance?
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"Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt"
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I, on the other hand, am so thrilled by this. I am excited and want to catch some action, but circumstances don’t allow me so. I just have to content myself with pictures and maybe more.
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Finally! The sacred flame has arrived to Singapore after making its way through 5 continents.
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It started out at ancient Olympia, where the sun-rays lit up the cauldron and was bore by the High Priestess. The ceremony was just so intriguing and amazing! It combines ancient ceremonials with modern technology and one just has to wonder how far humanity comes.
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And it is finally picking up steam in Singapore.
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Call me petty or whatever but this time, finally, we’ll be getting full coverage of an Olympics! So there.
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Time and again, I wish desperately for live full coverage of the various Olympics and I was completely disappointed. Maybe the media company just don’t have the money to bid for the rights to broadcast.
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But in my opinion, since it’s the Olympics, the world should share the joy together. Why, all these so-call major sports events are turning into money-grubbing business. Very, very, realistic.
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At least make the other means of watching the coverage easier, it makes me feel like I’m in a different world altogether with all these “blocking-because-of-your-region” business. Yes, I get it that I live so far away from the States and all, but need you rub it in? Even the sharing-channel, Youtube, doesn’t work in this instance.
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For goodness sake, I thought it is the committee job and vision for the Olympics to travel far and wide? Why are you blocking videos to prevent others from enjoying them? Copyright issues, yeah right. It’s the official website, for god’s sake. I can’t even watch the whole of the opening and closing ceremonies.
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This sort of circumstances are what make people turn to illegal stuff. The legal and right way is just too tedious.
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Anyway, I’m so happy that it’s others turn to question why isn’t their local media broadcasting the YOG. Why indeed?
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Maybe there is, but the publicity isn’t there or maybe they just have to pay. Money can go anywhere, isn’t it? Money make the world goes round and it can open doors for you.

JYOF - Northwest District

Oh yes! I'm so thrilled as I took shot after shot of the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame, right here, literally at my doorsteps.

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I had this planned since Saturday. I tracked the flame progress live online and was so shocked that it started raining heavily around 1 plus. I just couldn't bear to be disappointed.

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My brother managed to skip his CCA session and came home to catch this moment with me. We made our way downstairs around 3.40pm, once I saw the flame icon was moving again on the screen.

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It was supposed to arrive around 3pm but perhaps due to the bad weather, they were deterred. I was so nervous, my heart was beating unevenly, when the flame stopped for so long. I even went twitter to ask why.

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I was so worried that I won't manage to take good shots but I did. The whole thing happened so fast. The entourage came on two open-top buses, the traffic police, the torch-bearer and the accompanying runners and more buses following behind.

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We saw the exchanging of torch as well. And then, they were off.

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Ahhh, it feels so satisfying to manage to catch this live, it's indeed a moment of a lifetime. This Saturday, I will part of Singapore's history as well.

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National Day Parade 2010

Happy 45th Birthday, Singapore!
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National Day Parade 2010 was wonderful and the lighting effects are so good! The theme this year is “Live Our Dreams, Flag Our Flag”.

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One thing that got me was how they butchered the beloved national songs. I can hardly stand to hear them.

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This year, the Parade was held at the Padang due to the Floating Platform being reserved for the YOG Opening and Closing Ceremony.

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Guess what? For a once in a lifetime experience, my family blew S$400 on the tickets for the YOG Opening ceremony. It will be worth it because how fast will the flame come back to Singapore again? Not at least till many years, perhaps.

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So, it’ll be Singaporean pride there. Even though our seats are the second cheapest, can you imagine us buying the grandstand which cost a whooping S$200 each? It’s too crazy.

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Anyway, back to the NDP 2010. The fireworks are magnificent, with the new Marina Bay Sands as a beautiful backdrop. Who is to say Singapore skyline isn’t comparable to other countries? It’s just as beautiful, if not better.

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The military march-in and the mobile column are some of the best highlights. Each year, I can’t help but to be teary-eyed as I think of how great it is that I’m in Singapore.

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I also noticed that this year, the word “grateful” keep popping out, this is indeed a timely reminder to us that we must not take what we have for granted. Just because we have all these up-to-date weapons and military, does not mean that we just forsake ourselves in our trivial battles.

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Everytime I watched the parade, the mood never fails to grab me by the throat and squeeze. I get chock-up over the pride.

Blast of a Year

Holy Crow! I'm literally flirting with deadlines here.

It's only the second day and I'm feeling the pressure and stress that is in association with Year 3. "You are no longer in Year 2", to quote the lecturers. Well, obviously. But they expect greater things from us this time round.

If I thought Sem 2.2 was tough, honestly speaking, it seems like child play. Really. Looking back, I realised those were so much easier than what we are doing now.

2010 will pass soon enough. The tentative timetable is like this.

By July, we'll finish all projects. August will see us a one month study break/holiday due to the Youth Olympics Games. Thank goodness! First 2 weeks of September will be exams, then comes the Internship/attachment for 3 months. Around December, which will be well into Semester 3.2, the internship will end. Back to school for a couple of more subjects, then it's time to graduate.

This means that by February 2011(if I'm not wrong), everything will come to a close. Around April/May 2011, there will be a graduation ceremony, as it's happening now. Wow, to think that next year will be us. I'm going, of course. I wouldn't miss it for the world.

So, it's either I leave for my trip before or after the graduation ceremony.

Oh my god! This is insane! What a tight schedule to operate on! I don't think I can get myself into the mood of enjoying even my brithday.

The months and days will blend together so much so that I'll work myself up in a frenzy. As seen from the tentative dates above, technically, I'll have no holidays. So, it's just my luck that YOG is here this year and we get to have a break!

Fortunately, among this mess, there will still be simple pleasures in life. There are movie events, books release coming up that I can treat myself myself.

As for work, we'll see how that goes. I'm toeing a fine line by working and studying at the same time in such a crucial year. Where my priorities lie, of that I'm certain. Still, it'll be good if I can have cash by my side. God knows I need money for my coveted trip.

Tuesdays are going to be a bomb. I'll be leaving home early in the morning (7am) and only be back at (10pm plus). What a joke! Stupid arrangements.

I can still take it this couple of weeks, once the semester really starts, I'll have to decline any other work on other days.

This year is going to be blast. This year is the year where limits will be pushed and tested, where emotions will run high. All in all, I must get ready for an emotional rollar-coaster ride of a lifetime.

If I lose my sanity behind... prayers will be needed...

Le Premier Jour

"When Life gives you lemons, throw them back and demand something else"

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First day in school as a senior. Officially.
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Wow, it was a torture waking at 5.30am after a nearly 2 months hiatus. Naturally, buses were full of people but the bus I took had vacant seats.
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When I reached school, the front area near Engineering School had lots of people milling around. I bet most of them were first year students waiting for friends. It's quite funny though.
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Like my friend said, freshmen usually tend to stick around as a class for the first one month or so, and then they will start to spilt into their various groups and cliques.
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For us, we have "been there, done that". I'm quite desensitized.
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The situation in the canteens and buses are going to be bad for the first few weeks. There will be lots of students, all eager to make it. After the original first few weeks, attendance will drop and canteens will have vacant seats again. Not that I like canteen food.
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So, first day lecture was Event Management. I just found out that the month of August will be a holiday (study weeks) for us. It is due to the high participant rate in the Youth Olympics Games and the fact that the few week of September will be the examinations.
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Yay! All the more for me. I can treat it as a minor holiday before the day of reckoning.
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However, rather than cutting study materials short, I guess they squeeze all the syllabus before August. The deadlines for projects are certainly so. Oh boy, projects here and there. Have to start early.
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Well, that's that. Nothing to talk about actually. I'm glad to see my friends. One last year before everything changes. The debacle on JCs, Polys and Universities is making me very nervous and anxious. It's certainly a reality check for me.
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I know that going to University from a Poly route isn't going to be easy, but never have I thought it will be so tedious and difficult. I used to think that as long as I get good results, I can stand a fairly good chance of making it. Now? Not so much.
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I never think of stopping with a Diploma only from Day One. In my opinion, that's really not a choice if I want what I want. Each of us have different thinking, it's how you work it out that matters.
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In the past, I harbour thoughts and plans to go to an overseas University. I still do so, but I guess my dreams are going to crash. Going overseas is and still is my first choice for studies. If I can't make it this time round, there is always higher education like Masters. Then, I'll go overseas.
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At least, I have one year to work things out in my favour. I just need the strength and will-power to do that. If I am not changing now, when will I do so?
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Things aren't looking too good now. Life isn't a bed of roses, I know that. I just never thought that it will be a bed of steel needles. Sighs.
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Having work on Tuesdays and Fridays. Double Sigh.

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