Lots to say..

Well definately have much to say, considering the amount of time lapse after my last post. Last month, on 8th August 2008, was the proudest moment for Asians, especially the Chinese (mi!) as China held the 2008 Olymipics. The opening ceremony was a bang! Love it lots, dont you all agree...And of course the proudest moment came when Team Singapore table tennis trio, Li Jiawei, Feng Tianwei and Wang Yue Gu clinched the sliver award, narrowly beating the South Korean trio. Tao Li did us proud by entering the finals and gotten fifth.

This is the video of the opening ceremony with Li Jiawei being the flag bearer.



You can travel to this site for the opening ceremony:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsDY1Ha83M8

For the closing ceremony (u get the gist):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuU-AXa3tYo

Type beijing2008 in www.youtube.com, you will find many videos of the olympic sports...of which mostly feature China's sports men and women...(guess you have to rely on other users then...)

Followed after was the Paralympics. We've have surprisingly done very well, clinching two bronzes (BY Laurentia Tan, equestrian rider) and a gold and silver (BY Yip Pin Xiu, swimmer). Even with physical disabilities, they have managed to came out tops and I present my very admiration. Realised that many Singaporeans do not feel as much joy as they should have been and hope the government will do more to promote this event. (My little bro doesnt even realise its existence - sad)

Yesterday was the last day in a few of the Formula 1 race, the first Singapore ever held and will do so for the next four years. This street race was definately well done (poor roads) especially the night view. Fernando Alonso won.

(Boy, why was it so hard to find a decent picture without it being from http://www.flickr.com/!!!)

Formula One cars race down a straight stretch at the Padang on the Marina Bay street circuit of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix September 28, 2008.

All these photos are taken from yahoo.com.

These are some articles that will make any Singaporean proud...



Singapore praised
F1's Ecclestone says Republic should be proud of putting the event together so quickly
By Leonard Lim

SINGAPORE'S famed efficiency has come in for praise from Formula One supremo Bernie Ecclestone.
He said it would have taken any other country two years to achieve what the Republic did in just over a year in gearing up to host a Formula One race from scratch.

'I hope when people see this, they realise it wasn't just a stupid idea.'BERNIE ECCLESTONE, on Formula One holding a night race in Singapore

We've never seen anything built so good, so quickly,' said Ecclestone, the president and chief executive of Formula One Management, the sport's commercial right holder, in a press conference yesterday.
'I'd be surprised if it hadn't been really top quality standards. Singapore should be very, very proud of what's happened.'

Among the major preparations for the SingTel Singapore Grand Prix were building a $40 million Pit Building to house the F1 team garages, media centre, and Paddock Club, and a new road.

Roughly parallel to the Republic Boulevard, the road was required for the Start/Finish stretch.
These major projects were completed in June, three months ahead of race week and about a year after Singapore signed the deal to host F1 races for five years.

Ecclestone, who has been involved in F1 since the 1960s, in roles ranging from team owner to administrator, also praised the inter-agency effort for this weekend's highly anticipated event.
Various agencies, from the Land Transport Authority, Singapore Police Force, National Parks Board and Singapore Tourism Board, worked together to deliver the event in a short time.

'Everybody has done a fantastic job, the quality of the work's been super, those from the top all the way down have worked very hard to make it happen,' he said.

Turning to his brainchild of night races to suit European television audiences, Ecclestone said he was 'anxious' just hours before the first cars took to the Marina Bay street circuit for practice.

But he was hopeful that Singapore's organisers would reap the benefits for taking the bold step of hosting the first night race.

'They were courageous enough to want to do it,' he said. 'There was a lot of criticism but I hope they're well rewarded for what they've done.'

The success of the Singapore race is seen as a litmus test for other Asian nations to stage races under floodlights, something Ecclestone wants more of.

'We're going to get Japan to do it. It will be prime time in China and this part of the world, and in Europe it will be at a sociable hour to watch rather than the middle of the night,' he explained. 'I hope when people see this, they realise it wasn't just a stupid idea.'

As for whether a European country could host a night race, he said there was no push for now to introduce this.

'It's not cheap and I don't think there's much advantage.'

The state-of-the-art lighting system, which involves 1,500 projectors shining four times brighter than a typical soccer stadium, is believed to cost over 5 million yen (S$10.4 million).
limze@sph.com.sg



Motor racing-Singapore the big winner in first night grand prix

By Ossian Shine

SINGAPORE, Sept 29 - Fernando Alonso was crowned Formula One's prince of darkness on Sunday, after streaking to the chequered flag at the sport's first night-time grand prix in Singapore.

The Spaniard's triumph at Formula One's 800th race was heralded by customary champagne-fuelled celebrations, the podium jubilation adhering to time-honoured motor racing etiquette.

But while Renault's twice former world champion will be forever noted as the Singapore GP's first winner, the F1 honour roll will not so easily record the biggest winner of the weekend -- the South-East Asian city-state whose staging of a spectacular and innovative race has left the motor racing world agog with admiration.
A jewel in the Formula One crown is how the sport's supremo Bernie Ecclestone described the Singapore race, adding that floodlit events were the future for the sport.

It helped that Sunday night's race was an action-packed roller-coaster of thrills, drama and daredevil driving.
"In this part of the world, for sure, night races will take off," the billionaire who owns the sport's commercial rights said on Sunday. Ecclestone plans to turn the Japanese GP into a night race next.

SINGAPOREAN EXTRAVAGANZA

McLaren boss Ron Dennis raved about the Singaporean extravaganza.
"It is not just a new experience," he said, "It is a real big step in the history of grand prix racing because it has been done so well.

"Everything has been proven now and we can take this model and apply it to anywhere in the world - either to bring to Europe the race at a time when people watch it, or even within Europe to make it more spectacular."
Williams team boss, the eponymous Frank Williams, echoed Ecclestone's thoughts.

"It has a good chance of challenging Monaco for being the jewel in the crown of Formula One," he told Autosport magazine's website.

From the floodlit 5.067 kilometre track, strewn across Singapore's downtown like a luminous ribbon, to the state-of-the-art facilities and clockwork organisation, the entire staging of the grand prix has been an exercise in how to get it right.

Organisers had faced a headache of eye-watering proportions in their ambitions to step into the unknown and host the extravaganza under the stars.

For the lighting alone, 1,600 lantern-like projectors were rigged up, requiring more than 100,000 metres of cabling and 240 steel pylons to illuminate the track.

FESTIVAL ATMOSPHERE

The result was some of the most spectacular images of any sporting event. Pictures of gleaming Ferraris speeding through a hi-tech cityscape vied with images of cars streaking past the world's largest observation wheel, the Singapore Flyer -- pictures which filled the media and fuelled the appetite for motor sport.
More than 300,000 people poured through the gates over three days, a sell-out, and created a festival atmosphere.

Organisers set up "hawker stalls" offering visitors a taste of authentic Singaporean food while magicians, singers and jugglers entertained the masses.

"It costs a lot of money, the lights, the circuit and the organisation. But it is a great investment for the city. And, of course, it is fantastic for F1. It is, in the best sense of the word, a highlight," Mercedes motorsport vice-president Norbert Haug said.

Even the drivers, a breed of detail-obsessed, nit-picking perfectionists, gave it the thumbs up.
"The track and the facilities here have been phenomenal," championship leader Lewis Hamilton said after finishing third.

"The organisers should be very proud of the job they have done."
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/rtrs/20080929/tsp-motor-racing-prix-singapore-81ea673.html

Well, I guess i have to go. Bye.

Enchanted

Hiddey Ho!
Came back with 'Enchanted"! I love most of the songs, the tune is nice, the storyline is magical and...stopstopstop. Check it out! (from y-o-u-t-u-b-e.con-) lol

Disney's Enchanted - "True Love's Kiss"



Disney's Enchanted - "Happy Working Song"



"That's How You Know" from Disney's Enchanted



So Close - Enchanted



Carrie Underwood Music Video "Ever Ever After" from Enchanted



Enjoy!

(Disclaimer, all are from youtube.com and are property of Disney) u noe, juz in case i need to state some copyright stuff...

Singing along......
kahmun

Ella Enchanted

Some music videos from youtube......nice tunes...

Don't Go Breaking My Heart - Ella Enchanted




Ella Enchanted - "Somebody to Love"


lalala....
kahmun

Videos to share share

Some funny ones to share.... (from youtube.com) Enjoy





haha

This mentioned my school...



Actually, my school is a mixed school, though it used to be a girl's school...Hossan Leong is so funny and not at all offending (i was laughing my head off the whole time)....haha

Last but not least....




Laugh till ny tummy hurts,
kah mun

..........

hey!
Went to watch Temasek JC chinese orchestra concert yesterday. Pulled along by shimin...Jing ying also going, along with the other five menbers of her family.
Details:
What: Temasek JC CO concert
Where: SCH
Who: me, shimin, jing ying+family, annebelle, 'boyboy'..
When: yesternite, 7.30 to about 10.15pm

It all started when shimin asked me to go to this concert with her. I agreed and bought the $12 ticket for myself , thinking 'hey,after exams, relax mah'. Actually, shimin is helping her ruan teacher(member of TJCCO) to sell tickets for the concert.(surprise,surprise). As the day drew near, i was trying very hard to contain my excitement, haha. And i wasn't in the least bit disappointed...there was a sheng solo (mi instrument) and seriously, it was damn good. I was super duper stressed by the end of the song...Jing ying and shimin were 'making eyes' at me, like as if they were saying, 'See kah mun, if others can play this well, you can do too' (haha). Super+super+super duper stress...Well next would be a dizi duet solo. The orchestra was a rather big group and was an elite one (go check their SYF scores...). I bet many of them hold diplomas. This was also a popular orchestra in that school, judging by the way they had their own concert and the hall was practically filled up + loud cheers from the audience when the players appeared. Which reminded me of mine, which garnered much criticism from the other CCAs during our early days, plus the failure in us seniors part to get juniors who are actually enthu about the chinese instruments instead of gloating over Sylester (pardon me). I had a feeling that the orchestra will collapse after the graduation of my batch. Anyway, back to the topic...the fun really starts after the last song. As usual for a concert that was to end, players+conductor stands up and bow amid the audiences clappings+cheerings+(listen to this one)shouting 'encores'. So, after a long time of clapping,(and my asking of shimin through my smile 'are we done clapping yet),the conductor came back to the stage and led the orchestra on another piece of song. The same thing happened after the end of
that song and boy, was i surprised. Everybody starts to lose the seriousness of a concert and even the players beagn to smile....wat a fun nite!!!!

cheers

Saying 'No'

'Eugene Loh, 938LIVE, a station of MediaCorp Radio'

Found this rather meaningful...

Are you saying "yes" to things you don't really want to do?
Are you taking on more than you can reasonably handle?
Are you spending less time on yourself and your loved ones because your schedule is too intense?
If you have trouble saying "no", you're not alone.
We all find ourselves in situations where we say "yes" to others when we really want to say "no".
For example, the friend who insists on buying you another round, the boss who sees you as the willing workhorse, or the mother-in-law who invites herself to stay.
You may think you are being "Mr Nice Guy" by going along with these requests but you know what?
When you give in too easily and too often, people simply see you as an easy target to exploit.
You've exposed your weakness and they will impose on you time and again.
Reacting angrily to what you might see as an unreasonable request is equally inappropriate. It may result in you being seen as hostile.
In the workplace an angry refusal to do a piece of work may brand you as being un-cooperative.
The only viable solution that does not upset others or make you feel bad is the assertive one.
A good definition of assertiveness is when you stand up for your rights while accepting the rights of others.
For example, if you're not contractually obliged to do what you're being asked, you have the right to say "no", just as much right as the other person to ask you.
If a problem develops, resolve to work together on a solution.
Try to reach a mutual compromise, rather than always compromising yourself.
Here's how you can learn to say no assertively.
Make "no" the first word out of your mouth so that others can see there is no hesitation or doubt.
Remind yourself that they'll respect you more for being so definite.
Think through your fears about their possible reactions.
Be rational about them.
Don't let the fear of what they might think of you force you to do something you don't want to do.
Use a clear, assertive style: no ifs and buts, no excuses, no apologising.
Thank the person for considering you for the request; say you are flattered and honoured.
And don't feel as though you have to find solutions to their problem; don't dwell on it afterwards or feel responsible for their problem.
Reclaim the time that's rightfully yours...

Cheers,
kah mun

Hallelujah-part 2

The next day after the news of our win to host the youth olympics, it was monday, aka english newspaper reading day. There was an article on the days leading up to the results (25 Feb 08 The Straits Times- IN pg 12). Apparently, the mayor of Moscow had told reporters that 'he was worried about young people exercising in the heat and humidity of Singapore'. Seriously i understand his concerns, but it beats exercising in frozen waters and running on cold feet. After all, it was common sense that Russia was located quite near the North pole. Read on...'Then, New York-based paediatric expert Ljiljana Dimitrijevic was quoted by reporter Gennady Fyodorov (both very Russian names...) as saying:"Heat and humidity are big risk factors and, taking into account that the games will be staged in the summer, Moscow looks a more preferable choice than Singapore." ' OMG! Don't they ever research or ever come to Singapore? We residents knew very well this was not the case, we still had weathers that are actually chilly to the bone...and most of our buildings and areas are actually air-conditioned. Haiz...what a selfish one-sided (singapore did NOT 'take part') war of words...I mean seriously, is this how the global world is like? Hurl stinging comments at countries at their weakness in a bid to win? Why can't they be more amicable? Why can't they be more polite? Must i say how insulting they are?

Disappointed...
in Moscow...
thought they...
were actually...
well mannered...
haiz...

GREATLY Disappointed,
kahmun

Hallelujah!

Have you heard the news? Singapore won the bid to host the first ever Youth Olympics 2010 ! I know i'm not involved but still, YAY!!! I wonder how it's going to be held...
Anyway, days leading up to yesterday were rather tense (not me though) for sports athletics and the ministers involved. I heard many schools had joined in the support for the games + my school. We were in the same bid as Moscow and it was rather surprising that we actually won the bid, given our limited 'land space'. But i guess Singapore has the standards to go along with it, and we were rather fresh and new on the sports screen. Onward,Singapore!!

cheers!

P.S. Remember to study for exams
Haiz..headache...

Special Day

Happy Birthday to me, Happy Birthday to mi, Happy Birthday to me!!!!

A new year of fun teenage time.

On monday, my form and co-form teacher had bought a birthday cake for the January babies and i was one of them. How sweet!! I was rather surprised, cuz it didn't happen to me before. There were three others. Taifung's on the thirteen, Xiao Lu's on the sixteen, mine on the seventeen and Edgar's...dunno when. Anyway, it's really sweet of the teachers. Thank you all sooo much!!!!!!! Today, after school, Venessa passed me a drawing block card , decorated on the front and classmates well wishes on the inside. How touching! This is also the first time i'm having such an experience and i find it fun and memorable instead of presents, presents everywhere. I will certainly treasure that, you mark my words.

Birthday girl
kah mun

A day turned bad

I was counting the days to my birthday and this devastating news hit me right smack on my face. Wu Xiao Zhong, the chinese orchestra sheng/suona teacher i had respected a lot, had passed away.

The first reaction my body makes is to freeze, and my mind was running like a debate tournament, to which if this is true or not (in which i sincerely hope its not). As fate would not have it, after the CCA, the conductor pulled us to a corner to confirm this terrible news.

Later things became hazy, i remember staring at a crack in the wall while the conductor droned on and on. Then, we went down to the toilet at the first floor, where i finally let my pent-up tears flow. I really can't believe it. Can'tcan'tcan'tcan'tcan't!!!!!!! This was so not true!! I cried and cried in what seemed that had never happened for a long time. The tears would have filled buckets and hiccups knocked on the walls of my throat.

Wu lao shi was a great teacher to us-me, Xiao Yun, Janice and Vivan- sheng players. Although we had some arguments that left each other unhappy, we had shared a bond. He was patient and understanding, i remembered him willing to spend extra time (when he was already so busy) to help us with our last minute parts (3 days before SYF 2007). I also remembered that that was the last time we had a lesson with him.

I did not have much of a good impression of him the first time he taught me. He had ask us to play a part of a song we hadn't learnt and left us there, while he teach some new students. However, as he took us for classes(CCA) every week, i found out that he was not what i thought he was. He was always encouraging us whenever we did not manage with our parts of the song well. He would also praised us when we did well, and i remembered it gave me loads of encouragment and courage to learn songs and stay in the orchestra.

I remember a time before SYF 2007, when the conductor recommended us to apply for extra lessons at her music school. But when we reached there, i realised there is money involved and called up my parents. Unfortunately, they do not allow and threw me into a fix which sent tears to my eyes. After a talk with my father, the conductor get the idea that i was not allowed to apply . But Wu lao shi offered to teach me for free that night and i was really grateful to him. At that time, he looked teacher cum fatherly to me and i felt comfortable and relaxed when he was teaching. After the class, as it was raining cats and dogs, he also offered to drive us to the nearest MRT station, which we gratefully accepted.

Even though he had only been with us for only five months (Dec 06 to April 07), each of us has fostered a sense of community with each other and with Wu lao shi. Each of us felt a sense of dread when the conductor confirmed the news...

He deceased on the 9th of January 2008, due to a fall which half paralysed him on 8th of January. Had set up a blog in memory of him. http://dedicationtowuxiaozhong.blogspot.com/

New Year New Beginnings Old sads

It's a new year (9 days late...) and of course Happy New Year Everyone!
I started this new year in a new class and new subjects which includes,

1.English (duh)
2.Chinese (duhduh)
3.Elementary Mathematics (which is not at all elementary as it sounds...)
4.Additional Mathmatics (which we haven't started on yet...)
5.Pure Chemistry (a must)
6.Pure Biology (oooh...i love this subject)
7. Pure Geography (my fav!!!)
8. Elective History (no comment)
9.Social studies (no comment either...)
10.MSP aka Malay Special Programme

Today after school, we had MSP and our new teacher, Cikgu Salina, proposed to set up a blog on our class (seventeen of us) in malay and in which we were able to interact and converse in malay to help us improve in this subject. After all we would be taking O'levels for it. So the blog was set up and the address is : http://www.mspatnchs.blogspot.com/ . It is formed like this, 'msp' is (duh!) this language i am learning now, 'at' is...ok it's obvious. Lastly 'nchs' is the acronym of my school. In that, each of us posted one post each and there is a group photo of the eighteen of us including of the teacher. Today was just our second lesson and i already find it quite enjoyable.

To dampen my spirits, i remembered yesterday's unhappiness which comes from-you guessed it-Chinese Orchestra aka CO. The conductor came in and yadda yadda yadda about this and that-which you might get it if you read my previous posts-and she really went so far as to actually group us according to our capabilities. There were six groups-Chinese flute, Erhu, Strings, Cello and Double bass, percussion and lastly my group, Sheng and Suona (in which currently has no suona players in it).

Do you whats our rank?............last, "GREAT". I get it: we are so bad that even the percussion are better than us. Self esteem sucks. This brought up a problem that i thought resolved after the SYF last year, -(we were training so hard and as each part of the song is important, so are the players. Before the SYF, i had a self esteem problem with CO. I constantly (and maybe my pathner in same instrument (PSI) did too) felt that the orchestra 'left us out' and i always had trouble properly playing my allocated parts until the SYF, when we were 'last minute' given the parts of the suona and managed to master it in time for the compeitition.

This 'heavy burden' made us feel proud and at last, important and felt in the orchestra family.)- However this was not to last till yesterday when this unhappy thingy happened. The conducter 'curtly' tell us that because our 2 juniors,(who were playing the zhongyin sheng),were not good and that the 2 of us gaoyin sheng were not very good, that's why we were placed last. Crap i tell you they are. The 2 juniors who did not do well is not entirely their fault. Ever since they joined the orchestra last year, they were always neglected by the sectional teachers as they were busy teaching the new suona students.
Results?

1.New suona students did not perform at SYF simply because they 'could not take the pressure' and all efforts came to naught.
2. 2 junior's enthusiasm was depleted, they simply had no interest in learning the instrument anymore.
3. We got placed last.(in the orchestra family)

Easy as that. You might ask why i care sooo much, last, so what, no big deal, if you know yourself to be good then good it is. But no, it's not that simple. If psycological stuff (emotions and feelings of people), are so easy to understand and cure, why would we need to study it?

Ok fine, the four of us knew somewhere we were ranked among the bottom somewhere in our hearts but does the conductor need to make it so obvious? It's not as if we thought that we were very good and all...but hey, we have feelings for goddness' sake you noe! We can't possibly take and swallow such a blow. Now I'm intimidated by the better orchestra players again...

someone help me
kah mun