In remembrance ~pt1

Hey,
Been preparing for the O's and decided to take some time out to do this. And i really have to say this: "I'm gonna miss you guys!!"

To xiaoyun, janice and vivian+co: We've been through a lot in co, with all that practising and scoldings, and not to mention some mischief-making in the middle 'laughs'.

2006- Boy, xiaoyun do you remember that we spent five torturous months learning the sheng and managed to perform in time for the june school's public performance? That was a really novel experience and i couldnt believe we spent three quarters of our june holidays- going back to school everyday! I believe we had put up a great show, no matter that we are the first batch. And no matter how much scoldings we'd endured during that time, i was really pleased when our thirty ppl orchestra swept the audience off their feet. Werent you feeling glad too, when all of our efforts had amounted to something?

It was only then that i realised the meaning of teamwork, when the sounds of all of the instruments weave among each other, fiddling with each other playfully...

Ps. Remember when i twisted my pipe right in front of the conductor, and her face went totally twisted - oops. I was so scared i was practically sweating buckets in that cold room. Luckily air could still pass through that constricted airway and i do not have to pay for a new one.(whew...)

2007- We had a new teacher, Wu lao shi. Boy am i so glad. Big Guo scares me man. Then our duo sheng group welcomes two new members- janice and vivian. Xioayun and i couldnt have presented a better impression of ourselves when the both of you walked into the room- to see us playing doe to ti in the corner. Well actually, we were asked to play all of our 36 fingerings in order- 20 times. so embarrassing manz...We dun really start off too well did we? Nevertheless, i got used to turning to my right and seeing the three of you beside me. It was the SYF i guess, that pulls us together. The many days spent together in practises couldnt have bonded us more. Remember the days when all of us would walk home together, and all we'd talked about was the conductor! We've certainly got lots of complaints-

And remember how nervous we were, outside the door leading to the SYF stage. Months of preparation have led us here, and i cant tell you how intimidated i got when the previous orchestra, Catholic high, blasted their songs right through the thick wooden door. Boys certainly do have lots of energy...And can you believe we've got silver!

I will never forget the Catholic boys behind me when they gave ear-splitting screams of joy after hearing the results. We were shocked- i mean they were boys rite? They became our joke that day...

Silver!!!

2008- The year really started off badly- with the passing of our beloved teacher,Wu lao shi. For a moment, I'm sure all of us were really shocked. He didnt just seem the type to die suddenly...did he? He seem so well the last time we saw him.
We wept together that very day...Nevertheless, we had to go on. Zhao lao shi became our tutor not long later. Also started on preparations for the SYF.

2009-Did you see the conductor's face when she came in and spot the both of you in front of the blank whiteboard? Haha. She wont be glad to hear that we have been teaching english to to zhao lao shi.~ Remember during the break, we went down to get drinks and instead spent an extra half an hour watching the parade ceremony rehearsal. Wanting to get a better look, we had to pass by that corridor (that sharafina had termed as 'the hall of smells') after the cadets file out, and boy it really stinks! That day during the school's anniversary, i had a really great time - laughing at 'jiggly' in the parade, along with Gable and De han (or is it Tai yun?). You couldnt imagine what we were thinking, it was simply hilarious. Really had to hand it to the both of them...
We were really quite exasperated nearing the SYF. There was just a lot of stuff that didnt seem right. The melody, the attitude, teamwork...But we've put in our very best. Not to mention the atmosphere everybody felt when playing at the SYF in front of the judges,- we were actually enjoying ourselves...we were swaying and moving as a group with the music, strolling, racing and even having instrument conversations! I dont have to elaborate how everybody was feeling after that. The world seems so much more colourful and for just a moment, we believed that we had outdone ourselves. And it had all came crashing down when the results were announced. Even as we console ourselves that it was not our playing that has caused us to lose marks, it was nevertheless a heavy weight indeed.

Even so, i will always remember fondly the days we had. How Janice had suddenly pulled my bag, and caused me to fall backwards. (Man, i was so surprised.) All the concerts and performances we had ever performed in, and some funny incidents that happen along the way...The days we spent hiding at the staircase playing our music, the grumbles we had lugging our heavy instruments from one place to another, pretending to play when the presidents and teachers walked past...and not to mention how we had teased zhao lao shi - in english. And oh, the fridays we spent at the pool. Doing our very own silly 'skydiving', teaching janice and xiaoyun the art of kicking and breathing(!), racing with vivian to see who could dive the longest and furthest, and the highlight of the day...watching housewives doing aqua aerobics underwater. We'd nearly choked from all that laughing in the water-laughs.

And Sheng rocks forever manz!

BFs forever!

kahmun

Call me repentent

zzzzz...

Well i really dun noe what came over me the other day and it got better today. Had chem lesson jux now and i realised that she is still the teacher i respected. I guess she was in a bad mood that day. Really hope she remains cheerful in spite of all she had went through the past year. And i sincerely apologized for letting off some of my steam on her. '-'

Been quite moody on sat but it was better on sun. JY came to my house and we played badminton wif my family. Havent done this in a long time and it was thoroughly fun. Dad was as fit as he was before he got dengue two years ago and Bro had grown up to be as tall as me. Dad and i paired up in a match against bro and i bet i lost hundreds of calories running around and stretching to hit the shuttlecock. The result? i had aching legs today and i almost limped to school. Owells, after that we had breakfast and jy and i went to the temple to study. Sneaked in some chips and chocolates on the way. haha.

Well i realised today that i must stop being so moody, if i continue in this state, how am i going to sit for my O's?

So buck up kahmun!

cheers

Arghhh

Dunno why but i kinda am getting frustrated these days.

Whats with sweet sixteen...i mean its totally not sweet. Exams, study and more exams. Initially thought i could handle it...be optimistic, but why am i not feeling that way now?

I wouldnt want my posts to sound like a rambling session but kinda cant help it.

The only thing comforting now was jy - Thanks so much!- Cant wait to go on our shopping spree next week:)

Didnt have exams today so i stayed at home and slacked the whole day, cant just bring myself to study...whats waiting for me are chem papers..zzz..i seriously dun mind doing but her attitude is just driving me up the wall. Used to respect her and now...well she's just another person. I really dun need her critical eye now...its not like i didnt cared abt chem, i seriously do and even loved it (for a while at least) but she's making it rather hard for me. I had a notion to get an A1 for chem to show her that i can do it, and i will do my best.

Like most of my friends, i am waiting for the day i can get out of this school. I do love my school but all good things come to an end and i am ready, and want to move on. A new environment would be really nice, you can start over and not have to experience the same mundane life i kinda am living in now. Kudos to the phrase "All work and no play makes jack a dull boy". Well i am feeling rather dull rite now. I need to start a new life!!

I thought i would never have to say this but here it is - "I dun like Chinese!" I do want to get an A1 for it but since i didnt, i am willing to retake it at the end of the year...but its not like i am going to put in my best effort in it, as it is, this topic has been like an extinguished flame. Mundane revision and worksheets simply squashed it out...dun feel like taking it tomorrow.

Just realised my schhol wasnt at all that innocent i initially thought it was...now that i am in the graduating batch, i found out that they are basically results-obssessed. Take him for example, just prior to our eng orals, he kept reminding us to 'follow our teachers closely', 'have to do our best'etc etc. Its seriously getting on my nerves...i mean everything seems so satirical. I thought he would be more concerned about our welfare but all i see in his eyes and hear from his mouth are A1s and value-added achievements.

Haiz..I am so tired. Mentally. I do admit that i totally slacked today but i dont see the point in studying today. I was not in the mood to do it. Even so, i did a whole chem paper (her hw) albeit half-heartedly. I cant help but snicker at myself, why am i pushing so hard to get an A for the prelims when the o'levels are actually a notch easier than those papers invented to 'train' us? Its totally demoralising.

Imagine my disappointment after doing chem papers consistently for the whole of the June holidays. I didnt aim for an A1 but something better than a 'just pass' and i dun even want to think about the feeling she gave to me after announcing my results in front of the class. Her tone is just...confidence-crushing. Nevertheless, i decide to ignore it. But she totally went too far that fateful day. i noe its my fault for not doing the work she assigned but did she need to say all those hurtful stuff? Does not doing your homework makes you unqualified for the 'pure' chem stream? And whats with the "Those that shouldnt be hanging are still hanging on..."? She lost my respect on that very day.

As if their pressure's not enough, my parents had to chip in. I am really thankful that all these years they have been understanding and left my studies to myself. But i guess the o's is a big matter. I totally snapped at them when my mum mentioned that i should study instead of reading before bed. As if that wasnt enough she had to mention it again. Last night, my dad took that role. Nooo...

And of course i love my family, and always will...

This has been my only post that i have let myself out and after this, i hope to feel better...


Someone's watching over me by hilary duff

Found myself today
Oh I found myself and ran away
Something pulled me back
The voice of reason I forgot I had
All I know is just you're not here to say
What you always used to say
But it's written in the sky tonight

So I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
Someone's watching over me

Seen that ray of light
And it's shining on my destiny
Shining all the time
And I wont be afraid
To follow everywhere it's taking me
All I know is yesterday is gone
And right now I belong
Took this moment to my dreams

So I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
Someone's watching over me

It doesn't matter what people say
And it doesn't matter how long it takes
Believe in yourself and you'll fly high
And it only matters how true you are
Be true to yourself and follow your heart

So I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
That I won't give up
No I won't break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even when it all goes wrong
When I'm standing in the dark I'll still believe
That someone's watching over
Someone's watching over
Someone's watching over me

I will be ok,
Kahmun:)

A slice of life pt1

Found this rather meaningful...

A SLICE OF LIFE – Go With the Flow

Life is like a raging river. There is constant flow. In fact, agitation and movement are essential for life to endure. Stagnant waters breed disease and decay.

So when life decides to throw a rock at us, like when we lose a job or partner, don’t lose heart. Don't negatively judge events or circumstances that initially seem “bad” or “unfortunate”. Things don’t happen by accident, and mistakes or misfortunes are simply precursors for positive change.

We can't control things like losing a job or losing a partner. Loss is essential for growth and survival. When we experience loss or some other stressful change in our lives, we can give in to negative feelings like anger, disappointment, self-pity, self-loathing, trepidation and fear. We can allow these emotions to strain our mind, effectively crippling its ability to discover viable solutions. We can imagine the worst, and let something that may not come to pass affect our present state of mind.

Or we can go with the flow of change. Some things in our lives have to go in order to make way for better things. The Universe has a way of nudging us along when we get too lazy, complacent or comfortable. Occasionally, it gives us a big shove. The Universe knows when stagnation is making us fat and feeble. It knows when something in our lives has to shift in order for us to continue growing. It then arranges for people and events to push us towards what we were meant to be.

Most people however, choose to resist or ignore the signs. They are so firmly embedded in the riverbed that they refuse to let the currents lift them away. The years go by, and along with them, a flood of lost opportunities and the stubborn rocks are finally left buried under algae and dirt.

If you've recently lost your job, lost a partner or something you felt was valuable to you, think… Were you really happy with your job?

Did you put your dreams on hold because you were trapped in a wake up, go to work, go home, go to bed routine? Had you stopped growing in that job? Did nothing excite you anymore about your work? What about your ex-partner? Were you really good for each other? Or were you hanging on because you were afraid of being alone?

You didn’t have the time nor the nerve to go out and do what you really wanted to do. Well, now you do!

Go with the flow of change!
WRITTEN BY EUGENE LOH

For all...

http://www.938live.sg/MCR/938LIVE/Common/Channel%20Info/eNewsletter/A%20Slice%20of%20Life/Sep08/23September2008.htm

kahmun

Dudders

Zzzzz...hey to whoever out there...

Ahem...let me ask, wat is wrong nowadays.
Is it me or that many people are sinking in a sand hole of depressionism...
Hey comeon guys cheer up
I'm no klutz either...
On a higher note, i had quite a fun day today. JY came to my house and we did some studying. I had to lug in a bigger table from the kitchen to the window corner of my room...cuz my table was basically too small.
Other than studying, JY 'inspected' my books, flipping through scores of my baby photos and we also played Taboo, singlish version. Plus immersing ourselves in the voices of lohan, archuleta and sugababes.
We later went to cp...'oh man, we missed the pledge taking' and promptly did it in the back seats of the bus. Like how silly we can be.'laughs'
Brought soy bean milk. JY decided to spill hers on the seats and we hid in the toilet for some time...oops
Nine thirty came and well, home bound.


Been flipping through some of my travel photos and think it might be fun to post some...

Date: Nov 08
Location: China
Currently: On the night train bound for rural Zhangjiajie from Guangzhou


















Ok apparently this was taken the morning after but look at that, i mean whoa.

Look at that brother of mine on my bunk. He always 'loves' my bed. Get off man. "laughs"

The weather was, as my dad says 'shiok man', it hit us right smack in the face and i lurve the weather. Left the luggage lugging to mum and bro...before you smack me on the butt abt this, my dad was behind this camera and he wasnt lugging any luggage either...smart guy. Btw, Im the one in the red hoodie. We were actually looking for our china tour guide and mates, damn they walk fast...and they were hardly noticable, what with their common brown jackets and all.

Before i forget, Happy Birthday Singapore! (love you!!)

loggin out...

Updates

Hola,
The string of olevels is already underway...chinese-tick, eng oral-tick,chem skill 3-tick....Coming rite up- bio skill 3, msp oral, eng oral...groan...not to mention another round of prelims. Hey i'm not complaining...just found out some great songs that you might wanna go check them out...

@You belong with me - Taylor Swift\
@Crush - David Archuleta\
@Longer - "
@With you -"

Adios,
Kahmun

OMG! - co stuff

I cant believe what i found today!

Check this web:http://www.chinese-orchestra.com/syf/official-syf-day-3-thread-(sec-2009)/

Some excerpts...

43. Nan Chiau High School 海上第一人 - 鄭和 (Silver)
Sad but i am proud of it...

Clrnc
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #10 at http://www.chinese-orchestra.com/ on: April 22, 2009, 09:46:53 PM
nanchiau should have got gold. zhong hua should have got gwh...but i am thinking their conductor(the same) arranged the set piece not to the judge likings because their choice piece was very very difficult.
Thanks!


errorinbrain
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #13 at CO@SG on: April 23, 2009, 04:46:53 PM »
Hiess.I think the schools who paticipate in this year's SYF are really good.Especially Nan Chiau High School, they really deserve a GOLD manzxzxzx.Any idea why they got SILVER instead ?!?!?!Reply soon wor. Lurbzxzzxzxzxz you.
haha


welly
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #15 at CO@SG on: April 23, 2009, 05:27:35 PM »

Agree that their choice piece was too difficult . i heard friends that nan chiau & zhonghua played very well but with unexpected result .
Haiz...xu lao shi...


seraphina
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 2
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #17 at http://www.chinese-orchestra.com/ on: April 23, 2009, 06:48:31 PM »
i think all the schools did qutie well.The award doesnt really matters. It's the harwork and effort that has been put into performing that counts.
Yep, i totally agree...


Clrnc
Musician OfflinePosts: 51
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #19 at CO@SG on: April 23, 2009, 08:50:17 PM
Xu YiPing arranged Nan Chiau set piece in a way they stopped before the kuai ban and then continued, i think thats where they lost alot of points. And furthermore, they chose that difficult choice piece, with luo wei lun the composer as judge which meant any error will be hugely magnified as well.zhong hua played very well but once again i think its xu yiping way of arrangement which didn't match the judge flavours. I think Woodgrove was slightly better than ZhongHua, but both should have got gwh.
XU LAO SHI!! cant help but mourn at our loss...

iloveCO
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 1
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #21 at CO@SG

on: April 23, 2009, 10:11:47 PM »
I think SAC did really well this year , as like, infront of them were gwh schools, and they still can get a gold, though their some parts wrong here and there. I also heard that nan chiau laughed at them, when they went backstage, and some teacher rolled eyes at them.

Puh-leese...all of us were shedding tears of happiness.Did i hear laughter? NOPE!

DiziRocks
Musician OfflinePosts: 25
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #22 at CO@SG on: April 23, 2009, 10:32:36 PM »haha, i guess the results were retribution to them. No school should laugh at other schools.

I totally do not agree with you. Just shut up.


-janz
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 1
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #23 at CO@SG on: April 23, 2009, 11:00:07 PM »
hmmm,i don't think its really fair for you to say that,cos afterall, i've heard them perform tht day , & personally,i felt tht it was a gold standard.so i think 'retribution' isnt a good word to put in esp,when it was just a rumour tht NCHS CO laughed at SAC CO etc.plus, i think tht you should'nt laugh at other school'sresults cos even you, said this,"No school should laugh at other schools."so yea,thts my opinion.
You are our saviour!


Clrnc
Musician OfflinePosts: 51
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #24 at CO@SG on: April 23, 2009, 11:13:05 PM »
i think nchsco was better than sacco anyway that day

Thank you so much!

quintessential
Musician OfflinePosts: 33
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #25 at CO@SG on: April 23, 2009, 11:23:48 PM »
I think nan chiau got Silver cuz they chose the wrong choice piece....but they probably chose their choice peice before they knew who the judges were so perhaps, it's just their luck >.< (xia fei yun conducted yue er gao before, but by the time snco found out that he's the conductor, sn alr chose yue er gao as their choice piece)furthermore, if luo wei lun the composer didn't think that nan chiau expressed what he wanted to express when he wrote that piece....>.

...

limwy
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 14
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #26 at CO@SG on: April 24, 2009, 12:40:49 AM »
no offence but i didn't think nau chiau was up to the gold standard yet... they were not very stable plus i think because they changed some of the notes to an octave lower... which well maybe changed what the song was supposed to be like... anyway. that song was challenging and nau chiau was brave enough to choose that song. it's already an accomplishment for that. correct me if i'm wrong.

Ditto.Thanks for the brave word though. Frankly we are just charging blindly.

Minhui
Principal Player OfflinePosts: 68
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #29 at CO@SG on: April 24, 2009, 09:57:59 AM »
no pun intended. but i agree as well. their choice is too grand a piece for syf, the composer's one of the judges, they doubled instrument parts on other instruments for quantity sound and changed many initial ideas & sound effects that mr lwl's intended. perhaps that is why, like clrnc mentioned earlier, they're heavily penalized (?).
Sharp ears you got there. And 'too grand'?

Yuheng
Principal Player OfflinePosts: 113
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #30 at CO@SG

on: April 24, 2009, 10:32:00 AM »
Nan Chiau's choice piece, 海上第一人 - 鄭和, is one of my favourite pieces. For a secondary school orchestra to even attempt to play this piece, much less use it in SYF, is really bold.2 years ago, when I performed this piece with SYCO and SCO, I feel we didn't do a very good job of it, which shows the level this piece required. Mr Law is very proud of this composition, and has very high expectations of anyone who performs it.

Ok, i believe you (grand only though). A deadly factor too.

ahchew
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 5
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #31 at CO@SG on: April 24, 2009, 06:03:54 PM »
Zhco's chosen piece was ' xiang xi feng qing'. We worked hard to perform that song. XYP gave us that song because she believed that this batch could actually play this song well and we did. Although we didn't get gwh, we still believe that we're gwh. Some things went wrong though. It was a very emotional event, and i really thought that we did very good (not to boast or anything). Our dajiyue was totally awesome. Xiang xi requires lots of skills and practise. That's why we were saddened to get gold. 'Guess we can't question the judges' credibility huh. Anyways,Congratulations to all COs. See you in the CO SYF '09. (:
Same sentiments here.(the bold ones)

NCHSCO
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 1
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #41 at CO@SG on: April 24, 2009, 07:38:46 PM »
in my opinion, i highly presume its a misunderstanding, for i'm the student conductor of NCCO. the teacher-in-charge is one of the disciplinary teacher in my school and perhaps she may be judge as stern but i felt otherwise. besides that, i cant deny the fact that she's very strict with us. however, she always taught us to be humble. our daji player also don't see themselves who can play well. lastly, i must emphasise again that this matter is perhaps a misunderstanding.
Some clearing up going on here..and its true, Ms Ng is rather strict. Futhermore, we are so tearing up, and how did you see the laughter directed at the other COs?


yijing
Musician OfflinePosts: 59
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #37 at CO@SG on: April 24, 2009, 07:07:13 PM »
please stop commenting on whether an orchestra was better than another, or whether any orchestra didn't deserve the award given.when the comments come out then you won't even have to say anything any more. each orchestra has its own unique way of expressing itself and yeah well if people can't appreciate it thats just too bad - the judges do, and thats what mattered more at that point in time.i think that all schools that got GWH are around the same - there's no basis for music other than feeling, rhythm and accuracy. in the end it all comes to down to that 12 minutes or so on stage, where loads of things could happen for the better or the worse.so don't be biased when you say whether an orchestra deserved it or not..that 12 minutes does make a lot of difference. and even though loads of you say that temasek or ngee ann or evergreen doesn't deserve their GWH, its over. at least spare a thought for what they're feeling.
TY. but that didnt stop tongues from wagging though.(no pun intended)

i love sheng(:
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 3
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #50 at CO@SG on: April 25, 2009, 12:01:43 PM »
yeah.i think its just a misunderstanding.but,its over(:anws,u all aimed for a gold right?

yep we did. and i LOVE SHENG too! (lol)


xinru
Greenhorn OfflinePosts: 10
Re: Official SYF day 3 thread (SEC 2009) reply #62 at CO@SG on: April 26, 2009, 05:47:12 PM »
it's really not very nice to critisize other COs! Every CO is unique in their own ways! N the music they play give different kind of gan jue to different people! so yupyups! congrats to all COs on day 3! :D:D
haha, totally agree!

kahmun

My not-so-typical weekend [lol] pt.2

5 mins later,

Another thing would be this morning...
[Rewind]
My goldstar swimming test is starting soon at Queenstown swimming complex and i am freaking out, i mean who wouldnt when 10 mins later, i find myself on a diving board 3 metres above sea level!!!! Ok chill...thats what i told myself, and than its my turn. I walked to the edge, look to the front, took a deep breathe and jumped. As i jumped, i realised that its really high (cuz i couldnt look down) and a voice in my brain screams its head off (wouldnt do screaming in front of kids all smaller than me). My straight legs(supposed to be), bacame not straight and my tights simply slam onto the pool surface with a resounding splash. Owww!! How wicked surface tension could be! And i am totally embarrased. The tester was lecturing us on diving safety and that we should noe how to jump and he was looking at me all the way. OK, i get it. Stop looking at me wif your razor eyes! Luckily, i wasnt disqualified.

Next would be the 2.5 min speed swimming in pjs. I was panting my lungs out and boy, i passed at 2.27 min! woohoo! However, two swimmers were disqualified (cuz they exceed by 5 secs; a younger girl and boy) We continued wif the thirty laps swim (10 backstroke, 10 sidestroke and 10 frontstroke) within 45 mins. I passed that (of course!). So, with my arms and legs aching, i took towards the bathroom with jubilant feelings cuz;

1. I dont expect to past cuz i usually exceed the timing of the fast swim wif pjs during Andy's lessons,
2. i took this test to give it a shot (as in 'try try la')
3. my arms were still a little aching from holding the heavy tin can yesterday
4. well, i guess i am a little nervous
5. the tester is rather fierce
6. and duh! the 3m jump which assures me that committing suicide takes a trainload of courage

Do you think i should continue to lifesaving? Still considering, and its more likely now that i got past my goldstar stage.

Ps. i practically flunked the 3m jump cuz i got no experience. Back at tampines swimming pool, they had no jump board or dive pool so we usually just jump into the pool (bad idea- it could never replace as training for jumping from a storey high!).

Tired but holding on (+cant wait to eat the chips on the dining table! yum)

kah mun

My not-so-typical weekend [lol] pt.1

Hi,
Yesterday was Flag day and we had to collect donations from passersby in Ang Mo Kio. The beneficiary is YWCA and the funds will be used to help the needy (as expected). I had to sacrifice 2hrs of my beauty sleep and...okok! Its for a GOOD CAUSE. As this is my first ever Flag day, i seriously did not noe what to expect. I mean, i have seen ppl holding tins wif lots of stickers at the side asking ppl to donate some $$, but i have never been the one to ask ppl for donations. Well today i am going to find out how its like.

At 8am , i met up wif my friends outside Ang Mo Kio hub to collect tin cans wif the 'areas of spending' printed on it. As a group of five, we walked around the streets (at the same time collecting some $$). Its really a wonder that we were not caught for illegal gathering (lol). Charmine, Meng Ying and I spilt from the group and found a comfortable spot admist the closed shops. At first, there wasnt much ppl and we could get some donations. (enables me to ask each and every person{cackle}). As the morning progresses, the flow of ppl was heavier. More donations poured in, and im sure my smiling muscles are strained to the max. Ppl who are more likely to donate are as follows:

1. Men in their thirties and forties;
2. Elderly men+friendly face;
3. Families with young children;
4.Women in their fifties and sixties+kindly face;
5. Students and young adults;
6.Young couples.

Even as im beat after three hours of standing under the sun (and absorbing lots of vitamin E), i am quite surprised to find that i actually enjoyed the morning(not that i would volunteer myself again). I used to read about an article talking about Singaporeans lack of (or none at all) smiling. This was proved wrong however. Much as the author thinks that we dun smile much, our smiles are actually quite wonderful. Many ppl gave me a smile in return even when they did not want to donate(or cant to)-(thanks to my big smile! haha).

Many things happened yesterday and i cant really fill up this whole space without telling the whole story. So, it will be in point form:

• i met up with a woman who used to study in the old Nan Chiau girls school
• A man had walked around the streets (i presume he's a little 'wrong' in the head) laughing, with many YWCA stickers on his apparels.
• Some ppl had spoken to me about the fact that you had to ask around for donations and not standing there waiting for ppl to come up to you to donate.(they mentioned the ppl are my 'colleagues') PS. i am NOT standing and waiting ppl. I can assure you that i am quite active in collecting donations.
• Some kindred souls had walked up to me voluntary to give donations,
• and more kindred souls had given more than 1 donations.
• had teased some nan chiau, or other school's ppl, in asking for donations.haha
• Some ppl simply ignore me...

This is definitely a fruitful trip!

kah mun

Yadda yadda yadda...(not!)

Another eon had passed...

Well, its not like the days were worry-free...

Will be having my eighth common test tomorrow and i just had to turn to something to you know, let off pressure(sorry ms joseph, history revision will commence right after this, i swear).

Top on my 'worries' list would be the significant drop of marks in english composition writing. I never expected this, and i guess i deserved it. Thanks to my 'best friend', who goes by the name of Tenses. Arghh! Guess i had to seek mighty Ms Phua's help (haha). Expositions don't work for me and this leaves me with narratives, and not all of them are feasible, as you see, i tend to get too haywired when i get too emotional and in-depth (that's why i keep to fiction). Tenses!! Sign. (Winnie mentioned that i talk weirdly just now-some words in my sentence is in the wrong tense) What is up with me! Sharafina suggested that i must consult ms phua about this (for the sake of my future compos), which i certainly will (when my courage returns).

A cheery picture to get me by...


















Still not cheerful
kah mun

Sentosa!

Hey guys!

Its already year 2009 and my birthday + the Chinese New year has just passed. Gosh! Its been eons since i last wrote in this bloggi. To date, i went to the island of Sentosa with Xiao Yun and Vivian+her sister. FYI, Xiao Yun and Vivian are my pals in CO (Janice, another CO pal, didnt come along, sad...haha).

Went to see the flower's festival there.

Took pictures of the beach too...






















Sorry about the dark clouds looming above, they just wont leave me alone you see...

Check out these cute turtles!










































Say hellooo!





















And of course, the MERLION!


























Pic of Xiao Yun, left, and me!!, on the right (wif the pinky shirt).





















End of bedtime story and sleep tight!

Snore...(like real)
kah mun

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...