Why Singapore has YOG

It is midway through the first Youth Olympic Games organised in Singapore. As a Singaporean and a fan of all kind of sports, I definitely looked forward to this occasion and I have carefully kept track of the Singaporean athletes. I must say that I am relatively satisfied for how they have performed and I hope that this would kick start and increase the standard in the declining sports scene especially in sports which are underfinanced. Now it is a good time to analyse why Singapore initiated YOG and what good it brings to Singapore.

In the opening ceremony speech where the chairman of the International Olympic Committee, Mr Rogge, mentioned that the purpose of the competition was to combine sports, education and culture. I believe that this is a breakthrough in the sports scene of Singapore, because the bar that the athletes have set is something that the Singaporean athletes may attempt to emulate, but more importantly expose them to the sporting world other than the Singapore-dominated competition in the Southeast Asia Games.

Secondly, the YOG unites people together. In a world where the term "competition" is encrypted in our minds, the YOG breeds healthy competition, and also demonstrates a high level of sportsmanship and brotherhood throught the shared identity in their passion for sports. No matter the race or religion, sports have been on of the few mediums where the world can be brought together without discrimination of one another.

Apart from promoting sports among Singaporeans, Singapore benfits through the publicity they get through organising the YOG, which brings out the best out of Singapore, which will definitely bring more revenue and economic benefits to us. Mr Rogge has commended the YOG for being a success, and this would undeniably be one of the greastest achievements and heights Singapore has reached in its promotion of global cultural hub.

Lastly, Singapore benefits in promoting sports and health among civillians. Organising such big events will raise interest among Singaporeans, who would get interested in certain sports and would participate in them. With such widespread live coverage of the competition live on television, many people would be watching it and some would pick up certain sports, which would make them healthier both physically and mentally.

Sports bring out the best and worst in men, from the greatest example of sportsmanship to the worst cheats in doping scandals. Through this global event, it would bring countries to unite together to be the strongest supporters for their country's athletes. The first Youth Olympic is only the developing stages. With more awareness for this competition, the International Olympic Comittee would hit greater heights in promoting sports.

I would be backing Team Singapore, and I wish the very best to the rest of the Youth Olympians who have demonstrated what we can expect of them.

National Day

Yesterday was Singapore's 45th year of independence. 45 years on and we have steered to great heights today. Seeing what I see today makes me be proud to be a Singaporean. Now why should I be proud of Singapore?

Firstly, I would say that I am most proud of how I am able to have the space and freedom to learn what I want under a controlled environment. I appreciate how a balance have been struck between censorship and freedom. This optimises my learning and gives me the ability to think out of my reach. I think that this would definitely have a great impact of how I think and imagine as I grow up to be a member of society. Is Singapore a nation? I would love to think of it as one, but unfortunately, I do not think that it qualifies as one. As one would know, Singapore does not have a distinct cultural heritage to be one. This is partly Singapore has progressed too quickly, having a ambiguous cultural mix of the east and west. It is hardly something to be proud of, because we do not have anything which we can call it truly Singapore. It may not affect the growth of Singapore directly, but it would definitely affect the mindset of Singaporeans. It would be interesting to see how Singaporeans manage the contrasting cultures to create it into our own.

So my resolution for Singapore is simple. Find your distinctiveness in the midst of the intensive competition and need to globalise. It is the only way to reach out and unite the people

15 min Drought

Two days ago, I experienced a drought at home. Maybe it was man made, but I still felt the crunch of not having water. Actually, my father was fixing the shower and had to turn off the water supply. At first, I did not really care much about the change, but it really hit me hard when I was brushing my teeth. The first time I turned on the tap, I realised that here was no water flowing out of it. I did not really care less because I simply just used my water bottle, hoping that there was enough to last me throughout my brushing of teeth. However, I was in for some trouble. Once I rinsed my mouth, one fifth of the water was gone. While I was rinsing my mouth halfway, I realised that there was no more water left in my bottle. I went to refill my bottle feeling annoyed. After rinsing my mouth and washing my toothbrush, there was no more water in my bottle again. And I have not even washed my retainers. So I had to refill my water bottle again.

What really hit me after the incident was that I had to used so much water just to brush my teeth. 3 of my 500ml water was all that I needed just to brush my teeth. I did not really expect that I would have experienced so much difficulty in brushing my teeth. So basically I learnt that should appreciate that I am so previledged to have water running out of my taps. It really makes me reflect on how Singapore has progressed from a developing country to a developed country. Now that National Day is just tomorrow, I believe that each and every one of us should have such experiences so that we value what we have now, being thankful in what we do, appreciating where we are living.

It is going to be another stressful week, although I do consider myself lucky to only have 3 test next week. I would have to start studying mostly for Geography and Chinese, and I hope I would be able to make it in time. However, studies aside, I want to comment about the article in this week's Time Magazine on Rwanda's President and his successes. Firstly, I would definitely like to congratulate Mr Kagame for how he has gone against the norm and refuted the stereotypes of rebel governments by showing his capability to manage the country and mostly to understand the feelings of the people. Mr Kagame has ruled for 16 years now, and if he wins the August elections, he would have another 7 years to his reign. Mr Kagame was raised in a refugee camp in Southern Uganda, although he was a Rwandan, and he grew up to become a rebel. He helped Yoweri Museveni seize power in Uganda, and co-founded the Rwandan Patriotic Front, which invaded Rwanda to overthrow the government. It was then the civil war between the Hutu and Tutsi broke out.

The controversial issue about Mr Kagame's rule was that he has been accused of war crimes, and also being blamed for pushing the country towards dictatorship after he arrested opposition members and banned the Human Rights Watch. However, we should have to understand the basis of his actions. His purpose was to abolish any memories that would remind the people of the genocides. Hence, he decided to ban the newspaper UMUSESO, which according to Mr Kagame, would bring bad blood between the two ethnic groups. Mostly, Mr Kagame has been efficient in ensuring that he would make the country prosperous. Its economy has grown an average of 6.4% since 2001, and it was ranked the most improved country by the World Bank last year. To me, this is the marks of a good leader, as it shows how Mr Kagame has reached out to his coutrymen, trying to mend the ties without breaking relationships. How he managed in his country's rebirth convinces us the importance of his reign has overwritten and redefined Human Rights.

He has solved the people's problems. He is taking the country out of its worst history. He has gained the support of the people. Let us embrace such leaders who put their concern for their own people.

In reference to the stomp article about HCI students

In reference to this article, I would like to discuss on the issues in this article, and also to question the student's integrity on this matter. Firstly, after reading this article, I believe that the real cause of the problem is that students in this generation are easily offended, quick to make judgements and do not think before they act.

This article was written by a HCI student, and I definitely could not believe my eyes when I saw this article in the news. This student could not have done anything worse in degrading the reputation of the school, and I believe that he should be dealt with severely. In the first place, all students, no matter what school they come from, should practise having respect for the school and its reputation. In this case, the student failed to realise that what he was posting was something that the public can view. It is obvious that he should have resolved this petty matter internally than blow this whole thing up and make it appear on the headlines of STOMP.

Moreover, this issue at hand is very insignificant, and I do not believe that a HCI student would have done such a thing. Portraying the teacher as a thieve and not an educator is also definitely not the right thing to do. In the article, it was clearly stated that the teacher had good motives for the students, to teach them the value of responsibility. However, this student failed to take this as a lesson learnt, and instead makes a fool of himself when he STOMPed this article. This article not only brings shame to himself, but would also develop a stereotype for all HCI students.

On hindsight, I believe that such an incident could be avoided if the student knew the value of respect. HCI has strongly emphasised on this value, and it is important that we as students know how to uphold it. This issue does not have any arguments for the proposition, and I hope that the student would realise his mistake and send out an apology.

Students not only have the responsibility of studying, but also to learn life skills, and mostly to uphold their moral values. What are the values that each person should uphold as a Singaporean?

http://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/418626/teacher_takes_students_belongings_to_teach_them_a_lesson.htmlhttp://singaporeseen.stomp.com.sg/stomp/sgseen/what_bugs_me/418626/teacher_takes_students_belongings_to_teach_them_a_lesson.html

Optimistic Pessimism

After my projects day competition, I did not want to know the result. My flash website could not open and I was not expecting to get into the finals after that experience. My months of hard work would have gone to waste. But wait. The results are not out yet. Do not fret so early. Maybe my powerpoint was good enough to put me through. No. I cannot lapse into delusion.

So frequently we are met with such troubles, that we always put the executioner swords to our necks even before the results are announced. We should always remain optimistic. It is the only way to getting over with things. Why should we unsettle ourselves before even knowing the outcome? I have become a firm believer of waiting and hoping for the best possible result. And then I realised that I would always be wrong. Is there another way other than being over optimistic such that we would be disappointed after knowing the result?

That is why I have adapted this mentality of "optimistic pessimism". It is a mental state by which one calculates the worse possible outcome, prepare oneself for the truth, and may surprise with the result. It is the process where we lower our standards, and maybe get a surprise if the result favours us. People who have "optimistic pessimism" will always have a good balance of reality and hope in their head. They are the one who would be the best to prepare themselves for the truth.

With this attitude, I held my breath when the results were out. I would not be too confident of getting in nor getting out. The result which read was "Finals". I was overjoyed. It was unbelievable. My mentality has enhanced the element of surprise. I thanked God for how he gave me the chance to get into the finals.

So that is how my theory goes. Do not expect too much, nor feel an ultimate sense of hopelessness. This is why we should know how to balance between encouragement and pragmatism before judging the outcome.

Causing Controversy

The octopus has gotten it right again. I have agreed with Paul until the Germany-Spain match. Being an avid German team supporter, I was obviously hoping that Paul would be proved wrong for once. However, I was obviously beaten by that sotong. Paul only became famous after he correctly predicted the Germany-England match, and by then I was hoping that he would be rooting for Germany all the way.

There have been many reactions to this creature's accuracy in his prediction. I definitely did not believe that he had "psychic powers" or anything like it, only by pure coincidence. I was not particularly angry with the octopus, but joked that I would eat the sotong sashimi after the world cup. However, many others have taken the octopus' predictions personally. They realised that the octopus was spoiling the fun of anticipation, and his predictions may have a demoralising effect on the supposed losing team. There are even recipes to cook the octopus after the world cup. Haha, I thought. What a waste of time for people to be so angry because of football. This octopus has caused a stir among the football fans, and some hope that these sources of predictions would stop. For me, I do not mind controversy, and I was very happy when Sepp Blatter did not introduce the goal line technology. I still hope that he does not.

The octopus has predicted that Spain would win the world cup. I would be rooting for Netherlands. It seems like Paul is turning the tide against me now.

Redefining Youth Day

It has been a long weekend, with the heavy workloads which spoilt my world cup fever weekend. I have been struggling to complete my Projects' Day website and also with NSCC lurking around the corner, coupled with two tests in the week ahead, and representing Singapore in the coming WALA track competition, it is not difficult to feel stressed. As a student, I definitely expected this sort of sudden piles of workload ahead of me. However, this is the first time I have experienced such extreme amount of work being piled ahead of me.

This "fateful" event somehow coincides with youth day and also with the world cup fever. I was fully hoping that I would have enough time to catch this once every 4 years event, but obviously I did not have the luxury of watching an entire match. I believe that this is the result of a competitive environment, where everyone is competing to find his own significance to others. There is nothing wrong with that, but I do not think it is right to fight to be the best for the sake of glorifying yourself. Youth day was more like rushing to get work completed, no time to be youthful.

Anyway, I think you might be wanting to know what my solution to this problem is. I have decided to postpone youth day, which would fall on this Sunday, which would coincide with the world cup finals. However, I began thinking about my "plight". I believe everyone is experiencing just as much stress as I am, maybe even more. It does not matter whether it is youth day. Youth day has become more like another holiday to catch up with work. Stress becomes a sense of belonging to a teenager. Stress keeps up with people. People keep up with stress. It is impossible to break this cycle. Hence, I decide that it would be a better resort to manage your time and taking short breaks in any way you like. This is the only way how stress can be conquered.

The society has redefined what youth day is to many people. Do you accept this form of redefinition?

I have always had the habit of cleaning myself after training before boarding the bus, so that I would not be a source of discomfort for others. But if I really have no time to do so, I prefer to stand up rather than sit so that I would not leave my perspiration on the seat.

I was with my friend just now, and we were about to board the bus right after training. I did not clean myself up, so I was still perspiring when we were boarded the bus. As usual, I did not take a seat. When my friend asked me for the rationale of my actions, I explained it to him. However, he did not accept it. He simply said, "There is no such rule". Honestly, I reflected on my actions and I was actually quite convinced by his reply. It is true but there is no such rule that people who are dirty should not board public transport. But I thought again: Do our actions always have to be driven by rules?

I have always had this idea in my head: Follow the rules, and nothing wrong will happen to you. It has worked well, because I believe people with authority constructed rules with a reason: For people to follow. Being law abiding will not land you in trouble. However, I find being law abiding is not always the perfect way of living. I believe that we other than following the rules, it is important that we be at peace with others. This may not always be the best way to all situations, but I think that if we do not want to be someone who is known for doing the right things just for others to see and applaud, we have to start learning to consider the convenience of others and have a clear conscience at the same time.

The HBO miniseries of Band of Brothers was fantastic. To be honest, I was not all that hyped up about war films when we started out in class, but when I watched the first episode, I could not stop watching the rest. It deeply portrays the cruelty of war and but also brings out people who have leadership potential in the film, especially Major Richard Winters. I have actually bought the whole series, and I think I have already watched it twice over. Amongst all the shooting and the running and the bombing, valuable lessons can be learnt and I would like to share my thoughts about certain quotes in the show.

Firstly, there was a soldier, named Albert Blithe, who was deeply traumatised during his land on Normandy beach, and was afraid to face the enemy. His commander, lieutenant Speirs, told him that in order for him to be a good soldier, he had to have the "hope that he was already dead", then he would fight selflessly against the enemy "without compassion, without mercy, ...". I believe that during war, people are forced to lose their identity as a compassionate person, and would have to carry the burder of fighting their own human kind. I feel pity for Albert Blithe, but I believe that soldiers really have to prepare themselves mentally for warfare.

Secondly, Major Richard Winters, who is known as a hero of war, rejected the praises of others when they called him a hero. Instead, he humbly recalled an incident where his grandson asked him, "Grandpa, were you a hero of war?" Major Winters replied," No, but I served in a company of heroes". I admire his attitude and how he credits the effort of others for the success of the European Campaign. In fact, the soldiers in war would be heroes for fighting for their country.

Now, it is time for me to watch Saving Private Ryan

This is a picture of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment, where Steve Carlsen, the poet for we slept with our boots on, worked in. He deployed to Kosovo in November 2001 as part of peace keeping operations. He Deployed to Afghanistan in of December 2002 where he participated in combat operations. He was honorably discharged from the Army in 2003 due to a life long injury. He currently attends Southwestern Michigan College where his professor, Dr Michael Collins challenged him to write about his past experiences, which was why he was inspired to write the poem. The regiment was created in 1942 in the Army of the United States, and his job as a parachute soldier was to take part in land operations to restore order in the countries in need. One of the battalion's operations was operation uphold democracy, Haiti 1994. The battalion was also known as the Red Devils. One of Steve Carlsen's other poems include Take your Pills.

In the poem We slept with our boots on, it was written in the point of view of a soldier, as it is evident from how he describes that his "heart is pumping adrenaline all through my veins" and how he always uses the pronoun "we", where all the soldiers were feeling the same during the intense moments of the operations. He offers a religious tone in the poem, by how he acknowledges that he would soon be punished for his misdeeds which included handling a gun and killing people. This is evident from how he believes that he would meet Saint Peter when he dies. The poem is fast paced until the end, where he believed that he his career as a soldier was over, which is similar to how he had a near death experience. This portrayal is relevant to all soldiers, and hence the poem is in the point of view of all soldiers. In writting the poem in his point of view, it gives readers an idea of how a war is fought and the tiredness and fear when the soldiers were resting. Through his point of view, I feel that he is very direct in his approach of telling us his experiences.

The situation in the poem is during a landing operation. This is evident from how he says "Bullets are flying, the LZ is hot". The LZ stands for Landing Zone, and he knows that it was another dangerous operation and he needed to be quick and agile to dodge the bullets. The poet uses many different settings in the poem, from how he says that he fought from mountains to valleys, from house to caves to cars to creeks. The climax of the poem is during his fights with the enemy, where he kept pulling the trigger and reloaded repeatedly. It is an intense moment where we are unsure when he would be the one who is shot. The resolution to the conflict is when he escapes and goes to safety near the mountains at the Hindu Kush. If the conflict was not resolved, he would not have told us how he had to sleep with his boots on and the fear the soldiers were experiencing even when they were asleep.

The Language of the poem is simple but fast paced, coupled with a few strong words to increase the momentum of the poem. This is evident from how he uses military language like Lock N Load, which refers to weapons, and how he had no time to descibe the equipments and substituted it with "s***". Also, words like "yelled", "tremendous" and "adrenaline" to describe the chaos and fast paced scene in a war. He uses the poppy as a symbol of death, where he believes that his deathbed would be at a place of "tears" and "mud", which refers to war. Also, he uses metaphors when he said that "Beauty and terror are a strong mixed drink". This tells us that while he admire the scenery of where he was camping at i.e. Hindu Kush, terror also overwhelmed him inside. Also, he said that he "drank it like drunkards and had no time to think", which tells us that he could not risk his sleep to think about all the dangers and beauties which surrounded him. The simplicity of the poem helps to give readers a vivid portrayal of war, and the use of figurative language to describe his feelings is effective in portraying the common among the soldiers at war.

The poem makes me feel pity for the individual soldiers and their mothers, as the truth of the war really creeps me towards the end. It is really heartbreaking that the soldiers lose their innocence due to war, and how many people would be going up to see Saint Peter. Also, what hit me the hardest on the head was how the soldiers would sleep in constant fear of being sprung by the enemy during a surprise attack. However, the one thing good about war is that there is a sense of brotherhood, where unity is key in success, as how the poet says that "Blood is thicker than water, well but lead is thicker than blood", which tells us that they were all bonded together with the bullets and weaponary they were carrying, which was to become part of themselves. I believe that the reality of the poem is without question, as it could have happened less than 10 years ago. I am able to relate to what the poet sees through his eyes when writing the poem. This poem makes me feel a little more pessimistic about human nature because we realise that all the fear and intensity in the poem is because we are fighting against our own kind.

I have just finished reading That was Then, This is Now by S.E. Hinton. It is about two juvenile delinquents, Bryon and Mark, who were best friends from young and they started to grow apart as they got older. After several incidents, like the killing of one of their friends, Charlie, a bartender, made them changed their views. Also, with Bryon's girlfriends' brother going missing, Bryon starts spending more time searching for her brother than with Mark. This was when he discovered a shocking discovery about Mark. You may wish to read the whole book to discover the ending.

This book which was written in 1967, still seems very true to us, even if gang fights are not common in Singapore. There may be social segregation because of different social status. Also, because the poor people in society are left out, they turn out to crminial acts to obtain money. This book talks about friendship, priorities and growing up, which will definitely leave a lasting impression on your memory. Overall, this is a highly recommended book by me because you can really see the darkness and loneliness of a segregated society through the eyes of a gangster.

My interview with Jem Finch after the verdict for Tom Robinson's trial was out:

Q: Mr Jem, you were seen crying after the trial. Why?

A: I was too frustrated and too emotional when I realised that the all-white jury would choose to convict and innocent man. I am shocked to realise that the people in Maycomb are prejudice towards Negroes and would just convict a man based on his skin colour. I am still utterly stunned because I thought that the people of Maycomb were the best folks in the world. I was wrong.

Q: So Mr Jem, I can see that you detest injustice. May I ask you what is your stand towards racial prejudice?

A: I did not know that racial prejudice existed in this county because I have not seen anything like this before. Maybe I have, now that I come to realise, that the world sees what you are on the outside, not caring about the character of the person.

Q: Can you give me a few examples of racial prejudice in Maycomb County?

A: Yes, for example, I remember that during my visit to First Purchase Church, a woman came up to me and scolded Calpurnia, my cook, for bringing me to an all- black church. This is the first time I have experienced racial prejudice but I did not take note of it at all.

Q: Your father, Mr Finch, would be filing for an appeal for Tom Robinson. Do you think that his chances of success is high?

A: I am not too sure, now that I have seen how people can reject all evidence and base their verdict on their skin colour. I wish that someday this mentality about Negroes that they lie, cheat and are immoral, would change. I do know black people who present themselves better than white people.

Q: Do you know that this is the first time the jury took more than 15 minutes to come out with a verdict? In fact, it took around 6 hours. Do you see a positive outlook for fair trials for all, including Negroes?

A: This is an interesting question which I have not thought of. This is certainly something positive which I can take away from this trial, and I hope that there would be more people like my father who will have the moral courage to work towards fair trial for all.

Q: Your father displayed moral courage in this situation. Are your ready to take on his role to fight for fair trial for all?

A: That is a challenge I would definitely want to take on.

With that, I conclude my interview. Thank you Mr Jem for your cooperation.

This is my diary entry to Mayella Ewell:

Dear Ms Mayella,

How could you be wicked enough to frame someone else for your sin? You have broken the code of society by kissing a Negro, Tom Robinson, and you have to bear the consequences. Instead, you have cooked up a tale and attempted to win the sympathy of the jury by crying and potraying Atticus as a monster. You are a big girl, and you are cunning enough to potray yourself as weak and vulnerable.

What have come over you to lie about your sin? Is it to protect your father's image, or yours? Or it could be both, as you risk that the people of Maycomb will marginalise the Ewells and their generations further. However, if you were brave enough to frame Tom Robinson, you would be brave enough to admit to your mistake. By framing Tom Robinson, you are definitely going to win this case because you are White. I am utterly furious and frustrated with your behaviour and your lack of moral courage.

You did not only convict Tom Robinson, you also convicted his family and the Negroes. If you are still unaware of the trouble you are causing to so many people, then I will tell you: These people who are close to Tom Robinson, will suffer injustice together with him because of your ignorance of the consequences of his conviction. I urge you, Ms Mayella, to admit your mistake in the court of appeal, and free this man who has done no harm to you or the White society.

I just took my learning profile and I realised that I am best at kinestatic and logic. I think that it is quite accurate that my learning peek at both of these methods especially for logic. I enjoy doing puzzles and solving riddles. I prefer something which has a logic behind it and I like to experience things for myself. For being a kinestatic learner, I think that this is somewhat true because I am quite active and I cannot sit still to study or revise for more that 15 minutes. I need to walk around; I think I am hyperactive. This is a good way for me to revise my work and I have been revising my work in this way all the while. I just cannot be in a fixed position and study with materials in front of me.

I am the weakest at visual and musical. I am not surprised that I am weak at being a visual learner because I do not like to read with so many graph and chart representations, they just make things more complicated. I prefer large chunks of word documents where there is just words on it so there are no distractions. However, I am rather surprised that I am weak in being a musical learner becuase I actually took piano when I was young. I think that I am quite straightforward and I do not like to compose some music to aid in my learning. Or maybe I think that using music to teach is too distracting for me.

So there you have it, I am a hyperactive and a no-nonsense learner.

It seems to me that the CNY frenzy was on a smaller scale this year. This may not be so for you but it certainly is for me. It could partly be because I do not visit Chinatown at the stroke of midnight before CNY but the publicity for this year's CNY just did not get inside of me. Maybe its because people feel that CNY is more of a time for us to spend time with family and relatives. Or maybe its because we are still weary of the recent economic downturn. Whatever it is, I prefer to think of the former. CNY is more about continuing to forge that relationship with your closed ones, to keep in contact with people you care about. As a view from a student, I definitely looked forward to collecting the ang pow and eating loads of tidbits but on a serious note, it was a time to show respect to my elders and to bond with my cousins. Within all the shopping craze for preparations for CNY, I hope that the time we spend visiting our relatives will be treasured and a way to continue our Chinese tradition.

What is CNY to you?

My jumping wasn't that good today. I did not even jump over 11.5m. At least there is still 1+ more months to train before the big day. How can I even get a chance to be in the top 5 if I don't even jump over 11.5m? Makes me sound a little like Philip Malloy in Nothing but the Truth. Just that there isn't a Miss Narwin ruining my practice. At least I don't jump just to get a good athletic image.

Anyway, just to elaborate a little on my jumps today. It was drizzling a little, but the competition went on. I felt a little nervous because it was the first time I was in a triple jump competition. I was doing fine in training so I sort of expected myself to do quite well. However, I have learnt that this is not so. The first sign of my inexperience was when I measured my stepping. I kept on faulting until I got really fed up. I thought that it was just not my day. But it did not just stop there. When I did a practice jump, my legs were so stiff that I could not even jump up or run quickly. I panicked. Actually, I panicked throughout the competition so it will be something that I will take note of in the future. Honestly, I was not in my best form and my footsteps were always very heavy and it felt as if a 100kg weight was tied to my legs. The feeling was miserable. I cannot always have this kind of feeling during a competition. How can Usain Bolt run quickly even if pressure was pounding on him every second? How can Michael Phelps win 8 olympic gold medals when he knows that a slip up would make him fail. I wish I could have their calmness. I realised that confidence and calmness is key to winning but unfortunately it is not so easy to attain that kind of balance between over confidence and lacking confidence. I would rate myself 6 out of 10 today so it is essential that I be put under more stressful conditions (not to say I want more tests and homework) Anyway, I think that I have learnt much from today and I choose to take the bright side of today's time at Gombak stadium. Hope to jump better the next time :))

The reminiscence of my primary school life overwhelmed me for the past two days. The smell of the canteen, the sounds of children reciting texts in class, the ever so familiar voices of screaming and shouting, made the events of my primary school life come rushing at once. I definitely missed my primary school life, partly because of its slack schoolwork and syllabus :) However, I think there would be more in store for me in secondary school as I am currently experiencing. The only worry I have is that I would have to catch up with homework and lessons.

I would like to reflect on the events of the past few days and how it has taught me patience and enthusiasm.

Firstly, when I attended the camp breifing last Saturday, the camp commandent said that there would be more scolding or reprimanding of students. When I first heard that, I felt that it was not much of a problem (becuase I am not the type who is the best at scolding) This seemingly simple task turned out to be a horrible nightmare for me, not that I managed to scold the 12-year-old students, but because I was rather propelled to giving them a good punishment for their behaviour. I am rather fortunate to have a facilitator who had immense patience, which I still envy. It is almost impossible not to get fed up with the students, but his dedicationa and patience brought me to realise the fact that I was once like them and if he could tolerate their behaviour, so could, or rather should, I.

Secondly, I was rather disappointed during the ice breaker games because they were not exactly enthusiastic about it. They played in a rather lacklustre manner and I was discouraged by this experience, mainly because this was my first time facilitating a camp and this was the first activity of the day. However, as the day drew by, the enthusiasm of my chief facilitator finally won them over and they started cheering loudly. This just boils down to the fact that patience is essential in leading a camp and how influential enthusiasm is. I really have much to learn and this two days at camp has taught essential lifeskills.

The class which I facilitated was a GEP class (6M) and I thoroughly had fun as I hope they all had. I wish that they will have more class spirit and I wish them all the best for their PSLE :)))

Hi all, its time to make a post after 6 months+. I must have been MIA (Missing In Action). So this time I would like to start blogging again :)

Ok, today I started out school with a sore throat and a minor flu, but hopefully I would be back to my normal self by tomorrow :) I would like to comment on the traffic of Singapore and I am pretty disappointed by the way Singaporeans drive. There is this minor congestion when some cars want to turn out from a junction when there are no traffic lights. I have observed that the Singaporean drivers do not give in to the cars which are trying to turn out. Moreover, when the driver in front have the opportunity to turn out, the other drivers would all rush to turn out, creating a minor jam in the junction. There must be some sort of a competitive spirit in Singaporeans, but I believe that the habit of Singaporean drivers is so inconsiderate that it cannot be tolerated. I have been to other countries which have many more cars on the road (i.e Istanbul) but the drivers still give way. I believe that the Singaporean drivers will justify their actions by saying that they are in a rush or that other drivers do not give in too. However, I feel that this is an excuse as the city of Istanbul has so many more cars than Singapore and Istanbul is way bigger than Singapore. The government of Singapore has constantly insisted on road courtesy, but it all starts from the driver. Thus, I feel that before drivers obtain their driver's license, they should also take a 'courtesy test'. This will make the drivers more aware of road courtesy and importance.

I still look forward to the day where Singaporeans drivers abolish their "must win, must be first" mentality so that Singapore would be a step closer to being the "model country" for the rest of the world.