Gavin Cheah

Day 4 Part 1: Sepiso-piso Falls

2009-12-12T00:51:00.000-08:00

We set off to Sepiso-piso Waterfalls today. It was a very bumpy ride as the roads were barely even passable, filled with massive potholes here and there. Every now and then, the driver had to slow down and carefully navigate around these potholes. I enjoyed the scenery along the way, looking at mountains and plantations. What I enjoyed most was to look at the people staying around the area, their simple yet very happy lives. You can see kids riding on buffaloes and cows grazing along the roadsides. What a contrast between Singapore and here. On the one end, people are all clambering for success, working their way up the corporate ladder or towards better academic grades. On the other end, people here lead a carefree life, with no materialistic aims, living each day as it is and letting time pass by slowly, not to mention to enjoy every single day. =)

We reached the Falls and voila, it was right next to Lake Toba. The first time I saw Lake Toba, I gasped. It was the most beautiful lake I have seen. Very eagerly, both Kelvin and I trekked down the steps to the base of Sepiso-piso. It was a very dangerous way down, the steps were not properly constructed and there were parts so steep, I had to crawl down. I fell once on my butt because the steps were really slippery. Luckily, I didn't fall off the steps and onto the rocks below. Reached the base and it was awesome. There was mist everywhere from all that gushing water high up above.

Before getting wet

Awesome but very dangerous rapids

The water tasted good! Fresh mountain water...

All wet from the mighty Sepiso-piso...

The way up was horrible. It was like climbing the steps from PGP bus stop to KE dining hall times 20. No kidding! We stopped 3 times along the way to catch our breath. What more with the high altitude and thin air, the climb was unbelievably difficult.

Shall continue in my next post..Day 4 was a very long day...=)

Day 3: Brastagi

2009-12-10T08:42:00.001-08:00

Today was the day that I have been waiting for! A trip up to the Brastagi highlands! We set off in the morning and it was a 2 hour journey all the way up till Kelvin's villa...oops, his Uncle's villa. It was a different journey than usual as traffic got lesser with time. The air became fresher too as we ascend the mountains. Leaving the hustle and bustle of Kota Medan was a refreshing thought =). I gasped when we finally reached the villa. To me, it was the perfect retreat. The place was cool, beautiful and most importantly, quiet enough for you to live in complete peace. Food tasted better up in the highlands plus the fact that Kelvin's aunt who tagged along cook great meals =).

Strawberries at the villa, all picked and eaten!!

View of the kitchen, it is a separate space from the main villa but we cannot eat outdoors less we risk sharing our meals with the pet dogs =)

Gunung Sibayak, an inactive volcano viewed from Brastagi

I spent the entire day reading National Geographic. His uncle had a massive collection of the Geographic dating back years ago. I love the Geographic a lot. Ever since I was young back in Puchong, I have always waited in anticipation every month for the postman to deliver the Geographic. Through the Geographic, I got to know the world. But I was little then and mostly admired the Geographic because of its fantastic photography, not much of the reporting. Anyway, there was this special edition on China which I found particularly interesting, talking about the hopes and dreams of many Chinese with the upcoming Olympics back in 2008. Another day of adventure tomorrow!! (Pictures from Kelvin's facebook photos and Google Images)

More pictures of the villa:http://vixklen.blogspot.com/2009/06/vday-27-brastagi.html

Day 2: Sun and Music

2009-12-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

Couldn't think of a more suitable title. Anyway, went to Sun Plaza today, reputedly the best place in Medan! On the way there, we got stuck in a traffic jam. Got to see Medan during its morning rush! At Sun Plaza, met up with Kelvin's friend, Nadia and had lunch at a restaurant there.

Sun Plaza, Medan

Watched Ninja Assassin starring Rain and was horrified with the amount of blood and gore on screen. Apparently, cinema goers here were very lively =). Every now and then, they would make appropriate sounds to go with the scene, especially this romantic kissing scene in the movie where the crowd went "Pheew weet!!!!"

Ninja Assassin

After that, we went to try Sate Padang. Different from Malaysian satay, this satay has quail's eggs, cuttlefish, chicken intestines and of course your usual chicken meat, not forgetting the chicken's heart...gosh. It was still delicious nevertheless. =)

Sate Padang, the sauce was really spicy!!

Come nightfall was the highlight of the day, a piano and cello duet performance at Selecta. I am not really a music fan but I love their synchronized play! The pianist was Dr Christine Utomo, a famous pianist from Indonesia while the cellist, Tina Guo from America. Apparently, it was quite a big event that even the US Ambassador to Indonesia attended. Truly enjoyed the classical music belted out by the duo. I cannot find any recorded video, but there was a rehearsal video featuring the two. They played Bumblebee as their final performance and it was great! Just ignore the false start as this was just a rehearsal video. Again, images were from Google Images and video from Youtube. Have not forgotten my acknowledgements!!

Day 1: The bustling city

2009-12-07T03:13:00.000-08:00

My biggest regret was that I didn't have my camera with me. It was with my sister back in Malaysia, probably sitting in a cupboard, getting all dusty without her having any apparent use for it....grrr...

Therefore, I can only descriptively describe this city of 2 million with words. Woke up in the morning and tagged along with Kelvin to his high school, SMA Sutomo I. We decided to walk and experience the streets of Medan on foot. The pictures below were taken from Google Images; 1.5 years in NUS and I know jolly well about plagiarism. =) This was our breakfast:

Medan's Duck Bee Hoon

I tried the Lemper as well and loved it. I will definitely da bao this back to Singapore!

Lemper

While walking the streets of Medan, I noticed that there were guppies swimming in the city's clogged up drains. The pedestrian walkways have uncovered parts and one fatal step could lead you straight into the drains, into the wonderland of those swimming guppies. I thought that I can cross any road, being a Malaysian all my life. My goodness, that was before I came to Medan. I don't think there were traffic rules here, definitely no pedestrian crossings and if not for Kelvin, I would have stood there frozen, not daring to cross the road. So, what do I do? When in Rome, do as the Romans do. While in Medan, do as the Indonesians do. Watch and learn. I occasionally saw people crossing the road just by extending their hands and using their palms to form a stop sign, as if ordering the vehicles to stop and walking across just like that. This must be the way to do it and I tried the magical hand walk to cross the roads. Thankfully, I managed to cross every road. =)

Aside from terrible traffic, I really like the city. It was a city that was very much alive with activities. One corner you can see someone pushing a cart and at the next corner, you can see a group of becak (trishaw) riders. Hard to believe that people here actually sleep at 10pm. It was this pulse of vibrancy that keeps Medan alive.

Kelvin's school's classrooms were fitted with air-conds!! OMG, why can't my school purchase air-conds as well? We entered the headmistress room (Kantor SMA) to get the Album Kenangan aka school magazine.

The Perpustakaan was a modest one and it was there that I killed time reading about Sejarah Indonesia. Started from Proklamasi Kemerdekaan Ogos 1945 till Pembentukan Tentera Nasional Indonesia till Penyerahan Wilayah Irian Barat. What the heck am I doing reading Sejarah?? Trust me, reading about another country's history was really exciting and a great way to know the country too.=)

Had bakso for lunch. I wanted to try this ever since I saw ang mohs eating it on The Amazing Race. Medan's food was very spicy, so much so that I can practically breathe fire!

Bakso

It really was meatballs and mee, some meatballs have egg in it. I was introduced to his friend and brought to Thamrin Mall. On the top level you can actually see the panorama of Medan city, dominated by amazingly tall TV antennas and spherical water tanks on top of roofs.

It was makan time again (tea time counts right?) and therefore I was brought to try Palembang epek epek. Fried goodies with dipping sauce. It was fantastic! Sorry, couldn't find any images on Google.=(

Rode on a becak back home. The ride was bumpy, owing to the many potholes on the road, but enjoyable nevertheless. It costs only Rp 5000, slightly less than a dollar (S$). The conversion rate is 1S$ to 6800 Rp. That concluded Day 1!

The becak, a personal public transport in Medan

Medan: A Prologue

2009-12-07T02:43:00.000-08:00

Well, I have decided to blog about this when I get back, but never mind, since I have the time now, I might as well write the prologue.

I couldn't exactly remember how I decided to visit Medan but I have always been curious about life across the Malacca Straits. I know little about Indonesia and a lot less about North Sumatra. Off I went together with Kelvin, a hall mate to the 3rd biggest city in Indonesia, after Jakarta and Surabaya to get a taste of life across the Straits.

Landing at Polonia Airport after an hour long trip from Singapore, we were whisked into a bus and taken to the terminal. The bus was packed like sardines but oh well, I can still squeeze in. I remembered Kelvin saying "Welcome to Medan" and was delighted to have finally step foot on another country. While waiting for immigration clearance, I noticed an irony. There was this big electronic board with the message "Terminal ini bebas asap rokok" and yet cigarette smoke filled the air. The baggage reclaim conveyor belt was extremely short, with only a distance of few metres. After that, your luggage ends up on the floor. Never mind that, I got pass immigration painlessly. All those stories about Malaysians having a hard time entering were unfounded claims.

Hopped into the car and off we went over to Kelvin's grandma's house. I was a bit confused initially as there is a one hour time difference between Medan and Singapore. According to Kelvin, Singapore wanted to be in the same time zone with China, hence the one hour forward approach for the island republic. Nothing much to see at night and it was time to call it a day. Adventure starts tomorrow!

End of Semester 3

2009-12-01T18:53:00.001-08:00

Another semester came to an end yesterday, with the conclusion of the final exams. In the blink of an eye, I am already halfway done with my Year 2 studies. With the upcoming 5 weeks free of academic torture, I am free to chart how I want to live my Sem 4.

I have changed a lot since KEWOC days. Somehow, those 2 months being in hall doing hall CCAs changed my perspective and outlook about my future. Now, I will need to take certain drastic steps before I regret not having a fulfilling university life. I am gonna do these things in the 5 weeks, with or without a job at the Science Centre:

1) Apply for NHG Pharmacy Scholarship. Top on my list of priorities. With this scholarship will come many many opportunities that would otherwise be restricted financially. I will go all out and not let the mistake of ASEAN Undergraduate Scholarship repeat itself.

2) Sit down, think through and talk to seniors about NOC Application. Why NOC? Why throw away another year for this programme? Is this programme only suitable for aspiring entrepreneurs? What if I just want NOC for a better resume? Think think think...the decision could be life changing. Think of ways to get it!!!

3) Almost forgot about this, but yes, enjoy Medan and all it has to offer!!! The food, the scenary, the people. It will only be my 2nd overseas country after Singapore though, and I am looking forward to it. Thanks Kelvin for graciously allowing me to stay with him. Come to Malaysia next time!! OMG, cant wait to see Lake Toba....

4) UROPS. Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme in Science. The name speaks for itself. Finally, I will get to experience first hand research methodologies and get to know my pharmacy professor better. I might like it or hate it, but I will know for sure if research is my cup of tea after completing it. Not to mention the opportunity to take part in the NUROP Congress where I can present my findings to others. How exciting!!

5) Learn Chinese! I have not given up yet. Still have to stuff in at least 100 characters within this one month. 我要学到我会写好的中文！！Nop, I did not refer to anything when typing that out, if you are wondering...but I must admit, knowing that alone is not enough.

6) Read the books I bought during a MEGA SALE in conjunction with NUS Library Resource day. Although the books are dirt cheap, I wouldn't want them sitting on the shelves screaming out to be read.

7) Bring Jiea Huan around when he comes for a visit sometime during the end of December.

8) Plan for Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam trip during next sem's vacation!! OMG..I will be pouring over the net and guidebooks for information. Exciting and perhaps one of the best ways to experience South East Asia. Again, the feasibility of this trip depends on holiday plan no 1. (refer above)

9) Join in the XQRJ fun! Will most probably be tagging along during prelims rehearsal or roadshow rehearsal. Jiayou X12!

10) I will leave plan number 10 empty in case anything new pops up somewhere in between.

I want to start Sem 4 with brand new optimism!! I want to be a changed person, a more confident and better person as a whole, not just purely "someone good in his studies and NOTHING ELSE!"

Days in KE 7

2009-06-16T10:55:00.000-07:00

Well, in the last post, I said that I will write more "tomorrow". Unfortunately, tomorrow never came. Haha....

I have been keeping myself busy with Float. Not that I am part of the team, it is just something I do out of curiosity and because I will never get to join a holiday committee next year due to internship commitments. The past week was particularly interesting watching how the artistes and engineers go about doing their duties; the artistes busy with their scaling and artwork and the engineers constructing massive wooden and steel structures. Trust me, float is a lot of hard work. I just cannot fathom how the floaters have the stamina and motivation to go on day after day working from 9 am till God knows when. Wish them all the best for the upcoming NUSSU Rag Day, a day when all the halls and faculties will display their float for us to see.

Also, being with the floaters for a week plus already taught me many things. Especially what happened today. I was asked to determine the centre of a circular wood cutting. Having left my geometry after school, I was totally clueless. Alright, with Kee Hong's help, we did manage to come up with a strategy to determine the centre, using the property that the angle of a semicircle is 90 degrees. However, I created so much of a fuss that I looked stupid. So stupid to the point that people actually questioned how the hell can a university student not know such a simple task. I felt terrible. Not only am I not able to help, I might be causing them a hell lot of touble. Why am I always not capable of practically coming up with solutions, why am I always not able to use my common sense. The final blow came when someone questioned how can a Faculty of Science Dean's List student not know how to determine the centre of a circle.

To think about it, I have practically nothing left in my life that I am good at except for what is mentioned in the textbooks. I was never good with computers, never good at grabbing opportunities when they come and maintain only a small circle of friends. I'm never good with woodwork/ steelwork/sports/ outdoor activities and things that require common sense. I dread to think of the day when I am living alone and will need to call the plumber every single day for some minor leakage that a normal person can fix using common sense. I dread to think of the day when I will be cheated by advertisements or conmen simply because I am too naive. I am too stupid perhaps to live a life.

What is wrong and why did I end up like this? Perhaps I was too sheltered as a child. Fed when hungry and comforted when I throw a tantrum. Everything will be handled by Mum and Dad. Maybe it is not a good thing when your parents love you too much. You will end up being dependant, not able to stand on your two feet.

What an important life lesson that I've learnt in just one week that I am back here in KE Hall. Indeed, my hall has people with so many different talents and capabilities that I am just a nobody. I will need to change my outlook of life and drill in some common sense, plus street smart strategies to survive in the harsh environment of Singapore. Thrown into the sea, one can only sink or swim. I never know how to swim.

Back in Good Old KE Hall

2009-06-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

Finally back in hall after 1 month plus. Hall is practically deserted, not many people around. It feels like my first day here, except that I return not as a freshie, but as a senior and KEWOC member.

So, what have I done in the past 1 month at home? I did set out a few objectives to achieve and I am glad I did achieve some, if not all.

I did hit 195 chinese characters, short of the original plan of 200. Worse, these are not the 195 most common characters, so I still find it difficult to comprehend sentences. Haha, but now I can make out simple sentences (very simple ones) or fragments of sentences. It has been a nice experience making myself watch Guess Guess Guess, Taiwan hokkien shows, Edisi Siasat Mandarin ( a Malaysian mandarin show about current issues) and a particular Singaporean show teaching Mandarin to foreigners. Yeah, it's called 有话好好说 (you hua hao hao shuo), and I am loving it watching Indians and Filipinos speaking Mandarin.

Besides, I did meet up with few friends, the usual Form 6 gang... We went to school together, tuition together, CCA together, so many things done together. Same paths will eventually diverge and now we are on separate roads. Wish you guys all the best and hope that we can meet up for more trips sometime in the future. The Lumut trip was fun! Met up with two primary school classmates, namely Chong Eu and Winson. All the best to you guys also. Of course, there are many more I did not get a chance to meet, mainly due to clashing freetime. Sorry to Elaine also, who tried hard to organise a KL outing but I had to pull out.

Gonna sleep now and continue tomorrow.

Malaysia's First A (H1N1) case

2009-05-15T03:36:00.000-07:00

What ill luck......

It has finally reach our shores and I bet our neighbour down south is on high alert. Please don't quarantine me for 7 days because that will kill me faster than the flu. This is the link:

thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/5/15/nation/20090515141134&sec=nation

Well, I can only hope that this will be the first and very last case. I hope the guy recovers soon.

Happy Mother's Day

2009-05-12T08:35:00.000-07:00

Was moved by a newspaper article today about the one year anniversary of the Sichuan Earthquake. Read about how the hopes of parents were buried together with their children on that fateful day. All it took was just one natural disaster to change so many lives. With China's one child policy, imagine the grief of these parents losing their only child, their only hope for a better future. Though angered and pointing their fingers towards corrupted government officials, nothing can bring back the innocent children to life. Coincidentally, today in the papers also, the first reported swine flu case in China came from this very province.

Putting that aside, this article prompted me to think about my mum's hopes towards me. How she slaved her way through raising her two children and how we ended up arguing about very petty things. She always said that she is worried about me and whether I am able to cope in Singapore. I remembered the intense bickering one year ago when I turned down Medicine to do Pharmacy. I guess it is every parent's dream to see their son be a doctor, to save lives, to be proud that they raised a fine young man.

This Mother's Day, I did not do anything. I did not wish her (not openly that is), I did not buy anything for her and I certainly did not treat her dinner. Deep down however, I wish to give her the best gift, accumulated from all the past Mother's Days and that is to graduate with a good degree and to buy her something decent with my first real paycheck. I want her to be a proud mum in UCC, come August 2012, to know that she raised a fine young man also. Come to think of it, I really don't want to buy her anything just yet, because I have no cash. That is true. Whatever money I spend now to buy her gifts comes from her. It is just a cycle. I don't want to use her money to buy gifts for her. I want to use my own. However, to use my own, I will have to wait another 3-4 more years. Not to mention that she is already paying for my education.

I must thank my mum, if not for her, I might not be in NUS now. She nags a lot and was a very strict mum when I was young. I remembered her sitting next to me when I was a little kid, teaching me algebra. It was only during primary school and of course I cannot understand 5 + x = 9. x to me is only an alphabet. Alphabets should not go together with numbers. Of course I got scolded and called an idiot for not understanding such an easy equation, but the fact that she took the trouble to teach me all this patiently made me who I am today.

She herself never got into university, but education is her top priority. I must thank her for the years of being thrifty, cutting back on expenses for herself and always spending for her kids. I have never seen her buying new clothes for herself. She is always wearing the same clothes since years ago. When she said she cannot retire just yet because she has to see me through university, I felt as if I am a big burden. I can never repay what she did for me, no matter how big my Mother's Day gift is.

What I can do is just to ensure her sacrifices are worthwhile. I hope that she can be a proud mum one day and retire soon. It is time she takes a rest. Too much white hair already. Makes her look even older than her real age.

Gosh...I remembered the Facebook quiz I created stating that I cried most during primary school only. I guess today is an exception. Happy Mother's Day.

Mum is in light green shirt, grandma in pink shirt and my aunt plus two little cousins and yours truly. Taken at Kuching International Airport. Cannot remember when.

Learning Chinese

2009-05-11T07:25:00.000-07:00

Oh gosh....I remembered telling myself after XQRJ that I MUST learn Chinese, for my own benefit. My aim is to somehow squeeze 200 Chinese characters into my head within the one month I am at home. One week already passed and I only managed a mere 40 characters. How am I going to cram 200 characters!!!

I got some kindergarten books from a friend of mine. Now, I am reading Snow White and the likes. Fairy tale stories. The only problem is....it is Snow White Chinese version. I cannot even complete page one. Giving up, I go back to my trusted book, setting a target of 10 characters a day. This book is really fun, it teaches you the strokes of most common Chinese characters, all 176 in the book. It explains the origin of these characters and provides useful description to help one remember the characters.

This is one example:

田(tian) means field while 力 (li) means strength. Combine these two characters and you will get 男 (nan) which means male and everything related to masculinity. The explanation follows that guys usually use their strength, working in the fields way back in ancient China, and that is how the character 男came about. Interesting eh? Ironically, I have never even been to a field before (rice field I mean).

Here is another one:

小 (xiao) which means small and 大(da) which means big are the components of the character 尖 (jian) which means sharp. Apparently, to the ancient Chinese, sharp objects have a large base which taper towards a small end.

Chinese seems to be an interesting language. At least it makes some sense. Before this, I have no idea about the meaning behind these characters. The biggest challenge yet is when these characters are combined to make new words or phrases. Gosh....there could be countless combinations. Will worry about that later...much later.

Hopefully, I can really finish 200 characters before I am back in NUS!

Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami)

2009-05-06T09:48:00.000-07:00

I have no idea how to begin, but this book is powerful. Just that, a really powerful book that plays with your emotions, at least for me.

The story is about a 15 year old boy running away from home, either to escape a certain prophecy or his father, I am not sure. It could also be that he wanted to find his mother and sister, both whom he did not meet since he was four. Anyway, the story begins like that, this boy, barely a teenager threw all responsibility to the wind and set off to Shikoku from Tokyo. What I really like at the beginning of the story was the carefree life the boy led after escaping school, spending his time mostly in a library. The author managed to capture the very essence of what I have been longing to do, to live in a world without responsibilities. Particularly loved the part when the boy stayed in a cabin on the mountains, being so close to nature.

This is the first time I have seen this kind of writing style, but there is a different, parallel story on the even chapters. Sure enough, the odd chapters were all about the 15 year old boy, but the even chapters focused on an old man, Nakata who could talk with cats. Apparently, some strange incident when he was young completely wiped out his memory and he cannot read or write.

I wouldn't go into the details of how the plot progressed, but suffice to say that the author cleverly merged the two stories together. The old man ended up in Shikoku too, to search for the other half of his shadow.

To be honest, even after finishing this book, I am still trying to make sense of the story. I can understand the flow, but there were just too many questions flying around my head. I bet the author tried to create a metaphysical world, one where the reader can actually read the subconscious thoughts of the characters, and also how the subconscious of the characters themselves can leave their present body to perform certain acts.

Halfway through, the plot starts to get dark and mysterious. The boy's father ended up being killed and the boy met his mother, or at least I think was his mum. Murakami certainly played with emotions when he killed off two very important characters, the mum and also Nakata. I was really surprised when he did that, because it ended the beautiful love affair between the boy and his mum (yes, they actually had an affair!!). His words were powerful, painting a vivid image of whatever scenaries, actions and thoughts the characters went through. I can really imagine the whole scene through his words (or rather, words of the translator). Many random knowledge and facts about the world were sprinkled here and there in the story, mainly conveyed through the books that young boy read at the library and the people he met along the way.

One drawback though, the story can be quite complex and you really cannot expect everything to be logical when reading it. You must have a healthy dose of imagination because Murakami puts in a lot of what we might label as nonsense....( souls, another world in the forest, realistic dreams, fish falling fron the sky, talking cats etc..)

Oh yea, how did I stumble aross this book?
Haha....Xu Su introduced it. I was trying to figure out why the heck would anyone read so many books from the same author and decided to give this one a try. Quite a good one though, was feeling emo after finishing it late at night. Not having a TV to watch generally meant I only have this as my entertainment. ( My TV hates me, breaking down when I am back for vacation) -.-

Home......

2009-05-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Ahh.....the 5 hours journey home took its toll on me. I must have been sitting with the wrong posture, causing me to have slight back pain. I am old already........

Was reading Murakami on the way back, all over again. Second time reading it, after abandoning it halfway when exams approached. In the first chapter of the book, a 15 year old boy was running away from home. Haha...I am running away from NUS back home, in the other direction...what a stark contrast. That contrast made me giggle a bit on the bus.

When we crossed the bridge into Johor, some lunatic actually shouted "Yes, Malaysia!!!!", startling everybody. Gosh..I guess he hasn't been back for a long time. How glad I am to cross the Second Link and seeing signs in Bahasa Melayu again. It is not that I am a big fan of the language, but it feels like home, strangely. The bus ride was a monotonous one, with me alternating between reading and sleeping. Soon, I reached the ever bustling Puduraya station, where buses from every single corner of Malaysia converge. Trying to cross the road there nearly killed me. When I reached a zebra crossing, I instinctively searched for that button to allow me to cross, but what greeted me was a bunch of tangled up wires, the button obviously has fallen prey to vandalism. So, I decided to dash across the road and a car appeared from nowhere, almost hitting me. Gosh, this is not Singapore anymore. Crap, I suddenly felt as if I am in a 3rd world country.

The sweltering heat was something I had to put up with these 2 days. A tropical nation, huh? Anyway, did practically nothing much other than reading a bit and tagging along with mum to shop. I hate shopping...-.-.Oh well, better spend more time with her especially when Mother's day is just around the corner. I will blog again if something interesting pops up.

I'm going home..to a place where I belong...

2009-05-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

Yup, will be going back tomorrow, 3rd of May 2009. It had been a year. My room is all empty now, as I will no longer be staying in my current room. Even the lizards scurry past, knowing they have no where to hide anymore. Will be moving to E block next sem, E408. Somehow, all this emptiness reminds me of my first day here. Alone, lonely and not knowing a single soul. Things have changed. I know many people here now.

Here I am, sitting in front of my laptop, reflecting about the 2 semesters that I have spent in NUS. What 2 wonderful semesters it had been. When I'm home this time it will be for slightly longer than a month. While I am excited to go home, at the same time, there is this feeling of wanting to stay here. Funny, it seems that I have never left hall for more than 2 weeks in a stretch. I cut back on my vacation because of XQRJ commitments after Sem 1.

Next year, I will be staying in a double room. Another new experience, something that I look forward to. Cannot stand the feeling of coming back after lectures all tired and there is nobody to talk to. I guess I am a social animal. Will be staying with Xu Su, someone I met during our days in XQRJ. Hope to learn many things from him during my one year stay, as he is a great guy who reads a lot. It is the cultural diversity in KE Hall that I truly cherish. He is from China and I am from Malaysia. Yes, I know. It will be difficult for us to communicate but I hope things will change for the better. Staying with another person will teach me how to cooperate, to help each other and the art of compromising. Not only that, I hope we can learn more about each other - be it our two very different countries or culture. His culture is ultimately mine, but being a Malaysian since birth, I must admit I know little about the culture of my ancestors. Haha....I have no idea if he is going to read this, I doubt it. Anyway, looking forward to next sem with you, roomate!!

Take care guys. When we are all back from our vacation, it will be a busy period. There will be KEWOC activities, FLAG canvassing and not to forget building the massive FLOAT. Oh well, till then enjoy your holidays!!

Xin Qing Rong Ji (Continued)

2009-05-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

After prelims, we had a good look at our finalists, budding song writers/ composers from all walks of life. Eligibility checks were performed and voila, we have our 12 finalists. Usually there will only be 10 but for this year, the judges decided on 12.

Here is a video by our Video Director, Hao Yang. I think it captured the essence of the competition. Enjoy.......

Before the Grand Finals, our head, Shu Ling told us about her plans on having a roadshow. It was supposed to be an avenue for us to gain valuable experience before going all out in our Grand Finals preparations. Another round of sleepless nights, endless discussions and site visits ensued. Our roadshow was held at *scape Youth Park, near Orchard Road sometime in January. I remembered this was the time when our beloved stage manager, Ken Juin and our would be production manager Chin Ee started to get very very busy. If not because of their hard work and dedication, it would be difficult to get the whole team together for the roadshow. I recalled having a Finalist Day a week before the roadshow. It was the day when we interviewed our finalists, took photos and videos of them, basically to know their needs and wants for the grand finals. Xu Su was a busy man that day, having to rush in between 3 locations to get good video footage...haha.

We had countless dry runs, trying to make sure that everything will go smoothly. I had tremendous respect for both Chin Ee and Ken Juin, judging from the way they both handle leadership duties effectively. Sien Long took care of all tech related stuff and I did stage crew work. Quite simple compared to what the stage crews of the grand finals went through.

The Roadshow Day soon arrived and for many of us, it was a chance to showcase XQRJ outside of NUS. I remembered Ken Juin coming all the way to my room to wake me up at 6am, but I was already awake..haha. That day was the first time I sat at the back of a lorry, sandwiched in between audio equipment with Mc Vin driving us all the way to our venue. The stage was set. Haha..looking back, I remembered how disappointed we were when we saw the place. It was an open air performance pavillion with a stage so dirty, you wonder if it had ever been used for a performance. Anyway, setting up the equipment went on smoothly and we had our Tech Run in the afternoon.

Kudos to Xu Su for coming up with a splendid publicity idea. The "Freezing Game" idea to publicise our event at Orchard Road attracted much attention and really you guys had lots of fun. Too bad I had to stay back for the Tech Run, or else I would run around crazy at Orchard Road. The show started somewhere in the evening and luckily we managed to get a crowd (mostly lao rens anyway). The lao rens are ex- XQRJ members who helped us a lot. Now that XQRJ is over, I am officially a lao ren too!! Not wanting to blog any further, let me just end with pictures of our roadshow. Again, our bond grew stronger as we completed another stage of the wonderful XQRJ experience.

Our XQRJ Banner with the finalists!!!

Ruiqi and Michelle with the posters.

How many people do you need to put up a banner? Answer: ???

The Freezing Game team!!!

XQRJ + Joker.....

One of our finalists going through the Tech Run.

After the Roadshow. Good work XQRJ!!

Wait for Part 3....

Xin Qing Rong Ji (心情溶剂）

2009-05-01T07:28:00.000-07:00

The love of my life. For those who have no idea, it is actually a Chinese Song Writing Committee set up 11 years ago in King Edward VII Hall, when a group of seniors came together for their passion in song writing. From there, it grew by leaps and bounds. Now it is no longer just a small unknown event, but a national level one, with entries from Singapore and even Malaysia.

I know that I am not proficient in Chinese. Never was I able to comprehend the complexities of the Chinese Language. Still, looking back, I was never alienated or sidelined just because I might have difficulty contributing ideas during meetings. I always felt as a part of the XQRJ family. So, thank you all for your support and guidance. It really made all the difference.

I hope that you will visit this link below. It is a beautiful video that accurately summarizes our feelings towards the whole XQRJ experience. Credit goes to Chin Ee, our Production Manager for this lovely video.

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/video/video.php?v=72100135352&subj=739369602

Please do let me know if there are problems accessing the link. =)

So, I remembered signing up during CCA Fair, after much persuasion by an ex-XQRJ member, Ying Shuo. Why my initial reluctance? Simply because I cannot forsee myself joining a 'CHINESE' song writing committee. Things would be different then if I just shut my mind up, wouldn't it? After going through the interview, I was put into the Programmes Coordinator (PC) department. I remembered the first meeting confirmed whatever I have feared, it was conducted purely in Chinese. Oh my, we even have to come up with a motto!! A CHINESE motto, sort of like a theme. I went back completely lost, turning up for the next meeting to vote for the theme. It was then that I questioned my role in the committee. I was also afraid that the few PRCs in the committee might give me a certain strange stare if I were to admit that I am a complete idiot at Chinese. After all, Chinese language is their culture, their way of life and they might not understand how a Malaysian Chinese cannot possibly read and write the Chinese language.

Anyway, I managed to assimilate nicely with the rest of the group, depending pretty much on translations here and there. I remembered our first publicity phase when we were so worried due to the limited entries received. It was so pathetic that we cannot even possibly have a competition!! Everything seemed bleak and uncertain. We remained worried up till the day of our preliminary round. I was made Tech Head during the preliminary round. It was only during the prelims that I started to feel a strong sense of attchment towards this committee. We all had to sacrifice on our holidays and come back in December 2008, toiling day and night for this big event, when judges will come to KE 7 Hall to pick the best 10 songs for the finals. Even then, our number of entries was appaling and the busiest person at that time was none other than Kee Hong, Demo Team head. I remembered seeing his desktop full of online demos and particulars of participants. Looking back, I realised that XQRJ is a committee that demands perfection. Every single tiny detail will be scrutinized, and any mistakes pointed out. We got scolded too by our three heads, but all in the name of improvement.

It was then when I started cutting back on precious sleeping time. We had our first dry run for the prelims. It was disastrous. Things went wrong and we got scolded again. I remembered that debrief session as being an intense one, and all of us kept quiet, listening intently about our major flaws. We did not sleep that night trying to correct things. Many sleepless nights followed and tired faces were a norm. What kept me going was the determination of our Sound guy, Sien Long. This guy impressed me a lot. He managed the audio equipment like a pro, stayed up late doing sound editing and slept very little. Did not tell you this at that time, but really you pushed yourself to the max and that pulled me along together with you. I remebered how we all stayed up late, some correcting the lyrics, some going through the MC scripts and for the tech team, we were doing our sound mixing (mostly done by Sien Long anyway..haha).

Thank God that our entries ballooned nearer to our closing date. Even on the day of the prelims, we received 14 entries from Univeriti Malaya. I remembered the panic happening in the lounge when that many entries were received during the very last minute. In the end, it was a very successful prelims, albeit a tiring one. We were just beginning our journey as an XQRJian. I will blog more next time because I hope to keep this post short. Here are a few pictures:

11th XQRJ National Chinese Song Writing Committee

Finals Stage Team: Ken Juin, me, Xu Su, Chin Ee, Hao Yang, don't forget Kee Hong behind there and Sien Long is not in the pic...awww

The Marketing Team headed by Shu Ling...good job guys!

This is one of our hand painted banners!! OMG..i miss the feeling of hanging this banner at Central Library.

The design team with Sien Long on the vase....headed by Shu Hui

The Programme Coordinator team..headed by Kerry!!

Ohhh....missing XQRJ already!!!!

After Exams

2009-05-01T06:42:00.000-07:00

Finally the exams are over. Excruciating 4 days of pure torture. Let me give an overview of the painful process: revising, worrying, falling sick and the joy of having finished exams...haha.

Of course, there was reading week where I spent most of my time in the Study Room. There is a certain aroma in that room. I guess they haven't changed the carpets since 1988?? Haha... Anyway, nothing much except the boring routine of pouring over books and notes..sickening. Somewhere in the middle of reading week, I fell sick!! Would you believe that?? Falling sick and needing to study at the same time can never be good. It was awful. Anyway, thanks to those who cared and helped me to da bao food...emotionally it felt better. Oh yea, not forgetting all the Paracetamol tablets from Kah Chun.

Day 1: My worst day as I have two papers at once. Things cannot get any worse. Started the day with LSM 1401 Biochemistry, an open book, 60 MCQ question paper. How hard can it be right?? But, noooo!!!! For a moment, I thought that I was sitting for a Biochemistry Olympiad paper!! It was freaking difficult and nothing studied can sufficiently prepare you for that agonizing 2 hours. Oh well, fine..what the heck..it is now over.

Barely 2 hours after that I had my PL 1101E Psychology paper. Crap. This was another bad paper because I did not prepare enough, especially the earlier chapters. Can only blame myself for neglecting this subject since it is not my core. I was stunned when one of the question asked about amnesia...OMGosh, I just flipped through that chapter the previous night but couldn't remember anything. Perfect example of an amnesiac. Should have included that example of myself to score some extra points.

Day 2: After a horrible Day 1, Day 2 wasn't that rosy either. Pharmacy Practice 1, a module I detest because of its memory workload, presented a different sort of challenge. This module is basically about how to deal with patients and how to prepare certain pharmaceutical products. I had been memorizing like mad the day before, committing flowcharts and definitions to memory, just to find myself facing a totally unexpected essay question. Oh god..hope I make it through this paper. =)

Day 3: Physiology, the name says it all. All about the inner workings of human body. Kind of intrigued by this module because really, our body is amazing. Haha, makes me love my body even more, and not look at them as a collection of cells. There are questions which I am unsure of and that prompted me to guess. Hopefully things will work out fine.....

Day 4: EC 1301 Economics. Thought about using my S/U option on this paper. One of my biggest mistakes is to take this module when I have absolutely little background in Economics. Again, neglecting this particular module because it is not my core is going to make me pay dearly. Ahh...so depressing!!

In a nutshell, I am prepared to see my CAP spiral downwards this semester. Maybe I did not work hard enough. Perhaps I was a bit laid back this semester. Whatever it is, I am ready to take the blame. Oh well, got to work harder next semester. Must push forward in the beginning of the semester, not just the days during reading week. Cannot imagine what is in store next sem. The seniors warn of impending doom with the SP1203 Communications module.

Disappointment aside, I have completed YEAR 1!!! What a great feeling to move on into my sophomore year, no longer a freshman!! NUS has been an amazing journey and I shall take my 3 months to blog about significant events of the year, notably Xing Qing Rong Ji ( National Chinese Song Writing Competition) !!! This is a committee that I gain most satisfaction from, not to mention great memories with wonderful people. =)

So, Gavin...work hard for next sem. Will be biting my nails till 29th May, when the exam results will be released. =S

9th January 2009

2009-01-08T20:17:00.000-08:00

Ok, hate me all you want. Throw profanities at me, I beg. I left this blog to rot for such a long time, God knows why..haha.

Truth is ever since school started, I have been busy if not with studies, with hall activities. Not much time left for blogging, eh? I know, it is a lame excuse.

Today however, I suddenly have the inspiration to start blogging again, at least before the new semester starts. Let us start with New Year's Eve (31st of December 2008). Erm, I remembered going to Suntec City with a group of friends and then off to Marina Bay after that for a countdown celebration. The usual stuff with scores of people and fireworks lighting up the night sky. A resolution was made to study harder next semester and to explore the little corners of Singapore. Here are some pictures taken from my friend, Wen Qing a.k.a. Green Birdy:

Dinner at Suntec City on New Year's Eve

Marina Bay, Esplanade in the background

Floating plastic balls with wishes written all over it

Charlie's Angels (left to right: Elaine, Wendy, Sharlene)

3, 2, 1...HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009!!!

First week of school

2008-08-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness, I left blogging for a very long time. Mainly, I am too busy with all the activities going on in NUS. I left my blog with my first day orientation experience at hall. After orientation ended, I was involved in Pharmacy orientation, helping out with the RAG team and doing FLAG day collections as well. It was a very hectic past few weeks.

I am truly proud of our RAG day performance. Here is a video. RAG day is a day when NUS students showcase their majestic floats to the public. It was an eye opening event as to what students here are capable of doing. I have been to many rehearsals just to prepare for RAG day. What is my role? An insignificant side prop mover and static helper. I worked for only a couple of weeks. The floaters worked for 3 months !! Imagine that!! We did not win anything but it was a good effort.

King Edward the 7th Hall Orientation

2008-07-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today signified the start of my hall orientation. I remembered placing Prince George Park Residences (PGP) as my first choice when applying for accommodation in NUS. For some reason, I changed my choice to King Edward the 7th Hall at the last minute. That very reason was because I believed King Edward Hall is a hall rich with tradition and many successful people were once residents of this glorious hall. In other words, I chose King Edward Hall because of it's legacy. It is the oldest residential hall in NUS and therefore rich in history.

Today, I got to experience the true spirit of hall life. I must admit that hall life is definitely much more vibrant compared to PGP. In hall, we are one family. The day started with mass breakfast at the dining hall.

King Edward dining hall

We then all went to the common hall for the commencement of Hall Orientation 2008. The theme of this year's orientation is "Constelacion" or constellation, a collection of stars.

Orientation T-shirt of a KEWOC committee

KEWOC stands for King Edward Hall Welcoming and Orientation Committee, a group of seniors in charge of organizing the orientation. As usual, we were divided into orientation groups (OG) led by orientation group leaders (OGLs). The team names were based on different constellations. Mine was Aquila, the eagle. Three teams were grouped to form a tribe, led by a Greek god, which in my case was Zeus. My tribe consists of Columba (the pigeon) , Tucana (a bird with big beak) and of course, Aquila.

Poseidon (in white) and Zeus

We were made to run around KE hall in a sort of race to familiarise ourselves with the surroundings of the hall. When we were back, we had to design our own group banners. The banners of the three groups, when combined must reflect our tribe identity. I must say that we all came up with amazing banners.

From left to right: Tucana, Columba and Aquila all united in a tribe.
We Rise, We Fly, We Soar!

Dorado, Aquila and Tucana with King Edward Crest

Aquila's members from 4 nations : Singapore, Malaysia, China and Sri Lanka

We were also taught how to dance. It was my first time dancing and I look horrible. However, the seniors pulled off a wonderful dance display. Not only that, we were taught King Edward's cheers and songs as a sense of identity and pride. Ironically, I sang all the songs even louder than when I am singing Negaraku at school. I believe that the seniors have managed to instill a strong sense of belonging in us, that we feel so attached to this hall, even as freshmen.

KEWOC Committee (Very Important People)

At night, we had a CORS talk. CORS is a special system in NUS to implement its policy of a broad based education. Through CORS, students can bid for their modules across faculties. Example, as a Pharmacy major, I can take modules from the School of Computing or even School of Business. This system is also a major cause of confusion among freshmen. Truthfully, I cannot fully understand the whole complicated system myself.

Library Tour

2008-07-24T09:27:00.000-07:00

Today I woke up with an emptiness in me as UFO has ended. We had mass breakfast at King Edward Hall before proceeding to Clementi to buy groceries. It was my first time buying groceries and I am a picky person. In the end, I bought only bananas and tomatoes. It was just a short trip and we returned back to hall before lunch. I only had Maggi Mi for lunch.

Thereafter, we gathered at PGP Foyer where our Malaysian seniors brought us to the library. Although UFO has ended, our seniors still cared about us and arranged an orientation session at the Central Library.

The NUS Libraries have an amazing collection of books. There are 6 libraries in total:
a) Central Library
b) Chinese Library
c) Hong Sui Sen Memorial Library
d) Science and Medical Library
e) Music Library
f) CJ Koh Law Library at Bukit Timah campus

We were taught how to perform an online search and how to use LINC+, NUS online library catalogue. It was scary when Miss Hayati, a librarian explained to us about how stringent NUS monitors plagiarism. It can get you expelled. The number of books in the Central Library alone is staggering. When University of Malaya split and NUS was formed, most of the books were kept in Singapore. There is a room which houses all the old books, books which are too fragile to handle. It struck me at that point of time that NUS students studied like mad and I am in such a position where I must also struggle to maintain my CAP (Cumulative Average Point) or risk being left behind.

After the informative tour, we all went back to our respective residences.

At night, as usual, we had dinner at PGP old canteen, then we proceeded to PGP Auditorium for a talk on Singlish and Academic Culture in Singapore. It was a very informative talk by engaging speakers. You can listen to the two extremes of Singaporean English that night, the very articulated English with minimal grammatical errors and Phua Chu Kang English on the other extreme.

At 9.30 pm, we , KEVIIans had to rush back to hall to help out with float. Since we are staying in hall, we are expected to contribute to the hall community. The hall residents are tightly bonded and they really work together, be it in cultural or sporting activities. It is perhaps a proud fact that King Edward Hall was once Tun Mahathir's residence when he was a student. This is something I heard from the seniors and I am shocked myself.

BBQ Day (21st July 2008)

2008-07-24T08:25:00.000-07:00

Today was a hectic but fun day. The Ah Lian and Ah Beng group got up early and despite the torrential rain, our spirits were not dampened. We have prepared a BBQ dinner to thank our seniors for all that they have done to accustom us to this new life away from home. We went to PGP's new canteen and started discussing our cheer. The amazing thing about UFOMSL was the sheer number of interesting cheers, used to jeer at other groups.

We had lunch at PGP's new canteen before proceeding for a group meeting with our freshmen leader, Hong Keat to discuss the finer details of the BBQ. Ah Lian and Ah Beng orientation groups were put in charge of games. We came out with two games but only executed one. I will tell why later.

We bought all our necessary items for the games at Nanyang Supermart, located in PGP. All the food were bought online the night before. My group proceeded to a meeting room at PGP to practice our cheers. Coincidentally, hall orientation commenced today as well. The KEVIIans rushed back to hall to join a mass dinner organised by our hall. It was during dinner that I met Xiao Shuang, the only Malaysian so far admitted into NUS Medicine. I met a Canadian and a Sri Lankan student, not to mention many Chinese from mainland China.

After dinner, we rushed to PGP for final preparations of the BBQ dinner. When I reached, my other team members have already started the games. We came up with a wicked game where a pair would have to gobble up wafer rolls in the fastest time. In the process, many accidental kisses happened! We had fun watching our seniors embarassed, especially Kim Wong.

Kim Wong trying very hard not to accidentally kiss his partner

Lucas (green t-shirt), our UFO Project Director was not spared at all

Oops! Accidents do happen!

The BBQ dinner was splendid and everything went smoothly. We even had guitar performances from two freshmen:

On the left is Chun Keat, also from King Edward Hall

The seniors, obviously enjoyed the whole BBQ very much:

Seniors in their usual jovial mood

Food glorious food!

Hong Keat, our freshmen leader at the BBQ pit

We were supposed to play a second watermelon game, but considering the lack of food, our group donated all the watermelons to be consumed. In the middle of the BBQ session, we regrouped and our seniors told us the history of the Malaysian Students Leaugue (MSL). The founder of MSL, who is now a pharmacist, Senior Thomas talked to us about the spirit of MSL and the spirit of family. Truly, MSL is one big family. The most emotional part was when our beloved project director, Lucas (Mech Engineering, Year 2) broke down in the middle of his speech. It was truly an emotional moment and I believe everybody present there would feel the same way. UFO ended that night, but not friendship among MSL members. The freshmen came up with a very special performance for the seniors. That night, we bonded as a family.

Singing for the seniors

Ah Lian orientation group, sweet memories!

Shaking the hands of seniors..a truly emotional night

We decided to end the night by having supper at Fong Sing, a famous midnight coffee shop popular with NUS students. Stress levels at NUS can be unbearable and students study till the wee hours of the morning, so Fong Sing is a great place to unwind and chat if you are an imsoniac. It is absolutely essential to know this place as this will be the place where I will be going very often when I cannot sleep at night.

Supper at Fong Sing

With that, the third University Freshmen Orientation officially ended! What a great experience it had been!

Singapore City!

2008-07-23T09:06:00.000-07:00

The next day, the freshmen, me included attended an extraordinary general meeting to discuss our plans for the BBQ appreciation night. Since I am elected as "ketua" for Ah Lian group, I had to attend. It was also the first time I did my laundry. No more mum to be around washing my clothes, I had to do it on my own.

Meeting started at 10 am and Hong Keat, the project director asked for our opinion. The BBQ would be held the very next day. It was a good experience to organize something for the first time. My group was in charge of games and I wanted it to be a success. It was an amazing experience, stepping into NUS for barely a week and already our leadership skills, especially Hong Keat's were tested. It also goes to show how we value our seniors. Kim Wong's words rang in my ear, "When you are alone or you need help, always remember there is a community called MSL" I would want to be back next year, guiding all the juniors. Better start practicing my BANANA cheer!

At around noon, we gathered to visit Singapore City, the heart of Singapore itself. We started our tour at Bugis Street. It was a very crowded area selling all sorts of stuff. The main attraction here to me is the temple where many NUS Malaysian Chinese would come to pray nearing their exams. Since they cannot pray at their usual temple back home for good grades, this will have to
be a substitute.

The temple

Exotic shop in Bugis selling erotica. Minimum age limit is 23 years but do you know there is a maximum as well?

After Bugis, we went to the National Library. It was nicknamed the "National Themepark" by the seniors. I soon found out why. We were brought to the library not to read books but to experience the "freefall effect" on the lift transcending from the highest floor to the ground floor. Definitely not for people with a fear for heights. So in the end, we did not even touch a single book.

At the entrance to the National Library

The irony is that I have not even visited our Perpustakaan Negara. After the short tour, we had a gathering at the library entrance. However, we got a stern warning from the security guard. In Singapore, it is illegal to gather in large groups without a police permit. We dispersed and walked towards SUNTEC CITY MALL.

We are Malaysian students, not demonstrators

SUNTEC City

We had dinner. It was during the dinner that I met Syen, otherwise known as Storm in the NUSMSL forum. After dinner, we went to perform the ritual of touching the Fountain of Wealth, right smacked in the middle of SUNTEC City.

The Fountain of Wealth

There was a laser performance at 8 pm. Although not as grand as the one we watched in Sentosa, it was nevertheless captivating. We were all very touched, seniors and juniors alike when messages were being played in laser. You can dedicate a message on laser and the message could be seen by everybody. Messages like "Welcome, all Malaysian freshmen to NUS!" and "Thank you seniors!" were shown throughout the performance, dedicated by seniors and juniors alike. There was even a "Will you marry me?" message being played.

Message dedication at Fountain of Wealth using laser

That was really the highlight of the night before we proceeded to Marina Bay. What else in Marina Bay but the ever famous Merlion? Apart from that, we enjoyed the night skyline of Singapore.

Singapore City at night

The Esplanade aka Durian

The Merlion

Kami rakyat Malaysia!

Well, we were supposed to enter Fullerton Hotel, a 6-star luxury hotel. The reason being there was this strange ritual for freshmen to actually drink the water from the taps at Fullerton's toilets. However, it started to rain and the plan was cancelled. A night at the Fullerton Hotel can reach up to $5000!

Today marked the end of UFO 2008. It was in all a really great experience for us, freshmen. I never thought that university orientation could be so fun. I always have the picture in my mind of seniors waking you up in the wee hours of the morning and ragging. I thought orientation would be a torture. However, the seniors here treated us not only as friends, but as brothers and sisters. I am here in Singapore for only a week but I have been kept so busy with activities that I have no time to miss home. A new orientation started, that is the King Edward Hall Welcoming Week. Apart from that, NUS Rag & Flag is just around the corner. Once again, thank you to all seniors and enjoy the BBQ dinner!

Sentosa Day

2008-07-22T02:36:00.000-07:00

It's beach day!! By now, I have met many Malaysians staying in King Edward Hall. We actually decided to have breakfast together:

Shortly after that, we gathered at PGPR Foyer to depart for Sentosa Island. It was such an exciting day and our spirits were really high. We even practiced our ecstasy cheer:

Ecstasy wa boh jiak ar,
CID wa boh kia,
Mai yo mai yo,
Ai yo chiu ga ga yo

It's so silly but fun. Before actually getting on the bus ride to Sentosa, we stopped by Giant at Vivo City to buy lunch. We bought bread, tuna spread and mineral water, all recommended by seniors due to the fact that food at Sentosa is really expensive. The bus ride to Sentosa from Harbour Front was just a short one, but we cannot wait to get our feet on the sand. Our first stop was Siloso Beach.

Ah Lians picnicking at Siloso Beach

Siloso Beach

After the lunch picnic (my heartiest thanks to Sher May and Mei Foong for baking the delicious cakes), we head to the Dragon Trail for a round of amazing race. The Dragon Trail is basically a jungle trekking trail. It was fun. I'll let the pictures talk:

OGLs of Ah Lian, Wee Wen on the left (sleeveless shirt) and Si Yun ( orange shirt)

Wee Wen being punished..haha

Blindfolded for tasting game

Wee Wen and Micheal forced to eat "something". I still have no idea till today what went into their stomachs.

The impulse game

It started to rain and we all scurried to Imbiah Lookout. When the rain stopped, we started snapping photos, attracting curious stares from other tourists.

This is my BANANA, nanananana

This is my papaya, yayayayaya

We then head to the LUGE. It's actually a downhill ride on a cart, powered only by gravitational force. After an exhilirating ride downhill, we sat the SKYRIDE. It was scary as we were suspended high above the ground. Here are a few pictures:

Ah Beng group before the LUGE.

Ah Lian group before the LUGE

From left: Chuan Yong, Wee Wen and Sarah on the SKYRIDE

Thereafter, we all went to Palawan beach. Ah Lian and Ah Beng orientation groups did a combo cheer. Shortly, we played beach games. It was so fun that I did not manage to take any photos. I am too busy playing. Some of the games included eating marshmallows while while being piggy backed and playing volleyball with your hands and feet all tied up. Not forgetting a few who got thrown into the sea, all in the name of good fun.

Next stop after showering was dinner. It rained. Why must it rain on that night?! We ran all the way from the beach for cover before regrouping for dinner. Dinner costs $6. Now I realised food in Sentosa was really expensive. When we were all full and contented, our OGLs ushered us to watch a show, Songs of the Sea which was actually a laser show with lots of pyrotechnics. We were stunned beyond words by the beautiful display and the sheer magnitude of the technology needed to come up with such a production.

Fire!

Water!

Fireworks!

It was a spectacular performance indeed. We regrouped after the show and Kim Wong shared with us the difficulties encountered by the seniors to organize this wonderful trip for us. Personally I am very touched by the seniors' commitment. They need not go through all the trouble and yet they still, just to welcome us freshmen to Singapore. To quote a senior, this is an experience you will never get in Malaysia. The spirit of MSL will definitely be within every Malaysian studying in NUS. It was also on that night that the freshmen agreed to organize a BBQ to thank all our seniors. We went back soon after and as expected, I collapsed on my bed all the way till the next morning.

Day 4 Part 2

2008-07-21T02:26:00.000-07:00

Chinatown was just like our Petaling Street, except there were no pirated VCDs on sell. Piracy is a serious offence in Singapore. After Chinatown, we went to a temple which houses one of Buddha's remains: his tooth. The temple was decorated extensively with beautiful carvings.

Chinatown, Singapore

Street peddler in Singapore

The temple with Buddha's tooth in it

Variety of fruits on sale in Chinatown

We proceeded to People's Park Hawker Centre for some hawker food. It was almost night when we were ready to proceed to our next destination.

People's Park Hawker Centre

Where better place to visit at night other than CLARKE QUAY!!!! Clarke Quay is the place in Singapore famous for it's nightlife. Think Bintang Walk, except that there are no rivers near Bintang Walk. We had a fantastic time at Clarke Quay, snapping pictures and doing silly poses. At the end of the day, we were all gathered at an amphitheater for a briefing.

Clarke Quay

The crowd during Clarke Quay visit

Beautiful Clarke Quay

Everybody was ecstatic when Yong Tat, our senior announced that we will be off to SENTOSA ISLAND the following day.

During UFO, each team was divided into orientation groups, each lead by an Orientation Group Leader (OGL). The names of the group were downright degrading, examples include Siew Keong, Sei Ngan Chai, Ah Lian, Ah Beng, Ah Wong and the likes. I am in Ah Lian by the way, lead by Wee Wen (Accountancy, Year 2) and Su Yin. We really had a great time coming up with cheers for Ah Lian group. There was one particular interesting cheer, the BANANA cheer:

This is your banana, (showing your pinky finger towards opposing group)
NANANANANA

This is MY banana, (showing a big rod)
NANANANANA

I chop your banana,
NANANANANA

Now you have no banana,
HAHAHA

Call it silly but we really enjoyed cheering that to other opposing groups. Ah Lian was the best OG to me, led by really good OGL's. Three cheers for AH LIAN!!!

Day 4 Part 1

2008-07-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

We had our QET on Day 4 of orientation. Rachel, a senior from my hall brought us to MPSH 1 to sit for our test. There were so MANY students taking the test. I guess that many international students are not exempted from taking the test this year. MPSH 1 is also the place where all my future exams will be held.

Seriously, I find the QET to be quite difficult. Hope to pass it though. The results will be known on 30th July 2008. Just to give you a rough idea of how crowded the place was, I took a few photos.

After our very first test in NUS, we proceeded to the Central Library for our campus tour. It was exciting. We went to the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences, then had lunch at The Deck, Arts Canteen. It was off to Engineering Faculty next. Lastly, we went to Science Faculty and Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. We took so many photos, haha!

Orientation Group Leaders (sitting, front) and freshmen

Seniors+freshmen

Rooftop, Engineering Faculty

We want you!

NUS Centennial Celebration Monument

The famous spiral staircase at University Hall

More freshmen

BE YOUR BEST, HERE AT

That is just NUS motto by the way. After the tiring walk around campus, we head over to :

Alright, I will stop here....

Day 3 of UFOMSL Orientation

2008-07-19T11:07:00.000-07:00

I got up late on day 3 of orientation. Not that I wanted to, but orientation will only start at 12pm. Therefore, I can sleep longer.

At 12 pm, we assembled at PGPR Foyer before being brought to Frontier, Science Faculty canteen for lunch. This is the same place I will be having lunch for the rest of my 4 years. We went back to PGP and were supposed to play games with the seniors. However, considering my lack of interest in sports activities, I went along with another senior, Mei Fong (Food Tech, Year 2) to a shopping centre:

VIVO CITY!!!!

A few other freshmen went together with us, namely Ken Juin, Wendy, Elaine and Chuan Yong. Mei Fong brought us to a shop selling Japanese products at only $ 2 dollar per item. It was there that I finally witnessed female's ability to shop. Wendy and Elaine practically had their baskets full of stuffs. We then proceeded to try Singapore's "kononnya" very special curry puff recommended by Mei Fong. It was indeed very very tasty.

It was back home for us after hours of shopping. At night, we had a mass dinner at PGPR's old canteen. After that, we proceeded to the Chill Out Lounge PGPR. It is basically a place for students to relax and unwind. Since tomorrow will be the QET (Qualifying English Test) for almost all freshmen, we had a short QET briefing too. The QET is arguably more difficult than MUET, taking into account Singapore's high English standard.

The finale for the day was the sharing session with Malaysian seniors. Never had I seen before in my life seniors who are so caring and responsible towards us, freshmen. We felt as if Singapore was really Malaysia that night. Kim Wong (Chinese Studies), our senior who graduated this year led the session, telling about his experience when he first came to NUS. What an inspiring story of giving others what you have received. Truly, I would want to involve myself in the UFOMSL (University Freshmen Orientation Malaysian Student League) next year! A big thank you to all the seniors who made me feel at home! Here are some random pictures:

Pharmacy Department

Kitchenette, King Edward the 7th Hall

Kim Wong, our super senior with the best PR skills!

Kudos to UFOMSL 08!

First day

2008-07-17T02:29:00.000-07:00

Finally, I am now at NUS! I have always wanted to be here since Form 6 and now that I am here, the feeling is just great. After a 5 hour long journey to Singapore, I reached my hall of residence (King Edward the 7^th) sometime around 10am.

"To strive, to seek, to serve"

The moment I stepped into the hall, I can see large wooden structures mounted on a lorry, hidden from curious views by a tent. It was none other than the KE7 float for NUS Rag & Flag. Trust me, it was really impressive. A float is something like what you can see during a floral parade, giant beautifully decorated platforms being paraded in front of the public. Not only that, the whole foyer was full of wooden planks, paints, sprays and even a castle drawbridge..oops, I revealed too much! For a moment, I thought KE7 Hall was undergoing a major renovation. The “floaters” really put their heart and soul into this mega project, to ensure victory for KE Hall. Good luck and we shall win! (Pictures of KE7 Float will be posted after Rag & Flag..it is a major secret..haha)

After filling up a few forms, I was brought to my room by my hall buddy, Louis. He was a nice guy who really helped me to settle into my new environment. My room was ok, considerably spacious for a single room. Here are a few pictures:

I sat all alone in my room at night, surfing the internet. I have no idea that there was an orientation for Malaysian students happening at PGP Foyer. So, I missed out on that.

Day 2 started early at 8.30 am. I met Yong Xin, my senior (Mechanical engineering, Year 2) at the PGP bus terminal. He, with a few other seniors brought the freshmen for medical check up at Yusof Ishak House. I am still trying to figure out who is Yusof Ishak. You can see his face on every single Singaporean note (money).

Anyway, it was the most efficient medical check up in my life. It was over in just 15 minutes! The check up included eye test, blood test, urine test, physical examination, X-ray and body dimension measurement, all within 15 minutes!

After it was all done, we regrouped for a session of “lame” games. The seniors showed us how to play “Black Magic”,”Big Fish” and the likes. It was just a short session and shortly thereafter, we had lunch at Central Square, still within campus grounds. Food at NUS was surprisingly cheap. I had a generous portion of wan tan mee with soup for only $1.80!! You cannot find RM 1.80 wan tan mee in Malaysia.

We were then swiftly taken to board a bus to Queenstown, which houses one of only two IKEAS in Singapore. The group was then split into two, namely the “SHOPPING” and “BANK” groups. Of course, those in the “SHOPPING” group went shopping, me included, while the other group went to the bank to open a bank account. I must say that the IKEA I visited was much smaller compared to the one in Mutiara Damansara. The shopaholics then went for another round of shopping at Queensway Mall (I hope I got the name right).

I generously thank all the seniors in my group for being so helpful. I am the only person in the group without a phone SIM card and the EZ Link card. Two seniors accompanied me, searching high and low for a phone shop at the Bukit Merah area. Unable to find any, another senior, Chun Kit (Mechanical engineering, Year 4) brought me all the way to Clementi. I was touched by how responsible and caring they were. A big thank you!

Back from the shopping spree, (I ended up buying only an ice cream cone..haha) I was so exhausted. There’s no time to rest as at 5.30 pm, we were all taken to Techno Edge, Engineering faculty canteen to have dinner. It was there that I met Xin Zhao, who will be representing Malaysia in the 39^th International Physics Olympiad. I met Ken Juin and Wendy too, both whom are my course mates and hall mates.

All full and ready to go, we went back to PGPR Foyer for ice breaking activities. I think I will let the pictures do the talking. In a nutshell, Day 2 of UFOMS (University Freshmen Orientation for Malaysian Students) was a blast!

Girls lining up in badminton hall

An orientation group

The crowd during UFOMS

Lih Bin, a senior punished with the other freshmen to perform a dance

Seniors doing the "pole dance"