6:40 PM

Have moved here (:

8:05 AM

Back!

Haha really need to sweep the cobwebs that are strewn all over this blog.. Thought I'd give this an update because of the many things that have happened in the recent weeks (: Shall go in backward order..

Macap Umboo trip - Things didn't really go off well during the planning stage, especially what with our busy schedules, the wake up call from Mrs Koh, the scoldings we've had. It's really been great being in kids committee, felt this very strong feeling of nostalgia when we left the village on the second day. Although our interaction with them was in essence less than 10 hours, it has been a good experience seeing them enjoy the lessons we've planned for them. I really hope the Orang Asli children will go on getting education, gaining "hope, joy and love" from their daily lives, braving the zinc roofs during the rainy season.. And like what we were saying during our talks at night, I'll really miss the J2s when they're gone. It's been great knowing them on the trip, having them around knowing they'll be around to take care of things, getting inspired by their enthusiasm, and just enjoying the cheer they bring to every one(:

CCAL camp - It's good getting a tan under the sun? Haha can see that the PE dept really put in quite a bit of effort planning, and trying to link all the activities with leadership concepts. I think leaders really emerge out of context, but each of us really needs to have a stake in whatever we do, a sense of ownership rather than mere passive reliance/ dependence. I enjoyed mangrove planting very much (not sure if we're really helping the environment though the plants look quite out of place where we planted them, like some random bunch of random shoots sticking out into the river). Overall, it was a good time going on this camp with the B2 buddies (:

Harmoc - I believe we can do it ((: Really have to fight for time, fight for conductor hours, fight to improve. It worries me how we might really be lacking in experience, knowledge about the harmoc and its techniques of playing, but let's take it one step at a time. I know each of us can excel on our instrument, be proud of it, be proud of ourselves. Let's take the move towards our goal. Don't worry you Sharon!

It's the June Holidays, although it hardly feels like it having roamed around our neighbouring countries for the past week, and seeing all the funny little stuff to come that are potentially going to steal time off my study schedule. I know I need to study, and I must make sure I really study hard for this coming CTs. For some reason, I really miss learning, speaking and writing in Chinese (so much for not being a jiakantang sigh) Perhaps if time permits, I'll try reading a nice little Chinese book off from my father's bookshelves (:

Jiayou everyone! Till the next time, take care (:
(Looking forward to Cadenza and meeting my juniors again!)

8:10 AM

Oh my gosh Sharon Tan what are you doing bingeing on CNY goodies? Rahh I need to start exercising control before I collapse during the -cough- rather intensive (what an understatement) PE lessons, the next of which happens to fall on this coming Monday ><

Things have been going well at RJ.. There are many many people (OG, class, old buddies) I need to thank for making the transition a generally smooth and enjoyable one (: Thank you for keeping me company, ranting about stressful lives together, celebrating my birthday, collectively trying to evade PE by refusing to change out until right after Chem Practs (that always end late hahaha! oops) I hope things keep up the way they have been, or even move a notch up the life fulfillment scale (:

Perhaps there will be many things that I'll miss from being in band, for one I know definitely that I'll miss my very dear batchmates and SBM, and the seniors who really cared and are still caring; I am sincerely remorseful towards my direct/junior for not being able to be there for them at React this year. But I believe in and will stand by my choice, because my rational mind attempted calculating the emotional costs of either choice, and my conclusion really is to start all afresh. I asked her one day about it, and she said, "since I've laid my choice to join ___, I just put myself into the ___ mode and not care so much about the rest", indeed life has no regrets, there's no point looking back at what I've let go of.

I am responsible for my life. I can see the bountiful opportunities that the school is providing us, and I want to grab hold of them Haha for some reason my mind conjures this image of strong yet light and beautiful gusts of wind blowing towards me as I try to reach out to catch them. It's a pretty sight, a pretty feeling, one that makes me happy and alive (:

On a more serious note, my academics have yet to attain their potential, and much more focus and drive shall be dedicated to their development. It is myself that I'm challenging today.

To be honest, I have no inkling when the next time will come for me to blog again, but till then here's wishing all of you a very happy chinese new year (: All the very best of luck, health, happiness and prosperity in the (quote MargaretZhang) err RODENT year to come! :D Bao3zhong4!

Sharon is off to realizing her dreams.

1:47 PM

I'm updating here as promised (:

Hm it puzzles me how I was so deeply fascinated by this blogging business in sec 1, and now I take ages to come to this "create a post" page. Papa was talking about addictions yesterday night. What makes an addict an addict? Does being an addict say in computer games necessarily translate into higher chances of becoming an addict in other undesirable fields like gambling? The theory is that this all boils down to one's overall innate attitude and determination. There was some quote on the newspaper or Newsweek that says what differentiates a shopaholic from a thrifty person is that both consume products, but the latter has a sense of guilt thereafter which lasts twice as long as that of the former. Haha! Hmm how then do you help somebody who's lost in some addiction? 1) Nag every day and constantly watch out for/ prevent the person from sinking into a bottomless pit/ regretting it in future, or 2) Allow the person to experience a hard fall, thereby achieving self-awareness or enlightenment, and inner motivation to overcome the addiction. My parents advocate and practice 1), but I believe in 2), although you'll never know how harsh that hard fall has to be, or when it will come, and there is no guarantee that seeing the light = eternal determination sufficient to overcome addiction.

Band
Hm as this is a totally random day to blog about Farewell, not right after or 1 month anniversary or anything, I guess feelings have perhaps cooled a little to give way to thought.
"It's been 4 long years and batch 07's gone"
Somehow the sentence keeps ringing in my head (and is probably the only sentence of our chopchop-pieced-together-minutes-before-the-performance song that I really remember :O). It's really been a long long time, not in terms of time scale, but in terms of feeling and experience. Hm someone once said sad times always seem to pass slower than happy days. Perhaps all the ups and downs have really made me feel rather um old in band >< Band is perhaps the only one to date that has made and can make me go wild with emotions, unrestrained by self-censorship. I guess the consequences are like a double-edged sword (urgh terrifying english lessons! haha), some really painful, but I'm grateful for them because they have jolted me awake from my nutshell encapsulating dreamland ><

After passing this journey, perhaps the best advice I can leave for the future batches to come is that what matters is not how far away you are from your ideals, but how much you can and have progressed within the boundaries set by the external environment. In other words, just make the best out of whatever conditions that befall upon you (: I see struggles up and coming, reminiscent of us just a year ago, but I'm sure very soon you'll find your own niche/ working style, and glide your way to success! (: And yes may I add to remember to leave no one behind. It's with humility that we understand everyone has the potential to excel; it's just a matter of our choice and priorities at the point in time.

Thank you to all who have shared this band life with me; Thank you mybatch!, Samantha, Alicia, directs (both up and down), Rachel, immediate and not so immediate batches with whom we've shared days under the same rgssb umbrella. And special dedication goes to Euphoria, ie all the euphos that I have played since sec 1 (I sincerely apologize for unofficially giving all of you the same name :P)

I happened to see this when I logged on to MSN's homepage: "Opera star Luciano Pavarotti dies at 71". In 1961, Pavarotti won a local voice competition and with it a debut as Rodolfo in Puccini’s “La Boheme.”

Rings a bell?

Goodbye Rgssb.
Your name has just started a fresh page in my memories of love(:

3:46 AM

Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study.


There is no elevator to success. You have to take the stairs.


Without haste, but without rest. - Goethe


Perseverance is the hard work you do after you get tired of doing the hard work you already did. - Newt Gingwich


You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.


When written in Chinese the word crisis is composed to two characters. One represents danger, and the other represents opportunity. -Kennedy :)


Believe that man will not merely endure; he will prevail. -William Faulkner