legacies

as my time come to an end, i would like to reflect in a post long overdue on this blog.

deep, heartfelt thanks to shixiong, zak, phoebe, zixin. even to marcus, jen law, say heng, dunstan. and all other seniors who made a difference to life and leadership in wkwsci.

many people have come to me to congratulate the 16th on a job well done. they said i pushed the school to greater heights. they said i made a difference. they said i nurtured CI Club into a force to be reckoned with, or at least a credible school committee.

some shining milestones are the three adhocs of foc, dnd and papa, which i strongly feel outdid their immediate predecessors.

i cant be any prouder.

to my detractors, i challenge you to prove your own worth. i suggest you see the circumstances i started in. i dare you to look at your own legacy and shout that you were better.

anyway, on that, as much as i have already said it, the 15th made a difference too.

your circumstances were worse than mine. but you worked doubly hard, never shying away from a fight. if you - shixiong, zak, phoebe, zixin - went into a different era, you probably would have made a bigger mark than me.

im standing on the shoulders of giants.

thanks, again.

now that has become past tense.

i am done. two years of my life, my time in ntu and wkwsci. i know i sacrificed a lot for all these, and many of my friends know it. i hope people know i did it coz i love the school. two years of my most important time in university, the formative years.

Praised by the Wise

"Christ's message, which is love, is the more exhilarating, but the Buddha's lesson, which is compassion, is more realistic."

Andre Comte-Sponville, French philosopher

The Merchant of Venice and Nazism had something in common.

make the link yourself. haha.

i like motion pictures

this multiple-award-winning film chronicles private events involving the heavyweights of the Queen and Prime Minister Tony Blair that took place alongside the week when Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. not known to the public eye, a tussle was happening behind the scenes with regards to how Diana's death should be managed, made complicated by her estrangement from the monarchy and the infancy of Blair's reign. by not being part of national mourning, the monarch's reputation was falling by the day, and Elizabeth II was forced to act.

A LIFE OF TRADITION DEFINES HER
THE EYES OF A NATION ARE UPON HER
THE COURAGE TO CHANGE WILL SAVE HER

The Queen is a perfect example of a commercial and critical success, earning an unbelievable 96% on RottenTomatoes, and a full score from reviewer Roger Ebert.

critics may say Helen Mirren turned in an Oscar-worthy performance as Elizabeth II, but for me, the show-stealer was Michael Sheen as the then-PM. im not exactly sure if Blair the man is really so honourable as portrayed, especially standing out like a beacon amidst a harsh British world, but fictional or not, the performance was excellent and the character's insight was admirable.

my two favourite scenes~

Janvrin secretly relating the Queen's perspective to Blair, in the process painting her as more human, and setting the grounds for Blair to believe she is not to be blamed.

Janvrin: I understand how difficult her behaviour must seem to you... how unhelpful. But try and see it from her perspective. She's been brought up to believe it's God's will she is who she is.
Blair: I think we should leave God out of it. It's just not helpful.
Janvrin: She just won't have seen anything like this since the abdication. And I cannot emphasise enough what effect that had on her. Unexpectedly becoming King as good as killed her father. I'm afraid she's in a state of shock. This public reaction has completely thrown her.

when the following scene took place during the film, i choked back tears, moved by Blair's wisdom and honour, all of which happened in extreme solitude for him.

Alastair: They sent a copy of the Queen's speech. I phoned them with a couple of suggestions, to make it sound like it came from a human being.
Blair (irritated): Yeah, all right, Alastair.
Alastair (cynically): Well, at least the old bat's finally agreed to visit Diana's coffin.
Blair (lets rip): You know, when you get it wrong, you really get it wrong! That woman has given her whole life in service to her people. Fifty years doing a job she never wanted! A job she watched kill her father. She's executed it with honor, dignity, and, as far as I can tell, without a single blemish, and now we're all baying for her blood! All because she's struggling to lead the world in mourning for someone who... who threw everything she offered back in her face. And who, for the last few years, seemed committed 24/7 to destroying everything she holds most dear!

Praised by the Wise

"...it is necessary to remember and propagate the message of compassion of Lord Buddha so that hatred can be replaced by love, strife by peace and confrontation by cooperation."

Dr Amadou-Mahtar M'Bow, Director-General of UNESCO

c'mon bocelli! c'mon nyjc!

WKWSCIDND2009: Old Tales of Hollywood

nyjcians in cs pageant. unheard of.

Lynn Ng Zhixin, 19
Cancer
Pre-Uni: Nanyang Junior College

"A cynic is one who knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. "

Her old Hollywood Idol
Audrey Hepburn. She's the epitome of perfection in both inner and outer beauty. Her physical beauty is an all-time classic while her charitable heart distinguishes her from other Hollywood beauties.

Her style
I enjoy experimenting with different styles. I like to mix and match items from my wardrobe to create different looks. However, I tend to favour demure styles more than others.

What she dislikes most/ most want to change about her body
None of my features can be called perfect by any standards, but that's what makes me. I wouldn't want to change any part of myself.

WARNING LABEL
I'm highly unpredictable. I tend to amuse friends with my random antics.

Her most romantic encounter
This is quite a tricky question because I've never been attached. I get my regular doses of romance from novels and television shows.

Best pick-up line
Someone asked me to think of a number between 1-10 and he managed to guess it correctly. When I asked how it worked, he said that he can read my mind. It's quite intriguing, I guess.

Most UN-GLAM moment
I was walking down the steps of an overhead bridge when I suddenly slipped and was somehow propelled forward a considerable distance. A random uncle in front of me had to grab me to stop me from falling further. I stood up and thanked the uncle graciously and continued to walk as glamorously as I could. 5 minutes later when I reached a deserted void deck, I started to bawl uncontrollably. But that was when I was 11 though.

Why we LOVE her anyway.
She embraces her flaws and we love her for that, we all know no one's perfect! And we're sure that the guys will be dying to be there to give her a hand the next time she slips.

Tan Sihan, 20

Virgo

Sports correspondent for Lianhe Zaobao

Helped out in local film sets

Part time model

Pre-Uni: Nanyang Junior College

"why do I always take a walk in the woods and not say anything until you turn to me and I take your face in both hands and kiss you."

His old Hollywood Idol
Monica Vitti. Not really a true Hollywood icon but she did cross over for a couple of films so that qualifies I hope. She starred in two of my favourite films of all time - L'ECLISSE and LA NOTTE. A timeless and haunting face with the deepest eyes and signature hair- they just do not make actrices in her mould anymore.

His style
I actually do enjoy shopping so that explains the number of jackets I have. I normally wear a plain shirt with a jacket over, be it leather, nylon, tweed etc. I try to purchase one off pieces and like to think that I have a unique and intriguing sense of fashion. It explains why a lot of people always ask where I get my clothes from and to me; it validates my point and awesome taste.

What he dislikes most/ most want to change about his body
The baby fats on my face. I'd like to look sleeker and more lithe.

WARNING LABEL
I am always hungering for cinematic instances and references in life and I tend to neglect the rest.

He scores
I believe that romance should never be classified into a singular thing. It should a gradual, persuasive constant. A more memorable highlight would be a date at Kranji War Memorial park.

Best pick-up line
Can I have the time? Can I have a minute of your time? On this (insert time, date etc) is the first time we've ever met. This minute belongs to us and it's a minute I'll never forget. May I have another minute?

Most UN-GLAM moment
I guess it's when I'm drunk.

Why we LOVE him anyway
He has all the traits of a sensitive new age guy, and honestly, what's not to like about a guy who has awesome taste in clothes and enjoys shopping to boot?

WKWSCIDND2009: Old Tales of Hollywood

Bedazzled by the crème de croup of the 1920s and 1930s. Parade in your finest and rub shoulders with the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe and Charlie Chaplin. Lay back, kick off your heels and enjoy this true glitterati event under the stars.

To be held on the 21st of August, join us onboard the MV Falcon Princess as we re-embrace the razzle-dazzle of old Hollywood, bringing you back to the times of Audrey Hepburn, Marilyn Monroe, and the like. Forget the big screens, and witness the excitement and glamour of old Hollywood come to life with some of the classiest stars in the cohort. Held for the first time away from land, this special event promises an unforgettable night of class and elegance.

So join us with your friends, and embark on this maiden voyage with us.

wee ride all night ah!

seriously, i personally thought Homecoming-Wee Ride was one of the best things to come out from the 16th CI Club.

i don't know. i just felt everything fell into place. not like they dropped from the sky, but more like everyone is mature and experienced enough to do their jobs, and assist others in the process. people looked like they were having lots of fun. i was happy too. the maincommers all seemed to be on top of their jobs, and it was great to see as their boss. even the little glitches and last-minute planning here and there showed me how steady all these schoolmates of mine are, as they rode through the problems.

i was indeed moved.

finally, worries over trouble during our night-cycling didnt materialise, thankfully. ran into a police roadblock, but they let all 80 of us pass. people didnt get too hungry or exhausted. not a single cyclist fell out; good job grace, xiaoxuan, amelia, sleepyravioligirls!

wkwsci completed a rare night-cycling event successfully. hurray. from just after midnight to just before 6am. that's freaking fast, people!

the best

finally ive done it. in the most unexpected of situations. with the least faith.

a touch of magic helped garner a first-ever win. best og. a first in six orientation camps.

thanks everyone who made it possible. we did it together. a combined effort. the victory would never be complete with any piece missing. thank u, counsellors chengjie, vanessa and carol. thank u, yew chong, the lucky charm (no joke, this guy's won best og four times in his four years in hall 4). thank u, Maori.

i wont say we're the outright best. that's why it's even sweeter. we didnt have alot of faith, before camp, during camp, and at its end.

i was a last-minute addition to Maori, and i was sceptical. most seniors were, of the team of chengjie, vanessa and carol. in terms of known qualities and enthusiasm in hall. the other counsellor triumvirates seemed too good for us. freshies wise, i must say, in my experience, they wernt exceptionally outstanding too.

but that faith definitely grew. u could see it in the counsellors' eyes. u could see it in the body language of the freshies. if u ask me, this was a case of everything falling into place. our counsellors are not the best, the SAs were not the best, and there wasnt a lot of luck with the freshies allocated to us. but none of these were needed. it was as if everyone had a divine right to a place in Maori. as if some higher power had long arranged for this meeting of minds. the combination created the perfect spark. it was unfortunate i could not be with the og all the time, but im sticking with the belief that fate was necessary, and everything was just, enough.

melvyn, best male freshie.
good job, bixia yanying mark michelle lynn julie weisheng shili eddy.
and everyone else, not least the SAs.

Hall 4 FOC 2009. W4rlords - Clash of the Civilisations. Maori.

this is my Day One of Year 3.

9am class.

facing hedwig.

a moody gf.

a 3-hour Council meeting.

Praised by the Wise

"It is a truth which influenced not only the mightiest thinkers of Greece and Rome, but also the beginnings of Christian teachings, which it antedated by five, six hundred years. It may well claim kindred with all the great faiths, persecuting and opposing none which differ with it."

Lily Adams Beck (Elizabeth Louisa Moresby), British novelist and traveller

yasmin

thank you. and farewell.











even though, at least to me, her direction isnt much to be excited about, she proves that storytelling is everything. we have lost a giant. a one-of-a-kind talent. you can have all the resources you can have, but to be able to tell a good story, is a rare skill. they took her away too soon, really.

Praised by the Wise

"...this venerable religion, which has in it the eternity of a universal hope, the immortality of a boundless love, an indestructible element of faith in final good, and the proudest assertion ever made of human freedom."

Sir Edwin Arnold, English poet and journalist

Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing.

7.09

the figure to remember.

that's our score, after i fulfilled a dream of 6 years. into my 7th year in liondance, i remember how everything started in 2003. i saw posters around nyjc publicising a cca about chinese arts. they were damn cool and i thought to myself, i want to try something different for once this life, and to find something to like in a school i didnt want to be in. all alone, i tried out for the cca. it was ah mack who welcomed me. then there were qiaoming, yujie, huiyang, sherry, lina, lianghong, christopher, stanley, khairul. there were coach, ms fong and ms lin. then there were jonathan, eileen, ziyun, mingqi, suqi, maehui, benwei, yewhan, wenjuan, junqi, sien.

my journey began there.

i even gave up soccer, my first love, for something i knew nothing about. imagine the sacrifice. i was already in the soccer team and gave up a first-team chance.

i knew back then that the pinnacle of the sport for me is the national championships. not to win it, of course, that's ridiculous. but to at least be capable to compete in it someday.

i have now achieved that.

of course a bigger dream is to qualify for the finals at ngee ann city, but i think that will never be possible. i know my limits.

7.09 is nothing to be happy about. plus the fact that this year the judges give points like free, so many ordinary troupes in West Zone scoring 8+. in the region of 6 to 7 means one must have screwed up a few things. 7-8 generally has to screw up things as well, or just being too ordinary. i guess for us, we were never a 8+. it's our maiden assault, we arnt famous (this makes a difference), our props are simple, and honestly our technique is just average.

but still, we could have been a 7.89, a much more respectable score. 0.8 was deducted for the following~

0.1 for a minor slip while attempting a stunt on the bench
0.5 for an unfortunate major zaogeng after disembarking the bench
0.1 for our wushu performer entering the competition grounds before he should
0.1 for an error during his routine

we're already lucky. the strict judges did not punish us for (warning: stupid incident) my headband dropping out of the lion. later in the routine, i also dropped orange skin while peeling the orange. i picked them up, which is not allowed, but apparently the judges did not see it.

watch 新加坡新洋龙狮运动坊 here.