BACK FROM VIETNAM!
I know you guys missed me, ahahhaha.
So here's what we've done and learnt.

Day1 (17NOV2009)
Reached the airport at around 520am.
Had mac for breakfast.
Bade farewell, had group photos, etc.
Did some less than 10min Duty Free shopping, then boarded the plane.
SQ172!
Huge plane!
Listened to songs and read "Home" on board.
Sat with Zhaorong and Keefe.
Touchdown!
Was in group 3 with Mrs Lee, Joy, Jia Hui, Cindy, Samuel, Javier.
Onto bus 2!
The traffic there is super messy!
They don't follow the traffic rules, or lights.
There are lots of motorbikes there & little traffic lights.
I suspect that there's no VQS. (:
Reminds me of Taiwan!
Just that it's much hotter in Vietnam.
It's an organized mess.
Visited the Cangio/Mangroves.
We saw real prop & kneed roots.
The mangrove there is very rich.
We went on a speed boat.
The wind on our skin was amazing.
Mangrove Planting got everyone dirty.
In the mud, it was slimy & slippery.
It had a 'sinking feeling'.
Occasionally, there would young seedlings poking onto our feet.
WHICH HURT A LOT!
We were all given 5 seedlings to plant.
Freak Bitch YC threw mudballs at me!
Just when I was super clean. (with my $200 glasses)
Some other people threw at me too. Losers. -.-
I was beautifully dirty, bitch. (beautiful and dirty, rich)
Mudfought with YC until Mr Quek shouted at us.
Loser.
He kind of said something like this:
"If you don't stop playing, you won't get to go to the market on Saturday!"
Whatever!
You're just jealous that nobody played with you.
Took the 'shortcut' to shore, in which the mudwater level was much higher.
So everyone was mud-ed!
Hahahaa.
There's hardwork needed to conserve the environment.
Exercises like this may seem minute, but they go a long way.
By the way, the whole mangrove there is man-made.
Imagine the labour!
The Guerilla Base was in the mangrove swamps!
So ingenious!
Life in the mangroves.
The VietCongs literally live there! (they're prolly good swimmers)
& they eat crocodile.
Fresh water?
They collect rainwater to store for the hotter seasons, cool eh!
Signed in a momento-book for the Vietnamese there.
(:
Cangio Resort was our first hotel resort.
Awesome food!
I love cauliflower!
The night time there is super scary.
They have very bad lighting.
This plus the rustling of leaves made it spookier.
It was just like the Kampong!

Day2 (18NOV2009)
Primary School visit in the morning!
Super cute kids there!
I was almost 2 times their height! (:
Played many games there, toured the school.
For some reason,
it reminded me of "Tomoyo" in "Totto-Chan: The Girl By The Window".
Gave the kids some presents.
They're so easily satisfied & so simple.
So very disciplined too.
I love the countryside!
Indeed, simplicity (or ignorance) is bliss.
Had a discussion with the VietCong veteran.
He talked to us in Vietnamese. (but we didn't understand :X)
He kept touching Jia Hui!
I think he loves her.
Learnt many things!
Dinner was with a traditional performance at some restaurant.
Awesome food.
Super high class there.
The waiters and waitresses had very good service.
Keefe was obssessed with the 2 artists.
HAHA.
Mrs Lee taught us the art of the serving spoon again. (:

Day3 (19NOV2009)
Went to the Notre Dame Cathedral first.
It was built by the french during their occupation.
It promoted Catholicism.
At the post office there, we bought souvenirs.
I loved the art there.
There were students seated on the floor.
They seemed to be sketching a building.
So cool right?
If only I could be like them!
This helped me to understand the fine arts so much more.
Next was the Palace/Museum.
Saw tanks & planes left by the Americans during the war.
The whole building was huge and conserved well.
(It's nicer than the Istana! :X)
Grandious.
The long history and amazing arts inspired me.
Lunch was vegetarian pho for me.
(pho is pronounched as fur; some kind of rice noodles)
It was where Bill Clinton ate when he went to Vietnam!
Then we went to the War Remnants Museum.
Lots of photos of the war.
Some were a little scary and gory.
Agent Orange's (some chemical the Americans used) effect was seen.
There were deformed children.
Did some shopping.
I felt injust for them; they were so innocent.
The VietCongs have an amazing resilient attribute.
Cu Chi Tunnel was the next stop.
We saw simple tools that were used to dug the tunnel.
Inside was packed, dark & super hot.
There were many ways which would make me lose my way,
if I made a wrong turn anywhere.
Ingenious boobie traps too.
It is amazing how the tunnel was built without modern technology.
Dinner was on a cruise!
Had good seafood and a good time with Miss Johnson.
We were so jealous that we couldn't cruise!
It was a little too rushed though, and the food came very fast.
A long day!

Day4 (20NOV2009)
Early morning, went to the Rice fields.
We learnt the different techniques to plant the different types of rice.
We could either scatter seeds or grow them into seedlings first.
When shedding, some rice grains are lost.
However, the farmers will let their chickens & ducks eat up the remainder.
So clever, huh?
This taught me not to waste food, especially rice grains!
There was this saying that every bowl of rice is a bowl of sweat.
How very true.
Went to the honey-making/candy-making place next.
Saw the bees and the honeycomb.
Taste honey-lime tea & some tidbits.
Saw the making of coconut candies!
The Mekong River was next.
The river was messy with all the livelihood.
That included fishing, tourism, farming, transportation.
Fertile soil (alluvium silt) were transported by boats as work.
The river flows through Myanmar (Bumur), Cambodia, Thailand, China,
Laos, Vietnam.
We took the sanpan which we could help to canoe.
I love canoeing/dragon-boating!
The river used to have crocodiles!
The Vietnamese put "eyes" under the boats, & it successfully scared them off.
It was simple, yet complicated.
It was messy, yet organized.
We then watched a traditional Vietnam Water Puppet Show.
Understood some Vietnamese music and culture.
The show was about agriculture like farming, fishing, etc.
It also portrayed patriotism.
& they had this wooden flute! :D
They're culture seemed somewhat similar to the Chinese's.
Also, the female artist's dress looks like a hanbok. (Korean's traditional dress)
The toilet was called Happy Bush or Happy House.
EUPHEMISM!

Day5 (21NOV2009)
The most boring day!
Visited the VSIP (Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Park).
We saw shoe-making, a secondary industry.
It helped to show us Vietnam & Singapore's friendship.
Didn't go to the Saigon Square due to some reasons.
Ben Thanh Market made up for the shopping though.
The market was super big.
It was just like a Night Market, just that it's in the morning.
The things there are cheap too!
Bought many souvenirs.
It was quite hot too.

Photos (I)
Photos (II)

So that was my Vietnam story!
Kind of lame eh?
We all had lots and lots of fun!
Especially the bonding and rediscovering of old frienships; what a gem!
Throughout the 4days, we all became very good friends with the teachers.
It was through the bus rides & dinner times.
Who knew they could be so cool too!
Something really bad happened though, on the 4th day.
We did something very wrong, and our friendships with the teachers died.
I'm very disappointed, just as they are.
I guess there's really a consequence to everything done.
So naive were we to have thought of getting away scott-free.
Maybe we will never be as close as before, but we are thankful.
At least I am.
Thankful that you all are truely great teachers,
not afraid to teach us integrity.
Sure that came with a price, but it was worthwhile.
Perhaps we will not understand it now,
but in the future, we will look back and say a 'thank you'.
I love, and still do, the teachers.
Mrs Lee, Miss Johnson, Mdm Chua.
They probably won't see this, but who cares.
Thank you.

How will we cope with the awkwardness in school?

SECOND TIME AROUND
by Lady Gaga


Last time I thought we have this talk
Boy, you were getting ready to leave
I thought, baby you were done
'Cause for a while, you could barely look at me.

This time I thought that we'd be fine
That I'd forget the things that you said
I tried crossing out your words
But baby, you cannot forget the past

Cannot forget the past
Still baby

I’m so unpredictable
you don’t know what to think
So unemotional
wonder if I’m even still in love, you see
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around
I'm so unpredictable
Just like you used to be
So unemotional
Boy, I can't forget the way you were with me
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around

The second time around

We tried going back to Joe’s
That always was our favourite place
Long rides, baby, by the coast
Do you remember where we stayed?

Last time we were hanging out
You were acting kind of strange
Now it’s the second time around
I’m sorry, now, it’s me that feels this way

Its me that feels this way, babe
I know you are the one that is hurt

I’m so unpredictable
you don’t know what to think
So unemotional
wonder if I’m even still in love, you see
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around
I'm so unpredictable
Just like you used to be
So unemotional
Boy, I can't forget the way you were with me
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around

I'm not sure the best way to say this
But I can’t pretend to love you no more, babe
This ferris wheel's got me crazy
Maybe the second time around is not meant for us, baby

Not mean for us baby, yeah!

I’m so unpredictable
you don’t know what to think
So unemotional
wonder if I’m even still in love, you see
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around
I'm so unpredictable
Just like you used to be
So unemotional
Boy, I can't forget the way you were with me
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around

I’m so unpredictable
you don’t know what to think
So unemotional
wonder if I’m even still in love, you see
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around
I'm so unpredictable
Just like you used to be
So unemotional
Boy, I can't forget the way you were with me
I don’t know what to tell you now
Its always harder the second time around

Labels: a bowl of rice; a bowl of sweat.

NYP attachment with School of Business!
Day 1 was the ultimate bore.
We listened to people talk all day.
Whatever!
Tour guide, Calvin & Atricia, brought us around NYP's campus.
Quite a big place, but I don't like it.
The architecture and design of the school is BORING!

Day 2 was okay.
We did lots of shopping!
Was attached to NYP's Value Shop.
They have this Teaching Enterprise Programme (TEP).
It means that the students will kind of be working for the school.
So they will experience the outisde world.
(PS: They have no pay! EEK.)
And this will determine their grades, so it's quite easy to score too.

Day 3, today, was okay too.
Mystery shopping!
Basically, we have to do a survey while being a shopper at the shop.
So we just have to act like a shopper.
Or, BE the shopper.
Anyways, it was super lame.
We spent the whole day on it but only shopped for 20min.
Leastways, we were allowed to use com during the lecture.
HAHAHAHA.
That's poly life for you.

The School of Life Sciences was so much more interesting.
They made ice-cream, lotion and even extract DNA.
Ours is so pathetic.
And what about my School of Design, huh? -.-

BIG ANYWAYS, I'll be flying in about 8hours time.
Going to VIETNAM.
Be jealous, and miss me!
Might consider getting souvenirs.
So gonna make YC lose her iTouch. (She's actioning with it! grr...)
Sean's not gonna let me sleep.
People in SG whom I will miss.
Sigh!
So much to occupy me there.
Okay!
Hope that I will have a good & enriching trip.
See you guys soon!

PS: Looking forward to New Year Countdown with you guys! woohoo!

Labels: i don't want to think anymore; i left my hand and my heart on the dance floor.

Everyday, one person says to another, "how are you doing?"
But what are they really trying to say?
Personal response is one thing, but when one person is trying to say something as simple as, "hello", or "how are you", they are probably trying to express deeper feelings about one another.
Like a kid on a school yard, the pressure to tell that special girl that he would like to spend more time with her;
it is difficult, so what we say is, "how are you".
It's hard to express our feelings, so we try to let others guess,
through minute things, hoping that that someone would notice.
So, "how are you" actually means "I want to talk to you".
What it is, I believe, is friendship.
If only it were all so simple.
If only all shyness were rid.
Wouldn't that be easier?
To just go up to your friend and give him/her a hug,
isn't it better than hinting something else to him/her?

One who does something for nothing out of the kindness of one's heart,
that's a display of friendship.
That is the most important thing you can have in life, people to turn to when you have a problem and need support.
Trustworthy friendship is a valuable thing.
Problems do occur within friendships, sometimes, deeper then you could think of, but when you can go up to that person,
and talk to them about what it is thats bothering you, that is true friendship.

A FRIEND'S LETTER:
by anonymous

Misconception on life is a dream,
departed along this reality stream.
Fire of devious laughs of death,
life is not as what it may seem.

My friend, you have shown me the way,
the sun filled sky and the timeless day.
If only you could know the feelings i had;
but sadly the timing of deaths toll to pay.

I was lost, then I was found
in a bind that seemed to go round.
Now, I am lost without your light.
You still lay there without a sound.

Our time together was great,
as if opening the heavenly gate.
Now, you will return to this grace
because of untimely fate.

My time comes and I'm gone,
but you still linger around me.
Death seperates us, but please remember this:
the time we had will be cherished with bliss.

Labels: so my night will soon turn to dawn; and I will lose another night's sleep.

HELLO.

Much has happened this week with me going through "low"s.
Thursday was spent with me thinking a lot.
Many thoughts went through my mind.
I thought of why my brother should use the computer and not myself.
Then I thought of why he deserved to use the computer more than me.
After all, I had better results than him, and I studied so much harder.
Why is it so unfair?
This led me to think about deeper things, like my family.

Somehow I feel that it's so biased. (my parents)
Why is it so that they kind of love him more than me?

I don't know what to think of my dad.
He's always not around, he's always not supportive of me.
It's like, everything I do, he doesn't like.
Even my dreams, my ambitions, my future have to be from him.
Aren't they MY dreams and future?
I told him I like art, so he asked me to go into architecture.
But, hey, that's not what I want.
Sure that architecture is cool and interesting, but it's not me.
I'm more about design and fine arts.
He just doesn't understand.
Perhaps many of you face this too?
Our parents just like to impose their ideas on us.
It's like they were unable to fulfill their dreams, so they want us to do it.
But that's not what we want, please understand.

And for my day to day, I always face it without my family.
Sure that my brother is around, but is he really?
All he does is play computer all day.
ALL DAY.
Mind you, he even forgets dinner. (He went to buy food at 10:30 today)
And he's already 15.
Yet he's so immature, so narrow-minded.
How can I relate to someone completely opposite of me?
We've been through the same, (maybe his experience is worse)
but we're so different.
I guess that's like everything else, nothing will be the same.

There's still so much more that I will not reveal.

So I am alone.
But independent.
That's me.
My experiences have shaped me into this.
These walls that protect my inner fragility.
I'm on my own.
I thought.

I was already having kind of a breakdown so I smsed Han & Yin for help.
(How ironic that it's my siblings-in-Christ that spur me on instead of my brother?)
Thank God for Yin's verse.
Thank God for getting Han to talk to me.
They really made me feel so much better.
They reminded me on how to love my family.
And Han rebuked me yet again, reminding me that,
''Comparisons are easily done once we've had a taste of Perfection''.
Isn't this so true?
Why must we always compare ourselves with others?
You think someone else's family is better?
You're wrong.
Every family has their own problems. (there's this chinese proverb?)
How selfish was I to have only thought of myself.
It's always me, myself and I.
What about others?
So I learnt again to let go and let God.
Which made me feel so much better.

And I'm never alone because God is always with me.
(and with you too!)

HAPPY
by Leona Lewis


Someone once told me that you have to choose
What you win or lose
You can't have everything
Don't you take chances
Might feel the pain
Don't you love in vain
Cause love won't set you free
I could stand by the side
And watch this life pass me by
So unhappy
But safe as could be

So what if it hurts me?
So what if I break down?
So what if this world just throws me off the edge
My feet run out of ground
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear myself
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
Cause I'm just trying to be happy, yeah
Just wanna be happy, yeah

Holding on tightly
Just can't let it go
Just trying to play my role
Slowly disappear, ohh
All these days I feel like they're the same
Just different faces, different names
Get me outta here
I can't stand by your side, ohh no
Watch this life pass me by, pass me by

So what if it hurts me?
So what if I break down?
So what if this world just throws me off the edge
My feet run out of ground
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear myself
Don't care about all the pain in front of me
Cause I'm just trying to be happy, ohh, happy, ohh

So any turns that I can't see
Like I'm a stranger on this road
But don't say victim
Don't say anything

So what if it hurts me?
So what if I break down?
So what if this world just throws me off the edge
My feet run out of ground
I gotta find my place
I wanna hear myself
Don't care about all the pain in front of me

I just wanna be happy
Ohh, yeah, happy, ohh, happy
I just wanna be, ohh
I just wanna be happy
Ohh, happy

Labels: i gotta find my place; i wanna hear myself.

HELLO.

I haven't blogged for a long long time, but I'm back!
Before you start to throw things at me, let me do some justice for myself.
It all started when my dad complained to me about the expensive bills for the internet.
That's because my house had 2 modems.
1 for myself, 1 for my brother, fair enough?
Not for my dad.
He wanted us to share 1 modem.
(which is clearly not possible, since the modem can only be linked to 1 com)
So he 'fixed' up the router.
And after much time spent, both computers had internet.
HAD.
The next day, my com can't access the internet.
So, I gave up trying after a while.
Thus, I was left 'internet-less' for weeks.

But recently, my bro sort of 'gave' the access to my computer.
I thought, "YAY! Finally."
But the worst was yet to come.
So I came home the next day, thinking how nice it would be to update my blog.
And there he was, using the computer.
Playing his dota.
So that's his real motive. (his laptop doesn't have dota)
That's why I still can't use the com anyway.
I have to wait till he thinks he's enough, then I will take over.
(and for today's case, I had to wait till he went downstairs to buy food)
Grow up? You're 15 already.

BIG ANYWAY, I'm here!
I've missed out on many things to blog about.
So.. I shall just post 'current affairs',
and let you read others' blog for previous exciting events.

It's post-school curriculum now, but we(sec3s)'re having extended lessons.
I guess this is good since our results are not good.
(and that 'O' levels are next year)
And the whole of sec2s and 3s moved up by one level.
But in our case, we moved 2 levels.
So it's from level 4 to level 6.
Some flight of stairs, but we're fine.
The only problem is during recess when we have to go down to the canteen.
Thanks, Miss Ho, for making us want to bring our own food.

How's your results, people?
Mine's not to expectation.
No distinction, how can I be satisfied?
But it seems true that only the results that I put in extra effort, I do well in them.
(no wonder my math's results are horrible!)
It's okay.
F32 shall work hard to at least be on level ground with F31.
Let's work hard together!
(& show Miss Ho that we are the most capable batch)

My holiday schedule: super packed!
Let's see what I have.
- Extended lessons
- CCA (Band)
- Leadership Training
- Vietnam's Humanities Trip
- Student Council meetings (should have)
Seems very little, but it's a lot!
God be with me so that my time spent will be wise!
And that was just what I would as an extra curriculum of the school.
What about my own personal time?
I've so much to accomplish in such a short time!
My To-Do(s):
- Write my short story/novel (halfway through Chapter II)
- Write songs
- Prepare some artwork (for admission to Lasalle, maybe?)
- Read and read and read (good novels/articles/newspaper/whatever)
- Improve my English & Literature some more (by reading)
- Improve my Maths (both)
- Build up my foundation for my Sciences
- Master my SS
- Prepare my Geography notes
- Pick up a sport (running, probably?)
You think that's it?
Don't forget hanging out with my friends.

-warning.youmightnotwanttoreadthis.sojustskipitifyouwantto.-
There are 2 great albums coming out!
Taylor Swift's re-release of Fearless (Platinum Edition)

Lady Gaga's re-release of The Fame, The Fame Monster

They're great singer-songwriters.
They're releasing new albums so soon after their already successful albums.
Mind you, those songs are still topping the charts!
They're new songs are still as addictive.
Okay, whatever.
I know you guys are not interested anyway. HAHA.
Well, I'm doing some publicity. (as if it's still not enough)
Forget it. -.-
-that'stheendofthepublicity.-

Seoul. Garden. Is. Very. Addictive.
I had it twice in 2 weeks.
HAHA.
I'm sorry that I'm so deprived.
I'm just so amazed at how fun it is!
And the food there is so nice too,
but it's so unhealthy?
No wonder my throat feels so horrible now. :X



Someone shared to me this phrase, and I think it's so true.

There is wisdom in hindsight.

It means to say that when you look back at the past,
that's when and where you get wisdom.
It seems that we humans are really fools.
See, we will only learn from something after we experience it,
after we experience it's hardship and pain.
No wonder there's another saying.

Once bitten, twice shy.

And sometimes, we don't even learn after the second time.
We are really the silliest creatures.
To counter this, we always have people tell us their experience.
This is so that we will learn from them, the 'guinea pigs'.
But it seems that even after their 'talks', we won't learn.
Must we really be the fools instead of learning from the other fools?
Let's hope not.

Let us have "wisdom in sight". (:

Labels: untouchable; burning brighter than the sun.

Deviant livejournal Facebook Twitter
ADAM's me. My hormones made me MALE. I'm oneFIVE this year, and have seen life since O9/O4/94. Schooled/schooling at {GMS(P) GMS(S)} while studied/studying in {FAITH1/1'O7 FAITH2/1'O8 FAITH3/2'O9}. BAND's my current vibe, and I'm playing the FLUTE. Went back to the LORD on 18/O3/O9 with a joyous heart, with the help of my brother, YIHAN. Currently worshipping at EMMAUSEFC.

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