Thoughts & Feelings

2011-06-29T13:00:00.000+08:00

Camp Hooka-Sakka

Camp Hooka-Sakka was indeed a successful and fun experience for me and my fellow friends. I held the role of being the group facilitator for Ooga. I felt that this experience was very different from the times when I was the participants during the HFC camps.

We spent the weeks doing a lot of preparatory work toward the lead-up to the camp. We were tasked to lead the following groups and help to ensure that the games were running smoothly as planned. I felt that it is a privilege to be given this unique opportunity to lead the younger clients. This experience, in turn, showed me a gateway to give back to society and AWWA as a whole. I feel thankful to AWWA for all the services they had provided me for the last few years, and this was a great chance for me to repay them. I hoped that I have done well during the course of the camp.

We were charged to plan activities for the campfire and some games during the second day. In all honesty, the preparation among the June committee wasn’t very well done. The preparations done by us were last minute and very messy. We were called to task and did a better job after which. It was a wake-up call for u, telling us to take the camp preparations seriously and do our very best to ensure that the activities would be fun and beneficial for the clients involved.

With these objectives in mind, we dug in and planned a proper face-to-face meeting to discuss the details of the camp preparations. Hopefully, the experience of helping out to plan such a big camp will put me in a good stead for the future. The experiences have taught me many skills such as teamwork, communication and people relations among others.

Being part of the committee was a privilege. We have worked together to lighten the atmosphere very much. I felt that the clients did themselves very proud with their enthusiasm to participate in all the activities. I think that they felt a belonging towards the groups they were assigned to. Thus, they were all quite active and try their best to ensure that their group would win any games they played in.

Being the facilitator for Ooga was an exciting challenge for me. As I browsed through the name list, I realized that many of the clients and some volunteers were new. I took the opportunity to meet new people to expand my social circle. A week before, we were instructed that we were tasked to assist each other in ensuring that the games run smoothly as planned. Guiding the clients during activities was a great learning experience too. Though Ooga finished last in the camp’s first game, I wass very encouraged to see that the clients didn’t feel discouraged. I did tell the clients that there was still some way to go before the end, and there were ample chances for us to claw back the deficit. In fact, the clients were very motivated to do their best and enjoy playing the activities. Indeed, Ooga was to come storming back to finish second in the final group standings.

I was happy to see that the clients were always very cooperative and helpful towards one another. A good example of that would be the relationship between Lynn and Joyce. During the camp preparations, the clients were all very active in contributing ideas to the skit. I was my pleasure to be part of the group to perform the most interesting skit! I felt that they showed fantastic team spirit and togetherness throughout the camp, which does make me very proud of their achievements. Personally, I have indeed learnt a lot of important lessons too. I also exercised my level of self independence, while learning to be aware of changes around the surroundings. It teaches me the responsibility of looking out for others while taking care of myself at the same time. I also challenged myself to walk along the rocky grounds on my own, standing back up despite falling. By being a leading voice and role model, I hope to instill my experience with them so that they can grow to be success in life. For example, I hope to impart in them self independence, having learnt the skill when I was their age. I do see a cheerful spirit and fearlessness sin them, traits which I could learn too. This camp has also provided a platform for the children to build bonds with their siblings. However, at times the clients have to learn not to be too reliant on the volunteers because they are there as a helping hand for the clients. Overall, they were a credit to themselves.

For the junior committee members, I felt that we did quite fine overall. Despite this, I think that the campfire wasn’t very well done by our standards. Based on our past experiences, I fel that we could put up a better performance for the clients and volunteers to enjoy. Nonetheless, I hope to take these learning experiences on hand so that I could grow and improve further as a person. I wish to thank Yu Kun for the wonderful guidance he has given to all the junior committee members. He made sure that we were on task and wanted the best efforts from us. During the night’s debriefing session, he shared his opinions with us and also guided us along by pointing out some aspects of our performances which we could improve. I took his comments on board and improved for the second day.

Learning Points – What have I learnt?

Throughout the camp experience, I learnt to take responsibility and initiative to lead the younger clients. In a way, this facilitation role has helped me in building my self confidence and leadership skills, which took me out of my control zone. I also learnt to adapt to differing situations and thus react to solve them as quickly as possible. I spoke up more often, always trying to inject various ideas for the skits and totem pole design. It was a different method to learn because I was perhaps used to wait for answers to be given. I feel that these experiences will help me when I step into the workforce or pursue further studies in the future. If given another opportunity, I would relish them to lead the clients in future camps.

Feedback

I think that overall, the camp was very well planned as I see that the clients were enjoying themselves very much. The activeness and loudness of the various cheers were mostly made by the volunteers, as such we may not know if the clients really did participate in the cheers. During meal times, I also realized that the amount of food for some of the clients, were too much, more than what they could eat. Thus, food was wasted. Other than that, the atmosphere during mealtimes was quite good. The campfire preparations were good too, as I think we obtained the objective of surprising the clients with the appearance of Anmi Dodo. However, the junior committee members did not get the opportunity to take part in the night walk, as I was looking forward to it. The mural painting activities were also beneficial to the clients as they get to show appreciation to the staff who have helped them throughout their lives so far.

2011-05-25T14:10:00.005+08:00

To be perceived in a way, i brush it aside as a way for me for some personal self reflection. I take it on board and learn, because i value and trust the opinions. I deeply regret going into such relationships back then, which somehow caused many things to spiral down.

I hope that i'm still treasured as much I was among my friends. I'm sorry for maybe kinda taking it for granted when i once had something i love alot. It's just a coincidence that we were chasing for the same objectives back then

On the other hand, i'm looking forward to graduation day! :D

Sometimes, things are just not meant to be

Maybe the type of songs which i listen to, will always set my mind racing with thoughts. And the most influential ones are the songs from the artist i like most.

2011-05-07T12:58:00.009+08:00

I know one thing: It may NEVER EVER be the same again! Definitely not as much as I hoped for. Nothing caused it behind the scenes, it just happened as it did. I blame no one, maybe i have to blame myself for all of it after all. 我总觉得非常失望...

Sometimes, i just think its just being very very unfair to me dont you think? Yet we dont care to stop for just one minute, and really THINK over it correctly! Now i think i really do understand how the feelings hurt very much...

As said, it just happened over time without the people knowing why and how it happened. Yes, u may not even care becuase u still got your friend to seek consoles to, never knowing that friend have also slowly turn against me, without reason at all. To think that I dont even think to care is just a big and serious misunderstanding.

等到失去才会懂得珍惜. Now that i get to experience it first hand, now i understand how it feels.

One always say that when I find them to talk, no matter how, both just have nothing much. Think of it in another angle, i don't believe that the others will have it as poorly, at least having more than what I have to offer perhaps. Then again, its not as if I never put in the effort to try at all.

Take for example, it just seem to me to be very very long ago that we really really did practice together at all. Yes, each of us may have different targets after all, but does that mean that we can forgo and just focus on whatever we are aiming for. Well, maybe because there is a companion who shares the same targets thats why maybe i didn't want to join in and thus is left behind...

I just didnt want to interrupt what you all have been practicing and their respective mutual collectiveness and music carousel.

Then, the other week, something may have just unknowingly happened, which does make me wonder what I have to get all these ignorance. But think over it, if it was someone else in my shoes, how would that person have felt? Both groups in opposite corners, one of which have the company of each other, while the other goes the other way.

I just came in for lesson the other day. By the time i reached, they have already took a corner to start practicing already. Nevertheless, i just think they didnt really acknowlege me joining in for lesson. Thinking back 2 years, i'm confident that they would welcome me to join them for practice, and surely i would joined them happily. Seeing the case unfold as it is now, I just felt my heart sink at that moment. Its just so disappointing, that I really didn't want to join them, and started to drift myself away from them. In contrary, I would love to have joined them now since they have steadily improved. Not though i want to barge in for the sake of it. From that day, I havent been in very good mood throughout. And for this, who, what do i point to for the cause of it, i also don't know.

Fair enough, now you already built a good friendship with her, i know how good it is to have such a good friend, and as such, i was never going to be jealous of it at all. Moreover, I was formerly one of my best friends. If its torn now, will it be fair to me if you took on the mantle and then left me alone? What did i do wrong, friendship-wise, to deserve such ignorance?

Over the past 3 years since we started our adventure, i think I have done my very best to ensure that we will all do well, musically and socially. The way i gone around helping and motivating everyone, is because i want all of my friends and teammates to do well in the same interests, not to push pressure on anyone else. I don't know how you think that i want it for myself. Remember a year of Special Awards, on the performace day itself, i talked through and convinced the instructors to let all participate as a group. When u missed out, I helped you throughout and made sure that you will make it for the next one. if those arent enough to prove my passion for this group of friends, I really don't know what would.

Now, it is split into teams. its fine to me that naturally the two of them will join together, i understand that. How about saying to me, to join them together? Not that i want to turn against you, but i think there wasn't a wee bit of effort to include me inside your group. To make it worse, you know that I was searching for a group. And you know the group i clearly and really wanted to join, not for musical success, but for the friendship and bonds I shared with you two over the 2 or so years.

But sometimes, i think it is imperative that you should also try to understand my feelings. I do want to join you, but then it seems that i have lost the courage to even approach, let alone starting a communication topic.

Suddenly, the past happenings where we went very happy in each other's company is long-distant. Can we change it for the better, to make me relieve those happy times we had together as friends.

There was even times when we were in it together for the sake of the safety of our so-called best friend.

If I were to put all the evidence of our friendship and togetherness together, I can guarantee that we will feel emotional on how it all began and continue all the way, such that we were recognized as very good friends with ech other for company. I just wish that I could experience again the presence which brought me so much happiness and comfort.

Just think, i have never wanted credit for anything at all, not even when it all went well. And when things turn the other way around, maybe unknowingly it is i, above all, who feel disappointed by the way it turns out.

To be honest, all this while, the main objective is that I really want to learn and build friendly relations with all who are my friends, thats all, it that hard to give? Frankly, i dont want any credit to say that "he has done well to take us to where we are". I still think that everyone had played their part to take the TEAM to where we are today and all should be proud of this together. Let me say that I am a very humble person, really. As long as I have done my part to enjoy and thus led those around me to be happy, i will be very happy indeed.

However, honestly I havent been very happy at all for quite some time already. Just how can it become a 'sinking ship' even since. Yes, i can tell you that I am indeed very passionate about the state of things there.

The reason? Its because of the friends i have among that group of friends, and not because im seeking something for personal gain. The latter has never even crossed my mind.

Think, for example, if we had gone on to go for June, does that mean i want something personally in return for that different experience? No. I was very determined to go for that, if it became available, is because I really want to gain a different experience with all my friends. Only that can make me happy, really...

Perhaps the understandings has been misguided all along. I just take it and from there, left it all alone, only just...

Do anyone know how hurt to see the 'sinking ship' go lower? If i bother to feel something for it, do you think now, that I wanted to get something out of this 'ship' for gain? Not at all.

We know how hard we all tried to make the team click together. When it did bear fruit, everyone was very happy then. Secretly, after that highest point we did achieve together, how many knew that I shed tears of joy during the event? Because in my and our minds, we know that we have finally achieved what we have set out to achieve at the beginning. Then, I said to myself secretly, "How could I go after this very emotional success" Honestly, I cannot do that, so I knew that I wanted to experience more of such of such successes. Not that I took it for granted that having achieved what I already set out, that I had no other motivations. In fact, It is directly the opposite way of thinking, that I am even more determined to achieve more with all of them. I really do.. With this, whoever who reads this at any point, will know my wish already.

I don't think i'm wrong or selfish to go and search for another companion to take the gloom off my feelings towards all these situations. I think that helped me somewhat.

Saying that I may have not have been concerned about maintaining and building on this friendship, is mistaken.

I'm not saying that the situation is so bad, just that its not as good as i previously liked.

I just want to say that it has been very unfair to me, thats all

I just wish for a listening ear and one do can really understand how I'm feeling...Thats all i ask for, nothing more, is that too much of an ask?

2011-02-15T11:13:00.003+08:00

Somehow, i knew it will happen eventually, it was only a matter of time....

2011-02-10T10:20:00.006+08:00

有宁愿的我，独自的传说在人去种，

有离远的风，您的记忆却温暖着我。

仿佛听见你的名字，展示发现那只是幻觉

傻傻也是那么以的寂寞，原来我真的想念你了。

从回忆那天，以过了无助地找着黑夜

难过与不舍，你是否同样在演示着。

总是没有勇气对你坦白，

反反复复我被心情选拉着，

挣扎之后心和你了，我爱你不再逃避了。

只想为你写一首歌，为你的第一个

恋爱是什么，我都快忘记了。

因遇见你，对我傻傻微笑的你，原来爱不远，你就在我的身边。

亲情有这样一个你，让我对爱不再放弃

冷决的心，早已被你战局

给我你的手，你的孤单有我的手后，

如果你爱我，请不要放手

从回忆那天，以过了无助地找着黑夜

难过与不舍，你是否同样在演示着。

总是没有勇气对你坦白，

反反复复我被心情选拉着，

挣扎之后心和你了，我爱你不再逃避了。

只想为你写一首歌，为你的第一个

恋爱是什么，是你欢喜我的。

想告诉你，这感觉从没消失过，更想知道你是否还在乎我。

亲情有这样一个你，让我对爱不再放弃

用心付出，思念你的旋律

给我你的手，你的孤单有我的手后，

我们的幸福，请不要放手。

让我陪你，一直到最后。

2011-01-30T12:39:00.002+08:00

Perhaps i should not have given that role at all in the first place, not when there are a few leaders around.

Perhaps is just that it just makes me concern and work too hard to please and do well for them. Such that i forgo a lot of important factors which actually made the group as close to each other as it is today.

I built and yet i not sure whether was it me who just spoil everything, the spirit and togetherness of the whole team to bring so much success until the end of 2009.

Somehow, i just lost my touch, feel and motivation of it amid just wanting to 'win' without even putting effort for myself. I suppose i must start to put that effort in, for me to catch up already. No more chances of me becoming complacent already, It is about time that I have to work towards being worthy for the chance to part of the team yet

Every time that I am stagnant then other people can be able to improve, and thus reduce the difference between each. So i think i have to be more committed such that i can be a asset to the team again (:

I rather develop my friendship with my friends, then the performances are just the motivations for us to support each other.

Rebuilding of motivation and confidence in progress.

I hope that I can get back to the team again soon..

2011-01-23T19:53:00.001+08:00

7C6, competition for places...to achieve the biggest dream..

Outreach@Cambodia

2011-01-15T12:57:00.001+08:00

Community Outreach @ Cambodia [18 December 2010 - 22 December 2010]

Outreach @ Cambodia is indeed a very impactful and life-changing experience for me. Throughout this trip, I feel that it teaches us many valuable lessons about the reality of life. I definitely took back many learning points and I hope that I can apply those experiences to improve myself as a person. One of the most vital points is the realization that we must treasure what things we have now and not take them for granted, if not we will regret them.

My first thoughts and impression of Cambodia, is one of poverty, strikes and a divided country at war. I thought that Cambodia is a place where it cannot be compared to a modernized Singapore. I thought Cambodia as being a rural, developing country, which is lacking many basic amenities and necessities. I did wonder about the accommodations we would be settling in during our 5 days in Cambodia.

At the beginning of the trip, I have to admit that I was fearful about the environments and the adaptations to the new surroundings. Nonetheless, I was very excited and looking forward to this trip to Cambodia. It was also the first time that I got the chance to go overseas on a plane with my friends. It was a very interesting prospect for us to be given the opportunity to help others and to contribute to the society.

The first day is being occupied by traveling towards Siam Reap, Cambodia. The moment I touched down in Cambodia, I have to say that I couldn’t wait for the real activities to come. The scenery in the hotel was very nice indeed.

We went to visit the Night Market to purchase some local products for family and friends. It is another eye-opening experience as we were also taught to bargain for cheaper prices for the products. The skill is essential for us to get the products as cheap as possible. Through the trip of the night market, I realized that everyone will always be keen to look out for the whereabouts of all participants, though they may not be in the same group. I think that the camaraderie, concern for one other, is one of the strongest points among our group of participants.

The next day would be filled with sight-seeing activities to occupy our day. We visited Angkor Wat, and understand the history behind that tourist attraction. The tour guide shared with us on the internal civil war that plugged Cambodia in the past, and battles between warriors and many more. I feel that it is important that we understood about the country’s history. Thus, I also learnt to appreciate living in Singapore, where Singapore is a multi-racial and peaceful country to live in.

We also visited another place of interest, Angkor Thom, in Baray. It was perhaps there which would be so much confidence to continue exploring the country. I get to understand the roots of their primary religion, Buddhism. We also went around exploring the scenery surrounding Angkor Thom.

However, out of the corner of my eye, a tall building caught my interest. I thought to myself that I could try to climb the monument, as I seek to challenge myself and my physical abilities. With the assistance of a volunteer, I began my quest to climb the monument. As I approached it, I realized that the steps leading to the top was very steep and rocky. It didn’t faze me at all. I tried to climb those steps slowly, one at a time. I felt that it was quite difficult not only physically but emotionally, as it takes a lot of courage and determination to climb each step. For example, I had to be careful to select the next step to climb. The decisions were important for me to complete it, as it may cause more difficulties subsequently.

It was tough as I tumbled and tripped over the rocky steps sometimes. Despite the difficulties, I persevered, picking myself up to climb that particular step again. I felt that the mental strength of determination and perseverance enabled me to complete the climb towards the top of the monument. As I turned round upon reaching the summit, I finally realized the magnitude of my achievement. It was a very fantastic feeling to be able to climb a historical monument in Cambodia. I stood at the top, with much pride and happiness inside me as I viewed the scenery below. It was one of the most unforgettable experiences I would have. Next moment, I realized that I have inspired all my friends to conquer the physical demands of Bayon. They were also very motivated to complete the climb to the top of the building too. Through this experience, I felt that I have regained my self confidence and self belief to achieve anything in life. Despite my physical weaknesses, I try to overcome that with resolute mental strength. Thus, I believe that nothing is impossible to achieve if one has the will without giving up. That achievement would set the tone for me to be very motivated for the rest of the camp in Cambodia. The day was spent well with the various sight-seeing and photo-taking sessions. Being with all my close friends on this trip was a pleasure for me, as I seem to be very happy being surrounded by them. It is a clear and lasting memory indeed.

After the second day’s activities, we went back to the Khmer Village Homestay to do some preparations for the following community involvements activities which would be taking place for the next few days. Group 2 was tasked with leading and organizing the clients to pack the clothes, stationery among other things, which would be given to the local villagers. I was pleasantly surprised I was assigned the task to instruct and organize the clients on the packing plan. We assigned a role to each participant so that everyone contributed towards the packing activities. I felt quite nervous when briefing he clients as I hadn’t done it for quite some time. With the encouragement from my friends and group mates, I managed to complete it.

I felt that within these past two years, I have gained some leadership skills to lead and inspire friends around me. I think that it is a very important quality to have as a person. The experience of being a leader is very valuable. I also get to understand more about myself assisting people. I think that communication is vital for leadership as it ensures everyone listens. I feel fortunate that I am able to be given the chance to lead out my fellow friends for various overseas projects and camps. I think I am able to look back on these times as fond memories which I will treasure with me for a very long time.

As the third day of the project loomed large, we were very motivated to help and interact with the villagers. By the end of the day, it would turn out to be the most emotional day of the whole trip in Cambodia….

We set off to visit the poor and needy families in the villages of Baray. We alighted at each stop to distribute clothes and rice to the villages. Through these experiences, I have learnt many valuable life lessons. Merely extending to give them the clothes or rice has given me much pleasure and joy knowing that I have contributed in making them happy. We also got the chance to see their living environment and understand the poverty situation in Cambodia. We were also told that it requires US$50 to build simple flights of steps in their huts. Even when I was not distributing the donations, I still made an conscious effort to alight at every house in the village.

It is quite emotional for some of us as we realized how fortunate we are to be living in a modernized Singapore. Whereas the local villagers concern about the supply of water and electricity, we do not need to worry about these basic necessities. I also see the importance of living life happily with my family and friends. At times, we may be choosy over the things we have, such as the food we eat. However, I learnt to value everything we have in life. It was a memorable learning experience indeed, a harsh lesson of life which we hope to apply in our lives. We also interacted with some students at the Solar Café. We played some games together with them. Each member from each group also shared their photo albums with the local students, assisted by local translators. Through the photo sharing, I get to recall the memories which I had enjoyed together with my friends. At the same time, it allows the local students to know about life in Singapore. I felt that it was quite interesting to communicate with some locals in English, as we shared about school life and hobbies between each other. We also played games with the local villagers too. Later in the day, we did some preparations for the night activities at the Solar Café.

It is testament to the teamwork and cooperation among the groups that we were able to complete the packing as fast as possible. I felt that everyone knew their respective roles well. We had to adjust to some changes in the last moments, as more villagers visited us. It is very encouraging that we were able to cope with the changes quickly and efficiently. We assisted to lead the villagers towards their seats.

We then went around distributing snacks and drinks to them, as the villagers were entertained with a video programme. Overall, I felt that everyone made their contributions to make the programme a huge success. On a personal note, I was satisfied that I am able to contribute sufficiently towards the community work done in Cambodia. The togetherness to achieve the same goal was clearly testified here. On the background, the clients were already preparing and sorting the clothes to be distributed to the villagers. Although the process was quite rushed, I felt that we coped well with it. We stood in two lanes to donate the clothes to the villagers.

It was a very emotional experience for me personally, as I realized the love and care I get from my family to ensure that I got the best environment to live and strive well in life. To be able to extend my hands to give them the sets of clothes brings me a feeling in which words cannot describe. I just hope that these donations will help them in pursuing a better tomorrow.

As the guide shared with us the difficulties in which the villagers are facing, I felt and showed empathy towards them. At the same time, I also did some self reflection, and I could improve myself better as a person.

Those thoughts brought me to think about the various sacrifices my parents gave when I was younger and coping with my disability. I was very touched by the whole atmosphere.

It was a very emotional and eye-opening experience. I realized that life is very valuable though unpredictable, as anything can happen at any point of our life.

On the fourth day of the trip, we visited a local primary school located at Baray. The students there were always smiling and happy. Seeing them running around the school brings me to recall memories of my primary school days too.

We guided them with some coloring and paper-folding activities. To be able to meet and interact with these young children is really a pleasure for me. We also helped to distribute stationeries to the students. One of my group mates, Hui Ping, also drew some pictures for the children. I tried to put the pictures on auction to the children. However, whenever I lifted up a picture, everyone seems to want it very much. Five pictures, four tables, each row of table having one picture already. To be fair to all the children, we suggested having those pictures put up in the classroom. I felt elated that we were able to leave memories of the pictures with the local children.

We also spent time to design a collage to be displayed in the Solar Café, as we left a legacy in Cambodia. In summary, I have enjoyed my learning journey with all of my close friends in Cambodia!

2010-12-28T11:47:00.012+08:00

A new learning experience of treauring what we have, and not take them for granted.

I hope that we can be very good, best friends again, just like the time in 2009. Just want to say that I value you as a best friend.

One thing is for certain: I value clique very very much! (:

差一点我还以为我所做所说的，会让我失去了一位好友，想真心地说一声对不起啊。

However, merely being able to line up to distribute clothes to small kids in Cambodia, is definitely a emotional experience for me. that experience alone taught me much about valuing life and the people who are close around you as a whole. Honestly, through it, I learned to value the importance of my friends, who would always be there to encourage and give me a boost of confidence in any situation.

当我没有陪伴时，说真的，我会一瞬间想起 awwa clique 的陪伴过程。I just feel that this is the only way to think in order to stay happy and motivated towards each day's work.

However, it is disappointing and at times heartbreaking if I try to improve my relationship with friends and then get said of being unfair by the other side of the spectrum, and vise versa. But somehow I have to learn to interact with more people to understand more about myself and others.

2010-11-26T15:10:00.005+08:00

So far, it has been a happy and cheerful few weeks ahead, something which I dont really get to enjoy somewhat this year. Slowly, the strong, positive Jermayne will be back, more motivation as ever. Perhaps a long post ahead, as i shall shall about many things for the past month or so.

Firstly, keyboard lessons for the past 3 months was a blast ( though i'm one of the slowest in class:X) But still, I have learnt alot, so i wish to step up a level to pick more og those as i go along. We were taught baic music theory, such as understanding how to read music notes and sheets. It has indeed been an interesting experience for me, as yet again i see myself enthusiastic about music

Since 2008, suddenly, music is just my appetizer to motivate myself in everything i hope to do daily, short term and also long term. Everything, as i set off to work, i would be listening to music while travelling. Music has become a part of my daily life.

I recently performed in the AWWA carnival, about a week ago. I thought though it was a mere small piece of music that we played before, i thought it is indeed one of the more satisfying performance i had enjoyed. it is because on that day prior to the performance, three of us wouldnt feeling confident about at all, even during the rehearsals. Even before that, some had differences to solve. I think that it is because of our will to win and succeed that amkes us want to achieve it and do well for the team. I hope that this performance would provide a springboard for us to do better in the coming weeks ahead. I think we can certainly do much better!

Then again, I have found a great companionship. I would always be cheered up by her, as we attain to motivate each other for school and work, and make us both happy.

2010-11-04T21:15:00.002+08:00

I need to rant, to rant about anything and everything, basically about life. it has been a up and down for me. whenever i feel happy, Eg, meeting befrienders and clique, all just seems fine and going well. Happiness just flow through me.

I have to say that the befrienders have enlightened me with their cheerfulness and smiles. Seeing them smile and being happy certainly makes me a lot happier too.

In addition, i have to credit new best friend Shawn, for helping and encouraging me through those times of sadness and fear. Without him, i would have been very troubled and worried in times of problems, which arises with stress with work and many other things, such that i feel i want to be a small, cute and carefree kid again, albeit without physical problems to cope back then.

Recently, my befriender Grace has been brilliant towards me, encouraging me and talking to me quite much. Met her for lunch with Shawn too last week (:

Life is filled with ups and downs. thats what makes life challenging, special, and thus worth living.

Do I feel as if I do things for the sake of it, or is it because of that mistakes made, where I would learn from them and improve?

2010-10-03T22:58:00.001+08:00

I feel that loneliness is the worst emotional feeling one can experience. Whenever I’m alone, maybe traveling to work or school, i maybe thinking about many things. There are also some things which I cannot do much about even if I think about them.

When I try to interact with a person, ask about whether they got include me in the group. Somehow, its hard to tell if im included in the group anot, Sometimes when it is difficult to get really involved in a group interaction. Maybe the topics may be far different, and I won’t really get involved in case I say the wrong information. However, for it may have the feeling of hesitation to be involved even if the topic is of one which I know well.

Take for example, both sides may share the same interests and play a musical instrument, e.g. guitar. Despite this, It seemed a bit hard to interact on the topic of guitars, about each other’s styles of play etc.

Some time recently, Ting Jun asked me a question: If there is one thing I can change, what would it be. However, he also said that on the context of having and making more friends in society, it seems that there is an invisible barrier which holds me back when trying to interact with people socially. However it doesn’t happen when I’m with awwa clique or anyone. Haiz, this socializing problem has indeed set me thinking…

2010-09-25T21:35:00.000+08:00

What if I was physically normal, would I be having as many friends around as now.

I had a befrienders’ meeting for dinner last week after work. I met up with grace and Madalene, and also made a new friend Ser Wee. Had dinner while talking quite a lot with the befrienders, they are quite nice and fun people. Weiling and Lyana was unable to join because they something on, as Petrina joined us too. I also gave Grace and Madalene a surprise gift, which is a flash animation website. I hope that they will like it! (:

A few months, I also met my befrienders for a picnic session, together with Shawn and Ting Jun. Then having dinner together, we went to a nearly void deck to play some card games again. After I lost a game, the ‘forfeit’ for me is that I played the song “When you say nothing at all’ on guitar for them to enjoy!

The previous semester in year 3 isn’t really a good semester. I had to manage most of things on my own, a far cry from the times in the previous 2 years where I would always have friends around me. It seems to be quite a long and lonely journey. Even though I am able to join some of them during lessons, however during break time it is rare that I got a group to follow. So, I would normally be on my own as they already leave the lessons before me. Thus, I just took school slowly, handle it day by day.

I had to motivate myself, knowing that I would be able to enjoy msn chats at the end if I focused on work in school. This semester I specialized in networking, as all the modules covered is about routers and networking concepts. I find that I am able to grasp networking quite fast, as I got interests in knowing how networks operate and communicate with each other.

But sometimes I find it weird whenever I approached a person, somehow the person just ignore me and imagined that I didn’t talk to them. It feels that it is quite embarrassing to me. I sometimes would wonder why they would do that and ignore me, not as if I do something wrong towards them though....

2010-08-18T21:15:00.001+08:00

Best friends forever!

When you're feeling down, I'll bring you up.

I'll be your shoulder to cry on.

I'll call on your birthday when your boyfriend forgets to.

If you're confused, I'll give you answers.

Turn that frown upside down!

I'll tell you what you need to hear.

I'll show you what you need to see.

I'll run with you.

No matter how many times you turn your back, I'm still here.

If you want to complain, I'll listen.

If you want to cry, I'll wipe your tears.

You are beautiful.

When push comes to shove and you're just too afraid to take that step, I'll take it with you.

When the dark scares you, I'll be your light.

We'll be dorks together!

If you want to dance on tables, I'll bring out the karaoke machine.

When you want your mind off of everything, I'll take you for a walk.

Don't cry over him, cry for him because he doesn't get to be with you.

Let's dance and sing until the sun rises!

This is my way of saying that you'll be my best friend forever and a day.

2010-08-12T13:07:00.002+08:00

what's the meaning of life? Recently, it is weird to me that life is starting to get a bit boring for me, the routines are always same, and well there isnt much life in me to do what i normally would feel happy doing them.

I read the papers nowadays about the various news around the world. And I often come across articles on the value of interacting with people, which is vital for me the next time i go out to work, working relations with colleagues are important when working.

Despite having strong family support, i realized this far that I havent really had many fruitful social relationships with friends as much as I like to. Hvaing friends would thus lead to more intercommunicationand thus learn how to relate oneself to others. Moreover, with more friends, we see that social outings would be organised more often to meet up and spend quality time together. To be fair, it is also important that we also strike a balance between sending time with family and also friends.

I read about a newspaper today about the

2010-06-25T14:00:00.003+08:00

School's starting soon, in another week's time. Cannot say that I'm really looking forward to it though. Presentations for MCN research assignment is due when school reopen, NSS project assignment 2 has to be done in school S542.

The World Cup 2010 has started to sparkle with several surprises and shocks, as Italy and France have already been knocked out in the group stages, quite interestingly

My befrienders have been great, as I get to chat with Grace quite often recently, when she helped us film a video of the performance for the YOG de. She's brilliant! (:

At times, is not that I want to compare between two friends, being u and another of them. I like to be with both of them, as they ave always make me happy whenever we go out together. However, he cannot just compare that I always dont take him as a priority, instead preferring my other close friend, rather than him. And he thinks that i only do find him whenever i am unable to find my other friend to talk to. All these comparisons are wrong indeed. I dont fancy the comparisons between both, because both are very good to me, and I treasure them as friends, for nowadays I am closer to both of them.

2010-05-25T16:34:00.003+08:00

I enjoy to be with my befrienders, thats for sure! I found a certain happiness when being with them. I feel happy with I'm with clique. However, this happiness is very different, as I can interact and learn from them.

They helped me to celebrate my birthday and I was very happy, as I feel close to them and also clique people. Their gifts are very nice, and Amanda and Shawn also gave me 2 picks to motivate me to perform well in guitar and be a good leader.

School isnt really good so far, with the constant fear of my results dropping at the end of semester. I think I have made up my mind to work hard and chase a place in NUS next year, be it being pursuing Psychology or Computer Sciences im not too sure yet, but most lkely the latter option.

Mr Simon, my PEM recently showed us on the various cut-off points for the various courses in University. The first option which i was interested in, was the Computer Science in NUS, and its minimum requirement is GPA of 3.6.

Recently, I have put pressure on myself in Year 3, because Year 3 Semester 1 is perhaps the only time in 3 years which, even though I aren't alone while in school, it is a time where I really had to manage almost everything on my own, such as schoolwork, projects and tests.

Professional and Interpersonal Communication Skills the mock interview was quite well, just that my classmates say I kept repeating the same points some of the time. ICT presentation was also quite ok with Poh Kim and LiPing, both of whom has been a great help to me in school, especially during Network Sever and Security lab lessons.

NSS lab test 1 went very well, and I got a personal email of congratuations from Mr Simon the lecturer himself. For that test, i think I was one of the highest possibly, so I'm pleased.

NSS Assignment 1 is done, a research assignment on the topic of Nessus Port Scanners. I hope I can do well for that part of the grading assessment. Projects this semester, 2 of which I would be doing them individually. I hope I can do well in them too.

Guitar has been practically going well, as we have just went fr a performance at Yishun, playing the song, "When You Say Nothing At All". One of my befrienders, Grace, was in attendance to support us, as she is also in attachment internship with AWWA. SO, I could see her almost every week saturday, when i go for guitar practices.

The performance went well. But more importantly is the need to play together as a team, instead of as individuals, which just seems to be the case since SA 2009...However, I still hope that this team would still come good. For now, we would be concentrating on efforts to prepare for Special Awards 2010! Then, after which, i think it is of vital importance that we focus more on teamwork, going back to the learning of elementary skills such as chords for all, so that the team is progressing at the same pace.

2010-03-17T13:33:00.004+08:00

我一定会帮助你，一定还会尽力地答道你所要求我的所有的事来帮助你。当你的最好的朋友，我觉得我们必须互相帮助对方。对我来说，我们这样是最好的，最开心最快乐的。我们两人已经当朋友了好多年了，深为朋友，所有的点点滴滴我们会一起分享的，所有的快乐事物都是我们朋友一起过的，也许我们所分享的，我们都会留下许多美好的回忆。

我们在经过一定是难以了解为什么我们是这样的。但是，深为朋友，我们互相帮忙，让我们的生活有快乐些。我想你知道我在学校里，会被人们欺负。但我觉得我一定没有让朋友影响到我的学业。当我难过时，你一定会尽力地去鼓励我，给我劝告。当面的，我会比较快乐，所有的担忧都消失了。我觉得，我对你的深刻的友情，是一件没有人会真的去了解的，也许只有对方会真的去了解，明白地清清楚楚，一干二净的。

我们身为好友

我希望你呢能，走出你的 “黑暗” 的世界吧, 朋友

我希望我们还可以像以前一样

因为，我们的友情这样密切。。。。

我真的好希望我们还能做个永远的朋友：

身为一个朋友

有些事情不该勉强

看你黑著眼圈

今晚换成我睡不着

到底是谁害你这么伤

因为我们的友情好密切

我拼命到达你的的需要

虽然只是朋友

总比什么都不是好

看你快乐

借你关心也借你微笑

我一定会尽力帮你

我相信你也会一样的帮助我

看着你却伤心的只能看着，不能帮助

称职的做一个永远的朋友

看着你求救的简讯内容

我看见真真的友情向我大声嘲弄

看着你却尽力去陪你，替你解忧

虚弱的做一个永远的朋友

几次累的想断绝联络

却听见你说

情人比不上朋友

我总是有

让你笑出声的方法

我却没有

让自己离开的力量

也许友情才能天长地久

我只是朋友。。

我们还是朋友

只想做个普通的人

却普通到没有友情肯为我转身

虽然我们做不到一百分

但却真的友情

就算做个普通的人

我们真的希望我们能做两位普通的人。。。

有一种沉默叫做忘记

有一种黑夜叫做封闭

我们说世界多么美丽

我们却常常只看见自己

有一种朋友不曾相遇

有一种感动互相激励

我们为梦想各自努力

这样的陌生却是如此熟悉

最美的沉默叫做默契

最黑的黑的世界我们一起努力，总会过去

用几个音符就能让自己得到知己

这样的缘分是心有灵犀

最真的朋友没有距离

最深的感动不必言语

用一首歌曲就能让陌生变成魔力

我们这样的缘分是心有灵犀

绽放的笑容不会忘记

开放的心灵无法封闭

我们把梦想化作旋律

这样的歌曲里面我们能够达到我们的梦想

知心的朋友就像知己

真心的感动惺惺相惜

我们要继续互相勉励

不管它相隔了千里万里

我们别孤单好吗，我们还是做个永远的朋友的！

陈伟联

2010-03-08T12:15:00.006+08:00

我一向来都喜欢听陈伟联唱起歌来。他阿的歌声都会感动人们的心，让人站起来去发现他在唱起歌。

对我自己来说，我也跟大家一样，被他的歌声而感到非常感动。陈伟联的新专辑，《走唱》，是我的一位好友介绍给我的。他跟我一样也非常喜欢伟联的歌。但是，这次他的新专辑会比较特别。为什么呢？是因为在他的新专辑里，有许多歌是陈伟联自己协和自己唱的。

其实，我喜欢陈伟联的歌最终是因为，我，和他一样，都喜欢谈着吉他。在陈伟联的新专辑里，有很多歌，很明显的，是用吉他来探出感人的声音的。虽然伟联是看不见的，可是他却用心的唱出歌来，真是非常动感人的事啊！

我给一个例子吧。陈伟联的一首歌，“永远的朋友”。在这首歌里，他唱出朋友的重要性，也是说出情，爱情或友情，都是人都必须珍惜的。我喜欢这首歌是因为，我发现到我有很多朋友和家人都在我的身边，不断地支持我，守护我，我却感到很心满意足，生活比较快乐些。我也发现到无乱我有什么问题，家人和朋友都会尽力而为地去帮助我。

另外一首歌我非常喜欢的是《走唱》的 “孤单好吗”。这首歌会令我想起我中学那段日子，当时我在学校的时候没有很多朋友，经常学校的事情都是我自己承担，也觉得非常孤单。我那时真阳度过那时的孤单，使其我不太清楚，也许我专心地去读好书，考到好的成绩，所以朋友之间我没有去好好地去关吧。在伟联的这首歌里，它告诉了我们，在生活里，每个人都一定会感到孤单的，而是我们用什么方法去面对这段孤单的时刻是重要的。我自己本身觉得呢，有着孤单的经验后，我现在会懂得珍惜我身边的人，和他们聊谈多了些。另外一方面，每但我听了这首歌时，我会想拿起吉他来玩。久而久之，我会很想学怎样谈这首歌在我的吉他。

处此自外，我也喜欢上了陈伟联别的专辑，《i 伟联》与《我只是想要》。其中我最欢喜的歌是《i 伟联》里的 “普通的人”。在这首歌里，很明显的，他唱出他对爱情的想法与感受，希望别人可以当他称普通的人。他说着，虽然他是盲人，我们像他一样，也是走路不太方便，但是我们还跟人们没有什么不一样的，所以是普通的人。

在陈伟联的新专辑，《走唱》，每一首歌我都非常喜欢，会让我想起恨我开心或难过的事情。可是，我所提出的那几首歌，是我想是我觉得是最好听的那两首歌吧。

Guitar

2010-03-03T16:34:00.003+08:00

It just seems quite long ago that I held high hopes for Guitar Ensemble. Our latest performance at the National Library Board, playing Cannon in D, is definitely one to forget for me personally. I kinda was disappointed with the whole thing, even though I went to represent the team to collect the hampers as a reward for our performance, I tried to put up a positive mind, but deeply disappointed inside.

By then, Jonathan had left the team to focus on work, and after a while Kelvin joined back the guitar team. But it just seem that the team is diminishing slowly. We weren't as motivated as last time, where we would try every week to practice guitar. But this year the motivation isn't there any longer. Lessons is just more of only those left who are motivated who pick up what we want and interested to learn and the teachers teach those skills. The rest would be either, not present for lesson due to reasons, or some who are there for lessons but isn't participating and interacting or even worse, not trying during lessons. As a member of the team, I sometimes do feel abit frustrated.

This year I thought we could progress, but it just seems that we are slowing down this year. This year, maybe we have moved up another level in terms of the skills taught. Last time where we learnt basic chords changing and tabs playing, this year we got to combine both skills and know when is the timing to play chords and tabs, with applications of songs. Maybe we have up-ed the standard when we have started to learn to apply and try playing songs which we like.

We have started to learn “童话” and "When You Say Nothing At All". The applications look simple on paper, but very difficult practically, when we try to play the song with the chords. With this new application, we learn new chords, G and D, and apply what the C chord which we are quite familiar with. The change of chords in itself is proving difficult, never mind makng t sound like the actual song.

Despite this, “童话” has been quite a easier song to play, as it requires just the combinations of the basic chords which we are drilled with for quite long. The only difficult part of it, is just how to combine singing the song, and playing the chords of the song concurrently. It is quite fun to learn that song, and add to the playing of the piano in this song, is just brillant. However, i just feel that the motivation of guitar is just not there any more. I just wished that that motivation could be relinquished again....

There are definitely problems facing this group of players. Not only did some lost interests, that some also didnt get involved in practice sessions. As a player myself, i just feel disappointed that half the team isn't participating in practices. When I inform them of guitar practices on saturdy during the midweek, most of them would say that they are able to come for practice on Saturday. However, during the practice on Saturdays, Peter would just be physically present and not even participating in the practice sessions. Moreover, I sometimes think that he is there during the lessons, just because Sharman is in the same team. And even if he were to play his guitar, he wont play in the correct technique, just merely strumming or plucking with no motivation and heart in it. If he really "participate" in lessons, just purely because Sharman is there, i really don't see the reason why he should continue to persist on attending guitar lessons, if he isn't motivated or participating and learning together. Thus, I'm indeed very disappointed and worried about the outlook of this team. The introduction of Kelvin has rejuvenated the outlook somewhat. But with a team member who hasn't participated has indeed indirectly affected the team morale and the atmosphere of the lessons. To be truthful, I want players who would be motivated and interested and want to learn. It just feels weird to me if I see Peter during lessons physically, and just there talking and listening to music during lessons, when everyone else is focusing on what the teachers are trying to guide and teach us. Moreover, the instructors who guide us are volunteers only, so if they see that the students aren't motivated and not participating during lessons, i not sure if they are motivated themselves to teach us the skills. For those really motivated students, such as me, Amanda and Shawn, with the problems surrounding it, it may just affect us a bit during lessons, though we do try our best to keep focussed on the goals we want to achieve. As for those who join just because of friends, well, i think it would be better if they would prefer to pursue something which they have a definite interest in. With Guitar Ensemble, it is more of learning with people who share the same interests, with the main objective of going for performance.

Focusing on guitar commitments have been tough for me, because now there isn't many that still share my targets. But i guess I have to continue trying and improving on my skills.

Amanda got her driving license, i congratulate her on that success. I hope that with the driving license, she could be more independent and i think she worked very hard to pass the driving test on her first try.

Run For My Lunch event was good and enkpyable, met up with befrienders again for the 3km non-competitive run. We walked throughout the 3km, and chatted quite alot with Wei Liing and Madalene. The other 2 befrienders had to be stationed to help out in the running of the event though and this didnt join us.

First befriender activity, where i invited them to come AWWA to watch us practice our guitar. Since that was the first time i met them, it was surprised that Lyana is also able to play the guitar well.

The second and third befrienders' activities was very fun and exciting. The second activity, they invited me to go watch the movie entitled "Hear Me". It was a very interesting movie, a story of a girl that is deaf who participated in the Olymics for the Deaf, and won the competition in the end. Touching movie indeed. I thank them for treating me the movie ticket. We then went for dinner and took some photos before going home.

The third befriender activity, we had a picnic near Woodlands. It was possibly the most enjoying outing out of the 3 activities, because there was food, fun and laughter. We played card games and unfortunately one of the befrienders lost and had to do a forfeit, with her forfeit filmed on camera. it was pure fun and laughter.

Exams have just ended not too long ago, and the holidays have started. For this latest semester which just ended, I hope that I can get good results again, aiming to get a perfect 4.0 for this semester.

2010-02-18T13:07:00.002+08:00

Many things to update nowadays...Amanda's 20th Birthday, Befrienders, Run For My Lunch 2010, Chinese New Year 2010.

Well, Amanda's Birthday this year is almost identical with her previous year's. Went KBox again etc. Bought her a watch and a notebook for her, and also hand-drew a image of a guitar for her. Though it is not really very nice, but i hope she still like it, as i still cannot forget that it was she who inspired me to play the guitar in the first place, add on to the fact that she likes music a lot, so it seems to be a good present. As I cross my 2nd year of being best friend with her, now it seems that I am closer to her than ever.

Outings with befrienders are good. Met with new friends, namely Wei Ling, Madalene, Grace and Lyana. They are really good to me. Wei Ling and Madalene are very cheerful kind so it lighten the atmosphere. Run For My Lunch event with them too, was great experince, walking with them and talking about alot of things, learning from them also.

Started national soccer training at Singapore Khalsa Association. Has been fun and i learned alot from technical skills from there, getting to be a better player with more sessions.

I have broke my goalscoring duck with awwa team, as I scored twice in a single game a few weeks back. Well, I was elated to score not only once, but twice, one of which is Ryan Giggs style.

Guitar

2010-02-07T11:07:00.002+08:00

There are definitely some times, where even the best players will feel down by poor management of a good team. But, what makes a great and outstanding player is one's resolve to stand up and feel motivated again, to achieve what we want.

I feel that despite setbacks, my resolve to improve has indeed not weakened. Everything which we go through definitely have its highs and lows, as i have seen them myself. I wish that the situation can improve fast, though i cannot possibly see it improving, given the current state of things

Due to those, star player has started to get frustrated with the state of things, such that she has seems to not as motivated as before. I think it is of priority to get star player motivated again, as she would play well like before.

I would just have to say to star player, is that, it is you who is the heartbeat of the team, and thus you lead this team with your impressive skill. Part of our talents has already been showcased with the various performances. If we think we aren't good, we are not good. If we think we can be successful, we will be successful. Given time, we still can play well together again, so don't feel unmotivated ok?

Up-and-coming potential, believe in your ability, be like star player, who she very much believe in her own talents, and you can see how much she has achieved already in music.

Guitar Practice and Soccer

2009-12-20T12:02:00.002+08:00

Saturday, 19 December 2009

Its Saturday again!! This week, i went soccer in the morning at Yio Chu Kang Primary School, for a friendly match. I did start the match, as it was a 11-a-side game. I played as a left-back for the first time. Patrice Evra eh? haha

Well, for the first time, i completed 70 minutes of the game, before getting subbed out, and getting subbe din again some time later, to play as right-back, center back, John O'Shea style. I love to play soccer when I am on form. I thought I did quite well during the process of the whole game, as i got involved in the game, quite often, instead of just running around chasing the ball. This time, I was disciplined enough to adapt in to the position I was asked to play, and is more of positional play.

Especially in the first 30 minutes, i thought I had the best game for quite awhile. I was called into defensive action for many times, defending against the opposing winger. I made a few blocks from their crosses and shots, and also made a sliding tackle to put the ball out of play for a opposing throw-in. Most impressive is that I also made a crucial block from an oppposing shot, which some of the team-mates thanked me after that. From there, it was about playing for the joy of it, and contributing for the team. I really enjoyed it alot, and i think its possibly the best game i had for quite some time. Though we lost out in the end, I was satisfied with my individual performance as i thought I had improved abit on my game. The team also played very well, remembering that we were playing against normal people with skills.

After that, i went back for guitar practice. Arvind revised with us the plucking method, and told us to master the switching of the basic chords: C, Am, F, G. He also showed us how to play some songs etc..quite interesting...

Missing Elements

2009-12-13T15:21:00.002+08:00

Missing Elements

My Common Tests are here already, and I am quite busy preparing for them. I need to do well in both papers. The first paper, Cost Accounting, the Common Tests is 50% of the whole module and thats a big percentage.

The second Common Test, Rapid Application Development is a programming paper, consists of 30%. I have done well for the first class test 15% of the whole module, coming in 2nd in class, behind my close friend in school, Long Yuan. He has helped me alot this semester, and I look forward to work together with him in the various projects this semester.

More than ever, I'm missing clique chats and best friend for 2 weeks, maybe 3 weeks, and 3 weeks is too long. It is feeling strange without clique chats, and i just wait for it to resume, as i got alot of things to ponder on...

The previous week is just simply not my week. No clique chats, solo chats, and to make matters worse, I am very low as 2nd best friend is sick, and I am worried and hope that she would recover faster...

Not having guitar sessions to look forward to this week even though I went AWWA for soccer training yesterday, is a miss. Last week, We were taught plucking method by Justin. Daniel would be absent for about a month, and we would need guidance from all teachers for us to progress up again...

Missing those times when my both best friends will have chat together as 1 group.....

Celebrations

2009-11-29T12:16:00.004+08:00

Saturday, 28 November 2009

Yesterday, we went AWWA for the performance celebrations. Guitar Ensemble members assembled at the conference room, while SPARKZ went to the staff room to hold their own respective end of year evaluation.

For Guitar Ensemble, the session started off with Parames saying that she will be leaving AWWA to join MOE in December ( i wish her the best of luck in her new post in her career). Then she would announce that there would be offer of a performance on 9 January 2010, at the National Library for operational therapists in Singapore. We would be performing Cannon In D yet again, and honestly I cannot wait for it to happen again, and add to my many valuable experiences and memories I have enjoyed in my new "career" as a guitar player.

After the sessioin, Juliet, as ex-AWWA staff and now NP lecturer, came back to her old hunting ground and workplace to a warm welcome from us, the clients who have benefited from her teachings in English 2 years back, as it was to her credit that our Engish did improve through her guidance. We played some ice breaking games with her students and interacted with them well.

After the whole celebration, we all went for lunch at AMK Hub. By that time, I was like having that same kind of feeling again, but i shall not explain it here.

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I will play the best this time, thats a promise to myself, as come 9 January 2010, Guitar Ensemble will set out with the same motivation and enthusiaiam yet again to prove that they are destined for greatness. (:

I have fully enjoyed my full year of being in Guitar Ensemble this year. I has brought about many invaluable experiences and lessons about life. It told me more about the various qualities of determination despite setbacks that would have made us a stronger team mentally. The team has so much potential and i hope that this potential can be fulfilled.

What I feel is that this year we have gone the distance in our journey to play the guitar. Our long awaited debut, The Special Awards 2009, was indeed the start, but not the end of the wonderful journey that we would have gone together to achieve what we have done this year, and I think that it can only get better. We worked so hard to realize our debut, and I think that the hard work indeed paid off in some style. The constant process and heart to learn and master the skills is indeed seen then.

I thought that we had bui;t up a good reputation for ourselves. And soon, NCSS came calling, and put us a offer of performing for them in the Christmas Lightup 2009 in Orchard. It was indeed an offer that we just couldn't refuse. And so, it came and passed, with yet another success story written into our inspirational storyline.

Throughout this journey, it was not really completely smooth, as a team we encountered several problems and differences. Yet we sought to stick together despite them, and that spirit has indeed made us a better team, with great team spirit.

Next year, i hope that we can further improve our chords and hope to play songs with the team using a combination of chords and melody played together. I think that that will be fun and interesting, and it will be my main objective next year.

Thanks to Amanda for inspiring me to go the distance to play the guitar, quite like the way we play it. With your constant encouragement to me, when I was low and short of confidence, ou told me to keep going, keep practicing until I get it right. Only did I continue to perservere, and stand back up again and try again, without giving up. I hope to combine with you more nxt year, this time with the addition of our best friend Sylvia's piano talent (:

Thanks to Amanda, Shawn, and all that have supported me and gave me the thumbs-up to be able to extend my reign as Guitar Ensemble coordinator. If u all had the saying of yes to let me continue, i did realized that I have been doing a great job. Next year, I will do a better job and bring more success to Guitar Ensemble, that is destined for great things (:

Christmas Lightup Performance 2009

2009-11-22T12:28:00.005+08:00

Christmas Lightup Performance 2009

Saturday, 7 November 2009

"If one would have the heart to dream what they wold want to achieve, and work hard towards that dream, he would have achieved it one day."

I vividly remember that back in April this year, I had the chance to view a performance by SPARKZ and see that they are a talented team in progress, and i thought they had already carved out a reputation for singing, as they have proved throughout the various appearances in consecutive Special Awards since 2004.

Back in April, where I was attending as a audience to their performance, I only thought of 1 thing in my mind, which is to emulate SPARKZ as a musical group. Where they specialised in the voices of singing and lyrics-composition, Guitar Ensemble was developing as a team to play the guitar beautifully, with passion and skill.

Then in August 2009, it beecame a chance for Guitar Ensemble to make their first mark into music and to inspire people. We performed in the Special Awards 2009. Did I ever thought that 3 months on, i would lead Guitar Ensemble to have their second, and their first public, performance?

So it came when we had the same objective to play well yet again, this time in front of His Excellency, president S R Nathan. This time, we had the experience, the team spirit and determination to do well again.

And so, the performance waas to be held at ION Orchard. In the afternoon, we gathered and had lunch together before going to the venue to prepare for the rehearsal. The rehearsal had gone well, and I was quite confident of our adventure to be a success. Indeed it was a fantastic success, and I am proud of our achievement.

But what i get from this performance is certainly something different. I have gained valuable experience, feeling the atmosphere which more than 300 people as audience bring. I have also learnt the importance of teamwork and cooperation when practicing as I work with many people to get a goal done. Eg, when I was required to combine my bass 1 to sync with Arvind's chorus playing. The value of camaraderie and the various friendships which i have made throughout this journey would have been invaluable for me personally. More importantly, I learnt how to be inspired by the way they have demonstrated themselves to be inspirations and role models for others to follow. Throughout the journey of playing with the different combinations of skills and talent, only I realized that they can indeed be very good in music. Admittedly, the 1 thing that i really valued here was the chance to be on the same stage as my idol and inspiration, Hui Qi and Amanda respectively. They both will always be my role models and inspirations of how to achieve great things when the odds were stacked onto them.

Most importantly, This day would be very special for my family as it was my mother's birthday. With that in mind, I have more motivation to play even better, for my mother.

Guitar Practice

2009-10-25T15:11:00.002+08:00

Saturday, 24 October 2009

WEnt for guitar practice at ACCESS as usual, but this time it is for the first rehearsal for the upcoming pChristmas Lightup Peformance. Reached there at 9.30am to being practice. Amanda came awhile later, along with the rest of the guitar team.

Arvind started to guide us more on playing chords, introducing the F chord to mix with the Am and C chords learned beforehand. Practiced a few rounds of combining Cannon, with me switching to play "guitar 2" role.

Then after awhile, guitar and SPARKZ combine to rehearse the singing of "White Christms" which probably will be the song for the Grand Finale. Zuo En played the piano, while Arvind combined to play the guitar for the song. Singing with such talents such as HuiQi and Khristine among others is just a privilege for me, and i enjoyed it very much

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It just seem that in another 2 weeks time, i would have another chance to lead this guitar team for yet another performance, the Christmas Lightup Performance, having made our first debut back in August this year during the Special Awards 2009. How fast this team has indeed progressedfrom learning tabs to learning chords in just a few months.

Moreover, this time when we turn up for our second group performance, It would have even made it more interesting to realise that we would be combining play with SPARKZ this time around, and i think that it is indeed one that i have always hoped for, and now the chance is indeed there for me to take. Not being able to qualify for me to play combination for the "White Christmas" with guitar, for me, it is already a disappointment in itself. I wont deny that I am indeed very disappointed. However, I think that I can be able to learn from this experiwnce of missing out and thus develop to be a better guitar player next time. Having said that, it is indeed true that merely singing the "White Christnas" song with such talents such as HuiQi and Khristine among others is just a honour for me, to be mixing and being associated with their talents can only make me a better musical player. A opportunity that I cannot seem to refuse...

"Passion for music makes clique click together"

Clique Days

2009-10-18T11:59:00.005+08:00

Saturday, 17 October 2009

Well, it just seems like saturday is really clique day after all, because this week dont have guitar practice at ACCESS as it is a public holiday. Despite this, well, we still meet together for arcade with Amanda, Ting Jun, Shawn and Philip.

Amanda joined us later after her driving lesson. When she reached she called me then I went down to Level 1 meet her, bring her to the arcade. We played a few games of ice hockey.

Then the group game, pits me and Amada against Philip Tj and Shawn. It was the battle against the odds, and so it proved..Out of 3 gme set, both teams won a game each while we drew the other. Then we lost the game by just 1 point. It was indeed a fun game, and it increased the bond between us, thats for sure....

Play racing gme with Amanda, TJ, and Shawn. Amanda always win me, even though I got overturn her car, she still come back to win. The time spent and fun we had together is more important than the games being played...

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It just seem that clique is the best to have, yes I believe so. It is very rare that even though we are not in the same school and same class, we have grown closer than ever in terms of friendship. What makes this clique great is that even if we go back home from any particular clique outing, it is a standard procedure that our handphones would ring thereafter with sms-es from each other, telling that we are safely back at home. That act of doing it just shows that as friends, we show care and concern for each other, which is hard to find...Not only just that, but also we guide each other, 1 example of which is through the guidance of guitar lessons. We have always exchanged ideas and assisted each other in coping with the various skills being taught.

Moreover, it is commonplace that we always tend to help each other in any way possible. when outings, maybe I would help Amanda or Yuan Ping, supporting them push their wheelchairs when we encounter up-slopes, coz up-slopes are more tiring to move up, I have to admit...Even if I were not to help, I'm sure others will do it too, that i am very sure.

When with clique, it just seems that time is going twice as fast as it is normally moving. Because we just simply enjoy ourselves just being together, doing simply anything, practicing guitar, chatting on msn, now famously known as the "clique chat". Even though we are not from the same school as classmates, but we still at times share with each other how we have been doing with our education etc.

Yes, I wont deny that being what we are are, there is a certain boundaries, a certain barrier in what we want to do. Yes, we are what we are, and we will continue to live with that. But, seeing it in another perspective, being what we are, it certainly doesnt stop us to bond together like we are now. Yes, when we plan outings last time, what we really want to do sometimes, if someone from clique couldnt join us to do that particular activity, maybe because there is a barrier, we still would have thought of other solutions. Yes, that barrier may make us limited in doing stuffs, but would I rather carry on with that activity and see that someone from the intended group is missing from the activity, or would I rather do a activity that though is not as fun, but all people could be able to join and play together? If we had the former, would it be very unfair to the person that is unable to join, just because of what he/she is? If we had chose the latter, would it be a better solution such that everyone enjoy themselves, and also spend time together, getting everybody involved in the mix. Though the activity may not be as fun as the one which we really wanted, I think that it is just as fun and pleasing to even spend quality time with the clique of friends. So this ensures that no one is left out just because of that particular barrier, and that is a hallmark of true friendship and togetherness that we have enjoyed and so look forward thus far.

Clique days

2009-10-18T11:47:00.002+08:00

Wednesday, 14 October 2009

I went to ACCESS to have an interview with Parames, for the upcoming Christmas Lightup Performance in November. Parames asked me about a few questions, some of which is about my physical condition and also how AWWA have helped me develop over the years, amng others.

Then Shawn and Amanda also came to ACCESS to practice guitar at the same time too, Amanda having her internship interview earlier in the day. So after my interview, we proceeded to practice guitar until 6pm..Then went back home together, we ensure that Amanda is safe on bus before we can go home without worries....

0904 Class Chalet

2009-10-16T13:19:00.004+08:00

DMIT 0904 Class Chalet

Monday, 12 October 2009

Went for 0904 class chalet at Aranda Resort. They checked in at 3pm, while i reached the chalet at around 5pm to join them. When i reached there, Haqiz and Loius was playing the guitar haha. I was indeed fascinated by the amount of skills they had, as they could be able to change fingerings very quickly. It seems that I still have alot of skills to learn. "Slow and steady wins the race"

Then spent some time playing their guitar also, then at night started class BBQ and also see of my classmates play some video games, Guitar Hero amongst them. After BBQ, went back home at around 10.30pm with Dennick, Wendy, Xintze.

Tuesday, 13 October 2009

Went back to chalet in the afternoon. When I reached, they were playing some card games and those people that lost had to do a forfeit. After a while, they changed the forfeit such that the losers have to share and drink tapwater from a bottle.Quite some time since I played these kind of game and enjoy so much...

In the evening, I followed Tian Fu, Louis, Li Qi and Cai Ling to the supermarket buy some stuffs in preparation for another BBQ, while the others went to rent bikes and go for a short ride. Bought some ice cream and chocolates to share among us.

Had BBQ for dinner, chatted alot while eating. After which I, Cai Ling, Hui QI, Li Qi, Sing Hui and Jessica played some poker card games, with abit of betting 10 cents per round. All in all, I enjoyed myself very much. it looks to be a year since I had so much fun with school classmates, the last being with 0804 class, dont count AWWA clique haha.....

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It was really nice and fun to be with this semester's class, in my opinion. I have indeed learned alot and got alot of help and assistance from all my classmates. I have always had the company with them during lectures and lessons, and also during breaks. During lessons, my classmates have also tried their best to help and guide me along if I had encountered any problems with any particular module, and they indeed have helped me progress and improve bothas a person and also in terms of results. It is just 1 of hose things, where good things would not last long, and we are split into different classes again for the next semester...I only hoped that it was too be better and longer, but it wasnt to be. All in all, I still have to thank all my classmates for all the help and support they have given me this past semester. Hope that it wont be long before we meet again....

Ever since I started out to venture into polytechnic education, I have improved and been better to interact and mix around with new friends and different people with different personalities. So, despite the constant change of classes due to different module combinations, I tink that even though it is perhaps that we were not in the same class for very long to build a bond, all my friends have certainly left me a good impression on me, the common characteristic being they have always helped me in the best way possible....

Guitar

2009-10-15T12:35:00.006+08:00

Friday, 9 October 2009

Yuan Ping took leave from her work, and ahe was enthusiastic to ask us to go ACCESS practice guitar together with her. Not a bad thing to spend your off-day practicing guitar eh? haha...

So meet amanda, YuanPing, Shawn, Peter and Sharman at the conference room, then tuned guitars before starting. Normally, at the start, we would anyhow play what we like first, for me being to play chords haha..

But this day when we agreed amd decided to go for guitar practice, it wasnt met to be practicing individually on our own only, instead, there was a certain seriousness about the session thus far..

I and Amanda started to try combining play chords, and it proved a success to a certain extent. Then after that, Amanda was suggesting to me to implement Arvind teaching method to conduct this practice session. I wonder why it must be me, well, I think is time as coordinator that I learn to try to lead this team. After a certain "persuading" from her and shawn, I accepted her suggestion, under the request that she helped me around, also guiding them.

So I started off by asking them to sit around me. I decided to guide them the basic chords first, Am, Em, so that i ensure that they coud cope with the basics first, before progressing on to another level. So it proved to me to be a correct decision, from the looks of it....

I showed them the fingering of the Am chord, and asked them to show me their fingerings. After which, i seeked to use the "hand test" to ensure that when they press the chords, all strings can be played well without buzzing sounds. I got demostrate to them the supposedly correct way of playing Am chord with the strumming method, with them following me play at the second time. i felt that it went quite well for the first part. Mistakes, if any, were thwn corrected with the help of me and Amanda. Overall, i felt that it went quite well.

Then i guided them the Em chord, same thing, must pass "hand test" first, they did pass with credit, so it was easier to guide. I then tested each of them one by one, showing me their methods of playing each chord at 1 time, so I think that it was great, as they didnt disappoint. I was quite happy with their progress thus far, and Amanda was like doing a good job to guide them too. Thereafter, I challenged them to move up another level, play the strum pattern with Am, then play again with the changing chords from Am to Em.

After some time devoted to practicing what I have guided them, it wasnt really surprising that Shawn could do it well, Yuan Ping has indeed improved quite fast. At 1 time, I even took away the chords notes from her, to test that she really have learned the 2 chords without refering to the notes, and I think it has benefited.

Nevertheless, Peter also progressed as he was able to strum the pattern well, with the guidance of Sharman. All in all, it was possibly the best practice session we had, and it turned out to be huge success..

Saturday, 10 October 2009

Well, Saturday is clique day, so went down ACCESS for guitar lessons, met Amanda and the rest at the pantry, preparing for lesson.

At the start of this week's lesson, Arvind asked us to demostrate to him the strumming of what we learnt the prevous week, with the C chord. Having guided them the previous day, Friday, i wasnt at all surprised that many of them could show the correct way of strumming, while some others had to work harder to get it right, but no matter, as long as all players had showed their effort can de.

This week, we seeked to progress again as Arvind taught us to move up another level, teaching us to change from C to Am chords, and then back from Am to C, using the strumming pattern taught last week. It proved to be a challenge at the start, but as time progressed, we slowly got the hang of it.

Then he taught us to change the chords using two "down" strums each for each chord before changing chord. It was a bit of a stiffer test, as we had lesser time to set our mind to changing the chords and knowing where to place our fingerings of each chords. It enables us to learn to change chords faster. Homework: Practice...

After lesson, followed Peter and TJ to Sengkang buy Sharman's birthday present then come back home.

Sunday, 11 October 2009

Went to play soccer with TJ, kelvin, shawn and Peter. Nearly scored when I played as a midfielder attacker. But for most of the time is play goalkeeper, my best position I supposed. I made quite alot of saves, and played well I guess..Shawn scored a goal from close range, so it was quite fun...

Guitar practice

2009-10-04T18:13:00.002+08:00

Saturday, 3 October 2009

Went ACCESS for guitar lesson, actually wanted to meet shawn go together, but he late so he ask me to go AWWA first.

Reached ACCESS on time, saw Amanda, YuanPing preparing for guitar lesson, while the SPARKZ members were still having their weekly practice. Went to tune my guitar also. While doing that, I was fascinated to hear SPARKZ sing the "Jingle Bell" song, in preparation for the Christmas Lightup Performance towards the end of the year.

We then celebrated Khristine's Birthday, gave her a big surprise, planned by Yuan i tink....sang birthday song, then I play the birthday song on guitar after that, dedicated to Khristine de. Nice(:

Amanda, me, YuanPing, Peter and Shawn attended the lesson with all 3 instructors. This week, Arvind taught us a new strumming pattern using the C chord. At first, he would demostrate how it is done, and teach us the fingerings, before we put the new skill into practice, together as a whole group. After practicing together repeatedly, he asked us to demostrate the C chord to him, one by one, so that he can find out who is able to get both the chord fingering and strumming style correct. Amanda and me could get it correct, while for the others, not really there but close.

When we progressed to playing 2 bars of the C chord, however, Arvind advised that I was too fast and didnt follow the timing of the rest. But when he came back to 1 bar of the chord, somehow i fared better..

Yuan Ping had some difficulties pressing the chords and play out the correct tune. With sufficient practice, i believe Yuan Ping can get the hang of the C chord de. For Peter, his fingerings of the chord isnt right, and his strumming method isnt perfect. Peter have to work harder to practice so that he can improve. Practice makes Perfect (:

Then Arvind would also taught us to change from C to Am chord, by shifting our finger a string below. This change of chords is also applied with the same strumming method taught previously. Overall, it went well regarding everyone's involvement for today, and I learnt alot, now is only a matter of putting what we learnt into practice, to prepare for next week's lessons.

After guitar lessons, We(Amanda, Khristine, HuiQi, shawn and me) went to celebrate Khristine's birthday. Trained down to Choa Chu Kang to have lunch at KFC, then after that ate ice cream together, while snapping photos on the way (:

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Arvind, as a new guitar instructor with us, has indeed impressed me with his teaching style and methods. I think we are lucky to have 3 very good guitar instructors guiding us as we seek to learn to play the guitar. The blend and skills between Daniel, Justin and Arvind is indeed an intereting one, and I think that with them, Guitar Ensemble can move forward to another level. I tink that they can get the best out of our potential...

Volunteerism

2009-10-04T12:33:00.002+08:00

Wednesday, 30 September 2009

Reached AWWA to help Janice volunteer for the "Giving tree" Project, which Amanda, me, shawn and peter helped to contribute to do during our holidays. Though, only Sharman and me went to help complete the projjct, as shaawn and amanda cannot make it, as the school isnt wheelchair-accessible for Amanda, thus she didnt go.

Went to Da Qiao primary School, the school was holding a bizarre, so they invited us to set up a booth there for the students. We set up 3 booths, one selling cookies, selling jewelery and flowers, and the other the "Giving Tree"

I helped to mend the cookies booth, selling each box for $2 each. My stall sell quite fast, so I got lesser work to do, so instead went to help the the "Giving Tree" The bizarre ended at 11am then we went back to ACCESS. I stayed and help Janice do volunteering work, where amanda and shawn would join me later in the day.

In the meantime, we also utilised our time to practice guitar also, Amanda teaching me a new strumming method, switching between Am and Em. Was quite fun to learn from her...

Then went lunch together at Festival Market, assisted Amanda overcome some slopes and curbs etc. After lunch, as we headed back to ACCESS, i helped Amanda push her wheelchair, then we also enjoy a trip of "roller coaster". I helped her push at high speed while she controlled the wheelchair itself. It was very fun, and we enjoyed ourselves very much haha...

"Giving Back" Volunteerism

2009-09-29T12:30:00.003+08:00

"Giving Back" Volunteerism

Friday, 25 September 2009

Went to ACCESS to continue volunteer, help Janice do stuffs. Amanda came earlier together with peter, and they both helped to place the hearts onto the Tree, thus "Giving Tree" Project is said to be completed. I thought that it was a invaluable experience though, not that we were able to help Janice do work, but more importnatly, I think that it is doing it for the AWWA SMILES children. The Tree will be put in a primary school to organise a fund raising event to assist children and clients alike who are suffering from various disabilities, and thus allow them to cope with their daily life. I think that it gives me great pleasure to have contributed in this project, in order to benefit the children.

Next, we assisted Janice to do some paperwork, stapling papers and among them, arranging brochures for AWWA. I was in charge of collecting the arranging the brochures into place while Shawn puts then into a file. Out of those many sets of brochures were 5 sets of brochures, each of which describes the various disabilities clients have suffered from, Spina Bifida, Celebral Palsy etc among others. It kinda interests me to know and understand more of the various physical conditions, and as I read them, a kind of feeling or thoughts, rather came to my mind, so yea.....

We spent some time doing the paperwork and filings. While we do, we also chatted aqbout alot of things etc, then also amanda showed us some tricks using the rubber band so was quite fun.

We were quite busy with the paperwork until about 5, then janice brought us to level 1 to visit the AWWA SMILES children, where they would normally be taken care of after their schooling in AWWA school. Many of the clients are also disabled de, quite like us, some having suffered from spastic disabilities. Having said that, I tink it was very illuminating to be able to interact with the children, understand how they communicate with people and others. It was quite intersting to note that they are the cheerful type, always having a smile on their faces.

Upon seeing us enter the room, most of them would be running towards us and introducing themselves etc. One boy even offered to show amanda around the room, and also wanted to help her push her wheelchair, which is quite positive, as it shows that they would also be willing to help those in need. Many of the clients also came running towards us to exchange handshakes.

Guitar

2009-09-26T22:57:00.004+08:00

Saturday, 26 September 2009

Today went for guitar lesson again. This time was quite different as thee was an introduction of a new gutar instructir from the AWWA elderly services, Arvind. So, today he came to guide us. Daniel couldnt come, but Justin did arrive a while later. So, practice started with some sort of fluidity as we perfoormed the Cannon in D song piece to show the new instructor. I tink it was rather pleasing that this time the rythm and timing was improved, at least better than the previous week where mistakes were quite obvious, which is a disppointment.

We also get to witness at first hand the silky skills demostrated by the new instructor. And I tink that he will be a addition to the guitar team, and there is more teachers to guide us, so is positive.

Justin helped guide me personally, while the new instructor helped guide Amanda, while the others practiced on their own, on chords etc, ensuring that they are able to play each chord well. Arvind taught Amanda some methods of strumming with chords, while Justin tried to help me place the fingerings for the G chord. Somehow, I didnt manage to keep hold of the correct way of pressing the G chord, despite numerous attempts of trying, haiz..Admittedly, I was very low in confidence at that time. On the other side of things, while practicing, I saw that Amanda is able to play quite well for the Cannon in D chorus. I wasnt at all surprised that she was able to manage it, so I extend my congratulations to her, the inspirational star player (:

In the meantime, Arvind and Justin were also sharing some tips among themselves etc, then Arvind was also demostrating to us some songs that he could play, eg. Starry Night, Stop and Stare, among others. Then we also combined play Right Here Waiting, 关怀方式. They played the chords while Amanda and me tried to combine with them by playing the melody, and I have to say, it was a interesting experience.

I also help guide Yuan Ping on her chords while for most of the lesson is more of self practice, and getting the playing technique right. Practiced until about 1.30pm before we left, after we knew that we were over the time limit haha...

After that, went for luch with Philip and shawn with Kang Wei, then we helped Kang Wei tuition A Level mathematics until 5pm plus, then went home rest.

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"this kind of thing cannot rush de... each of us have different standard and different time to learn things de...
Your condition different from mine... your hand is kinda affected so dun be too gan chiong,
take your time to learn, sure can make it de, is onli a matter of time. Dun keep thinking that I can you cant... in actual fact... I am also not so good lor, compare with sharman....So I may not be able to get in for the chords de also lor. Just keep on trying, not to the last min.. wont know who will be the 2nd one to get in. Everyone still got the chance as long as dun give up.
If cannot but see ppl can dun nid emo de... try harder lor. Last week got no sound coming out for the fast part of CID but now I can play abt 10 notes of it liao, emo wont get u anywhere"

The above is Amanda tell me de, she encouarged me alot, so wanna thanks her haha....my inspiration (:

Inspiration

2009-09-24T16:33:00.003+08:00

Shelter

What's wrong, what's getting you down?
Was it something I might have said?
You're walking around with your head to the ground
And your eyes are watery red

I know you've been through tough times
Kicked around, thrown to the ground
But you've always been the strong one
So don't tell me that nobody gets you
'cos I'm standing in your corner
Knocking at your door
You don't have to be alone

Just call my name, let me be an answer
'cos it hurts me to see you this way
I wanna ease your pain, help me understand
Let me be your shelter my friend

We share a bond, you and I, we belong
We're like coffee and morning trains
You strip my defenses, I catch your pretenses
The same blood runs through our veins
I swore I'd be your lifeline, made a vow
That I'd surround you with love at every milestone
I'll listen when nobody gets you
I'm still standing in your corner
Waiting by your door
You don't have to be alone

Just call my name, let me be an answer
'cos it hurts me to see you this way
I wanna ease your pain, help me understand
Let me be your shelter my friend

It was not too long ago
You sought to understand
You helped me mend, Remember when

So promise me you'll call my name
Let me be an answer'cos it hurts me to see you this way
I wanna ease your pain, help me understand
Let me be your shelter my friend

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Stay The Same

Don't you ever wish you were someone else,
You were meant to be the way you are exactly.
Don't you ever say you don't like the way you are.
When you learn to love yourself, you're better off by far.
And I hope you always stay the same,
cuz there's nothin' 'bout you I would change.

I think that you could be whatever you wanted to be
If you could realize, all the dreams you have inside.
Don't be afraid if you've got something to say,
Just open up your heart and let it show you the way.

Don't you ever wish you were someone else,
You were meant to be the way you are exactly.
Don't you ever say you don't like the way you are.
When you learn to love yourself, you're better off by far.
And I hope you always stay the same,
cuz there's nothin' 'bout you I would change.

Believe in yourself.
Reach down inside.
The love you find will set you free.
Believe in yourself, you will come alive.
Have faith in what you do.You'll make it through.

Don't you ever wish you were someone else,
You were meant to be the way you are exactly.
Don't you ever say you don't like the way you are.
When you learn to love yourself, you're better off by far.
And I hope you always stay the same,
cuz there's nothin' 'bout you I would change.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

都是你

谁改变了我的世界
没有方向没有日夜
我看着天这一刻在想你
是否会对我一样思念

你曾说我们有一个梦
等到那天我们来实现
我望着天在心中默默念
下一秒你出现在眼前

想念的心装满的都是你
我的钢琴弹奏的都是你
我的日记写满的都是你的名
才发现又另一个黎明

谁改变了我的世界
没有方向没有日夜
我看着天这一刻在想你
是否会对我一样思念

你曾说我们有一个梦
等到那天我们来实现
我望着天在心中默默念
下一秒你出现在眼前

想念的心装满的都是你
我的钢琴弹奏的都是你
我的日记写满的都是你的名
才发现又另一个黎明

想念的心装满的都是你
我的钢琴弹奏的都是你
我的日记写满的都是你的名
才发现又另一个黎明

我的日记写满的都是你的名
才发现又是一个黎明

这是我对你爱的累积

Updates

2009-09-24T13:00:00.005+08:00

Monday, 21 September 2009

It was a public holiday, so whole family at home. On computer do stuffs, chatting with amanda as usual on msn, is starting to be a hobby liao of me...I wont ever have a more best friend than her haha...Also chatted with Sylvia together with amanda, they 2 are my bestest...They will always cheer me up de (:

Tuesday, 22 September 2009

Met shawn at yishun then go lunch together at food court. Amanda, me and Shawn, accompanied by Peter, went to ACCESS continue to volunteer. We continued to help Janice design the "Giving Tree". Do laminating, cut, paste paper. Quite interesting. However if after pasting the hearts, if the laminating isnt good enough then we have redo it again. While doing also can chat together with amanda and shawn. So, do until 6pm then go home together. Since it was raining quite heavily that time and we had no umbrellas, Amanda's mum offered to send us to MRT, thanks (:

Wednesday, 23 September 2009

Didnt agree to meet Shawn, but somehow we met at the bus interchange there..Before that I helped amanda run some erand, helped her buy sweets on the way to ACCESS. Nowadays, I think that I and her reall close friends liao, she trust me, so do I trust her. Inspirational best friend mah (: Reached ACCESS liao, saw her, Sharman and Peter helping out liao. Today mainly we design the giving tree, put all the hearts onto the tree itself,, very nice design indeed. Sharman helped to design the logo for the "Giving Tree", while peter helped to colour them. In the afternoon, Had a chat with parames about Guitar Ensemble matters....than after that continue to help amanda and shawn until 6pm, then went home together.

*Dont say that I am very unfair to you, or whatever, but some things which you commented yesterday was simply unacceptable, total disrespect to the way we are. Have you ever thought that you are the same as us also?? It seems to me that you dunno the feeling of being a disabled. I dunno what made you say that comment, but the fact is that you simply cannot say that kind of thing aimed at people. It total disrespectful, and it hurts me alot. the way you have said it, is as if very nice to sit on wheelchair like that, as if the wheel punctured then very nice. Tell you something, its not as if she wants to be the way she is ok? So what if she's like that? We have always respected her for the way she is, and frankly say she is 1 million times stronger than you seriously. But the mere fact that you have look down on my bestie make it much worse. I dunno why you had to say that la, but to me is totally unacceptable. Instead of helping her, you have made her look as if she's helpless. I dont think that comment was needed at all, absolutely not. Instead of saying that comment to attract attention, you have made her and those that is close to her very hurt. *

Updates

2009-09-21T13:20:00.002+08:00

Saturday, 12 September 2009
I didnt go for guitar lesson, because wa recovering from fever suffered a few days ago. However, the rest did go for "lesson"....I woke up late then around 12pm then saw that Daniel sms-ed me that he wont be coming today, in addition to Justin who told me beforehand that he wont make it for lesson....so I quickly called Amanda tell her that Daniel also not coming....so in the end is no teacher for lesson....or is it a lesson?

So in the end, instead of practicing Cannon in D and chords, they spent most of their time playing board games. Credit to amanda, shawn and Yuan Ping to practice abit, which I was pleased to hear haha...

Monday, Tuesday is slack at home, mostly is see soccer and practicing guitar (chords), and also chat with bestie amanda on MSN...

Wednesday Thursday, 16,17 September 2009

These 2 days went ACCESS to volunteer with shawn and Amanda. Helped Janice do some project, designing stuffs, laminating, cut and paste, those kind of work. Had fun throughout, do and chat together at the same. We seem to have alot of things to chat about, from guitar to others. Amanda and Shawn as friends clicking liao, which I had to say, I was happy to see.

Guitar

2009-09-20T13:06:00.007+08:00

Saturday, 19 September 2009

Saturday is clique day, the best day of the week in my opinion...

Last week I didnt go for lesson coz was recovering from fever, then in the end they play games rather than practicing guitar, as there wasnt any teachers in their presence...

So this week went back to guitar practice, as usual meet shawn then go ACCESS together. It was raining heavily, Yuan brought us umbrellas, but by the time we went in for practice, 2 strings broke from shawn's guitar, while my tuning knob also broke, maybe because i fell on the way...

So went there, SPARKZ practice ended, then HuiQi they all stay back play some board games, while the guitar practice resumed. Both teachers came, Justin taught me and amanda different skills, while Daniel guided the rest. Justin showed the both of us the correct method of playing chords, and also in due corrected our holding of the back of the guitar board with our thumb. It seems that my holding of the guitar is kinda wrong i tink, dunno whether Amanda's technique is right (amanda, if your technique is right, can guide me please=p, i think my technique needs some correction).

Justin also teached us a few "simple" fingering exercise to allow us to progress further in the near future. So, is like got homework, to practice consistently to get my basic skills and techniques right first, before think of progressing up to another level. Justin also gave the whole team the notes of the chorus of the Cannon in D playing piece. With that, amanda and me was the most interested to try and learn the new tabs of the Cannon in D chorus, but it seems it is kind of difficult, so like last time where we can change note by note based on timing liao. So in such cases, it is like giving the both of us the challenge of trying the new skill, and hopefully can elevate us to the next level. So, Justin asked us practice "barring", which he says that it is of vital importance that we master the "barring" technique. In the case of Cannon in D, we have to practice barring the first 3 strings on the 2nd fret....then we tried practicing what he taught us, though for now is still to no avail (I believe in my star player that if she can, I also can).

After practicing chords and also the new techniques, we play combine for Cannon in D, just like the performance in Special Awards, for one round. Admittedly, I felt it was poor overall, not quite the standard we had set a few months before for Special Awards during extra practices. Being truthful, I was very disappointed with my performance, amd also the performance of the whole team. There wasnt consistency in the timing of the song, and some of us also pressed the wrong notes at the wrong time, probably due to the fact that we havent practice playing this piece of music for quite some time liao..

After guitar lesson, amanda gtg liao, said bye to star player, then go lunch at Yishun then went back home for a while...

Then in the evening, I had a fun-filled evening going out with my whole family. We went Chintown there to celebrate the the Mid-Autumn Festival. Wrnt to meet my brother at Chinatown MRT while he come back from school. Had chicken rice for early dinner, then walked around, also saw the dragon dance performance there, than later in the night, my parents brought us to eat ice cream. We ordered mango, durian and soursop flavour, it was very delicious after which we went home. I enjoy the outing with family alot.

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Guitar is getting tougher liao, as the difficulty level arises, I tink it really is a test of how far I have come after playing the guitar for almost more than a year already. It is true test of my own personal drive and motivation to continue practice guitar... Moreover, I tink that learning guitar needs patience and drive, motivation de. Without it, it will even be much harder to want to play guitar, or rather is impossible....if one is unmotivated to practice, one wont practice and this one cannot progress to the next level..

Celebral Palsy

2009-09-08T14:46:00.006+08:00

Celebral Palsy

Cerebral refers to the cerebrum, which is the affected area of the brain (although the disorder most likely involves connections between the cortex and other parts of the brain and palsy refers to disorder of movement. Celebral Palsy is caused by damage to the motor control centers of the developing brain and can occur during pregnancy during childbirth or after birth up to about age three.

Cerebral palsy describes a group of permanent disorders of the development of movement and posture, causing activity limitation, that are attributed to nonprogressive disturbances that occurred in the developing fetal or infant brain.

Classifications

Spastic cerebral palsy is by far the most common type, occurring in 70% to 80% of all cases. Moreover, spastic Celebral Palsy accompanies one of the other types in 30% of all cases. People with this type are hypertonic and have a neuromuscular condition stemming from damage to the cortispinal tract or the motor cortex that affects the nervous system's ability to receive gamma amino in the area(s) affected by the disability.

Spastic hemiplegia
Spastic hemiplegia is a form that affects one side of the body. Generally, injury to muscle-nerves controlled by the brain's left side will cause a right body deficit, and vice versa. Typically, people that have spastic hemiplegia are the most ambulatory, although they generally have dynamic equinus on the affected side and are primarily prescribed ankle-foot orthoses to prevent said equinus.

Spastic Diplegia

Spastic Diplegia is a condition where it affects the lower extremities are affected with little to no upper-body spasticity. The most common form of the spastic forms. Most people with spastic diplegia are fully ambulatory and have a scissors gait . Flexed knees and hips to varying degrees are common. Hip problems, dislocations, and in three-quarters of spastic diplegics, also strabismus (crossed eyes), can be present as well. In addition, these individuals are often nearsighted. The intelligence of a person with spastic diplegia is unaffected by the condition.

Spastic Tetraplegia

Spastic Tetraplegia is a condition where all four limbs affected equally. People with spastic quadriplegia are the least likely to be able to walk, or if they can, if want to walk, because they are too tight and it is too much effort to do so. Some children with quadriplegia also have hemiparetic tremors, an uncontrollable shaking that affects the limbs on one side of the body and impairs normal movement.

Symptoms of Celebral Palsy

All types of Celebral Palsy are characterized by abnormal muscle tone (slouching over while sitting), reflexes, or motor development and coordination. There can be joint and bone deformities and contractures (permanently fixed, tight muscles and joints).Scissor walking (where the knees come in and cross) and toe walking,are common among people with Celebral Palsy who are able to walk. The effects of cerebral palsy fall on a continuum of motor dysfunction which may range from virtually unnoticeable to "clumsy" and awkward movements on one end of the spectrum to such severe impairments that coordinated movements are almost impossible on the other end of the spectrum.

Babies born with severe Celebral Palsy often have an irregular posture; their bodies may be either very floppy or very stiff. Birth defects, such as spinal curvature, a small jawbone, or a small head sometimes occur along with Celebral Palsy . Symptoms may appear, change, or become more severe as a child gets older. Classically, Celebral Palsy becomes evident when the baby reaches the developmental stage at 9-12 years old, and is starting to mobilise, where preferential use of limbs, asymmetry or gross motor developmental delay is seen.

Secondary conditions can include seizures, epilepsy, speech or communication disorders, eating problems, sensory impairments, mental retardation, learning disabilities and/or behavioral disorders. Speech and language disorders are common in people with Cerebral Palsy.

Causes of Celebral Palsy

Despite much debate, the cause of the majority of cases of Celebral Palsy is uncertain. While in certain cases there is no identifiable cause, other etiologies include problems in intrauterine development (e.g. exposure to radiation, infection), asphyxia before birth, hypoxia of the brain, and birth trauma during labor and delivery, and complications in the perinatal period or during childhood. Celebral Palsy is also more common in multiple births.

Many cases of cerebral palsy, and other conditions that an infant has at birth, are caused by the death in very early pregnancy of an identical twin. This may occur when twins have a joint circulation through sharing the same placenta. Not all identical twins share the same blood supply (monochorionic twins), but if they do, the suggestion is that perturbations in blood flow between them can cause the death of one and damage to the development of the surviving fetus.

Between 40% and 50% of all children who develop cerebral palsy were born prematurely. Premature infants are vulnerable, in part because their organs are not fully developed, increasing the risk of hypoxic injury to the brain that may manifest as Celebral Palsy. A problem in interpreting this is the difficulty in differentiating between Celebral Palsy caused by damage to the brain that results from inadequate oxygenation, and Celebral Palsythat arises from prenatal brain damage that then precipitates premature delivery.

Prognosis

The ability to live independently with Celebral Palsy also varies greatly depending on the severity of the disability. Some individuals with Celebral Palsy will require personal assistant services for all activities of daily living. Others can live semi-independently, needing support only for certain activities. Still others can live in complete independence. The need for personal assistance often changes with increasing age and associated functional decline.

Surgery for people with Celebral Palsy usually involves one or a combination of, Loosening tight muscles and releasing fixed joints, most often performed on the hips, knees, hamstrings, and ankles.

Week Update

2009-09-06T14:42:00.004+08:00

Wednesday, 2 September 2009

Went job hunt with shawn at Causeway Point, but halfway suddenly feel unwell. So, we walked around there see if could find job offers. Saw a few, 1 of which we saw is do sales executive de, at the poster there, all their requirements at least got meet ( 'O' level etc), but we were like haiz, coz needed to be at least 21 years old, which we were not, as yet...After a while, went home to rest, coz like having double vision...

Thursday, 3 September 2009

In the afternoon, played game awhile with my broter, coz he came back earlier, mucxh earlier than usual. Game( Winning Eleven, a soccer game) ended even, owned him, he also got own me, after that he stayed at home, coz he got 'A' Level prelim General paper the next day, while mum and I headed down to my grandmother's house visit, dad and sister would join us later, after work and school respectively

Then previous day msn, I actually agree with amanda that I will online msn company her, she say agree in the afternoon de, in the end really forget about the agreement, then 6+ evening then on com, then she say "you are finally online" then i suddenly remember that I agreed with her the previous day...

After come back from grandmother's house, at night as usual is clique chat with the usual suspects, amanda and shawn..Clique chat is my enjoyment, my relaxation period haha

Friday, 4 September 2009

This day, i quite looking forward to it for the whole week, since it was agreed. Amanda also last minute on the previous day decided to come. So, after amanda's driving lesson, she came my house practice guitar together, she brought her new guitar here to play. It was very fun and interesting to play guitar together with her, learning together chords of C and Dm, and how we change between the chords. She assisted me with my hand's positioning of the fingering, thanks star player.

I also lend her my laptop access her mail and facebook account, as she wanted to check her mail and play her facebook games, Barn Bunny and farm Town (: See her play while I continued practiced guitar and listening to songs.

Shawn came at 2+ pm then practiced together also, had lunch, chatted, then went back to practicing guitar, with me and amanda guiding shawn play chords and its respective fingerings, We were quite patient in guiding me, as he got abit frustrated that he is unable to master it. But, no matter I helped me out by the 'hand test' haha...In betwenn, we got play card games which was brought by Amanda..TJ came in evening, practiced awhile before they headed back home

Saturday, 5 September 2009

Saturday is becoming lkind of a routine for me liao, go ACCESS for guitar practice this week, Daniel and his friend David came to guide us through the lesson. Daniel taught a new technique to use the tuner as guide to know for a respective chords, which strings we should play. Got the logic quite fast, ubderstand the theory, so throughout is to apply the new technique in playing of chords (Dm, Em, C etc..) while the teachers walked around see our progress...

Shawn, me and Amanda sat together in 1 corner in the room practiced together, sorry that ddnt include Yuan Ping inside sia, she missed alot last week haiz...

Today lesson started liao, once Peter came back for lesson after soccer, tgen he was like already giving attitude liao, say wanna talk to me for dunno what reason. Then throughout the lesson, he was like showing no interests at all in learning, just stoning there with his earpiece, and while Daniel was teaching the new skill he didnt listen. Throughout the lesson, I was like watching over him, at the corner of my eye, but he didnt practice mucxh throughout the lesson. Because maybe his guitar was being restringed by David, but nevertheless, I dont find any excuses for him not practicing individually, coz in case he didnt realised, there is another left-sided guitar kept in the cupboard, coz TJ didnt come for practice and he kept his guitar there.

In addition, I think that he was always shooting me with the word "somebody" refering to me, obviously. I tink he was kinda not happy that I gave him the impression that I have chosen to focus on guitar rather then going for soccer training.

Got 1 incisdent where khristine collecting money from us for the distribution of a present to janice last 2 weeks back. Then I told her that my mum cleared all my coins in my wallet to make wallet lighter, then Peter was like saying " Somebody in the wallet got no coins". Admitedly, I was raging but i kept it in coz I told myself that I as coordinator need to focus on my job which is to help the members cope with guitar lesson and also motivate them. IOn the end, everyone also tend to ignore his commennts and all, focused on guitar, I tink amanda's mother also dont care liao haha....Let him rant lol

But I think is that as coordinator of guitar, I feel that it is stil my job to keep this team together, and not let it be torn by comments made by people. Admittedly, I really wanted to help him get back on track in guitar de, i wont think that he cannot make it here. It sounds steange to me that, having been together with him in soccer also, I find that his attitude towards soccer is contrasting to his interests in guitar. No matter what, I will still try to guide him along de....but how is another question....

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Seeing the way they have coped despite their disabilities in life I tink sometimes, I makes me see back on my struggles to get what I get today. Whenever I see my friends walking on crutches, wheelchair, I think it would be tough for them, I will sometimes be kinda down whenever i see them the way they are... I hope that they can be cured and I really hope that they can walk without any walking aids some day, all of them....May God bless them all (=

Guitar, Chalet

2009-09-01T13:42:00.003+08:00

Guitar, Chalet

Saturday, 29 August 2009

After weeks of 'pre-season' break, Guitar Ensemble has resumed again on the last week of August. Went ACCESS at 11am to start practice. Today leaen new skills, new technique, chords. Learned the C, F, Dm, Em, Am chords and its fingerings. Homework: go home practice changing fingerings from C to Dm to F chords and back again, to be handed in next week (=

Then in the middle of the lesson, got a newcomer, or rather visitor from the Community Chest, come to 'preview' the Guitar Ensemble play their Cannon In D music on guitar. I admit it surprised me a little to be asked to play the song which I havent practiced for quite awhile. So, but in the end managed to play complete the whole song with coordination.

After guitar, we travelled to the Costa Sands Downtown East chalet for HuiQi's birthday party. Wished her birthday then after thay went to have lunch there with them, then played some games, poker cards Dai dee, and 21-point...interesting, Peter got the forfeit, then he supposed to dance for us see haha

Played the game "Concentration" introduced by Khristine, to do some actions then say out your allocated number, was very fun. Then also played the "guess number" game, after which had dinner, Amanda came achatted with people, then wt around 7pm after her handcycling, then went home together with Philip, Jonathan they all..

When Jonathan approached a downward stairs without any ramps, we were like thinking of solution to handle. Then Peter was like super crazy, without asking Jonathan, then suddenly turned the wheelchair opposite way, then tried to let him down. Wah it was super dangerous the way he did it, jonathan's face was full of fear , can tell...

On the way back, me and Philip shared alot of stuffs between ourselves.....

Exam

2009-09-01T13:15:00.005+08:00

Today was the end of Semestral exams for Semester 09S1, yesterday got IP paper. Was manageable, can do overall, choose 4 out of 5 questions yea, toda is Computing maths 2, quite ok, can do all, and got more than enough time to do, so i kinda slowly take my time do..After that go home togther with Colin, on the way discussed abit about Maths and IP, among other stuffs...

Wishing all teachers and lecturers a Happy Teachers Day!!

Special Awards Celebration

2009-08-26T16:43:00.007+08:00

Special Awards Celebrations

Saturday, 22 August 2009

Three weeks after the success of the Special Awards Performance, guitar Ensemble and SPARKZ members meet up again at ACCESS to celebrate the achievement of a successful performance

It was fun as we all played many board and card games such as poker cards and scrabble, among many others. Being with clique again was cool, as amanda, me, Philip, and Shawn, and also Khristine play Dai-Dee. Although I lost all the rounds, I enjoyed the game with them (How can dont enjoy when with clique??=p). Played Scrabble also, again was interesting game, good game..

Then after that we stopped to sing Birthday songs to the August babies, namely Ting Jun, Jonathan and HuiQi. After that ate pizza for lunch, while also got play abit of guitar. Once mentioned "guitar", my hands will become itchy as I always wanted to play guitar haha

So ya, looking forward to resuming Guitar practice this coming Saturday, and also going to HuiQi's birthday chalet. Thank her for inviting me to her special day, along with the many others from AWWA de, as indeed she's a special and strong-minded person. Happy Birthday to HuiQi!!

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This coming Saturday will resume Guitar practice, and im so looking forward to it Having said that, when Saturday marks the start of my 2nd term as Guitar Coordinator, since i got the leadership role quite some time back. Honestly, i like this job very well and am indeed enjoying the leadership role which I held..and broght success at the first time of asking. Indeed, having success has motivted and pushed me even more than ever to try to lead back there again. It's like soccer, If Manchester United win a EPL title, they would want it next year again. I think my style is much the same, wanting more after tasting of sweetness of 1 success

Having said that, the role of guitar coordinator had brought about challenges, challenges that I relish. With that extra responsibility has indeed strengthened me and taught me alot. So,now that I got the experience, I want to improve better when the serious practice resumes again come this Saturday....

Random

2009-08-18T15:27:00.002+08:00

You chose your clique, then I choose my clique...

It seems that I have been advised deeply to interact with my polytechnic friends or other friends more, get to know more people in society, rather than always sticking to those few people who I would rather follow.

But then again, I had a few of my polytechnic friends who I follow in school, quite close de, been together since last year, so is still not that bad.

However, I choose to follow my clique because I think I am closer to them. With them, I got the feeling of being a leader in the group, somehow in another point of view, following my brother's leadership qualities..

UP

2009-08-15T15:46:00.001+08:00

Saturday, 8 August 2009

Last Saturday was abit different from the typical Saturdays..because got no guitar practices from 11-12.30pm, so didnt travel to ACCESS with shawn. Speaking of which, It feels weird not going ACCESS on Saturdays, since I was kind of used to the routine of meeting clique liao..

But on this day, it looks as if I am fated to see clique every Saturday, even if it doesnt mean going to ACCESS...because we did plan to catch Harry Potter, whch was organised by Philip. We planned to watch the movie in the evening, as amanda, Yuan Ping both had handcycling until 5, so after it they would come find us.

In the afternoon, meet shawn at Admiralty, trained down to HarbourFront there meet Philip, then we 3 went to purchase the tickets for us and other two girls. Realised that the Harry Potter timing at 6.15pm de was sold out, so decided to catch "UP" at 7.30pm.

So slacked, sat somewhere and chatted while waiting for Amanda and Yuan Ping come. They came, went in watch the show....two words, Cross Heart=D.

I will cross heart with clique (:

AWWA Special Awards 2009

2009-08-02T17:50:00.025+08:00

AWWA Special Awards 2009

It was a dream, a dream which I just waited too long, all I want was that day to come. How that dream came very true on the 1st of August, the day that I will never ever forget...

Saturday 1st August 2009

1st August 2009 is a day where AWWA has its most special event, called the Special Awards. Special Awards is an event where both clients and staff of AWWA come together to commemorate the achievements of clients, buddies and schools alike. This year, Special Awards 2009 has yet again attracted many people indeed. This year, unlike previous years, I got involved in the event itself, as I led the Guitar Ensemble out for their first performance since it was introduced in 2008.

On this day, I met shawn at Yishun Interchange at 9am to travel down to ACCESS to have rehearsal which starts at 10am. Reached there early, saw Philip, Khristine, Boon Keng among others, while Amanda also came to join us soon. Prior to that, we all were chatting about the Special Awards and anticipating how we will do later during the real performance itself.

The guitar team faster tuned their guitars and also practiced their parts on their own, and before long, we were up on stage for guitar rehearsal already. Rehearsal was very badly done for the part for me, as I got the counting and the beat wrong and thus missed the corresponding whole string of notes, but managed to recover thereafter. But still, I was very disappointed and sad about my performance that I felt very emo after that, feel like crying my heart out. I felt that I didnt play like how I thought I could. After all that I had failed in soccer, I thought that I could fail again this time, it was all playing in my head thats why I was very down after the rehearsal. After guitar, the D'Passion Wheelchair dance group and SPARKZ also rehearsed in between the rehearsed presentation of the awards ceremony. I watched their rehearsal and really enjoyed it a lot. The Guitar Ensemble team also went outside of the auditorium to have more practices, and in fact I thought that was I need to boost my confidence after a poor showing during the rehearsal. I played better than the previous try and indeed I took me some time to get my confidence back. Then I told the team that this was their debuts and we are coming here this time to represent awwa to perform guitar, and also that after we went through so many months of practicing this song, and also extra practices at the void deck opposite AWWA, then did I realised how much I committed myself into leading this team of new guitarists. I dont want them to let the amount of time and effort we put into extra practice during the months before this day, go to waste..Thanks to Amanda, for motivating me to play well again, and also Shawn and TJ to support and encourage me when I was very down after the first rehearsal.

Had lunch before we practiced again for a while until 1pm, then the last hour we relax ourselves without much pressure and stress, just chatting and walking round the auditorium. Parents and other clients started to register in for the event, my parents came at around 1.30pm, which by then I was already shaking and feeling very nervous liao, about the same for the whole team I guess, after a while we had to go up to the backstage to prepare for our performance liao, which was the first item of the day. When we were at the backstage behind the stage curtain, My nerves started to show and I could feel my leg shaking very badly. We had to wait for around 15 minutes before the arrival of the Guest of Honour before the official start of this year's Special Awards 2009....

The stage curtains were slowly opening, and as it opens, I see the audience looking up at the stage, and also giving a big round of applause to welcome the performance of Guitar Ensemble. As the curtains opened, I saw my parents clapping very loudly during the introduction of this opening performance. My heart got a big lift actually. As I was the one to start te playing of the song, in my mind I decied to wait until the applause had died down before I started to play the first note. And yes, We played the song, Cannon In D, with the respective roles and parts. While playing, I was glad to know that I had started well, and it was all playing in my mind that I had to be confident in my ability, in the team's ability to play together in such a grand event, such as the Special Awards. However, it was hard to listen the the countings and beat of the song, so I told myself that I had to focus on my parts instead of trying to hear the others play. While I was playing, I could see myself going through many thoughts in my head, one of which is of the flashback of myself watching SPARKZ play in Victoria Threatre, way back in April. Back then, I cannot wished to have watched them play, I dunno why, but I feel hard-done by seeing them do well, though I knew I wasnt involved in it at all. At this thought, I just wanted to be watched rather than to watch...and from there that thought only spurred me on to focus on performing at that moment in time, focused on the pressing of the notes and the countings. I had to admit that I was very nervous, as I could feel that my legs were trembling and thus my legs shivered until I kicked the microphone stand in front of me, in the end, the microphone was then pointing towards the string, when the microphone should have been facing the soundhole of the guitar. Despite this, I had to focus on my notes and not be concerned of the misposition of the microphone, for I eared that that if I had, I may miss out on the correct counting of the song and cause an obvious mistake. But towards the end, I made a mistake whereby the microphone came into contact with the guitar string while I was pressing that particular note, and this cause the buzzing sound for that note. How disappointed I was to make a mistake near then end of the performance...Haiz saded=(( Admittedly, There were a few individual errors and mistakes, but overall the performance went quite well. I am indeed ver proud to lead this team to success...

Tribute to all guitar members for such a vintage performance full of talent, skill, quality, perseverance and determination, being key to our success. Your efforts during the months of practicing, both official and and the much-anticipated extra practice with clique has indeed been paid off. I thought that you all have been magnificent throughout, giving our effort and time to come for extra guitar practice in order to improve more on our skills and timing of the Cannon in D song. I thought that motivation to represent AWWA in this event has brought about the efforts that were shown , which was the key factors in our success of Guitar Ensemble. Here I shall thank each and every member of the Guitar Ensemble team:

Shawn, the enthusiastic guitar player : Like master, like apprentice...Among the 8 performers, he was the latest to join the team. Dont think that he was the last, he was indeed the fastest learner, that I dubbed him, the unearthing of a special talent. Introduce to him a new song to learn and give him time, he will play the song for you, thats for sure. I makes me wonder why he didnt join earlier, because ever since he joined the guitar team, he has bring about much enthusiasm and interests in into the team. For the Performance, he did very well, considering that it was his time performing in front of a huge crowd. He can only get better with his guitar skills, and I tink he will be key to the team performing again in the near future. Congratulations, I and you have realised our dream of playing for Special Awards, next up will the combination of Guitar Ensemble and SPARKZ..

Sharman: the seasoned guitarist: He joinned the guitar team, having bags of experience to take with him before he joined us, having played guitar in his secondary school days. By far, He was the most naturally skilled player in our team, and he was given a role that was sited to him to play. He played well on stage on Saturday, but he was rather soft, I dunno whether is it the microphone soft or he was soft, but I had to focus on my playing despite not being able to hear his playing well. But still, he did well for the performance and I thank him for his guidance to the others and also his efforts...

Ting Jun, the left-sided guitarist: He has joined guitar when it started, along with me and amanda. During extra practices, he would put in alot of effort into practicing with us, and also help to guide peter during extra practice. Like many, he had the motivation to be practicing and also playing his parts well. I thought that during the performance, although his parts cannot be heard clearly, I knew that he did do well to possibly cover the counts of Peter, and I think his efforts are yet again commendable, as he did very well to help the team play the Cannon in D song...

Peter, The unmotivated yet skilful player: Though he wasnt motivated as compared to the rest of the team members during extra practices, where we had to constantly try to motivate a probable talent. I can see that he could be a good player, yet during extra practicesm he would slack and rest, while we practiced guitar. But in then end, the extra practices for me doesnt make any much difference, because he did consderably well during the actual performance itself. Despite that, there will room for improvement for him and also for the others too. I hope to see that he has learned the motivation of Guitar after gaining his first invaluable learning experience during the Special Awards. I believe that with motivation, he is certainly had the potential to go one step further to improve on his skills, and also be an invaluable asset towards Guitar Ensemble..Jiayou!!

Jonathan, the guitar 1 class: He was given the role of guitar 1 during the performance, and I didnt disappoint the team, as he showed how classy he can be, to be in the front row and playing calmly, without much fear. Though he didnt bring his guitar back home after practices due to his mobility, whenever he goes for official practices, he has always given 100% effort. He did very well during the actual performance, and I thank him for his effort, and im sure that there is room for improvements the more we play as a team...

Yuan Ping, the motivated guitar disciplinarian: She was possibly the one with the leadership, though fierce at times, can scare me away. But in the context of guitar, she was the disciplinarian with the guitar motivation to do well in Special Awards. Though at the start she required more time to get the hang of what was being taught, her determination to continue to practice despite difficulties at the start has made her a standout performer this year. Her perverservance to prove that she can play the guitar despite improvising a different style of holding the guitar, partly due to her disability, but she has yet again shown to the world that one can be a star despite disabilities, and she was testiment to that hypothesis. Throughout extra practices, she has been the one to lead out the team to continue practicing and not being tired of what the team was chasing a that time, and she was the leader during extra practice, and I kind of like the way she does the job, getting us to stay on our feet at all costs, always in the mind that we need to practice continuously to improve ourselves. That attitude of hers has really motivated me to ensure that I did a good job both on my role and also ensuring that the rest of the team is managing well. She will always be the strict one that scolds any slackers during extra practices, and I value that because I felt that this ensures that all stays focused and not to be overconfident in any way. Despite this, I felt that she was the focal point during extra practices which made it such a success and thus the time and effort we put in had indeed had paid off very well. I have to give praise to her for her good performance during the Special Awards. I think that she was among the standout performers, as she played with quality and calmness, never show her nervousness prior to the real performance. Her determination and perserverance to play well on her parts is greatly commendable, and she has set an example for the rest of the team from the front row of the performance...I think that she can improve more as we progress as a team together..Great Job Yuan Ping=))

Amanda, the inspirational guitar star: A combination of sheer determination, talent, surperb technique, absolute class and perserverance to achieve success despite her disability just makes her a outstanding guitar player. Take nothing away from her, she was possibly one of the best performers during the Special Awards 2009, alongside the rest of the team. The fact that she was playing the main melody of the Cannon in D, which I admit was the toughest part out of the 4 roles among the 8 performers, just shows the ability to prove what a special talent she is. During the Special Awards performance, she was the heartbeat of the whole team, her playing which helped the team progress with their own respective parts. She was the focal axis where our success was achieved. With pure skill and quality, the way she plays the guitar inspires people around her. Her passion for music and burning desire to succeed as much as the team, she has always given 100% whenever she comes for guitar practices. She would always provide a guiding hand towards those who were unsure about the fingerings and many around her had indeed benefited from her help, the 2 prominent ones which she has guided and had succeeded was Shawn and Yuan Ping. Credit to them to had the effort to learn from her. In addition, I have also learned alot of skills from her, most notably the use of multi-finger method in my guitar skills. I think that she had indeed guided and improved me as a player overall. I really thank her for her guidance throughout the Special Awards preparation. All I can advise her is to use her talent well, and she will go far, and I think she will be key to success for the Guitar Ensemble in the future....

All in all, as the coordinator of Guitar Ensemble, I congratulate each and every member of the team who had made the performance very successful, and may we aim for further success in the future, as we start to bond together and play as a team, the potential shown to me in Guitar Ensemble is huge, and I hope with effort, we can achieve more success again.

I would like to thank Janice, who had the belief in my guitar ability, and had the confidence in me to give the role of guitar coordinator, allowing me to lead this brillant team. I think that she had made me realise that I ha thd the leadership potential, which I never thought I had. This coordinator role has indeed inspired me to play well in my guitar, and also to set an example for the rest of the team to follow. I think that it was a great feeling for me to have, guitar ensemble being a new musical group, and also lead this new team full of debutants, it definitely was such an honour for me to be given this opportunity by her to lead them out to success.

On behalf of Guitar Ensemble, Thanks to both our guitar instructors, Daniel and Justin, to help guide us throughout our journey in preparation to perform in such a prestigious event such as the Special Awards. Credit to both teachers for their guidance and teaching of their skills to be passed to us. I think it speak volumes of their ability and enthusiasm that both teachers took time out from their busy schedules every Saturday to travel down to ACCESS to teach us guitar. During the performance rehearsals, both teachers will ensure that we were all ready, helping us check the tuning of our guitar, and checks that they are tuned to the correct note.

The D'Passion Wheelchair Dance Group Performance was also very good, of which Amanda and her mum was involved. I remember, back in April where I, Shawn, among others went to the watch the same performance under the Welcome to My World event. Yet this time, It was just as nice and I really enjoyed the performance very much. Through it, I had indeed learned that being disabled, wheelchair-bound, certainly doesnt stop people to chase their passion in dancing or in any other areas of interests.

TM's SPARKZ musical group then entertained us with a performance of pure talent, singing ability and voice. They sang the song "I Have A Dream" and I thought the song is very linked to the objective of the Special Awards this year, which to clients it was to continue to chase their respective dreams despite having to overcome their disabilities in life. I remember, back in April, where I, Shawn, among others went to the watch them perform under the Welcome to My World event. I thought it was much the same quality, showcasing their talents and singing ability to the whole of AWWA. Back then, I just couldnt have watched them sing their hearts into the various songs. Take nothing away from them at that time, they were performing very well, but it was heartbreaking for me to be seeing them perform in such a grand event back then, and not being involved in it myself. Back then, It just motivated and inspired me to work harder towards my own performance, and now that I got the chance to perform for Special Awards, I think that the heartbreak of seeing them perform, certainly helped me to achieve my goal...

"I Have A Dream"

I have a dream, A song to sing
To help me cope with anything
If you see the wonder of a fairy tale, You can take the future even if you fail

I believe in angels,Something good in everything I see,

I believe in angels, When I know the time is right for me.

I'll cross the stream, I have a dream

I have a dream, a fantasy,

To help me through reality,

And my destination makes it worth the while
Pushing through the darknesss till another mile

I believe in angels, Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels, When I know the time is right for me I

I'll cross the stream - I have a dream

I have a dream, a song to sing

To help me cope with anything

you see the wonder,of a fairy tale

You can take the future,even if you fail

I believe in angels,Something good in everything I see

I believe in angels.When I know the time is right for me

I'll cross the stream I have a dream

I'll cross the stream I have a dream
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Special Awards is an annual event organised by AWWA to recognise the efforts and achievements of fellow clients and volunteers who volunteered their time to AWWA's cause. This year, many awards were being presented, namely the Special Effort Award, and the Perservervance Awards, the latter of which the Perserverance award I won it back in 2006 for my perververing effort to do well for my Chinese, which was voted by Mrs Loo. This year, It was different, as I got the chance to be involved in the performance for the first time. The school award and buddy awards were also presented, alongside the "Be With Me" scholarship, all awards of which was given to truly inspiring clients and buddies alike.

First of which was the "Be With me scholarships, given to clients who had shown that disabilities doesnt deter them to get what they want in life. Out of the set of award recipients, i knew 2 of them, HuiQi and Pin Xiu, though both didnt attend the awards ceremony, as they both had other commitments to attend to. Nonetheless, seeing them being recognised for their efforts had really given me the heart to be inspired by what they had achieved in their life thus far.

HuiQi is an inspiring person, in a way that I see her cope with things despite her disability. Much like me, she also suffers from Celebral Palsy but had to use crutches to walk. Nevertheless, the use of crutches for her case really doesnt deter her from getting around on her own. Her determination to walk the extra mile i think is just very inspiring for others to follow. Though she would be slow walker because of crutches, and believe me, a lot of people in AWWA will say that walking with crutches is indeed very tough, and I admit it, haing used crutches to walk in my early years. I knew how difficult it was. Despite this, I think she has proven that as long as there is a willingness to try, nothing is not achievable, and that I think is very true. Though she is a slow walker, i think that the speed doesnt matter much, is the perserverance to take that extra step forward..Her never-give-up style she has shown to be so independent, has indeed made me envy of how i got through my own period of time where i walked on crutches. She really is an inspiring person to follow as a role model example.

Pin Xiu was yet again another inspiring star which I look up to a lot. I had the opportunity to work with her during the recent June Camp commitee for the younger clients for camp with HFC, and i thought she did very well, and I really enjoyed working with her. But last year she represented Singapore in the Paralymics and brought gold medals to the success of the nation, and I think that it was sheer determination and skill on her part to succeed there. She has yet again shown to others that her disability means nothing more than a disability in name only. I had always looked up to her for inspiring in search of success in sports, hers being in swimming, while mine was a hope for success in soccer. But unlike her, I have always failed to replicate what she has achieved in sports. I think, that success in itself, is already a great achievement, and I am really inspired by her...

The Young Talent Award was also given to clients who have indeed shown outstanding talent in the area of arts and Music. In the area of Music, Boon Keng and Khristine, both of which represented SPARKZ, had the honour to win the awards this year, and thus I extend my congratulations to them, and hope that they and SPARKZ as a whole can achieve further success in the area of singing and music...

The Perserverance Awards was again given to clients who have shown outstanding determination and perserverance to achieve a certain target or goal. I think that this year it was very good for clients to be recognised for their efforts, and I congratulate this year's worthy winners of this Award...Extended congratulations to all award winners in this year's Special Awards ceremony. As the name of the ceremony suggests, all award winners are indeed special, very special...

Towards the end of the award ceremony was the presentation of tokens of appreciation of the various groups who had contributrd to the sucess of upstaging this year's grand event. Of which, Philip and Gopi represented SPARKZ, while I and Yuan Ping went up together to represent Guitar Ensemble to go up stage to collect our tokens of appreciations reprectively, along with the D'Passion Wheelchair Dance Group. It was the first time that I went up stage twice in the same event on the same day. I feel very honoured indeed to be representing Guitar Ensemble to take the group award...

Guitar Ensemble performance ( from left: shawn, TJ, Amanda, peter, YuanPing, Sharman, Jonathan, me)

SPARKZ Special Awards Performance(Philip, Gopi, Syahrun, BoonKeng, Khristine)

woots! Me, amanda, shawn and TJ

me and philip=)

Yuan Ping and me representing Guitar Ensemble for Token of Appreciation...

After the Special Awards event ended at 4pm, clique(YP, me, amanda, TJ, shawn) decide to go junction 8 at bishan play air hockey as a form of celebration due to our successful performances...Peter and Victor followed though...

So, travelled to Bishan there by bus 72. The bus dont allow 2 wheelchairs hop into 1 bus, so YuanPing went up the first bus, before shawn and me company amanda to board the second bus 72 towards the same destination, where we would meet later. Reach the MRT station liao, then i realised that the ramp up to the station for wheelchairs de, was under construction. So, Ting Jun followed YuanPing take the long loop to the MRT station itself, while amanda was daring enough to take the steps up. I tried my luck to ask if she minded hat I helped her go up the stairs, and surprisingly to me, she accepted my help, which I thought means alot, coz it shows that we trust each other as friends mah haha. But I hope that i did enough to guide you up the steps, but credit to amanda to have the courage to try. "If there's a will, there's always a way".

Yea, so took the train towards bishan to play the air hockey in the arcade. We played a lot of rounds, and I thought it was fascinating to see YuanPing and Amanda come up against each other in 1 round, really good to see them actively playing...

But the big moments were when we played group games. TJ paired with YuanPing, Victor with Peter, and i tink the trio of Amanda, me and shawn. But in actual fact, it was 5 vs 2...Played a few rounds together, my team and TJ's team lost against Peter and Victor. I was determined to revenge, and Amanda, me and shawn played a rematch with Peter and Victor, and finally we won. Defense and attack in a perfect combination haha..Sweet revenge indeed...

We also tried to play a driving game together, we 5 only. I thought that I wanted to give a chance to Amanda and YuanPing to try a different experience, coz I have always tried my very best to accomodate the 2 of them in anything we play, and yes, I thought they did very well to go up the driving seat to play, though it requires some help and support from me and Shawn. Though we didnt managed to compete againt each other, I thought that it doesnt matter in this case, coz I had successfully let them gain a new experience, and it really pleases me to see them enjoying the play..

We also played the basketball game, which was very funny, because amanda throw not accurate de, then would rebound back, on which there were 2 occasions which it did hit Amanda's spectacles and hit me and Shawn also.. "murderer" on the loose eh haha, and got 1 shot which I used my hand to block the ball from hitting Amanda for the second time, but overall it was very fun, laugher all around haha..Than shawn and my throwing always collide against each other, so the final score very low haha..The fun, bonding and celebration was all it mattered, the rest doesnt..Ate dinner together before going home with them to conclude my dream day on the 1st August 2009.......

Thanks to my family, who came all the way to ACCESS to give support to me, in my very first, but certainly not the last, performance in fornt of some many people. My mum has indeed always encouraged me during my practices prior to the performance and I apreciated that very much...Thank my team-mates and of course Amanda for guiding me so well...

I really enjoyed this performing experience, perhaps it was a chance for me to shine after all. i had put in alot of effort and heart to preparing for this performance, because I wanted it very much. Through this experience, I think I had gained a new exposure to what it is like to be performing in front of a big crowd, rather than having to hear what Amanda have told me about her many stage experiences. I think that though I admit that it brought about jealousy and envy, i think that what she had told me had made a un-obvious impact on me, motivating me to achieve like what she and many others in SPARKZ, before me, had achieved in AWWA. It was a great feeling to see the audience happy and hearing them cheer during our performance. I thought that it was a learning experience for me, to step up yet again in the future to perform more. I would not rest on my laurels, just because I had achieved what I had been dreaming for months, it would stop me to improve as a player more, and I want to enjoy more success with this team, the team which I hope will combine together with SPARKZ into one team. Together, we will conquer our own musical world, to show that disability means nothing, that even disability can make us successful too...yes this I will always believe.

Last Extra Practice

2009-07-26T12:23:00.004+08:00

Time just seem to fly so so fast, and yet now, it is just left a week to Special Awards 2009. It just seem like it was only yesterday that clique has only decided to hold extra guitar practices in preparation for Special Awards Performance, and now is like very close to the actual.

Make no secret of it, I am very scared and worried that I cannot be able to perform well when it matters most. I just hope that come Special Awards, I hope I can play well, and lead the team to debut glory. Am I the right man to lead u all ??

This week, met shawn at Yishun interchange at 8am, to travel to AWWA together. Reach the bus stop was raining very heavily, so shawn advise call amanda ask if can longpang anot haha. In the end is trouble amanda's mum 2 fetch us and philip to ACCESS. sorry sia taxi fare give u, amanda=p

Reached ACCESS then wait for amanda (Clique mah so wait for each other is only right) to readsy then we 4 go to auditorium together, met Sharman and the rest there, already
tuning their guitars. Soon, we settle down, start tuning guitars, then before we know it, they ask us to go up on stage if we all are ready. So fast??haha

Fear engulf me as I took my steps walking towards the stage, fear in the sense of scared tt i will play poorly and of coz abit nervous la half half. Rehearsed on stage twice, in between watching amanda's wheelchair dancing group and also SPARKZ sing. Inspired by both. I also saw a video of ththe works in awwa for the past year. I saw myself volunteering as camp committee in Skull Island this year. Moreover, I have also seen presentation of deserving award winners and also their achivements. I see those inspiring stories that has indeed had an impact on me, inspiring me etc, and yes, i tink i look up to them alot, seing wad they had to go through to achieve their success as seen in them today. Sad to say that I dont have the determination as strong as them haiz... So, after tt rested a while then they run 1 more round of rehearsals before it ended. I felt that all was very well done.

After which, went for lunch with clique then extra practice until 6+. Shall not say anymore abt extra, because it was very disappointing, confidence torn to shreds. Went dinner with amanda and YP, then slack chat chat dao 8 then we went home our different ways.

I just like saturdays eh, dont u tink?? Being with clique is just fun, fun to the extent that time seems to pass so fast whenever I am with them. Slower can?? haha

If there will be 1 saturday which I dont wan to come fast, it will be the next saturday, the 1st of august....I hope I can play well..I hope the team can win, I can win....

It is just cool to be with them, play guitar, chat together do all those fun things together. We slowly bonding together, closer and closer liao. Every saturday guitar, to play with them is just a motivation in itself liao. I hhave successfully blended all of them together into 1 united group, and I tink it brings about lots of happiness for me, so I freely express myself yea so. it is just so fun to be with this clique. This sat, the wjole clique will be reunited 2 celebrate the success of all those clients that brought me inspiring stories....

P.S: With u, I cant lose, sure win de, can help me for 1 last time?? Is my dream to play guitar with u, help me achieve it, can?? We always talk on msn about guitar, now is about performing when it matters most..I hope the team can win, I can win, and we can make that happen...I also share yr fear, yr nervousness, even though i didnt say it out, in fact, I am more scared and nervous..I can only win with u, make my dream come true, as we chase even more glory as a team, and you are key to that happening...Help me, encourage me....

Guitar Special Awards Preparation

2009-07-20T16:56:00.002+08:00

Guitar Special Awards Preparation

Special Awards is just less than 2 weeks away, 13 days more to be exact, but I can see the light now shining brightly towards my goal, our goal, guitar Ensemble's goal and target. Ytd saturdsy normal, had official guitar practice, abit of extra practice, then go watch powerSoccer with shawn, amanda and YP, at stadium for a while, go dinner with amanda and YP, before coming home.

Official guitar practice from 11-12.30pm, was very much a different experience, as we immediately went auditorium practice, tuned guitar. While tuning, witnessed the sparkz group practicing on their part for the upcoming Special Awards, with the song, "I Have A Dream". I listened to them play and then halfway tuned, just sort of piut down guitar, onli staring and watching sparkz sing. I have to say that that team is great, really great.

Then, it was our turn to play liao, to practice on stage, and i got to say that I was shaking at the thought of coming up the ramp linking to the stage, and well, the last time i went up tt ramp was 3 years ago, to coolect my Perserverance award in 2006. Nva gonna imagine I'm going back on stage yet again in 13 days time not to collect award, but to perform guitar. Until now, I still have to take time for reality to sink in...

So yea, went up stage ramp, helped amanda push her up ramp, then do preparations before guitar ensemble started practicing the song. And really, is for real, and yet i cant believe it lor, the reason i not sure why. Played with the tests of microphone and everything, was cool la, to put it simply, its just great to be back to the team where success is flowing, flowing like water....
After official practice, lunch, then Janice treat us to ice cream in Mac, then go void deck play guitar together. All did well i congratulate them for all their efforts, thanks guys...Before sharman had to leave at 4, I gave the team so called a team talk about the prospects of the guitar team who is really going to perform for Special Awards 2009.

"As u all know, we onli have 2 weeks before the actual SA, i hope that all of u can put in much of yr effort to help the team progress as a team. I believe that many of you, except for amanda, will be making yr debut in this event this year. This is a team practice, so cannot rely on invidual talent to see us through it, we must play together as a team to succeed. If we want progress, we have to proogress as a team, not as individuals. All I want from u all is not talent, but consistent effort. I got to say that YP is one of the fastest to improve as well as shawn, but overall the team did well. So let us give our last lap of effort and practice towards that 1 goal that I so dearly crave.."

Then we took bus and train to Choa Chu Kang meet Janice, in the end is we 4 go here ourselves, coz anice will be late. So took bus again to the stadium, got lost there, explored the diffrent ways, then in then end, we went throught the long way, which was a multi-series of slopes to the next level. And, YP and amanda had to manuveur their wheelchairs up the slope, it was quite tiring to go up the slopes. I was also kind of struggling to go up the slope, but i see the 2 of them push their wheelchair up, i suddenly got the feeling of being helpless, as Yuan Ping asked me to let her do it herself which was easier for her, and also i really wanted to help amanda along, but I feared tt she will get say by her, tt she may have wanted to do it herself. As such, I didnt went to tell her abt me helping her. Thus, the feeling of helplessness, but in the end we got up there all right.
Went to the hall there find Janice, met quite of few familiar faces, among them some who are AWWA clients eg. Jiayong, BoonKeng etc. Then watched some matches of the PowerSoccer competition. I thought it was quite interesting to see soccer being played in a different way, the disabled way, using motorised wheelchairs, and I got to say that the skill and control shown by some of the players is just fantastic, really. Seing them play, I thought the modified way of soccer to suit the wheelchair-users was quite fun, and more harder, as the player had to control both their wheelchair and also the ball, yea so it was a eye-opener, showing the disabled people can also have the same interest of playing soccer at a high level of competition, like the way the normal people play their soccer. I am lucky enough to say that I got to witness and play both ways.

Yea after that went dinner with YP and Amanda at Yew tee while shawn had to go home yea. I asked amanda to help me take my handphone after eating, while I helped to push her wheelchair, as she was tired pushing herself liao, so I was quite happy to help her, very happy indeed, yea so psuhed her wheelchair all the wasy to MRT there, then she and Yuan Ping left towatrds Jurong East, while I took the other direction, then we went our different ways liao then realised tt my handphone was with Amanda. Got it back from her yesterday, so ya thanks.

I cannot tell how much I want to win with this team, I still figuring out how to sink in my mind that in another less than 2 weeks, all I have played guitar for over a year will be put to a stern test, I dunno if I can cope with the pressure and the expectation tt comes with it anot, but well, I got to try though. As the leader of the Guitar Ensemble, I promise my team that I will do well, have confidence in me, and also give me confidence.

It may not have sunk in yet, but until I go up on stage and play the guitar like what we all ahve been practicing for so many months, I wont say tt I have completed my dream of a successful debut. I hope I can do it bah...All I know is that the chance of succeeding with this team is put right in front of me now, whether I can successfully play well i dunno liao.. But i will always keep on trying

As what bestie amanda told me once "Dun keep looking down on urself, u sure can do it de. Must believe in urself." I hope I can follow her advice and believe in myself....

Getting Closer to Special Awards

2009-07-12T15:57:00.000+08:00

Getting Closer to Special Awards

Forget about saying that it is my dream to appear as a debutant for Special Awards. forget about that dream of mine. It is not just my dream, is also a dream that we all share as 1 team. Never mind that 1 has gone for so many of such performances and gained so much experience and learned so much, yet that passion and motivation to make another appearance still burns inside her like fire. This is a team dream made for a dream team..All dream for the same thing, same motivation, same goal..It seems cool that for the first time, we all are wanting and chasing the same thing..

As guitar coordinator, my job is to call the members to come for practice, and also to motivate and encourage u all to seee and share the same goals and objectives that i lined up to achieve with this team. And although some may see me as not doing a very good job as coordinator, I still stand by that I still got to do wad I am asked to do, when Janice first gave me a chance to be a coordinator, to lead the new team into success.

I have high hopes for my guitar team, starting with this upcoming Special Awards this year, which I hope is just the beginning of more success to come. Yet it left with another less than 3 more weeks before Special Awards Day, still the team of guitarists are not as yet ready for the performance, even myself is not ready, and I know that..

Yes, we know that we are not ready yet, so thus the need for extra guitar practice after the normal lessons with the teachers. The extra practices has to serve as a purpose, to give the team more time to practice and cmbine together, play as a team.

Yet i feel that during during extra practice, peter has not shown to me and the team his passion and enthusiaism to play for the team. He simply shows no interests and wont want to practice with us, when the rest are putting so mch effort to prepare for this event. Yet he just refuses to practice with us..

I know that this team indeed has great potential, seriously, this team can go far..As a team, i feel that Peter is causing a disturbance to the chemistry of the team. I see a divided team, not the team that i thought I had made together. When during practice, even if peter doesnt want to practice, he should not disturb those that want to learn, want to reach the goal of appearing for Special Awards this year. He only joins us to slack around and also to disturb the rest, which really I am disappointed in you.

The team has a divided opinion, whether you should join us for extra practice anot, never mind being able to appear for the actual Special Awards performance. Almost all had wanted him to be not involved in the extra practice, because they feel that you are affecting the rest of the team that wants to practice, I and TJ was the only ones that thought ought to give him a chance to prove yr skill, show that you are an asset to the team, rather than a liability.
I tried talk to peter and encourage him to put in effort to play for the team. I tink he doesnt know how much is the honour to represent awwa to be up on stage to perform in such a grand event such as the Special Awards. Peter, You said that you purposely did not want to show yr true ability using the guitar in case you are acting to be too pro, look as if you can own the rest of us..

Forget about saying that as you claimed that amanda and me are the best of the lot. I tink that isnt the case at all. I see the whole team as equally having potential to succeed. In fact, I have never focused on just getting amnda to perform, certainly not. Forget about having talent in this team, I care more about the effort the individual put in, certainly not about talent.
The 8 of us here all started the way the first time we joined guitar, just learning our trade to a new instrument. I also started to learn from scratch. Is all about effort and passion de. Take for example, Yuan Ping, see the way she improved so much though she started slowly, and like peter, also had difficlty at first. See the way she plays now, i can trust her to put in a good performance during the actual..She has indeed become 1 key player for the team liao. Forget that peter may see me as a very good player, is not that I am talented playing, is just that I put in alot alot of effort to learn and progress lor.

If there is 1 time which I want Peter to play well to his best, is that day when Special Awards comes. I want to lead this team and play well to introduce to AWWA that this is the new sparkz, which has already tasted so much success...

SDSC Soccer Tournament, Guitar

2009-07-05T16:52:00.003+08:00

SDSC Soccer Tournament

Yesterday Saturday went to participate in SCDC soccer tournament, held at Tampines SAFRA. I and the team went there to represent AWWA to challenge for a trophy. I indeed feel honoured to be able to represent AWWA A via AWWA van (long time never sit on tt van liao hehe)

The 1st team played a match at 9.20am. Surprisingly, we realised that we were challenging not against disabled people, but normal people. The opponent played fast, one touch passing football, in the end we lost 5-1 in that match. Althought that, i felt tt the team played their best, and our goalkeeper was fanastic. They lost another match 5-0 and got eliminated, but credit to them , they did AWWA proud.

At the other end, after which, the other team( which I was in) went to the training ground to practice. We had a selection difficuty of choosin a goalkeeper, so it was left to me and kelvin to fight it out for the No.1 jersey. Having played as a keeper when i played with my primary school friends, I thought I could do this de. I did what i felt I can, and got to nod to start as a goalkeeper in the next match. (Even though I still would have played as a second striker, i tink). Goalkeeper is still my best position i guess...

Started the game as a goalkeeper, against a team that was normal people again. I felt of many similiarities between this and my primary school friends. So, prior to the match, I told myself to take like I am playing with my primary school friends and perform likewise can liao...While standing at the goalpost, A sudden thought just came to me and gave me much confidence, and that sudden "thought" is my secret hahaha....

Throughout the match, I felt i did ok overall, but i was bitterly disappointed, that I conceded a goal though getting a strong hand to the shot..haiz...Thus, we lost 1-0 in the end..managed to qualify to next round though...

After that, the team captain gave us a harsh team talk sia...zzz...

After soccer tournament, went back ACCESS there. Peter, TJ and me went to gome ground find amanda they all for extra guitar practice...Thanks so much Amanda to carry my guitar and looking after it, 辛苦了你=))

My guitar got restring-ed by Daniel, yea. So, when practice will go off tune. I took time to get used to it, i was abit disappointing at the start, short of confidence( though I played combine with amanda haha) Overall, I was very disappointed with my performance during extra practice..

Practice ended early, coz amanda had to go off early. her mum came to fetch her ya, so thats that. Followed Peter, YP, TJ to dinner then go home together with Peter..

P.S. : Amanda, firstly thanks for carrying my guitar yesterday, you are the best=)

Secondly, thanks for your tag on my blog, your words of wisdom has indeed encouraged and gravatised me. I dunno how 2 thank you sia...I wont look down on myself de, I will learn from u to get your style of self belief..Thanks for your luck for my Common test which starts tomorrow. Thanks for everything that you have given and encouraged me throughout..I will be looking forward to play guitar with you, coz you are such a amazing talent...thanks for everything=]] Best friends forever=) Oh ya...i hope to let u know that Whatever I say that may sound weird, I want you to know that I am joking with you only...I am very very very lucky to call you as my best friend, stay that way, forever and always...=)

Random

2009-07-01T13:58:00.002+08:00

You are my best friend, my inspiration, my role model, whatever I call u, it makes no much difference, is it??

It just seems to me that I thought that I known you long enough to see you as my best friend.
4 years and maybe I hope, more... I know that our buddy, Sylvia, know you for 8 years, since primary school.. As compared to me knowing you for only about 4 years, my time that I know you seems distant and far apart, should I say?? But does tt make me think tt I dont see you as my best friend as compared to her??

Many a times, it seems strange to other people that two of best and closest friends are girls, quite odd, or should I say, weird?? But, no, it isnt the case. In fact, when people ask me who is my best friend, I onli have 2 answers, or perhaps only that 1 answer, in my mind? I treat u very much as my best friend, do you see me likewise as your best friend??

When you in school feeling lonely, or solo in school, I would try to accompany you. It also makes me feel not so lonely when in school too, at least i got one person to find if I got problems and stress in school. You are perhaps the only close friend connection I hoped of having.

Last time, you always on msn will pm me, chat with me etc. I kinda like it, coz whenever you pm me, it would always lift my spirits, seeing tt I can spend time chat with you. Now that you would rarely or would not pm me, I feel quite lonely...

We both share the same passion and interest in guitar, yes. We have the motivation to do well for the guitar team, as well as the others. In fact, when we first started out in guitar, I knew that you were already had some musical background.

Throughout a year of playing guitar as one of my interests, I have always seek help and musical knowledge from yoou, because I know for sure that you would help me de=). In fact, you have made me the guitar player I am today, with the possibility of pursuing a dream that I had for quite some time. You guided me in some ways that improved my guitar skills progressively. In fact, without your help, I wouldnt even be playing guitar using the multi-finger style which you also employ in your guitar skills. In short, I see your skills in myself. During guitar practice or extra practice, sometimes I would play poorly or not up to my standard which I expected of myself, so so called will "cui". However, how strange the theory is, I always realised that I play better when playing with you, because I feel happy and thus confident playing guitar of you. It has been always my aim to be performing guitar for Special Awards 2009, but I think it will be an additional bonus to be able to play guitar together with you, among the rest, as part of Guitar Ensemble team..

I like to help people alot, and yes, I would help anyone. It bring me quite a nice feeling to be able to help others, from Yuan Ping, shawn etc. But i also like to help youu, is because that I thought I was as a friend, quite close to you, so I thought I could help you more (keep guitar, push wheelchair etc), coz i thought i was close to you, so can interact with you more freely. I remember once, when we went home together, when I lost control while pushing your wheelchair. But from then on, you told me that you were scared that I helped you? In penang camp last year, when they asked us to find a pair, you thought that I would find the rest and not pair with you? I tink at that time, my choice was quite clear that I would want to pair with you for tt dunno wad event or wadever. At that time, is because i wanted to help you too. It just seems to me that I am happy to help you alot alot, so if you realized, i always try my bestest of my ability to help you, not to say that i would also willingly help the others, without a doubt.

You have always been my inspiration, is because maybe ever since, i saw u climb down a long flight of steps one-handed with crutches, that I was right to get inspired by you. I were even triied to do that worr, never mind one handed, eeven so with crutches yet one-handed. I tink it takes alot of courage to go down one step, never mind completing the flight of it all, with the way you did it.

No matter what, I will always see you as my best friend......do you see it likewise?
....

Random

2009-06-30T21:07:00.002+08:00

Though it has always a dream for me to be able to perform for Special Awards 2009, I have been quite surprisingl for me to think that I am set to be in for Special Awards guitar performance team. It is my first time starting to prepare for such a grand event and performance.

I think that it was quite stressful, in the sense that during guitar practice, it is starting to be very serious, and as I said it is my first time preparing for it, I got that kind of weird feeling. During lesson time, we would practice and practice, and to perfect the timing of the song.

When clique go extra practice, we would be very serious, knowing what we want to achieve at the end of the practice session. For me, i feel that it is all about my confidence level. If my confidence is high, I believe i can play to the best of my ability, to express myself well. But otherwise, i dunno why i will do very badly at times, pressing the wrong notes and hard to getting back to the right notes, and also getting the wrong timing.

Because my part, bass 1, is to set the tempo and speed of the song play, it is crucial that i need to play well. So, when I go one note wrong, some of the team would like say me, why suddenly i wrong note etc. Yes, it is right in a sense, because firstly, this is a team performance. So, all have to coordinate together to play well. But, one thing is for sure, the chemistry in the team i thought is great as they would constantly encourage each other to try again.

My aim is now shifted towards success towards guitar. Last time, I thought tt soccer is my winning "talent". But now having guitar as my passion, I feel tt the chances of guitar success is more than compared to soccer.

I hope amanda and sylvia, my 2 best friends with Special Awards' performance experiences, they can guide me through to help me achieve my first "silverware" with AWWA...

Guitar Practice

2009-06-28T15:12:00.002+08:00

Guitar Practice

Yesterday, went guitar practice with clique as usual. Meet shawn at Yishun Interchange, go ACCESS together. Then halfway, Yuan Ping called me say going rain liao, ask me faster and also to be careful. Thanks for concern, YP.

Reached ACCESS, saw inspiration, among others. We prepared for the lesson, then Daniel taught us abit of the Cannn In D theory, where each part was to come in at which appropriate timings. I thought tt that was quite important as they know well when to come in and when to rest, while others play their parts.

After the "lecture", the team warmed up for practice by getting used to the notes of each. When they were ready, I initiated the playing of the Cannon In D, with my bass, while others slowly came in. I felt that the team did very very well instead as we managed to complete the song to where we stopped, to such an extent that the timing was good, Daniel also was like clapping and encouraging us. I feel that it was a good start to the practice session. I think that with more practices, we can be ready for the actual performance liao.

After which, the team split into difernt groups to practice on their particular roles for about 15-20 mins, when theother teachers walked round and guided us. At the other end, bestie Amanda was like playing the Cnnon In D mp3 file from her handphone, loud enough for me to have the temptation to follow the mp3 file and play my bass 1 HAHA. We then came back together as a team again to play the song again, for the last minutes prior to the end of yesterday's session. And yes, We dd well again, without really much stumbling.

After the lesson, clique, along with peter and sharman went for lunch, before we headed for extra guitar practice again, at the nearby void deck. But yesterday was "special" or can say is a shocker, bcoz of 2 shocking incidents.

Firstly, while we were practicing our Cannon in D, a man who walked past us at the void deck there, suddenly stopped and listened to us play. When we played our song finish, he was just standing there clapping!! I wasnt attentive enough to know of the man in the first place coz i was like concentrating hard on playing. But Amanda was attentive enough to realise that the man was there applauding. Then shockingly, he ask us play again zzz. So we played for him. While we were playing, i dunno what he is trying to do, walking around lifting his handphone dunno what he want to do..?? Best friend Amanda was claiming that he was taking a video of our "performance"???. Then, he suddenly ask where we from(AWWA), how to contact AWWA, say that he is school teacher or something, then he was like impressed by the look on his face, that he actually asked whether we interested to appear in his dunno-what-school performance?? Quite a shock for me though haha. Quite a shocking experience for me, but i tink this will make our team stronger as we go forward as a team for Special Awards 2009.

Then second incident is when we play halfway, got 2 policemen walk towards us. I thought we gonna get police warning for playing guitar at void deck?? My first thought was that man previously, thought he video-ed us playing as evidence and called the police. I was like telling Amanda, faster go awa from here HAHA. But in the end, the police was like so friendly, doing some random check only. haha

We then conntinued to practice until 6.15pm, then went Mac for dinner. We accompanied amanda to wait for her mother fetch her home, before we all went home separately, to end a shocking, but fun-filled day with clique and Guitar Ensemble team.

Sibling Camp: Skull Island 2009

2009-06-15T09:50:00.007+08:00

Sibling Camp: Skull Island 2009

From 13-14 June 2009, I and my friends from AWWA participated in the Sibling Camp: Skull Island 2009 as the junior camp committee, jointly orgaanised by AWWA and Happy Friends Club(HFC).

As the name of the camp suggest, the objective of the camp is to incorporate sibling bonding among the clients and their sibling. There was a total of 8 pairs of siblings who participated in this camp.

This is the 2nd time that i helped HFC as part of the camp commitee to plan a camp for the AWWA. Before that, i also was part of the committee running the Penang camp last year. This year, My commitee include:

Pin Xiu, Victor, Zheng Kai, Sylvia and Peter

This project was appealing to me, because it came with the added incentive to lead the young clients of AWWA, which to me is an offer that was too good to turn down. Also, the location of the camp(MOE Labordor Park) was also a factor which told me to go for this camp, remembering that 5 years ago, I was there for a camp as a younger client too, Sec 1 at that time. Since then, It has been a dream that I hoped that i could lead the younger clients. How that dream of mine came true, starting on Saturday, 13 June 2009.

Saturday, 13 June 2009

I met the clients and staff at harbourfront MRT. I was not surprised to see parents bring their children there. When 5 years ago, my mum also brought me there. After all the clients came, we took the bus and headed for the MOE labordor Park, which wold be our home for the next 2 days...

While on the bus, I and Victor was like chatting about the activities that we were going to plan in this camp, and also the experience of going back to the place, where it all started for me..5 years ago. Annd never woul I have expected that 5 years down the road, I would be going back there, this time not to participate, but to be a leader to the young clients, like i was 5 years ago...

Reached the Labordor Park, then saw some of the camp commitee members, Pin Xiu and Sylvia ya, so chatted with them a while. And as I looked around, I still reminds me alot of the last time i went there for camp. Seeing the clients, sitting with their brothers and sisters, on the benches, wah..they are very cute. Took some time before i went to mingle with the children.

We helped to distribute the pirates' weapons to the clients and also their siblings. We also went to find all our group members. I was the facilitator for the best Yellow group=D

Then, camp committee start to work liao, giving ourselves a name that was linked to the theme of pirates. I was named as 1-eyed captain, dunno why they give me de LOL.

The camp committee took time to introduce ourselves to the clients to start the camp. Played some ice-breaking games, so that the clients and siblings are able to interact and miingle with each other.

After all the introducing and mingling, the groups were provided with materials to make their pitrate gears and weapons. For yellow group, there was a assortments of different types of weapons, ranging from swords and pirates arms bands and many more. I just assisted the clients to do their weapons, and also to watch over them when they are using the penknives and scissors. I was impressed with the creativity and design whch the clients and siblings demostrated..They are also reauired to come out with a group cheer.

After some time making the weapons, HFC would ask them to present their weapons along with their group cheers. After lunch, we checked in to the pirates bunks and after which came back for the groups to use their imagination with the materials provided to design their own pirates ship. I helped my group suggest some designs and also helped the children with the paintings and stuff. Hands got quite dirty in the end, but i tink that thats the fun of arts and crafts i guess? I feel that it was quite fun to do painting with those kids, though my art not say to be very good haha. The clients and all were given a break to rest before the next activity.. but unforunately,the camp committee wouldhave no rest as we prepare dto run our first activity of the camp.

Sylvia and me was in charge of the first game, me being the game master while sylvia the time keeper. Our game was to blow a ping pong ball across 3 cups, of which is filled with water to the brim. I briefed te clients and I got to say that it was a fine experience again to be in front briefing, just like i did during the Penang trip. Victor helped me with the demostrations and from then on, the clients and siblings took over liao. It was cool to see them play the game which we created haha..while I supported and cheered for my yellow team.

Next on, was the game run by Peter and Zheng Kai. I just watched how they run while i stayed with my group. I felt that all did well for this activity, be it they won or lost.

The third activity, run mainly by Pin Xiu and Victor, assisted by the others, the games require the clients and siblings to use binoculars to see word and interpret them by drawing the images out. I wasnt directly involved in this activity, as i and Sylvia had to start preparations for our last activity of the set.

This game might be familiar to those that went for the ILS Camp 2006 three years ago. The game idea was originated from there and it is somewhat similiar. Items were put in the center of a boundary, while the clients were supposed to use the materials provided to create a thing to hook out the items, differentiated by their group colours. Seeing them play the game certainly allow me to remember the time we ILS Camp de we also play.

They had a refreshment break before they played the rescue the Damsel game, run by all the junior camp commitee members. it was quite fun to see them play, going under tables and walking round cones etc.

Campfire night was also interesting as the groups performed skits and a song. It was much like the penang that time like that. The only difference was that I was not to be the campfire MC, a role i kinda wanted as i wanted a taste of that experience of that night again. It wasnt to be this time haha..

The respective groups performed their skits and song and cheer ya. It was kinda funny to see the young ones do their skits, some of which was really cute haha..Then we all did the pirate dance together, the camp committee standing in front of their respective groups to lead them. The day ended quite late, so the HFC decided to call off the confidence night walk.

Sunday, 14 June 2009

All had to wear the camp t-shirt yea. The t-shirtdesign credit has to go to my inspiration, Pin Xiu, to consolidate all the images haha. Nice to work with my inspiaration to design this camp T-shirt haha=D

Morning exercise do the pirate dance again haha. Breakfast was outdoor cooking. i saw first hand some of the clients cooking independently while the volunteers watch over them.

Then after breakfast, played the telematch. The junior committee represented their respective groups at then ending point I represented my yellow group at the ending point, waiting for them to complete their obstacles. Upon completion, they would come to me, to blow 2 ping pongs balls covered full of flour. And wah I was like flour-ed LOL.my yellow captain, Anneliese, who was on wheelchair, also got flour-ed very much. It was the fun of it i guess.

After that, the siblings went for a workshop orgainised by TM, while the clients learned to mix and match soft drinks to make a mocktail. Helped those clients along the way. Mine was like so sour cozz i anyhow add LOL..

The last Activity of the camp was by far the most fun de, the pirates battle. The groups were given a base to defend, which was the respective pirate ships bult earlier. Anneliese was my captain so she was the main person to defend the base, while the others went to attacked the other teams. Theyplayed with water guns and water bombs. It was just so fun, it was a pity that the commitee is not allowed to play haha, but no matter i still got water bombed, with my shirt being wet hahahaha..

Awards were given out the end of the camp, with the volunteers and the camp commitee among the lot to be recognised for their contributions to the success of this camp.

Personally for me, this camp was really a big dream come true to lead the young clients. I always wanted to pay back by helping as many clients as I can. And I feel that leading as camp commitee was just a bonus.

Inspiration

2009-06-08T17:29:00.002+08:00

Inspiration

Yesterday watched the charity show, support HuiQi on TV. When it was time that they interview HuiQi and also show the video of her struggles with her disabilitiy, I can say that I am yet again inspired by the way she cope and manage despite her disability.

Like me, She also suffer from celebral Palsy. Unlike me, she requires crutches in order to walk, to support her yea. I only needed crutches when I was younger.

I got to see the video of how she managed to walk with the aid of crutches, barely all by herself. Despite this, she is still a very cheerful girl and always put a smile on her face. Always whenever I see her during sparkz and guitar together, no doubt that i will see her laugh and with that smile that is so special about her, her uniqueness.

I remember seeing the video that she walk on her own to a table. Then, she will walk slowly and very calmly. When she reached the table, she would release one of her hand of the crutch, and lend the crutch on the table, before releasing the other side. I understand very much that it is not easy, definitely not. As I see the video of her struggles, those struggles that i gone through with my disablity, it just came up to my mind, seeing it very clearly...

I can say it for her that she is a gifted singer, vocalist. She will always have that passion for singing. she will do Sparkz proud de..

I remember well one time, where we all left awwa after lessons. Although she is very slow in walking,nand she told me to go first and not to let the others wait, I still chose to wait for her. At the same time, I see that she is very strong-minded. One quote that I tink speak volumes of her is:

"I am a slow walker, but i never walk backwards"

Jiayou HuiQi, you are my inspiration, a inspiration that I will always look up to..

Celebral Palsy

2009-06-06T22:35:00.003+08:00

Celebral Palsy

Celebral Palsy is a medical condition which may affect a child, if they suffer problems such as brain damages during delivery of a baby. Its effects and symptoms can be seen when the child reaches the age of 4 or 5 years old.

I am a childd who was born with celebral palsy. I was 45 mins later to come out than my twin brother, because i came out using the carsesian section, which is to take the baby out from the mother's stomach.

I had an operation when I was a baby to try and operate on my condition I tink.

Celebral Palsy is a medical condition which makes me special as compared to others. My legs was born differently, as i tend to walk specially. Unlike normal babies, I started to walk only at the age of 4.

Due to Celebral Palsy, my walking style was abit different when i was young. I tend to cross my legs and cross, which u all can call it, walking like a drunken prawn.

When i was in the age of 5, I joined AWWA, an association which help disabled people. From age 5-7, i used to walk like a duck feet, meaning my feets are tilted inwards, instead of the normal V-shaped waling style which is by right normal. My leg muscle are tight, was also in some part cause to walk the way I am walking. Celebral Palsy affects mostly my left side of the body, Left hand, brain, and most obviously, my left leg.

During that period, due to my medical condition, I used to walk with a walking aid, for me is the walker.

During end of primary 3, I went for another operation, in another attempt to cure my medical condition. After the operation, I sat on wheelchair for about 4 -5 months while recovering from the operation. I spent months to recupulate from my operation, where i would do alot of exercising to strengthen my legs.

After I recovered, I must say that I am lucky as i am able to walk better liao. I remember very clearly that last time alot of TM staff would always tell me when I was older, that I am one of the most luckiest with respect to the condition of celebral palsy.

With that in mind, as I grow older, I has always been my wish to help as many people with disablities as possible. Because of this, I am always very passionate about helping the disabled clients,in any way I can. Be it, push wheelchair, even picking things up for them, i also will say yes. I will always feel happy if I am able to help the disabled. I will not let my disability deter me from helping those that is also suffering from disabilities. It is time I give back to the society by helping those clients that who like me, are also suffering from physical disabilities

Great Friendships

2009-06-02T10:17:00.005+08:00

Great Friendships

The first we met

that was quite along time ago

But despite this, We now still are very good friends

We study in our different paths

To achieve what we individually wanted

In this clique full of enjoyment

There was 9 people, with 1 heart

With care and concern for each other

Reaching out to help

To the best of our abilities

Great Friendships of where we enjoy thus far

Despite the differences in movements

We go past obstacles as 1 clique

No more, no less

Show us that in our eyes

We are all the same

Great friends to each other

In the clique we will forever remain

AWWA Guitar Ensemble

2009-05-31T21:51:00.001+08:00

AWWA Guitar Ensemble

Every Saturday, Clique will go ACCESS for guitar practice from 11-12.30pm.
AWWA Guitar Ensemble was founded as a "club" in February 2008, by Janice. It has then been expanding, and now we have a total of about 15 clients in the guitar group.
AWWA Guitar Ensemble was founded to take a step forward to the development and scouting of music talent in AWWA. It is aimed to provide opportunities for disabled clients to showcase their talent through the playing of guitar.
The team is coached by 2 volunteery teachers, namely Daniel and Justin. They have consistently helped us to improve our guitar skills and give us some important advice on how we can improve. We feel very priviledged to be guided by them.

I was elected as guitar coordinator by Janice to help her in calling the clients for guitar practice every week, and also responsible for motivating them for perfornances among others.
This coming August this year, we are slated to turn out for the Special Awards 2009. For the performance, we are practicing to play the song entitled Cannon.
My team consists of :
Amanda, Shawn, Ting Jun, Yuan Ping, Jonathon, Sharman.

In preparation for the upcoming Special Awards performance, the team would stay back after the official guitar practice, to continue to hon our guitar skills.

We would have lunch together before we would proceed to the nearby void deck to continue practice. We would grouo up together and play as a team, with each assigned a role to play in the song.
As guitar coordinator, I am very impressed by the progress made by the whole team. Though they started and adapted slowly, they still perservered to learn and also practice more.
In addition, some of them have consistently and continuously been standout performers, namely Jonathon and Yuan Ping.

They have been slow adapters, and sometimes they would stumble while playing. But yet despite them, they still continue to practice, and have shown to be revelations in the team.

I hope to build on great team of guitarists that can go on stage to showcase their talents and abilty, despite all disabilities.

My 18th Birthday Celebration

2009-05-10T19:52:00.003+08:00

My 18th Birthday Celebration

3rd May 2009

This day was the very day I entered this world, exactly 18 years ago....I was born 45 mins later than my twin brother, Jerrold. No wonder got height difference now.
Unlike him, I am abit special, born with a disability called celebral palsy, while he was so called born normally...

18 years later..., My family went to the Poeny Jade restuarant have celebration lunch..absolute quality time spent with my family together. After eaten lunch liao, I told Dad that i require a new thumbdrive for school use, so he brought us to Funan Mall there buy one for me, 4GB for $18. Thanks daddy <33s..

9th May 2009 with AWWA Clique

AWWA Clique(Amanda, Philip, Shawn, YP, TJ) came my house to help me celebrate my belated birthday together with me. My mum ask me to invite them come for lunch, so I sams all at 1 go, while slowly getting replies from them, 1 by 1..haha.

I expected shawn or someone to call me when they reach MRT, but instead Shawn brought TJ and Philip up, to my surprise haha. Then Philip and me went down to pick Amanda up, coz her mum fetch her here de. Then we 2 go to MRT station there find YP.

They all come liao, then we all go my room play guitar..Amanda and YP got bring their individual guitars plus mine, so got 3 altogetherm so = can COMBINE CANNON!!!!(while we play guitar, Philip, shawn and TJ play poker)Yuan Ping took the role of guitar 1, Amanda bass 1, while i take bass 2. Wow..best la..as we play longer together, we can get the pattern liao..then we combine a total of 3 rounds of cannon non-stop, until my hand pain liao haha..Amanda was showing us her technique of playing both guitar 1 and bass 2 together at the same time using her own guitar. Nice 1 la Amanda, i learn from u liao..haha..good job YP and senior=) This coming saturday at ACCESS can go show Janice during lessons liao...haha..but still for me both feet on the ground, dun be complacent..

Played guitar until hand pain, so rested awhile..then I suggested them to play some board games etc...Then I took out my UNO stacko let them play together(Philip called it the game of 刺激). While playing, I also on my ipod on loud speaker, play all those songs that we clique sing during last time KBox de, nice

We play 1 round of individual first, then we set a rule tt whoever loses will sing song or wadever for us to listen. Not a bad forfeit after all haha. I lost the first round, then I use my guitar play 关怀方式( a song tt they get "irritated" hearing me always play). Then Played a few more rounds b4 i suggested tt we pair ourselves in the later rounds, since got 6 people. A few rounds, i pair with bestie Amanda. zwe 2 won a few rounds together, b4 we crashed in another haha. So means: do forfeit hahaha. Forfeit I happy coz we get to DUET together!! Amanda asnd me duet "My Heart Will Go On" and wow, I managed to duet successfully with her man=) The longer we play, the more high we got,as we was like singing together liao (童话，约定，安静 etc)

In the evening, we all go down play together. The girls(YP and Amanda) played badminton while the 4 of us(Philip, me , shawn and TJ) played soccer together. 1st game(i and shawn, against philip and TJ), I and shawn were like given a footballing lesson, as we lost 4-0 sianz. Second game, we switched team, and the girls being added as goalkeepers So, teams were formed, I, amanda and philip against YP, TJ and shawn. The 4 of us play as outfield players liao can test our abilities against each other liao..

I assisted two goals to Philip, who dispatched it past YP like a Wayne Rooney. One of which was a cheeky backheel from me to let Philip through on goal, which he didnt disappoint. I was abit unlucky not to get on the "scoresheet" myself as a brillant cross from philip gave me a chance to score, which i didnt manage to find the "net". Credit to both "goalkeepers"(Amanda and YP), they did well la. even wheelchair-users can play soccer man, dont rule them out man. But, Amanda(my team's goalkeeper, my $109m world record signing), wow,she saved like so many shots, until I was thankful to her for letting our team nick it 2-1..what more to end it then to win the match and created 2 goals?? haha..simply awesome!!

Then go back my house to rest lor...Then they all gave me quite a surprise when they sang a birthday song for me, then presented me with a birthday card and my belated birthday present, a shirt. Thanks all, i love both of it very much.

I want to thank the follwing people:

My family, parents

Poly 0804 classmates who wished me

AWWA Clique(Sylvia and Khristine too=])

Photos time:

AWWA Clique Group Photo <333

Self Guitar Practice

2009-04-26T20:28:00.002+08:00

Self Guitar Practice

yesterday saturday, though dont have official guitar lesson, we still went to AWWA to practice guitar on our own.

Janice told me that saturday have no guitar lesson. However, she ask me to ask the guitarists if they want to practice on their own free time. Then they(TJ, shawn and amanda) agree, then while we were deciding where to go practice, amanda was suggesting that we ask janice if ACCESS is open on saturday anot, so we can go practice there, instead of going amanda's house, which was the original idea. Janice told her tt ACCESS will be opened from 10-12, so we in the end decided to go ACCESS there practice.

Met Shawn at Yishun to go AWWA together, chatted during the journey yea..reacched there abit earlier than the agreed time. While we were walking through the long lane to AWWA, saw Amanda. Yea, so reached there we 3 went to the conference room to get ready, tune our guitars etc.

The atmosphere was like so silent while tuning. I guess is because of the seriousness towards our planned practice, yes. Then while waiting for Yuan Ping to come, we started to get used to the notes. For me, I needed some time to get used to it, coz long time no touch guitar liao, not since school started last week.

For this practice, the role of playing was as follows:

Guitar 1 and 2 :Yuan Ping/Shawn

Bass 1 and 2: Amanda/me (we 2 if need then swap role)

Yea, so this is how we grouped la, to try combine play Cannon. At the start, Amanda and I was the first to test out see if can combine anot first, before the rest come in. And yes, we can..=)

Then we combined lor. Amanda start off her bass 1 then i come in after her note. We 2 complete 1 round before shawn and YP come in at the time tt amanda plays her first note the second time. For me, I had to comine with amanda's bass 1 and also, like her, i had to play my part 2 rounds, at the best of 4 counts, which is controlled by both amanda's mum and also Peter.

On my performance in practice, as an evaluation, i feel that I was abit shaky and wobbly at the start, unable to catch the beat lor. But, as I understood my role and ot used to the beat(1, 2, 3, 4), i felt that i improved. We at 1 time, also managed to complete the tune for 3 rounds, just for ppractice. I feel that it is a postive sign that we are able to combine as 1 and play quite well.. Moreover, personally, I have to afmit that I am quite surprised wih my good performance during this practice. I learned alot through it.Yea.

Hat-Trick with AWWA Clique

2009-04-26T15:00:00.005+08:00

Hat-Trick with AWWA Clique

17 April 2009, Friday

Start of a hat-trick of consecutive days that I had outings with AWWA clique.
Morning, received Amanda's sms, that she is able to go for the Board games event too. she actually also wanted to meet us(philip and me) for lunch de, but after a series of SMS-es, she decided not to, and she will find us at Dhoby Gauht MRT
Went to Toa payoh Hub MRT station to meet philip for lunch. Shawn couldnt make it, so we 2 onli then had Mac for lunch. After that, we from TPY set off to Dhoby Gauht find the rest.

Upon reaching there, we headed to SMU then we were split into 3 groups to start the board games for the day. My group consists of amanda, TJ, shawn, Meldip and me. We all played the Cashflow, and also a memory game, rat-a-tat-cat.

To spice up the games, Meldip was suggesting tt whoever lost the lastt games prior to the end, will have to do a forfeit. Unfortunately, i lost the last game, so fair enough, i do forfeit lor. They all ask me to go ask a girl for her handphone number. Actually I very paiseh, dont wan de, then aiya i give in to them la. Ok la..just for the fun of it la. While many clients left at around 5pm, our group stayed on and continued too play until 6pm.

As we all clique(Amanda, philip, shawn, TJ, me) left the SMU premises, then something very scary happen to bestie.. Amanda was like wheeling herself, then as she was wheeling herself using her speeding style, she missed to see that a step was ahead of her.....

Then it just happened in a small flash, in slow motion. Amanda's wheelchair wheel hit the step then the wheelchair was like tilted down 45 degrees, then she fell down from her wheelchair lor. Gave the 4 of us(philip, me, shawn and TJ) quite a shock). I tink i was the one tt is most shocked de lor, coz at the time of the incident, i tink i was just behind Amanda onli.

Wah, well, as we noe, amanda is super independent de, then we let her get up into her wheelchair herself..yea. Then immediately, I and philip was like surrounding her, telling her not to speed and to be more careful.

Amanda, U really gave us a fright sia..dont do that again

Amanda, can u dont speed can? U speed super scary de, like ferrari like that. Like once u told me b4: Dont gan chiong, do things slowly, slow and steady wins the race k??=D

Then we clique went to Plaza Singapura for our dinner. Then after that, when we all going back liao, amanda nearly fell from her wheelchair again...lucky tt we managed to pull her to safety la.

Saturday, 18 April 2009

2nd day went to AWWA ACCESS for guitar lesson. Practiced on playing cannon. After guitar then clique follow me go vivocity for outing, while i was going there for HFC's camp comm meeting. They had lunch together at dunno where, while i was at Starbucks discussing camp stuffs. In the midst of the meeting, they all came up to starbucks find me. Then they sat there chit chat la, cam whore la, eat dinner also la...nice

Photos time:

Philip, Amanda, and me=)

Philip, Amanda

19 April 2009, Sunday

SPARZ-kling time!!!! Met TJ and shawn at City Hall MRt there to go to Victoria Concert Hall to watch the performance "Welcome to my World 2009". it is a performance that showcases the talents of people with disablities, and AWWA's musical group, SPARKZ, was involved with the performance, as well as Amanda's wheelchair dance group.

Whe it was SPARKZ's turn to perform, Gopi was the first to be in the spotlight, as he transformed his singing talent to start off the first song, Go for the Extra Mile. Then after that, the reest of the SPARKZ group(amanda, philip, Hui Qi etc) joined up to play the second and third songs, You and I and there's Something So Special Everyday respectively. The parts which i enjoy most are when amanda and Khristine was playing the flute and violin respectively while singing. Wah..I got to say, I am truely inspired by them sia, if not all the SPARKZ members. Take nothing away from them la. It was like really so touching, the way they play and show off their talents to the ret of Singapore, despite their various disabilities. They will always be the ones that will always inspire me la. At the end of the SPARKZ performance, Khristine reprented the whole of the group to share something to the audience. I will nva forget what she said and shared: "Never stop going towards your goals and dreams, despite our disabilities". Yes, Khristine, thats the spirit!! They all(Amanda, philip, Hui qi, Khristine, gopi and Boon Keng) really did AWWA proud la.

Amanda's wheelchair dance performance came a while later. I immediately recognised my best friend the moment she entered the stage when the performance started. I was not at all surprised that she really did very well. Wah i see her use wheelchair do 360 degree turn, i was inspired la.

Honestly say, while i was watching the performance throughout, I tink tt wad khristine said "Never stop going towards your goals and dreams, despite our disabilities", really is 1 tt can make the disabled believe that no dreams cannot be realised if they believe in themselves. I feel tt I have learnt and seen alot of things which I never expected to see throught the eyes of others, yes. Wad disabled people lack in terms of physical movement, they make it up with sheer perserverance and alot of heart, which is in itself together, is an inspiration to me liao..

I wont deny tt when I was to see all my friends down there performing, while I am sitting there at the top of audience, looking down at their talents, i am very jealous, yes, i had to say that. But for me, I use tt jealousy to motivate me for my dream.

Thus, for me, with a possiblity of completing my dream, i believe that I learned more about the strength of the disabled through the eyes of them. I admit that I was very jealous, just seeing them perform. However, I told myself I will get my chance one day if, as wad Khristine say, I Never stop going towards your goals and dreams", yes!! By seeing the performance through the view of the disabled, I believe tt I must not give up on chasing my dream of performing guitar for AWWA's Special Awards, yes, I will get my chance de. Keep believing..I believe that I will see my dream come true. I believe so....that I will see my best friends, Sylvia, Amanda and all of them come Special Awards 2009.

I dream of playing guitar with my best friend, Amanda, (and the others) on stage one day.....that day will come de

Special Awards 2009, Please wait for me..I will get there....

SPARKZ-kle all the way

2009-04-19T13:19:00.004+08:00

SPARKZ-kle all the way

Later today, meeting TJ and shawn to go Victoria Concert Hall for a concert "Welcome to my World 2009 (A concert by people with disabilities)" to support AWWA's SPARKZ musical group. cannot wait.

Later see SPARKZ group perform together..Khristine, Amanda, HuiQi, Philip etc. all the best to them la....they as a group, singing 3 songs, all 3 which is self composed de...Khristine playing the violin, while bestie amanda playing the flute, for their respective parts, while the vocalists will sing the songs. I am really looking forward to seeing them on stage later la....excited..

Also, Amanda will be performing for her wheelchair dance group too. Again look forward to seeing her perform haha...

SPARKZ will have my full support de.. i got confidence in their talents de...jiayou!!

Lastly, SPAKZ-kle all the way!!!

Inspiration

2009-04-11T15:45:00.002+08:00

Inspiration

Inspiration...

Role models are the people I look up to and to seek inspiration. Overcoming obstacles, be it physical or otherwise, is not an easy task to do at the first time of asking. But, those who manage to overcome them through pure determination and sheer perserverance, are those that bring out inspiration to others.

Alot of my friends belong to that category of "Inspiration", but 1 example of a person tt brings true inspiration is Pin Xiu. For sports, I see her as my role model and real inspiration to me, to inspire me to do well in soccer. She, being the first Singaporean to get gold in last year's Paralymics, is no mean feat. Her achievements make me an inspired person.

A quote to share that i feel is linked to inspiration:
What kills u, makes you stronger.

Saturday Guitar lesson

2009-04-06T20:55:00.003+08:00

Saturday Guitar Lesson

Saturday, 4th April

Went for guitar lesson at around 11. Shawn was unable to come, so i travelled down on my own to AWWA. Reached there on time, then set to tune my guitar, in preparation for this week lesson.

Lesson was abit different as compared to previous weeks' classes. Instead of having the time to practice guitar on our own pace while the teacher got round to assist, we were introduced to a new song, Cannon in D, which i think we would play in AWWA's Special Awards 2009.

Each of us was given a part of the song to practice on our own:

1st Guitar – Amanda, Shawn, Yuan Ping
2nd Guitar – Ting Jun / Peter
1st Base – Jonathan
2nd Base – Jermayne / Sharman

I was assigned the role of the second bass alongside Sharman. The 2nd bass is the chords of the song.

I hope my dream is coming true....

Shawn's birthday

2009-03-31T13:36:00.003+08:00

Shawn's birthday

24 March 2009

Happy Birthday Shawn!! May all your wishes come true!!

Trained to Yishun to meet Amanda, Jermayne, TJ and Shawn.As Amanda have already reached Northpoint, the four of us went there to look for her and had Long John Silver for lunch. After lunch and chat chat a while, we send Shawn and TJ away to Bishan and three of us went quickly buy a present for Shawn.

We took some timee to decide what to buy for Shawn, as the only thing I know is that he likes soccer and supports Liverpool..So, in the end, we bought him photo frames, a black and a white one.

After which, Philip took bus to ACCESS for sparkz lesson from 3-4.30pm. Then left with me and amanda..we 2 found a place to sit then chat a while, before Amanda's parents came to fetch her to somewhere go see her wheelchair. Then, I trained to bishan meet TJ, shawn at Bishan there play arcade.

After Sparkz, philip went to Bishan to find us, and continue celebrating Shawn's birthday. He treated $5 for arcade and played Air Hockey, while I also contributed $4 forr Daytona. However, it didnt work out. the Air Hockey, Philip won three rounds, against Tj, me and Shawn. Well, he's good.

Ate dinner, chatted a while, before going back home..

Guitar Practice

2009-03-27T18:34:00.000+08:00

Guitar Practice

Last, last week, Shawn came my house practice guitar. He use my guitar practice the basics which I advised him to, which is Right here Waiting, and If we hold on Together. The first time, He was abit slow to change, but its only natural, coz he hasnt got used to the pace as yet. Still for first few times practice, i felt he did well.

After guitar, we 2 went down play soccer at void deck there. Actualy wanted to play light de, but I was so determined to practice myself that in the end we 2 play match 1 v 1, ended 2-2..
Second day that he came play guitar again in that same week, he quickly improved, with increase in the speed of his changing of the tabs for Right here Waiting, and If we hold on Together. I am not surprised with his improvement in a space of just 2 days...he is a good guitar player. I tiink he got the potential if he constantly practice. He is a good "signing" for our guitar group.

On the second day, we 2 again went down play soccer. This time, both of us were more prepared, and we played "competitively" from the start, with that more "quality". This time the match ended 10-10. Our skills are almost equal as seen by the scores.haha..

KBox with AWWA clique

2009-03-27T18:29:00.011+08:00

KBox with AWWA clique

21 March, Saturday

KBox!! I have been looking forward to it since they started discussing the possibility of KBox. I meet Shawn at Yishun interchange there take bus to AWWA together..

We reach there..got to the pantry to see Philip tuitioing Khristine. At the same time, I I was surpprised, such that for a moment I didnt manage to recongnise her at first sight, to see Pinxiu there too. Chatted abit with her and them.Then also went to the conference have lunch together after that, cos Janice say that got food then ask us go eat.

As mentioned, we planned to go Kbox that day. But, AWWA on the same day got an event going on, coincidentally also going KBox. We(planned ourselves de) actually wanted to go Hougang KBox there, but I heard from khristine that can join them, so...join lor. We then take AWWA van to the KBox centre.

Upon reaching there, I just felt abit emo(uneasy) that it was strange that we follow them, when we are not supposed to..nvm la forget it...

Then those AWWA clients that go the event de, were assigned room 20, while we were assigned their neighbour, room 21. If I am not wrong, room 21 was the exact room that tt time clique went to celebrate Amanda's birthday on the 10th January...Flashback haha...

Started KBox..room got Philip, shawn, me, Huiqi, Khristine, TJ, while amanda later also joined us..Shawn and Khristine duet-ed..I also duet with Amanda, Righ Here Waiting and Close to You by carpenters. Her singing is very good, and well, I was abit paiseh when duet with her...nvm la she my best friend, so i like it hehe..

Happy times fly by, soon we stopped singing, and instead started cam whoring. Haha. Some of the pics taken:

TJ, Philip, shawn, me

Me, and best friend, Amanda=) Like this

Hui Qi, me=)

Khristine with the guys=)

Hui Qi and guys=)

From left: Amanda, Khristine, Shawn, Huiqi, TJ, Philip, me

Love this <3<3<3<3<3>

Love AWWA Clique la...alot of good memories to saviour...

After KBox, met my parents at City hall there eat Sizzler for dinner..

"Lets Talk: Life After School" Workshop

2009-03-09T20:48:00.002+08:00

"Lets Talk: Life After School" Workshop

Saturday I went for my guitar lesson as usual from 11-12.30pm. Sharman joined our class as a new but experienced guitar player. The rest(Amanda, YP, TJ, Jonathan, Peter, Shawn) attended lesson as normal. Sharman received a good welcoming from our guitar clan. He being an experienced guitar player, having played during his scholl day after chatting casually with him played some of his favoured songs, such as 童话 among others. Many of the clients was mesmerised by his ability to play so well. I tink he is a very good addition to the guitar group, and I hope we all are able to learn from him too.

In addition, Daniel introduced us to play a new song melody: My Heart Will Go On, by Celine Dion. I and Amanda were the first ones to try out playing the new song. Well, I got to say that it was quite encouraged for Amanda and me that, after a few attempts on playing the tabs, we played out and the actual tune of the song came out for us.

As guitar coordinator, I also shared my opinions to Daniel that,, having a majority of the class being new to the group, i suggested to him that we have the class like a "lecture", meaning he teach us the skills once, and we all learn at the same time, instead of teaching individually. Moreover, Amanda, me and TJ, being experienced, are also able to help the new clients if they encountered any particular problems. I personally tink it is a good suggetions as we all can learn at the same pace, and also able to help out with teaching too, which would then improve my guitar skills further.

As they continued to practice at their own pace, I also asked Daniel to help me correct the way I have been playing. For the past week, I have been practicing chords(Lemon Tree). So during the lesson, I showed him how I played, then from there he tried to correct my mistakes. Moreover, he also gave me some advice on improving my game, such as learning to play songs at a suitable pace to suit with the actual song. I felt I picked up much skills which with practice, I hope I am able to improve on my guitar skills.

Then, Janice, me and Daniel had a discussion on what song to play for TM's Special Awards performance this August. After some time of suggestions, we decided that eacxh member of guitar is to think and give a suggestion of a song that is suitable for Special Awards performance. The lesson thus concluded at 12.30pm, before we had our lunch(McDelivery lol) and prepared for the "Lets Talk: Life After School" Workshop, which was to begin at 2pm.

While having our lunch, we chatted and mingled among ourselves as usual. TJ, Khristine, and philip all told jokes for everyone to hear and liven up the atmosphere. Philip, well, his jokes will always make the atmosphere "cold"(冷笑话)(we were already under the air con). His jokes would always make everyone laugh la, especially make Amanda laugh haha fun heehee. Khristine and TJ also shared some of their jokes which were both funny and lame.

2pm, went for the "Lets Talk: Life After School" Workshop, which was also held in the conferece room. Waited for all the participants to join in. I saw a couple of familiar faces, such as huiping and kai ting among others. As for those new clients, I got the opportunity to meet more new friends in AWWA which is always good, yea.

The workshop started with some ice-breaking games: 2 truths and 1 lie. After which the clients were split into 2 groups.
As the title "Lets Talk: Life After School" suggest, the workshop is a dialogue session with the clients to share their thoughts on their life after completing their education, meaning about finding work after we graduated. My group shared their opinions of the ability to find jobs despite their disabilities. They also shared their several concerns regarding the workplace. For clients who are on wheelchair shared abt their concerns of the workplace being wheelchair-accessible. For many(me included), the fear of not being accepted in the working society was the main talking point in our group. Some clients who had working experience, also shared with us about their experience. He advised us that when we find jobs, we should tell the employees what we can do, instead of letting our disabilities take control of us.

After both groups shared about each client's thouhts and opinions and written them down on the board, each group was supposed to present what each group had. I represented my group to be the presenter. Well, i shared with the rest about the dreams and obstacles with regards to finding a job after school.

DMIT 0804 Class Chalet

2009-03-03T21:41:00.002+08:00

DMIT 0804 Class Chalet

From 2-4th March 2009, I went for 0804 class chalet at the Costal Sands Resort in Pasir Ris. It was very fun being with the class again, but this time enjoying time together. I really loved and enjoyed it alot la

On 2nd March(monday), I was excited to know that I would be going for my first ever class chalet with MIT 0804, my poly classmates..Went to meet them at Pasir Ris MRT at around 1pm. Saw Weiye there first, slowly followed by my other friends.

After the arrival of all, we took a bus from the Interchange to near Downtown East, and walked in to the chalet where it was held.

Upon arrival to the chalet, we quickly helped to pack everything in order. We also sat arounnd to start playing a few rounds of poker cards. Played both dai-di and also "21" . In the end i always lose lol, but nvm i still enjoy alot. Slowly, the rest of the class, Ethel, Colin, Joanna slowly joined us. I also see Joe playing his guitar. He very good lor chords all can play into songs. I learned from him abit here and there. Also lent his guitar to play for a while, get the feel of ausotic guitar with nylon strings, play until hand pain, haha.. We also sing some songs(情非得已 etc.) together with Joe playing the guitar(chords) for the song. It was quite funny as we tried to see the lyrics and sing while he played his guitar.

BBQ-ed at night. They all cooked while i tried my best to help in any way. Well, thanks to those pple that helped me la. Ate quite alot of food 4 BBQ..Joe's friends also joined us, playing guitars too. It was quite interesting to look at them play their stuff while i see and try to learn from them. Hong Wei and Wei Kang came at 10+pm..

After BBQ, Ethel, Hong Wei, me, Wei Kang went upstairs the bedroom there play poker cards in air con room, very cooling and fun. WeiYe and Weishen soon also joined us chatting, then WeiYe shared about his NS experience and his stories..I just sit on bed listen. When they went out chill at night, i didnt follow them though..overnight-ed for 1 night sleep at 2+am on the floor, let the girls sleep on bed, wake up around 8am coz air con too cold liao. Then next morning went home lor.

Thanks class 0804 for the class chalet and the BBQ. Must thank Ethel for sending me out to the bus stop when i not sure of the direction, though it was raining heavily. Thanks la Ethel=) Overall, I enjoyed alot with 0804 and also it was a fun expperience in my first ever class chalet. Thanks for the memories, 0804.. love u guys always! I<3 MIT 0804

End of poly Year 1

2009-02-25T21:39:00.003+08:00

End of poly Year 1

Today was the end of the semestral exams for poly, end of Semester 2, and thus end of poly's Year 1. Year 1 juz seems to pass in a blink of an eye. for the previous, I had a Common Test and exams going on.

Had Digital Electronics Common Test first of all on the 6th Feb. I felt it was ok and was manageable for me. In between got 1 week study break, before the start of the exams on 17th February. First was the Internet Application Development(IAD) paper. The paper test us mainly on coding of HTMLs. The paper was manageable and doable for me. The next 2 papers was Programming Practices and Methodologies(PMP) and Data Communication & Networking(DCN), which ended today. Both was quite ok bah again manageable. That signals the end of the examinations and start of the month long holidays.

Well, it's the end of poly's Year 1 and next semester will be promoted to year 2 liao...It just seems like yesterday that I had Poly Orientation, in April 2008, the time that i get to meet my new friends for the first time.

In school daily, always had the company of classmates. lesosns go together, spend breaks together, play together..its all fun, joy and laughter. We help each other alot with our studies and everything. I remember that everyday I and my group of friennds would spend breaks together.

Then sometimes in Sem 1,whenever there are long breaks in between, like 3-4 hrs, we would head to AMK Hub to have lunch and play a game of pool together. I really miss those times in Sem 1 la...

This monday going class chalet, cannot wait la..I'm going to enjoy myself there la...they are all good people, and i like them all alot. See them on Monday...really looking forward to it..

AWWA first soccer assist!!

2009-02-22T21:44:00.002+08:00

AWWA first soccer assist!!

Hey guys..yesterday saturday soccer training, I got my first goal assist hahaha.
Soccer training yesterday was so fun, started with the usual warm-up under a temporary new coach, Mr Joice, PT for AWWA. He started us off by doing the basic warm-up practices such as stretching etc. A new traing method was introduced, as he also asked the players to run around the field for 2 rounds, so as to increase our stability and stamina. It felt good to be under him as he introduced new ways to increase our standard of soccer.

After which, the players casually practiced our passing and shooting and dribbling skills. For me, I did practice trying to use my right foot to pass the ball. It was ok i should say. I also practiced my dribbing and changing of directions while dribbling the ball on my own.

The coach then asked for a practice match 4-a-side, with me and Peter as captain. Well, I followed my instinct to choose TJ as my first player, as he is a good goalkeeper, and well, basically a good personal friendship with him helps in my first selection. Sharman and Armann to complete my team. For the first match, i played basically as a defender, also as a supporting attacking midfielder and striker with sharman. I told myself before the game that i had to play well this time, being diapointed with myself for the last 2 sessions. That indeed made me played better than i expected.

Firstly, there was 1 sitution where TJ passed the ball to me inside defense to start attacking. Peter was closing down on me fast but i dunno how I did it, bcoz i juz controlled the ball and moved it in another direction, and through Peter's legs( so called the Ole) haha. I burst through and tried move the ball towards goal, but Victor took the ball away from me haiz.. However, I continued to play despite that setback. I even tried to slide Victor and Mr Joice, but unfortunately failed.

Then it came my moment of "brillance" in a flash. Armann the goalkeeper threw the ball to me, as i was in a midfield position. I told mysellf that i got to get to the ball first, ahead of my marker. I tot i succeeded when i chested the ball down, and controlled the ball using my left leg and just kicked the ball. Fortunately, Sharman took my pass, and went through on goal to score. After which I knew then Ikew that i got my first assit to a goal. Naturally, I was pleased with myself. I felt happy t be able to contribute with that pass to score that goal. I continued to link well with harman in attack, also providing some passes and also controlling some passes that I received from him. I continued to have that belief that I can play well throughout the training session. At the end of the match, my team won 5-3. I felt very happy that I am able to contribute to a goal that we scored.

The players also practiced a real penalty shooting excercise, where we took turns to shoot at goal. For me, I have tried to get my shooting technique right by seeing the way sharman and the others shoot. Still, i was always unable to get that technique correct, as my shots would always swerve away wth no power. But, i told myself that i will get it de, since the technique u got it technically correct, just thsat it has to fall well for me. And that determination didnt fsil me, s I finally got the technique right as I at least got a shot with enough power and on target, whivh the goalkeeper did well to save. I gained back my confidence and continued to try on my own. I learned to stop the ball with my left leg. However, I still have to improve on the technique of my shooting.

Before the training, i also practiced on my own last week. I tink that there is an strong improvement, and I m going to continue to practice again. Like what my friends always say: Practice Makes Perfect.

Chasing A Dream

2009-02-12T18:04:00.002+08:00

Chasing A Dream

have you ever wondered, what it is like to have a dream, and having that thinking of wanting to achieve that dream??

For many, A dream may be a big thing that they aim to achieve. But for some, the mere wish to able to, lets say, walk on own independently completely without walking aids, is also a dream.

For me, I, like others, also have a dream, a 梦想. For the short term, I harbour the dream of performing guitar during AWWA's Special Awards. Special Awards holds a lot of memories for me, and i'm sure too, to the others. Because i won the Perservervance Award during the Special Awards cermony in 2006, which holds close to my heart. Moreover, being able to perform guitar in front of the clients and staff on the Auditorium's stage is no mean feat. Some of my friends already have that experience to take away with them. I also want to achieve that dream, and have that experience of performaing guitar on stage. Many a times, i see my friends getting that chance to go up there, on stage, to perform music(be it flute, singing etc). Some of my friends, i have to admit, has music talents, and i respect that. But getting and having talents is also through alot of hard work in practicing their instruments well.

So for guitar lessons, I got to dig in and continue to practice as much as I can. Being guitar Coordinator I tink I have that extra motivation to do well, as i had alot to prove. Moreover, I think that the guitar class has certainly many who are more talented, and thus I am able to learn from them. With much practice, I hope that I can perform guitar in Special Awards....

Guitar lesson resumption

2009-02-07T21:32:00.002+08:00

Guitar lesson resumption

Today is the resumption of guitar lessons after a 2 week "break" during the Chinese New Year period. Today's guitar class was abit different as more clients joined guitar permanenntly, namely Jonathan, Shawn, Andrew and Kelvin We all welcome their inclusion in the group, and i am sure they can transfer their talents to the group. Look like a new transfer signing haha.

So today lesson was mainly a time for those "experienced" guitarists(Amanda, TJ, Me and Daniel) to guide and teach the basics to the new clients. An experienced guitar would be paired with those new guitarist to teach them wad we learned thus far. I was paired with Shawn. At first I was abit nervous as to teach him what first, and also confirm tt i know tt technique before I teach him. I taught him about the different chords eg. Am, C chords. Following that i proceeded to introduce him about the tabs(melody) and taught him the methods of the melody using the song "Right Here Waiting" as a guide to help me teach.

The Bright Side

2009-02-01T17:33:00.002+08:00

The Bright Side: Updates

Well, it has been a long time since i updated my blog liao, the late of post being on amanda's belated birthday.

17 January 2009

This day was another of my close friend, philip's birthday.

In addition, we also celebrate Janice's(one of AWWA's social worker) early birthday, which falls on 19th Jan. She so nice lor, feed us each(Amanda, Shawn, TJ, and me) the remainder of the cake LOL. Then after which we(Amanda, Me, shawn and TJ) travelled to Toa Payoh there meet the birthday star, Philip.We went to KFC for lunch and movie (we 4 treated him the movie ticket as birthday present) screening. We watched Red Cliff II.

Projects: 6 already down, 1 more to go, which is GD. After which will be start of Common Test and the Examinations liao. jiayou=)

Amanda's belated Birthday Celebration

2009-01-11T17:54:00.003+08:00

Amanda's belated birthday Celebration

Yesterday was quite an eventful day for me
However, it is more special day for Amanda, as we helped her to celebrate her belated birthday.
I went 2 AWWA for soccer training in the morning. The training was quite fun, but I am still weak in shooting with power. I guess I have to work harder.

At 11+, went for guitar lesson. Andrew joined in guitar lessons for the first time. Daniel taught Andrew the fundementals of the guitar, while me and Amanda were taught new skills on playing the guitar by Justin, another of the volunteer teacher. Wad we need now is to practice and practice..

However these were not the focal point of yesterday's activities. The focal point is when we all went out to celebrate Amanda's belated birthday after that. She was to be the star of the day..
Philip, Ting Jun took a cab down to AMK Hub to meet Yuan Ping to buy the cake for Amanda.

Amanda, Me and Janice travelled to, coincidentally, AMK Hub to have our lunch. Since we wanted to use Yuan Ping as a surprise element for Amanda, My mind was like very worried that Philip they all will meet us at the same time. I kept my fingers crossed tt that wont happen. But, it wasnt to be...

We 3 went Macdonald's settle our lunch. After a while, Philip, Yuan Ping and Ting Jun came to find us at Macdonald's with the cake to celebrate for the birthday girl, Amanda. At around the same time, I presented her with her birthday gift.

We then went to the KBox(Janice, me, Ting Jun, philip, Yuan Ping and...Amanda). KBox-ed from 4-7pm. Had alot of fun. The star(Amanda) was mic-shy at first but we all persuaded her to sing using the mic instead of manually singing. When she finally shake off the shyness, the rest of us was indeed not surprised tt she can sing not only well, but very well.

Out of the songs that we sang, i tink that two songs was very meaningful and (i should say)touching 2 the occasion, namely 童话 and 朋友. For 童话, the song was specially sang and dedicated to the birthday girl, Amanda. I felt that the lyrics of this song was touching, in the sense that it tells abt self confidence and trust among those close to you. No matter what difficulties you have, we, yr friends, will always 支持你. For 朋友, I felt that the lyrics of this song was quite meaningful, as it says about friends in a simple way, in a way tt yr true friends will always help and support you.

童话

忘了有多久

再没有听到你

对我说你最爱的故事

我想了很久我开始慌了

是不是我又做错了什么

你哭着对我说

童话里都是骗人的

我不可能是你的王子

也许你不会懂从你说爱我以后

我的天空星星都亮了

我愿变成童话里你最爱的那个天使

张开双手变成翅膀守护你

你要相信

相信我们会像童话故事里

幸福和快乐是结局

朋友

风也过雨也走

有过泪有过错

还记得坚持甚麽

真爱过才会懂

会寂寞会回首

终有梦终有你在心中朋友一生一起走

那些日子不再有

一句话一辈子一生情一杯酒

朋友不曾孤单过一声

朋友你会懂

还有伤还有痛

还要走还有我

After which, we all went for a slow walk around AMK, and went to find an area 2 rest, while talking. There was also the place which Amanda opened up her present, live in the camera. (pictures up if i can get them) I hope Amanda liked the bear haha..

Some words for Amanda:
P.S: see wad philip wrote for u in his blog in Chinese, i going to translate into English in my blog.

Firstly, wad u experience in school, I am able to understand and feel the feelings which u are feeling, having gone through them myself. I believe that you are not the only one that is facing it. So thus, I tink you are definitely not alone. The relationships and feelings that we share together as close friends is invaluable.

After sharing and enjoying a few years of friendship, even though we may not be on the same wavelength at times, this relationshp and friendship which we enjoy til today will gain strength, and the bonds which hold us together wont be easily broken.

I tink you personally would be tinking of this question: Why is that the ignorance would happen to you, and not everyone. Well, I guess that we are together in this kind of situation. So i tink that the only way you can cope with it, is that to noe that you are definitely not alone. Moreover, I tink there is not a need to understand what other people tink about you. As long as you believe in r own self and do wad suits you best, that is good enough already. Use your strength, be positive and im sure you will be more happier.

Your self belief is second to none, and I tink that strength which is in you special. You are mentally very strong, so I believe thatyou can use that strength to make it work for you, use it to overcome your many obstacles. Have confidence in your own ability. Show yr ability not your disability, and i tink with that, you atre able to go far in whatever you do. So, I wish you good luck in whatever you do! you can do it! 加油!

Amanda's Birthday

2009-01-05T18:53:00.002+08:00

Amanda's Birthday

This blog post is created specially for YOU, so enjoy reading...

Date: 05/01/09
So what is the special occasion today??
Its my close friend Amanda's Birthday today!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMANDA!!!!!

"Happy Birthday to you"
"Happy Birthday to you"
"Happy Birthday to Amanda!!"
"Happy Birthday to you"

*Claps* *Claps* *Claps*

"祝你生日快乐！"
"祝你生日快乐！"
"祝你生日快乐。。。"
"祝你生日快乐！"

I first met Amanda at Sec 1, during the Camp Explorer in 2004. Since then, Our friendship bonds has increased and interestingly, we share 4 years of friendship, from 2004 until now.ever since, we 2 have meeting each other in the 2006 and 2007 ILS Camps, malacca, and most recently Penang,where it was a joy to work with you as committee member

Amanda, she is a very good person, kind at heart and always willing to help her friends whenever possible, to the best of her abilities. Even though she is wheelchair bound bcoz of her disability, her perserverance and determination level is indeed second to none. Such is her perserverance to overcome life's obstacles that she is an inspiration to many people, including me. Her strong self belief and never-give-up attitude certainly is one of her many strengths in herself. As a friend of 4 years with her, i start to see the realisation that what she lacks in her physical ability, she cancels that weakness to make herself stronger with a strong belief in herself and her never-give-up attitude.

Amanda, may all yr wishes and dreams come true, and always stay strong and happy. I really hope that yr friends in your class will be better to you and learn to appreciate the strength in you. I really hope tt yr friends in class will not ignore you in class and you wont be lonely in school. You are very special in a positive way, so I tink yr class people dont really noe how special you are yet, so i hope that they see that specialness in you fast enough, so that u can enjoy the rest of yr school days happily.

Lastly, Happy Birthday to you, Amanda, my best friend!!

2009

2009-01-02T21:18:00.003+08:00

2009

Its the new Year already. 2008 just seems to pass in a blink of a eye, and 2009 just seems to come in a flash. Time is passing very fast. School has just started again, year 1 Sem 2 term 2. Firstly, in this post, I will share with you about my resolutions for year 2009. Next, the flashbacks of 2008 and the many memories that 2008 has brought to me.

My new year resolutions for 2009:

1) being able to continue to stay the same way as the way i am enjoying now, so i hope it will stay the same.

2)attaining good grades for my semester 2 and beyond

3) most imnportantly, having a pleasant 2009 in the long road ahead...

2008 in a flash

January 2008: waited for O levels results to be released. Well, when tt day came, I admit that i even surprised myself by getting 17 points for L1R4, so eventually entered Nanyang Polytechnic's Diploma in Multimedia and Infocomm Technology course.

April 2008: officially became a NYP student and got the chance to meet my new classmates for the first time during Orientation. they bcame to accept me as who I am and got me to join in the groups of friends, something that has not really happened during my se sch days.

May 2008: I celebrated my birthday on the 3rd of May with all my friends for the first time. All the credit muz go to two of my best friends,Amanda and Sylvia, to plan it out for me in secret. It was indeed a very good execution of a very good plan, which really took me by surprise. I thank them for the effort they put in for me to make my 17th birthday very special=D. Amanda and Sylvia, u 2 are great=D

June 2008: during the 2 week term break of Semester 1, went for the class BBQ with 0804. Enjoyed myself alot that day.

July-september 2008: Throughout was school, which i need to thank each and everyone of you in 0804 that helped me alot throughout my difficulties, studies and others too. I nva enjoyed my sch life tt much for a very long time....again, hope it continues that way.

October-November 2008: I got the request from jaice to help as camp committee for the Penang Trip in December. Lucky I said yes to tt request, and i nva looked back since. So, along with 4 other TM clients, Amanda, Ting Jun, Kang Wei and Ming Li, we 5 carryied on our jobs and put in alot of effort during this time to prepare and organise the activities for the camp.

Decemeber 2008: Well, to put it simple, is the mont for the camp committe to "get to work". From 13-16 , AWWA went to Penang for a Community Outreach Project. There, the camp committee was in charge of almost everything. For me, that once-in-a-lifetime chance for me to be the MC for the campfire annd its experience will live with me for a long time.

Experience Actions Community Outreach Project, Penang

2008-12-17T22:20:00.015+08:00

Experience Actions Community Outreach Project, Penang

Hi, came back from Penang le. Fun and interesting la. I spent 4 days, 3 nights(13 Dec-16 Dec) there in Penang with AWWA TEACH ME.
However, this time it is not like the normal experience where we can get in TM camps. This time the experience is very different, as for the camp Committee Woots.

Main Objectives of Experience Actions

Independence/self confidence

Having fun

Teamwork/cooperation

Making new friends/Interaction among people

Ok, the Camp committee is so cool la, consists of some of my closest friends that i will ever have. The Camp committee: Amanda , Ting Jun, Kang Wei, Ming Li and last but not least, Me. Firstly, the name of the camp is Experience Actions, Community Outreach Project Penang 2008. For us, the experience of this camp is totally different, not the kind of experience where we clients could just go there enjoy wad TM plan for us. This time, We were so called in charge in running the whole camp, supported by the Happy friends Club(HFC) volunteers. Here is the day-by day breakdown of the unforgettable Experience Actions Community Outreach Project, Penang:

Saturday, 13 December 2008

I went to meet them all at the Lavender MRT station there,, followed by my parents. All clients were to meet there, where the bus will then leave for Penang. Reached there at about 7am, by the time saw many of my familiar friends there too. Boarded the bus and went to sit with Amanda:)

The first day was mainly used to travel to Penang lor. Nevertheless, it was still quite fun, as the camp Comm, namely Ting Jun, Amanda and me in 1 bus, had to start doing the bus activities, initiated by Ting Jun. We ask the clients to share some information abiut theirselves and their partners. This is let them interact with the client and also get the opportunity to meet up with more friends with the process. Following that, we asked them to describe themselves in a word, using sny letters in their individual names. I felt thst this also produced satisfying results. I enjoyed the feeling of the clents reacting to our activities in a positive mood, which is good to see, and also gave us a good start and a good confidence booster for us. Then we 3 all took turns to give them some riidles and jokes to liven up the atmosphere. the atmosphere indeed went high, as many people were kept laughing and enjoying themselves. Seeing the way they react to our lead also has been a joy to experience. The rest of the journey was used to travel to Penang itself, which took an estimated 15 hours..very long journey..but worth the journey..

We reached penang at about 11.30pm, before checking in to our campsite, which would be our "home" for the nxt 4 days:)

Photos taken on 1st day (some only, not all):

Bestie Sylvia, and Mindy(HFC)

Sunday, 14 December 2008

The real camp started on this day. this is the time when camp comm slack abit LOL, coz nothing much for us to do:)

First stop of the Trip: Fort Cornwallis.

Morning we took the bus to travel to the Fort Cornwallis. However, when we reached there, the place disappoints us. The HFC and volunteers went down first 2 check the accessibility of the place 4 us clients. Then, all we noe it, is that they say the Fort Cornwallis is closed on Sundays haiz..

Nonetheless, we clients still went down walk a while, enjoy the breeze and the seneries. The tour guide gave a brief story on the history of the Fort Cornwallis. We all took a big group photo while at the entrance of Fort Cornwallis.

Fort Cornwallis

Group Photo : The AWWA Family

After that, we went for lunch at a restuarant, before going to the Tai Hua Food Products to see the local food products sold there. Went there see the wide variety of food products. I, along with my group, went to get a taste of the malaysian coffee. Woots. Then I followed some friends, among them Sylvia and Ting Jun, to taste the tow sar pueh sold there. The taste of it was super nice and enjoyable. Ting Jun, me and Sylvia all bought boxes of the tow sar peeh haha. But the buying doesnt end there leh. Coz by the time we went up the bus, i realised that almost all of them(clients, HFC and AWWA Staff) all bought at least 1 box each sia.

After which we went to visit Penang's Botanic Gardens too. P Nva walked that long and far for a very long time. Some of my friends, those of crutches de, soon they were too tired to walk, so sat on wheelchair also. During the walk, the weather there was like very hot then i sweat quite alot hahaha. Amanda, who i stick close to during the walk, was like telling that I am surviving the "Penang March" that she herself experiencd, juz a year and a half ago, during the Malacca Trip., that time called the "Malacca March".

Personally, I felt this was a good opportunity and experience for the clients and myself to enjoy walking like we never walk before: Walking TOGETHER as 1 hahahha. I felt this benefited the clients as much, because they can learn to be more independent and also strengthen friendship boonds among one another. Through the experience, i think there is a certain relisation that the clients are not alone, but bonded as One. I felt that clients were certainly waiting for each other as time goes by, be it whether they are faster or slower than the rest,which i thought was a good learning experience.

Photos of Botanic Gardens:

Looking up the Blue sky: Green Group

Waiting for one another

Walking Together as 1 AWWA:)

We all also went shopping for about 2hrs before seetling down for our dinner.

After which we all bus-ed to the Gurney Drive the Night Market. The tour guide was telling us that it was a good time to bargain for cheap prices. Listening to the guide :lecture" us for once really paid off hahaha. Firstly, the HFC told us to choose a partner or two to follow and look out for during the Night Market. So, i just asked my friend amanda whether I able to pair with her. I was quite so called surprised that she didnt turn me down hahaha. My good friend: Amanda hahaha...

But then during walking, instead of following Amanda, I followed Janice together through the night market. Soory amanda, nxt time i follow u hahahaha....dun turn me down nxt time HAHAHAHA.

I walked through and to my great surprise, I saw something that im been finding for a lonng time: a shop selling a Manchester United wallet Woots. I was attracted to it at once, and surprising after some bargaining, I got the wallet for RM8 la. Soon after, I also bought a Penang magnet, for the memory. I also bought a bracelet for my mother <3s, janice="D After a long day out, the clients all went back to the dormitory to rest for the next day. In the meantime, The Camp Committee(Me, Amanda, Ming Li, kang Wei and Ting Jun) all gathered at the boys dormitory there to have discussions abt the next day campfire activities, and also confirm all the activities and plans. At first, I briefed the 4 of them on my plans and ideas for the campfire, ensuring that we, as a team, are clear of our objectives and our individual roles for the campfire. I briefed them about the campfire programme flow and also we discussed about the final skit programme and also the singing of the campfire songs. As for the skit, after much discussions among ourselves, we decided to make some changes for the skit. We all felt that the theme of the skit must reflect on the main objectives of the camp which we hope to give to the clients through this camp experience. So with that objective in mind, we decided to choose 4 themes (1 theme per group) for the skit. 1) Independence/Self Confidence 2) Positive attitude 3)Responsibility 4)Teamwork/Cooperation The serious work by me and the camp committeee will eventually start on the 3rd day=X Photos time:

Amanda and Me, doing our part as camp committe to rouse the clients

Amanda Ang and Ex TM stuff cum Volunteer Juliet=D

Monday,15 December 2008

During Breakfast, the clients got the chance to interact with each other. Kang Wei led the whole of the boys to interact with the girls hahahaha, Fun la. Talk to some of them, and got to noe them better. The way I see it, i felt the clients really enjoyed themselves interacting, laughing and talking all the way.

After which we travelled to the Asia Community Service Centre, Steeping Stone, to visit some of the physically and interlectually disabled beneficaries in Penang. We were invited to interact with them, and i personally enjoyed the experience. Soon, the clients also were given the opportunity to see the beneficaries at work. Not only did we see them do their jobs, we also got the rare opportunity of experience wad they do, first hand. We did some art paintings, and also weaving of clothes using their mechanical machines. TM Clients, me included, we got the chance to try making cloth first hand. Some of us felt the experience as addictive, such was the fun of it.

In addition, we clients also managed to witness their beneficaries doing paper manually. Even better, some of the TM clents even got the chance to try making paper themselves.

As the name of our camp(Coommunity Outreach Project) suggest, i felt that the visit of the ACS Centre is the main highlight of the whole camp, where we can lend a helping hand who are also physically disabled, just like us. I felt that everyone was passionate to want to help and contribute as much as their talents and ability can bring all. As a Camp Comm member, i felt that everyone certainly did their part in making the visit of the ACS a successful one. Each and every one of TM had played an important role.

After which we had our lunch, before going back to the dormitory to prepare for the night's main activity: the campfire.

While travelling back on the bus, I and Amanda was sitting together to discuss about my MC script for the campfire. She helped me to think of what I was to say during my MC later. In addition, as the organiser and in charge of the whole of the campfire, I was tasked to give a briefing to all TM clients about the campfire activities.

So, I briefed them about the campfire songs and skit programmes. All groups had to come up with a group cheer, a group skit and most importantly, a group name to recognise themselves.

So my group, the Red Group, as jointly led by Amanda and Me, started discussing and planning about our campfire activities. Our Group, after much discussions and idea generations, call ourselves the Red United! Our Skit and group cheer was then followed. After confirmation of our skit, cheer and group name, we went outside to do a rehearsal for the group skit, before helpng out to prepare for the barbeque dinner

Soon, the beneficaries of the Asia Community Service(ACS) Center, who was invited by AWWA to join in the dinner with us, came to join us. I, together with Amanda and some other friends then helped to distribute the food to te beneficaries. As we interacted with them, i had certain difficulties to talk to them, because i do not understand nor speak much Malay. So, i asked a few of my Malay friends to help out, as in lead a group of TM clients to interact with them. Among the beneficaries, we got exposed to meet with people with physical and also mental disabilities, who learn 2 communicaate through the use of sign languages. I felt that it was a pleasant experience, to learn to understand the disabled better and to communicate with them, despite their disabilities. In addition, some of us are also able to learn abit of Malay hahaha, though i cannot really catch wad they talking haha.

After dinner, the clients all helped to set up the chairs in preparation for the campfire activities. meanwhile, I, as the in-charge of the campfire, gathered all my camp comm members to discuss final preparations and confirm all the small details before the real campfire.

For the campfire, I was to be the MC(host) of the campfire, to be in front to lead the flow of the campfire. After weeks and months of preparations, this was the chance that i got to lead AWWA through the campfire. At that time, i felt quite confident of doing the job well. For the first 15 minutes after the start of campfire, i felt very nervous and shaky. As i gathered my tempo, the more confidence i gained. Each group went up to dissplay their skit on show, then soon, it was me and Amandaa to lead through our group skit. I felt our group did quite ok, although there was a few nervous moments. i felt all the groups did show their abilities and talents through the group skit, which I am glad to see in the clients. After which, the camp comm all worked together as a team to lead through the singing of the campfire songs. After, all of us, clients and beneficaries included, came together as one to do the friendship song. Towards the end, all the 4 groups, along with the committee members(Camp Comm formed a group, 5 of us) to bomb each other's groups. I felt it was very fun and entertaining, as everyone was very RA RA when it comes to bombing. As for the camp comm, i felt that we 5 had more of a job, bcause we had to balance 2 groups(the camp comm and their individual groups). Overall, i still felt that it is the best experience that i can experience for a long time.

Personally, I felt that everyone did a fine job in making the campfire a success. As the mC, i can kind of feel the great spirit andd togetherness of all the groups. I felt that the cclients certainly get to experience these feelings of bondings among AWWA, which i felt was great. I thank all the camp comm and HFC for their support throughout the campfire. I tink, without them, I tink i may not even get through as MC with these kind of experiences. Towards the end of campfire, i was quite emotional, such that I felt a few teardrops fall lor, and i didnt even really realise hahha.

Tuesday, 16 December 2008

This day was used mostly to tavel back to Singapore from Penang. It took quite a lot of time, around 12 hours of travelling time.

Towards the end, when our coach, Coach B, the tour guide left, Eric(HFC) took over as "tour guide" to host a "mini K-Box" haha. We sing through the journey , and it was both funny and interesting.

Three cheers to Experience Actions, Community Outreach Project Penang 2008!!!:)

Penang Trip briefing

2008-12-06T22:04:00.002+08:00

Penang Trip briefing

hi all..

Today went 4 the Penang Trip briefing at ACCESS, AWWA.

The committee members, consisting of amanda, Ting Jun, Ming Li, Kang Wei and me, were supposed 2 be at AWWA at 1pm, whiloe the other clients are supposed to report at 2pm.

I and Ting Jun reach AWWA at 1pm, and met up with the other committee members. The committee members are being tasked to breif the client abt the programmes etc, while HFC help us along the way. Then we were briefed by Janice and Siew Hui on the tasks that we were supposed 2 do when briefing the clients.

So i was tasked to brief the clients on the programme on the 3rd day of the trip, the groupings and also the campfire programme. The other committee members were also given jobs on who 2 say wad..so amanda is tasked 2 do the part on the "things to bring" while Ting jun was tasked to start off the briefing and the introduction of the committee members. kang Wei was tasked to do the starting and ending days of the Penang Trip, while Ming Li did the 2nd day of the programme and also the sightseeing places.

So when the actual briefing started, we all did our tasks quite confidently and all was smooth, except for some nerves at the beginning. For me, when it was my turn 2 brief them, i felt reluctant 2 even speak coz too nervous le...but i stood up and tried to overcome my nerves with all my might. Overall, for me, I felt i did well for the first section of the briefing.

Then after which we started to brief the clients on the groupings and also the bus arrangements, which was led by me lol. At that time I was quite nervous at the beginning and i stumbled abit here and there. Ten we also did abit of a ice breaker so that the clients will noe each other and thus, it will be easier 2 find their own group.

After that, we all took a break b4 starting to teach the clients how 2 sing the campfire songs. I was tasked 2 lead the teaching of the songs, supported by the rest of the committee members.

I somehow took the initiative 2 stand in the middle of the big circle 2 lead all the clients la. i also dunno how i did it hahaha. As time goes by, my confidence slowly increase more and more. I felt these is my chance to really speak in front of my friends , having watched my brother do it too. The feeling of being able 2 lead the clients is juz amazing la,that feeling hard 2 explain using words, I felt a sense of pride 2 be able 2 be given the chance 2 represent AWWA as committe member for Penang. The feeling of seeing the clients reacting to my lead is also amazing la.

After which the HFC took over for the teaching of the Friendship dance, which we will be doing in the campfire itself. Some of the other clients joined in the demostration, and we all soon went to practice together as one.

We did the packing of the logistics, helped by my close friends Amanda and Ting Jun. After which we confirmed all the plans and all then all wennt home.

Overall, i felt going through this briefing really benefitted me and also the committee members. the chance given 2 us to lead also can increase our confidence, and also certainly for me personally. I cherish the experience of leading the clients la..simply cool. Im sure the rest of the committee members have their confidence boosted too. I hope that the clients and the committee members enjoyed themselves...so see u all come 13 December 2008. 7 more days...Here we come, Community Outreach Project, Penang.

Updates

2008-12-02T18:58:00.002+08:00

Updates

2/12/08 Tuesday
Today after GD got no DEP lesson, so got 12-3pm 3hr break.
So, nva slacked in school, instead went to AMK Hub there with my group of friends(PeckYing, Dennick, Hong wei, yong hua and me). go there have our lunch at the nearby market. After that, we all went to the arcade to play(ethel and CaiYing joined us) Datona USA..hahaha so fun la...play 3 rounds both nearly ended up 1st, instead finished 3rd hahaha. But never mind still fun. Long time nva join them liao..so i today quite happy..my confidence increase yea..good lor.

Exams coming le. Graphic design module the Common test is nxt friday, and yet i havent started studying yet. Our workload is increasing each and everyday nowadays. Alot of projects to cope with haiz..how?? haiz...

Thursday still got CCT e-quiz(open book) and friday also got PMP test(also open book)
After that holiday liao b4 the last day of nxt week got to go school for GD exam, haiz

But but, got things 2 look forward t though
this sat, 6 Dec, going AWWA there to do briefing of Penang Trip
The week after that then go Penang with AWWA lor
Really looking forward to that lars...

I need a Chance

2008-11-20T20:09:00.004+08:00

I need a Chance

I still remember the last day of school after Sem 1 exams, we all go out to AMK Hub there play pool and also relax with them after the exams. I always remember whenever school ends, at whichever block, I would always go home together with clique to the MRT station there, almost everyday...

Now Sem 2, it just seems to me that go out and also having classmates to accompany me go home together and all, it seems to be a distant memory...

Semester 2 is alot different, as compared to Sem 1. I dunno why also, is juz tt when i see my former clique all toking and lauhing together, my head just seem to drop down...

There muz be a reason for the difference. Nowadays, as i walk home alone from sch after lessons, my mind is always tinking "Why now become like that?" As i analyse through, I find that the main cause of it is bcos of me, not them. I acept that it is because of my mistakes I had made, which causes myself to dont have the essential courage to face them , like I did so successfully previously.
Im not running away from it. I put my hands up to say that its my mistakes which makes some dont want me together with them.

Mistakes which I have made, and thus i need 2 learn from them. A few days ago, someone was telling me that I am indeed irritating to them, and interupt their talking, then also she said tt why do i need to run and chase after them to be together with them...
And tinking over it, I tink she is right..

I noe tt it is my mistake, my error, which causes me not being able to join them as wel as Sem 1. I seek a chance to let me learn and change. I really wish i can re-experience the joy of being together with my former clique and 0804 again..

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

翻着我们的照片

想念若隐若现

去年的冬天我们笑得很甜

看着你哭泣的脸对着我说再见

来不及听见

你已走得很远

也许你已经放弃我

也许已经很难回头

我知道是自己错过

请再给我一个理由说你不接受我

就算是我不懂
能不能原谅我

请不要把距离当作你的请求

我知道坚持要走是你受伤的借口

请你回头

我会陪你一直走到最后

就算没有结果

我也能够承受我知道你的痛

是我给的承诺

你说给过我纵容

沉默是因为包容

如果要走请你记得我

看着我班的照片

想念若隐若现

四月的开学我们笑得很甜

看着你哭泣的脸对着我说再见

来不及听见

你已走得很远

也许你已经放弃我

也许已经很难回头

我知道是自己错过

请再给我一个机会让我去改变

就算是我不懂

能不能原谅我

请不要把距离当作你的请求

我知道坚持要走

是你受伤的借口

请你回头

我希望能你们会再接受我

就算没有结果

我也能够承受

我知道你的痛

是我给的承诺

你说给过我纵容

沉默是因为包容

如果要走请你记得我

What Hurts the Most

2008-11-18T22:19:00.005+08:00

What Hurts the Most

I can take the rain on the roof of this empty house

That don't bother me

I can take a few tears now and then and just let them out

I'm not afraid to cry every once in a while

Even though going on with you gone still upsets me

There are days every now and again I pretend I'm ok

But that's not what gets me

What hurts the most

Was being so close

And having so much to say

And watching you walk away

And never knowing

What could have been

And not seeing that loving you

Is what I was tryin' to do

It's hard to deal with the pain of losing you everywhere I go

But I'm doin' It

It's hard to force that smile when I see our old friends and I'm alone

Still Harder

Getting up, getting dressed, livin' with this regret

But I know if I could do it over

I would trade give away all the words that I saved in my heart

That I left unspoken

What hurts the most

Is being so close

And having so much to say

And watching you walk away

And never knowing

What could have been

And not seeing that loving you

Is what I was trying to do

What hurts the most

Is being so close

And having so much to say

And watching you walk away

And never knowing

What could have been

And not seeing that loving you

Is what I was trying to do
Not seeing that loving you

That's what I was trying to do

Juz came across something interesting

2008-11-15T15:57:00.014+08:00

Juz came across something interesting

hi all. Havent been blogging for quite some time le, coz quite busy in school nowadays..

Today while on computer doing homework, i went to see my facebook account updates then saw a photo album of the Happy Friend's Club, AWWA. Out of curiousity, I went to see those photos taken by them, yea..

As i looked through those photos with glance, halfway through the album, i saw a photo of a volunteer wearing a yellow shirt..That yellow shirt aroused my mind as as it looks familiar to me..I then had a feeling that i had wore tt shirt before, but i cannot remember when tt time was, so i looked through some more of them...and the more i looked at them, i also knew tt I had went to the scene where the photos were taken, as the place surrounding the photo at the background also sounds familiar to me....and when i came past this photograph below

From that, I suddenly remember that i went to participate in a camp called Camp Explorer , a few years back( I was in Sec 1 then). Then this was my group of friends during this camp. Sylvia(the girl on crutches from left) , now another god friend of mine, was in my group that time. She and I was to be "reunited" again in the ILS Camp 2006.

I tink before this camp, i tink i onli knew Ting Jun( 2nd row, 1st person from right , we 2 was also to be reunited again in the ILS Camp 2006) and Bryan(beside Ting Jun, second from right), who I was together with him in the AWWA soccer team..

i think those clients which I noe now, i dont not kow them at that time as i was still a young boy

Those clents like Amanda(above, the girl on wheelchair), then i dont noe her yet. I and her would then be reunited a few years later, again in the ILS Camp 2006 and the Malacca Trip 2007

As i glanced the above photograph, I suddenly realised that most of the clients in this grop, i dont noe them at tt time. Philip, (the first person at the back row from right) will then become one of my good friends after a few years after this was taken, via the tuition group. Another friend now which i do not noe at tt time was Chun Qi(the girl at the back row, second from left). which i was to know her through the ILS camp 2006. The girl on the wheelchair, above) i tink is Pin Xiu, which i was to make friends with her in the Malacca Trip 2007. She was to be participating in the 2008 Oymics representing singapore to win Gold...she indeed has inspired me hahaha...

Trying finding me in this group photo

Me, Sylvia, Ting Jun, Shawn(group photo 1st row, 5th from left), Philip, Amanda and Chun Qi, all in this camp, and others, would then be the frontrunners to form as a clique in later years after this camp....

Updates

2008-11-05T20:54:00.003+08:00

Updates

hi all!!

Abit of updates abt ytd.

Well, ytd Tuesday, after morning GD lesson, we are all "debating" whether will there be DEP lesson after that. After awhile, we heard from someone tt the DEP lesson is cancelled.Woots

Therefore, we got 3hr break from 12-3pm.

We didnt want to stay in school and on laptop rot for 3hrs, veri waste of time

So, Colin suggested tt we spend our 3hr break in Orchard there. Ethel didnt join us as se got group project to do. So, me, Colin, PeckYing, Dennick and CaiYing decided to go there have our lunch and also visit the bookshop there.

Trained there to Orchard and went to the FoodRepublic to settle our lunch. the meals there was quite expensive hahaha...then after tt went to the bookshop see see hahaha

After which, at abt 2.30pm then have to leave Orchard, set our way back to scool for nxt lesson, IAD.

thats the end of update

Updates

2008-11-05T20:54:00.000+08:00