Hello holiday

Hi everyone! Currently at gate A17 once more, waiting for my flight to take off. Apparently there's a delay so well nevermind! Got chance to blog then I suppose~ Anyway yup I'm going back tonight, for a very long time! About 1.5 months, it's the semestral holiday after all. Hopefully throughout these 1.5 months I'll get the chance to rejuvenate and enjoy myself. This year 2 has been one hell of a ride! Haha.

But anyway today was ooh quite a tiring day. I travelled a lot from here and there. And well to put it in one way is... I feel very psychologically tired, if there's such a term. Not really physically tired. But nevertheless well it's over! And I'm on my way home so no harm :)

Anyway just to put a list of things I hope to do this holiday:

- Decorate my room (all photos printed etc!)
- Take more photos (praying for good weather)
- Do a timelapse (tripod checked!)
- EXERCISE (I've always failed in this one but lets see...)
- Eat and enjoy! (Miss my hometown food :/)
- Do my "projects" which consist of both videos and photography
- Write more poems (target: 2 per week?)
- Write more
- Compose more songs
- Play a new piece perhaps
- Relax and rejuvenate myself
- HAVE FUN! :)

Yup I guess this is the rough list of the things I want to do. Hopefully can do everything, or even more :D

But anyway. This is the last holiday of my year 2. I'll be starting year 3 really soon. And year 3 - ITP for 7 months. Hmm interesting. Time really flies huh. Somehow I sort of remember the past holidays I've been going to. Not vividly but patches of its memories are there with me. Then when I tracked back the time of that holiday, I realised it's been a very long time! Like in year 1 or so.

Just take my Inner Mongolia OCIP as an example. It's been about 5 months since the trip. And yet I feel like it's just... 3 months ago? I realised that poly50 took place in October and somehow I feel it happened in December or something like that :O My KK trip is too recent, so I can still "keep track" of the time heh.

But well yeah, these journeys have been really awesome. As I said in my last 2 posts, year 2 was tough in terms of academic journeys. But at the same time it's the year I learnt the most. And well year 2 was also the "best" aesthetically. I did lots of things, I ventured to many different journeys which I truly loved. And I realise it's really the right move for me to do all these (KK, Inner Mongolia, Korea etc) because honestly speaking now, it's kinda too late.

Imagine if I were not to have gone for this trip. I'll start my 7 months ITP in April which will end in November. And it'll just be too late for me to accomplish these trips in year 3 alone! Well hopefully I can go for one or two more last trips before I graduate. I'm eyeing on KK Advance trip to Nepal. And perhaps just one more OCIP trip. Because I really enjoyed my previous one (Green Desert 2011 September).

But well, the journey will only be as fun with the people I went with right :P But anyway new people, new friends, new exposure, new friendships! :)

All in all, year 3 is our last year in poly. So to those year 3s out there, now it's the only chance for us to do the things "we could have done in the last 2 years". It will be harder to accomplish with FYP, exams, ITPs and etc. But if you got the chance, do seize it. Don't graduate and regret for not doing the things you could have done. We only have one life! :)

As for me... Well those are my plans for my 3rd year. Others include having an awesome ITP, maybe taking up a class or something like that, and there are more which well I shall not list here cause it's quite long.

It's my decision to enter the polytechnic route, so I'll make sure it ends well! :)

Alright I guess that's all for now. My flight should be flying off real soon so yup, see ya back in my hometown! Really hope I can have an awesome and rejuvenating holiday back in my hometown. Praying for fine weather so that I can take awesome photos (sunsets!!!) and take a timelapse hopefully. Alright see ya! And Have an awesome holiday too :)

Six years

Six years is the length of our friendship. Of the length of how Jeslyn, Ade, Neal and I met back in secondary one. Yup, it's 2006 when I first entered Tanglin. And for 6 years, they're the closest friends I still hang out with. We would meet for at least in once every three or at least 6 months. Well I still do meet up with others but well, they're the real close friends I still keep in touch in the past 6 years even though we've graduated.

Then Weiqi and Meng Fung joined along. And we're good friends since.

Six years ago, we're still in short pants. We're still kids who just left our primary schools. We were still deemed as strangers. We don't know each other well etc. That was six years ago.

Six years ago, we're still in short pants. And six years later, today, we sent Neal off to serve his National Service. We've all grown up and we're no longer the kids we used to be six years back. It's quite scary and amazing at the same time how fast time flew by right in front of our eyes. But well, if 6 years went by quickly, I'm sure two years will too. So hang in there my friend.

I wish you all the very best for your NS life. I'm sure you will tremendously gain something from it.

Memories are always funny. I could still vividly remember the first day of my sec one life. How I entered Tanglin, the first few people I talked to - LTY, Joel, Kris (who got transferred to 1E3 then haha) and Neal. The random days that would pop out by itself in my head. The first day of my 3E1 life. Where Ade, Jes, Neal and I sat at the same table and Mrs Lee found out we're from the same class.

Six years it has been since I entered Tanglin, and 2 years since I've graduated from that school. Many memories made, stories written, chapters sealed and journeys ventured. Amazingly in one way or another, I sometimes couldn't believe how fast these 6 years just flew by right in front of my eyes, beneath my breath. The real good friend I made since sec one is now serving his national service.

Today was well quite an emo day for me. I know this goodbye is just a temporary one. But just remembering the days we once had back in Tanglin, when I still remember we always talk about going NS. And now, he's really going there. It made me think again that well, life is indeed one beautiful journey. A wonderful one. You meet people along the way, and a bond is created. Some bonds last while others dissipates. But well, a bond is still made.

Today it made me think.

It dawned upon me when....

Innocence

 And the sun sets over West Coast

Today was another great day I suppose! :) Well it's a normal day that ended nicely I suppose. Supposed to "wake up early" and catch the sunset but apparently it's not working, AGAIN, so I slept till (supposedly 9) 1045 and woke up! Need to head to school to pass Charmaine her nail clipper which I STUPIDLY FORGOT TO BRING!!! Damn pissed with myself. I'm so dumb urggghh.

Anyway I'll be meeting her again on Friday to pass it :)

So met Candy in Clementi first before we headed to WCP to print our photos! Actually I hadn't chosen my photos yet. But since I arrived in Clementi one hour earlier, I sat down in Starbucks and chose my photos ^^ so we headed to WCP and well... Waited for a really long time before we got the chance to tell the printing lady what we wanted. And she's... Really... In a bad mood.

Not sure if it's the Wednesday blues, the that-time-of-the-month, the busy hours, the fatigue perhaps. But well she was just... I don't know. Grumpy and seems like in a bad mood. But anyway, thanks the the patient us, we were just laughing it off. So Candy decided to be nice to her, we smiled, we laughed and when we came to the shop to find out that our prints were not done we just smile and say "no problem we'll walk around first".

So we went to: Gong Cha, Nike outlet, Cold Storage, Fish mart, walk the whole WCP and when we came back, she was still left with my print (which ended up failing so I cancelled) and we just joked around with her telling her that we walked finish the whole WCP and we have nowhere to go! With a smile and laughter of course. And well believe it or not, the grumpy and bad mood lady SMILED!

Well I guess yeah. People, start smiling and make this world a better place. As Buddha said, happiness never decreases by being shared, like how a candle could light up thousands of other candles without getting its life shortened. I guess by sharing our happiness to other people, and well just smile and yeah be happy. Others will be happy in one way or another too.

But I'm sure it'll all be a different story when we're pressed for time. Today we're really free so we didn't mind waiting. But well... Yeah. Anyway we got all the photos and we left WCP happy :)

I decided to go to West Coast Park to catch the sunset. Candy followed me to take her bus home from there but we ended up playing the flying fox! Hahaha. It was so funny we're all screaming here and there like little kids once more. We climbed the spider web, went down the slide. Play this turn turn thing which Candy fell down on her butt and we both got so dizzy. We're just like kids again!

Then we went to the beach to catch the sunset.... Which failed cause just as we reached there the sun was hiding behind this thick cloud -.- but nevertheless I got some awesome shots! thankfully I brought my ND filter. Somehow my photos look nicer there :P Well not like those super awesome ND where the sea looks like a mist, in fact mine failed (is it fake? :/) but well still nice.

And we headed for Mac for dinner. It was really fun spending the evening out at WCP, and we talked lots of crap haha. But well at the end of the day, it's just a reminder for me that no matter how much we've grown up, how much time had went by, how old we are, there's still a part of us that remains as a child. Be it our cheekiness. Or our jokes. Or well, this interesting thing about playgrounds that make us excited.

And we headed home, and that's all for today :)

Well... Tomorrow, a really good friend of mine for the past 6 years will be serving his country. 6 years ago we're still in short pants and well soon, he'll be in his army uniform. Time flies huh.

When loneliness, gives me happiness

Whew today... Was kind of a failed day. But at the same time it's a really... Happy day for me! Anyway why failed - I'm supposed to go to Punggol Beach for a sunrise shot. Well I DID WAKE UP but... I looked at the window and it was damn cloudy. So I was thinking nahh not a nice day to take sunrise shot. So I went back to sleep! (Y). But anyway yeah I slept again and woke up at 12. Oh what a wonderful day.

Anyway I was really lazing around from 12 to 3. Then somehow somewhat... I have this weird, unexplainable and cool urge of going somewhere. Just go somewhere, anywhere. Just get out of my house. So with a steady gut and this unexplainable urge, I took my bag, took my water bottle, a notebook, a pen and my camera. And I headed to... Labrador Park!

Why Labrador Park? Cause I want to explore something new, somewhere I've never been before.

And here it is. I will explain to you my little adventure today. All of these words were written as accordingly during my small adventure. Lets go!

  4:00 PM - Urge to go somewhere

Currently at bus 7 on my way to Holland Village. I've decided to go to Labrador Park. Not sure why but I just have the urge to go somewhere than rotting at home. For a little taste of adventure, I've decided to go somewhere new, somewhere unexplored by me.

4:16 PM - Buona Vista Interchange

Will take me around 13 minutes to reach Labrador Park. I really don't know what to expect there but hopefully will take some nice shots. And hopefully my time will be enough. 1.5 hours should be ample huh?

4:23 PM - Haw Par Villa

I guess life can be depicted as a train ride. People come, people go. But the train journey still goes on. Some go to the same destination while others different. And at one point of you future train journeys, they will come into the same train you take again.

4:56 PM - Labrador Park

After walking for about 16 minutes from the MRT, I've finally reached the beack (or the park). They need more directions. I'm sorry. Was feeling quite lost but nevertheless I found it! So yup. It's a nice place for a walk and dating cause it's very tranquil. But less for group outings. Exploring new places is always fun. I better get going so see you!

 

5:31 PM - The end of an adventure

Currently sitting on this walkway facing the beach. In front of me lies Sentosa and the slow, moving, crashing waves. The wind is blowing, cooling off my body. I guess this is the end of my little adventure at Labrador Park. a new place explored, a new bliss discovered and felt. I'm still not sure what made me go here, when it's just this urge that pushed me to do all of these. Walking and exploring this new place alone was really fin. I guess it's true that loneliness, gives me happiness.

Yup so I guess that's all for my "little adventure" at Labrador Park! I know it's quite weird and sudden. It's quite... "unusual" for someone to explore new places alone. It's weird for someone to have the urge to go somewhere. Just go somewhere. Well now I do have that urge, and it's really one of the best feelings ever! I'm serious. It feels weird and unexplainable but honestly speaking, it's an awesome feeling.

And the times I had exploring Labrador Park alone, walking along the beach, shooting the photos, enjoying the sea breeze. Everything. Was really awesome. It feels pretty surreal and just great to spend some times alone. It feels like you're coming back to yourself, it feels like the whole world belongs to you. There's an unexplainable sense of freedom you get. And most importantly, a sense of joy. Just pure joy.

Genuine happiness at its best.

We all tend to enjoy others' company with us. But most of the time we forget that we, too, need time to ourselves. Just spending time alone. I don't mean to things like eating dinner alone, or going to school alone. What I mean is - you, choosing yourself to be alone. Sometimes we have "no choice" to be alone. But sometimes when YOU choose to be alone. There's this joy that no one else but you can feel. Pretty lovely.

Not saying we should be alone all the time. Just saying it's important for us to spend some times alone. Not being "forced" to be alone. But your will.

But as the song goes, anyway, we're all alone in this world haha.

Year 2 in a glance

Helllooo alright I know this is quite late but...

My exams are over! Goodbye year 2!!

Um and sorry for anti-climax but damn I still got some work to do which I really hope to finish by tomorrow. I'm meeting up with my group to finish it! :O And sigh I already have a plan, actually about tomorrow but well c'est la vie. things happen at the wrong time, as usual, and so gotta change my plan. But no worries, I mean I'd rather finish this once and for all! Right?

Anyway yep my exams are over. Whew... The past three weeks were really scary but on Friday, everything seems to pass like a breeze. Woosh and everything was gone. All the rants and the worries and the stress. Everything seems like they never happened at all. But of course, they did happen. Just that it felt really weird that everything has ended haha.

And anyway this is my 700th post in my blog! Woohoo! Finally reaching the 700ths and more to come! So in order to celebrate this awesome 700th post, I'm going to blog about my year 2! In a glance~

---------------------------------------------Year 2 in a glance--------------------------------------------

So 2011 was the year I entered year 2. I was posted to Biomedical Research for my option together with Kai, Candy, Syazwani and Rebekah from my previous class (1B02!) and Vithya of course, who's like a member of DBS 1.5. The 6 of us are really great friends in my class. After all I'm the only guy from The B stage that goes into this option. And the 5 of them were my good friends from my year one. How can we not be close right!

Anyway we all got into a new class of 2A05 and our buddy class was the cardiac people. My class were a mix of course and I don't really know all of them except for some peeps from the 1B01 stage and my friends. And Ashley and Joanne and Jesslyn. We were quite of a strangers together and of course, having to spend a year with your friends, is no wonder that we naturally clique with our friends right?

 Taken during one of our Gem Bio prac. It was saline. Yucks!

So the first semester was alright. I would say the toughest semester in my poly life so far. Things happening at the wrong timing, tough modules, crazy schedules but at the end of the day, I pulled it off. My GPA dropped of course. But thanks to my year one my cumulative was maintained. If it were not to be cause of my year 1 I think my results would really plummet down. 

The awesome Biochem prac where Ashley and I had to collect 24h urine...

Then it was semester 2 and well this time round we are being taught in the new way of CBL - Case Based Learning. It was really... I feel an awesome way of learning. In a way it's kinda better from the traditional go-to-lecture-hall-and-learn way cause we're being directly involved in the learning process itself. Plus I like the feeling of being "small doctors" where we diagnose "patients" from their symptoms.

Even though at times... I feel a bit lost at our learning process. But all's good. Thankfully I kept a journal of the cases that we have been given. So I can refer back when I need them. But apparently, I've lost track from case 5 onwards or so :/ And oh yep we're also given our own classroom - the exchange! Really awesome to have our own class don't you think so? Where we have our seminars as well :)

 

 Our first seminar on kidney diseases! (Rebekah went off first :O)

6 seminars to be done by year 3, 4 completed! (Y). So yup semester 2 was I think better than semester 1. I really love my timetable, the new learning systems etc. I guess the most irritating part of this learning process is when you can't get what you want! Like when you're supposed to research about something but the net just doesn't have it. But with the help of your peers, you'll get it eventually.

Then in term 3 we had a group mix-up and I was grouped with Sam, Huiwen and Kai Xuan. I wasn't really that close to Sam (since she's from another stage in year 1) but at the end of the term, all of us cliqued pretty well! I like the synergy of my team :) Even though heh, we tend to do things at the 11th hour but somehow somewhat, we all pull through eventually! Yaayy. The Immuno project was definitely something really memorable about! :D

 Sam's cute characters for our Immuno project!

And yeah I guess those are the "academic" side of my year 2. Pretty much challenging but at the same time, enriching. It's a new way of learning after all right so it's pretty awesome. Really learn a lot in this year, especially about the medical field. Since we're all learning the foundation of the biomedical field, it's really awesome learning all these "deeper" side of the field! Like haematology, pathology, med micro and more. I would say med micro is my favourite haha. Cause I love bacteria and doing those identifications were really nice! :) 

  

The class (majority) @ the Exchange! Taken with my film (Y)

Moving on, let's talk about the "aesthetic" side of year 2. Let's start with band! So well yup I had our IBM29 in year 2 and it was held in SPCC. We also had our Ganbatte concert :D IBM29 was awesome! Even though oh gosh I was really struggling with studies cause it happened like 10 days before my exams. Then we also went to Korea for an exchange trip! :) One trip I'll never forget, great fun and great experience with the band :D First time to Korea and performing overseas as well!

 

El Camino Real in IBM29 - The song I once thought I can never play, played.

 

Performing at Insyeodon street in Korea! Woohoo! First overseas public performance :D

And moving on - my I would say, the highlight of my year 2! I guess you know it, yep it's my Inner Mongolia OCIP trip! Seriously the best 2 weeks of my life. My awesome GT team, the 2 weeks spent were really so memorable and sweet. It was definitely a trip of a lifetime and I've learnt so much not only about the environment but also about life itself. And yes I will definitely miss the Duolun and Inner Mongolia itself so so much. I will definitely return there one day. Definitely!

 The shot we took on the last day of digging - The sunset of the

(sad I'm not inside this scene! Heh, but glad to take this shot :D)

 My awesome GT team! Under the blue sky of Inner Mongolia

Aww man will definitely miss scenes like this. The colours of the autumn!

And in December, the (so far) highest achievement in my life... Yes! Climbing Mount Kinabalu with my awesome LEAP KK Intermediate December team! Climbing a mountain wasn't in my agenda (of my age). But it was the decision and the thought of proving myself wrong that made me go for this trip! Definitely something I'll never forget about. Seriously people, climb a mountain. You'll never know what lessons it can teach you. And to my awesome team mates - thank you so much for the help you've given to all of us (Y)

 

At Low's Peak! One of the best feelings in my life ever!

Via Ferrata baby~ Woo woo woo!

And many more, of course. Which I think I will just let the next few photos do the talking :)

 Helping out at POL-ITE canoe sprint event at Macritchie

 Welcome YP and Weiqi to the 4E109 @ SP family! :D

 Winning (consolation prize) my first ever "large scale" photography competition

 Taking part in my first ever Poly50 with my GT!

 Covering MDXXXV with Jasmine

 

Year 2 has been one epic journey. A tough one I must say but at the same time, an awesome one. It's the year I suffered the most in terms of "stress" and at the same time it's the year I learnt the most. Be it both academically and aesthetically. And also about life itself. I've always reminded myself that in life, result isn't everything. Studies would always come first to me. But I will never forget to add spice into my life.

I guess people might think "Wow you really have the time to do all those huh" and well I would answer them, without all these events that happened throughout my year 2, I will not be who I am today :)

One more year left to my poly education. It's now or never. I have to life this year to the fullest before it comes to an end. I've been accomplishing my goals throughout my 2 years. Now is the time to do EVERYTHING I've been wanting to complete. One academic year. Here we go.

But ultimately, a journey never truly ends.

Today was indeed a better day

 

Happy Valentines Day!

 
Hello! First of all wishing you a Happy Valentines Day! :D Nothing much, nothing lovey dovey happened today (duh) but of course I was having a great time with my bacteria samples woo la la~ Yup today was the 2nd day of my Med Micro practical test... Pretty scary I know but I felt so glad to have growth on all of my agars! And best is - single colonies! No different colonies growing. And my streaks are beautiful heh (sorry no photo).

Suspecting Psudomonas for my catheter sample. I really hope so. And E.coli for my suprapubic one. There were proteus swarming (I think) cause my agar looks fuzzy but maybe not either so yeah. Let's see tomorrow! I know I'm relatively scared of the results but bring it on. Today I trusted my gut feeling and I'm confident that I will arrive to my answer safely and smoothly :)

Just finished studying haematology just now. Well not really studying but more of reading the notes. At least now I don't feel so lost and urgh about leukemia and haemolytic anemia. Better understanding! And well yup they're quite manageable honestly speaking. If time permits and that my planning all goes well. I should be able to finish everything by tomorrow (Y).

Wouldn't say haemotology is easy. Wouldn't say it's hyper difficult either so yup. I can do this! :)

Well yesterday wasn't a good day for me. Somehow things were not going smooth, we all got so scared of our agars etc. But well at times also I always hope that the next day will be better, will get better. And it does become better! :) Today was definitely a better day than yesterday. So will tomorrow be a better day than today. Always look for the better things in life.

Tough times don't last so do not-so-tough times. Well there are times for everything right!

Well this exam is coming to an end soon, so will my year 2. I wanna end it beautifully. Like a day would end with a beautiful sunset. Yesterday's sunset made my day. I mean really made my day. After such a long and bad day seeing the sunset, the beautiful sunset, made me smile. I was telling myself well at least, at the end of the day, I have something to smile about.

I guess... Okay I know I've been telling things about this many times but.... No matter how bad your day was. Or in fact everyday, make sure you have something to smile to, to feel happy about, to feel great about. Because in every bad thing that happened, I'm sure we can find something good behind it no matter what! :)

Alright I'm heading home soon. It's been quite a long day but a great one as well. Crossing my finger to have fabulous result for tomorrow's last day of prac test! I hope I get the bacteria that I suspected heh :P

Sometimes friendship lasts longer than a relationship. And if that's the case, then we should just be friends shouldn't we? :)

Hell's gone, and coming

 

This too shall pass

Things will get better

When you think and hope they'll get better 

 
Well yeah. Somehow, I just realised that I've survived the 2 so-called hell week that I mentioned 2 weeks ago. How I ranted and fear that I might not pull through, how stressful I was and so on. But hey they're over now and but... We still have one more week of "hell". Yes, the TESTS and presentation and this and that. Pretty scary? Nope. If I've braced two weeks of hell. What can one week of hell do to me really?

But oh well yes I'm freaking about the tests. I'm sure everyone will.

But anyway this weekend was really productive I guess. It's the weekend I get so busy with stuff. But all for good things. Sacrifices made for better cause. So on Saturday I went to lunch with my sis in the afternoon and I headed to SP after that to study! Yes, SP on a Saturday to study (S cube). Anyway, I studied from 330 - 6.30 and then I went to watch Guang Yang Sec band concert to support Kayheng, Huiting, Edwin and Xingxia for their alumni band part. So yup!

The concert was alright I guess. Bits of intonation problems but nevertheless I enjoyed it pretty much. Cause they play the songs that I played in last 5 or 6 years ago! Yes can you believe it. I feel old at times -.- but well definitely good memories, and waves of awesome images played in my head last night. Pretty good feeling, after 3 hours of studying!

Co incidentally with the concert's title "Journey", I think my band journey has been really a good and long one. I've never regretted joining band and continuing band in poly, even though there are well some times when I told myself "I could have joined this and that". But joining band is my decision. So I won't regret it. Music has always been one of my passions. And well band is just a platform where I can share and enjoy this passion of mine, right? :)

And well in a sense, I may regret a choice. But I will never regret a decision.

Yup. And today was alright I guess. Normal Sunday. Spent the afternoon doing some work and now I'm just doing more research for tomorrow practical's test. Oh gosh why must she make our lives difficult by making it a closed book heh. But nevermind, challenge accepted~

Alas as I once told myself 2 weeks ago, this too shall pass. Well, this, too, shall pass. Tough times don't last. So do happy times. But so do they come back and go at times of our lives. It's just part and parcels of life. When things are tough, we'll hope that things will be better. And trust me, they will.

Life is never a smooth road. It may be a bumpy one, but have we forgotten the wonderful sights beside us? And the long great journey ahead of us.

I always tell myself when I run, that at the end of my run, the sun is waiting for me at the end of the track. And I'll walk home with the sun against my back. Under the blue sky, among the wind, with music blasting in my ear. And I'll tell myself, today is a beautiful day.