CLS FOC 2011/2012 :D

CLS (Y)

Some of the GMs in the Merlion park station and I :D

Photography by Marcus

Enjoying our cups of Coffee Bean~

Hello! I just came back from the CLS FOC! As a photographer hoho. I think the camp was awesome! But I really didn't know that it will be THAT tiring haha. But I'm so going to enjoy a good night sleep tonight! I won't talk much about the details eh, cause my job as a photographer is pretty much simple - taking pictures! Haha.

Day one was alright, reached school at 8.15 and went around taking pics of the school-game activities. The night walk was awesome! Haha, had a great time taking pictures of the "ghosts" both as "ghosts" and "models". It was so funny and scary haha. The night walk was awesome, stationed at rest station 1 with Kodi, Li Min and Eric. And we all slept at 7 AM! Woke up at 10 the next day heh.

Day 2 was spent outside mostly, the amazing race. So spent the day walking from station to station, mostly with the OCs like Rusell, Howard, Jethro and Lawrence/Wai Chong. Bryan joined us too at one point. The weather was damn awesome! Should have like take pictures of the CBD area, but I'm a camp-photographer so can't really waste my battery life on the buildings eh.

Night was the night game and... SHIM NIGHT! Brings back memories heh. Good job to the shims! I think this year's campers' shims are awesome and pretty daring haha. The non-campers shims were awesome too! My "sister" Justin was another one haha. It was so funny to watch their "talents" heh.

Day 3 was the usual briefing and photo montage video. But I had a great time with the fellow GMs (or Team Titans) playing the MRT game in the morning! We started as a small group but turned out the whole GM (I think) were playing. I was Changi Airport and Esplenade. Sorry Stadium and City Hall if your legs hurt :P

I feel really sad cause somehow I have missing pictures from my DSLR! But thankfully the Pub team should have the photos still with them, so I hope I can get em back. Cause the missing photos were the "awesome" photos I took of the night walk and some other activities! But it's alright, lets just wait for the pictures :)

So lesson learnt: Back up all photos before transfering into the comp! Cause this is the 2nd time such "technical" problems occur (the other was during the FLP camp). But I don't have the luxury to carry my laptop around huh. But well I brought my lappy to camp, so I should have backed them up :( Oh well lets look positive! Don't think negatively :)

Anyway this is just what I feel about my job as a photographer so I guess it can be counted as my holiday writing?

Holiday writing topic #7 - Photographer of CLS FOC

Anyway there are times I feel sort of lonely during the camp cause I'm the only "official" photographer for the camp. The other 2 photographers are either seniors or the OCs (Gerry and Jia Sheng). So I sort of learnt that being a photographer is quite a lonely job eh? But you know what I feel? That's why being a photographer, one needs to learn to socialise.

So that's why, thankfully, I gel in with the GMs and GLs and OCs and seniors well so that I have people to talk to. Can't imagine being in a camp where I talk to no one :O And thankfully I went for last year's FOC so I know lots of familiar faces! Thank you to the everyone who have accompanied me here and there and talked to me etc. Love you all!

Oh yeah - I have the same rank as the GMs so I'm part of them too hehe.

But well another thing I learnt is that when you have a job, don't just focus too much on getting EVERYTHING right. Yes I want to take good shots, so my technique etc must be right. But we tend to forget to HAVE FUN during our job. So it's important to get the fun factor while doing your job too you know! Hehe.

Anyway I've enjoyed being the photographer of the CLS FOC. And I enjoyed the camp as well, both as a photographer and a GM and a part of the whole camp. Even though it's tiring, I think it's really awesome. It brings back my FOC memories, I made LOADS of friends and also I'm improving my event photography skills, which I sort of suck at.

Alright I wanna sleep now! So tired haha. See ya then :D

Double rainbow

Hello! Hmm I've just realised I've not been putting pictures in my posts, so sorry heh. Sometimes I like my post to be words only, I know it's very wordy (umm duh) but yeah that's the style! Sorry for my OCD-ness heh. But anyway I've got a picture to show today! :D

It's a DOUBLE RAINBOW! (Acts like the Youtube Double rainbow guy). I fell asleep in the afternoon. And when I woke up in the evening, I was shocked by the colour of the sky! It was orange and cloudy orange. Then after that I looked out of my window and... It's a double rainbow! I quickly took my camera and snap snap snap. It was gone after a while so whew.

Yesterday I meet up with Jes, Ade, MF, WQ and Neal at WCP! We ate Fish&Co and celebrated earth hour with them haha. Finally able to pass them their HK presents! We walked along WCP then and decided to sit around Coffee Bean while Ade left for home. Not long after all of us headed for home then.

Today nothing much too, but I cooked! I don't know why I have cravings for sausages, so I cooked braised sausages in tomato puree. Wait it's not puree but uhh chopped tomatoes. But it's really nice! Should have put more pepper though, can't really feel the pepperiness of the pepper that I've added :)

Anyway I'll be off to another camp tomorrow. Whew, never have I in my life go to a camp with only 3 days apart! But I'll be off to the CLS FOC :D Not as a camper but as a photographer heehee. A bit nervous though, hope my pictures will turn out good. But thanks to the CLS FLC, I think I gain some exposures on how to take which shots so yep, lil experience :D

So here goes my holiday writing topic #6 - Passion

Well I'm sure you know my passion heh, I wrote it on my sidebar. And if the name of the blog is not obvious enough heh. Yes my passion is music. I love music and I can't live without it. I'm not sure when my passion of music started, but I'm sure it started when I was in P3 I think, I remember my sis bought me a Richard Clayderman CD, and I just love his songs, and the piano.

So I've decided to learn the piano. I learnt the keyboard actually, when I was in P4-ish. But I quit after that and left for Singapore. When I entered PTPS, I joined the Angklung ensemble. And I fell in love with music more! That was when I was exposed to New Age genre, thanks to the songs my teacher used for our songs, Enya songs.

When I entered secondary school, I joined TSMB. I guess this is when my passion for music just went KABOOM. For the better of course. I am happy being in a band, in an ensemble, playing together with people who love music as well. I love the fact how many people playing sounds much much better than a one person playing.

That's why I joined SPSB as well. This time round it's a 100-strong band! Which is like 3 times more than TSMB. So it's more "exciting" and challenging at the same time, as I'm exposed to more different songs, and of course, of higher difficulty. But I guess that's music. The higher you go, the more different songs of different difficulty you play, and the more fun it gets heh.

And yes I do play the piano as well. I learnt till grade 3, or from grade 3. But I quit when I was in sec 2, due to SYF commitments. So since then, I've been a self-taught pianist, I pick the songs I like and play them, either via ear or scores. And I do play the clarinet and flute as well! My aim is to learn strings instruments! I really really wanna learn the cello haha.

And of course as some of you may know, I do have a passion for photography as well. I picked it up just over a year ago, and I'm loving it more and more. I've been interested in photography since sec 2, but I was using my phone heh. I bought my first DSLR, my lovely Sony A230 (my girlfriend!) last year, and that's when my interest grow stronger.

The point is, live your life with passion. Do the things you enjoy, and always do it with joy and pride (but don't get proud please). Life is just too short to have many things you love or want to do undone. As the 7 effective habits, number 7 says, sharpen the saw. Always take some time off to do the things you enjoy. Well I do play the piano almost everyday, especially when I'm stressed. And there are times where I would just take pictures of skies etc in random days.

So people, love your life, and never stop loving what you love to do. Discover more things you enjoy doing, and hone them, improve your skill on them. If you love what you do, life will love you back. So enjoy enjoy enjoy! Sometimes we're too hooked in reality that we forgot to do the things we enjoy doing.

So, have you done something you loved today? :)

Leader

Hello! Time to blog again today, even though I didn't really do much, except for spending the afternoon out with my sis and her BF. So we went to Orchard to have lunch and she was also collecting her watch, which was sent for repair. We also went to buy some stuff back cause she'll be going back tomorrow. And I'm going back next week ^^

Anyway the weather was damn awesome! I really love today's weather. The sky was blue, the sun was shining, BUT. The weather wasn't hot. It's warm and it's wonderful. After walking and freezing through Orchard Central, coming out, never felt so good haha. And I took some awesome IR pictures at home just now cause the weather was just so nice. And in the evening, saw some strands of purple clouds, so took my chance and snap them :D

To me, the sky is like life itself. It's in constant change, we never meet a sky that is exactly the same as another skyscape we've seen before somewhere. To me life is like freedom. It's so vast, so eternal, so free. Where birds fly and clouds travel to places they never seen before, and then disappear into thin air, just to be reborn again as another cloud. Life goes on. So does time flow.

Wow! I just wrote that?!

Anyway as promised, I will write more about the camp right? So here goes :)

Holiday writing topic #5 - Leadership

Personally speaking, yes I love leading. I love leading people, be it in projects, events, camps or any other events. I love holding a leadership position, was a student councillor, a class chairman, a student conductor, a prefect, a group leader of projects and more. I love being a leader. But not to an extent, where I would want to be a leader EVERYTIME. Continue reading.

So what's a leader? Is he someone who leads people (umm yes obviously). But there's more to than just leading people. How does a leader lead? By making everyone goes his way? Why does a leader want to lead? Cause he feels he is the strongest, greatest and most deserving in a team? When does a leader lead? Everytime? Who is a leader?

From the CLS FLP Camp, everyone can be a leader. It all matters on how, and whether you want to be one or not. I believe everyone has the ability to lead, I can see it in everyone during the camp. But most importantly, is how you lead, and why. As the law of nature goes, it all goes back to yourself, and not everyone else.

I wouldn't say that I am a great leader. That I'm a good leader. Loving what I do is I guess enough to make me happy. My definition of leading is to be a force, a beacon guiding a group of people that work towards the same goal. Help them to go to a direction, direct them, support them. And a leader is not a dictator. He doesn't, and he shouldn't want everything to go HIS way.

Pause = In the context of he, I mean both he and she, just that I'm lazy to constantly type he or she heh.

I'm a person that believes more in passion, than just PURE talent. For I feel without passion (or love), then you won't have the talent! So whenever I'm assigned into a leadership position, I would certainly carry it out to the best of my ability. If there are any mistake I made, then I would learn from them and improve my skills even better.

The problem with me, is that I have a very low confidence level. At times I would feel really helpless and "sucky" when it comes to leading. I have a very low self esteem. When there's a problem, I would blame it all on myself. But as a leader, I believe if something goes wrong, there is something wrong with the way I lead, right?

Well there are many kinds of leaders I've seen in my life. Some alpha-leaders who wish everything to go his way. Some quiet ones who don't really dare to unleash the him in him, or her in her. Some great ones, who are very open towards suggestions and always take the initiatives in the group.

There's no lousy leaders. Everyone has their own way to lead, and their own ways to improve their skills. It's also the way they perceive themselves. Sometimes they would dwell in their shells and not be opened, quiet and reserved, and tell themselves I'm not a great leader.

But as I said, ultimately - everyone has the ability to lead.

But thanks to the CLS FLP camp, I've learnt so much things about this subject of leadership. It's not just about leading people. It's more to it, than just a simple word. More than a simple task of getting a job done. More than a position that you feel good and powerful when you take it. Leadership, is an ability that everyone has. It's all up to us to whether we want to grab them.

So what kind of a leader am I? Am I a good leader? I can't judge it myself. I'll let time, and other people judge it and have their own opinions about it. But all I can say is this. I'm a leader that believes in equality. I want everyone to have an opportunity to lead, to have an opportunity to express their own say. I may seem like a weak person, someone who doesn't strike the iron while it's hot. Oh well.

But people, trust me. If you've got the chance to lead. TAKE IT

CLS FLP Camp! :D

Hello! Long time no blog cause I have just returned from the CLS FLP camp! It was an awesomely great camp! It's somehow different from other camps I've been to. It's a camp which I feel that I really put my thoughts into action, and what I've learnt into action. I was in constant thoughts in the camp, of the things that our instructor, Tony, have taught us.

I will just tell you all briefly about the camp's programme.

Day one was alright, it's the first day so it's all about introduction, familiarisation with my awesome editorial mates (which we are already bonded, but welcomed Edmund!). We also learnt some of the first few habits, and some leadership skills. At night, we did the 4-people tug of war. I was leading the group then, and well even though we lost.... I THINK MY GROUP DID AN AWESOME JOB! And I've said this but, I have no regrets even though we lost. Yes I'm disappointed that I failed to lead my group to win, but seeing my group supporting each other, motivating one another. That's enough. That's the true meaning of teamwork! :)

Day 2 began and we had the expedition. So we walked to the Singapore Flyer which was our first stop. It was quite a long walk but we had fun! Singing, cheering, motivating and supporting one another. From flyer, we walked back to Kallang Macdonald. BAREFOOTED. I repeat: Barefooted. Cause Shima's leg was in pain due to a blister, so she decided to walk without her shoes. And so? As a team, all of us walked barefooted too! For like 3 KM at least :D

Tell you what, I think this is the most memorable moment of the camp. I really love my group and the experience of walking barefooted is just so awesome. And what's even best? Walking barefooted with your friends! :D It's really an experience, it's really awesome.

Day 3, the main highlight was the high elements. So we decided to go and try some of the elements. I did both the intermediate and high elements. It's so fun! Haha. At first I was scared but I overcome it! I look forward and be focused at the pole on the other end. And I did the intermediate challenge with Brandon and we got the best timing of 1 minute 8 seconds! Great job to the two of us! With the given fact that it was Brandon's first element! Great job man! :D

But who I'm most proud of are two people. Shima - she jumped on the vertical pole challenge. She jumped off a freaking pole which was like I don't know how tall to grab this pole. I don't even have the guts to do that!!! I'm so proud of you Shima! You really overcome your fear there! The next person is Atiqah - She told me that she has fear of heights, so she decided to go on the intermediate challenge. But she went up the the high elements first! You've overcome you fears too! Awesome job to the both of you alright! :D

We had the gala night on the 3rd day as well. It was so hectic cause Geradine, Syafiq and I had to make this video montage in 1 hour!!! But well well we did it! Even though there were some flaws, Miss Joanne said it was a great job done! :D And we also did our performance which was the skit + dance and I had a great night then! We went to "club" on the camp site, minus the alcoholic drinks and we were like dancing our night away! :D

Day 4 was really, really, really, really emotional. Never in my life have I been so emotional in such a short period (the last time was during my grandma's funeral). We were sharing stories, and everyone's stories are so touching. I was telling my story and I was feeling normal. I was feeling okay and in the middle of the story, I just cried. I don't know why but I guess my emotions are really boiling up inside...

Then we were asked to give these little gems to give appreciations to the people we choose to. Well I gave it to all of my team mates hehe. And I gave to some people from other groups too. While I was giving to Shima I just cried! I don't know why, maybe cause I looked at her and she was crying and so we both got emotional and I just cried. Aww man, I have seriously never been so emotional before! :O

But ultimately, I've learnt a lot from this camp. I've learnt what I can do, what I should do, what I should not do, what's my ability, and to learn what's the best in me. I've seen people's weaknesses, and how they grow from them and learn their mistake. I've seen people whose leadership skills are great and their ability to lead. I've forged a new bond of friendship, and shared the fun we had together in those 4 days.

I really have learnt a lot from the camp. Honestly speaking I was in constant thoughts during the camp. I was just thinking of the things that Tony had taught us, the activities we did together, and the things that happened in the camp. I've shared my thoughts with my fellow team, and my fellow campers. I've voiced out my opinion, I've given out all my abilities to lead the group to the best I can, and most importantly, I had fun.

FLP Camp must really be one of the best camps (or the best :P) I've ever been. It's different from other camps in a way that our thoughts and actions merge together and we get to learn things from the activities themselves. We're put to test and it's not only just purely the things we learned. But the things we went through in the course of the camp.

Alright I've written a lot, I'll write more in the days to come, I've more things to talk about hehe. Watch my blog! :)

If you want to make the world better place, take a look at yourself and make the change - Man In The Mirror

Faith and Science piano cover :D

Hello... Not in the mood of blogging today but anyway, wanna show you all a new cover I made! It's Science & Faith by the Script! Thanks to Annabel for introducing me to the song! Cause I just fell in love with it the first time I heard it! The lyrics are really like (Y)

I made a few mistake but... I still hope you guys will enjoy! Comments are welcomed hehe. Oh, and I played it in a slightly faster tempo as well :P

Oh and PS: I played this by ear hehe, so it's not a 100% similar. But enjoy aye!

You won't find faith or hope down the telescope, you won't find heart and soul in the stars. You can break anything down to chemicals, BUT YOU CAN'T EXPLAIN A LOVE LIKE OURS.

3 days, 4 days coming

The feeling is like...

Photography by Yours Truly

Looking at the blue sky. That feeling.

Whew! Alright been wanting to blog but I've been feeling really tired the past three days, cause I've been busy with the prep camps! Yup, 3 days of fun I guess, and inspirations. I'll start with my day 1 hehe. Anyway day 1 was more of an ice breaker-game day. And loads of informations about our camp. The games are fun! Get to know with more people as well, likey likey.

After the activities I went back to TSMB again to help out in some game. Went back with Cheryl, Chong Tuck, Syafiqah, Nissa, Syarifah and Jessica. After band we headed to WCP to eat! Had great fun with them laughing and joking around haha, cause we were talking about so many stuff. Headed for home after that and that's all for day 1!

Day 2 wasn't that much of happening. Just more information about the camp itself, we had briefing about the campsite by our facilitator, and the activities we're going to do. Honestly speaking, I'm a bit intimidated by the 4 hour trek thing? But nevertheless, nothing is impossible and impossible is nothing! Jia you to the editorial team! :D :D

Day 3 (today) was the inspirational bit. We had a talk about the 7 effective habits of a highly effective teen. Well knowing that the talk will be from 8.30 - 5.15 was a bit "sian" to hear. But hey! Those 9 hours is fun and enriching! I was prepared to go to sleep but well I didn't! And there were so many things I took home from that talk, a lot of things :)

I hope I can put what I learnt today into real-life situations beautifully! :)

Okay! Holiday writing topic #4 - My Moods.

Hmm talking about moods huh. Well what are moods? I put it as a certain kind of feeling that we feel in certain times. Happy mood, sad mood, bad mood, lazy mood, uninspired mood, feel like doing nothing mood, feel like eating out mood and more. Well moods are somehow like a mystery. Well for me. I guess my mood changes with time, sometimes, abruptly.

Please don't call me a woman, as much as I hated this characteristic of mine, my mood changes rather drastically sometimes. Well oh well, c'est la vie I suppose. But thankfully, another side of me is that if I turn bad mood, it takes at most one day for me to get over it. And I can even change it within hours! So it's great isn't it :)

And another thing about moods. Hmm not sure about you guys, but have you ever felt this feeling where there's just something nice that you feel warmly inside yourself. A great feeling, sometimes nice and weird feeling. And this appears for no apparent reason, just, pop! And there you go. It's quite amazing actually, how we this happened. But oh well, it's... Weirdly nice heh.

I've been feeling these kinds of feeling these days. They are just this wonderful feeling, I don't know how to describe this. But I'm not referring to like having O*****. The feeling is felt in your heart and not physical feeling. More of mental feeling! I know some people would think it as an O***** but nope nope heh.

Alright I guess, what was I talking about -.- but well that's my topic #4! Keep reading my blog, I think I'm determined to write a topic whenever I write here hehe. Alrighty see ya! Holiday topic #4, done! :)

PS: Hmm, I met 2 more alpha males today huh :/

Time travel

Nahh I didn't do time travel or whatsoever heh, but well today was an awesome day! And a tiring one too (a bit). But good! I hope I'm tired enough to sleep heh, weird reason but well :P Anyway did lots of things today! Which I shall talk later on.

Today was the first time I woke up early since like my HK trip... I was supposed to wake up at 8.45 but well I woke up at 9.30~ The good thing about being an alumni, you don't have to wake up accordingly to the band hoho. So I reached Tanglin at about 1030, and joined the band for rehearsal. And yay I played Memories of Friendship with them! (SYF 2011 set piece). It's really good and fun to play with!

It's so Satoshi Yagisawa hehe, who is my one of my favourite composers! :)

Stayed in school till about 5, watching them doing their camp activities and games. I really had a good time laughing while they're playing the hand twister thing! It's really funny (sorry for being mean) to watch the teams struggling to untangle their hands hahaha, really funny but well good job peeps! Especially to Stephany's group hahaha.

Anyway to TSMB, really good job today! I am really pleased with your performance. Well I'm afraid I can;t guarantee that a silver is in your grasp now. But if you work hard and harder and harder and even harder for the remaining days and practices, I believe a silver is in your reach! Have faith, and remember BE CONFIDENT. I can sense you're lacking in that... Hehe

Anyway after band I headed to Clementi to meet Neal, Wei Lun, Kelvin, Zhi Rong, Federick and Sherman! We met for dinner at Sumo, which was our usual place to eat last time after school. After dinner we went to West Coast bowl to play a game of bowling! It's really fun hehe. And lastly headed to the Clementi mall to hand around at Ya Kun.

And we reminisced about the past! Had a good laugh, talked about things we used to do last time in school, and more... That's why today's post is entitled time travel. We talked about our past, that we seem to travel back in time. Like as if we're reliving the moments that were once experienced by us. Through words. Well, reminiscing is one of the best escape mechanisms from reality. Wait... Reminiscing of the GOOD TIMES :)

So here's my holiday topic #3 - Sentimental me.

If you think who I am, as a person you know, as a person you meet everyday in school, talk in FB or MSN, talk in phone, SMS. You just know me as me. But here I am, revealing one of my "soft" spot of my heart. I am very sentimental haha. I treasure my past, and I'm willing to carry it to my future. You might be shocked to see this, but here's a list of what I do, that normally other guys won't do.

I started keeping my movie tickets from last year. I started keeping my boarding passes from my travel, even though it's just a trip back home. I keep any cards you gave to me. I keep anything you gave me, cards, gifts etc (unless food cause I'll eat it :P). I keep coins from my overseas travel, in fact I still have my Swedish and Norwegian coins, and HK coins as well.

Most shocking? I keep my sec 4 school diary. I cut my PE shirt's "Tanglin Secondary" logo and keep it. I keep my O Level exam papers. I keep my O Level entry pass. I keep the prom's invitation. I keep birthday cards my friends gave to me when I was in sec school. I keep the scores of my first band concert (IBM 28) [which I photocopied btw]. And many many more things.

Shocked? Well I do :)

I treasure my past, and I want to carry it to my future. I want to use it as a form of escape in the future to reminisce of the good times I had. But of course, I shall forget my bitter past behind. What's important is the sweet fruit, not the bitter seed huh. And you might find me crazy, non-sensical, out of my mind and many more.

You can say as much as you want, but this is me :) This is who am I and this is what I'm going to be. This is what I'm going to have in my future. So yep, live with it I guess! Heh. And my plan? I'm going to keep this box in the future, and put all these things nicely, and mark them down. And will keep it safe and sound somewhere in my room or my house (in the future) and it's for me, my partner, and my children to enjoy.

But ultimately. It's for me, that I can truly, expressively, enjoy.