Happy birthday Cheeyang!

ivan fed the world.

And so, anyone who reads this blog is on my MSN list. And anyone who is on my MSN list read my personal message, which proclaims a Silver for our RE Finals presentation. While obviously overjoyed at getting the silver (only one group got Gold for our category - Indirect Service), this silver actually serves as a sliver silver of hope for all academically underachieving guys out there.

You see, it's not everyday people like us get a prize. It is everyday, however, that we do get insulted by arrogant snobs who think they are the best in the world and will become future CEOs of companies with 42/45 in a Bio test. In other words, this is our saving grace.

In other news, I seriously love my RE group. None of all that has happened would have been possible if not for them and all the effort we put in together, AS A GROUP, and not as people who solo through their projects and think they are t3h ub3r 1337z0r5. This group is important to me, because everyone worked well together, and also because we worked hard for what we did. Getting to Finals was already a fantastic experience, but clinching the silver from this... it's just such a fantastic bonus. Symbolically, we are also actually the Dark League group (Jon Gan defected... yet again -.-), and I am also proud to say that we have surpassed our own expectations and other's as well, definitely.

A tribute to each member of the group:

Zhihe

The great leader. When people hear this phrase you would describe a charismatic person who gains the respect of his teammates and all the usual stereotype of a "OMG IMBA" guy, and it is true. I really respect the guy for putting everything together, making everybody do their assigned work, and just being there for everything. Essentially the anchor of the team, I think I can safely say that nothing would have been done if he was not around to push us along and get our priorities straight. He's also not exactly a "DO YOUR WORK OR DIE" person, even though he can be (shuddering in fear), and understands the difficulties we face as well. Thanks for everything, Zhihe. Including the late nights I made you stay up because I slacked, and for just leading by example. Great work.

Jason

Gene said I should have a Jason section. Here it is. LOL JASON LOLOLOLOLOL. Even though he does not intend to joke around, what he does in his actions, in his choice of words, in his body language, are the very factors that make us explode in laughter EVERY SINGLE TIME.
We never get sick of his existence simply because he is being himself, and yet somehow can make us laugh until I'm pretty sure my ab muscles are there because of him. He is the joker of the team, albeit unintentionally. His antics and of course his serious work ethic keep the team going, and of course brings the team closer and closer. Even though you're not reading this, thank you very much Jason.

Chee Yang

Ruijun refused to work with him in Chem PT because he felt that he was "slack". What a load of bullshit. Blessed with the ability to spam, he is actually one of the most hardworking fellas in the group. Every workshop, every training, everything we were involved in with Special Olympics, he was right there offering his help. In late nights staying up to do our shares for our final report, he was the one person in the group willing to stay up with me, even if its just for pure nonsensical reasons (like saying "GOOD MORNING" to Jon Gan at 2am, being the remaining people from 4A online). Also, our team ALWAYS has some punctuality issues. Jason either always calls to say he won't be making it or he will be late, and Zhihe will tell us to meet at 10am and come himself at 10.30am. Myself included, I do come late once in a while as well. But always expect to see Chee Yang there being the first to arrive, waiting there for us and joking about JJ. Thanks for just always being there for all of us whenever we needed help.

I'd say this is a rather long and mushy post, but I really really really appreciate these guys and this group. The experience over this year has been overwhelming, the sense of achievement better than anything I have achieved in my past 3 years in RE. Thank you for everything.

ivan fed the world.

In my third day of operation of The Skipping Regime, I have decided to take a break due to my searing blisters, which inflict pain with every step taken. It is such a torture that I happen to walk on my heels now just so I avoid stepping on my blisters. This sucks :(

Played tennis today, and over the span of two days of hardcore tennis, I can say I have grown considerably darker. My skin is crazy, turns dark so quickly, but not that I mind 8D

MY TENNIS SUCKS LOLOLOLOL. Keep hitting too high, keep hitting out, only in the last few minutes I managed to get the feel back and was able to play on par with leech, but he was still much better than both Chee Yang and I in terms of consistency, although Chee Yang also improved towards the end O_O

And I am happy to present to you the confirmed list of members of our table at Grad Night Dinner, which basically contains the members of the Dark League and the CoT:

ivan fed the world.

I have started a skipping regime - 500 times a day in 5 sets.

Currently in the second day of operation, and already inflicted with 4 blisters on 4 of my toes due to several reasons:

1) Jumping on toes so I do not make too much noise
2) Sometimes the rope (plastic kind) whips against my toes when I skip

Also, after each skipping session I perspire as though I have just bathed and have not dried myself up. Why do I go through all this?

Just so I can grow taller =(

P.S. Sadly, this might not even work. If it does not work, I'm the greatest piece of jacked up shit in history.

ivan fed the world.

And so, we went down on Saturday 15th September to present our oral presentation in RE Finals. Lucky me, I so happened to take out my umbrella from the bag the day before, and it rained like as if the mass of water on earth was being poured down on Bishan. I dropped off my bus at the back gate of RI, and what stood between me and the school was a monumental obstruction - the locked gate.

Feeling desperate, I called Zhihe. Phone turned off.
Thought of Jason, and realized that he probably won't know what to do anyway.
Called Chee Yang, and he came down to face me at the school gate.

Here's what I did:
1) Discussed strategies and possible options with Chee Yang
2) Threw bag over to Chee Yang
3) Climbed the gate, making sure my manhood did not get pierced and brutally dismembered in the process

Extra note: It was a fun experience actually, I recommend everyone to try it at least once while you are a Rafflesian. It... um... provides good training for the army?

And so we got in and met up, only to find Jason SOAKING WET LOL. He said, "I was walking to school, then halfway through suddenly rain, then run to school, but in the end still wet like siao." Imagine Jason saying that, and there you have it, an ultimate source of LOLness.

We presented our piece, and I felt that we did our best. I personally was feeling strangely nervous, in spite of having only 4 teachers present. I chalk it up to the giant atmosphere of the AVT, which makes me feel so small and insignificant.

But if you ask me if we think we can win an award, my actual answer will be no. While I am actually rather confident of our presentation abilities, what clinched the deal was a comment that Cheryl Yap (of "do your level-best" fame) made a comment saying that we "nearly didn't make it" to the Finals. That shook my confidence a little, and caused me to think about the strength of our competitors.

But alas, everything is over, and I guess there comes a time where we have to be stopped in our tracks, even if the progress we have made in my opinion is already phenomenal. Wish us luck in overcoming the odds and clinching an award, if not for myself, but FOR THE DARK LEAGUE.

ivan fed the world.

And so, I stepped up in front of a grand audience of two (initially one because Alvin Goh went away for awhile), and started to present my Oral Defense.

What was my Oral Defense based on? I had seen tennis, a growing beanstalk, PLAY, travelling around the world... I had seen a growing bunch of different styles of Oral Defense, some intensely related to oneself, while others... not really something very close to one's heart. I decided to choose something close to my heart... and that is, yes, the Dark League.

It's funny how I used the Dark League for my Oral Defense, considering the Dark League is something negative (lowest results in class... how positive can that be?), and we are actually supposed to showcase our best achievements. However, I argued that the Dark League is actually close to my heart, and I sort of personify the Dark League in a sense. Also, one of the aims of the Oral Defense was to focus on thinking processes and not the results anyway, so I figured it would be okay.

Anyway, I introduce you to the official cover of my Dark League Oral Defense:



Special thanks goes to Jon Gan for drawing up the hand in the first place (which was based off my hand... or so I think).

Anyway it makes me rather proud to be able to defend myself and my growth through the Dark League. Instead of tossing in a chockful of content into an insincere presentation, I am proud to say that I managed to pull it off... to create a sincere presentation which displays the true me. I am not one who fakes my character and fakes my attitude in front of others just to get close to them, and through this experience of Oral Defense I was actually able to express myself and the way I think in a sincere and wholesome manner.

But, it is a pity.

It is a pity that the environment we are brought up in stifles creative development. It is a pity that the school thinks that creative assignments are actually creative and meant to develop our creativity. It is a pity that we as students are forced to endure four years of grinding of knowledge into our brains, which we cannot absorb. It is... a pity.

I strongly feel that the school should continue with this Oral Defense, at least for the English curriculum. It is one in which every one of us, who is different, is able to express ourselves and not find ourselves doing something which everyone else is doing. This is the real development of creativity, not some stinky creative assignments which are assumed to really develop the students' creative potential.

I read one of Eugene's past articles on techies-and-pudgies about the limits of which we are placed under, the boundaries in which we are kept captive. As I think about it and ponder about whether it was really true and applicable to every student, I can only say... it is a pity.

ivan fed the world.

What can I say? We just rock.

Here's what made this experience quite funny:
Adrian Chng: "So I need you to tell me if you want to go to Congress or not. If you want to go to Congress then I'll have to make sure your presentation and all is good, otherwise, it's okay to slack abit."
*After some discussion*
Zhihe: "Ok la sir I think we don't go Congress la. Very busy having to prepare for EOYs and stuff."
Adrian Chng: "Okok."

And look where we are now LOL. Ironic that it's a presentation which was "slack abit" that got into the Finals. I'm guessing it's all because of the noscriptism which we have inculcated in ourselves (other than AngJJ of course), and of course the $11,050 we raised. Money talks, after all.

And so, now that we have reached this stage, the once-ignorant me who did not give a shit as to whether we did well in Semifinals or not now wants to win. It's something I have not felt or experienced in a long long time, this will to win, this urge to pursue perfection for victory. It remains a competition among peers who have, like us, emerged among various challenges and difficulties along the way and got to where they are now. It remains a competition between people with the will to win, the fire of passion burning within them to achieve something. It remains a competition where everybody knows they have to be at their best to do well.

It is now a competition I want to win - not merit or consolation prize, but the best that we can do. If we do not win, other than for the initial disappointment I guess it will be okay, as long as we know we did the best that we could. If we lost knowing that we did not perform at our best, then that, would truly be the disaster, and the agony within our hearts.

Wish us luck in our presentation this Saturday, although I'm hoping that we do not need it.

P.S. Jason better not read from script at ALL, or he's going to pay.

ivan fed the world.

I forgot to say, our RE group got into the RE Semifinals. I think quite alot of groups got in the semifinals also. BUT BUT BUT, WE ARE THE DARK LEAGUE GROUP! WHICH MAKES THINGS LOLOLOLOL! I have no idea what I'm saying.

And so, we presented on Thursday 6th September after a half an hour delay in front of Cheryl Yap, Lim Yoke Tong, Alicia Goh, and Dennis Au (OMGLOLMARKPHILOWHENDIEINDOTAANDWAITINGFORRESPAWN).

Only three members were present out of four, because JASON ANG JUN JIE (AngJJ for short) could not come because he was away on HOLIDAY (while we were slogging ourselves he enjoying himself in HONG KONG). This is how the conversation went during this recess when we found out we got into the Semifinals:

Jason: "Eh shit sorry I think I cannot make it I going holiday. To Hong Kong."
Me: "Walao siao la why u always liddat one... in the end always make us do the work."
Zhihe: "Ya la... you always liddat one."
Jason: "Sorry man... cannot help it la. *changes tone completely* Eh damn cheap la. 350 dollars only leh, you want to go?"

ivan fed the world.

And so, after a hiatus of more than a week, or rather, more than more than a week, I have come back to post once again... more pictures! Yay!

And so without further ado, let's start with the head of the pictures (pun intended).


LOL AngJJ version 2.


Once again, everybody is soooooo interested in the lessons!


A special message to Shawn. I guess I don't have to highlight the key words? :D
Oh, and this is from Li Ran's pencil case LOL. Anything Li Ran-related is LOL.


This is a classic. For those who can't see it very clearly, it reads "Alarm clock didn't work." Du Yao deserves a big fat LOL.


You know that time we played soccer? Jon Lim rammed my thigh with the ball and the mark was left there. Pretty cool while it stayed... too bad it disappeared.

For some of those who served the punishment for ponning Geography class, I'm sure you would find this familiar. I will also take the chance to pass a message to Weeks 8-10 and the weeks to come, especially EOYs:

YOU.

Funny how my first vulgarity in my blog came in the form of a picture.

I'll post some pictures of my hamster when I feel like it.

And yea, I'm both happy and proud to announce 4 years of house gold medals for table tennis, and if I'm in the mood I'll take a picture of all four medals to show you :D

The Buckley table tennis players were disgusting. Enough said.

ivan fed the world.