Pretty Moments

A birthday is just another ordinary day made extraordinary by memorable encounters with special persons. Nineteen doesn't feel very much different from eighteen, yet being nineteen seems to be a whole lot different from being eighteen. Nineteen for me means an emergence from safety nets; it means adapting to reality and the world outside; it means making sense of loss and making sense of life; it means defining my faith; it means learning to let go; it means having the courage to pursue my dreams, my love. It means becoming independent, and being less dependent on others - on their opinions, on their directions, and on their needs.

To be honest, I was surprised to receive so many greetings from so many people, many of whom I did not expect to remember my birthday. Facebook probably got a role to play in this, but I'm still glad that these friends bothered to send a note or two. The constant barrage of SMSes really made my day!

Most importantly, thanks for these pretty moments:

NYDC; delicious dessert!; interesting conversations. I feel like we have become closer as friends (:

Depot Heights; angst on work, universities, applications; catching up; awesome shirt!. I miss not meeting the Scouties for so long!

Changing Appetites; the usual incestuous accusations among the Coks; The Lovers' Book for the lover who's best at everything; surprise!. You guys never fail to make our meetings so amusing and so much fun!

Big O; baby Evans!; awesome photo-board!; Sakae Sushi; LOL elitist talk; catching up; McCafe. I think it's really nice how we are becoming more and more comfortable with one another, and letting one another know more and more about ourselves, after every meeting (:

Aristotle once said, "Wishing to be friends is quick work, but friendship is a slow-ripening fruit." Other than sweet memories or pretty moments, I think that the best gift anyone can receive is a present of deepening friendship!

2008

2008 has been breath-taking. The pace, the intensity and the scope of it all often leave me wondering how time could pass by so quickly without me noticing it. I can still recall how it started off with Orientation 2008, with the frenetic schedules and hectic plans. There was Highlights too! One of the very best moments in RJ, one of the most memorable. Orientation 2, Investiture, Council Camp, IHC, Final Night, Handover, Scouts Farewell, A levels, Prom... these moments are all so similar in that I feel this tug of reminiscence when I think about them, yet each episode is unique in their own speecial way.

2008 has been enlightening. I have made many mistakes, disappointed some, and failed in a few ventures. At the same time, I have learnt many lessons, found new directions, and succeeded in several pursuits. I have tempered my idealism and added a pinch of pragmatism to it. I am discovering myself more and understanding who I am better as time elapses. I am allowing more people into my life, and letting go of some facades. I have taken up new responsibilities. I have learnt to be more independent. I have matured.

And what makes 2008 2008 are definitely my friends. From council, scouts and classmates, I learnt a little more about what friendship is about. It is about knowing when to tell a lie to comfort her. It is about putting aside your selfish needs for his sake. It is about calling her up to hear her voice once more. It is about laughing with him, not at him. It is about missing her when you don't see her online on MSN. It is about the euphoric feeling that you get when he said he's going to do well for As. It is about holding her hands and letting the silence communicate. It is about honesty, honesty and honesty.


To the special friends of mine, as the twilight of 2008 fades into the dawn of 2009, I hope that we can relive the happy moments of 2009 together at the end of the year. And may a new smile of yours grace the memories of my heart each year (:

2007!

When I think of 2007, I will remember...

Orientation L'audeamus and my OG L'egolas BB07!
The excitement; the anticipation; the enthusiasm; the evanescence; the disappointment.
jean, brian, dexter

Scouts Reformation.
The willingness; the sacrifice; the end of everything; the start of something new.
raj, funx, vinod, marcus, weizhi

ODAC Basic Training Camp and Interview.
The experience; the familiarity; the indecision.

Council Elections.
The uncertainty; the gamble; the final decision.

Council Campaign. SAND!
The thrill; the novelty; the confusion; the joy; the sadness.
shihua, anna, dexter

House Capt Campaigning.
The choice; the courage; the commitment.

Council Investiture.
The exco; the planning; the first hardcoring; the craziness; the finality.
siti, ian, giraffe, lynette, david, ben, anna

IHC Dota
The underdogs; the challenge; the belief; the strength; the odds; the victory.
yu jun, xianjie, andre, stanley

BB House D.
The passion; the warmth; the work; the happiness; the sleepless nights; the trust; the pain; the brainstorming; the jubilant; the ihc trophy; the satisfaction; the reflections; the let down; the regrets; the change; the understanding; the baking at felly's; the hardcore stayover; the blog; the newsletter; the collar pins.
kovan, shihua, giraffe, felly, anna

Teachers' Day
The many, many, many, many hardcore sessions; the regret; the sadness; the fatigue; the comfort; the uncountable sleepless nights; the planning; the learning; the lack of support; the unbelievable artwork; the concourse; the pride; the success; the relief.
sarah, ben, ashley, xueqian, yanneng, tan chen, shiyu

Open House
The Befriender's Dance; the tiredness; the soloing; the laughing; the happiness; the secret corner; the crazy shifting.
lynette, giraffe

J2 Farewell
The council sweetheart game; the sharing; the loneliness.
joseph

01 & 02 Combined Overnight Cycling
The battle against sleep; the brotherhood; the fun; the enjoyment; the test of willpower; the hardcore cycling; the sleepless night; the wandering and talking.
scouties, royce, chin yang, hiok, and others.

Highlights
The fun and laughter, peace and joy; the countless singing sessions; the teasing; the bullying; the chemistry; the phone call scam; the camaraderie; the highlights hand signal; the tshirt; the understanding; the fatigue; the lorry ride; the sewing at karen's; the burning; the burning once more; the eraser clique; the insanity; the happiness; the love; the tension; the dry run; the banner; the shopping for paint; the gate-climbing; the secret chambers; the cheat to unlocking the gate; the emoing; the satisfaction; the excitement; the PROposal.
wanjoo, giraffe, lynette, zhiying, jevon, ye wei, karen, joel, evona, aaron, warren, alywn, humairah, ivan, sabby, andrea, yiran, jeremy, tanvi, ee kuan

Scouts Annual Camp 2007
The hardcore juggling between scouts and orientation dry run; the support; the joy; the courage; the passion; the emotions; the wargames; the payback; the fatigue; the satisfaction; the belief;
scouties

Orientation
The dry runs; the pseudo og, t'ongkat ali; the EA; the station games and wargames; the experience.

BB02 T'stardust
The talking; the shopping; the og gifting; the gossiping.
yihui

BB House Councillors
The support; the enthusiasm; the passion.
mel, mandy, jiaying, wanjoo, junwei, ye wei, sabby and all the rest!

Dotarians
The games; the fun; the craziness; the steamboats; the insane 3am x-hero extreme 3 game.

08S05A
The lectures; the pe lessons; the tutorials.
royce, funx, taufiq, mel, pris, sharyn, nigel, yijing, choon wing, lijian, siti, ame, long qing and all the rest!

Council
The essence of hardcore; the fun; the memories; the tears; the joy; the sadness; the pain; the life.

Scouts
The trust; the camaraderie; the ability to talk about anything and everything; the confidence in me; the support; the memories; the discussions; the stayovers; the lanning sessions; the soccer games; the importance.

There is too much to recall about 2007. It has been a journey of self-discovery, of excitement and fun, of never-ending surprises. More importantly, it was the fire that tempered my spirit, the clay that molded me in greater definition, the waters that sooth my turbulence, the wind that took me to my potential, the earth that allowed me to stay on to reality, the plane that showed me a glimpse of paradise.

True, it was a year with many regrets, but it was also a year with greater satisfaction. An age where awareness awakened from its slumber, where ignorance is no longer bliss, where knowledge is a double-edged sword. A time when strangers no longer remain so strange, when friends become even friendlier.

2007.
I think I will name it the Year of Wonders. =)