YTuesday, June 19, 2007

Pre-University Seminar 2007 (Part Five)

It takes me a month to finish writing about an even that lasted for the week.

Project

Our Project was entitled "Singapore as a Global City". A very open-ended topic, and one that didn't make much sense. In the end, due to our lack of enthusiasm, unwillingness to think creatively, and utter indifference, we just decided to basically rephrase everything that was said at the URA, from the point of a foreigner living in Singapore, and how it is the greatest city in the entire world. There, Global City. Simple idea.

However, our execution was quite poor. There are 3 reasons. First of all, we didn't have enough laptops. Even though we had more than enough brains, with 20 people, only 5 people could work at a time. We needed the laptops. This is what happens when people embrace the use of technology. Secondly, we were told to use the software provided to us. However, the software was very lousy. It crashed all the time, was difficult to use, and didn't have very good results. So after a while, we just completely ignored it. The last reason, probably the most severe one, was that we were downright lazy. This is what happens when you have too much fun. While other groups were hard at work, we chatted, searched through Friendster, played silly games, watched movies (yes, we really did.), listened to music, played video games, and engaged in other unproductive activities. Sometimes we would all just go for unplanned hour long breaks. After we returned, we would continue goofing off.

[Doing "work"]




On the final day which we were allowed to do work, we rushed frantically. Actually, it was more probably during the last 2-3 hours that we put in any quantifiable effort. By this time, most groups were done, and we were left... not really scrambling, just working at a slightly elevated pace. I would say at 15% more that usual. So we finally handed in our project about 30 minutes after the deadline. We were glad it was done with. There were several problems with it, for example, one glaring mistake was that our "family" in our project started out with a father, mother, and baby. Halfway, a girl turns up. Minutes later, a boy appears. But at that late hour, we really didn't care.

[Tired and Emo]


10 out of the 30 projects were chosen to be showcased on the final day, to the Minister Of Education, I think, Mr. Thar... er... you know. That guy. Anyway, to our immense surprise and disbelief, our sub-par project wasn't selected! While we were celebrating our victory with roars of laughter, congratulatory handshakes and back-slapping all around, (No showcase meant not having to do any more work. Oh joy!) we noticed that some of the other groups didn't quite share our reaction after not being selected. We saw girls with tears streaming down their face, palms hiding their face, their bodies convulsing with every sob. My, some people really don't know how to appreciate life.

Istana Visit

One of the highlights of this year's Pre-U Sem (they would harp on it over and over) was that this year they included a visit to the Istana as part of the program. It had been taken out of the Pre-U Sem for over 10 years, but for some reason, they decided to revive this "tradition" in 2007. Apparently Pre-U Sem has a very rich history.

Anyway, we would get to meet the President and all that, so there were several security measures. They made us walk through metal detectors. I don't see teenagers as being much of a security threat or being hardened terrorists, but I guess it pays to be on the safe side.

So we went to the Istana. Those who have been in that area before would know that there is a huge empty space outside the gates. However, the space inside is even bigger. Much bigger. Passing through the gates, one would immediately notice how this place is kept in tip-top shape. The lawns are perfectly manicured, smooth and even. Ponds and fountains gurgling with water, cool to the touch in the warm afternoon heat. Trimmed bushes and shrubs, with contrasting bursts of colorful flowers. Gnarled trunks of age-old trees, their leafy branches offering respite from the sunlight. The further in we went, the more amazed we were. There was a golf course. A golf course in the heart of the city. Traveling up the long winding road, we reached the top of the hill, and finally caught a glimpse of the Istana itself. It was very grand. It offered to us glimpses of ages past, where Singapore was but a colony, and ruled by the British.

We then proceeded to the Lower Lawn, where we would get to meet all the people. However, there was some sort of mix-up, some miscommunication, which resulted in having all of us shoved back onto the buses and waiting in the parking lot for an hour. After a while, we were allowed to walk back up, and stand around in the place while waiting for the President to arrive. There were several high-ranked officials around, so SG7 quietly sneaked away into some hidden corner, hoping to avoid awkward small-talk. If there's one thing I really dislike, it is being forced to converse with someone whom you have no desire to get to know better. Then the President arrived. All 600 participants lined up single file, and the President made his way slowly around, greeting each person individually.

To be honest, I wasn't all that ecstatic to meet the President. I'm sure he's a good guy, but I just don't see us becoming best buddies. Can you imagine Deyong and Mr. Nathan relaxing on the veranda, having an afternoon chat, whilst sipping iced tea together? Neither can I. As it turned out, my lack of enthusiasm was very apt. My interaction (if you could call it that) lasted all of two seconds. Sad to say, that can be considered quite a lengthy conversation.

It went like this.
Mr. President: Hello.
Me: Hello.
Mr President: From ACS?
Me: Yes.

[Reenactment Of The Fated Meeting]

(That isn't President Nathan, by the way.)

I thought of doing something along the lines of "That's why my tie says ACS all over" and then giving him a cheery smile, but I thought the better of it.

So after he had greeted every one of us, it was time to eat. So that's what we did. SG7 completely forgot the fact that we were in the company of some of the most influential people in Singapore. We just ate and talked among ourselves. Ah, the feeling of nonchalance and youthful ignorance is wonderful indeed! But of course, there were people who snatched every opportunity to talk to all those people, chatting about the future of Singapore and other big important matters. I guess some people just can't act their age.

There aren't any pictures of the Istana visit because cameras weren't allowed in. Too bad.

Closing Ceremony

This time, they got it right. The closing ceremony was put on the proper day, the final one. This was the day that the project were put on display for all to see. It would also mark the end of Pre-U Sem for all of us, something that I didn't look forward to.

Anyway, SG7 started by walking around and taking a look at all the chosen projects. We were stunned. Their projects were all incredibly professional. Well organised, nice graphics, good content. They were astonishingly good, considering they had been completed it in a matter of days. If one were to juxtapose (sorry, just felt like using this very useless word) any one of the selected projects, with SG7's work, one would realise, without even a second glance, that SG7 submitted a piece of crap.

After a while, we got bored of realising how inadequate we were. Fortunately there was entertainment to be had. The Guest-Of-Honour had arrived. The minute he entered the room, the entire mood of the room changed. The really enthusiastic ones quickly positioned themselves in their stations, encircling the Minister like hungry lions, questions at the ready, pens quivering with excitement. Others, less enthusiastic, turned to look, then returned to whatever they were doing. Some, like myself, ran away.

I'm sure the Minister is a very respectable man, one who works hard for our nation. His is a leader of the highest caliber. However, he does have a very, shall I say, noticeable bodily feature. This very outstanding feature must have been a result of him working late nights, putting himself through an immense amount of stress, all for the betterment of our nation. Okay, enough ambiguity, let me be blunt. He is very bald. And his very bald head is very shiny.

There were some people who were making fun of him. I shall describe the scene from the third person. Some were trying in earnest to take photos of his head, perhaps as a memento, or for remembrance, who knows. However as they were shuddering with laughter, the photos they took were blurry and out of focus. A tall boy was then employed to do the job. Then someone made an urgent remark to caution against the use of flash, for if it were to reflect off our Minister's very shiny head, we would all be blinded by the LIGHT OF A THOUSAND SUNS. It would be a shame if the supposed brightest minds of the nation were killed by a freak accident.

Soon we lost interest in the Minister. Suddenly, for no reason at all, schools started to cheer. Like, cheer really loudly. The halls reverberated with the shrill cries of crazed girls, and I feared for my own safety. Then everyone rushed off to find their own school, and we all started cheering. I really don't know why. Oh well, yay for school spirit. After a while, the schools dispersed. That was when The Great Camwhoring Session began. It began innocently. SG7 wanted to remember this wonderful occasion. So we took photos with each other. It led to full-blown insanity. I'll let the pictures do the talking.

[Notice our expressions do not change]




[This is just scary]


[Also scary]


[Once again, scary]


[Really scary]


[Deepa is everywhere.]

















Soon it was time for the actual closing ceremony. We strung together glowsticks to make giant chain to signify world peace or some equivalent feel-good mumbo jumbo. Our voices rang in unison as we sung "If We Hold On Together". As our noise drowned out Diana Ross, we swayed to the uplifting lyrics, in that slow-motion kind of way. You know what I'm talking about.

I am not lying.

[Feel the emo love.]








The end of the song marked the end of Pre-U Sem. I was about to feel sad, but then SG7 had to rush off, to collect food for our Tea Break. After tea, we went back to the hostels for the very last time, packed our bags, and bid each other farewell. What began as a group of complete strangers had ended up as a fun-loving bunch of friends.

[Hold me forever]


Going Home

When I reached home, I came to realise how much I enjoyed Pre-U Sem. It was a Friday afternoon, and I was all alone. Within a few hours, I had already begun to miss my friends, doing stupid things together, having meals together, working together, sharing laughs with each other.

It had been an unforgettable experience. These are the sort of memories that I will treasure forever, moments of sheer brilliance that will always be with me. Thank you MOE, PJC for organising this wonderful event. Thank you SG7, SLOs, for having been part of my life.

Thank you.






Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Four


Blogged @ 3:14 PM

YWednesday, June 13, 2007

Pre-University Seminar 2007 (Part Four)

Formal Attire

As I've said before, Pre-U Sem is a very prestigious event organised by the MOE, and as such, should be a held in an appropriately formal setting. All this is done to reflect the seriousness and the importance to our nation of the matters that were discussed during the 5 day event. It was the gathering of some the brightest young minds of our nation, from various institutions across our island nation. They were dressed in their finest, upholding the honour and pride of the schools that were emblazoned on their attire.

They made us wear blazers in the stupid Singapore heat.

Most of the schools Number 1 attire (the most formal one) consisted of black leather shoes, and a blazer and tie over their normal school attire. However I come from ACJC, and ACJC has to pride itself as being the most outstanding bunch. So our formal attire is completely different from our school uniform. Cream pants, white long sleeve shirt, blazer, ties, and black shoes. How I envied those who were able to wear short sleeves shirts and not have to worry about watching where they sitting down out of fear of dirtying their pants. However, my hardships were mere triflings when compared to those faced by girls of ACJC. They had to wear stockings, which I hear are a terrible injustice, as well as court shoes, a heinous crime against the feet. After hearing their horrific tales of extreme pain and discomfort, I thanked the stars that I was born a boy and could wear Hush Puppies which felt as comfortable as sports shoes.

Of course, ACJC had to be special, so we had to put up with strict rules regarding our attire. We were NOT ALLOWED (this was drilled into our minds over and over) make any unauthorised modifications to our attire at any time while in public. Unbuttoning our top shirt button would result in us having 12 days of shunning, while taking off our blazer would be reason enough for public stoning. Actually, I could have done lots of illegal stuff, but there were council electives around. I wasn't afraid of them, definitely not. I just didn't want some annoying kid using their "authority" and telling me what I "must" do. I also didn't want to force those nice ones to have to come up to tell me to do something that they themselves didn't want to do. So in the morning canteen while people took off blazers, rolled up sleeves, and loosened ties, I sat in my full attire, and looked on, with longing in my heart.

[Though I may be smiling, I am weeping inside.]


Despite all the effort put into the formalities, it was still not that formal. There were several who were dressed very sloppily, their shirts tucked out with rolled up sleeves. During breaks, ties were off, and blazers thrust onto the floor in an instant. (Not ACJC.) Court shoes soared through the air as girls sat down on the floor and sighed of relief as they massaged their feet.

SG7 & SLOs

SG7 was the best group of people I could have hoped for (with the exception of... ahem.) They were incredibly fun, and made Pre-U Sem a most memorable event. Before panel discussions, we would go to the nearby 7-Eleven to buy provisions, to make the panel discussions more bearable. After eating, we would sleep. This led to us playing a game of Survivor: Pre-U Sem, seeing who was able to withstand the intense boredom and stay awake. The winners were awarded with waffles from the canteen. I did not get a waffle. During breaks we would rush out, and amass huge plates of food and drink to be shared among all. We played many of those trick question games, (Fuzzy Wuzzy, MRT, etc...) it's incredibly fun when you know the secret and others don't. We talked, shared many laughs during the various activities, and contributed to the general silliness.

[SG7]


Our SLOs (Student Liaison Officers. Very long words that mean tour guide.) were also wonderful. They bought snacks for us, wrote little notes of encouragement, and did many other nice things. They became an actual part of our group, instead of just people who would bring us around to places we needed to go. Winnie had an incredibly quirky sense of humour, and her upbeat personality was very effective in keeping our spirits up. Redzuan was surprising sensitive (emo). He had no problems being the target of insults, and was not afraid to dish them out as well.

[Winnie. She usually looks happier than this.]


[Emo Redzuan. This is an unintentionally very good photo.]


SG7 moments. Redzuan and Jocelyn calling each other shorty. Zhan Ming being too tall, and his Mr. Bean impressions. ChunMeng from HCI and speaking as little Mandarin as I do. Jastin for the weird spelling of his name, and sleeping as much as me. DJ, a really fit guy who can do many types of crazy pushups. Zak, sitting next to me all the time, and always laughing at... stuff. Lina and Rina confusing us on the first day with their similar names, and the great big hoo-hah over the STALKER. Winnie and her Lunchtime and Tea Reception cheers, which were very strange, to say the least. Deepa for her wacky sense of humour and laughing at nothing ALL THE TIME. Daryl for his British voiceover. Andy for the lousy game he created. Joel who had the willpower to study for his exams while we had fun. ChenChen and Evelyn as our Chinese-speaking Older Sisters. Yvonne for looking angry all the time, and pretending to answer her phone to avoid a certain someone. Charis and Biwen for being quiet and reserved most of the time, but having periodic outbursts of insanity. Julian for his incredibly expensive camera, whose pictures I still haven't seen yet.

[The tall and short]


For some reason that I cannot recall, we became "Sisters and Brothers". We had an effeminate hand action for the girls, and a rather violent one for the guys. I later came up with one that merged the two, something that was gay yet full of rage at the same time. Whenever there was a cry of "Sisters & Brothers!", sharp ears would pick up the call, and heads would snap to the direction of the sound, and all would rush to assemble, hand actions at the ready. One would expect the boys to be part of the Brothers, and the girls the Sisters. However, that is not completely true. For some inexplicable reason that I cannot recall, I was part of the Sisters. They christened me with a new name, Tandy, which came about by merging Tan and DeYong. According to them, it sounds like a really hot girl. However, for the sake of clarity, and to avoid any misunderstandings, let it be known to everyone that I'm not a hot girl. I will not entertain desperate boys.

[Sisters & Brothers]




[Tandy and the SLOs.]


SG7, you have been wonderful. Thank you so much.

Okay, there will be a fifth part.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three
Part Five

Blogged @ 10:03 PM

YMonday, June 11, 2007

Pre-University Seminar 2007 (Part Three)

The Opening Ceremony was held on the second day.

Morning

Girls


Guys


Of course, with guests-of-honor and other big important people, it was a formal event. Unnecessarily formal. More on that later. The Keynote Speaker was RAdm (NS) Lui Tuck Yew, Minster of State/Education. I don't know which one. It says both in the booklet. The Nanyang Auditorium became very well decorated, giant garlands of flowers adorned every corner. I recall there being a massive banner thing on stage. The press also made their presence felt, with more than a few photographers, cameramen, and guys carrying the big fuzzy sticks (you know what I mean) stationed in various nooks and crannies in the room. Suddenly everyone in the room became very aware of their own physical appearance and presentation.

We were asked to stand for the RAdm. It soon turned out to be the run-of-the-mill type of formal event. Speakers thanking long lists of people before they began proper. Long, dull and dry speeches. Before long, even the most hardy of us were brought to our knees before the combined forces of nonchalance, apathy, and boredom. Within the hour, we were begging for mercy, longing for the sweet embraces of freedom and leg-stretching. One of the things they were very proud of was that people were able to send in SMSes to ask question to the Minister. However, their use of IT resulted in unexpected consequences. RJC and MJC people arguing over their high profile soccer match. Students from the Arts and Science faculties having heated debates over whose life is more difficult and more stressful and more tiring and more pitiful. People asking questions using SMS language. Lyk tis. Pretty soon our restlessness faded, and became drowsiness. More on that later as well.

We were asked to stand once again for the Guests-of-Honor. I mean, guests should be treated with respect, so that would imply that a Guest-of-Honor would deserve to at least be revered as demigods. This time, we were much more enthusiastic, with more than a few people stretching their arms to sky, and giving great big disturbing groans. We were hungry and tired.

Break




The Food

The provided meals was of varying standards. We weren't mistreated, but some of the food left something to be desired, and it wasn't the amount. We were fed 6 times a day. It's amazing that I didn't gain weight. Breakfast, brunch, lunch, tea, dinner, then supper. Breakfast was usually some kind of fried starchy food. I remember seeing great big pools of grease in my noodles on the first morning. Breakfast became a cup of hot drink. Brunch, lunch and tea was usually catered food, which was quite good. Dinner was usually in the canteen near our hostels, which was pretty decent as well. I didn't eat supper. We came to realize something. The catered food we ate was the same as the one as the Guests-of-Honor.

Parallel Presentations

These were held from Tuesdays to Thursday. Basically, students from the various schools gave us lectures. I recall nothing from the first day, except that the tables on the LT can swing out from under you unexpectedly, making it less than ideal for resting upon. On the second day, I remember much more, however, not related to the actual content. I took it upon myself to rate the various schools on their presentation skills. On the final day, I decided that I would try and listen, and it turned out to be actually quite fun. Zhan Ming, my RJC friend, (I realized I haven't talked about my SG at all) and myself decided we would criticize and nitpick and all the points that the students put forward. We had hoped to go forward to ask questions so that we could render them speechless and embarrass them, but we didn't get the chance to. Apparently others had similar thoughts. Damn. We were particularly mean to Dunman High.

Quote from one of the presentations: Volunteerism should be made compulsory.

One thing that many of us would remember was the Q&A session with CJC. Their representative, some girl, was asked difficult questions regarding the many problems regarding the points and arguments in their otherwise intendedly comical presentation. However, she didn't only answer with stammers and long pauses. My HCI friend, Chun Meng, was the very first to notice that whenever she was faced with a particularly difficult question, she would slowly pull her skirt up. Whether or not it was intended, subconscious, or unintended, I'll never know. However, the effects were minimal as half the room was filled with girls, and the distractions were minor.

Oh hindsight, I realize that most of the presentations ended up being very similar to each other. Singapore isn't really that broad a topic. There is only so much you can talk about. After a while, everything starts to overlap, and I would hear similar points being reiterated many times.


Panel Discussions

These were held from Tuesday to Thursday as well. Basically big important people would present stuff to us, and then answer questions. We were given the opportunity to learn about interesting things like how the PUB works and stuff and other things. The three panel discussions were world.sg, future.sg, and home.sg. Okay, to be honest I can't remember what the panel discussions were about, probably because I wasn't listening. Everyone wasn't as well.

This is the sort of things we do during Panel Discussions


However there are two things I remember clearly. One of the panelists was an MP. He must be from the PAP, because I don't remember his name. For some unknown reason he was making a comment on people posting their opinions on the internet through forums or blogs or what have you. He criticized them, blasting them for only complaining, but never offering any of their own solutions. He said we should have a more proactive community or something to that extent. Excuse me. What are we paying him for? Aren't MPs supposed to help us, instead of telling us that we should help ourselves? Does he expect us to do his job?

The other most memorable part of the panel discussion wasn't the discussion. It was about one of the panelists. This person was from ASTAR, which isn't a primary school tuition center, but some Science... thing. The presentation was regarding nanotechnology. However, interesting as it may have been, we were too distracted to pay attention. The ASTAR representative was, to put in succinctly, neither man or woman. (I know I'm being mean, but it's just in my nature to be very blunt about such things.) He/She was dressed in a suit, but with sneakers.

My friends and I were having heated debates over the truth regarding this androgynous panelists, whilst he/she was talking about how they can now insert tiny little robots into your body and do cool stuff. At first, most of us were sure it was man, but then we slowly came to doubt our first impressions, and then converted to thinking it was a woman. Our passion and curiosity drove us to great lengths in our research. First we looked into the oh-so-helpful little booklet, hoping to find the salutations of said person. It was Professor. We then looked at the name. Jackie. Someone let out a cry of desperation. One of us actually wanted to follow the person around until he/she needed to go to the bathroom. How noble. I remembered my mother once told me to look at the persons hands to find out their sex. She did this when she was in a similar situation. No good, we were too far away. We then scrutinized the body. The person was somewhat plump. Nothing conclusive. In the end, after listening to the person's voice for a very long long long time, we came to the conclusion that it was more likely to be a woman. We are a resounding success, and a great benefit to society.

After the panel discussions, people would ask questions. I would get very annoyed. It usually went several ways. People asked questions just for the sake of asking them. They already know the answer. I already know the answer. We all know the answer. Other times, people would suck up. I remember one guy passionately declaring "That was the most inspiring panel discussion ever!". I was too far to see the tears rolling down his face while utter rubbish spewed forth from his mouth. Other times students would ask a question, but by the time they have finished explaining themselves, no one can remember what they were asking. I also recall one girl sucking up, then going on to ask how she can get some money. Sometimes it is the panelists who have wronged me. After hearing a question, they will speak of a topic completely unrelated to the topic, and then before the questioner has a chance to reply, they say "thank you for you question" then point at the next person. All this happens will people patiently wait to go out of the auditorium to stretch their legs and have some food. How inconsiderate. Typical Singaporean.

The Sandman

Julian was the one that told me about the folklore of the sandman, who sprinkles magical sand in your eyes and lulls you to sleep. The grit that you find in your eyes when you wake up is supposed to be the residue of his work. Well, that little guy must have been working overtime. Whenever I sat down in those comfortable chairs in the Auditorium, I would feel a sudden wave of drowsiness. I wasn't the only one. During the moments which I was awake and paying close attention, which I admit weren't as many as there should have been, I would turn around, thus focusing my attention away from the big important thing in the front, and look at my fellow Pre-U Sem participants. I would see entire rows of nodding heads, mouths wide open, heads resting on palms, and curled up little boys and girls. Some tried to be inconspicuous, by sitting low on their seat, so that they were resting on their backs, while others just didn't care and slept in the most comfortable position that a chair would allow.

For some reason this is the only picture of a person sleeping.


So ends part three.

I'm not sure if I can fit everything into four parts. We shall see.

Part One
Part Two
Part Four
Part Five

Blogged @ 9:44 PM

YTuesday, June 5, 2007

Pre-University Seminar 2007 (Part Two)

On a bright and early Monday morning, the 21st of May, I made my way to school. The only noticeable difference from another normal Monday morning was that I was carrying a large massive bulky bag, and the gigantic smile that stretched across my face. I couldn't help be a little more cheery and friendly on that day, waving energetically to all my friends, acquaintances, and even some people who I can't stand. I would sneak into our conversations, with subtlety, the fact that I WAS GOING TO SKIP 5 DAYS OF SCHOOL WHILE THEY WEREN'T. SUCKERS. Upon hearing my casual remark, their face would completely change, from the surprise of seeing an unusually friendly and chipper Deyong, to disgust and regret, that they themselves didn't try out for Pre-U Sem, and someone like me managed to get in. As they shuffled away, their grumbles and muttered death threats were masked by the approaching heavy thunderstorm. Staring at the rain, listening to the fierce noises of water pouring from the skies, I smiled.

After a short bus ride, we reached NTU. We checked in to the hostel, and took the chance to have a look around. I was underwhelmed to say the very least, while some of my fellow ACSians were appalled. To be honest, the hostel looked pretty decent. The style wasn't quite so modern, had a somewhat rustic feel, so that the ivy and vines growing on the walls added to the atmosphere, instead of taking away from it. However, when I first opened my room door, I was hit with a wave of musty air. It felt as if the room hadn't been used in a very long time. The furnishings of the room were simple, but adequate. Two chairs, two desks, two beds, and one cupboard. However, there was something that was missing, to have to spend 5 days without it would be quite a challenge. I searched high and low, to no avail. I began to panic. There was no air-con.

There was no air-con. How could it be? As this realization dawned upon me, I sank to my knees, and covered my face with my hands, at this most unfortunate turn of events. I raised my hands to the sky, and with tears of anguish at this terrible injustice, I mourned for myself. Oh what have I done to deserve this cruel fate? Heavens forgive me! I then quickly claimed the bed directly under the fan as my own, leaving my roommate (who had not appeared) the crappier one.

I then had to use the bathroom. A shared bathroom. Though it was clean, I wasn't very fond of it. I have never been particularly fond of shared bathrooms. I care not to elaborate. It would be gross and unnecessary. So, to do the simple task of washing my hands, I would have to put on footwear, find my key, open the door, lock it, and walk 30 meters to the nearest bathroom, then walk back 30 meters, open my door, go inside, lock it, and take off my shoes.
Quite a bit of effort for a simple task.

I'm not sure I would care to live in such a place for 4 years of my life. Perhaps NS would change my mindset.

Anyway, I then went to meet up with my Seminar Group (SG). We were to play icebreaker games. Familiar faces greeted me, yet I struggled to remember their names. At this time, we couldn't really be called friends. However that would change over the next few days. First we played Field Table Soccer. Basically, it's soccer for lazy people. You stand in a line with a few other people, and you can only move from side to side. It was pretty fun, what with the rampant cheating, and 5 man Kallang waves that we did whenever we scored a goal. This would be the beginnings of our friendship. I think we won at the end. However, we met a SCARY GIRL whose presence, from that moment on, terrified us. One of us (not me) kicked the ball quite high, and managed to hit her. She was not pleased. Next we played a game in which we had to walk through some net-like thingy. This one was not so fun. That was the end of icebreaker games. I guess when then say "games" they mean "just slightly more than one game".



After the games, we were to change into our smart Pre-U Sem polo tees to go for our first Special Program. Perhaps I should elaborate. Pre-U Sem is not a holiday. We actually do stuff. One of the things we have to do is a project, related to Singapore being the most wonderful place in the entire universe. To assist us in our monumental task, all the SGs are brought on different field trips to gather information. Some groups got the chance to meet interesting people. Dick Lee, Hossan Leong, and Joscelin Yeo were just a few of them. Of course, my SG didn't get to meet these people. Our project was "Singapore as a Global City". We got to visit the URA.

To be honest, it was quite an informative trip. We learned how the URA operates, and how they do an important, though unglamorous job. We also got to take a closer look at the new Marina Bay, which promises to be an entertainment hub that will rock the world and turn it into the hottest place to be. The two employees who were there to entertain us were friendly, and quite patient, willingly answering our inane questions. Their presentations would ended up being a huge help in the conceptualizing of our ideas for the project. They also provided us with cold drinks, which was very nice. Thank you, URA.

I don't know what the chair is doing over there.


Here is a picture of the new sexy Marina Bay that doesn't yet exist.


Anyway, that was not the end of the day. At 8pm at night, we were to attend lectures to help us do our project. I am not kidding. Some of us were sent to learn to use some computer software which were given to us so that we could do our project better, and the rest of us were forced to go to some storyboard lecture. Basically, we were all going to be movie directors. It was conducted by some foreigner with a weird accent, who was supposed to be some big shot animator. However, the promising premise was soon shattered as he began to mumble on about TV aspect ratios. (I don't remember why.) Let me refer back to my notes.

"Descrne oniept inne sevturd. chrmtei urul challenges. ab is knrsynthig!!!"

That was most helpful. The lecture was most ineffective. First of all, they were trying to condense two weeks worth of information into 2 hours, so foreigner guy had to go really fast. Second, 8-10pm aren't the hours at which people are most alert. Everyone was sleeping. I wasn't sleeping when I took those notes down, I was merely writing with my eyes closed. I would soon learn that sleeping would end up being a most common occurrence over the next few days.

Oh dear, I didn't expect to write this much. I was originally expecting to have a 3 part essay, but now it looks like it will stretch to 4 parts.

Don't worry, there will be more pictures in the next posts.

Part One
Part Three
Part Four
Part Five

Blogged @ 3:44 PM