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