Sept 2014

Well, I am not sure why I am coming back here to blog.
Probability its cause this blog has accompanied me for quite a long time since secondary school, and although it has died down quite abit due to the advances of Facebook, Instagram etc.

NUS CSC AGM 2014 took place at the start of the month, and with it marks the stepping down from my role in the MC and in YRS officially. The journey has been tough, but I have met many dedicated and inspiring people along the way who pushed me to the role, and who motivated me and helped me along the way. No doubt it has been hard, but I am glad to have take up the roles and learn a lot along the way. I have joined YRS with an intention of just volunteering and somehow it got big. No doubt CSC and all its awesome people have really been a huge part of my university life. When people says that they have more cca mates than course mates, I could clearly understand them man. My current closest  SOC frens are mostly stuck to my orientation week mates, and occasionally the project group mates. And not forgetting Kheng meng, my secondary school buddy till now! But i think I meet and interact with him more during our weekly volunteering at YRS instead~~

Now that the roles are passed on, a huge chuck seems missing. Once in a while I still peek into the emails (not anymore, I promise) to check on updates. And recently again, I have been asked about the mailing system. And i have eagerly promised to help them (clearly a sense of my missing doing something csc).

I am continuing to enjoy my Fridays with the YRS kids and Saturday morning mahjong-ing with Havenue auntie! And hopefully continue to keep in touch with all my CSC buddies and frens~

Oh yea, but what really made me came back here to blog - it's cause I saw a FB video on spending time with your mum. And I really got reminded of mine. I received a letter about an insurance my mum bought for me years ago today too. As I watched the video, I seriously just teared. All the things she has done for me. I missed her cooking - her curry, her fried rice...her meals. Her nagging at us big and small around the house. Her dedicated handling of all the housework. Watching TV together. Visiting grandma, and taking the chance to go to catch a movie, shopping and pretending not to like what she insists on buying for me. Or playing tourist and visiting the landmarks (often pretending that I have won some tickets or gotten some vouchers or there's some promotions going on...)

Dad has gotten a new job, albeit in the same line of sales, and he will usually eat before he comes home. So I do my best to have dinners with him on weekends. I should really attempt to go find him on weekdays to eat together as well. But i think we are still having each other awkward - like often we have little to talk about to one another. Yeah ppl say that presence and the company matters, but it could (should) have been better...

Bro has gotten a gf too! Hope things goes on well and he be on his way to marriage and a happy family :) He is really not getting any younger le.

As for me. Year 4 le. FYP is progressing, albeit on a very very very very slow pace. hopefully I can continue to be motivated enough to implement things well when things really got going. Relationship wise....still not much la. The confession from a year ago still pops up in conversations every now and then, but it remains a mystery. Striving to continue to maintain my friendships as well! A juggle between my work, friends and family. Restart my exercise regime as well!

I have sent out a few resumes at the recent SOC career fair too! Been to a technical test by iHis. Interviews (hopefully or not) should come soon. But I am still unsure about accepting offers so early too~~ sighhhhh.

That's all for now. I guess this blog is really for me and myself to reflect and jot down my own reflections. Rarely I will come back here to read though (too busy). Few friends know of this blog (still) being existent and semi-active.

End of YRS term - sorta

Mixed feelings today... Happy and grateful that I am passing on YRS to the next capable committee, while also sad that my term has ended so fast... Each session just come..and go...and then zoom, the year has ended.

YRS has sorta defined my life for the past few sems, and no doubt it has been tiring trying to balance tt with my other commitments. But I guess if you really put in your heart and soul, you can really see the positive results at the end of it. When I see the efforts put in by mssu, the comm and volunteers in helping the kids, and all the kids' enthusiasm, laughter and smiles...it's just make everything totally worth it... ...

Really thankful to have worked with such a fantastic comm and with even more fantastic volunteers as well! Despite all the changes and challenges, everyone is all still so committed towards the kids, continuing to work hard planning, and coming for the sessions. Sorry to the comm (Ren Bin, Kelvin, Aloysius, Thai Xiong), and subcomm for all the constant slavedrives as well, and I really appreciate all your hard work! And as well as to all the previous yrs comm and subcomms that I have worked with ~ really learnt alot from all of you guys!

Last but not least, but most importantly, I'm most grateful to my two awesomest working partners Sze Han & Pauline!! Worked with them since the prev-prev AY outings and camp, and then the main comm, and we all just complement one another in our work so easily. Constantly slave-driving ourselves and one another as well. Occasionally whining but never failing to get the jobs done -- YAY we did it!

Someone mentioned in a thankyou note that she is so super proud of yrs - I am too! Thankful for such wonderful company every Friday.

Looking forward to the next semester once again ~ albeit back as a regular volunteer.
— feeling accomplished.

wohoo, not bad, my CSC Day X photos does get to be in the newspapers! Haha I admit I am chio abit when I see my name (even though its small and usually unnoticed) under the photographs' captions)

Anyways, once again..congrats CSC Day for making it into the newspapers again! Last year was a pity that i couldnt attend the actual event. And this year, I have actually wanted to join it as an OC member. Well...things happen and I got more than I was intending to bite.

http://www.todayonline.com/daily-focus/youth/getting-youth-beneficiaries-befriend-underprivileged-and-elderly

Guess the tips shared by the NUS media team does helps me making me make more effort and be more focused when taking photographs of the event. Thanks Qinyu for the camera as well! It was a tiring but fruitful experience and I enjoyed the event just as well, seeing the familiar faces of beneficiaries.

Maybe next year I will join as OC? But most certainly I will be back as a volunteer in my final year :)

CSC day passed last week! Awesome but tiring day taking all the photographs. The event just gets more more and more amazing each year!

The event also reminds me that I didnt attend the one last year though. When the YRS kids still get to come. The day before was the day my mum got the news that the cancer was back and no other treatment was recommended. I was kinda in shock and didnt went in the end.

Fast fowards and its one year later! As an MC photographer and having to take photos for the press as well. haha. Looking forward to see what photos got chosen (or not) haha.

CNY is around the corner! Yeah it reminds me of the year back as well. when Mum stopped treatment and was seemingly better for a little while, going out with us to visit relatives and sightseeing. One year later and we will be visiting her tmr at mandai. The place is quite peaceful with greenery and nature so close by! If not for its ulu-ness and my nusyness I will definately go there more often.

YRS sessions' planning is commencing - super stressful having to handle the comms and subcomms. The camp comm have worked their magic onto an amazing proposal and I am hoping the same for the main prog comm as well!

Yea I know I should let let the members do their work. But seeing the deadlines approach and so much more to plan is is quite worrying. And the fact that we are handling new things (yet again) is not helping... =/

Taking 4 mods this sem to lighten my load slightly! I think I am managing better so far! More hours to do my tut/mc pub/yrs stuff/family/frens.

Happy CNY to whoever (or not) that still reads this blog.

2013

Someone asked me about one word to describe my 2013. I replied: "crazy".

Yeaps, it has been a really really crazy year for me. Started off peacefully. Ended off with so much events that have happened that I never expect/planned/imagined to happen.

Mum's cancer relapse. got much better without the treatment for a while and then went downhill again. and then she left. Looking back at all my blog posts, I could have done so much more. Instead i was doing so much other things. I though I was doing okay....juggling all my work and visiting her Even doing work by her bedside. Perhaps i should have like..talked more with her..even though she's asleep. "If i could turn back time..."

Dad's currently still quite idle at home. Other than attending auntie nancy's church events that happens only once in a while...he stays home all day with newspapers and tv! Trying to talk to him more. But there's still the awkwardness. Any days I can come home for dinner, I will try to do so as well. With the free days i have, i brought him to movies (cant really thing of any other things which interest him). We went sea aquarium ..and going river safari (hopefully not postponed again) this thurs! Will need to work more on this during the new yr.

Another fren and a neighbor was battling cancer too.  Al the bad news that kept coming. But at least for now they have finished treatment! One is returning to sch next sem (hope his rashes gets better) and the other seems well.

Internship at DSO. i wouldnt say that it was a totally meaningful work experience. But at least I learnt quite abit and experienced infocomm research work. Met nice colleagues and made new frens too.

Helped with YRS camp last yr and I was thinking confirm pull me into main comm. Didnt expect to become the vice-chair though. I was thinking more of publicity or programs. the qn came in the middle of an appreciation event for the volunteers. I guess I had little options but to agree. And there it was a whole semester of hard work with the comm, with new in-charge and working styles, with new kids, new volunteers, and a whole new perspective of volunteering. The outing, my 2nd camp...the 8 sessions came..and went.  Next sem...march =.=

Then another qn came to ask me to consider the main committee. I pondered and pondered. Didnt gave an answer till the very last min. Interviews, speech, election - each time a whole new experience awaits me at each step of the process. And there it was ....another 4 months of hard work added to my load. Yet another new perspective to volunteering.

Academic wise wasnt very well done either. Cap suffered a huge blow. Could only dampened the blow abit with yet another s/u.  I think my time management skills need a huge re-vamp haha. Constantly distracted by so many things going on. Was overwhelmed many a times too. Sleeping patterns got worse. My regular jogs became irregular...and gone. Kinda neglected my family and frens also. Still struggling to find the balance.

This year is also the explosion of whatsapp! so many new groups. Last yr was for facebook groups.  With each new project, event, committee, new/old groups of frens...i get added to a new group. some really chatty/spammy, others just...random. And then once its over, it gets quiet. I didnt really left any of them cos of the memories inside, though it is lagging the app many a times. I have even switched off the notifications for whatsapp groups save for individuals.

Friendships wise... Made even more friends with this gigantic cca I am in. At least they shared the passion for volunteering and are mostly nice ppl. Managed to keep in contact and met up with several old friends, especially recently. and some was bcos of events that happened. Some misunderstanding occured with a good fren too.

Seeing frens get attached... (some even getting engaged and married :O) and wondering for myself...haha. I think i am too busy for this ay to do anything fruitful. CSC for continuously stirring club for the win! And then....
Came the nus confession!! Totally out of the blue.  While its good to have someone "praising" you....but the attention it got.... And all the whatsapp chats/groups I was in coming alive and "informing" and asking me.  And at random times during meetings with frens, the topic/qn will suffice.."so..how ... yur secret admirer?? " Well, she hasnt come forward yet and I am still myself.


This holidays i can say has been spent quite fruitfully! Just as busy as the sem but mostly happily busying. Started off with the camp, and then meetings, and gatherings with different groups of ppl. Badminton, night cycling...and finally managing a few night jogs. Alot of impromptu organising and changes. Celebrating of birthdays, passion and friendships and the past yr.
Joined a few gaw parties, and had plenty of fun with the kids.  Had a chance to go back hca hospice for havenue's Christmas party! Sad that i missed t.h.e seniors outing (for the 3rd time) though.

Still got an upcoming csc chalet! night cycling trials! and already lots of work to do for the first few weeks of jan. My academic timetable not planned properly yet. Google calendar became my next best fren! Whatsapp, smses, emails kinda became my new evils because work is always coming from there. IVLE is gonna join in back again soon. hahaha.

Quite happening for singapore as well! the by election, the  haze..the riot..the hackings... @.@


Once again, many many many thanks to all the friends I have confided in! I think sometimes I reveal too much when people asked. But i really appreciate it when frens offer encouraging words. but there are others who say i bottled my feelings too much though. conflicting.


Looking back at my facebook and blog posts, I think 2013 is really too crazy. Glad I pulled through, though with some bruises, regrets, sadness, losses and lessons learnt. I will need to continue with to push on in 2014!