gollysmolly

Okay, so sorry its been so long, I’ve had a really hectic week or so, but here goes *takes a deep breath*

Yeah, t’was still fine and all, but I wasn’t enjoying the experience until finally, on the last night, the ‘campfire’ was lit… Technically, there was no fire, but it was certainly more hyped up than an actual campfire would’ve been, since the campers could all actively participate and enjoy whatever was going on in front… So they were all called up to the longhouse and seated very neatly such that the party could go on, and here the LOOONG story begins.

So I was being my usual lazy, slack self, sitting at the water counter, exchanging full bottle for empty bottle (Hey, it’s a tough job, okay…), when suddenly, it a heavy downpour drenched the spirits of the camp once again. It certainly was timely, most of the activities were completed, but several forces were still stuck out there in the open…

They were stuck there, while I was stuck in the longhouse… Ain’t that just sad?

Anyway, after the momentary downpour, I was told the plans for that evening, if the campfire site was wet, then the ‘campfire’ would be shifted up to the longhouse, so I was told to scout it out… I called Matthew Koh, seeing as how the campfire site was at our Orienteering Hut, and he in turn, called another two guys along, Wei Han and Sean (335) to tag along… So there we were, walking in the dim sunset-lit institue, with Gafar’s torchlight as our guide (dunno why he gave it to us, maybe for protection against all animals fearing his smell)…

The scouting was fine, we dragged it as long as we could possibly could, so that we didn’t have to go back to the campsite for any reason (where the sadistic instructors were), and so we truged along in the twilight to the Orienteering Hut, where I found it was mildly wet, but still not comfortable for any campfiring… So we headed back to camp (very slowly) to tell of the good news.

When we reached the canteen (cuz we travelled along the pathway around the longhouse instead of going to the campsite then up the steep hill), the other three went to eat, while I went to report back to Mr Teo, and back to the longhouse I went =P  I just love it up there… So I was doing water duty yet again, when they were called up to the longhouse for the campfire, and I wanted to put my camera in the teachers’ bunks, so that it would be safe. I asked Sean Quek if I could deposit it there, so he followed me in…

Just then, Mr Soo walked in (but I think you’ve heard this part before, so I’ll just skip it)…

So I was caught between helping Aaron (basically standing there giving stupid suggestions and looking nervous for him) and helping Mr Colin Lai (I was singing! yeah, yay, singing!)… Until it was time to get the show on the road =P

So when Mr Soo was announcing and introducing the magic act, I was standing at the door looking nervous, even though i was not the one performing… LOLZ, but yeah, Aaron really strutted his stuff lah, he got the show going, really gave a good performance, and pulled it off.  But then came Mr Soo’s trick… And it blew us away, seeing as how he was a "professional" magician, but the gambling trick sorta went wrong (I suspect it was a screwup on Gafar’s part)…

But yeah, after that he did another hilarious trick, which involved one lady instructor getting pranked so bad… Poor lady man, I pity her from the bottom of my laughing soul… L O L  =P
Basically, he was just throwing the tissue behind her, and she didn’t even know, cuz the tissue was right in front of her face, and we were all laughing at her… OH MAN, you should’ve seen it…

After that, Mr Lai came on stage, and I went backstage to see if my camera was still there, and he actually called me out to sing… SO MALU, but I went out to sing anyway, cuz I liked the song =P
So I sang "She Will Be Loved" and "Bad Day" with the gang (involving one other student and two teachers)…

Then came an item put up by the instructors… Oh man, were they funny! Cuz we never really got to see their fun side, this came as a total surprise as to what fun they could be, and I never expected it coming… They did a little action song that we all happily joined in, and I was deliriously happy at the end of the campfire =)

So that was the "turning point" of the happy curve, from then on, it was all uphill, especially since it was the last day and we were GOING HOME!  All of the others also were hanging desperately on to that fact, and I was so glad too =P  Now this ACE Camp will forever be remembered as FUN, thanks to the instructors who saved their reputation, and the teachers who were so nice to us ACE leaders, and of course the campers bringing fun into the camp, as well as the FRIENDS who were always there for each other =)

For now, I have to go for other camps.
<GABZ>

First day there, the ACE leaders all got there and we helped to move the stuff to wherever in preparation for the boys boarding the buses to go to Kluang. Long story short, we made sure there was an efficient transfer of students and stuff alike from SJI to our campsite at Kluang. We also got cool shirts and a nice ACE hat which would distinguish us as ACE leaders… Quite cool, it’s black and it helps keep the sun out of your eyes (but it still heats your head up too fast)…

So anyway,  204 was quite manageable lah, but pretty noisy (I’m sure just like any other S2 class)… And not only that, but on the way to the Institute of Haiwan, we took a rest stop on the Malaysian side of the causeway AFTER we left the customs point dead last… Wow, what ingenuity =P when you’re dead last, enjoy the race?

So yeah, we were definitely last, cuz no other groups stopped for a rest, and then suay suay MUST get stuck on a bridge, cuz our bus was too late and had to pass by other buses coming away from the campsite (since they alr delivered their students safely)… So it was like tipping precariously as we crossed the small bridge when all of a sudden, the bus jerked and came to a dead stop. The tyres were moving, but the bus wasn’t, so after awhile, we were ordered off for safety reasons, while they tried to salvage our ride.

Well, we tried, but since that didn’t work out, we had to transfer all our stuff, including the life jackets underneath the bus to another one that turned around to get us (turned out to be one of the buses used by another class) and brought us all the way in to the campsite where we were so relieved to be there (nearly an hour late)… So relieved were we that we FORGOT to take the life jackets down! Costly mistake, don’t really know if it was rectified, but we SORTA got screwed for it…

So yeah, we pitched our tents, and helped them pitch theirs, and then we settled in and had our very first assembly… Already the instructors were chewing our heads off (what idiots) for not doing this, for doing that, for everything and anything… They could get on ANYBODY’s nerves… GRRR! They made the teachers look like angels… So after assembly and lunch, we had our first activity, and that’s where the real fun began…

Since I was in charge of orienteering (activity leader), I had to assist the teacher (Mr Alphonsus Gregory) in that particular activity, by basically helping with all the stuffs that we were using, and all the things needed to make it work. So it was a bit like the Amazing Race, and there would be a ACE leader or teacher at certain stations that were considered road blocks, and since my station was a test of a critical orienteering skill, it was made compulsory later on (the same went for Matthew Koh’s station)…

So yeah, Matthew Koh and I were activity leaders for Orienteering, and it was probably the most slack of all the activities (for us, that is)… So he took the bearing station (poor guy, everyone knew his answer before they went there) and I took the pacing station (how fun; walk here, walk there) and all we basically did for each activity is to stand there and wait for the groups to come and find us…

For me, I found an old chair nearby, so I used that and could sit under the shade… I also "borrowed" my father’s camera, so I took some pics of the camp, but I have no idea how to upload them =P when I find out how, I will, trust me =) lolz  And nearby, there was a Malay family (probably in the farming industry) with a small boy and two girls. So after their lunch, the boy was playing with the pony (which I also took a picture of), and he was always staring
at me for some reason or other… Quite freaky and since his siblings and himself were all conversing in Malay, I had no idea whether they were talking about me or not (most likely were) -_-"

So yeah, I was basically sitting there, just waiting for the groups to come and find me, then they would come and do the pacing thingummy, which is to walk from a pole to another pole far away (that had my waterbottle on it, so I was dehydrated) as maked by me. They then had to calculate the distance between the two poles, and then they could go… BUT, it seems as if the poor sec two boys had lost ALL their brains during the EOY exams! Everyone that came to my station had trouble doing simple calculations like 75/100… They couldn’t tell it was 3/4, until I told them! Poor, poor boys…

(The ACE Camp 2 boys just came back, and I still haven’t finished typi
ng this out, lolz)

Well, pretty much ALL the orienteering sessions were like that… Quite boring, I know, but
with each round, it got more efficient, and soon enough, we were experienced enough to run it smoothly without flaws or glitches (except for sabotage here and there)… Plus, there was the waterbombing at the end of each round, as a prize for the winning group (the group that got most points), that was always quite fun to watch… Boys in white T shirts getting wet! Ignore that last line…

Anyway, that evening (before five) it rained, as it did with all other evenings… *Sigh* how depressing, especially when its so muddy and disgusting, and you’re in a camp, with nowhere else to go or to run to… All of us stuck in our tents, with some stupid idiot shouting at us to switch off our torchlights and to shut up… What kinda camp is that?!!? Talking enhances friendship bonding, and how do you find anything in your bag without a torchlight?!?!

GAFAR. Remember his name forever, and hate it.

So the next few days were pretty boring, except for the usual tent-flooding and Gafar-hating, except that we didn’t have field cooking and campfire, so the camp in itself was quite uneventful… Until it came to the makeshift campfire in the longhouse, where I was doing my water duty (not really mine to do, but I did it anyway)…

But here was this boy (Aaron, as I later learned his name) who obviously had no clue what to do, and was probably dumbstruck as to the task he was just assigned. I mean, everyone has SOME stage fright or another, right?  So yeah, he couldn’t really find a suitable card trick to do, and after about fifteen minutes, I poked my head out to call Mr Soo in to make some sense of this sticky situation.

Sorry I have to go, but I promise a part two =P,

<GABZ>

Tonight was nothing much, except a nice dinner and some excellent company to go with =P

Anyway, so after choir this morning, I went for Youth Rockers with my Mum and it turned out to be an interesting session; one in which I could participate… But that’s not the point, cuz after that, we went shopping for a meeting that my Mum was having at my house, where she invited all her fellow Little Rockers to come and try to finish up the last few chapters of their bible study, but that was out of my league, since I alr did my job yesterday, running around like a madman fixing this, setting that up, not to mention entertain a p4 girl who was understandably extremely bored….

But all that was yesterday’s news, cuz she had fun, and I had fun, and we had fun together (what are you thinking of right now?!?!) with the dogs and Ning and all… So I wasn’t THAT bored, like I would’ve been if I was all alone at home, with nothing to do… Kinda like today, where I was playing Motherload and watching new episodes of House on YouTube…. Oh well, guess I couldn’t wait for my Mum to get the DVD…

So yeah, where were we? After that small tea party, it was time to cook up a storm for dinner… Rib-eye beef steak and two rack of lambs with all kinds of seasoning to go with, as well as mashed potatoes (which had to be replenished after one big bowl was gobbled down) and a simple salad… Pretty much enough to make anyone full up, especially if you top it all off with a glass or two of fine red wine =P

So that’s quite a mouthful (pardon the pun) to say about dinner, but I think I was quite elevated (or probably just mildly high lah) to a state where I was deliriously enjoying myself in the company of my wonderful family, who bought me a nice dinner just cuz I got lucky in my FYE =)

Yum yum yum,

So on Monday, I didn’t go to school… Ain’t my fault! My mommy told me not to go =P  so me, being a guai boy, didn’t go, and therefore, didn’t waste my time there =)  Instead, I stayed at home and caught up on my sleep -_-  muahaha

So on Tuesday, I went to Gift of Love home with Legion and all, had a nice time there, fun and all with all the sec ones and twos, good time suanning Melvin too =P  it’s becoming increasingly fun, dunno why… Maybe I should get my conscience checked or sth =P lolz…

So on Wednesday, nothing much happened, except I wanted to go out, but couldn’t drag myself to go, so I went to buy my stupid FBT shorts for NCC… Grr to them, and Grr to NCC… *SIGH* one more year in this CCA that I never wanted to join in the first place =(

So today, we got back our results, and this is just a rough guide, but yeah, this is pretty much it.

English     75%
Chinese    56%
Geog         70%
Lit             67%
Bio             66%
Physics   70%
Chem        76%
A Maths    86%
E Maths    95%

So yeah, that’s pretty much it… Go calculate whatever u want from these results or whatever you want to do with them lah… (Just don’t do voodoo can alr… =P)

Thanks a lot for believing in me, especially in all the times I was slacking off and not studying (which is probably most of the time)… And thanks to all those who helped me study, including NATZ, Belmond, Marcus, etc etc.

SEE YALL IN S4!
<GABZ>

One word: BORING!!!

That was how most of the participants described it… That’s probably cuz of the general mood set at the start of the camp, since all of them were bascially forced to come…

But for the facils, it was a whole different story…

Even Kenny Wong recognized it as an OT (Organizing Team) camp more than a participant camp… LOL, and we totally agree!

Basically, on the day of my last exam, I was supposed to help Ms Soh with some A maths stuff, and I could see the marks for half of the paper, and tell the whole level (if I remembered it), but I’m not likely to remember it, so don’t ask me =P

SO ANYWAY, after that, I went ALL BY MYSELF to SPS, where I was half an hour early, and basically the first one there… Cuz I thought I would be late, since I left only an hour before 2pm (the meeting time)… So, being me, I took a cab.

When everyone got there, we were basically preparing for the next day, so that was quite uneventful lah… Until that night, when Belmond, Lennon, Hwa Xiong, Mathias Lim and Jared Koh came home with me for a one night stay before going to SJI the next day…

So we swum for awhile, then they went up to watch TV, and Belmond, Lennon and I stayed in the pool for awhile longer to talk about weird topics (that u don’t wanna know about)… And slept quite little, cuz we got up at five (about two and a half hrs of sleep) to get ready to go to school…

At SJI, we were quite bored, cuz I didn’t join in any of the Icebreakers, and it was almost bascially a Josephian camp, cuz there were only like 7 Patrician participants; even the Patrician fcails outnumbered that….

SO ANYWAY, they had walk the talk while most of the Secretariat was ferried by car to SPS (in my case, a van in which we were playing cards at the back… LOL) so that we could settle ourselves in to welcome them…

Since Belmond and I were Makan King and Queen (I was the queen if u have to know), we had to take care of the food, and basically, the whole canteen was our responsibility…

So anyway, we prepared lunch, and there wasn’t much problems cuz it was prepacked food, (except that it kinda sucked), and ppl kept wanting to take more, cuz it wasn’t really enough for adolescent hungry teenage boys who just walked the talked….

And we will WALK THE TALK (clap clap)…

So that wasn’t too bad… After cleaning up, it was mostly slacking in the Sec (secreatariat) shop (try saying that out loud, fast) with Lennon and Kenny and all the other slackers in their… Who didn’t need to do anything else but play on the com and do something if a problem arose…

So when dinner came, we went out and found it was a buffet, with real catered stuff like those metal thingummies with fire underneath =P  as well as good food (or at least it LOOKED good, like lunch did) and so we tried a system where we dished out food for the group on a communal plate and gave it to them to distribute amongst themselves.  DIdn’t happen; the greedy ones took a lot, and left barely enough for the ones at the end of the feeding line….

So that was one of the major problems in dinner, and surprisingly enough, it caused enough stress for me and Belmond… Trust me, you don’t even wanna know how much =P  and therefore, this was a problem we had to resolve before tomorrow’s dinner. Thankfully, Belmond came up with a brilliant plan; to come up individually and scoop each dish on their plate, such that everyone gets around the same portion of food. This way, we could minimize selfishness and keep others from coming back for more….

So anyway, that night, we were really tired, and most fell asleep even before the facils meeting began… LOLZ, but other than that, the meeting was quite good in identifying such problems as the makan one, and suggestions to solve them (in this case, we already had some)… So that was okay, then after that, we went to bathe (in toilets with cubicles) and sleep in Parmenie (with air-con)…

Thank God for Parmenie =P

Anyway, we pretty much conked out that night, cuz all of us were quite tired, and some had to get up the next day at five to wake up their participants for the morning run (which most were excused from)… Luckily, the makan ppl were excused due to the arrival of breakfast, for which we needed to be present and fully ready for, not half dead like most of the rest….

So anyway, we served breakfast, and I doubt that it was enough for anyone, cuz it gave like three small pieces of food, like we were on a crash diet or something (that’s why Belmond and I shared a vegetarian meal later, which had six pieces, and a lot tastier)… And then they were off to different places for their service work, in tie with the value of Solidarity with the Poor.

That left us pretty much the whole school, and more importantly, the whole Sec shop to ourselves =)  and u can probably guess what we did (or maybe not)…. Basically, we played com for awhile and spent the rest of the time sleeping (or maybe that was just me =P)  cuz I was still a bit tired… Anyway, we served lunch, but all the groups came back at different times, so we gave them their food (and it wasn’t great as usual) and they went to sleep for awhile, waiting for the other groups to come back and for the afternoon sessions to start…

After we cleaned up, we went to slack even more (and were actually INSTRUCTED to go rest so that we could put up an energetic front for the participants) and I tried to sleep, but it was quite hard cuz of all the noise, but eventually we did… And I slept even more, so that I could have energy for that night (and the next day)…

So at dinner, our system worked, but there wasn’t enough for seconds though, just barely enough to feed everyone in the camp… At least everyone got to eat, but the poor participants were hungry =(  *sigh* i feel so bad for them, they pay for us, and they go hungry, and they’re the ones who have to do all the activites…

After dinner, we had Solidarity Lasalliana, which is basically a really nice reflection on the world around us, and ourselves…. So everyone attended, including LYNKsters and facils, and we had a nice reflection in the dim room, and after that it was the Affirmation Ceremony, but Belmond and I had to go prepare supper… So we left before the thingummy began, and we totally missed out on whatever happened lah =P

So nice right, Dieu Quang and Ian Chai wrote me an affirmation each… Of course I wrote back to them lah, but only after I received it cuz I was busy doing their supper =P  Thanks lots to them =)

Supper was quite quick; it was basically a bit of food (sth like breakfast) and some diluted Milo before bed, so after the usual routine was over and done with, we rushed to the facils room for the facils debriefing (that’s how long it takes to clear up) and had a good debrief before going up to Parmenie…

So anyway, we were stuck in the Sec shop for a while listening to captivating ghost stories, when we moved it up to Parmenie after we all had our baths and were ready for the night’s rest (cough cough cough)…  Crazy Lennon was too scared to bathe alone, so he hitched a ride with Kenny (nothing meant there…) in the same cubicle, and then after that, I had to bathe alone cuz Belmond snatched my cubicle…

So then after all the ghost stories (that freaked us out, but not a lot), there was some dance by Shao Ming filmed by Mat Han and supposedly posted on YouTube or sth like that, but anyway, after that, most of us went to sleep, cuz the lights were all off alr… Then there were the four of us sleeping really really close together cuz of all the ghost stories flying here and there, like four ppl in two mattresses or sth like that… LOLZ =P

So on the last day, Belmond and I woke up when the food arrived and he got a call, so I was a bit blurrer than him; I took time to find my specs and stuff and after I washed up, it was alr quite late, so when we went down for breakfast, it was alr there, and we had to start packing food and giving it out almost immediately… The groups were all taking their individual photos, and one by one they left for Heritage for their next session, leaving us to clean up.

After that, we were allowed to go rest before lunch while they had their whatever sessions, but no one could sleep, as we found out when we went up to Parmenie… Mostly, ppl were just like running all over the place, chasing each other (and it kinda started innocently) eventually leading to the tau pok of Alexstine and him being Char-Kway-Teowed…. LOLZ =P

Ooooh…. Char kway teow, oh char kway teow,
Roti prata, char kway teow.
Oh char kway teow, oh char kway teow,
Roti prata, char kway teow.
Teh tarik, teh tarik,
Roti prata, char kway teow.
Teh tarik, teh tarik,
Roti prata, char kway teow,

So the rest of that morning was just basically chasing all the facils down and having them Char-Kway-Teowed… Wow, they pretty much managed to get everyone (including Lennon, Kenny and other prominent ppl)… Poor innocent ppl like Eugene Lee and Dickson (SPS guy, dunno his surname) also kena, even tho they never do anything lor…

One pro guy; Mat Han… Never kena at all. Three attempts, three failed attempts. I am innocent though; no one would dare touch me, even Alexstine =)  So tell me, who’s more pro?

After that crazy session in Parmenie, we went down to Heritage for their last session before Lunch, and I was called out early by Belmond cuz lunch was there alr… So the same routine occured, now it was pretty much ritualized so much, but one thing was that it was the last meal we would be having as a camp. Never had I felt so much more relieved =P

‘Twas almost over.

The last session was called for almost too soon. It was time for their commissioning, and most of them wanted to go home. For me, I could live there a few more days =P…. But all good things come to and end, and this was it.

Commisioning and Farewell was beautiful; we celebrated and sang our hearts out, we laughed and smiled, but everyone knew it was the last time we would all be there together ever again. Then, when they left and all the cleaning up was done, the fun began.

We had a debrief session for the next camp, but I was busy piercing my lip with my school badge, so I couldn’t say much, if not I would’ve been more vocal than Amos =P  Oh well, let’s just hope they get me back for next year, then I’ll be as vocal as I want (provided I don’t come up with some other speech-impairing hobby)…

Anyway, it was time for dinner; pizzas and garlic bread with more bottles of soft drink than we could down.  Then it was time for dancing! Shaoming did his stuff again, now with a whole cast of background dancers, and there was even a nice surprise for Xian Yi, the bday boy! What a day for him to remember, the whole camp around him chanting Char-kway-teow to his torture as he received his Birthday Bash (quite literally)…

So anyway, it was finally time to go home, sadly enough… All the times we cherished were torn apart just like that =P  I know this blog post is pic-less, but for all the pics from the camp (maybe I might upload more soon) go here:
http://sg.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/beeto456/my_photos

Hope to see yall soon. and less of these extremely long blog posts!

Makan Queen,
<GABZ>

Now that exams are actually finally OVER!

(That’s not quite true, I still have Geog paper one tomorrow, but since when did I care about my FYEs, they’re all screwed anyway…. lol)

ANYWAY,

as i was saying before I interrupted myself…
 
I AM SUPER BORED!

not big enough?

I AM SUPER BORED!

Get the pic?

NO?!?!?

You must be illiterate…

Either that, or JUST PLAIN DUMB…

LLTC TOMORROW =P

Gonna have lots n lots n lotsa FUN FUN FUN FUN!!!

MUST rmb to bring camera…

I should go PACK now….


LAST PAPER TOMORROW!!!

Good luck to yall,
<GABZ>

PS  Like my NEW COLOURFUL blog?
 

It’s official.

FYE is screwed.

I didn’t mug,
I didn’t study,
I didn’t revise.

I am so dead.

BUT

It’s almost over.

Thank God.

Vacation,
Relaxation,
Celebration.

Here I come.

I’M SO FRIGGING DEAD FOR THIS FYE!!!

I totally screwed up, can’t study, can’t focus, can’t concentrate….. It’s just madness =P (IT’S ALL MADNESS)

Anyway, just a quick post before the FYEs are over and I get to go and celebrate at SPS with LLTC ‘b’ and all my friends, just a few thingummies here and there that are worth knowing =)

Momma’s Birthday
It was a Sunday, on Oct 1st, Children’s Day, and we sang nice childrenny songs that morning in church for mass, and after that I had $20 to spend at the church funfair…. muahaha all to myself some more… Actually (sorry to those at the stores) there was nothing much to buy, the food wasn’t great, and the games weren’t worth spending money on… Except maybe the tattoo thingy, which I got for $2 with nice shiny glitter….. ANYWAY, so yeah, nothing much except my cousin’s new crush being dunked at the dunking booth, and I saw Sarah again after a long time…. Hmmm, wonder what she’s back for =S  So anyway, I saw ppl like Ryan and Catherine, basically ppl whom I don’t see very often, and yeah, other nice ppl =P
That night, we went out for dinner at an expensive restaurant…. YUMMY =P  So we had goose liver and soup for appetizier….. EXTRA YUMMY =)  cuz the liver was soft and tender and tasty and SO GOOD!!! hahaha… Then the main course came and I ate to my heart’s content, though I would prefer something with more carbo in it…. Had some weird Beef Steak or something like that lah, not that tasty, although everyone said it was really good….. Needs more mashed potato =P
OH YEAH, I almost forgot to mention, the waitress came up to me and just poured one glass of wine for me without hesitation…. Do I really look legal? Nevermind, I was under parental supervision, so that’s fine…. And then we had an anticlimax of a dessert, and went back home for cake and prezzies, which my Mum enjoyed fully….. If I remember correctly, I got her a bear and a nice candle (with a holder) from the funfair…. LOLZ, cost about $10, but it was all from her money XP…. DIE, next year better start shopping early…. Oops, I have O levels next year (if I get promoted)…..

So anyway, a few days later, FYEs start, and here I am right in the middle of them…. Yesterday night, I went to the Esplanade to watch the internationally aclaimed Vienna Boys’ Choir, supposedly the best in the world…  The most fascinating thing about their really good performance is THEY DIDN’T USE MICROPHONES, and you can hear them crytal clear from about 100m away, including solo performances by <12 year olds….. Damn power lah, now I know why my Mum held them in such high regard, but truth be told, they’re still boys, even on stage (cuz in one fighting scene, two of them couldn’t stop fighting, and I don’t think that was in the script…) But yeah, that was fun, I went with my Mum and Kor,  in a small group of my choir ppl…. Then this morning have to sing, it was quite anticlimatic lah, cuz we can’t match up to them even in our best performance (cuz you need extra sensitive mikes just to hear us) and basically, they were great, so yeah….

Anyway, I prob should go back to mugging, but I’m bored with that, cuz I have better things to do (like sleep and blog and watch TV)….  I just can’t seem to study seriously, so I’m just banking on 100% pure angel power to help me thru the exams, and just get it OVER AND DONE WITH…..

I’m so screwed,

PS Pray for me, I’ll need it XP

Okay… I’m bored of the usual blogging style, and I’m pretty sure you are too =P

CONFIRMATION  &  PARTY

Holy?
‘Twas not.
‘Twas not holy.
I did not feel holy.

‘Twas not lacking but
I had anticipated more,
‘Twasn’t what I expected,
‘Twas in fact quite a bore.

‘Twas magic that came later,
but the Oil and Flesh came first,
‘Twas choir music that was great,
‘Twas my concentration at its worst.

‘Twas the Holy Spirit in my friends,
‘Twas in their hugs, in their smiles,
I felt it course through like energy,
‘Twas love’s energy all the while.

‘Twas the Holy Spirit I say,
‘Twas Him through them,
‘Twas nothing but love,
Love from my friends.

‘Twas too ordinary,
‘Twas not magical,
Sparks didn’t fly,
‘Twasn’t radical.

‘Twas love,
I felt it,
Love.

Oh yay, my first poem! Lolz, I need a life…
But seriously, that is true… However, this report on my confirmation for the Church newsletter, isn’t that true, though it is quite informative (or at least more so than the poem…)

Our spiritual journey through Confirmation
climaxed on the 9^th of September, when we were confirmed and fully
initiated into the Catholic Church, after years of Catechism and preparation
for full initiation, having already received the holy sacraments of Baptism and
Communion.

The different Rites signified the end of
each Period, in a way that we would never forget. The Period of Invitation, in which we learnt about
the journey we were going to embark on, ended with the Rite of Welcome, where
we were recognized as candidates for Confirmation, willing to undertake and
carry out this journey of faith with Christ. The Period of Formation, in which we grew in our faith as candidates for
Confirmation in the Holy Spirit, ended with the Rite of Calling, where we were
called to be fully initiated Catholics in the Church, and continue our journey
of Confirmation. The Period of Reflection,
in which we reflected on what we had learnt over the past few years of
Catechism in preparation for Confirmation, ended with the Holy Sacrament of
Confirmation, where all 63 of us were anointed with the Holy Chrism, and our
initiation was sealed in the Holy Spirit, as well as through partaking in the
Body of Christ, marking our full membership in the Holy Catholic Church.

Throughout our journey, we participated in
retreats, such as the annual Confirmation camps for secondary 2 and 3
candidates, enabling us to grow in faith, as well as to get to know our friends
around us better. We forged friendships
while forming a relationship with the Holy Spirit, who would come down on us
during Confirmation, as he did upon the apostles during Pentecost. The camps enabled us to grow spiritually, through
the sessions and the activities planned for us, while making friends with those
around us and basking in the fellowship for the three days we are
together. I’m sure many will remember
Confirmation camp as being a fun time where everyone can get to know one
another, regardless of which catechism class one is in (Saturday or
Sunday). The facilitators guided us
through the camp, as the catechists could not have done it on their own, and
they really helped to bring the mood of the camp to a higher level, as well as
ensure the smooth and efficient running of the camp. They were so good, that most of them were
snatched up as sponsors not long after! The camp as a whole was a truly enriching experience for us as
candidates for confirmation, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

In our last year of preparation for
Confirmation, our catechism classes were mainly focussed on what we were
professing as our faith, and explaining what it meant to be a Roman Catholic. The Nicene Creed was ‘dissected’, and we went
through its meaning, line by line. We
learnt a lot about what our faith really was just by thoroughly studying that
short passage which we all are guilty of reciting mechanically every week at
mass. Other than that, weekly catechism
for us was really a reflection on how much we actually knew about our faith,
and how much we have learnt over the past few years of our lives of catechism.

On the day of our Confirmation mass, we were
dressed in white, to signify our purity in the Holy Spirit, and our cleansing
in the renewal of baptismal vows. With
the support of our family and friends, we processed into the church before
Archbishop Nicholas Chia who celebrated at this special mass. It was an uplifting experience to be in front
of the Archbishop, with his blessings upon you, as you are sealed in the Spirit
by the Holy Chrism put on your forehead. Everyone watches as you are confirmed into the Catholic Church, and you
know they are supporting you fully, and welcoming you as a member of the
Church. All 67 confirmants went through
the Confirmation process smoothly, with their sponsor by their side, showing
his or her support for the newly confirmed. Indeed, it was a high mass, which no confirmant would ever forget. After the mass, we received our Confirmation
certificates and took pictures with His Grace, the Archbishop, and then we were
free to meet up with our family and friends, who congratulated us with hugs and
gifts alike. That was the time in which
I really felt the Holy Spirit, through the love and support that my family and
friends had for me, though I take it for granted every day. To me, that truly was the Holy Spirit; the
love those around me have for me, though I don’t realize it.

The Confirmation party at Paul Lee’s house
was extremely fun, and that was probably the last time we would get together as
a full class (both Saturday and Sunday) of confirmants; after that, it was
post-Confirmation class, and the focus would shift to the new batch of
candidates for Confirmation. Thus, the
party was another experience in the Confirmation journey to remember, as we
gathered for fellowship to cherish the friendships that we have forged over the
past two years, along the path to Confirmation that brought us together. It was a nice conclusion to the climax of
Confirmation, and we were officially ‘graduated’ to post-confirmation class.

The journey of preparation for Confirmation
has ended, but our journey as Catholics has just begun. We are now moving into a Period of Mission,
where we are called to lead holy Christian lives, to be witnesses to the
Catholic faith in everything that we do. Our Confirmation was a milestone in our journey, and it is guaranteed a
place in our hearts and memories forever.

Yes, its long and boring, and that’s why I summarised it in the poem… But here’s where the real stuff begins:

Like I said, the mass was pretty boring, nothing much to talk about… But after the mass, when all my friends came to congratulate and hug me, it was like… Whoah =P

Here’s a pic of me sharing the love all round =)

                                        And here’s a pic of me hugging Julian…

Like I said, there were hugs all round, so it was really nice lor, with all my friends!
And then after that, I took more pics with my camera at the reception, but I haven’t uploaded them yet… That was fun, cuz I was packed in the hall, with all my peeps =)

Then came the party, with all the church ppl gathered together, and that was pretty fun too, went around taking pics like mad… TRIGGER HAPPY =) lolz…  The climax was when they started dunking ppl in the rather small pool, cuz almost everyone got dunked, but a few didn’t (and I was among the few)… Then got so much drama lah, Chris Teo gave his shirt to Germaine to towel off, but she used it and threw it back at him… Lolz (that was before he got dunked btw) and a lot of other ppl also got dunked, including Kathleen (screaming her head off), Ryan (who managed to escape till the very last), Kevin (though I don’t recall him getting dunked), Bryan (he practially could walk home and change), etc.

So it was fun, and I managed to take pics with SOME ppl, though I wish I had taken more… And that pretty much sums up the climax of Catehcism: CONFIRMATION =)

Anyway, this is prob the last blog post for awhile, since I need to settle down for revision… So goodbye, my darling blog, until we meet again =)

lotsa <3.
<GABZ>

PS  There were girls in white shirts =P
PSS   Have I talked about PSF Retreat yet?

Sorry for the previous screwed up post, but this is newer, bigger, and better =P

Anyway, earlier this week, I was studying on Tuesday (cuz Monday was spent resting and relaxing), I met up with Marcus Tan in school to do homework, since Ms Soh wanted to see his A Maths assignment (though I won’t say why)…

I pretty much finished the A Maths assignment, but I am still stuck with Physics, so… GRR!

Anyway, so for the PSF retreat, I was kinda expecting something really fun and interesting, like maybe a planning session for the PSLTC or Orientation Camp… What I got was totally different…

It was more spiritual, cuz we got to learn new stuff about ourselves and others, and how we were going to bring out the best in others, as well as learn about our school mission and values… Other than just having fun, I guess =P

The friends were great, the programmes were interesting, the games/energisers were fun, and the camp was a great success… So I really enjoyed it, but I sorta started to fall sick on day 2, after the morning run, which wasn’t THAT bad, but it was quite tiring…

I made a few new friends, and as usual, rekindled some old friendships… But most of all, it was a very valuable experience that I could cherish as a PSF and as a Josephian (talk about school pride)…

*SIGH*,

<GABZ>

PS EOY exams are coming up…