I think its the most relaxed and fun camp I've ever been to. We started off on Friday evening with the traditional ice-breaker game - whacko - in the parade square. I was in the laughing mood, especially as the sky got darker and sometimes laughed so hard I was bending over. Our group wasn't too big, only abit more than a dozen - Hui Ling, Pei Ling, Ken, Adeline, Lynn, Christine, Wei De, Qi Ye (The ex-Aerius house captain, Qi Tang's brother! - I found out during our BBQ), Kevin, Huimin, Sabrina, Jun Ying, Thomas, Shu Fen and me.
Sometimes our responses were so fast you just hear a whole string of names and don't see the whacko-er moving at all.
Those who became the whacko-er for three times had to do a forfeit. Thomas had to sing the school song and Pei Ling had to say "hi" to someone in a car nearby.
Then we played the pass-the-action game. We were supposed to split into two groups to pit against each other and somehow, it became a J1s vs J2s game. Hui Ling came up with the phrases and the first one was "Buddha Jumps over the Wall" for the J1s. As usual, the actions got distorted but still they managed to pass the idea and the last person guessed "fou tiao he" (Buddha Jumps over the River) thinking that it would be a modification from the original. Haha, it still makes me laugh now, thinking of it.
Some other phrases included "Do you want to go to the toilet?" and "I love GreenLink" which become "I love Mrs Cheng". hahahahaa. The original action was to point at a hanging potted plant outside the general office to refer to GreenLink but somehow, it became pointing into the office so a couple of them guess that.
I was the first in line for the word "Baby" and after Sab passed the action of holding a baby to Thomas, he added a gorilla action after that and the others simply followed. I was laughing off my head with all that ridiculous actions.
Pei Ling tells alot of silly lies - I gradually learnt. The other time she told Adeline that Raun is an Indian. haha
Then we joined the Astronomy Club for a star-gazing session. It was interesting learning the names that people have given to the stars. We even got to identify and see two planets - Jupiter and Saturn! I think we bring luck to them. haha. 'cos usually nowadays its too cloudy to see. According to the man (whom I think is an astronomer?), Jupiter has just passed by the spot where it would be best to see it on 3rd April so its still very bright now.
April 3, 2005 /// Jupiter at opposition Opposition occurs when a planet farther from the Sun than Earth appears opposite the Sun in the sky. It is the best time to observe a planet.
What I saw was almost just like the pictures you see in books but it was very tiny, I think just 6mm diameter? I had to adjust myself till I see it at the correct angle 'cos otherwise I would only see a black screen.
We were each given a planisphere - a projection of the celestial sphere on a planar chart showing the stars visible at a particular time and place. A planisphere is a device consisting of two wheels mounted on top of each other. The bottom wheel is a star map, and the top wheel has an oval cutout - the horizon. As the star wheel turns, different parts of the map become visible through the oval, representing the stars rising above the horizon.
Yups, so members of the astro club taught us how to use it. Mingwei, Ling Ee and Xiuxia were around.
I suddenly found its very cool that although the Earth is so big, we get to see the same sky wherever we were. Though we get to see much fewer stars here in Singapore, its still the same sky. I was telling a few of them that we got to see much more stars in Maldives, then they said but we didn't have an astronomer with us. That's so right. Just imagine how much more we would have learn there about identifying stars if an astronomer had came along. I didn't really think much about it when others said that people used to look at stars to guide their way but after learning how to identify the stars, I realised the significance. And I feel like joining Astro Club's star-gazing sessions another time.
Before supper, the treasure hunt game started at 9.40pm. The clues were very well-formulated especially some which I thought were rather ingenious too. One clue was "Way in KL" and I kept thinking about the KL part without realizing that its actually a simple anagram for 'linkway'. The places where the clues were hidden was not too obvious nor ridiculous. A smart one was the clue in the oasis – the clue was "camouflaged" in the sanctuary picture and though we did look at it when we were searching, we didn't see the clue.
Oh, I haven't explained how the game was played. We were first given an envelope containing two clues and half a piece of A4 paper to paste the stickers we were to find at each of the 24 stations . The 'easy' one is supposed to lead us to the next station where there would be stickers and another two clues while the 'difficult' one is supposed to lead us to find stickers only.
There were a couple of clues involving math questions (don't forgot the organiser of the game, Wei Bin is an F math student) for the location of the two "haunted houses". I shall quote Wei Bin of how they were planned to be: In TA21, when people pulled open the door, they will hear chairs dragging inside. When they entered, they will see 2 candles and walking closer, a green figure was hanging there looking like praying was taking place. "Tan Xiang" was lighted to give the joss stick smell. A man with green face(chengyang) then came in from the window. In TB33, when people opened the door, they will see blood, finger and a cockroach "eating" the finger. When they stepped in, something will pat their shoulder and when they turned they will see a green face man with pointed nose(jiwei) holding a "bloody hand". The room is in a mess and another blood with a nose can be found on the other table.
I think we were too distracted by/focused on finding the clue and moving on to the next station to notice everything and be frightened. For ta21, once we entered the room, I already saw a hand moving outside and verbalised it. I was quite puzzled about how he got out there (like this is the second storey, how on Earth did he climbed up there and what is he standing on). Anyway, he didn't come into the room so after finding the clues, we just took them and left. For tb33, initially I thought the clue would to somewhere outside the classroom so we searched outside the front door and then the backdoor but couldn't find so we decided to enter through the backdoor which spoilt the plans-we were supposed to enter through the front door. So Jiwei began lamenting that he should have locked the backdoor. haha, phew.
I was afraid of being frightened when entering the rooms so I always made Qi Ye go in first. Oh ya, I haven't mentioned - we were split into groups of threes or fours. The other member in my group is Shu Fen, whose behaviour I think sort of resembles Chai Xin, haha. She's ex-NY too. Both of them are year1s.
The game ended at about 11.40pm and we were the last group to return to the amphitheatre. Although we were walking almost all the time, my group managed to get the third placing! haha. We got about 11easy and 6difficult clues and I wished we had found all. Janice, Addy and Wei De's group won the game and received a box of rocher which they shared with everyone. Overall, the school was a whole lot more well-lit than last year during the band camp treasure hunt so it was much less scary.
After supper, we bathed in the LT5 toilet where there were only two cubicles with showerhead so we bathed till 1.30am. Initially, Janice suggested that the OGLs (Anna and PeiLing) teach this year's mass dance while we were waiting but they couldn't really remember and weren't very willing either. Hais, I was quite keen about it too, after having learnt it in Kudafari. Then after awhile I felt quite weird dancing in front of the mirror. ugh.
It was very nice to have a chance to have a long chat with Janice (my ex-primary school classmate) during the long afternoon break on Saturday. Adeline, Thomas and I had left the camp for band at NIE at like 7am (there was clarinets breakfast at 8am) and only returned after clarinets lunch.
We talked about primary school, about people in NJ and I-don't-remember-what. Janice gave a very apt description of Gerard - very intense.
Then it was time for the BBQ but when we got there, they were lighting the charcoal and there were too many people then Janice wanted to play badminton so we went down to the PE equipment area but couldn't get hold of what we needed so we ended up playing hockey since the sticks and balls were available. We had some fun and laughter trying to play a game then Anna, Addy and Thomas came down to join us so we started a mini-match. We play two mini-matches and both times I ended up in the two-persons team, once with Janice and another with Addy. Both times my team lost and I got quite exhausted holding the stick and running after the ball although the matches were extremely short. Hmm, I really admire the stamina of hockey players. Anna was comparatively much better at it. Then since I was so tired, I suggested joining those who were playing basketball - Junjie, Jiwei, Kevin, Zhixiu, and I forgot who (I'm blogging this part on 23/4..). For the girls, Addy and Anna were really good, making the game fun in addition to the fact that the guys would pass the ball to the girls.
The BBQ, I felt, was the most successful one I have even been to. The charcoal was extremely hot, and the food was fabulous. We were bbqing in the linkway on the small cemented part next to one of the pillars (haha, sounds very shabby but its not just that, there were tables and benches too). I think it was a great idea to use the two disposable aluminium trays as the 'bbq pits' and the hard wire mesh instead of the bendable one that is most often used. Qing Xiang had all the good contacts for raw satay, raw pork chops, fried beehoon and fried rice; Pei Ling bought two large slices of fish which she bbqed right after adding the simple bare seasoning of tomato sauce and margarine yet they still turned out good; and there were the usual stuff including marshmallows which melted very well with strong heat from the burning charcoal - so they tasted the way everyone likes.
After that was the last game of the day. haha, I shall be lazy - copy and paste from WeiBin's blog again: The candle game is one having to burn all the ropes to go in to "rescue" the prisoner by burning the last rope which a waterbag will fall on the prisoner. Overall, it's not very successful as the game barely last 5 mins due to insufficient rope to do a complex maze. Ken was a bit disappointed as he is the one who planned this game. It's like after having to spend so much time planning and yet it's not very successful. It's understandable and I felt a bit sad too... I will be feeling very disappointed too if my treasure hunt did not work out well.
Then most of us girls left at 10pm. I would have liked to stay on but hais..
wishing; 4/10/2005 07:34:00 PM
Have Read
'04 year-end holidays (highest number of books read in a long time)
-The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom (gd read)
-Princess Diaries: Third Time Lucky by Meg Cabot (fun read)
-Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom (must read - inspirational)
-Slab Rat by Ted Heller (full of office politics and R21 stuff - not for kids)
-The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown (makes u want to finish it)
-A walk to remember by Nicholas Sparks (simple but meaningful)
-The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark (can identify with)
-The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (romantic love story with too much R21 stuff)
-Message in a Bottle by Nicholas Sparks (even more R21. ugh)
-The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery
-Unstrung Heroes by Franz Lidz (autobiography about his four uncles and father)
-The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
-The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon (very unique POV of an autistic boy)
-The Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (love the breadth of the plot, one of my favourites)
-Wild Orchids by Jude Deveraux (alternating between two first persons' view - unique, but don't like e plot)
-Sophie's World by Jostein Gaarder (philosophy tb in a story; gets abit dry though plot saved)
-forgot what i read...-
-Working Wonders by Jenny Colgan (story of an urban planner)
-Angels and Demons by Dan Brown (impressive intelligence with bits of great humour)
-Just between Us by Cathy Kelly (thickest bk i've ever read-600+pg, too long for me but not bad)
ha, started a few bks but didn't enjoy them enough to read more.
'06
-Life of Pi by Yann Martel (novel based on true story; a lot to learn from the book - animals, religions,
survival, appreciation of simplicity; marvelous descriptions of both the tangible and the intangible,
such that I could feel their realness; bits of very enjoyable humour; a must read)
-The Complete Analects of Confucius, Volume 1 - Asiapac Comic Series (some good teachings.
didn't read everything though)
-The Parable of the Pipeline by Burke Hedges (lent to me by Shujun; like she said, its a short version
of Rich Dad Poor Dad - good financial tips)
-The Alchemist by Paul Coelho (simple story with deep meaning)
-Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results
(hai, doesn't seem to be working for me - cos im not applying..)
-haven't been updating from Jun'06 to Jul'07-
'07
-Take a Chance by Sarah Webb (very interesting twist towards the end)
'08
-A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer (very saddening. made me realise how significant family is in how a child behaves)
-Whatever You Think, Think the Opposite by Paul Arden (refreshing book with many pics)
-The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Rui Zafon (amazing how people can think of so much plot to pack into one book, wld b a gd tv series)
-The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (the story is interesting but i think the ending cld hv been better written)
-This Book Will Save Your Life by A.M. Homes (a bit thought-provoking on relationships but i didnt like e abrupt ending)
-Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner (gd knowledge but partly qte repetitive)
-For One More Day by Mitch Albom
-The C Words by Mark Mason (made me keep wanting to read on. light & funny)
'09
-Return to Summerhouse by Jude Deveraux (another good read from Deveraux)
-The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (gosh such vivid descriptions! very well written book. i liked d theme of friendship and the realness of the story)
'10
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro (a must-read!! i love the expressed thoughts of the protagonist, esp those about friendships, and the writing style - it seems like she's telling me her story specifically to me)
How to Save Your Own Life by Michael Gates Gill (an inspiring read, for emotional liberation and greater joy in life)
Reading
on hold
The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan
Waiting for chance to get hold of
The Little White Car by Danuta de Rhodes
Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking
Le Scaphandre Et Le Papillon or The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby
My Left Foot by Christy Brown
Gotai Fumanzoku or An Unsatisfactory Body (Translated into English as No One's Perfect) by Hirotada Otatake
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Other Recommended Readings by Marc
The Origin of Species by Charles Darwin – Few books have had as significant an impact on the way society views the natural world and the genesis of humankind.
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell – Gladwell looks at how a small idea, or product concept, can spread like a virus and spark global sociological changes. Specifically, he analyzes “the levels at which the momentum for change becomes unstoppable.”
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – This is a tale that lingers on the topic of attaining and maintaining a disciplined heart as it relates to one’s emotional and moral life. Dickens states that we must learn to go against “the first mistaken impulse of the undisciplined heart.”
Lolita – This is the kind of book that blows your mind wide open to conflicting feelings of life, love and corruption… and at times makes you deeply question your own perceptions of each. The story is as devious as it is beautiful.
Getting Things Done by David Allen – The quintessential guide to organizing your life and getting things done. Nuff said.
How To Cook Everything by Mark Bittman – 900 pages of simple instructions on how to cook everything you could ever dream of eating. Pretty much the greatest cookbook ever written. Get through a few recipes each week, and you’ll be a master chef by the time you’re 30.
Honeymoon with My Brother by Franz Wisner – Franz Wisner had it all… a great job and a beautiful fiancée. Life was good. But then his fiancée dumped him days before their wedding, and his boss basically fired him. So he dragged his younger brother to Costa Rica for his already-scheduled honeymoon and they never turned back… around the world they went for two full years. This is a fun, heartfelt adventure story about life, relationships, and self discovery.
Self-note: Tip for my future business =D
give employees reasonably high pay to keep them- otherwise they are unlikely to stay loyal.
treat employees not according to how well they treat me but how conscientious they are at work
(of course, musn't expect them to only do work throughout the entire working hours -
give some breathing space too, we are humans, not machines) Movies watched(listing started on 6jan08)
in cinema from VCD/DVD
1Sep07: "Hairspray" w TK, GH & SH
14Sep07: "Ratatouille" w mom & extended family
28Dec07: "The Pianist" w Jus & Pam (heartbreaking but good lessons; i recommend!)
2Jan08: "I Am Legend" w Sherm (scary! but good acting; thought provoking; i recommend!)
5-6Jan08: "A Good Year" alone (excellent show! i like the acting; funny; good lessons; touches my heart; i recommend!)
11Jan08: "Le Grand Chef" w WLing, JT & Irene (good! funny, very touching, :) nice; watch if like humour+meaning+food)
7Feb08 (CNY 初一): "Ah Long Pte Ltd" w parents (pretty hilarious - but u gotta understand dialects, some teary parts. wells typical of jack neo movies but with diff content)
11Mar08: "The Leap Year" w Sherm (so sweet! :) and apart from couple relationship it touches the theme of mother-daughter and best friends too)
6Jun08: "P.S. I Love You" w Sherm (don't know if its coz we watched it on laptop, coz it didn't impress me as much as it did for him in cinema)
8Jun08: "The Forbidden Kingdom" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (ums..guess i'm really not into kungfu)
8Jun08: "What Happens in Vegas" w Lisa, Karen & Sandy (simple,relaxing show)
7Jul08: "我和狗狗的10个约定" w Sherm, his ma & sisters (very simple,touching but actually not my type of show)
10Jul08: "Before Sunrise" w Sherm (hmm maybe watchg on laptop really affects appreciatn of movies..)
30Sep08: "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" w Sherm (i didn't like it as much as i thought i wld when i saw the ads)
31Dec08: "Yes Man" w Mom (inspiring and funny)
11Feb08: "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" w Mom (not as impressive as i thought it wld be)
1Jul09: "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" w Yumei, YY & Matt (the best thing was the soundtrack. heh.)
14Aug09: "GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra" w Joyce (it was awesome! best action movie i've ever watched)
17Aug09: "Food, Inc." w SYL & RuiQ (learnt some stuff abt the American food industry but it was a bit boring and not worth the $10)
22Sep09: "The Time Traveller's Wife" w WB, VanD, WLing, CHL, Irene, VanQ, Mf, Pg (i liked it. having read the book really helps w udsg)
21Nov09: "Gokusen" w Mf, Eva, Tony, Sarah (funny inspirational movie)
24Dec09: "十月围城" w Tony, WLing, VanQ (action action and a bit funny? tony criticised the plot. my fav scene was the running n jumping through the crowd along the five-foot ways w/o cuts)
30Dec09: "Sherlock Holmes" w Irene, Tony, Sweetee (my favourite genre of books made into a movie - what else can be more cool? acting effects humour excitement suspense all in)
12Jan10: "Avatar 3D" w Mom (didn't appreciate the digital effects which everyone wowed about. content etc was so-so. cathay's 3D glasses were too heavy for me)
8Feb10: "The Truman Show" w Ky n sis n Yuhshin (a must-watch. very thought-provoking, funny. reminder to be spontaneous and create your life the way you want, instead of falling into a typical routine
14Feb10: "New York, I Love You" w Mom (I loved it! a good couple movie with meaningful pointers to keep it going. but i think some stories could be more developed)
16Feb10: rewatched "The Pianist" (still find it good, tho i still feel first viewings are the best)
17Feb10: "Valentine's Day" w CHL n WB (laughed throughout - a feel-good movie; liked the fact that the various stories binded tog so well with the little surprises here and there, vs NY ILU in which each story was separate)
20Feb10: "赤壁二" w Addy, Karen, Sharon, SJ (should have watched the first one first cos i ended up not knowing who's who and what's happening and had to keep asking :/ and couldn't pay attn.. if not i think it should be a pretty good movie..)
4Mar10: "Alice in Wonderland 3D" w Mf (i found the 3D effects of this @ CCK Shaw SO much better than Avatar @ The Cathay =/ and the movie was much more enjoyable too! - cheered a sad me up :)) favourite quote - the Mad Hatter: “You used to be much muchier before. ... You have lost your muchness.”)
18Mar10: "Nodame Cantabile" w Irene, Mf (i thoroughly enjoyed some of the orchestra pieces - SO impressive! the expressions of the actors were really amusing :D)
23Apr10: "Ice Kacang Puppy Love" w Mom (funny, touching and meaningful - about love between friends and family. i cried 3 tissues! cos some touching parts i could really understand the feelings of the characters involved)
Inception
Letters to God (very simple Christian movie)
22Nov10: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" w Ame, Irene (they loved it. pretty good, i guess the main problem i had was that im not familiar with HP :X)
13Dec10: "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" w Sj (not bad, could follow the story unlike HP. like the meaningful teachings, too long - in a post)
2Mar11: "The King's Speech" w Ame (hilarious, inspirational, tho it doesn't impress me that much to understand why it's the Oscar winner)
Mar11: "10 Things I Hate About You" very funny. silly sweet high school romance. just right for having breaks in between doing homework
23May11: "Pirates of the Carribean: On Stranger Tides" w Wb Yl Ame Pg (pretty good - scenery, freakish parts, fighting scenes, dressing, humour, bits of Christianity like when the Spanish said "only God gives life")
6Jun11: "Xmen First Class" w Wb Ame Pg (i was very keen on watching it and it was really good! intellectual, makes sense, cool action, some humour)
9Jun11: "Legally Blonde 2" w Irene (seems like some dumb blonde movie but kind of meaningful too - speaking up for yourself and what you stand for)
17Jun11: "Something Borrowed" w Sandy Lisa (quite funny, somewhat meaningful wrt friendships. they didn't like the lack of sense for one part tho)
16Jul11: "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" w Irene, Sweetee, Kw (not bad. i didn't understand some parts again but the humour and effects were pretty good)
Aug11 "Horrible Bosses" w Ma (she fell asleep! gosh. the movie was very crude i must say but there was the humour)
25Oct11: "The Three Musketeers" w H (i would rate it 3.5 for humour/intellectual language and 4 for action. it's by the same producer or director as Sherlock! but a bit less awesome albeit a good chill out movie)
5Nov11: "Real Steel" w Hl (action packed but not too hardcore for me. i liked that there was the father and son element and how the father eventually softened his heart and especially the part when charlie was having trouble telling max sth and max was so understanding saying "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me." touching and demonstrates true fighting spirit)
12Dec11: "50/50" w L (adopting her words - a heavy topic put across in a lighthearted way, but not taking away d meaning. most of it was rather hollywood-ish trashiness but there were a couple of punch lines "u can't change ur parents, but u can change d way u respond to them.")
25Dec11: "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" w KY (ultimate action packed! super tense almost throughout the movie, and interesting Tom Cruise made it such that not everything happened smoothly - he would jump and misland and get all sorts of injuries..it's really the courage to jump without hesitation even though you are not sure you'll be alive after that. KY loved d movie and said she would watch it again!)
3Jan12: "Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" w KY (i love mystery (: and the witty sarcastic dialogues. good level of excitement with the action. didn't understand some parts as usual. i like Holmes and Watson they depict such a true pair of buddies ;D)
23Jan12: "You are the Apple of My Eye" w mom (now i understand why guys like this movie so much - the anxiety of chasing after a girl and the acts schoolboys do to get the girl's attention and hopefully affection. the initial fluttering and the subsequent quarrelling)
22Mar12: "The Iron Lady" w KY (really love Thatcher's sharp words. inspiring and thought-provoking, tho i was still left uncertain of what to do with my life, the movie is definitely an encouraging one)
29Mar12: "Barney's Version" w SJ (a funny movie of a screwed up life of a man who had 3 wives, smoked and drank but very heartwarming at the same time, the relationships with the dad and the 3th wife - quotable quotes!)
27Apr12: "The Hunger Games" w Mom
4May12" "Avengers" w MF n PS (funny, action-packed)
7Jul12: "The Amazing Spiderman"
21Jul12: "The Dark Knight Rises" (fantastic depth, loved the twists)
20Aug12: "ParaNorman" w Mom (simple funny animated movie, heartwarming support)
Performances watched (listing started on 25Apr10)
20Jan10: Patrick Marber's Closer by outoftheBLUE, NUS Science w Pam (
13Mar10: The Rain Came Down Like Pearls the Night I Died... The New Musical - Sing & Tell by Mark Chan w Addy & Jy
21Mar10: Quintessence by NUSCO w CHL
