bildungsroman

was a draft. now two years late.

2010-01-30T23:01:00.001+08:00

I happened to log back into blogger just yesterday, and I saw this post. Oh boy did it really bring me back. Not just because of the things it contained, but also how I could see myself in the past – the things I accorded importance or significance to, the things I felt were achievements, even in the way that I did it as a list.

It was cool to see the things I wanted to fulfil in 2010 that I ended up doing, and to see the dreams that didn't happen, and I realise I still wish they would.

In 2009, I

stopped blogging regularly
enlisted
made new friends
shot a gun
threw a grenade
experienced the worst 3 days of my life
realised how screwed up the army is
appreciated my parents more
got closer to my brother
didn't go overseas
learned more about God
decided to wait
read mere christianity
borrowed lots of books from the library
discovered graphic novels
the sandman
dark knight returns
became a comic book geek (ben this is your fault)
devoured books
went to baybeats for the first time
got to see anberlin live
queued for my first autograph
tried to forget
started learning to drive a civilian car
drove a military land rover and 3 ton truck
learned how vehicles worked
devoured books
discovered john mayer (quite late eh)
discovered muse
discovered jack johnson
discovered sufjan stevens
got a place in the course of my choice
failed to get a scholarship
saw my boys grow and the cluster get closer
helped supervise planning of a church camp (a first, if you don't count BB camps)
bought only one piece of clothing, a t-shirt
the year I watched the most movies
didn't go overseas
actually did gym for 2 months plus
actually managed to be able to run 3km without stopping
can manage 2.4km quite easily now (hey, I never did NAPFA you know)
stopped writing
learned how to use tools
played football at the cage
played with a psp for the first time
learned to appreciate radio-friendly dance music (due to a radio in my workshop, plus the black eyed peas and lady gaga and her ilk)
waited for outings

In 2010, I would

get my license
buy an electric guitar
watch muse live
tidy my table
get fitter
buy clothes
start recording covers
compose songs (hopefully)
go overseas
start blogging again
actually plan outings

wow

2009-07-18T15:37:00.000+08:00

victor showed me two of the videos on his ipod touch, i found extremely touching. but being in a military establishment, i couldn't cry. haha

Oh Lead Me

2009-07-14T13:24:00.004+08:00

Oh lead me
To the place where I can find you
Oh lead me
To the place where you'll be

Lead me to the cross
Where we first met
Draw me to my knees
So we can talk
Let me feel your breath
Let me know you're here with me

ceci n'est pas une titre

2009-03-14T16:05:00.001+08:00

hello. since the last post, BMT has ended and I'm on bloc leave! so I'm quite free now haha.

basically I've been catching up with friends, doing university application and scholarship stuff, and slacking around. writing personal essays are the most time consuming things for now.

did quite well for 'A' Levels. got all As except Econs C. Oh well. Its still an AAA/A, but Econs and Chinese are like blemishes on the cert. I hope they don't hinder my chances. But it should be fine. :)

i just bought a slide to play around with my guitar. haha its quite fun.

haha don't really have much to say here for now. toodles.

oat milk

2009-01-28T10:42:00.012+08:00

I'm typing this now, a short walk away from Pasir Ris Interchange, where I have to assemble. Soon it'll be like the old times like BB, but perhaps, worse?

"I became aware of the old island here that flowered once for Dutch sailors’ eyes — a fresh, green breast of the new world." - The Great Gatsby

Haha.

Pray for my strength. It'll be nice to keep in touch via SMS.

it's a crying shame

2009-01-16T18:33:00.009+08:00

Merry late Christmas guys.

sold out!

2009-01-15T23:50:00.003+08:00

I was hoping for some remote chance of getting leave from army, and getting money to watch Jason Mraz. And it's like sold out within three days! You've gotta want it, Jeremy.

look at SISTIC!

lol

2009-01-04T23:03:00.000+08:00

two oh oh nine

2009-01-02T10:59:00.012+08:00

so it's the second day of the new year.

with 'a' levels over, it feels as if formal schooling is forever over, although there's still university. so for this new year, and for the fresh adventure which is the rest of my life, i'm going to list the things i want to accomplish. some more doable, some dreams, some require waiting. Hence, my list of lists!

Tentative new year resolutions:
1. Always be early or on time
2. Smile as much as possible
3. Do Quiet Time regularly
4. Thus, get closer to God
5. Exercise regularly
6. Be more bold and outgoing
7. Have courage to do the right thing, e.g. tell those boys at the back of the bus to stop blasting that which they call music

Things I need to work on for the guitar:
1. Overall finger strength. For Bm. And all those bar chords for that matter
2. That pinky
3. Relaxing
4. Finger dexterity
5. Picking esp. alternate picking
6. Scales
7. Familiarising oneself with the fretboard
8. Music Theory
9. Listening

Albums I like but don't have (i.e. albums which I would like to have (hint hint!)):

1. We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things. by Jason Mraz

2. All The Houses Look The Same by Deas Vail

3. Lost Songs by Anberlin

4. The Best Yet by Switchfoot

5. Good Night, Witness Light by Daphne Loves Derby

6. Riot! by Paramore

7. Everything In Transit by Jack's Mannequin

8. The Glass Passenger by Jack's Mannequin

100 Things I want to achieve in Life:
This was something Mrs Ting started us on in one of our CT sessions, and I realised that it was quite a good idea. :)

(PENDING)

harvey murphy

2008-11-16T20:32:00.002+08:00

It's supposed to be 17th today, but I changed the date for the sake of it.

Hello. I'm Jeremy and I'm 18 at the edge of "a fresh green breast of the new world". Okay Lit is getting to me. It's my very last paper on wednesday. I remember two years ago I ended 'O' Levels on my birthday. This will be the last time my birthday is in the midst of exams! So erm maybe that's why people didn't give me presents? Haha doesn't matter. Just call me out or something. I realise time is perhaps the greatest present one can give.

Hi I'm Jeremy and I'm 18. That means by default my brother's 18. And a certain guy called Samuel Lee as well. Haha.

Hello I'm Jeremy and I'm 18 and thanks for all the birthday wishes! And the dinner. Thanks for remembering me! And for those that didn't its okay. It doesn't mean you've diminished in value as my friends. I'll remember you all regardless.

Hello I'm Jeremy and I'm finally 18, so I can buy and drink beer. Although I think I won't want to do it. I can also watch M18 movies. But well how much of a difference does it make unless another movie like Passion of the Christ or something comes out again. Freedom huh.

Hi I'm Jeremy and I'm 18 and JC life is about to end if it actually hasn't ended already. I'll miss the people (don't forget me!), and even the school building. There's something about it that makes me feel at home. And after this there won't be another school building until another two more years. And it will be different from the usual school buildings.

Hey I'm Jeremy and I'm 18, and don't you think it's scary everyone's going their separate ways and it's no longer like "oh you're still in small Singapore maybe I'll bump into you" and "oh maybe we can meet up" but its like so many are going to say "oh I'll be in another part of the world keep in touch on MSN!". Tell me if you're leaving okay so I can send you off! And if you're not we can go and eat local food together and make them envy!

Hello I'm Jeremy and I'm supposed to be a 18 year-old man now. An nsMAN. But I'm in Pes C so I guess my physical transformation is limited haha. I'm going in on Jan 28 so till then I'm free. Outings!

Hello I'm Jeremy and I'm re-dedicating my life to Christ today.

#4

2008-11-01T00:48:00.004+08:00

nothing

two hollow eyes stare back at you,
voids within.

a sudden explosion, hush,
then a tinkle of a star long forgotten.

an isolated island,
threatening to dissolve into

wait upon the Lord

2008-10-18T23:40:00.007+08:00

Strength will rise as we wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord
We will wait upon the Lord

Our God, You reign forever
Our hope, our Strong Deliverer
You are the everlasting God
The everlasting God
You do not faint
You won't grow weary

You're the defender of the weak
You comfort those in need
You lift us up on wings like eagles

peas of heart

2008-10-15T15:49:00.010+08:00

My church just gave all church leaders this book, The Jesus Habits. In it Jay Dennis discusses 31 of Jesus's Habits in his time on earth, that we can emulate and so become a better person and Christian.

I was on the way home from tuition today, and read Habit #10, on Thankfulness.

"The Jesus habit of thankfulness is the continual choice you make to be grateful to God in any situation with the belief that God is greater than that situation."

It also quoted Eric Hoffer, that "The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." Haha.

Looking at your circumstances will only bring you to despair. Not only look past your circumstances, but above them. These problems are simply an opportunity for God to be God. Jesus thanked God for the five loaves and two fishes, and allowed a miracle to happen. Likewise our thankfulness to God will allow a miracle to happen. Being thankful for what we have, and simply leaving what we do not have, our desires, in God's hands and having faith and trust that He will provide, lifts our burdens and simply gives us the responsibility of doing our best.

The things of the world are volatile. Look at the economic crisis now. Our degrees are diminishing in value and having one doesn't mean you are guaranteed a job. Our security shouldn't be in earthly things, but in Christ, which is eternal and steadfast. A spirit of thankfulness enables us to face life's darkest hours. Only when we give it all to Him, and realise the privileged position we already are in, will we have peace of heart.

all the houses look the same

2008-09-11T15:15:00.002+08:00

Rewind - deas vail

E-D21C N

2008-08-08T21:43:00.003+08:00

Last Saturday, Dad brought me to get a new guitar. I settled on a Takamine from Davis. It's quite nice. And worth it. You can see it in the title link. Only difference is it's Natural colour. :D

(edit: eh, the title link doesn't seem to be working anymore.)

hold fast to the break of daylight,

2008-07-23T22:40:00.011+08:00

the shadow proves the sunshine.

jet/lag

2008-07-17T00:32:00.004+08:00

Arrived back in Singapore yesterday afternoon at 2, if you still count today as wednesday. The few of us had to come back early to take the Chinese Listening Comprehension while the rest could stay in London for two more days. Missing you guys here in Singapore and looking forward to see you when you come back.

Jetlag hit quite seriously (maybe from sleeping for most of the flight home), slept at 10 last night and woke up at 3, wide awake. So I took the chance to do quiet time, like when I woke up 4 in the morning on my first day in Manchester, and also read the TIME magazine and Broader Perspectives that I missed while I was away. Read until 5, when I felt sleepy and fell asleep. Mum woke me up for school. And I was quite awake, until Mr Ho's Literature lesson at 2pm, nodding off for the whole lesson. Quite embarassing really, as the class is quite small and Mr Ho tried to wake me up a couple times gently. And wasted, as I didn't get to collect the pearls coming out of his mouth.

I felt so sleepy, I immediately went to the choir room after the lit lesson and slept on the sofa, not taking lunch, and woke up at 5pm, goodness. Went to the library to study with Joshua, for only about an hour, before Mum picked me up for dinner before fetching Joy home from piano lesson. I hope my biological clock doesn't act up again tonight.

Just like that, my choir journey is over, and I won't have anymore choir practices. It's good for studies, but suddenly something in my life is gone, and I probably won't sing in a choir again. It's been only two years, and vocally, I still feel I have more to improve on. Going back to school early, I was glad to see my classmates, but I also felt how empty the quiet the school seemed to me without most of the choir people there, and realised, that they are quite a big part of my life in VJC.

Choir, unlike other forms of singing, is one which requires the most selfless singers, due to its large number. There's a collective experience in everyone contributing to the sound, yet doing their best individually as one wrong voice spoils the whole sound. By singing with each other, you boost each other up, creating the fullest sounds and chords which no one can do alone. We are many voices, but we are meant to blend to create one sound, all towards a common goal. Sadly we didn't achieve what we set out to achieve this time, but in the long run, we hope that it's shortcomings like this that our juniors can learn from and bring the choir higher.

Well, we won Youth Category and got third for Open Mixed, but we didn't do very well for Folklore. We could have done better, but I think the South African choir deserved to win Open Mixed. I think at least we could have got at least second if we had worked harder to bring out the standard we achieved during our practices. Watching the video recordings on llangollen.tv, I'll say we sounded not bad, contrary to how we felt about our songs there. Then again, I don't have a very astute ear. Or maybe its the mics. But well it's over.

I'm glad for this experience of these two years of my life, for the singing, the friends, and the fellowship. Thank you, everyone who has enriched my life in choir, and thank you, Mr Kwei, for giving me this chance.

nouvelle nostalgia

2008-07-06T19:18:00.002+08:00

goodbye guys, flying off soon. pray for us! hope we'll be back with good news!

meanwhile I discovered this cool guy, Andy McKee, but I can't try to learn songs because I still don't have an acoustic guitar. its quite cool. enjoy.

and look, this guy can do it, if he can, so can I!

oh, to see summer again

2008-07-05T11:08:00.002+08:00

Very long since I've last posted. Since then, I've is studied for exams during the holidays, cut hair, and took the exams, and tomorrow I'm leaving for Wales for the choir competition.

Exams weren't very good, probably won't be doing well. Math's the only one I've got so far, got an E, barely missing a D. Looking forward to Wales, and subsequently London (though my trip was cut short due to Chinese Listening Comprehension). Though I'm a bit apprehensive of how we're going to do there, give that we are aiming to WIN. We really must show how good we are.

I discovered a website, We Feel Fine, which I found out about through Broader Perspectives, the GP magazine. And surprisingly, one of the findings is that Singapore is the saddest city in the world (at least the saddest city of bloggers), at about 2%. So what can we do to help these people?

I was thinking, Economics is everywhere. Let's say love is a commodity. If all we do is receive and keep it to ourselves, like a high Marginal Propensity to Receive, we withdraw love from the economy of society. But if we pass it on, we encourage the multiplier effect! In that way everyone feels loved. If we go out of our way to love although we may not feel like it, perhaps with God's love overflowing in us, we provide injections of love into the economy. Someone has to initiate this, and through the multiplier effect, if we find ways to love one another, like in gestures, gifts, words of affirmation, or even just smiles, everyone will be happier and our Gross Domestic Happiness will increase.

I don't know if you agree with my funny theory haha but just some thoughts yeah.

silver moon's sparkling

2008-05-27T08:20:00.013+08:00

Saturday was busk in the sun, in aid of the victims of cyclone nargis in myanmar. And it was my first public performance! And my first CIP hours in JC haha. So I have a few people to thank.

First of all thank you Melodie for busking together with me. And Cherissa for joining us, which though quite late, didn't stop your keyboard and vocals from really helping, especially for The Scientist. Thank you Isabelle for lending me your guitar, it has a really nice sound. And everyone else for your support.

In the end the screwups was not really from nervousness, but more from tiredness as each shift went by, or rushing so not in sync. (It really is busk in the SUN. I must have sweated bucketloads of water that day. And consumed as much.) But I guess it was not bad. But yay it was fun and it was for a good cause.

On Sunday night I watched the charity show on channel 8 for the victims of the Sichuan earthquake, and realised how in such disasters, sometimes there is beauty, such as shown through a mother's love. There was this baby that survived because the mother wrapped herself around the baby, and the mother was holding a phone, with an sms which said, "baby, if you survive, remember i love you". I just thought of how in our darkest moments, there is the chance for love to shine its brightest.

Monday, which was yesterday was Chinese 'A' Levels. Just quite glad the exam is over. Hope that I'll be able to clear it this time.

Yesterday I also bought a new CD! Never Going Back to OK, by The Afters. I really like the song Ocean Wide. I think The Afters are a really good band and more people should get to know them. Haha.

And now it's time to catch up with studies this June hols.

This Is Home

2008-05-20T22:16:00.002+08:00

We are miracles,
And we're not alone.

post monday

2008-05-14T23:02:00.011+08:00

SOV is finally over. So now we can really study properly. Choir is one of those things that you don't want to let go, yet you also want to desperately let go of it sooner for the sake of your studies. Well. Without it, you really have so much more time and energy. Next two things on the agenda is practicing for busking and chinese 'A' Levels. Tutorials and assignments have been lagging and are continuing to. Man.

SOV was exciting. (Partially due to the fact that disaster struck barely a few minutes before the performance, with majority of the choir being stuck in the cargo lift, haha.) The first half songs are vocally exhausting I realised. It was good, the feel was good, it being in the esplande. But it could have been better, especially technically. Well they say performances are like that. And at least the audience enjoyed it. I guess that's what matters the most. Hope that we'll be prepare well for Wales and really give a top notch performance there.

Jiayou choir, jiayou year ones! With determination and hard work we will surely improve.

I realised I didn't see my brother for 2 days because I came home late on monday and woke up late on tuesday and came home late on tuesday. Well. Dad just left overseas for Cambodia. He'll be back on sunday. He just bought us a new cd without us asking for it, Hillsong United's The I Heart Revolution. So nice.

Today soccer girls won the finals. They were good, they can really play sia. They did a great job. Too bad it ended in penalties. It was quite a good match though, many tense moments, haha. Full day should be coming soon!

I have great inertia when it comes to chinese. Well, gotta push myself.

我要持之以恒,不能半途而废,坚持不懈的读书.

democonspiracy

2008-04-26T22:55:00.004+08:00

this wasn't too long ago...

TIME - Feb 18, 2008

TIME -Jan 18, 2008

security and reassurance

2008-03-27T00:25:00.004+08:00

This year I've just been studying. But lately I've stopped and thought about what I'm doing it all for, and about situations in life. And the prospect of 'A' Levels and Chinese and T3A and 0 CIP hours since I entered JC. And aren't these what determine the future, and the rest of the road ahead? Sometimes I'm not even sure of what I really want to do. And once you think about these things, you don't stop. Worrying. Although you're not supposed to.

That's why the Easter Sunday service, Breakfast with Jesus, was such a godsend. (I didn't manage to bring a friend though, it supposing to be an evangelistic service) I think slowly as it progressed there was a renewal of the spirit. It all hit me at the performance, and at the song Because He lives, at the line He holds the future.

Because He lives, I can face tomorrow.
Because He lives, All fear is gone!
Because I know He holds the future
And life is worth the living just because He lives!

The overwhelming sense of security, and of peace is very comforting. And it simply echoed the devotion I read the night before, which basic gist was that God's presence in your life is not based on feelings. Even when you feel that He is not there, He is there. And the devil plays with your mind, making you worry when there's no cause for worry, and making simple matters appear complicated. So just trust in God and everything will turn out alright in the end like it always does.

The experience was really refreshing. The week so far, has been one of the happier weeks of my JC life. I don't feel as tired anymore throughout the days of lessons. Sleep helps too of course. Good mental health does wonders.

:)

economics

2008-03-23T00:26:00.001+08:00

demand is inelastic if there is a low availability of substitutes.

BUT IT'S EASTER!

a year

2008-03-15T22:28:00.002+08:00

The past keeps haunting me. Not that it's a bad thing. I guess it's when I realised at choir camp that it was around that time that I just entered VJC. And everything has changed. EVERYTHING. It's so fast, but in one year, so much has happened. And we learned to live with it all.

After choir camp I dug out the old card from right below my table where I left it (my table has a lot of old stuff) and looked at the things written on it and then looked at the new card with the things written on it (not much because I had to leave early) and I realised that at that time I barely knew anyone. Since then a lot has happened. Reading my old blog posts on a whim recently and Lix's CD compilation just showed me how much. It's been a rollercoaster. I don't know whether to be thankful or to regret anything but well life: it goes on (The Leap Years!). I guess we're growing up.

And I realised how easy it is to forget everything else once you've got your happy ending. And wondered if I myself have been guilty of it.

pah

2008-03-08T22:34:00.008+08:00

'A' Level results was yesterday. Not that it really affected me. We got to see our seniors, which was nice. But well, it really made me feel the pressure. You want the As, but you don't really know how you're going to get there. How I felt was like how cherhan's msn nick put it, something like - "same time next year, I want to be happy".

Chinese came out on the same day too. I wish I'll be able to pass next time.

I think coming to JC really makes you realise that you're growing up, and no one's going to help you now, you're really got to help yourself. With all the scholarship and university talks and everything and whatever that makes you realise that you have a future in which you're independent and maybe things are not going to be so nice and dandy anymore. It's a competitive world.

So you see funny things that JC people do that look really childish but it's because we're trying to revisit our chidhood. We're clinging on to the last vestige of childhood, doing things we didn't do when we were still young. I can't believe I wanted to grow up so fast when I was young. Now I don't go into the world. I don't feel ready. Yes, there are nice things about maturing. But we can't pick and choose. We're all going to be 18; some already are. Like, that's so old. We'll be adults, and we have to act like adults. The world isn't so simple anymore and things get complicated, if it isn't already. You can't remain like The Little Prince.

On a happier note. Go watch The Leap Years. It's real nice. One of the more artistic local movies I feel.

love is love when,

2008-02-14T21:05:00.005+08:00

1 Corinthians 13

Love

1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.

4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

2008-02-12T00:00:00.001+08:00

the meaning of life

2008-02-02T23:16:00.000+08:00

according to Merriam-Webster is:

life /laɪf/ noun, plural lives

1. a: the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body b: a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings c: an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli, and reproduction

2. a: the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual b: one or more aspects of the process of living [sex life of the frog]

3. biography

4. spiritual existence transcending physical death

5. a: the period from birth to death b: a specific phase of earthly existence [adult life] c: the period from an event until death [a judge appointed for life] d: a sentence of imprisonment for the remainder of a convict's life

6. a way or manner of living

7. livelihood

8. a vital or living being; specifically : person [many lives were lost in the disaster]

9. an animating and shaping force or principle

10. spirit, animation [saw no life in her dancing]

11. the form or pattern of something existing in reality [painted from life]

12. the period of duration, usefulness, or popularity of something [the expected life of the batteries]

13. the period of existence (as of a subatomic particle) — compare half-life

14. a property (as resilience or elasticity) of an inanimate substance or object resembling the animate quality of a living being

15. living beings (as of a particular kind or environment) [forest life]

16. a: human activities b: animate activity and movement [stirrings of life] c: the activities of a given sphere, area, or time [the political life of the country]

17. one providing interest and vigor [life of the party]

18. an opportunity for continued viability [gave the patient a new life]

19. capitalized Christian Science : god

20. something resembling animate life [a grant saved the project's life]

oh eight

2008-01-14T23:59:00.000+08:00

Switchfoot coming to Singapore but I'm not going. :(

because
oh! gravity.
so it's time to get grounded and study hard

first two weeks of the new year has been okay. weekly routine of school and choir. but at least we're all in this together. get to see classmates everyday again. and get to know juniors.

the new year holds hope. and promise.

and a newyear resolution: do more quiet time to keep in touch with God.

see you around

taiwan

2008-01-01T02:41:00.000+08:00

This is an overdue post, not a New Year post.

Because of this trip, I missed Christmas, and by the time I came back, the season was over. So it felt weird, not feeling any of the atmosphere over the period but having a bit of it in Singapore before the trip. They don't really celebrate Christmas in Taiwan, just observe it quietly.

This Taiwan trip, organised by Ta Yi was fun in its own way. Mainly it was due to bonding time among us cousins. The trip itself was really a rush, it was a summary of the highlights in Taiwan in 8 days, so there were a lot of bus rides and not much time to relax in one place and explore.

There are some places with really nice or interesting scenery, like pebble beach and mushroom rocks. Over the trip, we visited two huge malls, but I didn't do much shopping there. One of the malls was the one at Taipei 101, currently the tallest building in the world.

I never really took to the Taiwanese food well although there were okay food in most places, and I didn't dare to try the stinky tofu. But the street food is really nice. Shihlin XXL chicken and milk tea! Also tried the fried ice cream and the Turkish ice cream; which is very sticky so the stall owners play with your ice cream before you buy it. On the last night I got to eat Dunkin Donuts munchkins and KFC eggtarts too.

The hotels were good, all had HBO and movies and stuff, although some didn't have good reception. So every night we watched a lot of movies, including many Steven Chow movies, plus other funny ones and other nice movies too, in addition to the poker games (without real money, of course).

On a few of the long bus rides, I got addicted to Da Xian's handphone games, and more amazingly, started to listen to the chinese music in Ling Yong's iPod. And I found it really pleasant to listen to, although I didn't understand what was being sung most of the time. I think I shall start listening to Chinese music. You wouldn't have caught me saying this a few months ago, haha.

On the flight to Taiwan, I watched Simpsons and High School Musical 2 (which I didn't watch when it came out) and planned to watch Hairspray on the way back. But the return flight didn't have Hairspray, so after watching half and hour of House, which suddenly became wonky therefore making it unwatchable, I decided to find another movie. Not wanting to watch Rush Hour 3, I decided to try Secret. And I realised what I've missed out a few months ago when everyone kept talking about it and playing its songs. I really liked it. Too bad the hype is over now.

Haha.

00:00

2008-01-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

It's funny, I hear noises in the distance, probably from the neighboring riverlife church. And I'm sitting here feeling mundane.

Happy New Year.

christmas and nostalgia

2007-12-19T23:16:00.000+08:00

Why is it only close to the end of the year that we start to think of the times that have long passed? It's been a fast year, and isn't that what everyone says. Next year we're already J2s, and I just entered VJC awhile ago.

the night was young and so were we
graduation night '06

And it started with the end. Sec 4 was probably one of the most fun times of our lives although it was 'O' Level year. Old enough, to be kings of the school, yet young enough to have our lives easy and simple. We'd known each other for at least two years, and can all smile genuinely with one another.

phobos og boys

Then it was off to JC. Met and made new friends, and it felt like an exciting new chapter in life.
But I don't even know what's happening to them now.

MJC 07S411

Look, here's Jonathan in the picture. That nice beng. And MJC felt so much like home, and our class felt so much like a class after the three months. I remember the COMPASS lesson and everyone was so emo because we were all possibly going to have to split soon. It felt as though we could stay in this moment for the rest of our lives. But look as us all now, barely in contact except those in MJC. Don't even know how Jonathan's doing now. Met Vijay and Melanie a few times at those choir events, and happened to meet RandyandTracy once and Fish once just last Monday and it was all smiles. But it many a time it was quick hellos and it's sad because it's as though we all had to get on with our lives.

xianyong and jeremy, pattaya

Then it was off to VJC, where I settled into as my final home. Met real nice people, and became very close to choir people especially. (I'm quite sorry that I've not been very close to the class, but that is one of the things I will try harder next year.) But sometimes it all threatens to be confusing and sometimes you don't know what's happening anymore. And the things we think of as eternal would come undone. And hey xianyong, we used to be real close, but although we are not the best of friends anymore, I'm glad we're still friends.

hongsheng, pattaya

And there were nice seniors, like in MJC too. And perhaps we as juniors didn't really reciprocate. But well they're all going off to army or uni now. Thanks for everything.

Why do we smile for photos? It's so that when we look back it will know that we had happy times. I know I had happy times, sian times, and not so happy times in the past year, and it's been more confusing and/or tiring than most. But it's also had the most exciting moments. And I thank God for it all.

Some people say I look quite serious sometimes. Or that I don't really smile during performances. Haha. I leave you now with my best smile.

Look, you see, I'm trying my best, but it's hard. Haha!

-------

This holiday's been exciting, fulfilling, and fun-filled, with birthdays, camp, choir, and other stuff. Though there's some things which I should have done more, like:

Spending more time with God
Study for R-papers and other subjects
Practicing guitar
Exercising more (haha thanks desmond for the cycling sessions!)
Watching Heroes

This is a pre-christmas post, since I'll be leaving on the 21st and coming back on the 28th. So here's to all of you, an early Merry Christmas.

I'll be missing all the carolling sessions from 21st onwards...no hotels for me :( . Jiayou everyone you'll all be able to do it and spread the christmas joy! Sorry seniors can't make it for farewell too. But try your best to have fun in army okay, you shaved head boys.

Merry Christmas and a Happy 2008. See you next year.

:)

love lead me on

2007-12-18T23:42:00.000+08:00

- The Afters

Someday I'm gonna go out to the country
I'll drive til the highway ends
Chasing after picture perfect sunsets
To take away my breath

I'm tired of living in the city
The world's got me tied on a string
Wanderlust has overcome me
Like Lewis and Clark I'll dream

There's a million different ways to go
Only God can know where I will call my home

Love lead me on
No one else has gone
Faith keep me strong
Love lead me on

The open road can be so lonely
I'm longing for someone to love
If only I could share my new surroundings
Open the doors above

There's a million different ways to go
Only God can know where I will call my home

Love lead me on
No one else has gone
Faith keep me strong
Love lead me on

Faith keep me strong
Love lead me home

not so silent night

2007-12-15T01:25:00.000+08:00

I'm quite glad I went for this concert. It's at concerts like these that makes you wonder if the rock music you normally listen to is really music, haha. So many layers, with such full chords, and many movements, I don't really know music theory so I can't really explain. But basically the complexity gives a lot more feeling. And I know not many rock bands have songs that are as complex and layered as the songs I've heard tonight. And they were really beautiful. And apart from the songs there was like that funny skit haha.

I went with Phoebe and Mark Leong, to support Meiyi, whom we bought the tickets from. Don't really know many band people personally except Jiawei, Matthew, Mieo Teng, and Johnson, who was not performing tonight though. They all did well tonight. And the Sec 4s that performed together with them are not bad.

Then at the end of the concert I saw the other choir people. I didn't know they'll be there too, haha. They came together apparently. I joined them at the end to go supper, but we walked too slowly and the lagoon was too far away, and it was very late, so in the end we didn't go and just walked out to Marine Parade Road and went home.

Somehow my English sounds weird in this post. But nevermind.

junior camp!

2007-12-09T22:57:00.000+08:00

This song's quite infectious...okay but anyway,

Receive! Renew! Revive!

That was the theme if the camp, with the the camp verse being 1 Timothy 4:12, "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but in rather speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe."

To be honest, I didn't really look forward to the camp, as I didn't know most of the people I was going with. But closer to the camp I resolved to put my all in leading my group, that's why I pulled out of SDD in the end.

Sentosa is quite a nice place, with our campsite next to Palawan Beach, so we could eat Koufu for two dinners. But our campsite, really makes this camp a camp, unlike all previous church camps which has always been resorts or hotels.

I was the leader of Olives (camp group names are names of places in the Bible), with Cheryl Low co-leading. Thank God for her without her I don't know how I could have connected to my predominantly girl group. Also she's one of the most enthu people. My group had a great start as most of them started opening up in the first day and making friends, so the bonding and the enthuness was there from the start. We ended up with the most points on the first day, because of our cheers and everything.

Although we didn't do that well at the games the spirit was still there. I told them that winning was not everything as long as we tried our best and had fun. So they seemed to have learned that well. Haha then during the group times when we had to play games, I taught them all the games I knew like the VJ orientation ones and others. Cheryl like became addicted to Hainan Ji Fan. Learned a few other games too like some shooting game and some macaroni song game. Haha we all had fun as a group. :)

The games planned were quite fun, kudos to the games comm, especially the war games on the third day, which was similar to the war games at the senior camp last year. On the first day it rained, which was quite sad as the games on that day had to be cancelled. But God showed how amazing he was as he held the rain on the third day until the point the games ended. It can't have been that coincidental.

But perhaps the highlights of the camp were the second and the third nights, the ministry nights, because those were the nights I met God. I just broke down. I can't really describe it and I shan't go into the details.

So guess who won best group? Olives!

four E oh six

2007-11-22T23:38:00.000+08:00

today i took the MRT from Pasir Ris to Boon Lay to help Lois with her film shoot together with Daniel and Timothy. met Wei An there and talked to him for the first time haha.

after that Daniel and I were to go class outing, so we had to kill time. And we did, with Mark Thompson joining us halfway.

so everyone met up with John ~~fashionably~~ late as usual and we tried to find a place to eat for quite a while, because we were such a big group. eventually we managed to get swensens though, yay.

it was a real nice time thanks everyone for making it so. it was real fun and i was real happy and i haven't laughed so much in such a long time. it was great catching up.

the way i'm talking sounds mundane because i'm real tired now after it all, so i can't really talk after talking almost non-stop during the dinner. haha. thanks everyone who made it and made it fun. good night.

thanks you

2007-11-17T21:23:00.000+08:00

I think words are not enough express the appreciation and the happiness I've been feeling. Sounds cliché, but it's true.

First of all thanks to all who wished me via SMS, face-to-face, or by any other means. Thanks for remembering and making the day special. To the very first few like John and Calvin who wished in advance before their trips and to those that did so belatedly, thank you all.

Thanks Ta Yi for the dinner at Jumbo with the relatives on Tuesday night.

I really want to thank Desmond, Jialing, Novabelle, Xianyong, Wayne, Rayrin, Jiaming, Ching Chieh, Lixuan, Frederick and Danny. for that wonderful night. I'll remember it forever. Thanks for the well-planned wonderful surprise at Vila'ge that I could never have expected. Thanks for all the gifts, especially the banner/card. I don't know if you could tell with my typical stone/blur face but I was really touched. And stunned. Thanks. :)

Thanks Dad and Mum especially and the rest of the family for making this period special and for the dinner at Din Tai Fung which was really nice haha.

This is the best one so far.

Thank you all for being my friends.

Thank you God brightening up my day.

:)

this is the correlation of salvation and love

2007-11-11T01:28:00.000+08:00

the unwinding cable car - anberlin

let it all go

2007-11-08T21:39:00.000+08:00

give it all to Him
only then will you be free

cause we are finally free tonight

2007-11-02T01:00:00.001+08:00

I'm really liking the acoustic version haha.

Today was total freedom. Which was total elation. The feeling of having fun without any guilt or the constant thought of work which used to plague me when I was having fun during the school term, is gone! Haha.

Today after handing up I&R and the GPF, most of our class went out for a class outing. We watched a movie first, Stardust. And I was really bored by it.

I bought the les mis cd for $8. That's cheap right? And also a few picks. Spending money seems to provide great joy. I think I'm beginning to understand retail therapy.

Then we went to play pool for while.

At night we went for VS Evening of Music and Drama. It was not bad. Managed to catch up with my lubly VS buddies. Yay.

I must say the sense of freedom and having a whole day non-stop fun without the burden of schoolwork is great!

aye and arr!

2007-10-31T22:59:00.000+08:00

Project Task chosen: Task 1 – Groundbreakers
Title of Project: The “Father” of Artificial Organs
Name of Candidate: Jeremy Ho
Group Index Number: VJ164
Date Submitted: 31 October 2007
Name of Supervising Tutor: Mrs Ting Siang Leng (Goh)
Signature of Candidate:
Signature of Supervising Tutor:

Strengths and Limitations of our ideas
Our ideas are not good. No, not at all. They are boring and ineffective.

Alternative approaches
We could have chosen a different and more interesting topic, or I could go back in time to prevent the creation of PW.

[37 words]

-------

stop procrastinating, jeremy.

could have been

2007-10-27T09:31:00.000+08:00

The phrase "could have been" carries with it a tinge of regret when used in "it could have been better". It is the lamentation of the lost chances and opportunities or the wrong decisions we have made that turned out for the worse. A person saying it is someone who cannot help but thinking whether life had an "undo" button. Perhaps it would be better if the person looks back into the past not in regret, but to learn from the mistakes, and move on forward.

The phrase "could have been" carries with it a tinge of thankfulness when used in "it could have been worse". It is the contentment with the good things and the blessings, and an appreciation for the fulfillment of needs and wants. A person saying it is grateful and awaits each new day to experience the good things in store. Living in the present, looking towards the future, filled with hope and awaiting the promise of what lies ahead.

spot 'em

2007-10-21T18:51:00.000+08:00

this is quite fun. see how many artists and bands you can spot.

jeremy the golliwog

2007-10-19T21:22:00.000+08:00

Got back results today. Didn't do that well but I guess it's proportionate to the effort. The results stand as thus:

Mid-years:
GP: E
Chinese: S
Chemistry: S
Math: E
Econs: S
Lit: E

Promos:
GP: B
Chinese: U
Chemistry: E
Math: E
Econs: S
Lit: C

Overall:
GP: B
Chinese: U
Chemistry: E
Math: E
Econs: S
Lit: D

The sad things are chinese being my first U and also that I have to take it next year. My chem was also quite bad as it is a borderline E, and math could have done better like many other have. Econs was sad also because it was a worse S. Need to work hard for econs.

The happy things are GP with a good essay and not bad a compre. Lit also had one good essay which pulled the other two up to help me get the C grade, although sadly mid-years pulled it down to an overall D.

Got to work harder for chinese this period to try clear it next year. But I keep on nodding off in class and in tuition. But today's tuition I was quite happy as I was very alert and didn't sleep at all haha.

Today on a whim, I pushed all my hair up once I came out of the shower and left it to dry on its own. As a result Mrs Ting called me a golliwog. Lol.

Recently started listening to a couple of bands. Anberlin I really like and I want to hear more of their songs. Some of their songs are noisy due to the distortion and all that but it's those musical noise if you know what I mean. Paramore is quite cool because it has a female vocalist, for a change.

Recently also started playing O2jam haha. It's quite fun, If you play, next time can play with me!

why

2007-10-17T21:59:00.000+08:00

It doesn't make sense when someone just goes like that, young and a few days before his major examinations. I don't think I would have known about it if my mother had not spotted the newspaper article, and for the fact that he is from my alma mater. I just assumed that he would get better, but retain, at the most. Weng Keong updated me last night that he was in a critical condition, however, I didn't expect it when Desmond told me on the way home from practice that he was gone. It's very sad and more so for his family. And to think that it happened on the night of his graduation day. It was the closure of one chapter of his life, but he never got to the next chapter.

It's so fragile, life. I'm not going to take for granted the good things life brings and keep lamenting about the bad things anymore. It's better to be thankful for each new day and to make the best of it than to waste the days you have left.

pee doubleyou!

2007-10-17T21:53:00.000+08:00

WR's finally done and submitted today. One less thing to worry about.

there's still chinese.
and oh pea!

abcdefghijklmnOPqrstuvwxyz

someday

2007-10-12T00:49:00.000+08:00

i wish we all could win
i wish we all could smile
i wish we all could make our mothers proud.

no, nothing at all.

2007-10-04T18:25:00.001+08:00

a song from primary school days. the video's quite funny in a way haha.

muted post-exam roar

2007-10-03T16:22:00.000+08:00

Why does it feel like i'm the only one staying at home while everyone's out gallivanting or playing during these few free days. Only went out on Friday, and on Monday, after the chinese exam, but other than that, I've been at home since Tuesday.

It's quite relaxing, but rather unsettling feeling, staying at home all day as the past year has mainly been school and weekends with work to do. Now I have no formal tasks to accomplish and can pursue my own interests and suddenly I feel quite bored. Not used to it I guess.

It doesn't help that I don't take the initiative to organise outings haha. And it's only a short break. PW and chinese 'A's are soon. And I'm having tuition today, the first time this year.

And haha Facebook!

D-Day

2007-09-20T22:50:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow. GODSPEED.

september

2007-09-10T01:09:00.000+08:00

you never know what temporal days may bring
so laugh, love, live free, and sing
when life is in discord
praise ye the Lord

paperthin hymn - anberlin

mmm.

2007-09-08T08:34:00.001+08:00

my parents can cook!

do not worry

2007-09-02T22:21:00.000+08:00

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

(Matthew 6)

5 things I can never bring myself to say

2007-08-24T22:53:00.000+08:00

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

uncertainty

2007-08-05T20:33:00.000+08:00

it has a way of making you nervous as you live on your assumptions, and maybe even to the point of despair.

but in it there's also hope.

smile!

2007-07-25T21:30:00.000+08:00

I want to thank God for making the past week (actually three days so far) one of the more positive and happy days that I've had in a long time! No more sianzation!

that book

2007-07-23T22:27:00.000+08:00

Harry Potter is probably the only thick book that kids can't wait to finish. I go to school and people talk about who died and who didn't die and who marry who then got children and "all was well" or something like that. I know most of you have read it already or are in the midst of reading it but guess what? I haven't started! I'm in no hurry to read it but...someone please lend it to me please please PLEASE?

I think the real magic is how J.K. Rowling makes so much money in one day.

pattayaa

2007-07-17T22:31:00.000+08:00

"now that it's over it's like a dream"

Although we didn't get to do sea sports, visit the roadside stalls, get a five-star hotel, and despite the fact that we could have sung better, we all came back with fond memories.

It could be due to it being the last performances with the year twos that went, the experience of winning as a choir, the escape from school life, the "photo sessions", or having fun late into the night, but essentially it's because of the time spent together with friends that you hold dear.

it's gonna be alright

2007-07-05T21:36:00.000+08:00

Every Little Thing - Delirious?

Everything must change
There’s a mirror showing me the ugly truth
These bones they ache with holy fire
But I’ve got nothing to give, just a life to live
If your world is without colour
I will carry you, if you carry me

Every little thing’s gonna be alright
Every little thing’s gonna be alright

There’s no-one else to blame
I live my life between the fire and the flame
I’ve built my house where the ocean meets the land
It’s time to live again, pull my dreams out of the sand
Let your world be full of colour
I will carry you, if you carry me

Every little thing’s gonna be alright
Every little thing’s gonna be alright

When it’s all falling down on you
You’re crying out but you’re breaking in two
When it’s all crashing down on you
When there’s nothing you can do
There is someone who can carry you

Every little thing’s gonna be alright
Every little thing’s gonna be alright

a brief respite

2007-06-24T20:49:00.001+08:00

That's another way of saying "a short break". Tomorrow's there's GP so must know how to paraphrase!

Been studying econs because it's the other paper I'm going to take tomorrow. Today's the last week of the holidays, and tomorrow starts the term and the exams. In one week it'll be over.

This holiday's mainly been fulfilling due to the literature trip I went to. Made a few new friends and also got to get back in touch with friends from the past (like Mark Leong and Phoebe). It really was summer for ten days. Summer has come and passed.

Studying together with lit trip people, choir people, and going back to VS to study like in the past with some of the usual people has been nice too. And it's been one of the holidays in a long time that I did not watch a movie. ~~I guess you don't really have to care about catching the latest movies.~~

Okay back to econs.

to make you happy

2007-06-22T23:31:00.000+08:00

Closer by Travis

mush mug

2007-06-20T22:11:00.001+08:00

today went marine parade library to mug with xianyong and did differentiation and was quite productive very long never do differentiation already product rule sia haha a pun ate ban mian for lunch before that i'm quite starting to quite like ban mian since i started eating it this year and i took a nap at first before i started working and the library person woke me up haha after studying in the afternoon with differentiation plus a bit of econs ate the oreo cheesecake at cafe galilee that is quite nice and parents fetched as they just fetched joy from piano lesson so they were around the area went to eat beef noodles that are quite nice but then get sick of eating towards the end then i felt sleepy in the car and slept then i came home and conked out on the bed now just woke up and the very best of vivaldi's playing on the speakers ben play it one and i am going to shower and try to mug some more

the trip

2007-06-11T23:32:00.000+08:00

The trip was so good that it was worth it, I feel. The feelings of regret that I had before the trip slowly disappeared as Europe proved me wrong and showed me how wonderful it was.

I can't really say much because I'm forgetting lots of stuff already. And my language won't be proficient enough to properly express how this trip has impacted me. So I'll make a list instead of an account of the trip, and you can also look at the photos. Though I didn't get to take photos of everything as I didn't bring my camera out all the time. You can refer to Mark Thompson's blog for a better detailed and more interesting day by day account.

Here goes:

1. Emirates is a good airline - from food, to music, to entertainment, to tv shows.

London

2. England is beautiful - the fields and the buildings both

3. The Seagull is a play which many of us slept in due to jet lag. But these guys know how to act. Ian McKellen had a minor role

4. Stratford is a rather pleasant place, and is beautiful. Shakespeare's birthplace

5. Roman baths are slightly interesting, but just go once to view Roman architecture, and get a feel of Roman history. Bath (the town) is another beautiful place. Jane Austen's birthplace

6. Stonehenge is majestic, but I won't visit it again, because after all it is a pile of rocks and a long bus ride. Though I am glad that I have managed to visit it (we chose it over Oxford University)

7. The Imperial War Museum is probably one of the best war museums. Sadly there was not enough time to go through the whole museum

8. Westminister Abbey is big and beautiful, with many famous people buried or commemorated in it. Haha Stamford Raffles is commemorated inside. One famous grave, the only one we can't step on, is the grave of the unknown soldier.

9. Big Ben is part of the abbey. It's beautiful at night, though it's not as big as I thought it would be

10. The London Eye, a huge ferris wheel, just saw it from afar. Maybe I'll sit in it if I do get to go back.

11. Shakespeare's Globe - We had a workshop on Shakespearean acting before the play. Rather fun and interesting. Why did teacher's get seats, while we were groundlings? (had to stand on the ground to watch the play, so there was leg fatigue). These people also really know how to act. We watched Othello. And I stood at an entrance where actors sometimes entered from and walk through the audience to get to the stage. Quite cool

12. London is ultimate - many attractions; the shows at the West End theatres, Convent Garden Market Square and its buskers, shopping, food, doughnuts

13. At night you see drunkards, which stare at you, some of which test their level of proficiency of Mandarin or Japanese on us (we look the same to them)

14. During our free time, a group of us went to watch Les Miserables. It's very worth it, I tell you! The singers, the orchestra, the set, the story, the whole experience.

15. It was nice meeting an ex-classmate from VS, Jingyu, who brought us to a nice chinese restaurant which served good lobster noodles. He's the one who introduced the doughnuts too

16. Other than the normal nice buildings, the English like to build and build beautiful memorials to their soldiers

17. London has so much more to offer and we didn't really get to explore it well. But this trip is quite good as it gives us most of the highlights

18. The Thames is beautiful

19. Things I missed in London: the other plays and musicals, Tate modern gallery, Madame Tussaud's Wax Museum, walking around the huge shopping malls and Topshop, Niketown, H&M, and just walking around.

20. We ended only eating fish and chips once, and of our own choice, when everyone said that you'll eat lots of fish and chips when you go to UK.

France

Another time

21. Card games late into the night. Though most of the time I slept earlier.

22. It's really the friends that make a trip a good trip and I'm thankful for the friends I've had during this trip.

22. I didn't study at all as I originally planned to.

23. I want to thank Dad and Mum for allowing me to go on this trip, and Ta Yi for sponsoring me. I would like to thank Ms Chia, Mr Harris, and Mr Teo for organising, and everyone else for making this such an enjoyable trip.

-------

After arriving back in Singapore, I was stunned when I saw some choir friends waiting for me. Haha.

When I reached home and finished unpacking, I had a chance to play around with the new Macbooks! Haha Garageband is real cool now I save money on a guitar tuner too!

Singapore didn't give me a chance and the very next day I had to go for choir practice, then there was church service at night. Sunday had cell then had relatives thing at Ta Yi's house at night. My whole family ended up sleeping over.

Today we visited my paternal grandma's house, and it was sad as she could not remember us. Then she tried to share her lunch with us when she was supposed to eat it. It's the first time a visit didn't end well and we had to leave early so that she would eat her food. It's quite sad that she's now like that.

Today in the afternoon I had time to myself and I ~~wanted~~ had to study. But I thought of a short nap and ended up sleeping for a few hours for the rest of the afternoon. So tonight was when I started to organised my notes (I mean find the notes) and revised a bit of chem.

ooh

2007-06-11T23:19:00.000+08:00

i come back from my trip and see two things, one white and one black, with some apple symbol on it.

we chose white in the end!

leaving

2007-05-28T21:35:00.000+08:00

Tomorrow, for the Lit trip at UK-France.

Will miss you all.

See you.

the chase!

2007-05-25T20:42:00.000+08:00

On thursday before we went to MJChoir concert, Xian Yong, Victor and I decided to head over to Novabelle's house to keep her company since she had an elephant foot and was lonely at home. So we took bus 135.

And that's when while on the bus, my handphone convieniently dropped out of my pocket, and I only realised this a while after we alighted the bus.

This sort of thing has not happened to me since lower secondary. So I was naturally surprised. And distraught as this phone has been a phone that I've really liked.

When Xian Yong called my phone, someone picked up, but didn't say anything, and I heard zipping sounds and general bus sounds. Then a subsequent call showed that it was turned off.

We flagged a taxi and gave chase!

We intercepted the bus when it was about to approach Ang Mo Kio Interchange. Xian Yong quickly rushed to the bus while Victor helped to pay first, and the good ol' taxi uncle only charged $5 when it was supposed to be $6+.

Xian Yong boarded the bus and saw a man about to turn on my handphone, and took it from him, saying it was mine. The man just said he found it on the seat.

And I was a happy boy.

i like

2007-05-25T20:34:00.000+08:00

Although I didn't watch Spideman, I do like this song.

Signal Fire - Snow Patrol

The perfect words never crossed my mind,
'cause there was nothing in there but you.
I felt every ounce of me screaming out,
But the sound was trapped deep in me.
All I wanted just sped right past me,
While I was rooted fast to the earth.
I could be stuck here for a thousand years,
Without your arms to drag me out.

There you are standing right in front of me
All this fear falls away to leave me naked
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety

No I won't wait forever

In the confusion and the aftermath
You are my signal fire
The only resolution and the only joy
Is the faint spark of forgiveness in your eyes

There you are standing right in front of me
All this fear falls away to leave me naked
Hold me close cause I need you to guide me to safety

No I won't wait forever

2007-05-25T18:21:00.001+08:00

HELLO jeremy didnt sign out so i'm sneaking in! HAHAH :D
Okay goodbye!
-NONO.

a rather late joke

2007-05-18T22:12:00.000+08:00

somehow, school seems to leave you shaken, not stirred to work hard.

of hair and blood

2007-05-16T21:03:00.000+08:00

Ooh today I cut my hair and got some blood drawn from my body and Xian Yong pangseh me go watch Spiderman.

My hair's real short now. And the hairdresser used some thinning scissors or something that plucks your hair out and make it look real thin. I realised that I don't have any pictures of that great mop of messy black hair. And I must find people who pictures of me with that hair because I have rarely let it grow so long, haha. But it was getting hot anyway.

I went to get a sample of my blood drawn so I can do a blood test to find out what blood group I am in. For the Lit trip. But at least I will finally know my blood group.

Cheerios! STUDY!

Symphony of Voices

2007-05-16T18:29:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was really an experience. Glad to have sung with all of you from VJChoir. To me it is a privilege. I came to VJChoir with nothing and somehow managed to get in. In these few weeks, I feel my singing technique has improved although I still have a long way more to go before I get up to standard. Choir has also put me more in touch with my musical side, something that I had left aside these few years.

I want to thank the choir members for being so friendly to me, and for being like a second family. I feel blessed to have friends and seniors like you. And although these may be the last performance for some of you seniors, don't be sad because there's still caroling. And you'll always be part of VJChoir.

I'm happy to have had this opportunity to perform on the Esplanade Hall stage with you guys. This is a memory I will remember and treasure. We shared the same backstage as The Phantom also. haha. Some people got to see him!

And oh man I didn't take a single photo yesterday. And now I'm chionging lots of fried food and other stuff that I've been fasting from haha.

Happy Mother's Day

2007-05-14T01:07:00.000+08:00

Just woke up.

It's tbe "morning" May 14 now, but just about an hour plus ago it was the night of the previous day. So I'll say Happy Mother's Day.

Though I didn't get you a present Mum...I just want to say I appreciate you all these years taking care of me. I owe you.

"onward" the sailors cry, they cry,

2007-05-10T22:46:00.000+08:00

You can only go forward. Don't give up.

second chances

2007-05-05T23:03:00.000+08:00

Perhaps you prayed very hard for another chance. And God gave you the chance. But what's the use if it was not used well.

Make sure you use it well and prove yourself.

choices

2007-05-01T20:22:00.000+08:00

Recently I've been wondering if I made the right choices. You know that feeling when you have doubt about the choices you made. Sometimes it seems unnatural for you to be doing what you are doing. And you are apprehensive about the outcome. You wonder whether you'll regret it that you sacrificed something else for the choice you made, but well, you've made the choice. And you hope that the end proves to be fruitful, and not disastrous.

That's why sometimes I seem so uncertain and fickle. I really want all the choices I make to be right, and to be worth it. Even the small ones. Because a small choice can make big changes.

tired of the weather

2007-04-27T22:38:00.001+08:00

So that's where that tune is from.

So surreal. But so real still.

hey

2007-04-23T22:37:00.000+08:00

just wanted to say

Thanks Xian Yong for being such a good friend.
Thanks Hongsheng for being such a good friend/senior.

Thank you Lord for blessing me. I don't know how I deserve this.

Somehow as things may seem to be falling apart, perhaps we can build through this destruction, and make this the start of something new.

When a flower blooms, does it mean it is going to die? Perhaps not, after all.

colour

2007-04-22T22:47:00.000+08:00

Okay this is quite weird, though some parts are not true. Take the test by clicking on the title.

-------

Life for some time now has been somewhat depressing and you feel 'under the weather'. You are looking for a means by which you can escape from all the pressures of everyday life. But you must remember that the 'Past does not equal 'Tomorrow'. You are seeking a way to escape from all the trials and tribulations that oppress you at this time, but at least you haven't given up - if one pattern of behaviour doesn't seem to work then you'll change it for another.

You want what you want and you need all that you want and, as they say in the movies, you are the sort of individual that 'By hook or by crook' you will, by fair means or foul, endeavour to get what you are looking for.

You are a rather inhibited sort of person. This could be the result of your upbringing or of your schooling, whatever. You are able to obtain satisfaction from various forms of physical or emotional activity but all in all you are inclined to be emotionally withdrawn. As a consequence of this you find it difficult to sustain any deep involvement.

You are experiencing extreme frustration at this point of time, trying to achieve security and peace of mind, but whatever you seem to do doesn't effect the situation. You are worn out and your energy is being seriously depleted. You may be experiencing what is known as 'heartache' - both mentally and physically. You are a listener and you listen and respond to everything that is going on around you. You feel that all that life has to offer should be within your grasp and you would like to participate in every part of it but the situation is such that every door seems to be closed to you. You just can't understand why that is. But it is - and what's more you feel powerless to change it.

You feel utterly wretched - worn out. The demands that other people have been making on you have depleted your strength and stamina. You feel powerless to try to remedy the situation on your own and you are looking for what is hopefully known as 'divine intervention'. But be assured your salvation lies in yourself - you have the ability so use it.

failure is null

2007-04-22T22:12:00.000+08:00

these are only things called setbacks. then you just get on your feet again and continue.

-------

Today the iPlay thing was quite okay. Well was rather sian though tug-of-war was fun. It gave me lots of "finger wounds". Then got the 200m relay...never sprinted so fast since don't know when, and it's not that fast. I felt like I was flying haha. Did some econs.

free

2007-04-17T21:30:00.000+08:00

Even when life's commitments binds you down, you can get free Ben&Jerry's ice-cream cones!
Haha today after sectionals we went to Suntec to get the free Ben&Jerry's ice-cream, cause it was free cone day. I never knew they had an annual free cone day.

I realised that I didn't blog at all about MusicFest. Well one thing I have to say is that it worth it.

Hmm...now what...oh yeah go and do PW! Preliminary Ideas!

failure is a stepping stone to success

2007-04-16T21:47:00.000+08:00

Don't let setbacks bring you down.
Hope and
Stay strong and keep on going.

#100

2007-04-10T00:28:00.000+08:00

This is the 100th post! What a waste of a post.

Life goes on as usual.

not ashamed of the gospel!

2007-04-08T22:05:00.000+08:00

It's been holy week! Though it's been a week trying to do my last minute homework. Then it was holy weekend! Haha.

Got baptised on Good Friday! Together with Ben! Baptism is supposed to be a public declaration of your faith. Ta Yi and cousins came along to see. Then after that went to eat lunch together. Quite a long time since I've spent time with my cousins. Tried to do some homework in the afternoon.

Saturday was choir practice again. And they did all the sacred songs need a lot of technique. Well. They were going to some church that evening. But I asked to be excused and went for my own youth service. It was a special service with the theme seven. And I met some of the MJChoir people when we went to the CC to practice. Apparently they just ended their practice.

Sonic Edge Band was loud. Was quite good but real loud. The message was well organised I liked the way they presented it. Each of Jesus's last seven words of the cross were shown with the gory clips from Passion of the Christ. Then after each word was shown a speaker will go and talk about the significance. Got the new Sonic Edge Band album. Haha.

Today had cluster outing with the Sec 1s at Sentosa. Lunch at Koufu was a ripoff...and I didn't know that Sentosa had a Koufu. Trying to manage them was reminiscent of the time in BB when we got our new Sec 1s. Though well at least here was more relaxed so we didn't need to do things like discipline them. Overall it turned out fine though there were a few problems...but well they're still Sec 1s. And met Junhao at Sentosa Palawan Beach 7-11! So long never see him it was nice to see him again.

I guess baptism was the main highlight of this weekend. Finally did it and it's symbolic of death of rebirth. A new life!

And tomorrow it's back to mundane schooling which you poly people are missing out on!

and it's spring!

2007-04-01T22:55:00.000+08:00

It's Holy week and Good Friday this Friday and I'm getting baptised! Haha yay! Saturday night got special service okay so must go contact me if you want to go!

Last Saturday was the choir performances thingie. It was real nice seeing the MJChoir people. Is April the cruellest month?

Signed up for Lit trip to UK and France. Looking forward to it.

And I've got to start working harder and to really start studying. It's no joke, you know, this thing called education.

there's no need to blog

2007-03-27T16:24:00.000+08:00

When you don't feel like it.

Is there? Somehow you feel the need to update.

You know how it seems that everyone looks so emo nowadays? We're not emo, we're just tired.

(a post)

2007-03-19T22:13:00.001+08:00

It's been a long time.

1 week holiday:

no holiday homework thank goodness

choir camp was fun

one day family trip to Malaysia was fun
bridge to terabithia is a good movie

church captain's ball games provided some exercise

today was the first day of school

literature is doing great expectations by charles dickens and wilfred owen's war poetry
they showed clips of a film version of regeneration by pat barker which i read around sec 2

chinese was okay

didn't understand chemistry at all

understood math a bit

literature tutorial was so cheem

had to write and essay for GP

choir practice

tired.

have a little faith

2007-03-11T17:41:00.000+08:00

After the auditions yesterday I kept on thinking about whether I got into choir. And when they didn't call by the night time, I was in despair. I desperately prayed to God to let me in, and deliberately ignored the fact that He knew what was best for me. Even during service, my mind continued to dwell on the fact that I hadn't received a call.

This morning it was the only thing on my mind, and I was real sad. Then when my lunch just got served I had just given up, I got the call to tell me that I was in. And that made me so happy.

I guess this whole episode was really a test of my faith...did I go to God only in my times of need or do I really trust Him with my life. And even by blessing me with so much, I realised that I've not been spending enough time to Him. And yet He still gives me the things that I want.

So I have to learn to stop antagonising and leave it all to Him. Because it'll always turn out fine.

veejaycee

2007-03-10T11:08:00.000+08:00

Well my worst fears didn't come through because my new class is as fun-loving and friendly and we could click easily. So I'm glad and thank God that I have such a good class in VJC too. Jian Han who was in my chinese class in VS is also in my class here, haha.

Well VJC a school that can really package itself well to outsiders because parts of the school can look real beautiful. Our collar pin also quite glam, haha. But the lecture theatres I feel are not as good as MJ ones except that the tables are bigger. And every tutorial class room has aircon!

VJC's pace is much faster as the things they taught in chem and math yesterday were things I had never seen before. So I got alot of catching up to do. And I got to go for makeup lessons for second-intakers. Man.

Met John yesterday as he crashed VJ around the time my lessons ended. Pleasant surprise and it was real nice to see him after so long. And that faux pas wore the VJ badge wrongly!

Trying for VJ choir later, and if I can get in, hope that I can be part of SYF.

come to the right side

2007-03-06T21:04:00.000+08:00

Somehow it doesn't seem so right. I'm supposed to be in great anticipation of tomorrow but I'm not. I don't know what possessed me as a young Sec 3 victorian boy to feel that VJC is the only place I could ever go.

But the thing is I felt quite at home in MJC. But it's only because some of the people that you get to meet I guess. And it's only been three months. So I hope VJC will have the same type of people that I can be with, trust, and love.

There'll be so many familiar faces, which is weird, but so nice at the same time. Oh well.

And maybe, I'll find out // A way to make it back someday

sometimes

2007-03-05T23:03:00.000+08:00

why must you end up in the middle of it all.

you brought this upon yourself, jeremy.

heart of worship

2007-03-04T20:10:00.000+08:00

One thing that we struggle today in modern churches is focusing on our heart of worship, and not on things like music during worship. Just did duty for AVA yesterday's saturday night, and one key thing was how our hearts have to be right for God. It's both an external and internal struggle we all have. Because music is beautiful. But it's only a tool. Don't focus too much on the technicals. And do it all for God's glory, not yours.

Nicholas let me listen to this song by Casting Crowns on the way to choir on Saturday. Incidentally Jane quoted it on the same day on MSN and I didn't know where it came from till I searched.

Stained Glass Masquerade - Casting Crowns

Is there anyone that fails
Is there anyone that falls
Am I the only one in church today feelin’ so small

Cause when I take a look around
Everybody seems so strong
I know they’ll soon discover
That I don’t belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything’s okay
If I make them all believe it, maybe I’ll believe it too
So with a painted grin, I play the heart again
So everyone will see me the way that I see them

Are we happy plastic people
Under shiny plastic steeples
With walls around our weakness
And smiles to hide our pain
But if the invitation’s open
To every heart that has been broken
Maybe then we close the curtain
On our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who’s been there
Are there any hands to raise
Am I the only one who’s traded
In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing
And we know every line by heart
Only when no one is watching
Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free
If I dared to let you see
The truth behind the person
That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open
Or would you walk away
Would the love of Jesus
Be enough to make you stay

last time

2007-03-03T15:17:00.000+08:00

Just came back from the choir thingie at siglap cc with AJC and VJC. That would have been the first and last time I performed those songs with MJC. And sadly it was not very good because I was nervous.

VJ blew us away with their songs. I don't know if I can make it to VJ choir, and if I can, how much time and commitment it may take up. And also if I can find as fun-loving and friendly a section as the bass section in MJ. All of them are real nice people. And today would be the last time I get to see them. Plus Vijay and Melanie too.

Yesterday was real sad after we went to see the 'A' Level results. We were all just hanging around wanting to go home but not wanting to part. And it was raining heavily, which was so representative of the mood. We were hugging each other before we parted. Melanie all gave us some "big sister" words of parting haha. Goodbye all.

So after choir today I went home with Nicholas, my SL. First and last time we were going to eat lunch together. He had to go to church earlier, Shalom BP, the one behind my house.

So with that it was my last time of any formal contact with MJ.

Ohwells.

again.

2007-03-02T17:19:00.000+08:00

why? just after three months.

goodbye's the most important word

2007-03-01T18:20:00.000+08:00

Haven't been blogging for so long. I didn't feel like blogging much over the past weeks and by the time I did yesterday, my computer malfunctioned. That's my excuse. I'm blogging from my older computer now.

Haha Jonathan came back.

Tomorrow could be our last formal day together as a class if Monday's a holiday due to good 'A' Level results. It's sad isn't it. We were our usual happy class today though it seemed like the fact that it's the second last day kept entering our minds. Or maybe just me. It's also weird because I'm waiting in anticipation of VJC but at the same time feel that I don't want to leave.

Then when it was compass lesson everyone started feeling emo when we talked about how we were going to separate soon.

I feel that a goodbye is important. I don't really know why. Last year when I went to the orpahanage in China I didn't like it when we didn't get to say proper goodbyes on what was supposed to be our last night, though we did manage to ask to go back another time to meet them again and say goodbye, so that was good. I feel you need that closure. Though what I find lame about the three months is that it's over when it has barely begun.

During compass lesson, Ms Loh asked those of us that are confirmed to be leaving to say some words to our class, and I that included me. And perhaps it was just too sudden or perhaps I was just not confident enough of saying what I felt because I'm not as good in expressing myself in speech and in person than in writing? So here goes.

To 07s411:

It's been a really fun term with you guys and I feel happy in terms of the quality friendships made and I'm glad to have met you fun-loving people. No day was boring and I enjoyed the company of all of you. Though the all in this case doesn't really refer to all, but most of you. Didn't really get to interact with some of you and perhaps with more time it would have been possible for our class to get to know one another better. But I still wish you all the best wherever you are going and always be happy.

Also a thank you to the teachers that have taught us. I feel blessed to have such good teachers and I mean it. Especially Ms Loh who I feel has been a real good CT. Thanks for being there providing a listening ear for the class during this period too. And thanks teachers for putting up with our nonsense! Haha.

So I guess it's goodbye for now. I read somewhere that only when you say goodbye, then can you meet again. Love you all.

eve

2007-02-17T23:39:00.000+08:00

It's CNY eve. And tomorrow I'm going to bai nian! Or as the cynical put it, collect angpow. Today was pretty slack but I actually did some work you know! Haha.

Instead of traditional steamboat for tuan yuan fan we did some sukiyaki thing is a japanese style type of thing. We still use the same steamboat thingie in the centre but with different stuff put inside mainly beef pork leek onions mushrooms tofu into some sauce. We did it before on other Chinese New Years. Haha.

Hope CNY keeps my mind off things. There's something about school that you can't wait for it to end but when it does you think of going back again. Or perhaps it's just the limited time we have left as a class, with an already dwindled number from the withdrawals.

You can't have your cake and eat it too. I like that phrase. But it doesn't really make sense. Nothing does anyway.

is it wrong to change?

2007-02-17T23:31:00.002+08:00

well everyone's posting music videos from youtube! so i guess i'll do the same.

trying to make a move just to stay in the game.

edit: haha I've finally changed blog address, sorry for always moving around. But everybody's changing! So I guess it's better now as the address is easier to type and to remember.

he's home!

2007-02-16T16:50:00.000+08:00

Haha just came home from the airport from fetching Dad!

Dad's finally home from his long trip. So glad. And he bought fried worms which I won't eat. :)

chinese new year

2007-02-16T14:16:00.000+08:00

Okay anyway it's time to be happy erm it was Chinese New Year celebration today haha I feel the concert was better than normal VS ones. I especially liked the funny skits and cross-cultural stuff they did. And for once Phobos not last, but third. It's sad how we've resigned to the fate of losing that no phobos people in our LT bothered to cheer when the judges did the rar-rar stuff with all the houses. And today would be the last time I'll see Jonathan in school, after which he'll go off to TP. We'll miss you buddy. From what I thought he was from my first impression of him as a Beng to the Jonathan I know now is vastly different. He's a very nice guy. Don't know how else to put it.

After the celebration went back to VS with a group of our MJ used-to-be-in-VS guys. It was mostly Ming Hao and I who were together trying to find teachers. Saw Mr Oh who's having his last day in VS and now moving on to MOE. He's quite pro, considering how young he is. Mr Maran came to me and welcomed me back with a handshake though he doesn't know me at all so it was quite surprising but nice. We also met Mdm Ernie outside the staff room and talked to her for a while. Talked to Mdm Nabilah for a while too, after we found her at the back of the hall. It's nice to see her again.

After that Ming Hao and I went to finally try the famous Bedok Interchange hawker centre Mee Soto stall's Mee Rebus. So that's one thing I finally tried. We talked a lot on the way there and while eating. Like about MJ and our classes haven't really talked with him in quite a while actually. Then as there were not enough tables two men came to sit at our table. One of them started giving advice to us regarding health at first, starting with telling us about how Bandung is bad to drink because of colouring and he went on about other things about health, then into life in general. Quite good as Ming Hao put it, "lunch entertainment" and we found that he seemed to make sense except in some parts of his advice. He was like some old philosopher.

Then we made our way home. As the mrt passed tanah merah station, I thought about one thing I wanted to do before I die. Jump over the middle gap for the third mrt train. Haha.

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!