CS life.

Conversation that just happend 5 mins ago in the editing room:

Lide: Wahlau, all of stalk until like that. All the freshies are going to have the wrong impression of us. Not all of us stalk okay. I for one, am not like that.

(not even split second of silence)

WL: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHA
Peds: HAHAHAHHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHAAHAHHAAHAHAHAHAAHAHA
Liz: HAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAAHHAAHAHAHHAAHAHAHAAHA

Lide: Thanks, nice reaction guys. HAHAHAHAHHAHAHAAHHAHAAHAHHAHAH.

Okay freshies, if you happen to be reading this… allow me to dispel some myths about CS life:

1. Yes, it is true, not all of us stalk. Only in the name of WKWSCIFOC’09 and the excitement of meeting all you new freshies do we get exceptionally kaypoh. Normally we are less exciting than we look. (But still more exciting than the general NTU populace)
2. Not all of us dress really nicely when we come to school. My order of the day (depending on my mood) is usually a permutation of tshirt/shorts, spagh/shorts, and slippers, slippers, and slippers. And no I’m not abnormal. But yes, there are people who dress really well. I am still astounded at the ones who manage to appear for 8.30am lectures in heels, makeup, perfect hair and beautiful clothes.

Honestly, when I first came to CS, I was concerned about not fitting in. I’m not much of a dresser, I love my tshirts and shorts too much (and then you’ll realize that most of us in school do). (Most of) The guys only have a few shirts in their wardrobe all of which you would have seen by the 2nd week of school, and we are all, far more normal than all this online activity makes us look.

So if you’ve been feeling intimidated by all the activity and our behavior, don’t be! I’m not surprised though, if I were a freshie, I think I’d be somewhat taken aback. But have no fear! CS may be small, but we aren’t photocopies of each other. As a wise senior said to me before I came to Wee Kim Wee;

Don’t worry about not being to make friends. CS may be small but you will definitely find people who think like you. (Lee WY, 2008)

So freshies, put your heart at rest, come and enjoy the camp. We really are quite unassuming, friendly and very kopitiam in real life.

First few things I remember about CS.

In light of the upcoming FOC, it’s time to dig out a one-year-old spur of the moment observation that was prominently noted within our batch.

CS LT phenomena.

An obvious exaggeration, but the number of mac users in this school (and in our batch) is quite astounding.

As KJ once said;

In order to be different in this school you don’t buy a mac, you buy a PC.

Amazing.

I slept for 11hours. I have no recollection of having done this in the past month. Nice.

Am no less busy than I once was. Just decided that perhaps sleeping would make me less grouchy (and boy have I been grouchy lately).

Serving for camp next week. Wasn’t going to, originally. But Jeremy’s ORDing in the same week and he didn’t manage to take leave, so I’m stepping in. A camp of over 450 people and 3 photogs officially serving. FOC has only over 150 people and there are already more photographers deployed for it than for HM09. Lol.

The directive given, as per all events, is that they want “full coverage”. But of course.

Didn’t want to serve at first because I thought it would be needful for me to just receive at this camp, given what I think to be my emotional and psychological state. However, God has better plans for me. And I believe that since He has opened this window of opportunity for me to serve as a photog at this camp, He will not shortchange me. God has his portion for me. Amen, amen and amen.

Since acquiring my D90 a whole new world has been open to me. The opportunities to capture precious moments has been endless, and continue to be so. I guess sometimes people are just under the impression that just because you own a DSLR it means you can take good photos. They just expect you to be able to know what to do with it. But as this quote reads;

Buying a Nikon doesn’t make you a photographer. It makes you a Nikon owner. -Author unknown

I do not claim to be a good photographer. Or even one who knows my equipment very well. I’m learning, yes, and God has opened up to me so many opportunities to learn. Zhanyi’s borrowing Jeremy’s speedlight (SB-600) for me to use for camp. Had my first go with it during Play! and looking forward to capturing some good praise shots with that.

Still eyeing the 35mm, f1.8 lens and thinking of getting my own speedlight  but I’ll take my time… I seriously need to get a replacement for my iPod touch because life without it has been… well, incomplete. Eyeing the new iPhone 3G S and we’ll see how that goes when it’s released here in Singapore.

When July hits it’s going to get even crazier. FOC is from 6 to 10 July. Will probably be a videographer for the camp because there just won’t be enough videographers and WL already has a substantial photog crew. (I mean c’mon, he has the whole Chron photodesk down to help him!) Pity since I do prefer to be behind my D90 lens rather than lugging the P2 or Sony around. (First it is twice as heavy, secondly it is twice as tiring)

One of my biggest gripes about school is that I am more than just occasionally not treated like a girl. *insert weary sigh here* But we’ll save that complaint for another day.

Immediately after camp breaks on the 10th, I’ll only have very few hours of respite before Saturday the 11th, which is Arrow Ministry’s O&I (Orientation & Integration), aka, our orientation for all the JC and Poly folk moving up to Varsity cluster. Word has come in that yes, I will be the photog for that day, though I do hope we’ll be getting more people because I cannot possibly divide myself between all the university campuses (NTU, NUS, SMU, SIM and other PTE) and still make it to Suntec before the rest to prepare the photo slideshow before they arrive for the afternoon service. Doing some major design collateral for that day as well, thank you Jesus that those will turn out awesome as well. Amen.

And then on Sunday (12th July) after first service, I fly to Thailand for a much anticipated mission trip. Really excited about that because it will my first mission trip and I can’t wait to see God’s portion for me there. And yes I am the trip photographer as well. My D90 is living a very fulfilling life, at the rate I’m going maybe I’ll need to upgrade faster than expected.

Back to the point about being a Nikon owner, yes, just because you own a spanky DSLR people expect you to produce breathtaking photographs, which is not always the case. I’m just going to trust God to place me in the right place, at the right time, to capture the right shots and the right expressions, for all the events that are to come. Be it camp, or O&I or the mission trip. My equipment is modest; but my D90 body and my (admittably pretty good) kit lens. I don’t have a speedlight, I don’t have fast primes, I don’t even have anything to bounce light from. But I have Jesus, and I believe He will give me qara moments where I capture The good shots.

I don’t believe it’s coincidence that God has opened up so many doors since I got my camera. Have had the opportunity to learn from the rest of the photographers, and am still fresh to shooting for church. Camp is very exciting, because things change so fast and just move in the spirit that you just really have to be in the zone to capture the right things at the right time. But most importantly, it is my privilege to be able to serve. It is my privilege to serve in God’s kingdom. Because I know my God, and I know His faithfulness to His people. And when He blesses He never shortchanges. When He says thank you the gifts are never small. And what He gives is never merely enough, but always overflowing with abundance.

With that I think I finally know what to christen my D90. Some people familiar with my habit of naming all my expensive toys have been asking me what my camera’s called. I kept giving the reply that my D90 hasn’t portrayed enough quirks and characteristics for me to name him (yes its a boy). But I’ve decided to call him ‘Qara’, (In Hebrew, to encounter, whether accidentally or in a hostile manner — befall, (by) chance, (cause to) come (upon), fall out, happen, meet.), because I believe thats what his purpose is.

Okay, this is a really long entry. Which I just wanted to end off with a completely irrelevant geek/fangirl note.

I think the Leader class (the one that costs like $109 ++) Revenge of the Fallen Optimus Prime is SO VERYVERY cool!!!! (Here is where Peds is going to say I’m a female geek again.)

Maybe I’ll get it when the price goes down. And Lide claims the new Sideswipe is cool but first it’s silver, and secondly, okay the Chevrolet Corvette Stingray concept car is quite cool but it’s not exactly a Lamborghini. And red is sexier than silver any day. [slash end minor geek gripe]

Okay that’s all for now folks.

Back to drawing up schedules, sending out emails and designing.

It is..

Rather disconcerting, how many times I’ve come across accidents this week.

One day I came home and there were 3 SCDF vehicles and an ambulance leaving from my estate.

Another day I was leaving the Katong branch of Cold Storage and there were 4 SCDF vehicles crowding that tiny road and bunches of SCDF personnel crowding the building just as I left.

On Friday the CG was having dinner at Bedok Central and the aunty at the drink stall got her hand stuck in the sugar cane machine. Victor had the strangest way of trying to reassure us by saying ‘its okay, its not graphic, cannot see anything one, its all crushed inside’.

On the PIE last night there were 3 separate accidents in the span of 200metres. First was a motorcycle accident, person was on the road. Second was a 3 car pileup. Third was either one or two cars.

Today in NTU the stabbing/suicide happened. I walked up from my hall to the Can A bus-stop to the sight of several police vehicles rolling by.

I am just very mildly disturbed.

Would all the bad stuff stop happening plz? Kthx.

Ubiquitous observations about the airport.

There are always more locals here than tourists.

There are always more students here than other groups of Singaporeans.

When you ‘level-up’ to become a uni student you only get marginally more respect than you did when you were in uniform and carrying unmistakable graphic calculators.

If you look young you will be asked to leave. If you are older and working on a laptop, chances are you will not.

Laptops offer a higher level of immunity.

Students treat this place like their home.

Students dress as though this place is their home.

Any area in the airport with chairs and tables is a hotbed that draws students like moths to a flame.

The likelihood of meeting people you know is 100%.

The likelihood of meeting people you know and would rather not meet is 50%.

Students are the most highly discriminated against occupant of coffee joints and fastfood outlets.

The Bad Singlish Moment.

Dined at Waraku Marina on Sunday evening with Mom and Sis. 

The standard of the food there isn’t quite on par with its Katong branch, but we already knew that.

The Bad Singlish Moment happened while Sis and I were waiting for a table (Mom was parking the car somewhere). The supervisor had let several pairs in before us because its often easier to sit two people down at a table while three tends to hover hesitantly between too few and too many. 

After letting in his 2nd or 3rd pair, he turned to us with a bright, apologetic smile and said;

“Sorry no early call.”

To which Sis and I couldn’t even begin to respond to. 

Sis, because she didn’t get what on earth he was trying to say. Me, because to my horror, I realized I knew what he was trying to tell us. 

(Ain’t gonna provide no translation man, if you get it, congratulations you’re Singaporean down to your very bone marrow.) 

So I had to translate it for Sis. Who then gave me a look of pure horror… followed by the atypical female response;

“If he wasn’t so amiable and cute, I would given him the Look (insert Sis’ facial contortion of disdain here).” 

The good-looking ones get away with everything.

The Starbucks Identity

Am typing this with some difficulty in one of the newer Raffles City Starbucks now on the little touchscreen keyboard that iBlessed offers. Thus I unfortunately shall have to
keep this short. Observation 1:Starbucks is the place to see and to be seen. Observation 2:It provides a certain identity associated with ‘cool’ that keeps its customers fiercely loyal, and its staff as well. On a separate note, how do I start a new paragraph on this contraption?? I salute Starbucks’ branding. Ironically enough, as apparent a commercial ploy this
company may be, I find myself a very willing victim of consumerism. I suppose that proves its very success.

Oh look. Finally discovered the ‘enter’ option. Lol. Okay, time to talk to Daddy.

Random annoyances.

Things I Saw/Heard at Marche That I Could Not Ignore:

• The very LOUD pair who were probably no older than me queueing behind me and Mom. The guy was talking about how he was the one who brought his ex-gf out of lesbianism and she was a possessive control freak. The girl had a strange accent that couldn’t decide if it wanted to be eloquent or Singaporean. The guy was the ex-lesbian’s 3rd boyfriend after 2 boyfriends and 2 girlfriends. Yes. Thats how loud you were.
• The table of people very close to us at which one guy was talking about his reservist mobilization so loudly I could hear every detail about every phonecall, every blackout while on guard duty, and also his voracious laughter which annoyed Mom into venting out her displeasure by mauling the pork knuckle.
• The group of lesbian friends also sitting near us which immediately brought to mind bullet-point one.
• The hot (and clearly attached) guy whom I messaged Maryam and Amitha about to which their first identical reply was; “Is he Chinese?” as though in silent disbelief that a Chinese guy could ever be hot. Amitha: “Chinese guys can be cute, but hot? I don’t think soooo.”

And so another work week has ended.
Its amazing how fast time flies.
You wake up before the sun rises.
You work.
You’re tired.
You go home.
You sleep.
Repeat for 5 days.
And wonder where all the time has gone.
Every week brings me closer to the end of my stint as a relief teacher.

5 more weeks left.

I shall be sad to leave.

Starbucks,again.

Blogging in Starbucks means I don’t know if any nosy imbecile is leaning over to watch my life unfold. Another week has passed. A lot of drama this week, which still makes me indignant to think about.

I’ll refrain from expounding on it though I’ve had a lot of time to intricately refine my unhappiness in my head.

The A’s are just two Tuesdays away (can’t stop staring at this poseur lesbian pair in front of me who are only sec4 and dressed as though they’re about to walk down Hollywood Boulevard) and I’m still calm as the eye of the storm.

It’ll be over soon enough, another month or so.
(The We-think-we-are-hot-but-I-think-you-are-so-not employees of Precious Time and peeking out again. Do they even get any business? Seriously? I never seen anyone buy anything from there and I study here so often.)
Mrawww.
GP on 31st.
Math/SEA on the 2nd.
And soon it’ll be H2 Lit on the 26th. Whoopee.
Econs…
Rawr.

Words unassociated with my academic material seem to have dissipated from my mind like an insubstantial peagant.

…

I want my brain back. :S

OneNorth.

Every day I sit here in Millenia Starbucks watching the world go by. Literally.
Expats and accent ridden locals sit here dissing the latest ’stupid investor’, ’stupid company’, or arguing over how to up their game.
Finances and businesses fly past me by the dozen.
One of the most amusing conversations was a dinner & dance meeting being planned between a creditable bank and an over-enthusiastic-with-bad-taste potential host whose ideas were as cheesy as cheesy gets.

Juxtaposed with the Poly students who appear in the afternoon with their laptops with nothing else to do but surf Youtube and play PC games.

And the wonderful Starbucks staff who have been so obliging to us students who have literally parked our asses here each and every day.

Familiar faces greet me. We can identify the staff by characteristics.
I am ashamed to say I ahve not made the effort to know them better.
Save for Edwin who is a jolly good fellow.

Moving along.
I’m sure those of you who actually read the papers would have realized by now, that New Creation Church has acquired a lovely building in one-north.
Its so awesome.
Pastor was going through the break-down of funds during service, and its estimated that we need to raise another $120 million in the next 3 years to pay off the building.

In the natural that sounds like a really large sum of money, but we are so blessed now that we have the priviledge of saying; its only $120 million.

God has blessed us so much, what is $120 million to Him? Furthermore, when He expands our borders, He will HAVE to expand our finances such that we can pay for the building.
He has blessed us with the land, how can he not bless us with the resources?
And this is so exciting because it means our parents, and us, can expect so much more. Because the money will have to come to us so that we can give to the building out of our overflow. Can’t wait to see all the miracles flowing in. So awesome. =)

And God is so, so, so good.
When He gives, He does’t just give. He gives with style.
Like our Marine Cove investment, seriously – no one is dissing the church now because the land is bringing money into God’s kingdom.
Now with the new building, it isn’t just a CHURCH building.
God could have just given us land for us to build a self-contained church for ourselves.
But no, he gives us a whole shopping centre, he gives us prime land, and the best part, he gives us an auditorium we can make money out of.

He really EXPANDS our pockets, and He expands our Spirit to let us receive so much more.
To meet our needs AT THE RIGHT TIME.
8 years ago, New Creation wouldn’t have needed this building or would have been able to afford it.

But like the children of Israel in the dessert for 40 years, their shoes never wore out but grew as their feet grew.

God is expanding our shoes for us, and its effortless, and its all HIS.
If He has given us the building, He will give us the money.
When I look at the business decisions made and the opportunity that has been presented to us to invest in such a profit-reaping deal, I can’t help but say IT MUST BE GOD.
Because the wisdom of Man would not be enough. The wisdom of Man would be satisified with just a mere plot of land for us to build a church building on.
Rock @ one-north is so much more.

My God is a good God. Woo.
Can’t wait to see all the goodies coming in, can’t wait to see the manifestation of my bounteous, loving, humourous God in front of my eyes.
He’s got a real sense of humour – and good taste too. (:

edit 1.15PM
Sis gave me the link.
Why do I persist in doing such things?
Well the analysis isn’t entirely untrue.

You Are An INFP

The Idealist You are creative with a great imagination, living in your own inner world. Open minded and accepting, you strive for harmony in your important relationships. It takes a long time for people to get to know you. You are hesitant to let people get close. But once you care for someone, you do everything you can to help them grow and develop. In love, you tend to have high (and often unrealistic) standards. You are very sensitive. You tend to have intense feelings. At work, you need to do something that expresses your personal values. You would make an excellent writer, psychologist, or artist. How you see yourself: Unselfish, empathetic, and spiritual When other people don’t get you, they see you as: Unrealistic, naive, and weak

What’s Your Personality Type?