2 DAYS TO THE END OF 2010!
so fast, way too fast. find myself saying this at the end of each year. but its true! ironically, i've been moping ever so often for this year to end, now im clearly reluctant for it to. i guess im afraid of what twenty eleven will bring. unlike other years, i dont have school to look forward to. its a whole new world out there now. im extremely unwilling to let go of my childish years. i dont want to grow up. i want to stay in the comfort of the education system, in school, with my friends, in a cca. every year ends with nostalgia, thinking back and reliving the things that have happened both happy and sad. i'll miss them, i dont want to forget them. but memory can only serve me so far. when new things come along, they never fail to overwrite and fog up what was and what has been. im so afraid of that. but inevitable this is. that's how the world works.

twenty ten has been a year of stress, fear, study, assignments topped with some of the most amazing friendships i could ever ask for. six years of never having a major exam, this year was the toughest of my education. one year ago, the road seemed way too impossible to complete. twelve months later, the road seems distant. i have conquered. but never will this have been accomplished without the help of so many people. the support, the help, the encouragement, the fun times, the crazy times, the bubble tea times. so many faces flash past my eyes, and i need to thank them, for all they've been. never could i have done this alone. thank you so much, my class point seventeen, guitar orchestra, squash, the people who sit at benches, study rooms, sac, library and kap.

its also been a year of learning. God has brought me through this year and as usual, never letting me go through without taking away learning points. i've been beset with downfalls, shant name them here. and i've learn so much. amidst the many, always give it your best and never look back with regrets. one lesson that dealt me a huge blow. always be sincere, another one that was massive. treasure what you have now, something to think about. the only way to learn something is to spend time on it, proved so so useful towards the end. nobody is reserved and unwilling to share, if only you would spend time with them. teachers are notably, one of the best people you will ever meet on the face of the earth.

just to name a few, doctor j woo was an inspiration, a major one for me. her famous quote being "perseverance is the answer". it transcends all levels of education, all kinds of obstacles. vague as it may be, helpful it has been. so many times on this ib journey, i think back on what she keeps telling us, and i draw so much strength from that. knowing that the road is not easy, and it will not get any easier. the only way is through, and perseverance is the only answer. i give her credit, i pay tribute to her as a teacher and as a mentor for the class. glynn tan is another one, he gets one when i talk about chemistry.

spiritually, as i look back on God's faithfulness, He has always been there. read through the journal that akf gave us just one year ago and the notes that i've written inside, yes God has been amazing. and its hard to believe all that happened within a year. of course, there were ups and downs. i've had highs and lows. mostly my fault, because i failed to take out a constant amount of time to spend with Him. i need to change this and i regret being such a bum and lazy and inconsistent fellow.

my family's been amazing too! they've always been a source of support from back home. i love my sister, she's always been my oasis of ranting. all i need to do is go into her room, laze on her bed and start ranting and she's always listen. i appreciate her so much. mummy was always a firm believer of relaxing, and i thank her so much for always helping me to relax, making funny health drinks (called apple cider) and giving me the freedom to decide my schedule and pulling me back whenever i lost my way. i thank daddy for always being so steady, an everlasting pillar of sound advice and values. above all, him being around during the exam period and cooking fish meals. i love him so much. the only regret i have is not writing a testimonial for the church year end collection so testify to how blessed i am to be in the comfort of a family like this.

my church, the people in it, has never failed. each year i look back and smile at how great being in cogs is. for a good part of this year especially, when everyone seemed to have been lost in their own world, being in jc or ib or poly or even o levels, at the end of the day we're still close. we still can share and we still can encourage. i cant say i've never felt distant from them. but that was just a feeling, a thought. the reality is that we never were. and im glad to have been able to take out so much time, hanging with them after the exams ended, catching up on our lives and filling each other in about current things. friendship like that, i wouldnt trade it for anything else in the world.

my one four nine dinner group. every year, without fail, the important dates are spent with you guys. from chinese new year, to christmas and even the up coming new years day. the kids have always been this pillar of infinite comfort, and something i can always fall back on. so many of my closest friends come from here and spending each festive season with them have always been the highlight of each year. going to bali with them was out of this world. never would we have imagined our dinners after church would turn into something this special but it did. blessings come in all forms dont they?

the squash team has always been my escape from so many things, the stress from work, assignments. having spent the season, cheering everyone on and even until our very very last point. who cares what position we got, it was the experience, it was the improvements we made, it was the friendships that we forged. from all over the school, we formed this close, happy bunch of people and that's extraordinary.

my guitar orchestra, something that i'll always be proud of. we picked up from being almost directionless to handing over to a proper junior committee. the times we spent planning the march camp will never be forgotten. for me, i've hardly had much of official leadership experience and being able to work together with heavy duty people, people who are funky and funny and insanely crazy like me, was just lovable! i cant use another word. i love them. i love my cohort of guitarists. everyone fit in perfectly, one's strengths covered another's weaknesses. everyone had mature and sound ideas. it would be difficult to find another committee that worked this smoothly among and with each other. some of us were loud and more vocal, and some of us had brilliant insightful ideas. some of us were always sacrificial. exquisite. i'll bring this with me for the rest of my life, into the corporate world.

its difficult to pinpoint which subject class i loved the most. but if its the most memorable, i would say it was chemistry. from the beginning of year five up till the very last chemistry paper, i was honoured to have glynn tan as my coach, my teacher and friend. from getting air time to tell lame jokes, to the prac sessions, stupid videos and class tests. happy times. yes, i've been demoralised at chemistry, being in a class of geniuses, how not to? but glynn tan was ever encouraging, and never gave up. he always perked me up with a sentence or two. and told me never to give up. which teacher would be this sincere! if it wasnt for him, i would have ruined my chemistry. i owe it to this teacher. the friends i had in chemistry, the craziest and most fun bunch of geniuses. the witty comments to the times we helped each other at design prac. i couldnt have asked for a better chemistry class, this was perfect.

your this group is what one arh? seven people, and we dont even know how we know each other but we do. funny how sometimes, you know people but you cannot recall under what circumstances you met. this bunch of friends is one such instance. but i've had the privelege of hanging out with these amazing people. after meeting annette from europe tour up till now, from practically no mutual friends to now a group of seven. doing so many fun things together. the perplexity of the friendships forged bred felicity. wonderfully made!

well, looking back at these snippets. in a nutshell, i can say the year was eventful. it was good, it was bad. but im sure there was more good than bad. no wait, i know so. as i look forward, at the edge of tipping over to into the new year, honestly im fearful and reluctant to face what might and would come. im afraid of having little time. im afraid of meeting new people, and being shifted out of my comfortable comfort zone. but that's just the way it is. according to natnat, im going to have to "suck it up, suck it hard and suck it long", whatever that means.

so here's my tribute to my twenty ten. i look forward to twenty eleven, with my hand in God's. i know that there will always only be one pair of footprints when the going gets tough. :)

2 DAYS TO THE END OF 2010!
so fast, way too fast. find myself saying this at the end of each year. but its true! ironically, i've been moping ever so often for this year to end, now im clearly reluctant for it to. i guess im afraid of what twenty eleven will bring. unlike other years, i dont have school to look forward to. its a whole new world out there now. im extremely unwilling to let go of my childish years. i dont want to grow up. i want to stay in the comfort of the education system, in school, with my friends, in a cca. every year ends with nostalgia, thinking back and reliving the things that have happened both happy and sad. i'll miss them, i dont want to forget them. but memory can only serve me so far. when new things come along, they never fail to overwrite and fog up what was and what has been. im so afraid of that. but inevitable this is. that's how the world works.

twenty ten has been a year of stress, fear, study, assignments topped with some of the most amazing friendships i could ever ask for. six years of never having a major exam, this year was the toughest of my education. one year ago, the road seemed way too impossible to complete. twelve months later, the road seems distant. i have conquered. but never will this have been accomplished without the help of so many people. the support, the help, the encouragement, the fun times, the crazy times, the bubble tea times. so many faces flash past my eyes, and i need to thank them, for all they've been. never could i have done this alone. thank you so much, my class point seventeen, guitar orchestra, squash, the people who sit at benches, study rooms, sac, library and kap.

its also been a year of learning. God has brought me through this year and as usual, never letting me go through without taking away learning points. i've been beset with downfalls, shant name them here. and i've learn so much. amidst the many, always give it your best and never look back with regrets. one lesson that dealt me a huge blow. always be sincere, another one that was massive. treasure what you have now, something to think about. the only way to learn something is to spend time on it, proved so so useful towards the end. nobody is reserved and unwilling to share, if only you would spend time with them. teachers are notably, one of the best people you will ever meet on the face of the earth.

just to name a few, doctor j woo was an inspiration, a major one for me. her famous quote being "perseverance is the answer". it transcends all levels of education, all kinds of obstacles. vague as it may be, helpful it has been. so many times on this ib journey, i think back on what she keeps telling us, and i draw so much strength from that. knowing that the road is not easy, and it will not get any easier. the only way is through, and perseverance is the only answer. i give her credit, i pay tribute to her as a teacher and as a mentor for the class. glynn tan is another one, he gets one when i talk about chemistry.

spiritually, as i look back on God's faithfulness, He has always been there. read through the journal that akf gave us just one year ago and the notes that i've written inside, yes God has been amazing. and its hard to believe all that happened within a year. of course, there were ups and downs. i've had highs and lows. mostly my fault, because i failed to take out a constant amount of time to spend with Him. i need to change this and i regret being such a bum and lazy and inconsistent fellow.

my family's been amazing too! they've always been a source of support from back home. i love my sister, she's always been my oasis of ranting. all i need to do is go into her room, laze on her bed and start ranting and she's always listen. i appreciate her so much. mummy was always a firm believer of relaxing, and i thank her so much for always helping me to relax, making funny health drinks (called apple cider) and giving me the freedom to decide my schedule and pulling me back whenever i lost my way. i thank daddy for always being so steady, an everlasting pillar of sound advice and values. above all, him being around during the exam period and cooking fish meals. i love him so much. the only regret i have is not writing a testimonial for the church year end collection so testify to how blessed i am to be in the comfort of a family like this.

my church, the people in it, has never failed. each year i look back and smile at how great being in cogs is. for a good part of this year especially, when everyone seemed to have been lost in their own world, being in jc or ib or poly or even o levels, at the end of the day we're still close. we still can share and we still can encourage. i cant say i've never felt distant from them. but that was just a feeling, a thought. the reality is that we never were. and im glad to have been able to take out so much time, hanging with them after the exams ended, catching up on our lives and filling each other in about current things. friendship like that, i wouldnt trade it for anything else in the world.

my one four nine dinner group. every year, without fail, the important dates are spent with you guys. from chinese new year, to christmas and even the up coming new years day. the kids have always been this pillar of infinite comfort, and something i can always fall back on. so many of my closest friends come from here and spending each festive season with them have always been the highlight of each year. going to bali with them was out of this world. never would we have imagined our dinners after church would turn into something this special but it did. blessings come in all forms dont they?

the squash team has always been my escape from so many things, the stress from work, assignments. having spent the season, cheering everyone on and even until our very very last point. who cares what position we got, it was the experience, it was the improvements we made, it was the friendships that we forged. from all over the school, we formed this close, happy bunch of people and that's extraordinary.

my guitar orchestra, something that i'll always be proud of. we picked up from being almost directionless to handing over to a proper junior committee. the times we spent planning the march camp will never be forgotten. for me, i've hardly had much of official leadership experience and being able to work together with heavy duty people, people who are funky and funny and insanely crazy like me, was just lovable! i cant use another word. i love them. i love my cohort of guitarists. everyone fit in perfectly, one's strengths covered another's weaknesses. everyone had mature and sound ideas. it would be difficult to find another committee that worked this smoothly among and with each other. some of us were loud and more vocal, and some of us had brilliant insightful ideas. some of us were always sacrificial. exquisite. i'll bring this with me for the rest of my life, into the corporate world.

its difficult to pinpoint which subject class i loved the most. but if its the most memorable, i would say it was chemistry. from the beginning of year five up till the very last chemistry paper, i was honoured to have glynn tan as my coach, my teacher and friend. from getting air time to tell lame jokes, to the prac sessions, stupid videos and class tests. happy times. yes, i've been demoralised at chemistry, being in a class of geniuses, how not to? but glynn tan was ever encouraging, and never gave up. he always perked me up with a sentence or two. and told me never to give up. which teacher would be this sincere! if it wasnt for him, i would have ruined my chemistry. i owe it to this teacher. the friends i had in chemistry, the craziest and most fun bunch of geniuses. the witty comments to the times we helped each other at design prac. i couldnt have asked for a better chemistry class, this was perfect.

your this group is what one arh? seven people, and we dont even know how we know each other but we do. funny how sometimes, you know people but you cannot recall under what circumstances you met. this bunch of friends is one such instance. but i've had the privelege of hanging out with these amazing people. after meeting annette from europe tour up till now, from practically no mutual friends to now a group of seven. doing so many fun things together. the perplexity of the friendships forged bred felicity. wonderfully made!

well, looking back at these snippets. in a nutshell, i can say the year was eventful. it was good, it was bad. but im sure there was more good than bad. no wait, i know so. as i look forward, at the edge of tipping over to into the new year, honestly im fearful and reluctant to face what might and would come. im afraid of having little time. im afraid of meeting new people, and being shifted out of my comfortable comfort zone. but that's just the way it is. according to natnat, im going to have to "suck it up, suck it hard and suck it long", whatever that means.

so here's my tribute to my twenty ten. i look forward to twenty eleven, with my hand in God's. i know that there will always only be one pair of footprints when the going gets tough. :)