Reminiscing...

Hey blogger! Welcome me back to this blogging world... XD

MIA for almost an entire year, and here I am, back here, updating this tiny space of mine in the World Wide Web, jotting down all the sweetness and bitterness that I had been through, indirectly serving as a reminder to myself as well as to those who are following my blog... (hehe... wondering if there's even any)

This lil post of mine will touch on bits and pieces of memories collected when I was back in Anderson Junior College, Singapore earlier this year as well as from my current college in Shah Alam, INTEC (International Education College).

Sit back, relax and watch the links that relate these two totally unrelated entities together, be it directly or indirectly (well of course besides the fact that I studied in both colleges this year). I would also like to take this opportunity to express my endless gratitude to both scholarship bodies, the Singapore Government for the ASEAN Pre-U scholarship as well as to the Malaysian Government for the equally prestigious Public Service Department scholarship.

At this time, last year, I was in a position whereby I was full of doubt and was terribly unsure of my decision in accepting the ASEAN scholarship.

"Am I doing the right thing?"

"What if I flop my exams? My scholarship will be terminated..."

"How about hostel life? Can I manage staying alone abroad after sticking to my family for the past seventeen years?"

All these questions haunted me almost every single day despite the increasing excitement that grew within me. When I stepped into the hostel room for the first time, the thought of having to sleep on the upper deck of the double-decker bed and the fact that I'm not going to have roommates for the first night in Parry really hit me hard and my tears began to roll down my cheeks... Imagine that on the first day you're leaving home!! What a bad experience!!

Anderson Junior College is a wonderful JC... "Though we're not the best JC, but neither are we the worst in Singapore". I still remember Ms Leong, the Principal, telling us, JC1s, this during our orientation. The orientation was wonderful, with its theme "Arcadias", and the ever-enthusiastic Councillors really brought me joy and I began to love my college.

Things got really tough for me when I found it difficult to get close friends, seeing all my classmates in PDG22/11, which comprise of China scholars and Singaporeans, getting into their own cliques from their previous secondary schools. Despite being able to mingle well with everyone in class, but the loneliness would be painfully felt when they started setting off in groups to the "Ohana" and canteen for lunch breaks and intervals.

However, not long after that, I got closer to three sweet Singaporean girls, Wan Qin, Hui Ping and Hui Ling and eventually felt very much comforted and accepted into the community. Being appointed as the GP (General Paper) Representative gave me even more confidence and my relationship with my fellow classmates got very much better. Having gone through AJ PE training stint, NAPFA, AJ Family Day and AJ Track & Field together, we got very much closer, just like a happy family. We had many experienced and knowledgeable lecturers and I'm truly elated and grateful, having learned so much from them (Mr Bell, Ms Chua, Mr Lim, Ms Eng, Cikgu Raudah) within such a short period of time.

I'd been given loads of opportunities in AJ. I was selected to represent the college in SMO, given the chance to be part of the enriching Alpha Programme and also got the chance of landing my hands on Wushu "nangun", my latest passion in sports. I made many new friends (especially seniors) from my CCA, Wushu, thanks to Kim who encouraged me to join this martial art that is in a completely different dimension from Taekwondo. Miss my wushu buddies and coach (Ser Lin, Tu Linh, Kim, Ying Feng +++)!

My stay in Parry had also allowed me to make new buddies, not only from Malaysia, but also from other parts of Asia such as from India, China (I had a pretty China roommie), Vietnam, Indonesia, Philippines etc. We even had our very own "breakfast clique" and we would sit down together in a group of approximately ten people every morning enjoying our breakfast in the canteen. Miss em' so much! And my bus partner, Chien Wen, miss you loads! :(

When I was faced with the fact that I had to leave this place that I first disliked, but had eventually became a place I adored most, I was truly vexed and the feeling of unwillingness to leave my pals became rather intense. I managed to score strings of A+ in my SPM and thus was awarded the PSD scholarship from the Malaysian Government. These events were supposed to be happy ones but they had instead turned out to be torturing as I had to make a choice between my future and my close-knit buddies in Singapore. I wavered between choices and I even thought of giving up the PSD scholarship for the sake of Wushu and my buddies in AJC!!!

But of course, I had chosen the former instead of the latter for the sake of my future. I had chosen this path because the Malaysian Government had offered me a scholarship that is very much sought after by many, a scholarship that allows me to further my studies overseas in Medicine via a Twinning Programme in IMU. I'm clearly aware that it would be very tough for me to get into NUS Medical Faculty if I were to stay put in Singapore. The places available are very limited and I'll have to be the creme de la creme among the scholars in order to secure a place in NUS Medical Faculty, under the ASEAN scholarship. That's tough and very competitive. It's not safe. No guarantee. If I really want to realise my ambition of becoming a forensic pathologist, I'll have to accept the PSD offer and leave AJC.

On my last day in AJ, my classmates actually planned a surprise farewell party for me... All the wonderful wishes they wrote for me really touched my heart. I promise I'll remember them always. My three Singaporean friends and I also went out for a farewell lunch before bidding each other goodbye for the last time. My three dearest roommates had also planned a similar mini farewell party in our room 03-05 the night before. The gifts that my roommates and my "breakfast clique" gave me, along with their sweet messages on them as well as the cards written by the entire AJ Wushu Team left me with the most precious memories of AJC. The warmth that I felt on my final days in AJC left me feeling truly heavy-hearted to leave AJ forever...

I'm currently studying in INTEC Shah Alam. The vast differences between AJ and INTEC truly left me in awe. First of all is the dress code. From wearing tiny, super-short shorts in AJC to super long baju kurungs, covering almost every single part of my body in INTEC almost drove me crazy in the first few weeks. The scorching hot weather here never fail to leave us all perspiring profusely after walking for less than ten minutes under the sun.

However, the plus point to my new hostel (Kolej Akasia) is that I'll have more personal space, with only two in a room, instead of four back in Parry. We have our own mini kitchen, mini bathroom and a mini laundry area. More space for us to move around, I should say. I'm also very lucky to have found three very friendly housemates and it took us almost no effort at all to clique and very quickly, we started teasing each other as though we had known each other for years.

Maybe it's because of my experience of staying in Parry earlier this year, I don't feel homesick like my other housemates (not that I feel homesick back in Singapore). I guess I'm more accepting in terms of the living conditions and the fact that I have to do everything on my own now (including laundry!! Before this, we had a laundry shop in Parry, whereby we just leave our stinky clothes in laundry bags and collect them back periodically every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday). The training I had in Singapore made me more independent and more mature in handling matters when it comes to staying with new housemates. I also got used to moving around alone on foot, without supervision of parents, and became more aware of my surroundings.

In INTEC, we had our very own Minggu Destini Siswa (MDS) equivalent to our orientation week in AJC. It was very fun, in a different way from AJ's Orientation. We had to set off from hostel as early as 6.45 am and will only be back by 11++ pm... It was seriously tiring, yet fun... Our Fa-Cs are really nice and sociable. They willingly shared their experiences with us and gave us priceless advices on how to juggle our school work and activities well. We had loads of fun learning all kinds of "tepukan" (tepuk Ahmad Albab, tepuk kura-kura, tepuk sotong dll...).

And yes, as you would have probably guessed, the main language here in INTEC is Bahasa Malaysia (although all classes are conducted in English). I consider myself rather lucky as I'm still able to converse quite fluently in BM, having lived in an almost all-English and Chinese environment for four whole months in Singapore. Maybe I should attribute this to my choice of subject back in AJ. I chose H2 Malay Literature and Language (MLL) instead of the more celebrated Economics as I believed that I'll have an upper hand in that subject, having mastered this language since young, as it is my country's national language.

Things were easier for me in INTEC. Perhaps I've learned how to make friends effectively through my experience in AJC. I got into 12M1 and very quickly got into friendly chatters with my fellow neighbours in class. Our class is by far the most close-knitted class in our batch. Many classes envied the closeness that existed among all of us, even our class photos are said to be the best among all! Yay!

Here, I've met people from different parts of Malaysia. The differences in accent spoken by all of us always make us giggle endlessly, especially when misinterpretations of words arise or when we try to mimic each other's accent during our conversations. All thanks to my roommate, Ting Ling, I've picked up some "utara" accent with "kot" and "gor", but at the same time also not losing touch of my origins (the "selatan" accent), with the help of my other two housemates, Chiu Ling and Winnie.

In terms of studies, my life is easier here since I've covered some of the topics in AS Mathematics and AS Chemistry, having completed an entire semester back in AJC. Hence, I'm able to focus more on Biology, which is more memory-demanding, a subject that I had chosen to drop earlier this year in AJ because I was keener in Physics as compared to Biology. But here in INTEC, I'm forced to drop my pet subject in favour of Bio which apparently is a pre-requisite for me to enter a medical university.

The competition here is definitely much stiffer than it was back in my secondary school days as INTEC is the place where all top students from all over Malaysia gather together under several scholarship programmes. Despite the hectic schedule from 8 am to 4 pm every day due to the trial "fast-track" programme offered to ALM-IMU students, I had a lot of fun learning in class and hence hardly ever felt tired after long hours of studying. Our class is also very fortunate in comparison with other classes to have senior and experienced teachers teaching us all subjects, giving us ample information and knowledge to ace in all our tests and examinations. And once again, 12M1 has become the dream class of many in INTEC, not because of our academic performance, but it is because of the top-notch teachers we get and also the strong bond within our class of 24 students.

I had a lot of fun throughout the whole Semester 1 in INTEC. It has become a commonplace for us to go out in large groups, heading to places like Subang Parade and Sunway Pyramid whenever we have the time, especially after one whole week of gruelling topic tests. Joining activities and trainings organised by "Dhamma On Campus" and Intec Taekwondo Club (ITC) as well as the INTEC Charity Run and Ko-PLN choir performance added much spice to my life as an INTEC-ian. Now, I truly hope that our annual ITC Taekwondo Championship and my proposal to set up the very first INTEC Wushu Club (can't seem to let go of wushu after learning my "nangun taolu" in AJC) will be approved by HEP next year so that all our effort will not go to waste.

Whether it's AJC or INTEC, I've gained a lot of knowledge and invaluable experiences from these two colleges. I've also learned to grab as many opportunities as I can in INTEC after missing out on several NUS and NTU Science Research Programmes and also the AJC Nano Science Research Programme.

I'll miss AJC but I'll also learn to treasure my life journey as a student in INTEC.

Ex-AJCian, Current INTEC-ian,

Hazel.

Perfection...

"Nothing is perfect in life."


No. I definitely do not agree with the above statement. I am a perfectionist who make sure that I excel and attain perfection and success in everything I do in life. Be it tougher or easier. Time-consuming or not. Energy-depleting or not.

Perfection. Something I've been pursuing since I was young. Since the very first day I was born to this world. I still remember there was once when my dad told me that I was such a perfectionist that I would even end up crying when I lost in a game. Haha. Ya, that's me. The girl-next-door who's totally obsessed with perfection and has a horrible intolerance towards imperfection.

Since young, I made sure that I do well in my studies. Trying my very best to reach the peak, clinching victory in each and every competition I participate in. Striving hard to be the top student in school. Never allowing defeat to even appear in my life dictionary.

So that kinda explains why I was so disheartened when I wasn't selected(refer to my older posts). The excruciating pain still lingers on somewhere in a corner of my heart. A pain that will suddenly trigger a tear or two to flow down my cheeks. But it also reminded me that a PERFECTIONIST will only move on and work harder to clinch greater heights, to perfect the little imperfections in life.

Perfection. I've been doing quite a lot of thinking these days. Perhaps I am just too free after the gruelling three weeks of SPM. I realised that even the slightest mistake that I've made previously, throughout my life journey as a seventeen-year-old, will trigger an overwhelming disappointment in me, towards myself.

For instance, the 2009 Sudoku Tournament. It suddenly struck my mind and I was utterly heartbroken when I couldn't even advance to the second round of the competition (I was runner-ups in two consecutive 2008 Sudoku Championships). The pain, it scarred my heart a little. Yes, it healed by itself as time goes by. But, the bitter memory still lingers on.

I know that I'm not a prodigy, not like Baek Seong Jo (in Playful Kiss) who could get full marks in his exams without even studying. No, sadly (or perhaps fortunately), I'm not like him. I clearly understand and experience the true meaning of "hard work pays", "no pain, no gain". Through all these years, I've been working very hard, in order to just feel the triumphant mood when I get to the top of the list. Triumph. Yes.

HARD WORK = TRIUMPH
HARD WORK = SUCCESS
HARD WORK = VICTORY

Personally I feel that "nothing comes easy". There's a Malay saying that goes "Yang bulat tidak datang bergolek, yang pipih tidak datang melayang". Without the bitterness of hard work, we will never taste the sweetness of success.

I've been so obsessed with perfection to a certain level that even the people I idolise are perfectionists themselves. I have a weird habit, whereby I will search for more details about someone whom I thought is good in his/her career, before I select him/her as my idol. But I'm definitely not influenced by them, thus causing me to be a perfectionist, but it's my natural character, I guess... And all of them, who are perfectionists, never fail to succeed in life.

People whom I Idolise
1. JJ Lin - a perfectionist who works and strives very hard in order to garner success and excellence in his career as a singer-songwriter.
2. Rui En - a self-proclaimed perfectionist who would go all out to bring out the soul of every character she plays in a drama and also in every song she sings, as a singer and an actress.
3. Baek Seong Jo (a character in Playful Kiss) - a perfectionist who cannot tolerate dumbness and always excels academically and also in sports (minus the cold and cocky part of him - I'm not)

So there you go. Perfection has become a part of my life. Without perfection, I'm not who I am. Naturally, perfection goes hand-in-hand with pressure. The amount of pressure a perfectionist has to undertake (if you are not a natural prodigy) is well ten times? or perhaps even a hundred times greater than those who would be contented with the simple things in life. Perfection is what I look for, what I seek for. I won't mind even if I break down and cry due to the immense stress and pressure (all thanks to perfection) or even I would have to be insanely indulged in a twenty-four-seven study/practice marathon, as long as I garner success by the end of the day.

Perfection. Yes. I definitely will not allow myself to lose out even a little. My desire to win, win, win and WIN is forever burning in my heart. I give all my best, drain all my energy and strength just to claim the victory. So that explains why I'm being so crazy, starting my A-levels Physics right after my SPM... That explains why I've been looking for more and more information about the Singapore GCE A-levels syllabus (yes, I'm going to Singapore next year)... Besides the fear of the new lifestyle overseas, my fear of losing the perfection in life is urging me to "start ahead, stay ahead" and always be one step ahead of others.

Perfection. Be it in studies or in physical activities. Without perfection, there's no life at all...


the self-proclaimed perfectionist.
Hazel.

Black and White - Justice

Black and white. Very significantly and distinctly different yet compromising colours. Classy and cool. Shows character.

Represents JUSTICE!

Yes. My interest and affection towards black and white had somehow developed after the traumatising "wake-up-call" that I had been through beginning last year (refer to my older posts).

Perhaps I should call it a blessing-in-disguise. It gave me an opportunity to lead an editorial team. It made me realise and be more aware of the darker side of life. It changed me entirely and I guess that this transformation that had taken place truly made me a better person.

To the person who had caused me this heartache, all I could say is

"I hate it, you hurt me so deeply. But I sincerely thank you for it as I've benefited a lot from it and I bet this had caused you much disadvantage!"

Next, my affection towards black and white represents my courage to face up to reality and differ white from black, good from evil and never to believe in grey areas. This forever-fighting-for-justice character of mine hasn't changed much but it seemed to have became more vivid and persistent as time goes by.

I'm currently re-watching a Singapore drama series entitled "Metamorphosis" and it had enhanced my belief that "truth will eventually prevail" and "good will always triumph over evil". This police action show made me think and associate the cases in the show with real life and I realised that if we persist till the end we'll be able to nail down the criminal.

I'd given serious thought about the career that suit my character and personality most and at the same time would also promise me a bright future ahead. I'd once thought of becoming a police (yes, don't sound like me - if you know me personally) but after much consideration I thought it would be most wise if I pursue my dreams in Forensic Science, as I'm a science student myself and my love for science has deepened drastically throughout my secondary school days.

One self-created Chinese quote suddenly struck my mind while I was thinking hard about my faith in justice. Having realised how low my Chinese proficiency level is, I am truly amazed and fancy thinking that I could actually come out with such a phrase made me feel a little flattered (don't mind me... just a spur of the moment)...

Black and white, can represent not only the complex truth and justice, but also symbolises the simplicity of life with touches of in-depth meaning of life - complexity behind the simplicity and also simplicity behind each complexity. Deep. Yes, I'd once thought of going into philosophy but I think it's better to stay rooted to the ground and move on with a more realistic path in today's Asian society.

I'd in fact done some simple interior designing of my future house, comprising of only the monotones. I find it really interesting and life would be more meaningful if I have such a simple-yet-complex retreat after a long day of hardwork at my workplace (most probably, the morgue i guess...) hahax!

I'm aware that most people think that black and white symbolises cold and lack of warmth but to me, no matter how cosy a house may look but it'll never be a house full of warmth if the residents of the house don't portray such warmth. So, I shall not be pulled back by such "traditional" thoughts and will most likely get on with my designs when the time arrives. In my humble opinion, warmth comes from a loving heart, and not from the outward facade of a person/a house. Thus, a black-and-white combination can also bring out warmth if the person wearing/ owning it has a loving heart.

I've always envied career women who succeed in their career based solely on their own capabilities and persistence. I wish I can be just like them when I grow up and make a name for myself in the forensic field. I feel blessed to own qualities such as persistence, justice-oriented, law-abiding, never-say-die attitude and also patriotisme towards not only my country but also to whatever club/society I'm involved in. I believe I'm also a responsible person and a perfectionist who only pursue perfections in every little thing I do, before I consider it an accomplishment. Thus, I shall apply all these qualities in my daily life and also in my future occupation as a forensic scientist.

Pathologist? Medical Examiner? Crime Laboratory Analyst? Crime Scene Investigator? Crime Toxicologist? Entomologist? Criminal Psychologist? I haven't decided on which field of Forensics I'm going to venture into, but well, most likely I'll pick ME/Pathologist/CLA because I wish to be directly involved in case-cracking with the police, using my scientific knowledge, going all out fighting for justice for the dead. I'll never permit myself to leave out any evidence that will bring justice to light.

"Leave no stone unturned." -Metamorphosis-

"Nobody ever commits a crime without doing something stupid." -Oscar Wilde-

"Black and white - Evil vs Good - Justice will prevail" -Hazel-

The girl who has a typical intolerance towards injustice.

Hazel.

Patricia Cornwell

It was only recently when I came to know of a prominent and respectable crime writer - Patricia Cornwell. Pardon me for my ignorance, but for the past few years I haven't been an avid fictional book reader. Fictional books featuring dreamy-and-fairy-tale-like stories somehow failed to capture my admiration, what more sitting down and spending time reading the forever-twisting romance genre. Therefore, I had since lost touch with the "book world" as most of the books within my reach are romantically fictional...

I preferred non-fictional stories with little touches of reality, featuring brutality of life, teaching and constantly reminding us about the importance of appreciating and living our life to the fullest.

On Tuesday morning, I was flipping through the newspaper when I saw an article featuring a contemporary American crime writer, Patricia Cornwell. First of all, her photo in "Star Two" caught my attention instantly. She had that cool image that I had always admired and she's actually quite pretty, despite being three years off the golden 50.

She is well-known for her popular series of novels featuring the heroine, Dr. Kay Scarpetta, a forensic pathologist and is currently the best-selling female writer after J.K. Rowling.

Patricia Cornwell had gone through much difficulties in life, suffering emotional abuse from her father whom she said had walked out on her family on Christmas Day when she was only five. To me, she had a very strong character and is a very tough lady having gone through all these ordeals in life and yet emerged as a brilliant writer.

However, she is a homosexual, marrying a female professor not too long ago and she said that she "finally felt rooted somewhere". To me, homosexual is against most religions in this world but it is definitely not to us to have a preconceived thought and criticise homosexuals. I think I'll respect her decision as it is her life and it is up to her to choose what she really wants.

Her "unusual" sexual direction does not affect my admiration towards her works, especially the latest one entitled "The Scarpetta Factor". I'd read four pages of her story, featured in abcnews.go.com. It was the very first time I really read through all four pages of a fictional story book and got really furious as it was left hanging by the end of the fourth page... I wished I had the book. I really want to finish that story. Maybe I'll try peeking at the bookstores near my house. I want to get her books. They're really nice.

Perhaps I had always adored crime and forensic-related things, that's why she really drew me into the her stories, making me want to explore and solve the crimes in it! I can't wait to continue reading her stories... When is the next time I'll be going to the bookstore???

This is the first fictional book that kept me reading on, anticipating for the crimes to be solved and analysing the situation in the story to figure out who the actual murderer was. Maybe the Scarpetta series have, what I'd mentioned earlier, little touches of brutality in life, which truly reflects the reality in the outside world. Understanding the criminals' minds sometimes do help us escape from unforeseen calamities...

Maybe I'll be forensic pathologist just like Dr Kay Scarpetta. My love and passion for forensics had since came back. There was once when I gave up the thought about forensics for lecturing in physics and additional math. But now, I think I'll choose forensics. It's more suitable for my forever-fighting-for-justice character. I have that typical intolerance for injustice and to me, abiding the law is always a must in my life! In addition, I always had that kind of cravings for more challenges and mind-boggling mazes to solve. I definitely believe that I have the confidence and capability to uptake the task of becoming a forensic scientist/pathologist in the near future. I'll work doubly hard to achieve my ambition! Way to go! Hahax!

BWF Super Series Finals in JB!!!

BWF SUPER SERIES FINALS 2009!!!

Hi blog reader(s)!!! Just back from the LIVE badminton matches in Stadium Bandaraya!!!

It was my very first time watching LIVE matches at the stadium, meeting all the international star players from Malaysia, Thailand, England, Denmark, Germany, China, Canada, Korea...

I managed to get a close-up look at Boonsak Ponsana!!! He's real cute! He was right beside me at the main entrance... but I didn't get to ask for his signature...Haix!

Despite the absence of top players from China such as Lin Dan and Chen Jin, all the matches were very very exciting and nail-biting and they really kept us at the edge of our seats!!!

All the clapping and cheering really lifted the mood and atmosphere in the cold, fully air-conditioned stadium!!! Strong patriotism was vividly portrayed when the crowd started cheering "Malaysia Boleh" to motivate our own national players... Loud cheers and claps echoed in the stadium when Mew Choo scored a smashing point and when Chong Wei topple Bao Chunlai in two straight matches.


Tickets - RM46 pax

Wong Mew Choo(in white) stretching to save the drop shot from Reid(Canada)


Wong Mew Choo in action...

Wong Mew Choo (in white) won 21-6, 21-13

*She played really very well today!!! Love to see the old Mew Choo again!!! For the past two years, after the China Super Series Open in 2007, she hasn't won any title till now... Really wish that she'll win this prestigious title!!! :)

Boonsak Ponsana-Thailand(in red) vs Peter Gade-Denmark

Peter Gade won..(sorry:( ... I forgot the score)

*Peter Gade wore the half-sleeved-half-sleeveless-shirt*

Zakry Latif-Mohd Faruzizuan(in red) entering the court...

Zakry Latif-Mohd Faruzizuan(in red) won!

Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong(Mas-in white) vs Xu Chen-Guo Zhen Dong(China)

(warming up...)

Koo Kien Keat-Tan Boon Heong lost...

They made many mistakes in the first and third games but Boon Heong's smash is really really of great force, super high velocity and unnerving accuracy!!! They lose out mainly on net play and speed in low balls... Haix!

Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui (Mas) vs Jenny Wallwork-Gabrielle White(England)

*Pei Tty and Eei Hui are at the near-side of the court...

Wong Pei Tty-Chin Eei Hui(far-side of the court) won in straight sets 21-17, 21-13

Datuk Lee Chong Wei(Mas-in light pink) vs Bao Chun Lai(China)


Lee Chong Wei in action...

*Malaysia supporters with the "Jalur Gemilang"*

Lee Chong Wei(in light pink) won in straight sets,

21-9, 21-11 (I'm not so sure of the score)

Peter Gade... He's soooooooooo tall!

Indonesian supporter!!

~with self-made shuttlecock-hat~

*He's supporting Indonesia's mixed doubles team...but sadly, they lost to the England team*

A Short Video Clip of

Wong Mew Choo(Mas) vs Reid(Canada)

Hope you enjoyed today's post....

Reported by hazelyi... LOLX!

Kindergarten made my day!!!

Great experience in the kindergarten! Love the kids so much that now I felt a little sad as I didn't have the chance to bid them goodbye on the last day of school.

"Never mind," I told myself reluctantly, "I have to go to school to collect my Biology paper!" What made me felt like bursting into tears is that we didn't even get our result today!!!

There goes my chance to see them for the last time. They'll be in Primary One next year. This whole lot of cute, bubbly kids will be clad in the typical, navy blue school uniform, going for formal education in schools like Convent, SIGS, SK Yahya Awal and St. Joseph.

Although I've just mingled with them for three days, their jolliness and hyperactive-ness really made me felt that sometimes "ignorance is bliss". They really carved deep impression and memory in my mind besides giving me ultimate joy whenever I see their pictures or even by just recalling those cute words they'd uttered to me and their friends...

I've made farewell cards for all 13 of them, containing messages and well wishes from my mum and I. I hope that they'll remember us and treasure all the memories they had with us in the kindergarten. Wishing them all the best in all their future undertakings, especially in their new primary school.

Lots of love from my mum and I.

"May God bless them all."

Taekwondo : The Soul Within...

Hi! It's me again! Lol... (rolls eyes)

As you readers know, I've been in this sport for about 10 years. But it's only this few weeks when i truly understand and love the soul within this tough and strenuous martial art.

All thanks to my instructor, Mr L, who didn't mind spending his precious time on us (the "seniors") explaining each and every move, the uses and the correct way of exerting maximum force when attacking.

He taught us the correct posture, the right stance, the starting point and the end-point of all the moves, moves that we'd all learnt when we were in white & yellow belt!

Initially, we felt that we were being belittled by him! (imagine letting the juniors see that even the seniors are re-learning these steps!! Will they still respect us?!) However, after the first lesson with him, I realised that what I'd learnt all this while is only 40-50% of what it really takes! All of us were very embarrased. (How do we teach the juniors when our moves are not even near perfection! Haix...) There was a split second when I felt like taking off my black belt (Yes! I passed my black belt grading!) , going back to white and re-learning all the basics all over again!!! But I managed to get hold of myself.

All my other friends are making the same errors.. So it's ok. I guess it's because my other instructors didn't have the time to correct us one by one as they had to teach the whole lot of us (from white to black), all at one go! "Humans do err", especially when you're not paying full attention and concentration on what you're doing. This was what my instructor told us. He's a wise man, I could say. Perhaps he had gone through many things in life, being more experienced, he is more matured and much wiser if compared to others. (Mind you he's not an old "ah-pek"! He's in the late 20's, i guess)

Besides that, today he also taught us to be humble and start perfecting our moves from the very beginning. He reminded us that what we'd learnt in white belt will be improvised and used throughout our whole Taekwondo life and journey. He made us understand the reason of us punching, kicking and blocking. He even explained scientificaly on which bone and internal organs of the human body will be hurt if we punch a mid-section punch, high-section punch and low-section punch!

He also told us that in life, if we're over-confident and always think that what we'd learnt is sufficient, we will not go far! A gentle reminder to all, keep low(humble), learn from others and correct your mistakes from time to time and stay open-minded when others correct you.

He truly made us understand the gist and soul of this sport. Honestly, Taekwondo really made me a more disciplined, enthusiastic, sistematic and confident person. I really love this sport!

Here I would like to encourage all readers of this blog to join me in Taekwondo! Don't think that Taekwondo is only for self-defence! It really educate you physically and mentally! You'll love this sport for sure, once you start learning it. Don't judge a book by i's cover! Come on and learn now! If you never try, you'll never know...