an embrace too short to say:

Oh, it's all over. It's done.

There's so much going on in my head right now, I don't know if I'm happy or regretful. Maybe I could have done more. I hope they feel nothing less than what I did a year ago. I don't know, sis. What an experience.

It's done. I did it. They're an awesome bunch and I'm proud of them. I'm proud of Orientation 2013. There's just so much going on in my head. I'm exhausted, and it's all done, full circle, and you're here again, sis, we're back where it all began. What a journey. I'm overwhelmed by a sea of emotions, the whole range.

You did great, buddy. You've grown so much. I'm so proud of you.

--

Your OG kid makes a comment about how they can manage on their own because they're pretty comfortable with each other already; they mix with one another pretty well. And I see your face light up like you've just struck gold. Pride. You did it. You did it. You did it.

It's finally over, pal, it's official.

You're a big boy now; it seems like just yesterday we first met: you the wide-eyed enthusiastic junior who thought we could be classmates, me the senior in disguise laughing at and touched by your innocent sincerity. It has been a whole year, man. A whole year - you getting furious upon finding out my real identity, you first joining Chinese Orchestra, almost-joining Council, your first term exam, Christina Perri and Chuck Palahniuk, your bimbz comment at Marche (thinking the ornamental fountain was for washing our hands). And then you grew up a little - your concert solo with that erhu, a smattering of love. I watched you grow in leaps, yet only in a small chapter of your teenage life.

Mercury '12! (karen the crasher sticks out like a sore thumb DUDE YOU LOOKED SO YOUNG)

And this is another chapter. The most exhilarating four days of your JC life. Full circle. From the wonderstruck freshie to the one leading the kids. I've been looking forward to this day, too, ever since your own Orientation ended.

I can't believe you're J2 now. You're still that excited newbie to me. It's all over now, and I'm so proud of the guy you've become. Through it all, I'm so glad to have been there with you, if only through Whatsapp and  our random dinners. And our lists of songs and books and stories to share. coolboi95 versus hotgal93. Fat kid versus small-eyed shortie. Ruockstar. The right way and the ruo wei.

 

  Full circle, boy.

Mzonka: Aster '11, Mythos: Mercury '12, Voda: Calypso '13!

For potential ACJC students

Before I came into ACJC, I didn't really have the best impression of it. I had the idea that it was full of rich snobs. Well the former is a little true - there are some pretty rich people, although you'll find far more in ACSI - but the latter is not. Any apprehension I had about the school vanished on day one. Orientation was a m a z i n g and we continue to uphold our legendary reputation. A lot of J1s from other JCs come to our school for orientation, and when asked why, they reply 'don't you know? AC's orientation is the best!' :') Of course, Orientation's only the beginning, but it's very significant, a great display of our school spirit.

(T'was great being a part of it. Writing the Orientation booklet, being an OGL. YAY COUNCIL.)

Check out the Youtube videos of ACJC Orientation 2011. Morgen's walk-in dance was the bomb. My Orientation 2010/2011 blog posts can be found here.

I experienced a strong school spirit first in Crescent, of warmth, love and family. AC's spirit is of fiery passion, fierce love, unity. It's infectious and loud; it courses through our veins. My advice: during Orientation mass rally sessions where everyone cheers like mad, give it your all, even when you're tired and thirsty and dying.

One thing about AC that stands out is that you take out of this journey whatever you want to gain. During Orientation, be insanely enthusiastic and dare to plunge into adventure and madness, and you'll get the most rewarding experience. When I came to AC, I decided that I'd no longer be the emo girl I was in Crescent. No longer would I sit alone during recess, leading an unsatisfactory life, looking at the people with whom I wished to be friends. In AC, I decided that I'd go all out to make each day the best that it could be. I spoke up, volunteered to be OG Rep / Class Rep, loved the mass dances and school anthem, made great friends. It worked.

Alternatively, if you'd rather lead the easy life, not bothering to make the most of this, that's what you'll get, too. You have to work hard at anything to get what you want, but the results never disappoint. Don't choose a less taxing CCA just because you want to go home early every day. Plunge yourself into the deep end. Go for things that interest you, even if - especially if - they're strenuous and heavy activities. Or at the very least, try to be as involved in your activities as possible. It is through this that you gain the most rewarding experience. It is through a CCA that involves passion, commitment and perseverance that you find your family.

For some, it's in the performing arts groups, like the Dance Society - any Dancer will tell you that it was through the late-night, exhausting Bailamos / SYF practice sessions that the strongest bonds were formed. For some, it's in sports groups, like Netball. For me, the Students' Council transformed me, and it was the highlight of my life.

Previously, I had never wanted to join the Council. In secondary school I looked upon the Council a little cynically, like how everyone else does. I guess I put my name down in AC because I wanted to make the best of my time here. I went in with little more than burning passion and dedication, and these qualities got me incredibly far. Endless Council work? Three-hour meetings? Insane decision-making moments? Council was an exhausting journey, but that's what made it so amazing. In a 'heavy' CCA, you'll find yourself spending more time in school than at home, arriving in school before the sun rises and leaving after it sets. But trust me. The more you give, the more you receive, and what you receive will be priceless. You'll find yourself a fierce passion, and that's what makes the AC spirit what it is.

Soon, you'll find the people who will never leave your side, who will never make you feel like you're worth any less than who you are. You'll find the people who will always rush over to dry your tears when you need to cry. You'll find the people with whom you share a common strong passion, be it for singing, soccer or photography. You will also push yourself to achieve things you never thought possible, realise the importance of integrity and tenacity, do some amazing things. All you have to do is take a step forward.

P.S. ELL is an amazing subject. Contact me for more info. Email or something.

P.P.S. If anyone actually saw the iMovie video they were screening at the corner in the Hub during the Open House...that was the first time I used iMovie! Council. Brought a lot of first-times.

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O R I E N T A T I O N : D'ACLAND 2011

It's pretty awesome to look back at it all, at the fun everyone had and all the random people - even J1s from other JCs - who crashed our Orientation because it was so awesome. Because everyone knows it's awesome. We lived up to that, went ahead with a crazy theme inspired by Disneyland - with OG names like Cheshire, Frozone, Pumbaa, Zurg - and.... made it work.

Awesomeness from 2.10-2.36, Josh's Like A G6 legacy 2.37-around 5.20. Quality of the video's not very good; more stuff on Youtube!

Pretty awesome to know I contributed quite a bit to this awesome Orientation that all the JC1s will remember. Didn't do as much as I felt I should have as vice-head and the jobs of our Program I/Cs with all the crazy admin involved were so tough, and the Log I/Cs too, and we all put in so much, the Orientation adhoc and the OGLs, but it's pretty cool to know we each contributed something that made Orientation what it became. Including Shuzhen, Laura and Amelia who choreographed the dances.

The dances. Justin's alarm ringtone is Dynamite. It actually got us in such a good mood during June Camp when it jerked us awake from our nap. It's hard to find a ringtone that allows you to wake up, heart pumping and excited and happy. That's what dance does to you.

I wonder how many people actually read every page of the Orientation booklet, by the way. Probably a handful out of the batch of 800, but I like knowing I have the soft copy in my computer. And perhaps the magic I wrote of in the write-ups helped stir up someone's excitement and passion for d'ACland 2011 and the school, helped inspire a bit of love.

OTAH.

Four days - and passion for eternity

I'm trying my best not to spam this post with pictures. Derrick and Lianne have uploaded their Orientation photos, so...

I love Emme.

The OGLs' signal to Abi that our clan wants to do a reBUTtal. Previously we'd just call out to her and wave, but she wouldn't know what we were trying to tell her. She came up with the idea of pointing to our butts to call for rebuttals because it's an action people don't do often.

Check out their albums!

Derrick #1, Derrick #2, Lianne

Who's got the beat, I say Mzonka's got the beat

Morgen's walk-in dance during the Campfire - less rehearsed than when it was done on the first day of Orientation itself, but you see their moves much more clearly in this video as compared to the that of their actual walk-in (it's all on YouTube!). Watch from 3:46 onwards. Epic. Val's and Josh's part from 2:20-2:40 is awesome too.

Watch it all on Youtube!!! Search 'shawnleecl'. He recorded everything from the balcony of the hall. Including the intro videos. Awesome. Skyfired101 even recorded our mass rally and mass & couple dance session on the last day and AC Boleh and our fireworks clap. Gets my heart pumping just watching it.

AC DANCE!!! I love this. Awesome girls dancing in heels. They did a pirouette. In heels.

They're awesome. I miss being a part of it, but I know quitting was the right decision to make, looking at my commitment to Council.

"SMOCAP! We need to put the mud back into the mud hole!"

Orientation 2011 Day 2 photos by Derrick!

Watching videos of our walk-ins on Youtube gets my blood pumping with excitement again. It's awesome that they were recorded and put on Youtube. Oh the memories oh the hard work oh the mad enthusiasm.

Day Two was fantastic. Really had fun. I see my OG kids coming together now, and I'm loving all that's happening. Melvin kept refusing to do the mud game in the beginning and a few of the others were jokingly plotting a mud-dunk. We only managed to play two outdoor games - much less than the ideal number, because today's games were awesome and I really wanted them to have a shot at all of them - but we also had fun with the icebreaker games like H2O. We've finished learning the mass dance.

We've chosen our OG reps. When people weren't willing to step up, I gave them this motivational talk thingo. And I realised how much I meant everything I had said.

Back in Crescent, I really was a nobody - a socially awkward emokid who wished she were friends with certain people, but never knew how to get to know them better. A kid who, at times, stayed in the classroom during recess so she wouldn't have to sit alone in the canteen. And then by a miracle called Guin's Magic, I became the discipline head of Crescent Dance when it was unimaginable that I'd even be in the committee. At first I struggled badly, but being forced to step out of my comfort zone made me the discipline head I never imagined I'd become. Crescent Dancers from my batch tell me that at first everyone had serious doubts about my capability, but by the end of our term they couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job.

And in AC, I decided I'd no longer be that lonely girl with regrets. It'd be the last two years of being in a school with a school identity and uniform and all. I told myself that I would work to become the open girl that I wished I was. I'd have friends, great friends whom I'd love and trust. I'd make these two years legendary.

Orientation 2010 was awesome. While our group, Vetar, was electing an OG Rep, I thought I'd take a step forward - after all, this was the chance for me to open up and make friends. And then I realised I wasn't too bad at taking the lead - from the admin stuff like printing Vetar's contact details to fun stuff like celebrating birthdays at the bleachers.

And being the OG rep with Joey gave me the courage to step up to be the Class Rep. (And Joey took my place when I had to give up the position for Council.)

And being the Class Rep gave me the courage to try out for Council, which I'd never thought I'd ever be a part of.

And then I decided to go all the way - try out for the Exco. And now I'm the head of Public Relations.

How you begin a year is really important, cliche as is sounds. I'm so grateful for everything I was a part of. In the write-up for Mzonka in the Orientation Booklet, I wrote:

Here in d’ACland, be prepared to do things you’ve never thought possible of yourself. But for that to become true, you first have to dream. Stretch your imagination; don’t ever shy away from expectations. Each of us d’AClanders are encouraged and nurtured to reach for goals that seem somewhere far beyond that last rainbow– and then aim higher. We have high aspirations. In d’ACland, the sky’s the limit. Reach for it.

I wrote that with all my heart.

Miss Kwan and Hi This Is Andrew From ACJC

and high-waisted shorts and V-I-C-T-O-R-Y and five crashers and hearing the sentence "She's Karen and she's lost two iPods" ten times. And "She's Grace, daughter of two people".

This is Aster.

Grace, Lee (Seokhoon) and I went pretty wild today, and we had a good time.

Our walk-in was great. The videos Amy did look... too awesome. Unfortunately my camera died halfway through Mzonka's walk-in. It was great that when there were technical problems with Morgen's introductory video, a few OGLs decided to start a school cheer, got the message across to the OGLs on the balcony on the other side of the school hall, and got it done well. It's more than just a reflection of initiative - it's also about taking a problem and turning it around, looking at it as an open door for other opportunities. That's something I haven't been able to do well.

Our OG learnt the first half of the mass dance. Foot cramp. Mass rally was funfunfun.

I really feel like injecting pictures into this post because things like that are usually best told in images, but thanks to my missing camera charger and dead camera, the pictures only in Grace's camera. Thank goodness she brought one.

You know how teachers attach adjectives to batches of students and remember them for that specific trait? Like, a certain batch was very enthusiastic and spontaneous. Another batch was very caring - they looked out for each other like a real, comfortable family. And this other batch was very creative.

It's not like an entire batch of students happened to consist of people who had always been enthusiastic or caring or creative.

Because JC is only two years long, a new batch of students' only direct reference to AC's culture and standards is their direct seniors. There must be something that causes entire batches of students to have a distinct quality about them.

We, the seniors, are the only direct line of reference the juniors have with regard to AC's culture and awesome school spirit and the standards we proudly hold high.

We, the seniors, determine the future of ACJC.

Pre-Orientation

I look back at my posts of 2010’s Orientation and the rush of excitement hits me just like it did a year ago. I remember how on the first day when we had to introduce ourselves with an alliteration, Kester had stolen my adjective when he said “Kind Kester” so in desperation I said “…Kinky Karen?”

Oh the days. Hardcore cheering at the bleachers with Mass Rally – I remember Jayme and myself going crazy. Laughing at Tim. Learning the mass dance. Getting all excited about AC Dance when I realized Zayana was a part of it. Guitar Hero at Ching Sheng’s place (and laughing at Tim trying to sing Bring Me To Life by Evanescence). Playing the Husband and Wife game (aka H2O) that we all loved. Sheena’s “Hi Kester, you’re damn buff.”

I remember it, I loved every bit of it. Maddie said she had never seen me so happy in my blog entries. It gave me passion. I loved cheering. I used the Victory cheer in one of my Council campaigning posters – I didn’t realize hardly anyone got it until I saw the poster again two months ago and a fellow 35^th went “Oh, so that’s what it was. I thought it was a random phrase.”

I was talking to Andrew (Fok) at the lobby after our OGL meeting today, and he told me about how he was handling the appeal cases. Mrs Chan said there were almost 300 people appealing today, and it hurts to know that although there’ll be many more in the next few days, very, very, very few will make it in.

Andrew talked about how it was awesome that once he said ‘Hi, I’m Andrew calling from ACJC-’, shouts or screams or ‘Ohmygosh’s would be heard on the other line.

It’s beautiful to think about, but it also hurts to know that hundreds of others who came all the way here to appeal for our school’s acceptance didn’t get it. And it hurts further to know that not everyone who made it into AC treasures the spot they've been given, because those who don't are taking the space of one more person who had been wishing for that spot so badly.

But things will work out eventually. ACJC wasn’t a JC I thought I’d happily associate myself with – until Orientation came. I loved every bit of it, and I began to love the school. I know a lot of other ACSians who weren’t ecstatic about being posted to ACJC at first, but who came to love the school – enough to sacrifice time and effort to become OGLs, to spread the love for AC to the juniors.

And like our very dear, very-very-much-loved Mrs Chan, I pray for those whose hopes of coming to AC haven’t been realized – that wherever they end up, they’ll call it home in time to come, too.

Get ready for d’ACland, guys. It’s a ride that’ll blow your minds.

We'll stand together for the cause, of ACS Forever.

Ching Sheng happened to see me at the MRT station on the way to school, so we walked to ACJC together! Talked a lot; his ability to hold a conversation for fifteen minutes is cool, I've gotta acquire that skill. I take the MRT with Derrick every morning but he was talking to some other friend of his when Ching Sheng saw me so we went our separate ways.

Took considerably few pictures today - 83 only, HAHAHA - because it was sit-in-the-hall-and-have-talks-until-2.30pm day. We were all struggling to keep awake.

Sat beside Timothy for 5.5 hours of talks (including assembly and not counting recess and lunch time).

Earlier in the day Yanying had suggested we make a card for our OGLs so she got the coloured paper and I organised everything. Borrowed Shuzhen's pair of scissors and cut up the coloured paper into tiny squares and got everyone in Vetar to write little messages on them. During our lunch break we bought a big hard board and cut it up and pasted the messages on one side and coloured paper with their names on it on the other side. I had planned to use blue for cool Ching Sheng, yellow for cheerful Cheryl and red for zany Zayana but it all got mixed up in the end, but who cares lah. And it was only much later that I realised they were the school colours! HAHA COOL OR WHAT.

Zayana's was pretty!

We re-drew Ching Sheng's three times because Timothy's design was quite.... ugly. HAHA. We were like, "Ching Sheng's going to think we hate him!" In the end Beng Teong drew some cute thing.

After lunch and more talks, we went to Ching Sheng's house for our OG outing!

Doomsday? :O

This just looks cool. His apartment is pretty cool. Glass panels act as a partition for the kitchen, and there are string curtains! :O

Omgggg, Ching Sheng takes H1 Jap... and I bet Teryne is too. I want to learn Jap lahhh. I've stopped beginners' classes already and might start all over again at a different language school. I sound like such a loser, don't I?

We did Band Hero, some card game I totally didn't understand, and even Mahjong.

Timothy was being stupid. When he was the one singing, he chose to sing Evanescence's Bring Me To Life - we were all laughing like crap, Avinesh went "I can't hear you man, come on, belt it out!" - and Kung Fu Fighting.

Then we left and had hurriedly bought Macs for dinner and rushed back to school for Campfire!
I've no idea why they call it Campfire when it's nothing like one. In Crescent, when the weather's good we have an actual fire in the parade square and the classes sit around it; in my year when it was raining we sat around a miserable kerosene lamp in the hall, but at least they tried. In ACJC there wasn't even a lamp or a candle or an attempt to sit around. We just sat in the hall and played games, watched Dance and ACSian Theatre dance (I want to join either one!!!) etc.

99% of the pictures were blurry ):

By the way, the video of our Orientation period that the Media Resource Crew did for us took "9 days and a hard disk failure!" :O

guin says (1:44 PM):
we had to film the thing ourselves
and then edit ourselves
go through so many tapes
and on thursday we finished like 80%
but my hard drive which has like everything inside died
so we chionged everything on friday morning
do you know when campfire started we were still exporting the video
and all of us were like omg please dont hang please dont hang
i was gonna cry backstage cos at first the sound didnt work

...so treasure the video, peeps! And the video really was really awesome.

The free-dancing thing wasn't exactly the most enjoyable, but I still had high fun jumping and screaming. The song choices weren't exactly the best though. They should have seen Crescent's Grad Nite's song choices for the free-dancing. Everything was perfect.

Grad Nite '09 - crescentians taking over the dance floor!

During ACJC's free-dancing 95% of the people were choo-choo-train running around and countless idiots kept banging into me. At the end of it all I was dripping with sweat and my tee was soaked (partly with other people's sweat too because they kept banging into me).

OGLs with their cards!

Sheena and I decided to shout "3 cheers and 3 cheers and 3 cheers for VETAR!" and yay everyone followed! Starting cheers is cool.

After hanging around school for a while to cool down and cheer a little, Sheila, Timothy, Wesley, Joey, Beng Teong, Chris, Jayme and I went to The Daily Scoop for ice-cream!

I just realised how atrocious my writing skills seem in this post. Sorry, I always sound very ten-year-old-ish when I'm talking about an exciting day.

"Where's Wesley's girlfriend?" "Who?" "Timothy."

Orientation has officially ended but we're still supposed to move around in our OGs because we haven't been assigned to classes yet.

Had a PE talk. Before taking this shot, I had planned to take a picture of Avinash and Kester who were on the other side but I wasn't looking at the camera screen and ended up taking a picture of Avinash's crotch. (I deleted the photo.)

We also took our height and weight - I really hope there's something wrong with the weighing machine, because apparently I'm now 156cm and 43.8kg - 1cm shorter and almost 2kg heavier!!! - and I met my fellow 4S2A Dancers!

During our 11.30 - 12.30 break Wesley made us - Sheena, Sheila, Joey, Jayme, Cherry and I - howl in laughter when he was telling us about Timothy. Wesley says once he said he felt so hot he was going to become a fried something (I can't remember what), and then Timothy said "I wanna eat you up." AHAHAHAHA. That was epic.

And then Timothy came and we all decided to take pictures with him 'cos he was so funny. He didn't know what was going on. Neither did Ching Sheng when he came after his lessons and we asked the both of them to take a picture together simply because the rest of us had done it too.

When he put his arm around Wesley's shoulder we couldn't help laughing even harder.

Buff Kester doing pull-ups WITH ONE HAND. O:

Subject registration. 90% of my friends are taking 4H2 subjects and I seriously wanted to too. I mean, I qualify for it because my raw L1R5's less than 8 but I really don't want to take H2 Math.

So since I'm taking only 3H2s and H1 Math (which I should be able to score in), I've resolved to score As in everything. I mean, I doubt it'd be that hard. It's not like I'm taking crazy subjects like Physics / Bio / H2 Math. I'm taking Lit, ELL, Econs and H1 Math. I think I should be capable of scoring well. So that's my academic goal - straight As, just like my O level results.

After school had ended, ten of us from the OG went for lunch at Swensen's at Holland Village together! The others couldn't make it - and Kester went to the gym instead. D: !!!

It was really fun. The OG that Seng Jiaying and Amanda Khoo are in came to Swensen's for lunch too!

Wesley told us about his Chinese oral exams. During one of his oral exams his teacher actually asked him if he was from CL (Basic) and told him the CL (B) exams weren't on that day. Then he said that during his O Level Chinese oral exams he told the examiner some stupid rubbish about loving machines that could help the disabled and life-changing CIP experiences. He said the examiner actually teared! Joey refused to believe it.

"No! Stop exaggerating! That's just not possible!"

And then Jason had to leave and then Ching Sheng came!

Wesley had great difficulty ordering ice-cream in Chinese. Everyone was laughing at his atrocious command of the language, and I was laughing too - but only because that's exactly how I would have said it. -.-

We had 5 guys and 5 girls so we had an ice-cream eating competition! Each "group" ordered a Topless Five so each of us chose one topping. I think both Ching Sheng and I ordered Chewy Sticky Chocolate. Mmmmm, whenever I order ice-cream I order the chocolatiest flavour. Chewy Sticky Chocolate is awesome.

And then Wesley, Chris and Ching Sheng had to return to school and Sheena wanted to go and get her uniform at Orchard so the remaining six of us walked around aimlessly.

Nice right nice right, I totally have skill. HAHAHA.

Tim (to Beng Teong): I think that'll look damn pretty on you!

And then Joey and I wanted to take a bus to an MRT station to go home but didn't realise we took the bus on the wrong side of the road so we ended up going to Orchard.

Got my AC uniform (WHAT'S UP WITH THE MEGA LONG SKIRT, I FEEL LIKE A NUN!) and we chatted a lot.

-

Tomorrow we have a thousand pointless talks until 2.30 and then it's OG Outing time - bowling and chilling at Ching Sheng's house and dinner! - and then we have to be back in school by 6pm for Campfire. Wth, why are we given so little time for the outing? We all thought we'd be dismissed at 1.10 so that we'd have enough time for the outing. ): Why're we given so little time? Maybe we won't bowl. I wanna play Band Hero at Ching Sheng's house. :D

CAMPFIREEEEEEE!