sadikin

- Friday, November 30, 2007

farewell to five who died too young

Tears, moving tributes, poems at memorial service for 5 paddlers
By Ong Sor Fern, Judith Tan & Arlina Arshad

Over 1,000 attend memorial service for dragon boaters
By Hasnita A Majid

Farewell tribute from the team captain
By Judith Tan

Dragon boater had bad instinct about race in his last blog entry

i guess the article by Janadas Devan in today's print edition of The Straits Times (the title of which is this entry's as well) sums it up: the five dragon-boaters died ahead of their time.

all were individuals full of promise and outstanding in their own right: one was a fine young gentleman, one was a talented musician, one was a 'selfless teddy bear', one was a comeback kid, one was an inspiring teacher, yet they shared a common space - they were the best dragon-boaters that the nation could offer, and it was their deep passion for the sport that unfortunately claimed their lives at their prime.

i guess family members and friends of these five fine paddlers - Chee Wei Cheng, Reuben Kee, Jeremy Goh, Poh Boon San, and Stephen Loh - can take comfort in the fact that in their short lifetime, they have managed to live their lives to the fullest, and touch the lives of many around them. though i, myself, do not know them personally, through the tributes and accounts given by family members and friends, i could gather that they were five great young men. and reading about the coverage every day just makes my heart sink.

and certainly, they will be dearly missed, and forever remembered.

to quote Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, "And from now on every dragon boat that sails with a Singapore flag will sail in honour of each of these fine young men".

may they rest in peace.

3:48 PM
sadikin

- Monday, November 26, 2007

so, the beach outing with the mats didn't happen unfortunately. was cancelled at the last min due to the small turnout. well, so it was time for Plan B. haha

okay, i am feeling very lazy right now, so i'll just skip to listing down what happened today:

- breakfast out with mum and sis at good ol' Geylang

- sent Bryan, Greg, and the guitar ensemble members off to Japan with Shawn at Terminal 1

- lunched at BK with Shawn, where he managed to get a $7.95 meal for $6.90, somehow.

- rushed to the gates just in time to say our final goodbyes to them, which was truly classic. afterall, Bryan and Greg were just about to hand over their passport and boarding pass to the officers, and upon seeing us, they went out of the queue. yes, i know. what a movie scene! xP

- roamed around Terminal 3 since Greg's mum said that it's quite breath-taking, and it really is. (:

and of course, photos to complement the text:

mum and sis (:

welcome to Terminal 3!

that's the 5-storey tall Green Wall

YATTA!!!

posing for the camera...

viewing gallery

ditto

the really cool water feature!

a funky final shot

haha, yeps. that was today.

oh, and just so you know, i'll be away from tmr till thurs afternoon at RIPB Chalet at NSRCC. so till then, out!

10:34 PM
sadikin

tragedy

my heartfelt condolences to the family and friends, and those affected by the unfortunate passing of the five rowers in the dragon boating mishap in Cambodia - Chee Wei Cheng, Jeremy Goh Tze Xiong, Stephen Loh Soon Ann, Reuben Kee En Rui, and Poh Boon San.

i am sure that they were all individuals full of promise and a bright future, and to have the chance of truly living their lives to as they had wanted and realising their greatest dreams taken from them at a young age, is certainly harsh. but take comfort in knowing that their presence touched the lives of many when they were still around, and their passing is a great loss to many.

may they rest in peace.

a number of news reports from CNA:

8:56 AM
sadikin

reserved & enchanted

a day out with my most favourite people in the world today! (: which was, needless to say, a great day out.

well, went for the RISE-RV combined concert - RESERVED - at Victoria Concert Hall with Dean, Mathan and Yao Guang.

it was quite good, i must say, though the RV pieces were somewhat a tad too short, i feel. but of course, the animated and just simply entertaining delivery of the Holiday Favourites, which included Jingle Bell Rock, (haha!) complete with choreography, certainly made up for that. and, there was of course the beautiful encore piece Hallelujah Chorus from Messiah. RISE was great as usual, though i'd prefer their usual pieces more so than the ones they played. oh, and the supposed highlight of the afternoon, For the Beauty of the Earth, wasn't as spectacular as i had thought it would be, mainly due to the overshadowing of the choir by the orchestra, sadly. if not, i'm certain it would have turned out great.

anyhow, it was a wonderful concert, nonetheless. (: so thank you Raffles Institution String Ensemble and Raffles Voices, and those who were involved in it, for a great afternoon of music and lyrics.

after that, simply walked around Raffles City with Dean, Mathan and Christopher, since Yao Guang had to scoot off to his grandparents', before Mathan left for his mum's Deepavali function (i got that right, okay!) and Christopher went home, since he already had a date for the movie that Dean and i were gonna catch.

so, we proceeded to Plaza Singapure to watch Enchanted. which is just oh-so lovely. (: haha. a really nice and heartwarming movie. i shan't bother you with the details since you won't exactly get it if you haven't. anyway, it's definitely a must-watch for the holidays.

us in VCH (:
- mathan, me yao guang, dean

me and lionel (:
(you should have seen him perform! haha)

me and dean

whokay, that's all for the day.

nights!

oh, btw, this oughta be interesting - Sampras Stuns Federer in Macau in Final Exhibition, Pete Sampras defeats Roger Federer in straight sets in exhibition in Macau.

12:25 AM
sadikin

- Friday, November 23, 2007

stronger

There is much to be afraid of in this world. But what we fear has nothing to do with gruesome masks or plastic spiders or lifelike monsters. No, it’s the thoughts in our heads that terrify us the most.

What if she comes to regret her decision?
What if he really is unhappy?
What if the chance for love has passed forever?

How do we conquer these terrifying thoughts?

We start by reminding ourselves what does not kill us, just makes us stronger.

Desperate Housewives Season 4 Episode 6 - Now I Know, Don't Be Scared - is just so emotionally-charged. and the fact that it makes you want to both laugh and cry at certain moments just reaffirms DH's success as a dramedy. plus, Danielle's commendable attempt at a really dramatic scene in this episode speaks so much about young American actors nowadays. which certainly makes American tv series all the more watchable, unlike some local ones, sadly.

anyway, well, as you can see, i've been really busy catching up on all the tv shows that i've been missing in these past few weeks. and it's been just great! =D haha

in other news, roti prata prices have increased by 10 cents! well, at least for the stall at Punggol Plaza's Koufu food court. apparently, due to rising flour prices, and of course, rising oil prices that certainly do not help the situation, the stall owners have decided to raise the price of a plain prata to 70 cents, and an egg one to $1.30. o.O talk about inflation and higher cost of living.

AND, moving on, my sis has bought the FIFA 08 PC Game. yay. uhhuh. haha. so now, i've gotta burn some tv episodes from the PC to free up enough space, and also to ensure that it does not operate too slowly once that's installed. yeps.

oh, and speaking of my sis, she's now officially become my mum's tv buddy, watching the typical soap operas with her. HAHA. soap-opera and football junkie much. -.-"

alright, off to burn those VCDs. out!

2:06 PM
sadikin

- Wednesday, November 21, 2007

towning

yay. the HC-APYLS bunch had a meet-up of sorts yesterday, though it was just the 5 of us, with no representative from RGS. haha. well, since three of the Japanese delegates are in town on a school trip with their 200+ batchmates, it was certainly a great opportunity to catch up with them as well.

well, they were supposed to have free time from 4.30pm onwards, but apparently, they've gotta have their dinner at some Chinese restaurant. so our meeting at York Hotel at 4.30pm only lasted for around an hour, before they had to leave for a New Treasure restaurant. however, we felt that it was a waste to just meet them for that short time, and since we were already in the area, we decided to meet them again after they were done, which was at 9pm. -.-"

so, us, Singaporean delegates, decided to spend time having lunch/dinner and catch a movie at Cathay Cineleisure. and we eventually decided on the much talked-about Bee Movie, mostly due to time factor. well, the movie turned out not too bad lah, but a tad too cheesy and corny. xP oh, and of course, that unglam moment! which i obviously wouldn't care to elaborate on my blog. (:

as planned, we met the three of them again at 9pm, played a game of UNO, before we were told that we weren't allowed to do so at the lobby (where we were playing). so we went to one of their rooms. and subsequently had to play some hide-and-seek as they were having a room check at 10pm. haha. which was totally hilarious and crazy. xP

that's Jane!

and that's me! haha

well, Jane and me chose to hide behind the curtains. haha. anyway, we spent the rest of the time just talking and catching up with each other, before leaving close to 11pm.

haha, so that was a great day out with the four HC-APYLS peeps - Gervais, Jiawei, Jane and Eileen, and of course, the visiting Japanese - Saki Tanaka, Kanaya Saki, and Otsubo Makoto. (:

and today, went towning with Bryan, Desmond, Gregory and Will after that meeting with the ever so dramatic Miss Alicia Goh xP to hand in my NYAA (Silver) Log to YanZHI.

and now, Shawn and me are looking back at our really, well, innocent and cute blog entries when we were younger. HAHA. just classic. =D oh, and i've nEvEr tYpEd LiKe tHiS thank god. well, Shawn did! xP

yay, and my printer's finally printing in the correct alignment, after i changed the colour ink catridge. (:

i'm one happy guy. yeah.

8:00 PM
sadikin

- Tuesday, November 20, 2007

of nothingness

life's been sadly uneventful these past few days. perhaps except for the car window shopping last sunday after the gathering at my aunt's.

and uh, catching up on my favourite American drama series of course. xP yay, now that Prison Break's having a break till January, there's one less drama to focus on. plus, i'm getting bored by PB already lah. the never ending prison-breaking, and i'm still not very happy with their decision to kill off Sara. like, why!??! =/

haha. anyway, just thought i'd drop by to tell everyone that i'm still alive, thankyouverymuch.

12:29 PM
sadikin

- Sunday, November 18, 2007

masters cup

The Final: Federer vs. Ferrer

Federer Clinches Fourth Masters Cup Crown

yeps, if you haven't already known, Roger Federer beat David Ferrer in straight sets to win the Masters Cup 2007 Singles title. which is his fourth, as the title of the above article states.

yeah, just thought i'd update you on that.

er, okay. out!

9:01 PM
sadikin

masters cup

just some updates for your information.

Ferrer Powers into Shanghai Semifinals

Federer Rolls Past Rafa to Reach Final

yup, so it'll be an exciting Ferrer-Federer Tennis Masters Cup finals later at 4pm not to be missed. and as usual, i'll place my bet on the hot favourite and undeniably most consistent player for the tour, Federer. but hey, Ferrer has been putting up a great performance in the Masters Cup thus far, having beaten Nadal and Djokovic in the round-robin stage, so who knows, right?

and yes, i'm back home already. gonna get ready to leave for aunt's soon.

till later. (:

11:04 AM
sadikin

yay. i'm finally done with the route maps. i feel so accomplished woohoo. time to work on reflections, then i guess i could catch some rest before waking up for breakfast or to be homeward bound by 9am, whichever is earlier.

and my grilled chicken foldover should be arriving soon, i hope. goody! =D

and uh, sexy naughty bitchy me is being played on 987fm right now. uhhuh. haha

2:39 AM
sadikin

- Saturday, November 17, 2007

circumcision

haha

greetings from Stratton Drive! somewhere in AMK/YCK area.

haha, i'm at ben hong's right now, completing the GTC hike log. and we're uh, making good progress, i think. and i hope. xP well, there's around 15 hours to the deadline anyway. but the other patrol's already done with theirs grrr. way earlier, since around 4pm.

and i've only got 3 route maps left to draw anyhow! woohoo.

and we've been talking about a lot of interesting and retarded stuff, as can be inferred from the title. HAHA.

okay, off to bathe and continue with the remaining route maps. jia you us! riiight. -.-"

on a positive note, it's my last hike log! YAY.

11:54 PM
sadikin

- Friday, November 16, 2007

tennis

yeah, and as expected, World No. 1 Justine Henin defeated Maria Sharapova in the Sony Ericsson Championships finals on Monday to claim the title. certainly, it was a close and tough fight, considering the scoreline of 5-7, 7-5, 6-3, from which it can be seen that Sharapova had an early lead with the first set win.

from the official website: Another Perfect Ending for World No.1 Henin. well, i guess that marks the end for this year's Women's Tennis Association Tour.

anyway, the Men's Tennis Masters' Cup is still underway, and i just finished watching the Federer-Roddick match. which was a very exciting one, i must say. and just what happened at the 30-0 during the second game point of the second set? o.O

anyhow, i guess they're both through to the semi-finals already, despite Federer's win for the match, along with Ferrer and Nadal from the Gold group. i am definitely looking forward to the semis. and oh yes, just what happened to Djokovic? practically lost all his matches in straight sets. -.-"

haha, alright. enough tennis updates for the day.

out!

8:49 PM
sadikin

the final GTC

woke up to the wonderful feeling of aching thighs and shoulders. xP YAY, so fun. uhhuh.

anyway, just got back from GTC yesterday, which was undeniably (and i'm sure my batchmates agree) the most mentally and physically challenging GTC, and camp, for that matter. really, it was by far the toughest camp i've ever attended. and that says it all.

from the almost 50km hike in around 13 hours (we reached the night point close to 1 am, albeit with some last-min assistance from the teachers) on Day 1, to the unexpected night call on Day 3 morning, and of course, the 5-hour PT pay-off on Day 4 morning, and the climatic finale of 2 sets of 50 push-ups, as well as the moments of feeling terribly demoralised and exhausted, added with the pain in various areas, and wanting to just give up, as though the self was about to break, this GTC certainly proved to have really stretched my limits.

but thankfully, with the encouragement from batchmates, and my own motivation to just carry on (coupled with thoughts of enjoying 7-eleven slurpee, fruit tree fresh's cranberry and pomegranate juice, and lots more), and of course, by the grace of God, i pulled through. and for that, i feel a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. it is no mean feat, trust me.

and as with every GTC, when the hike routes prove just too long, i've had a good time to reflect on many things during the camp. yeah, soul-searching of sorts, you could say.

alright. and right now, we've gotta complete the hike log by sunday. woohoo. =/ haha. after which, i shall hope that i won't have much things on for the rest of the holidays, and just treat myself to lots of TV that i've been missing. and hanging out with the great friends. (:

that is it - the final 01 camp i'll attend as a participant. jubilation? HELL YEAH. =D

11:33 AM
sadikin

- Sunday, November 11, 2007

venturing

all my bags are packed, i'm ready to go.

haha. yep, i'm all set and ready for GTC. which is bound to be my last as well, considering that i don't wish to continue and join the Group Council. ohwell, so besides the usual pre-GTC jitters (it's not called the Group Training Camp for nothing), there's that lil part in me that realises that it'll probably be my final 01 activity other than the Group Celebrations, which is our own version of the POP.

OKAY, that aside, here are some photos from the joint Overnight Cycling activity with 02 held last Friday till Saturday morning.

view on the way to ubin

the really bad condition of the boat

nubby neo with his lousy bike
(just look at its broken chain -.-")

enthusiastic sarun xP haha

the beautiful rainbow on our way back to mainland

from another angle

01 ventures (batchmates) who were there

and a group shot before we left ubin

oh, and just so you know, the last two black&white shots were courtesy of Mr Raymond Chan's coolio wartime (but modified to become digital) camera.

alright, i'd better get my rest for tmr. esp with my bout of cold.

goodnight! (:

10:56 PM
sadikin

updates

okay, just before i go off for GTC (Group Training Camp) from Monday till Thursday, as my self-appointed secretary Bryan (Suarez) has posted on the tagboard, here's some updates yeah.

Batch Jalan Raya (Part II), 6 November 2007

(i didn't go for Part I the day before. well, i overslept after
staying up late after GradNite and had a scouts activity.)