Wednesday, June 4, 2008
A lot has happened in the past few days, including the choir elections, choir bbq, the CIP camp and meeting up with the Koreans.
Firstly, we had the choir elections on Saturday. So now we have 5 people who are the new exco, but I personally think they look more like 5 individuals than a committee. I suppose it takes time to fit everything in place. We only have the music comm left, and I'm more excited about that one, naturally!
After the elections, I went home for lunch, packed for the camp and went over to Sheena's house at about 4pm with the potato salad and laptop in tow. Unfortunately I couldn't really get the internet to work, so I couldn't watch my Tae Wang Sa Shin Gi. I saw her grandma for the first time, who was watching Hana Kimi (Taiwan version)!
One by one, in groups the rest came to her house. Just as the bbq delivery van came and unloaded the stuff, it began to rain, and they discovered that they had forgotten to bring the rented pit! So a lot of time was passed by playing stuff on the piano and singing, and when Ome came he managed to get my internet to work! [Thanks, Ome!] More and more people came, as the pit arrived as well.
I wasn't really paying attention to what was happening around me since I was watching my show, but after a while I joined the J1s in their bridge game - though they paid more attention to Disney Channel than to the game! Then we went to get our food! I must commend Elvin on his hard work at the bbq pit. Also YQ and Caleb. All the J3 guys were talking about NS stuff, and I think ZJ and Gabriel was educating Conan and YJ. Some of them were playing with the PSP that Kenneth brought. At about 11.45, Conan, YJ, JA, ZJ, Gabriel, BF, Amanda and Sheena walked me home.
All in all, it was fun to see so many generations of choir people, and how the seniors simply sit down while the juniors are the ones cooking and serving!
After church on Sunday I came home to bathe and get my stuff, and my cousin fetched me to school. The people already there were preparing for games, and afterwards we were briefed on the games for Monday, and went on the night hike trail. We went to the chicken rice near Coro for dinner, and then to NTUC for supplies. I carried the raw eggs!
After a night of daidee, one bridge game, studying at the squash courts, and poor sleep in the gym, it was Monday, and we prepared for the kids to arrive. Ben and I were group leaders of Group 2, comprising: Shreyaa, Shella, Jia Hao, Ameerah, Gretna, Yin Yin, Oliver, Bing Sen, En Yu (Sheryl), Jin Kang (Kenneth), Nagarajan and Vivekha. Most of them are P5/6, though one is Sec 2.
I was a station master for the afternoon, where they were supposed to do charades, and I nearly fell asleep waiting for people to actually show up. Some groups had less time than others, so it wasn't very fair, I suppose. In the end, because everything was delayed, everyone was to return to the gym at 5.30 and they played some crazy game with the kids running around in lines trying to form a circle.
The night hike was very slack for me and Shiane at the fish pond, because all we did was wait for groups to come and find the clues hidden around the pond. Those of us sitting for the PAE test were allowed to leave at 10pm. My group only had Ben left, so Sheryl helped him when the kids had to bathe.
The PAE test on Tuesday was annoying. We were to register at 9am, and be seated at 9.30. Then they spent a long time getting people at the back to move front. And some more time asking us to check our details. And even more time telling people to go to the toilet again and again before the test. I didn't really finish the first test, and couldn't finish the second, but had extra time for the third. The personality test comprised 185 questions, and if they weren't all MCQ I think I'd have fainted.
I joined my group practicing their skit at the squash courts, which wasn't bad for a bunch of kids given so little time to put something together. Bing Sen was Ah Boy, the hero, who first helps Grandma Shella who falls down from Jia Hao's litter; then with Oliver saves Ameerah and Yin Yin from Nagarajan the bully; and finally reports Kenneth's cheating to the teacher Vivekha. Sheryl and Gretna were emcees.
After that was the war games, where each group wrapped one member in newspaper, and were supposed to keep their member as dry as possible while water-bombing the others. Jia Hao was our little newspaper kid, and all the newspaper kids were SO CUTE! Unfortunately, the kids totally forgot about protecting their friends and just went crazy trying to bomb people!
I left at 5.15 to go meet Theophila and the Koreans at the Singapore Flyer, and only after I got on the bus did I receive her sms that they'd meet 30 min later at 7! I arrived at Marina Square at 6, and then took half an hour figuring out how to get to the flyer. Then I stoned for 40 min more before seeing Shiqi, and then Ms Lim. Theophila, Yanyao, Taeshik, Jaehyun and Yosub were already in the Popeye's place. The food isn't as good as KFC though. Theo, the 3 Koreans and Shiqi sat on the flyer, and I took a bus home.
I bathed and then my mum fetched me back to school, and the kids had all already bathed and were playing some games in the gym. So I joined them for supper and reflections. Afterwards Huizhen, Aretha, Ben, Jiayi and me took silly pictures outside our old class. Then we went to the guys room to play a few games and eat pizza. Poor Joanne was studying for SATs and trying to memorise the words.
This morning I got up at 7, and I am amazed at Jean, because she doesn't seem to have moved at all during her sleep beside me. We had to pack up everything and clean the rooms, before moving everything to the gym and then going for morning exercise. I think Jiayi has a future as a PE teacher - torturing the poor kids with running, duck walking, frog jumping and pumping.
During the bonding session we bought them bubble tea, though poor En Yu had a stomachache, and then played Captain's Ball with Group 1. Though I don't know who won, I think Group 2 has very good teamwork, because they don't hog the ball, but willingly pass it to their other members. After that we had the prize giving, and my group won 3rd place, good job! The sorting of kids in their bus groups was chaotic, but at least it worked out in the end. Poor Oliver wasn't from the primary schools or SCCs, so we had to ask the CDAC person.
I was really sorry to see the kids go off in the buses, because they're truly such nice kids, and potential leaders. Some of them are leaders in their schools already, and I hope they grow up to be more mature and sensitive to the people they lead. I promoted the NJC IP scheme where they may be able to come to NJ next year, LOL!
It's sadly true that they'll probably never see us or each other again, or at least even if we do it'll be 5 years later on the street when we don't recognize each other. Even so, as they forget us, at least I hope they had a good learning experience and enjoyed the camp.
Thanks to all the blogs i referred to (countless) for html code help :) (esp. cyn' and sixseven)
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