This author is currently on hiatus for the ignoble cause of mugging. The public is advised to remain calm, as this routine protocol has been shown to have no effect on one's violent tendencies in 96% of cases.
| Saturday, August 29, 2009 |
|
You know, I didn't even know that last week was the last week of lessons for our J2 seniors. So when Andai was saying how he got bonded instead when he wanted to say goodbye to Poon, it suddenly dawned on me why the number of class photo-takings and videos of "last PE lessons" uploaded to facebook jumped so much in that week. Life seems filled with farewells these days, boo. And now I kinda feel bad for not spending more time with our great seniors in the mere six months with their company, all along thinking that I'd still be seeing them around school till the end of the year. Well, at least this probably won't be the last we see of them, 'cos I certainly wouldn't want to suddenly be never meeting them again like that after taking for granted that they'd be in the campus somewhere every day. Very soon - just one more year to be exact - it'll be our turn too. The pace of life for us is starting to pick up exponentially, and I just can't help but keep getting reminded that this chapter is going to be over soon. Secondary school life was really lax and pretty much still floating by, but now JC life is practically whizzing past us. And that would pretty much be the end of our teenage years, and then there's NS and uni and work and work and babies and naggy wives aaaaahhhhh ...Okay, I think let's not think too far into the future yet. Anyway, as cliche and oft-repeated as this is, we should be treasuring this last couple of years so we can leave with no regrets. In fact, at the start of orientation, I was telling myself that I wanted to make the best out of the next two years and really go all out and enjoy myself, but now it seems we have even less time than that. I'll certainly miss being a student at the end of this, but I won't go so far as to say I'll miss lectures and lessons all that much - I'll probably still be dozing off in Chem lectures, that's for sure - but more of the honest company and the friends I've had the privilege of bonding with (though the same can't be said for being bonded by). But hey, at least the school's gonna get much less crowded from now on. And we get to invade our senior's class bench as well, so we might actually be able to fit the whole class on the class benches in the mornings now. (Okay, maybe except Goodbye, seniors. And don't feel too bad Andai, taking (someone else's) clothes off is our senior class's way of bidding farewell. D: |
'Twas teh winnar at 3:59 pm.
| Sunday, August 23, 2009 |
|
As I was typing out my previous post on NDP, it just kept growing and growing into one heck of a mammoth-sized post. Guess that makes up for my six months of absence from blogging, huh. In any case, if i were to compress it all into a single post, you'll either get bored of reading it halfway or grow old without kids just sitting in front of the computer trying to finish reading it. And that would be sad. So, for the sake of your sanity and my time, I've split it up into two parts - the narrative and the reflections. Here's the second part. As most reflections go, I'm tempted to go angsty emo teen mode and moan on and on about how I miss NDP and all the friends I've made and how much I love Singapore (ORLY?), but that would be so conformist. Still, I can't help but feel a tinge of sadness that this chapter ended as suddenly as it began - we were all just starting to get to know each other better and all of a sudden it's our last performance on National Day itself and we probably won't be seeing each other again. In fact, I'm so accustomed to spending all of my Saturdays out at rehearsals already that I don't know what to do with them now. I guess I actually have to do my tutorials now, boo. Seriously though, I didn't even feel this way after SLC or Dance Nite - but I guess that's because I know I'll still be seeing those guys around nearly everyday in school even after the performance, for at least a couple of years more to come. Not that it's always a good thing though - if only my abang would stop pinching me and stepping on my toes. When I first joined NDP, I wasn't really expecting much from it - it was more of a "oh my friends are going, I have some free time and it sounds cool so why not?" Talk about herd mentality. That was four months in advance. Four months to learn a five-minute choreography - sounded easy enough, considering M.A.D. could rush out a dance performance of around that length in just two weeks for Greenworks. And then we would execute it flawlessly on 9 Aug, entertain the nation for that five minutes, and that would be the end of my commitment to NDP. At least, that's how far my expectations went. How wrong I was. I certainly didn't expect the week-after-week of rehearsals first just to get the timing nailed down, then the formations, then to get used to the costumes and the props, and finally all the numerous National Education performances for the Primary 5 kids before the actual thing. Not that it was such a bad thing after all, especially with the pretty fireworks we were rewarded with at the end of each rehearsal. Plus, it's amazing what weeks of stoning for five hours straight together does for human relationships - from random small talk evolving out of boredom to exchanging contacts and eventually I didn't expect much for the treatment of the performers either - I was prepared to tolerate meals to be hard dry rice with cold dishes and perhaps a little squashed tofu. Or maybe we might get some noodles with salty gravy, if we were lucky. To some extent, some of the food we got did prove me disgustingly right (*cough* Singapore Food Industries), but the Old Chang Kee snacks and Pizza Hut more than made up for it beyond what I could possibly hope for. The crowd, too, went beyond my expectations. I'd thought that most of the people who went to watch NDP were mostly made up of aunties there for the goodie bags, but the way the excited audience cheered and clapped and actually stood up for Singapore showed a different image altogether. It felt good to be feeling the crowd from down on the stage, too. I guess you could say my prior expectations towards performing in NDP weren't too high, which could be why I was so easily impressed. Call me a pessimist, if you may. But that's the nice part about being one - you're either always right or pleasantly surprised. I was pleasantly surprised this time round, thankfully. My only gripe? The bloody retarded box that we had to wear on our heads.  In fact, all the performers were against the box-helmet-letterbox thingy for both aesthetic and practical reasons - the outer reflective layer is supposed to act like a one-way mirror, but with the lights inside the box we couldn't see outside at all and were essentially blind chickens running about in the dark. I can't remember how many times I crashed into people while trying to locate my position with that thing on my head. Still, the organisers insisted on us wearing them; I think they thought we'd somehow look more "futuristic" and robotic that way. That, or perhaps they wanted to save on makeup costs. At least they eventually relented a bit and cut us a slit so we could actually see through the box. Needless to say, the costume design fell short of my expectations. The silver "power suit" (read: Western-style blazer and pants) was supposed to portray the idea of "corporate warriors", but didn't really go well with the overall theme of our performance, what with the traditional Chinese music and martial arts. I suppose it was also partly supposed to depict the merging of Western and Chinese cultures, but it turned out to look more like a clash of cultures instead. Dressing under three layers of clothing in this tropical climate while swinging a long stick about is quite a sweaty affair too. That said, the lights were a nice touch, probably inspired by the Beijing Olympics opening ceremony, though that was much more impressive since they could actually control the lights and make cool patterns with them. The wiring inside our costume was terrible though. After every performance, some part of the wiring would inevitably come loose, basically cutting the connection to a section of the circuit. That would mean another frustrating few hours waiting in line the next week to get it sloppily fixed with some soldering and duct tape... at least for a brief period before the lights stop working again. Sigh. If only the designers could've taken heed from our dear commentators and "think out of the box", heh. At least the costume might still have some practical use later on - Wear a flashy blazer (pun intended) to prom, anyone? After all, you can't do that for say, a warrior outfit or a green barney/crocodile suit. ... I think this year's NDP is probably the coolest one yet though. Not because I'm in it (although im sure that's a key factor, heh heh) but because it was way more creative and "hip" compared to previous years. Granted, I haven't exactly been paying full attention to past years' NDPs, but that's partly because they've been a pretty boring affair with the same set formula of line dancing, fancy mass displays, song-singing and fireworks and more fireworks year in, year out. In fact, the most "memorable" performance I can remember was the year when they had roller blading in fish suits. (The poor guy fell when the camera was focusing on him.) Now fast forward to 2009, where they had wushu *woot!*, drumming, a rock band performing this year's theme song and even pole dancing (which wasn't exactly in very good taste imo). The organisers have even hopped on the new media bandwagon, with NDPeeps.com and their Facebook group, and them roping in Mr Brown to blog on NDP preparations to generate some buzz - I actually heard about NDPeeps from mrbrown.com and Facebook first. Everything, from the performances, music and publicity down to the messenger/tote bag funpack (it actually looks decent) and the island-wide Pledge Moment, screams out rebranding for the better. And I'm glad to be part of this milestone that I think future parades will find hard to beat. So, at the end of it all, you might ask: Was it all worth it? In answering that, being a pragmatic (or kiasu, if you prefer) Singaporean, let's consider what I've gained: - A greater appreciation for the organisation of NDP (Politically correct as always in case my future employer decides to read my blog~) - The chance to be part of Singapore's largest birthday bash! - New-found patriotism <3 - Knowing the lyrics to all our national songs by heart. I should audition for "Don't Forget the Lyrics". - Getting to meet a bunch of the coolest and most fun-loving people I've ever met. I'll miss you guys. :(  And other miscellaneous goodies: - ??? x CIP hours (I've been a lazy ass and haven't checked with the school about this yet, though.) - 189 x photos, mostly unglamorous shots of bored people in funny poses and of terrapins. - 3 x NDP funpacks.  - 2 x NDP tickets - I gave them to my mum and brother.  - 1 x useless costume and pole. Maybe i'll use the flag as a tablecloth...  And for all that, I've had to give up: - Numerous saturdays and weekday nights rehearsing. I've had to sacrifice lots of other personal activities because of this, especially since M.A.D. seems to like to schedule all its events on saturdays. =/ - My dignity in allowing my head to be put in a box. On national television. - Even more time to type up this couple of lengthy posts on NDP. YOU BETTER APPRECIATE ALL THE TIME I'VE PUT IN TO REVIVE THIS BLOG, MAN. Or else I won't post anymore and your life would degrade in quality by three notches. Despite all that, was it worth it? My answer is still a big HELL YEAH! for the unforgettable experience that NDP '09 has given me. In fact, the organisers should try to get more people roped in to participate - it brings patriotism to a new level that incessant government messages can but barely scratch. You won't imagine how much eagerly I lapped up NDP reports and how often I searched YouTube for NDP videos - sometimes in the hopes of that millisecond of fame in the corner of the footage - when in previous years I merely flipped over the NDP headlines on 10 Aug, and would rather be pewpew-ing internet villains than watch it on TV. In fact, I'll probably be catching future NDPs from now on, although I think I still might give the parade segment a miss. Ultimately, it's that feeling of pride of being part of something massive, something special, even though I know I'm just one out the 13,000-strong NDP crew out there. Heck, it can even compel a cynic like me to hum national songs on the way to school, days after the parade is long over. I'd definitely participate in NDP again if given the opportunity to do so; and for the NS men who kena arrow to help out, at least Pizza Hut is tastier than the in-camp food, and besides the parade duties are probably more slack than the sh*t you'd get in camp, so it's a good thing. =P But now, I must revert back to my unpatriotic, whining, hater self. Walao eh why Nat Day this year on Sunday then got one day less holiday?? :(( --------------------------- For more photos and even more retarded captions, check out my albums on Facebook: NDP '09 - Behind the Scenes I NDP '09 - Behind the Scenes @ 9 Aug |
'Twas teh winnar at 1:39 pm.
| Sunday, August 16, 2009 |
|
'Tis a saturday, and it feels weird to be at home and blogging. Doubly weird, because ive spent the whole of my saturdays for the past four months at NDP rehearsals (that's the National Day Parade for you), plus I haven't blogged for 1.5 times that period. But matters of national importance preside all, so here I am brushing aside procrastination (YES, I KNOW THIS POST IS ALREADY ONE WEEK LATE), Chinese zuowens and even Prototype to chronicle this great moment in our nation's history. And as all great moments go, the story begins a long, long time ago, with months of arduous training through which the hero gains extraordinary powers, while the readers get extremely bored in the process... ...Heck, let's skip straight to the day itself on 9 Aug. 1.15 pm - Arrival at Pek Kio CC, where Martial House participants are beginning to gather. As usual, we wait around for about 30 mins for the bus to arrive. 2.00 pm - The bus arrives at F1 Pit Building, our holding area. If you thought waiting half an hour for the bus to arrive was a bore, well, we'll be stoning here for the next five hours. This is where most of my past saturdays have gone. <_< Good thing there's free food to keep us (and our stomachs) occupied. Yay!    Free Old Chang Kee, ice cream and Mr Bean. Hey, I'm doing product placement for our sponsors! And then there's the cameras... and Yugioh cards... and the PSPs. But for the unfortunate ones who don't have the above, there's always the Singapore Flyer to chill at.  There's even a jungle to explore! Not to forget the makeup, which we don't get because our head is in a retarded-looking box and because we're too busy queuing up to fix the wiring for the LEDs in our costumes anyway, which keeps on coming loose. Come on, you wouldn't want us to get electrocuted or something do you? 5.45 pm - Dinner is served, even though we're still pretty full from the free snacks and curry puffs. It's KFC for once, rather than the usual Pizza Hut or Singapore Food Industries (ugh). A good thing, too - I probably won't be touching Pizza Hut for a quite a looong time after this. Don't get me wrong, I'm pretty glad (and surprised) that we actually got Pizza Hut, the slice of Hawaiian pizza plus three chicken drumlets and garlic bread beats Singapore Food Industries any time...  Food fit for but the bravest warriors who dare risk their lives on mushy cauliflower. ...But when you eat it for dinner twice a week for a couple of months straight, the cheese starts to taste a little like cardboard. Fermented cardboard. I hope it wasn't due to traces of the cardboard packaging stuck to the cheese though. D: 6.30 pm - Nearly 5 whole hours later, it's our turn! Time to get changed and get all hot and sweaty in the costume (because the costume's bloody hot, not anything else...) At least we get to enjoy the aerial fly-by and engage in complementary camwhoring outside the pit building before moving out.  7.15 pm - We begin our great journey, uh, little walk to the backstage of the floating platform. Everybody was amazingly calm and chatting normally with the occasional greeting of "jiayou!", despite this being the big show with millions watching on national TV and even online. I guess it's just that we've had so many rehearsals and pre-shows that we're already numbed to the nervousness. Oh, and we knew that in the slightest chance that we screw up, the cameras would quickly switch to another angle. ~ 7.40 pm - "今天...不回家..." The performance before ours starts, and soon it'll be our turn. I swear I can remember all the lyrics for their medley after hearing it with bated breath backstage for so many weeks, heh. And as it ends with a sharp burst of fireworks, the cuemaster held up a red lightstick, our signal to get ready.  ~ 7.50 pm - Red... Orange... Green! The entrance panels slide open, and we're greeted by a gust of fresh air and a sea of red and white lights. Take it from me, the view of the seating gallery, packed with people waving those heart-shaped lights, looks really stunning from down on stage. Somewhere out there, in there, could be a friend, President Nathan or even Chuck Norris himself, but there's no time to contemplate that as we run to our positions, searching for the grid number "MO-32" or other while trying not to crash into someone else. All that, in the dark; but fortunately our weeks of practice paid off here. The next five minutes went by in a blur of perfected moves, chanting of beats and a remix of classical Chinese and techno music. The only thing that I can remember clearly is the explosion of fireworks at the end and the audience erupting into cheers. And then we're scrambling off stage, shouting for joy that we did it, it's over as the show transits to the next chapter and the audience week-after-week predictably laughs at the innocent kid who goes "When I grow up... I want to be a PSP helper!" (He was probably paid to say that.) I sure hope the speakers were loud enough to cover up the din we were making, but it goes to show how elated everyone was. ~ 8.10 pm - Our ecstasy carried on into the finale, when everybody was dancing and hollering as we all ran back on stage for the closing chapter. From all the excitement and how high everyone was, you'd think Singapore just won the World Cup because the Brazilian players were down with H1N1 or something.   You can't really tell from the photos, but for once nobody minded being gay and jumping around and hugging each other. And when the fireworks come on just as the music hits "Stand up if you're Singaporean... Stand up if you're Singaporean!", it's as though the seating gallery explodes into fireworks as well. First it's the orange flashes, and then the gallery's filled with flashes of bright white light - camera flashes, that is. And as the night sky behind us is illuminated with bursts of sparkling light and the scent of smoke wafts down to the stage, I can't help but think: Wow, how beautiful.   Surprisingly, I'm never bored by the fireworks display even though I watch them every other week during the rehearsals. Getting up that close to them, it's a completely different experience from watching them on the TV screen at home. The latter reminds me of all the mind-numbing explosions and boom-boom-pow in Transformers; even Megan Fox starts getting more interesting after a while. Heck, I think the last time I watched a live fireworks display was during the NDP Preview in Primary 5, and even then I don't remember being so dazzled by them. Then again, they were fired from behind us since NDP was still at the National Stadium then, so we all had to stand up and crane our necks just to catch a glimpse of them. And of course, I wasn't standing directly below them at that time, whereas being on stage makes all the difference.  Can you spot the guy waving the green lightsticks on the roof of the control HQ? He's actually there to guide us through the movements for the medley of songs in the finale. I'm not kidding, how do you think they managed to synchronise the movements of all the 1,500 performers on stage? ...No, the government hasn't figured out how to implant microchips in our brains yet. 8.22 pm - The Pledge Moment. When you see everyone in the stands rising up and reciting the pledge (yes, even the old uncles and those people in white shirts sitting in the VIP area), it's one of those rare moments you truly feel the spirit of the nation. It's pretty infectious, and you even feel motivated to tag along and repeat those age-old words that everybody daos during morning assembly. I swear this is the loudest time I've heard the pledge being said - or was it just the speakers playing the pre-recorded version really loud? For once, I'm quite sure it's the former, although I gotta say it sounded louder during the National Education shows for the primary school kids than on the actual NDP itself. Talk about how effective the National Education 8.30 pm - Gurmit Singh yells "It's time to party!" after the last burst of fireworks illuminates the Marina skyline. As the crowds begin to disperse, a young guy who looks like he's an NS man takes over, announcing that he's "the host for the after-party!" We're treated to a short video montage, after which the head honchos go up on the second level of the stage to thank everyone, cut some cake and pop some champagne. And promptly spray it all over each other. Not much of a party, though I guess we didn't need one to keep up the zi-high atmosphere anyway. xD ~ 9.15 pm - "Martial House, you are dismissed." We're usually one of the last to go and we'd always be b*tching about that for past rehearsals, but this time I didn't actually want to leave. It's that sense of knowing it's all finally over but not wanting it to be, knowing that that might be the last time you see those newfound friends that you've stoned, performed and talked cock with for the past few months, and that you won't be getting free Old Chang Kee again anytime soon. Damn, I hate it when people get sentimental, but this is unfortunately one of those times.  That night, after we all had supper together and sat around chatting so long that the Burger King staff had to shoo us out, we barely managed to make it for the last train home. The chaos at City Hall MRT when the announcer goes "The last train to Jurong East is approaching. Please proceed to Platform A." is something I won't forget. Just like how I won't be forgetting my experience in NDP '09 anytime soon. A fitting end to the blur of faces and rehearsals over the past few months, I suppose. Thanks for all the fish, NDP '09. For questions such as "Any regrets joining NDP?", "Is Gurmit Singh's mustache fake?", "Are you gay?" and other such deep philosophical musings, stay tuned for the next post! |
'Twas teh winnar at 12:43 pm.
