an unforgettable experience

Actually, I share the same thoughts as all of you, but I think I’ll just reiterate the thoughts that are most significant to me.

When I embarked on this NYAA (Gold) Award journey, I was really excited, of getting the award, being able to put it into my T3A and adding value to my student portfolio blah… (seems very individualistic and selfish isn’t it?)

But this journey wasn’t as smooth sailing as I thought it would be. My excitement started to die down as I met with obstacles after obstacles along the way, especially in balancing my commitments to academic studies, CCA trainings and fulfilling the NYAA requirements. I’m sure most if not all of you did experience this. We embarked on the toughest overseas trip ever (to me, but I’m sure all of you think the same way too) to Vietnam in 2006, while I got injured before the trip itself, I had a hard time persuading my parents to allow me to go, and even after I succeeded, I missed out the opportunity and experience of cycling down slopes of roads at 40km/h (as Jiawei had mentioned), and had to withstand the pain in my wound during the tiring and dangerous trek. Then, comes the constant worry about whether we can fulfill the NYAA requirements and complete the award in time for the school student portfolio, and finally comes the compilation of the report and the interview. The compilation of my report was especially difficult for me as I had to balance studying for Mid-year exams, preparing for CCA competition season and going on overseas school trip. All these obstacles made me feel like giving up and that I won’t be able to complete the award.

But I’m glad that I had all of you: Boon Kiat, Calvin, Jiawei, Joseph, Seth, Thomas and Zhan Liang with me throughout this entire journey. We picked one another up whenever any of us were down, encouraged and supported one another, which was what made us pull through. This journey also enabled us to keep in contact as good friends, amidst all the jokes and making fun of, we all sure did enjoy the company of everyone and our time together, be it playing soccer, or doing reports, chasing each other to meet the deadlines (though most of the time, we did not manage to meet the deadlines).

When I was entering NYAA (Gold) award for my T3A, not knowing whether I would get it, I realize getting the award and being able to put it into my student portfolio didn’t matter to me anymore. I was thinking more about the journey I have gone through, and the great friends that I have been able to keep as a result. And true enough, when I was being notified that I got the award, I wasn’t as ecstatic as I thought I would be. Certainly, after embarking on this NYAA (Gold) award journey, I realized that it isn’t about the outcome of getting the award anymore, but about the journey, the learning experience of pushing ourselves beyond our perceived mental and physical limits, our determination and perseverance in overcoming the many obstacles along this journey, and discovering that our capabilities are limitless.

As a formal message to show me appreciation and gratitude, I would like to thank each and everyone of you (again): Boon Kiat, Calvin, Jiawei, Joseph, Seth, Thomas and Zhan Liang, for pulling through this journey with me, bringing fun and joy to my mundane school life, and being such great friends. Also, Thank you Jiawei and Zhan Liang for helping me with the final compilation of my report and ensuring that it is properly and safely submitted to NYAA Council while I was overseas. (And yes thanks Jiawei for being such a great medic and treating my wounds, haha…)

Special thanks goes to Mr. Khoo, for your kind patience and guidance throughout this entire journey, for without you and your initiatives, we won’t have been able to get this NYAA (Gold) award, and most importantly, we won’t have been able to learn and gain so much, that as you have said, grow from boys to young mature and responsible men.

I will never forget all the times we spent together, playing soccer, working together to help out at MPFSC and at the Cat Cat village school in Vietnam, sweating and suffering together during the adventurous journey mountain trek, the moments of ‘Sethness’, and Jiawei cracking all the jokes and making fun of people that we all laughed at and certainly enjoyed, and the moments when serious work had to be done (seldom but there were still such moments if not we won’t have been able to come this far). Our group, each and everyone of you has been special to me and I certainly do hope that completing this journey would not be the end but the beginning of many other special things to come.

Cheers to our wonderful group, and our friendship! :)

Edmund