We’ve come a long way

Haha, looks like I’m the last up but here’s my take on it. I just wanna say that you guys have been only absolutely wonderful. Thank you all for giving me something to strive for outside of JC. I do admit that I had felt a bit awkward leaving VS and I couldn’t have been happier finding another excuse to anchor me down to my 4 years with you guys. I’m glad the award gave us a purpose to continue the journey with each other and to continue learning things about each other. We’ve all found new friends where we are, but there’s always something unique-at it’s “worst” weird, AHAHAH- about the way all of us interact with each other that and it’s brought me lots of joy.


From the time I first remember seeing the NYAA booklet at the classroom, and when we were talking about the trip, it was kinda daunting. I’d never been backpacking and I’d never thought I’d try something like that. I’m just awfully glad that Mr Khoo knew us well enough to know we’d grow to love it, and that we’d trusted him enough to go along with his idea. Hence Vietnam 2006.

The memorable moments were many, even when we had just entered Hanoi and were driving at night in a van from Noi Bai airport to Vega Travel’s guesthouse. That was the first time I’d felt so much anticipation and excitement and I still remember how happy I had felt travelling with you guys. This sense of adventure and anticipation is still reserved for you all! Even trekking when I made a thorough ass out of myself, it was all very funny and I’m glad I’d been able to provide my share of entertainment. Trekking along the Tonkinese Alps, playing Tai Di at Ban Ho under a fizzling single naked lightbulb- we played till we started speaking gibberish. The biking, the trekking blisters, the wonderful, sublime pictures of mountains folding and the kids that we gave and peroformed to, I don’t think I could’ve done all these with half as much fun and fulfillment if you guys weren’t there to stick it through with me.


Jumping off the boat at Halong Bay was crazy fun, WOOHOO, and I can’t forget at night when we wrote our journals by the quiet of the Bay. These are all events that are intimately connected to you guys and they’re one of the best memories around. The Vietnam trip was possibly the most crucial experience in helping me grasp the idea of a world outside Singapore and I’m glad I learnt this alongside all of you.


Even back home when we were doing the projects, we were at the very least frustrating at the beginning and even towards the end it was still a bit messy. Not to mention the intermediate process which were at times such a drudgery filled with much doubt. Oh, and as a side mention I’m glad ZL conned me about the deadline so I wouldn’t procrastinate that much;). But most importantly, I thank you sir for bearing with us and not giving up on us, providing us with all the valuable lessons we needed to pull our act together. I don’t know HOW we could have done this without you. Thank you for your faith and the vision you had for us then. You were right when you told us that vision was important, and I’m glad you helped us see what that vision was and for seeing us through it as well.

And yes, I won’t forget the weekly kayaking sessions and the sunbathing on a small spit on Pulau Sekudu; It provided a very nice weekly break from school right? It was like a place of our very own every week. It was brilliant. I remember returning to school every week after these sessions feeling like I had a secret stash of VSNPCC to keep me going in the early days of JC. Hahah.


In our Service at MPFSC, we’ve all taken away personal lessons and memories from helping the elderly. We never did share what we each had learnt, but I know that without personal conviction we could not have done what we did. For me, I’m glad I learnt how to serve through the service, and learning this was made so much more enjoyable with you guys, especially with JW when we met up with Bro Paul. It gets easy to forget how to serve, so I hope to be able to continue to help out at MPFSC with some of you guys.


In all honesty, I know I wouldn’t have had the discipline to meet up with you guys without NYAA and I just want to say that I’m glad that so rich and wonderful an experience had bound us together for these 2 years. I’m extremely grateful to everyone for helping us prove to ourselves that we are more than fun-BUT I AIN’T COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT:). I’m REALLY GLAD that the process of NYAA is there as a symbol of what we’ve achieved together, Zhan Liang, Jiawei, Calvin, Edmund, Thomas, Boon Kiat and Joseph. And Mr Khoo, thank you for guiding us all these years. Thank you for being willing to go this far for us. We’ve come a long way and I hope it gives each of us the strength to go further into a tentative future, just like we had when we planned for NYAA and Vietnam in the beginning. Here’s a personal thank you for giving me the capacity to learn all that I’ve learnt since you’ve taught me. I can’t imagine a better way to have crystallized my lessons and experiences than through this process. Thank you.