This fragment though, was rather a good experience for me. As usual, I've learnt a lot, from others and from myself. It was a pretty amazing year actually, just to sum it up:
1) It was a brand new year after my life as a NSF has just ended the month before, and I was all hyped up for this life of freedom!
2) Worked at several places but the most memorable would definitely be with theaardvark! =) Really big thanks to Hwee Bin and Daphne for teaching me so much! It was really an invaluable internship experience!
3) For going for the operation to remove the screws from my left ankle! Yet another unique GA experience, and now I'm no longer metaphorically 'screwed' for life! =) (This never gets old)
4) Going for the surgery was a difficult choice, since I would miss ARTS camp and I had really wanted to go! However, guess it was really hitsuzen that I ended up going for Orientation Camp and met so many awesome friends instead!
5) The friends made this year are irreplaceable! Especially my dear Beechee and Pokemon clique!!! My Uni life would be so non-existent without you guys!
6) Making the choice to stay in PGP?! Haha made some cool pals over there too! And got to experience a resident life? I guess I could really admit to myself: I don't get homesick. =P Living alone is such an easy experience on the whole! I just simply despise/hate travelling! Really love all our HTHT sessions there too!
7) Haha I'm not really going in any particular order now since everything's kind of jumbled up but I really want to thank my army friends, just for the fact that we could still keep in contact. Have no idea how long this would last, but still gotta say you guys rock!
8) Being able to keep in contact with lots of old friends this year, from Secondary 1/2 to Band juniors etc. And of course to nEPLAY! (Must make special mention since I didn't take photos with you guys on my birthday! SORRY LA!) And so touched that I managed to stay in contact with all my high school cliques! 4G / 6C33/USS / PPPPPP!
9) Going through tough times with some cliques but still managing to persevere and endure through tough times. I honestly felt that I got to know everyone better after such enduring moments.
10) This was honestly a year of revelation, growth and self-discovery. I've moved on with regards to some stuff I've always not been able to put down, and had the courage to do many things I've cowered from in the past. True magic comes from the courage of the heart, and to this, I can honestly tell myself: I've lived this year with no regrets.
It's amazing how everything seems to make sense once you look back on life as a whole, as a canvas simply waiting to be painted upon. And for 2012, I've painted it with some awesome stuff indeed. :)
Simply put, the friends made, the bonds made, is more than enough to put pure joy into my soul, my simple, easily satisfied soul.
I guess it's really wondrous how things turn out. I may not have realized it while I was going through the motion, but life had indeed been full of wondrous surprises. One thing led to another, and this year definitely made me trust my gut instincts even more. All the choices I've made have led to positive outcomes, or simply outcomes I chose to perceive as positive. After all, I have to live up to the name be-optimistic eh! =P
This is also rather private, but I just felt like sharing this amazing self-discovery process all year long. Throughout 2012, I had been telling myself subconsciously that this was a year of revelation, that I would finally come to terms, or simply understand why things are the way they are, and finally reach a new state in 2013. And somehow on 01/01/2013, everything just flooded in and made me open my eyes to see this revelation. And well, it just feels kind of magical? The feeling of emotional maturity flooded in too, which I had been pushing away in many parts of my life, a part which I wanted to hold on to. But I guess in the end, there are just some stuffs you simply have to let go of, feelings or otherwise.
Watched 'Sunny' today with the beechee group at Abraham's house and this particular message from the movie hit me hard and significantly. And that is to always remember that you are the protagonist of your own life, your own personal story. To live for oneself, and not just for others. That hit me hard.
Just so I would remember this in the future: I would not want to forget about the fateful symbolic dream I had in this new year, of a baby dying and going limp in my hands. Darn, even thinking of the experience jolts such heavy emotions into my very being, but yea, this was a dream I knew was coming, sooner or later. Funny how things work out eh? Dreams are after all, highly symbolic and representative of how our subconscious minds work things out.
And yup, just to summarize the past few weeks, here I go with captioning pictures!
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| Jin Wen happily eating the tiramisu we (Jin Tong mostly) made! Not to mention the unbelievably small cruise room! |
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| Somehow, this was our only group shot on the cruise -.- |
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| Haha me with my cardigan from Beechee! |
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| Haha, the rest don't deserve solo shots. |
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| Quite an amazing view I guess! |
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| Only picture regarding the casino! What we had left after losing 60+ bucks lol! |
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| Unbelievably LOUSY food on GEMINI! NEVER GOING GEMINI AGAIN! |
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| Yes the buffets are that lousy! |
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| Ee Chow's meal was the best since it was just rice with egg. |
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| The only normal shot where these two idiots are not trying to hide their faces from the camera. -.- |
Yes, the cruise trip was lousy. If I were to give a review on how lousy Gemini, the review would be so long, anyone who read it would steer away from this lousy cruise. So I shall just mention TWO big problems:
1) No water supply from the tap/shower during the first night. Yes, no WATER at all.
2) Heater was spoiled for one whole day, I had to force myself to shower in cold water on a freaking cruise.
If not for the company, and the exhilarating experience at the casino, and the fact that I loved the open KTV, this trip would be akin to throwing money down the freaking drain.
Unexpectedly though, I gained a lot from this cruise trip, especially from our group HTHTs. Learnt a lot, shared a lot and of course, debated a lot. But I guess it goes to show how saying things out really organizes one's thoughts better.
Which reminds me of how I watched 11 episodes of Homeland last night! One thing I learnt: Never make decisions in the heat of the moment, no matter happy or sad, the choices one make when in a calm, steady mind are usually the best choices. I've a lot to learn in this aspect.
For one, not to rush into decisions. :)
Conflicts arises when people disagree about something perceived as important. 越多互动，越多冲突。
Moving back to PGP next week, and I definitely would not say that I'm looking forward to moving back there again, since it's so hot and stuffy and the list of complaints can go on forever. But it's a necessity for me in a sense, that I get to leave this home for days and not appear as frequently. In a way, I feel that my relationship with my family would actually improve with lesser chances for conflicts and especially so seeing how absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Which reminds me, just a few days ago, when walking over to the bus stop near Candice's house to meet her for our PPPPPP outing, I turned my head slightly and saw the bus stop representative of so much of my primary school memories. That was the bus stop I walked to with so many friends, and that really got me thinking about the people I've walked there with.
Akin to my life, the particular walk to the bus stop, a simple bus stop near my primary school, represented so much more than just a short journey. Looking back, there have been friends who walked with me then who still walked with me now, friends I no longer kept in contact with when we all promised to keep in contact with each other, and even friends whom I'm unable to remember anything about.
The reason why: Well, as Abraham so aptly puts it: Life happens.
And although one know such is inevitable, I can't help but feel a twinge of regret that I wasn't able to hold on to all those bonds of friendships.
A more chilling thought is the fact that this is a pattern, that such is the irony of life that this history would eventually repeat itself, with the reason simply being: Life happens. And while one can hold on to some, one simply cannot hold onto everything.
Time heals all wounds, how I love to use this phrase, but the truth is time does not really heal all wounds, time simply makes everything fade with time. Both the good and the bad. Not sure if that's a good or bad thing. :)
Oh and before I forget! Pictures of two other meaningful outings! Sadly, we forgot to take pictures just now for our beechee outing!!! =(
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| 6C33/USS/BINTAN GANG |
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| Lovely gifts from Jazreen for the guys! Yes I'm the fairest as usual. LOL. |
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| Our mark of the new year! |
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| Mahjong, mahjong, mahjong! |
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| Can't remember what's that they're holding, oh well. |
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| Our lovely shot! |
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| Our toast for the new year! |
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| LOVE ALL OF YOU GUYS! |
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| Mini PPPPPP shopping outing! |
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| The only shot of my American Country Breakfast @ Dean and Deluca which I managed to take before my phone DIED. Yes, not a very good shot since it wast taken in a hurry, but I must say, the mushrooms are REALLY GOOD! =D |
Had an amazing day just now with Beechee gang as we played Secret Santa! Lol it was really funny since me and Givon knew everyone's Santa beforehand ACCIDENTALLY! LOL!
Really fun though! Loved the shirt and bracelet from Jasmine!!! Thanks for the effort Stylohotmilo!!! HAHA!!! And Jia Hui: HOPE YOU LIKED THE LAST MINUTE CHOSEN PRESENT OOPS!!!
Watched Sinister (Really disappointing horror movie) followed by Sunny! Haha Sunny was good though, as the filming was really good and the plot had a good ring to it. :) Meaningful show with a good ending. :) Wonder if that was my first Korean movie LOL.
And I just wanted to share how I really appreciate and loved how we all stayed so close even though I shared 0 common modules with 3 of you guys! Haha please let it stay that way! OR PLEASE TAKE GEM2901 WITH ME THIS SEMESTER THANK YOU VERY MUCH!!!
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| Postcards from Yun Xiu and Zi Xiang all the way from Taiwan and London! |
To Yun Xiu: We humbly await your return a few weeks later so you can finally join us for our outings, and I promise to buy you a slice of chocolate ice cream cake since you missed mine on my birthday, and to hope that the Potluck outing actually HAPPENS.
To Zi Xiang: I know you're going through a bit of a tough time right now, but always know that I'm always a whatsapp away if you need someone to talk to! All the best for your studies k! Based on what I know about you and how smart you are, I expect nothing less than the best from our dear scholarship holder! =D JIA YOU!
Alright, I guess that's it for one blog post, one damn freaking long blog post! Proof to Jia Hui that I do blog and definitely more frequently than you do!!!
And so to sum it up and this never gets old:
BE OPTIMISTIC ALWAYS!
