Technically, the idea of mugging made fun is technically impossible to achieve. What I meant to say mugging made slightly more fun. Since school ended, I've been mugging non stop except for weekends and 2 other days. Mostly in school. Our Class Chairman Hsuan Te has so graciously offered to help the rest of us muggers-to-be by... opening the classroom doors. Shockingly, these sessions were really effective! (one maths question a week to one paper a day - huge improvement lol) Optimum number of people is around 8-10 people. Not enough to create chaos and enough people to ask for help if one gets stuck doing one question.
So many snacks too! We still have drinks and food from last week in the cupboard. If we forget to clear... then next year's class of 434 will have some stored decomposing food in the cupboard generously donated from us current sec4s.
Anyway... I'm real scared about my Literature paper now. I need one humanities to do well but my elec hist is really bad and I ain't doing as well as I hope to do for Lit (as seen during prelims). Moreover, I don't know how to study for LITERATURE!!!! NOOOO! People who think that literature is really easy... please don't assume this is true for everyone. Oh yeah, bio prac also screwed up. I didn't see petri dishes to put the LARGE onion rings so I stupidly used the smaller rings and stuffed them into the little solution-containing containers. I hope they changed the solutions. If not... the next few people who get my solutions would have been screwed too.
What's done is done... now physics prac. It's just 2 DAYS away!!!
Oh yeah, today was quite interesting since us it's Hari Raya and it's duh.. a public holiday. Us corney-stoners decided to mug at Xavier's house. Tried to study lit but failed miserably. Helped other people with phy and chem (when they needed help)and in the process, also revise. Jac tried to help me with Lit but I just suck at Literary analysis I guess. We had a few breaks though. Pool, table tennis and lunch. That was real fun, seriously. Anway, hub and simeon tried table tennis too. It was hilarious actually. When simeon left the room, we realised that hub was the only person not an ex-table tennis school team player for St Gab's. Lol. Even then, I think I was the worst table tennis player who WAS an ex school team player there. Quite funny :) too long never play table tennis liao plus so long never exercise. Qinrui, Matthias! Remember ah! After O's everyday go and train! We went mass later, reaching just in time. Then a few of us went to Market to eat dinner.
Dear God, help us during this period of time. When everything is looking down, remind us that you have a plan for us all and that you will always be there to guide us even through the tough times. We all want to do well but let your will be done, not ours.
PARALITURGY and Last Day In SJI (officially) (cont'd)
Finally! The continuation... I guess I haven't exactly kept my promise to update my blog after bio prac. Well, it is getting much closer to the O's and I don't feel one bit prepared. I'm wondering why am I even on the computer now typing this post.
Anyway, Paraliturgy was certainly long but it was meaningful. Had a lot of fun with my friends but we didn't really have to be sad at all. We still meet in school to study (with the exception of the scholars though). 434 people are crazy and I think all you 434 people know what I mean. The evidence is on Youtube. For those not in 434, don't bother, it's an inside (about to be outside) thing.
Looking back on my 4 years here in SJI, I realise that I have so much to be thankful for. My friends, teachers, the school environment(???), God's presence in my life and not to forget the people who sometimes irritate and bring out the worst in me. Why did I mention those people? Well, without them, I would never really know myself completely. I would never be able to grow as a person, to learn from the mistakes that I have and would have made.
Just to name a few people who have really made an impact on my life (especially these 4 years in SJI): Mr Dominic Ang, Ms Deborah Goh, Matthias, Qinrui, Jason Sin, Hubert, Jason Lim (of whom I have know for 8 years), Marcus Leong, Joel Sim, Chin Hao, Dominic Chia, Joshua Wong, Gabriel Rod, Timothy Siew, Augustine... and the list goes on.
Sorry, really have no time. Need to study for Lit! Wah... Just realised its on the 2nd of november and this is already the 24th of october.
Post to be cont'd after biology practical!! No time to write hehe... but in the meanwhile, here's a short video clip about fun stuff we did on that day. This one's about Hsuan Te (class chairman) doing his thing with a helium balloon. Haha, didn't think that it was really possible. ENJOY!
Wow... after tuition, Matthias, my sis (Grace), my cousin (Clair), my parents and myself squeezed into a car meant for roughly five people heading towards CJC Open House. Now I feel so 'depressed'... We were quite excited, especially myself since I convinced myself that this was going to be my new school. I was quite sure of myself and thought that my mind was set. Boy did my confidence in CJC shake after the open house. To be honest, other than the fact that they had a very good character development programme and humanities programme, nothing else really impressed me. The facilities were... ummm... how do I put it... not as I hoped it would be. Even our tour guide, a former Josephian, said that other than the library and the gym, the rest of the facilities could not be compared to that in SJI. By the way... Matthias and I commented before that the library wasn't really that impressive. THAT was certainly disheartening. What made the open house not totally bad was the fact that I knew quite a number of people there. I saw James Chen (still remembered Sin described him as a hot hunk lol), some EX-SJAB seniors, people from church, the Peer Support Board. Then there was also the huge amount of Sec4s here for the open house.
Someone smsed me later to tell me that of all the oppen houses he went to... CJC was the worst and would not be one of his choices now. (he planning to replace it with SA) I have to admit, presentation was not of the 'good first impression' quality. At least the people in hospitality at the carpark were very friendly and welcoming.
Now, I ain't too sure about my choices now. It used to be so simple and clear cut, until I went for RJC open house. Sigh... Each JC has its own good points but now I have to weigh which one suits me better.
Alas, I have one more thing that I need to do first... discern whether it is my heart telling me to go CJC or is it just my mind playing tricks on me.
Here are some points that have crossed my mind... CJC GOOD POINTS - Lots of friends going there and atmosphere/environment is the closest to that of SJI. It's also close to SJI and therefore surroundings would be familiar. It's relatively convienient going to and fro from school since there are direct buses. It's CATHOLIC. Mr Ang's for CJC. Rumours about having the highest birthrates and abortions compared to other JCs are false (someone debunked this rumour). Blue uniform (instead of white) which means it won't seem to get dirty so quickly. There IS a study environment (contrary to popular belief, just not like what one would see in other JCs). I've been told that at least 40% of the teachers are really good... when they are good. (???? Is that good or bad?) CJC BAD POINTS - Facilities not even as good as SJI (it's a JC for *Pete's sake). The place looks so cramp like SJI sec 1 block. Rather small. Classroom size looks so cramp. Don't know what CCA to take up there (actually applies to other JCs too). Canteen is so warm. Don't know if I would regret going there after seeing the good points and bad points of other JCs.
On the way back home, on the bus, I had a lot of time to think about school. You know... this being the last day of school.(for more details on my day... check last post hehe) Anyway, I was thinking about what subject combination I should take, CCA too. Then I began thinking about the subjects I was currently taking, especially Literature.
I began wondering why I even took literature in the first place. I was only doing so-so in sec 2. Then I realised... I loved reading (mostly in the past). By the way, for those who didn't know... my humanities cost me my below 10 points for L1R5. Suddenly, for some unknown reason, a line from one of my literature set texts, The English Teacher, struck me:
"... the annotator's desperate effort to convey a meaning, and the teacher's doubly desperate effort to WREST a meaning out of the poet and the annotator, the ESSENCE of an EXPERIENCE LOST in all this HANDLING".
This was perhaps the reason why I get less and less interested with Literature as a whole with each and every passing day. Trying to analyse, trying to explain with words alone the wonder and beauty that is Literature. For me, true literature would be immersing ourselves into the world in which the book was set, experiencing with our imagination. Every time I read story books, I feel like I'm a part of the book, an invisible viewer who can just like any other character, use our five senses to feel/smell/see/hear/taste to 'be there'. Such experiences like many others, are priceless.
I just feel that learning the various literary devices the authors use like puns, irony, dramatisation, assonance, metaphors, similes, hyperbole etc are just very desperate efforts at trying to experience what could be done so easily with our imagination. Exams in addition to having to 'analyse' the texts just spoil this very experience. Notes/Common knowlegde tells us that ironic situations are so much more enjoyable when we do not have to explain the irony to anyone (or explain the effect it creates for that matter), yet we have to do just that during examinations. Ironical isn't it?
So, just to end this little post... Why do we take the subjects that we do take? Better prospects? It's the least boring choice? We want to do well and we therefore pick the 'easy' subjects? Strategic planning?
It's always interesting to know how the choices we make are governed right?
Today was definitely an interesting day. Qinrui and myself went for a movie in the afternoon - You, Me & Dupree. It was hilarious. Too bad everyone else was at the various JC open houses. The movie wasn't really the main reason today was such an interesting day though...
The day started quite normally. Made it to school at roughly 7.15am and helped Qinrui with gate duty. (I just didn't want to go assembly... sssshh) Didn't really do much in school after that. Played a number of rounds of 4-In-A-Row with Wei An, Matthias started creating a martial arts manual. It included his, Hubert's, Qinrui's and my 'special attacks' - Power Zap, Power Flick, Power Grap and Power Pinch lol. Oh yeah, something real embarrassing happened. Matthias was also subscribing for Newsweek and he wanted to choose option A for the gifts. I offered to trade my option A gifts for the one he would get if he picked Option B. (I THOUGHT my mom wanted the chess set... I was wrong lol). We kept changing our minds and I think the guys at the booth were getting slightly 'pissed'. We went to change it back to set A again after I called my mom to double check. Matthias and I were too embarassed to ask for a change again so... Qinrui so graciously offered to help us change. (TY!)
Anyway, QInrui and I were trying to persuade other people to follow us to go watch a movie but most people went for RJC and TJC open house. Ended up with only both of us. Hubert did persuade us to follow him to go RJC open house first but he didn't follow us to watch a movie... Before we went to RJC though, we went QInrui's house first and we played his GRAND PIANO!!! His GRAND PIANO!!!!!!!
RJC was quite cool... and big... and the people were quite friendly. Serious, I'm not joking! We went there even though we knew it was near impossible for us to go there. We went there to 'jac' ourselves (haha). I bet Hub was disappointed he didn't see someone there.
Anyway, our guide, Kenneth, brought us around and he overheard us in the lift saying that Qinrui was going to NJC with DSA from canoeing. It was hilarious when we passed by a classroom FILLED with the canoeist (male and female) and Kenneth told them about Qinrui. Qinrui was really, truly 'jac'-ed. We were joking about how they were going to come after him for going to their 'opposition'. We left after seeing their library. Oh yeah, we also met other Josephians. They said that their 'smallest' Lecture Theatre was the size of our Performing Arts Centre(that is HUGE!).
TRIED persuading Hubert to follow us to watch a movie but failed miserably. Met Kuan Huai at J8, he just came from NYJC open house. He said it was good :).
While waiting for the movie to start, we went to popular to look at some A' Level books. (see the level of difficulty) It was quite heartening to see that a we could answer quite a number of Chemistry and Biology question. (I picked the answers in which I have at least heard of something in the answer before hehe) Came back home really tired with a number of computer games (recently bought, reallllllly recent, so recent this was the first time I saw them) on the computer table. I guess 'SOMEONEs' went on a shopping spree ( :P ).
WOW... didn't really know you were going through things like that. I haven't really faced such 'frustration' before so I cannot really understand it. Just a few things for you to know. (not from experience but from seeing how others face life)
Honour Your Father and Mother
I'm sure you know this rite 'Holy guy'? Hey, I'm not saying it's easy but that doesn't mean you should stop trying. It can be irritating at times when you feel... ummm... trapped with not being able to pursue what you think is best for yourself without having your parents support I guess. They'll realise it sooner or later. Don't forget the next thing.
God's Always There...
I'm sure he has something great planned for you, so just 'stay the course'. Tell him how you feel. All your frustration and anger, sadness... and don't forget your happiness. Times when you feel great. I'm sure he knows it but I'm also sure he'll be happier knowing that you want to share it with him.
We Are Too
SERIOUS! We won't joke about a friend's problems! It's fine if you want to talk to any of us, because we know we can talk to you too (if we have a problem, that is...)
Anyway, whatever and however you're going to do whatever (a bit general rite?)... Think it through first. I'm sure you'll pull through. We are all human but... we DO have the-big-man-upstairs' help :).
James signing off...
PS: Qinrui, Jason!!!!! Both of you can write Personal Recount what... (from your blogs). You guys have also been through a lot. [for really hopeless... i mean blur people... PS is Post-Script and not Playstation]
This song rawks!!!!! It's from the series Touched By An Angel. A wonderful and beautiful show. Too bad they stopped the show in 2003. The song is by Jaci Velasquez, it's called 'God Loves You'. Here are the lyrics :)
In the quiet, love is reaching. It's yours to hold, Be still and know that Even when you're lost and lonely, And hope is gone, you're not alone.
Far beyond the understanding, There's a hand that leads, If you believe.
Through the darkness, see the light. Remember God loves you.
The road ahead is long and winding. With eyes of faith, you'll find the way, yeah. And when the journey leaves you weary, You can rest in the comfort of heaven's arms - Sweet loving arms.
And peace will follow. Peace be with you always, As you go. For now you know that...
Through the darkness, there's a light. Remember God loves you.
When you open up your heart, His love will meet you where you are. He will always be a part of everything you do. He is here to set you free, And give you all the strength you need To carry on, to carry on.
Through the darkness, see the light. Remember God loves you. (remember, remember) Remember God loves you.
Wow... today was just likem any other day after exams. So boring. Qinrui and I had agreed to go SFX to mug after school. We convinced Hubert to go too later. Two MIRACLES!!! Qinrui was the one who suggested going to church to mug and Hubert went for daily mass the 2nd time in A ROW!!!! Jason also came for mass (like usual hehe). I didn't really get much done. Take so long to finish half an English essay, even longer for one A Maths question and tried to study EH Gorby. Father Ho met Qinrui (yay) and now he shall be known as 'stingray' (??!?!?)
Today, the teachers were giving other school exam papers like nobody's business. Heard 432 people had 20 from various subjects. Damn sad lah.
=)I went for dinner with family and on the way home, I saw so many children at the park playing with lanterns. They all looked so happy. Not the type of happiness teens or adults usually experience. Their kind of fun is so innocent and... 'fun' type of fun. (make sense??) Come to think of it, the last time I played with a lantern was in Primary school.
Oh yeah! The Catholic news has some interesting articles this week. Especially the one on 'Are Muslims and Christians worshipping the same GOD?' Do read it. James signing out hehe.
Prelims over... Yay... I think. Hmm. This is damn stupid lah, everytime before exam no life one because everyone all mugging. Then everytime after exam, also no life cuz a major exam is over and no one really wants to mug(that's me at least), even though Os not yet over. These days seem to take so long to pass by. Hehe even though school ends much earlier. Curious ain't it? Qinrui sabo me lah... telling Trent wasn't at duty :p . For those who didn't know, sec 4 prefects already stop duty but have to do for one or two weeks cuz the other levels have exams.
Grad day on last saturday. Damn stupid lah... I bought new WHITE shoes cuz mine all tattered. Then a day before grad day, they say prefects wearing blazer. Which means with BLACK shoes... Sheez. Anyway, it was a great day. LOL Principal called Agung Santoso Agung Sentosa 3 times. The guest of honour made an 'interesting' speech too. When Agung was making his speech, there was one part where it seemed like he was giving the cue for us to start clapping. I wasn't really listening and I 'accidentally' gave one very loud clap. I think Bro Mike looked in my direction... Damn embarrassing lah. After the thingy, my family and I went to Fish & Co for dinner (that's why I didn't follow you guys for dinner XD sorry!) OH YEAH! First time I looked good in a photo too, right Qinrui?
For more pics go Qinrui's blogs hehe (i still dun know how to link, i'll learn later)
Oh yeah, got back results (on mon). Now I was so greedy that day. I didn't study as much as I wanted to for Prelims and SERIOUSLY by the Grace of God, I managed to do quite well.
English A2 72 E Maths A1 78 A Maths A2 70 Biology A1 77 Chemistry A1 80 Physics A2 71 Literature B3 69!!!!!!!!!!! Elec Hist+SS B3 65 Chinese (Os) B3 NA
I already know I want to go CJ and I also know with my L1R5, almost certainly can one. But still... I want to do better(duh). I was thinking... shoot... I still lost so many people. When I finally realised that I actually did quite well, I started to hope that I would do better in the other subjects which we hadn't gotten back the results yet.
Jason Lim and I went for Pam's Grandma's funeral mass at SFX yesterday(wed). Aloysius, Alyssa, Michelle and Sarah were also there I think. The priest managed to lighten the mood somewhat. He was a bit lame. Oh yeah Fr John came back to SFX for the mass. You know... after the mass, I realised that there was nothing I could say to Pam. What could I say? The priest did say that her Grandma was already in heaven... so I couldn't say I was sorry for her family or something. I couldn't congratulate her (duh) 'cause... you don't need me to explain. The only thing I was thinking at that point in time was my Granduncle's mother. She also passed away not too long ago but the funeral was soooo different. Yesterday, the whole church was packed with people. So you know she was/is loved. Soooo many friends and relatives. In contrast, my Granduncle's mother's funeral had barely 10 people if you exclude the choir. It definitely seemed as if the only reason there were people (other than family) there was because they pitied someone who had so few friends. I don't even remember her having friends actually. The priest couldn't comfort the family members in any way too. It was just so sad. My Granduncle (her only son) works 2 shifts a day as a cleaner but still couldn't afford a proper wake. So the wake lasted just one day (few visitors too). My father and his siblings had to pay for the costs. What saddens me the most was that someone I knew had passed away, and all I knew about her was that she was slightly deaf, had a very filial son and she made the best Kiamcai soup that I ever tasted in my life (so far).
Btw... XD, bake more cookies!! They're great lol. (so anti climax... hehe)
Already one week after SJI Sec4 RME Retreat 06. Time passes so quickly these days. These few days, one word has been striking me on the head incessantly(any guesses?) - 'Prophet'. For some curious reason, it has played quite a role in making me think these few days. For those who are clueless to what I'm talking about... the retreat had touched a bit on the topic of 'Prophets'. Anyway, i had 2 affirmations which described me somewhat as a prophet after that (i really didn't realise it at that time). Both were sincere and I really appreciate it. It's comforting to know that there are people who know what message I was trying to put forth that day. THANK YOU! I won't share anymore about that part... I think I've shared bordering on too much already.
I just watched One Tree Hill on Starworld. To be honest... I was quite shocked. It was like a sign from God, that the path less trodden, speaking out against certain injustices, was not going to be easy. Many still see that One Tree Hill, other than being a very good series and with many 'hot' actors and actresses, was basically about the screwed up lives of a few people interconnected in some complicated way or another. However, to my pleasant surprise... it was deeper. When I switched on the TV, they were showing the part about how one of the female characters was having an extremely difficult time at school. Rumours that she was gay (obviously not if you watched the beginning of the series)(we have the benefit of being able to see from various points of views unlike the characters so... what can I say?). Anyway, she knew that even little rumours could mean the end of one's social life etc. She tried to cope but apparently isn't doing so well. Anyway, she knew that the problem wasn't with the people like herself but the people who so readily breed such rumours and so on. She tried to make a statement (with a shirt) and later got suspended when she took off the shirt in the hallway when told it was against regulation. She relied on her friend to support her but because of fear of being ostracised, she did not.
Being a prophet, according to Br Gerard, is to be someone aware of the present day circumstances and someone who is willing to speak out for those who have no voice of their own. Even in the face of danger and persecution. The road won't be easy but when was it ever? I sincerely believe that God won't give anyone huge challenges without also giving the person the means to overcome it. (can you see the similarities between the prophet and that female character I was talking about?)
That 'friend' came up to her later in private and said she was inspired by the her actions. Then came the moral of the story... what's the use being inspired without doing anything? How can you make the difference so badly needed in society when we cannot find the strength to step out of our comfort zone? All it takes for evil to triumph is for the good people not to do anything. Who will do it if you don't? (by the way, this was also something the retreat touched on during praise and worship) Think about it! Seriously. Then follow up on it! Act on it!!!!!!!
WOW!!! i'm actually blogging... well, i for one have many things to say, at times. so... i'll just write whatever comes to my mind whenever whatever comes to mind. Make sense? I think so :P (that was shorter than i expected...)
james joshua yap
21st march 1990
102 '03
202 '04
334 '05
434 '06
ig10 0701
1t27
ig27 0702
1t14
saint gabriel's primary school
saint joseph's instituition
catholic junior college
legion of mary: QOAS
church of saint francis xavier
student council, guitar, shs
