Thats.Just.Life.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007 @ 11:40 PM
Updates
Updates

Its been a little while since i've last blogged. School's started and the intensity is slowly rising. While being much luckier than the Block A people who have to fight with LTB, that does not discount the slowly rising tide of work that just threatens to pile up.

I've sinces started a journal as of the first day of school and have been conscientiously maintaining entries ^^ no mean feat huh? But so far, I think my entries are pretty ok too!

Anyways, in my schedule now I have morning classes everyday except Wed which is my free day. Thursday includes an extra evening class that stretches to 7 plus ><. But indeed im quite lucky le, the morning period allows me much time to be at home to do stuff. In terms of CCAs I have joined Handball and Windsurfing. For those who have never heard what is handball, do check it out! It is indeed an extremely fun game, though a tad dangerous. Nonetheless injuries are far less common than soccer.

And for the heck of it, I signed up for Standard Chartered Marathon too.. haha.. oh well, I do want that T-shirt ya? Hope i survive that.. Yup so thats my life so far in a nutshell. Shall stop here!

Oh, and I'm getting a macbook to serve me!

Tuesday, August 21, 2007 @ 11:01 PM
Convocation
Convocation
And so school started. A new phase of life that was entirely different from the last 2 years ++ that I had. The event, somewhat like a cross between a Harry Potter Parade and America's Got Talent, was both solemn and fun at the same time.
With a few inspirational speeches, I somehow felt that these people really could be the ones to have put together a learning system that truly brings out the best in a student. Not just academics, but also skills like speaking up, quick thinking and response. Not to mention the extremely friendly environment around in campus. Friends are being made everyday as we go in pursuit of the goal of knowing as many people as possible. Facade or true socialism? I cannot tell, nonetheless it feels really good to see smiling faces waving at you here and there. No longer do those people who walk by beside you seem like total strangers, yet they are now more likely to be acquiantances through the many links you have.
Class has also been pretty ok so far. Competition for class participation really puts everyone in the mood to speak up. While trash and uncontributing stuff does get said, it does get the class going rather than letting minds die a slow death in boring lectures.
Is this the best school in S'pore? I do not know, yet it does seem to be a great place to be in.
Now if only the work doesn't pile up..

Saturday, August 18, 2007 @ 11:47 PM
SMUX Camp
SMUX Camp

And the final camp has ended. Culminating in a well-baked body of myself, the numerous activities under the unforgiving elements transformed the usually white me into a red lobster fresh from the oven.

But the fun I had.. Priceless. SMU Extremists, or SMUX for short, pretty much the ODAC arm of SMU, headed this camp filled with physical activities. We had trekking - from Bt Timah to Clementi, Night Bike, Ice Skating, Underwater Hockey, Diving in a pool, Roller Blading, Kayaking and the final challenge.

I had loads of fun. The group was also a super high lot.. haha.. so we really had a lot of fun together, rivalling that of Sports Camp. Sorry for the lack of photos, but when my faci uploads them i'll show you guys k?

So then it came to an end, but i'lll never forget the nights where we went out for food at Changi Village, or dunking poor Diane in the sea 6 times in various fashions. Oh well, its all mischievious fun..

School is starting!!

Monday, August 06, 2007 @ 9:13 PM
Bondue
Bondue 07

And so the 4th camp Bondue was over. It was smashingly fun! Absolutely enjoyed myself in the camp! But not without the price of exhaustion. I practically KOed in service that Sunday after leaving camp early to make it for service.

But it was worth it all. Somehow the camp was everything a camp should be. Late revellie timings (0930H!), fun games - we turned Campus Green into Campus Brown, and my T-shirt somehow always had mud embedded in the fabric, relaxed pace - we were practically strolling plus had a nice lunch all in the middle of a race!

Of course, true to the SMU tradition, booze was flowing like no ones business. Fortunately, me and Luke held on to each other and fought of the pressure. Haha.. thank God for you.. think we survived cos of it. Anyways, it was an eye-opener seeing how a classroom can be turned into a club.

So now leaves the very last camp on the list. SMUX. After that opens a new and perhaps terrifying chapter of my life. Peace out!

Thursday, August 02, 2007 @ 11:45 PM
FTP
FTP Run 3

And so I returned from FTP, or Freshmen Teambuilding Camp. Granted, despite all that negative feedback, I really enjoyed it somewhat. I mean.. food was really ok, the ground - what the girls commented "I can feel the grooves" well, it was a brick floor, flat and definately much better than lumpy ground. Perhaps the army experience has hardened me past the point of soft springy mattresses and air-conditioning.

The experience, pretty good actually. Perhaps it was the group, one that opened up gradually in the second day, and started chatting about stuff. Doing things together, encouraging each other and clearing stations and problems together. Nostalgic army bonding methods. But it was nice putting in some leadership skill to good use, adding my 5 cents worth in debriefs that many considered a chore. I personally found it enriching. Our faci James was totally fantastic in his job. Without him, the experience would not have been half as good.

The third day culminated in a 3km course littered with stations. It was like a 3km SOC. Memorable stations included the ice-treatment where we had to endure 1 minute of freezing water where we got by by screaming the Singapore Pledge at the top of our lunchs, as well as fishing for mahjong tiles. Another one featured lifting and rotating a tub of water with our feed, and perhaps the most fun, a canvas sheet of soap suds and coloured water bombs flying overhead, with the chaps sliding from side to side to find jigsaw puzzles.

I enjoyed it actually. Especially the part where I was in front of the Cavemen Section screaming as the cheerleader.

Hope to see you Fredsters in school!

And Bondue is next!

profile
Reach my prismic soul.
Benjamin Chen
Born 24 Jun 1986
Reborn 24 Aug 2003
Perpetually in a zombified state. Liverpool fan.
Keming Pri > BPGHS > PJC > SMU
WSO(ADA)
Cancer

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Unconditional Desires.
Nice formal wear
A Road Bike
Sunglasses
Massimo Dutti Coat
Fresh Colours
To demolish his room
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The Beach
New Desktop

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