Hmmm... one year in nus just flew by like that. We were talking bout how we are going to be seniors next year and still feel like freshmen. Haha...

Hmmm... lets do this re-cap the whole year one thing that everyone seems to be doing in their blog... to look back and reminisce and then look forward.

A picture of the entire orchestra during our 'strum and drum' concert. Can u spot me? Haha... I am in the third row. A wish of mine has been fulfilled... to join nusso and play in a full orchestra with all the band instruments. Its really interesting cos I have only ever played in a string orchestra. Had great fun every wednesday practice just going down to CFA to play the violin with the entire orchestra and laughing over all the wrong notes we played. I felt this sense of familiarity in this place.

Just came back from nusso retreat at the chalet at East Coast ..a bit stoned from all the meetings we had... I think approximately 12 hours of meetings spread over 3 days... but thankfully it was funny and all of us didn't fall asleep. Haha... had great fun from all the midnight suppers, cycling and standing on the beach while looking at the stars and just talking. though I didn't appreciate being bitten by so many mosquitoes. Watched '200 pound beauty' too. It was very touching and I cried.... a simple story with a simple plot that reach out to the 200 pound, ugly, fat girl in us that we feel sometimes.

Me typing minutes during a project angel VIII meeting. Used to bring pen and paper to jot down minutes... but my hand got tired after writing minutes continously for 4 hours of meeting each time so decided to type instead.

An truck that we hired to bring us and our stuff into Kampong Phuk. Along the way... a few of our stuff fell out of the truck and we had to stop and pick it up and carry on. A few of us almost fell out of the truck too when we went along the bumpy road.

The irony of this photo... all of us laughing while learning a goodbye song in the Khmer language to sing to the children when we had to say goodbye to them... but the song was really cute. In the end... we didn't sing this song though... cos its really sad to say goodbye.

Teaching the children how the various colours in English and we used coloured markers to to colour the English words for the colours in their exercise books to help them remember the english words better.

Mural painting on the wall of the classroom designed by Mindice. It was one of my happiest memory in Cambodia.

The children in Kampong Phluk... amazed by Peihao's camera. The photos taken are not taken by me... sorry to say... haha... my photo-taking skills are not that great.... they were all taken by Peihao, our official photographer.


A boy brushing his teeth with the sponsored toothbrushes and toothpaste we brought along with us from Singapore. Wonder whats the point of teaching them how to brush their teeth when they never in their life brush their teeth. Wonder even more when the water they use is the multi-purpose water from the river where all kinds of stuff that you can imagine and cannot imagine goes in there which means their teeth actually gets dirtier from brushing it.

Friendships forged, lessons learned, days that will never die while they are still in me- My 20 word story.

Temasek hall... I was not very active in hall. If I had a choice again, I think I would go to Raffles hall or King Edward VII hall where it is certainly nearer to my faculty and where I think the culture of the hall suits me better. When people know I stay in Temasek Hall... they always remarked that it is a very happening hall... then I will tell them that though it is a very happening hall, I am not a very happening person. Haha... Joining PA committee is the most beautiful memory I have of my hall mainly cos thats the only thing I joined. Up to now... no one believes that I actually joined PA committee.... sigh... do I look so un-technical? Haha...

Some of our equipment...

More of our equipment... by the way... all of these photos like the project angel VIII photos were not taken by me too. Haha...

Live awards stage for PA live awards... had great fun blowing up balloons in the morning to surround the stage.

PA crew 06/07.

Hmmm... don't have any pictures of lectures and tutorials... haha... though I MUST take one photo of us conscientiously doing laboratory work in our fugly labcoats and big protective glasses.

Going to NUS has been pretty interesting... it is where u will learn alot of NUS terminology such as CORs, S/U options, IVLE, LINC, CAP, GEMs, GEKs and such. I can say this is the first time I enjoy studying no matter how stressful it is to study in NUS. You get to take loads of weird interesting modules.

I think its ok if people believe an overseas education is better and go overseas to study. However, I feel very irritated with people who criticise NUS and impose their ideas onto others. I believe each of us have our own paths to take in life and as long as we are happy with the path we chose to take... it is fine. Going overseas to study does not neccessarily gives you a better university education. A university education is what we make out of our circumstances rather than where we are. I get very defensive when people do that cos I like NUS but I choose to remain silent. We will each learn in our own way in our own time what we want in life. In NUS... I felt a whole spectrum of emotions.. I felt miserable, warm, empty, lonely, light-hearted, lost, happy and many many more emotions, but its where I belong.

May all of us have a happier semester when school starts.