My previous blog posts has been talking about the chalet last friday but not in detail, so this post will fill up the part about it as I feel this should deserve it’s own post.

Track and field BBQ 3th October
So what other better way to ease up on the friday-weekend but to go for a chalet organized by the Track team? At least that kept me about a day away from work haha. Though organized by the seniors, everyone was invited to the rather small by cozy chalet at Pasir-ris coasta sands resort with about an estimated 30 people turning up for the BBQ night. Got the chance to try walking from Pasir-ris MRT to the venue with a cup of green tea for hydration after my NYAA prize presentation.

Got to meet some of the new trackers, especially those I know largely by face but do not have the chance to interact with them and catching up on the latest developments in SP track, considering the absence of most of the seniors in regular training since we graduated. Come to think about it, it had been about 1 year since I went for active training since last year’s FYP, man time do pass.

Track drifting apart?
Many of them are closing their first year in track, but it seems that the club was not as cohesive as what it was before, comprising of 3 coaches training different parts of the team which is though focuses on each member’s key area of the sport and diversifying rather than lumping everybody in for generic mass training, it seems that the club is now segregated in 3 distinctive “clans” who will most of the time only come together in the teams formed to represent SP.

True that the juniors will get the specific training they deserve, so the strong can improve with tailored training for them, but I find the atmosphere largely “selfish” now with everyman for themselves- which I find largely is against the spirit of sportsmanship and competition even which could be a breeding ground for internal conflicts. Not to mention the obvious gap between the juniors and seniors.

The thing lacking now a certain form of “track spirit” which is unique and had always been a uniting factor of track and field for generations.

Speaking from a graduate perspective, sometimes you need to come to realize that your time in track as a CCA won’t last forever, but the friendships you make and cherish over the years of training together which gives you the homely feel and belonging to the group, sometimes these can far outweigh what you win in competitions, let be even a medal in the IVP, after all that is just a medal- period, one which will always be received by someone in the same event again every year. Whether you see it as a more important thing in your life as to being a sports man and bagging achievements, I think no medal can buy the unity and friendship you have, after all as the saying goes “no man is an island”.

For this generation, only one can only look back and reminiscence the glory days where track was all together in one family, or let be capable role models not pulled into power just based on favoritism or lack of options or successor. I feel that it had been a failure on our part to retain the culture within the Club after we left which is track and field- the one which we all come to know and grown into a family. Personally, we are not doing justice or just being it’s simply unfair of depriving our juniors of that culture.

However, there is the possibility of the culture only existing within the people who created it- Is the bond and culture so strong that it is one which just leave the club the moment we pass out? We must understand that with change comes major change as well. which too involves the revamping and killing of all existing culture with it. Faced with resistance and change (especially with the new coaches) that was too a major contributing factor to the present segregation. Something beyond our reach and authority of intervention given our graduate statues, but that of course is not an excuse for negligence on our part either, we still have the interest of the club at heart.

Sometimes but as what my ex coach once said, it’s very difficult to please everybody, so sometimes what we see now could be an inevitable result of “survival of the fittest”.

It has been, well a rather eventful week with few rather interesting dates to boot, not to mention constant work lined back to back. Finally found some time to submit my UCAS application on time way before the deadline on 20th September for Cambridge university (yes dated updates). Submitted my applications but so far most of them have yet to acknowledge my application, so far for UK, only UCL replied today via E-mail, so Imperial and Cambridge are still largely in the wraps, though I have a preference to the latter.

Friday, yesterday, saw the NYAA gold award ceremony, so it was really something I was always looking forward to which I will cover in a separate blog post. Then there is work, busy busy work. I think one of the other consequence of being your own boss is the flexibility to do what you want with the time you have, otherwise this flexible hours also thinly paints the line between work and play as well, considering I do my work at home. I’ve always seen myself working 7 days a week, often in front of the computer the moment I wake up in the morning till late around 2am at night the last few weeks to finish up projects and commitments in school for the month of October.

Reached home today at about 11am after the track and field chalet, so kinda slept throughout the afternoon before heading out to Harbour front (Seah Im food center) for dinner at the popular sliced fish noodle stall. The sliced fish they serve ther are all very solid, firm and tasty, which I guess made them a favorite in the area. The famous carrot cake and Hokkien mee stalls were open as well, so it won’t hurt to indulge a little as well. is good as well. Window shopping around Vivo city was next, brought a new replacement Sennheiser earphones which I will using for running at Challenger.

Phone not repaired after all!
Crap, after collecting my Nokia N95 8GB last week from the Wheelock repair center, found out yesterday that my video call camera is not working- after trying to use the phone as a mirror to adjust my suit and tie before collecting my award from the president. The screen data cable could be together with the front camera and light sensor, but since they repaired that, they created other more problems and my keypad lights are always on no matter how bright ambient light is as well (it won’t turn off). However, since they got the latest firmware in, the phone standby battery life has improved significantly, about 20-30% more or 1 1/2 more days. Maybe because I was not able to get my old screensaver clock installed due to Series 60 irritating software installation and signing restrictions, maybe that could have ate alot of standby cell life. Nevertheless, still have to drag my butt to the repair center again lucky the warranty is still not over.

Today is the award ceremony for the NYAA Gold held at ITE College East. The NYAA is a DIY award comprising of 5 main areas, namely Service to the community, Skills, Physical Creation, Adventurous journey and Residential project. Each participant have to complete all areas within a minimum time span of 1 1/2 to 2 years, which will see them through many interesting areas of personal exploration and contribution to the community directly or indirectly as a whole.

The venue is rather spankingly nice, with an infrastructure and built even exceeding few Polytechnics we have here in Singapore. The guest of honor for the ceremony is his excellency himself, President S R Nathan who gave the award to each and every of the recipients at the event. Mr Mah Bow Tan sent his regards for not being able to attend the event, MP Mr Zainudin Nordin was present on stage to congratulate the winners at the event as well.

Every year, Singapore Polytechnic is always one of the largest groups receiving the award, at it’s peak as told by GAHA members comprising of half the number of the total number of recipients once (which all makes up of youths from all the Universities, Polytechnics, JCs, ITEs, universities & private colleges in Singapore).

There was an introductory percussion performance by the ITE college east students followed by the presentation. The master of ceremony Mr William Xavier radio personality from 938 was rather interesting, though blunt at times, but did a good job in keeping the audience entertained throughout the event. A tea reception followed after the group photo taking and as usual, the media, Channel News Asia were there as well. Sadly, the president did not stayed long enough after the event to mingle and interact with the awardees, as many including myself were all looking forward into meeting him at the reception itself.

Looking back, I took about 3 years to complete all the criteria of the award- since I entered polytechnic in year one and completing it just after graduation. The idea of a minimum time frame is as an average person will usually take 2 years or longer to realistically put a new skill or habit in place and beyond. The idea of an award being largely DIY not only offers flexibility but ones which allows the participant to practice perseverance, responsibility and discipline as well- a hidden requirement which is still ultimately a necessity to achieve and complete the award as a whole.

The award is also a catalyst for service after the Gold. Personally, the introduction to the Gold Award Holders Alumni or GAHA for short was an eye opener to many and simply paints the fact that your contribution to the society do not just stop after receiving the award. There will also be many opportunities and events lined-up by the community and ever changing calender, such as high key events like the F1, ASEAN, YOG etc… as well as community services and environmental missions (such as studying whale sharks). The best thing about it is that it is not an “exclusive club” and anyone who wishes to help in the selfless service to the community area all warmly welcomed in their contributions, very much going with the saying “selfless service to all”.

I will see myself helping out in many areas such as fund raising, the whale shark scuba expedition as well as videography and web design, areas I am capable in helping out effectively.

The site has grown a very fair bit, so I guess it’s deserving to give the site it’s own box on the web. Installed 2 new servers in the Datacenter on the 28th of September. This new Quad Xeon Linux box will host the site. Having largely worked on the Windows platform, I’ve been doing quite alot of reading on Linux and Unix OS and hands-on in preparing the server for the web, including installation of the operating system, switch networking and securing the server. Though there was alot to learn and try. Linux is really interesting to configure which just brings me away from the luxury of GUI and back to the old MS-DOS days in the early 90s. But the good thing is that once you get the hang of the commands unique to the platform, most of the logic will still largely be similar to DOS. Will be looking to move the site over soon after the new server is ready for it.

Currently I have about quarter rack free space in Pantech 21 (Pandan) which I can lease out to anyone looking to co-locate their servers. The infrastructure I have in place for each 1U will be 10Mbps shared with 2IPs, one power plug and RJ45 port for $95 SGD/month. Ping is good, always not exceeding 17-25ms. Currently I have only about 6Us of space left so place is limited. Places will be offered on a case by case basis and access based on trust, so feel free to reach me if you are interested.

A 2nd installment of the the views from my coming “Ride on the Singapore Flyer Review”. Shot from the Singapore Flyer observation wheel, this photostitch comprises of 5 photos taken in landscape to produce a 180 degree paranomic view of the iconic Singapore skyline at sunset. Showcased are the various landmarks of the Marina Bay area. including the central business district, the Sheares bridge, Esplanade, the floating platform (soccer field) as well as the integrated resorts under construction on the distant background.

Taken from a Nokia N95 8GB with Carl zeiss optics in Landscape mode with no paranoma assist, forced non-flash. For more paranomas, check out my photo stitch gallery.