The Adventures of Aaron Colin

Last Move

2012-02-11T19:22:00.001+07:00

Who knew I'd end up in IPEKA International Christian School? Guess what? I myself am still baffled.

There is a burning thought/story in my mind right now that I'm actually dying to share with the whole world right now. However, I best not for now.

But I must say, within 23 school days, I have been overwhelmed. Outright, I will say that I have never "worked" in an institution with people this friendly in my life. Honestly, "IPEKAns" are extremely friendly; every single soul without exception. It's just unbelievable. The level of affability and conviviality is just so amazing that I'm running out of words to describe just how high the level of congeniality I've experienced is (and I'm beating about the bush with synonyms of friendly).

When I walked through the school gates in uniform for the first time, the only word that was going through my mind was "daunting". The building was really big to begin with. It's is the biggest campus I've ever studied in before but there are a million and one other aspects that are just "daunting".

I waited in the admission office just as instructed the day before. I waited to hear of my assigned class. At that time, I didn't even know if the classes went by A, B, C and D or 1, 2, 3 and 4. To my 'horror', I was assigned to class 11.4. It's not the people I have a problem with. Heck, I didn't even know the name of a single soul yet. What bothered me was the fact that it the curse seemed to live on. 8D, 9D, Sec 4 J doesn't count because class J was the only class, and now 11.4. I seem to be cursed with the number 4 or being in the fourth class. Lucky number four.

Reaching the seventh floor of the Junior and Senior High building, my feet were to an extent sore. I then proceeded to a Multi Function Room which till today I don't know what it's officially called. Us new students were told that everyone would have proceeded there immediately. To my belwilderment, the room was empty, making me think twice to wether I wasn't following instructions or I had been given the wrong instructions or the rest of the student body wasn't following instructions. Then, a lady in teacher's uniform walked into the room and that was when I knew that I wasn't in trouble.

The teacher was Ibu Ami, IBS (Indonesian Background Speakers) teacher, Year 11 coordinator and my form teacher. I was immidiately greeted with warmth and hospitality. As we started to engage in conversation, I was still feeling intense trepidation. I had no idea what was in store for me, for that morning, that day, and for the two years to come for that matter. Yet, Ibu Ami seemed to give me the impression new students generally survive. What she did to suggest that I don't quite remember, but something did. That day, the seventh floor played with and mixed around my emotions. It wasn't like I had never moved school before. It was what I enjoyed doing. Still, this was "daunting".

23 school days later, I still heard the word "daunting" being whispered into my ears every time I walk through the school gates. I've been through a lot of ups and downs but the benevolence to people makes up for all the downs.

I've been a PSB. I've been a Laurensian, and many other things. I'm still a PSB. I'm still Laurensian, and many other things. But now, I'm Ipekan (I made that term up, ok) and I don't think I will be anything else on top of what I am now. This will be my last move...

Prime Year, Prime Time

2011-12-31T23:42:00.001+07:00

2011 is a Prime Number and 2011 has been a Prime Year for me. At the last New Year's Eve, I felt like God was trying to tell me that 2011 would be a good year. When I learnt that 2011 is a Prime Number in the middle of the year, I realised why.

Now that we are only minutes away from next year, I feel like I have achieved more this year than in all my other years combined.

The scholarship, which I ended up never taking, was the start of a winning streak. Imagine beating out thousands of people to make it into the top 21. That in itself was an extraordinary achievement.

A huge portion of it goes to I-SWEEEP. It was the first real serious International Competition that I had finally made. On top of that, it was what lead me to fulfilling my life-long dream, to travel half way across the world. Not to mention the after trip to Eastern USA, Canada and UAE. It was an adventure that truly broadened my horizons that I will never forget, including some of the most amazing experiences of my life, from climbing up the tallest building in the world to sliding down the "Leap of Faith". From the huge yet cheap Texas BBQ to the most expensive meal of my life in the Burj Al Arab Hotel. It was an education in itself.

Then there was the day where I graduated in a Toga for the first time. It was the day I left Santa Laurensia Junior High School. It was the day I learnt the single best word that describes myself: Proactive.

Not long after, we had our "Official Falling Apart" of our ASEAN Youth Club at Stevan Meat Shop (which I just went to two hours ago). That was a night truly touching.

A few weeks later, we had our first "Productive Hang-out" with the new generation: GYF 2011. It was that day when we labelled that little seating area in front of Pendopo at Living World as "The Corner From Where We Change The World. Then, just two weeks later, on a Saturday, it was our second "Productive Hang-out" which turned into my birthday event. It was a huge turning point for me. It was one of those few moments where I was genuinely able to view Laurensians in a brighter light.

A letter from Brazil came telling me that I had qualified for the finals of MOSTRATEC in Brazil. Unfortunately, the Brazil trip I had long anticipated didn't quite materialise. But that's alright, because the invitation letter was an achievement in itself.

After a few months of self study, fate brought me back to my roots: PSB. The day I joined them was the day I worked on the final major project of the year: The Production. It was an experience truly ending my journey in the most elegant manner.

However, with all the Prime Achievements, this year came the worst hardships. I've lost count of how many failures I've faced this year, including ICYS, ISPO, OPSI, and really a whole lot of other things I don't really want to think about now. Despite that, it was all worth it.

Now that 2011 is about to end, I feel like I'm walking away from success. I'm about to enter a new phase of my life. 2012 has a lot in store for me and I'm waiting to see if I will make it out of 2012 alive.

It's been a Prime Year. It's been a Prime Time.

Rooted Roots

2011-12-26T21:30:00.003+07:00

Within the year, I have left 2 different schools, both in good terms. As you leave an institution, you think of all the people that have been a part of the journey. You know you will miss them. Then you tell them that you'll try to keep in touch with them and you'll try to meet up often. Then they say that they are going to miss you and that your welcomed to visit any time. Both parties assure each other that they will be remembered and missed.

However, do all these hopes truly materialise? Will you really remember them and will you be remembered?

For the first week apart, usually a holiday, Facebook is filled with tagged photos of your time in the institution and Twitter is buzzing with farewell tweets saying that you will be, or already are, missed. You're still Skype calling people and chatting with them over MSN or YM. In the most hyperbolic cases, they tell you that it's only been one day and yet they already miss you so terribly (then how ever did you survive being apart over the weekend?). They randomly call you up and when you ask them why the random call and why not just a text, they say things like "I miss your voice" or "you get across more details orally" or other excuses they can think of.

Then, you decide to meet up. You spend quite an amount of phone credit arranging for a movie or just a nice chat over coffee at the mall. You feel like you're meeting you father who came back from the war in Iraq. You have a great time and tell each other that you should meet up again some other time. At this point in time, you still genuinely miss each other and feel their presence in your life. They still play an important role and therefore you still think about them every day.

But time goes on and you move on. You join another institution, or get caught up in your own stuff, and you relationship with them slowly fades away. They ask you stuff, especially about your new institution, from time to time. However, you get more and more preoccupied with the new people in your lives and slowly that relationship fades away to the point, though you haven't forgotten them, you just don't remember them. They no longer become a part of you daily life.

Since I've left Laurensia and PSB, it's funny how I still remember my peers and teachers. I still think about them almost every single day. I just randomly think about them. Every time I come across the word 'New York', a name and face crosses in my mind. Every time I go to Living World (the mall near Laurensia), a memory of my former peers is triggered.

But then, the question remains. As time progresses, will I still remember you and will you still be remembered? Will I still think of you every day of my life? Does it mean that I don't appreciate you anymore or is it simply part and parcel of life and human nature to forget? For how long will I remain rooted to my roots?

Just yesterday, when I woke up in the morning, I came across my English Portfolio from 8th grade. Then, I start to think of Ms Pia, my first English teacher in Santa Laurensia. I think of how she understood me and still took the effort to take care of me in class. Then, that afternoon, it just so happened that I coincidentally bumped into her at Living World and when I greeted her, the first thing I told her was that I just so happened to had been thinking about her.

Then, about 2 weeks ago, I was studying in my room doing some Maths exercises. The character in the word problem happens to be named Kenny. Then, I think of my old pal Kenny from back in Laurensia who played a huge role in my Laurensian journey. I stop working for a while, just to think about him. Then, thoughts run through my mind. "I wonder how he's doing now. Did he get accepted at the school he applied to? He's an awesome guy. Good character. I've always believed in him. He'll lead a successful life. He'll be find. God Bless Him." I suddenly invested a few moments of my day just thinking about him, thinking about out past together, wondering how he is now, and wishing him a brighter future. Then, the most creepy part, at that very moment, a random text came into my phone at the most random time. It was from Kenny. "How did the production go?" And so he was also thinking about me, at least for a few seconds.

Life... Will I think about my past life just every single day?

The Students' Adventure - Re-routing The Race

2011-09-09T21:55:00.001+07:00

Today I had two guests come to Jakarta. One from Singapore and the other from Canada. So this morning I went over to the airport to pick them up and we headed straight off together with my mom. Where you may ask? We thought that we would show them two places close to heart. These two places really reflect what Indonesia is all about and are well preserved. But really, it's because these places happen to be the two tourist attractions in the area that are closest to my heart. It's Taman Mini Indonesia Indah and Kebun Raya Bogor.

Why are they so close to the heart? It's because I've been to Taman Mini like 9 times and I've been to Kebon Raya Bogor probably 16 times to date. Why so many times? Because these were the two places where lead my team of PSB students to organize The Students's Adventure (TSA) Season 1 at Kebun Raya Bogor and The Students' Adventure Season 2 at Taman Mini. So with all the survey trips to organize the event, I think I now know these places all too well.

***

TSA, later renamed as SCOPE (Student Corporation Organizing Productive Events) is, or was, an annual event that we held in PSB School. It's sort of like a Junior Amazing Race but with a totally different concept. Each year, or season as we like to call it, we choose one place which is the scope of the race. The students are put into groups and run a two leg race with a Check Point at the end of each leg. Each leg consists of a number of stations each with a task that the teams must complete to move on in the race.

The most amazing thing about TSA is that it is FULLY STUDENT INITIATED. The idea came from the students' own will with no adults asking us to do it at all and the teacher mentor which we recruited (not that recruited us) was only to resolve legal matters and to show his or her face when we needed someone aged above 18.

***

Let's just keep the description simple: today was just nostalgic. Like really nostalgic. We had 6 stations in Taman Mini. Today, I got to re-visit 3 of them. In Kebon Raya, I got to revisit all the stations including the Check Points. Somehow, though there were not much people there, somehow I was seeing people, students of PSB School, running around, reading clues, fighting, carrying each other's bag (or carrying each other), completing tasks, and the scene I've seen the most which is checking into the Check Point at Lady Raffles Memorial in Season 1 and at Istana Anak-anak in Season 2. It's amazing how we did something so amazing in such an amazing place. I don't think I can describe what we went through during the days of TSA and you really have to be one of us on the Organizing committee to understand all the pain and gain. Working 6 months to prepare for Season 1 which effectively was only a 4 hour race and a preparation time of 9 months for a 5 hour race is a lot of time spent on a short time "pay" of satisfaction. But really, we've all learned so much from the experience and I'm sure it has changed all of our lives.

This post is dedicated to all the organizers of the First and Second Season of The Students' Adventure Series and SCOPE! All the best to us all in the future!

To end this tribute post, I'll publish that TSA Theme Song song we wrote before the second TSA which was never officially published (and only 4 people have heard of) followed by some photos of our TSA times. (Due to my horrible Internet speed, more photos will be uploaded on a later date)

The Students' Adventure Theme Song

The time is coming, the time is near

And it's becoming all so clear

The chance of a lifetime starts today

Let's learn, run and have fun

In the sun, all for one

Everybody come and join us here

It's The Students' Adventure where we're gonna have some fun

It's The Students' Adventure where we'll work with everyone

It's The Students' Adventure where we're gonna run and scream

All we've got to do right now is learn, run, have fun!

We're gonna learn something new today

But we don't know what anyway

The chance of a lifetime starts today

Let's learn, run and have fun

In the sun, all for one

Everybody come and join us here

It's The Students' Adventure where we're gonna have some fun

It's The Students' Adventure where we'll work with everyone

It's The Students' Adventure where we're gonna run and scream

All we've got to do right now is learn, run, have fun!

It is a TSA tradition that we take a picture of our feet on the first location survey trip

GW 1.0 (In English)

2011-09-08T22:51:00.000+07:00

This is another blog post where I copied the idea from the blog of the coolest dude around Mario Averdi at http://www.shootingaces.blogspot.com/ . So here it goes, in English...

I was born in that hospital labour room in Jakarta Barat that one August morning. I was in my mom's tummy for that extra month. I was expected to be born on Indonesia's Independence day but that didn't happen. I was taken home to an amazing home with an amazing pair of parents. I grew up. I was too skinny to be true. I never had problems eating vegetables. I moved to Perth. I lived in Perth with my dad. I attended 4 different Kindergartens. I was put in foundation English class in my last kindergarten. I continued to live in Perth. I sat my first year of Primary School in Ursula Frayne in Perth. I was still in Foundation English class. I was a jerk in first grade. I listened to Westlife, ABBA and Pet Shop Boys in the car to and from school everyday. I grew up listening to Westlife. I came to love Westlife. I watched The Sound of Music every day. I watched it so much that the last time I watched The Sound of Music was the day the CD cracked. I moved on to second grade. I went home to Jakarta. I went to SIS. I got bullied in grade 2. I was the bully the next year. I've been both a bully and the bullied before so I know what it feels like on both sides. I moved to PSB. I moved to a school in a damn freaking ruko. I moved to PSB on the first day it opened. I went to a school with 40 students from 1st to 9th grade. I was in a class of like what, 6 people? I thought my parents were insane to send me to PSB. I was proven wrong in 4 months. I won the APSMO maths competition. I won the Westpac Olympiad. I am the first person in PSB School history to have an achievement in a competition outside school. I went through this journey with my good pal Pris. I was ruthless. I was hated. I was bullied, again. I then became the bully, again. I resolved it all before the end of 4th grade. I was the vice of the Valentines Day organizing committee. I was part of the first ever fully student organized event in PSB School history. I was so proud of myself. I felt Youth Empowerment for the first time even though I didn't know what Youth Empowerment was at that time. I was crazy. I organized our so called "The Adventure Race" in Kebon Raya Bogor for the school. I was so devastated that it got canceled due to natural disaster. I put all the documents in a box and hid it away. I found the box and made the race really happen two years later. I started TSA. I saw TSA crash and burn. I was loved by my PSB mates. I was loved by my PSB teachers. I was scared taking the iPSLE. I made it through the iPSLE. I got results outstanding that words cannot describe how good they are. I cried because of my results. I made my maths teacher cry because of my results. I cried and cried and cried. I was too happy to stop crying. I sat Secondary School. I left PSB on such short notice. I left PSB not because PSB is a bad school. I left to make PSB proud in the world out there. I left the shoebox school. I worked hard for my last Honours Day event. I worked hard to make my final service to PSB a memorable one. I cried on Honours Day on stage. I made everyone else cry. I left the most productive 4 years of my life...

I'm bored. I wanna blog. I'm going to Kebon Raya Bogor tomorrow. I'm going to be nostalgic.

I'm going to continue the chapters of my life which were in Bahasa Indonesia in GW 2.0!

I'm Aaron Colin and signing out!

Judging A Book By Its Cover

2011-09-01T23:21:00.003+07:00

(As you may see, this post is still very messy, as in it lacks proper structure. This is mainly because as I was writing it, I had a hard time connecting ideas together; and this is indeed a very complicated topic. I'm going to be editing this post soon so please do check back soon!)

As I have grown up, I've heard that phrase over and over again. At first I believed it; but by "at first" I mean when I first heard the phrase in Grade 2 or 3 I think. But lately, I've come to realize that this is not entirely true, and now, I'm going to tell you why...

Let's take this phrase literally. Suppose I'm at the bookstore. These days, at least in Indonesia, bookstores tend to leave one copy of each book unsealed so that you can take a look at the content before you buy one. But in life, some things just don't have that one unsealed copy. In other words, sometimes, you only have to cover to judge the inside which is where it all gets tricky.

I like to think of it this way. In the old days, it doesn't matter if you are not physically attractive for as long as your voice is good, you can be a famous singer. These days, I bet half the people who are a fan of Justin Bieber or whoever are fans mainly because they find him cute (is he?) or because he's dating Selena Gomez (I think?) or whatever other reason. Well, if Justin Bieber had a horrible voice, he would not be as successful and famous as he is today, but still, his "cover" is his main selling point, kind of like the way Lady Gaga lives by her image of being what? Bad?

When I meet a person for the first time, I automatically want to evaluate the person. Imagine when in a huge convention of people. Of course, you want to get to know some people but there is no way you will get to know everyone. So therefore, you are put in a situation where you have to choose who you want to socialize with and most likely, you would want to meet people who you will benefit from. I don't want to waste time on a person who will not gain me anything useful. So what do I have to make my choice? Anything on the outside. I can't interview everyone then make my choice. So have to depend on things like body language or the way someone presents themselves.

There are other popular phrases like "Looks can be deceiving" or whatever that tell us that what we see on the outside may not reflect whatever is hidden within. There is a lot of truth in that. However, I feel that cover is a huge factor of consideration. A person who is good would try their best to create an appearance that reflects their inside. No point having a good product if the packaging in itself scares people off.

If the cover isn't good, it means it's not worth checking out, even though the inside is good, especially in the world we live in today, where the demands for everything are much higher and we are always after perfection and a "full-package". And think about it, if plastic surgery is placed outside my scope of consideration, if a person is genetically blessed or not, you can't change too much. However, if a person is intelligent or has good character, with will and determination, that can be changed.

I think this is a talking point which can go in all sorts of directions. So please do leave your comments on how you feel about this topic.

Best Blog Quotes 1

2011-09-01T21:22:00.001+07:00

For those of you who don't know, I have a long list of blogs which I ALWAYS check everyday whenever possible. I do this because I feel that sometimes these blogs can be a huge source of inspiration! I can tell you know that I have a list of 3 blogs which have changed my life and have inspired me. For those blogs who are on my list of the best of the best, if there are no new posts on that day, I usually would wonder off to some of the older posts. Therefore, in this post, I'm going to quote one of my favourite lines in one of these blogs that I check often and I'll discuss them, why they are inspirational or what meaning I feel lies behind them! Subsequently I'll have more of these types of posts! So here goes the first one...

Taken From "Waiting In Line, Waiting For a Verdict" by Karin Novelia

(http://writewordstosay.blogspot.com/2010/06/waiting-in-line-waiting-for-verdict.html)

Many people ask me, "Why didn't you join the Student Council? You would be a great candidate."

Blah, blah, blah. Not to be disrespectful or anything to the people who support me and encourage me to be all "over-achieving" and who realize my leadership potential, 4 words: You. Don't. Know. Me.

Okay, I would love to be Ms. Busy-body and play teacher's pet, though evidently, that has gotten me into drama before, but I'm not a "Rachel Berry", if you will. I'm not the type of person who knows she has what it takes but destroys it by being overly-'me', all obsessive and overshadowing. I guess what I'm trying to say is, that I'm still figuring things out. I don't want to push myself to doing what seems like 'the typical me thing' to do. Not many people know what I have to deal with on a daily basis. School, parents, making sure my older brother gets through school and baby-sitting a younger sister. It's the little things I've been doing for like an eternity and I love doing them, it's like the dream job you don't wanna quit, but it takes a lot out of me.

Ok, this post was published over a year ago, but I still remember this post very well, mainly because it has my name written all over it. But the lines above which I just quoted to me have a very deep meaning. FYI, I've known Karin for almost 1.5 years now. We first met when she sat for her Writing Club Interview way back when and we have had many ventures together ever since, mostly AYC related.

In the first paragraph I quoted, when she says "Many people", I'm one of them. The main learning point to take away from this post, at least for me, is that everything is not what it seems. In fact, nothing is ever what it seems. There's that famous saying "Don't Judge A Book By Its Cover" which honestly, I don't really agree with and talk more about why in a future post.

But anyways, you never know what people have to deal with on a daily basis. Karin I must say has often been labeled as the "Over Achiever". We'll I've been there and done that and I know what it's like. The point that I want to get across here is that things like Grades or Achievements can never be a representation of a person's quality. Sometimes, people also choose not to bring out their full potential. There are also people who find that the ruthless way of life isn't worth it. Really, my main point is, what you label someone is not always what they are.

15 Things I Did In My 15th Year

2011-09-01T14:41:00.000+07:00

The 15th year of my life has been a very interesting and life-changing one filled with a lot of very high ups and very low downs. I must say, it has been one of the best years of my life so far (but I dare not say best yet). However, I must say though, if AYC 2010 happened after my 14th birthday, or even on my birthday instead of just before it, I think I would have labeled this year the best one. So, I've chosen the 15 things which I feel were the best things I have done or achieved from the day I turned 14 to the day I turned 15. So, in chronological order, here it goes...

1. Gold Medal in Mathematics Division at the Indonesian Young Scientist Competition 2010 (InaYS 2010) in Bandung, Indonesia together with my dear Science Club partner Toby.

2. Organizing the ASEAN & Youth Empowerment Day event for the entire Junior High Unit of Santa Laurensia School. It was like bullying the entire school for a whole day!

3. Published the VieR School Magazine with the team under my leadership (=D)!

4. On top of number 3, my Cerpen (Short Story) in Bahasa Indonesia was chosen to be published in VieR!

5. I was awarded the scholarship in Singapore! (See previous posts)

6. I endured my first surgery which was to remove my appendix.

7. I hit the American continent for the first time in Houston, Texas, USA after taking the longest flight of my life (16.5 hours from Dubai to Houston)

8. Bronze Medal in the Energy Category for the International Sustainable World Energy, Engineering and Environment Project Olympiad (I-SWEEEP) 2011 in Houston, Texas, USA! Met with people from 70 different countries.

9. I climbed up the world's tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, UAE, and second tallest building, the CN Tower in Toronto, Canada.

10. I braved the Leap Of Faith water slide in Aquaventure at the Atlantis Resort on The Palm in Dubai, UAE. An almost vertical drop that catapults through a Shark Lagoon.

11. Passed my UAN (National Exams) with unbelievable results (both in good and bad ways)!

12. I had the opportunity to meet and work with many students from the 16th cohort of Santa Laurensia Junior High School and we inspired each other!

13. Junior High School Graduation. Graduated in a toga for the first time!

14. The Most Proactive Student Award at Graduation! Unexpected but at the same time very expected!

15. First time hang out with a Laurensian, and the hang out was in the form of a Productive Hang-out (LOL).

So there you go, 15 things I did in the past year that I will always remember for the rest of my life. I know some may find my life a bit boring, but hey, some of these are really big things for me!

There Is No Hiding A Birthday From A Laurensian

2011-08-28T17:30:00.000+07:00

First of all, for those of you who I told that my birthday is on 29 February, which means that my birthday comes only once in four years, and believed it, you fell for my trick. My birthday was indeed a few days ago.

It has become a bit of our tradition that we would have a meeting, or a productive hang-out as we like to call it sometimes, the second weekend after the return of a GYCi Delegation. So we did have our AYC + GYF + AYC Productive Hang-out, which happened to fall on my birthday...

I have never really liked celebrating birthdays, especially with other people. To me, a birthday is just like ending the financial year where you count all your profits and losses. I treat my birthdays as a time to review what went wrong, what I could have done that I didn't do and all the things that went well. To me, it's more of a personal time.

Therefore, with the objective of making sure that the meeting was focused to productive stuff and not my birthday. So I decided not to tell anyone that the event would fall on my birthday and for those who insisted days before the event that I treat everyone to lunch, I came up with the silly scheme about my birthday being on 29 February.

But unfortunately, that morning, I was awoken to a text greeting me "Happy Birthday". Somehow, the whole world found out and denied all information that it was not my birthday. So, when I got to Living World (it's a mall in Alam Sutera Complex where my ex school is), the whole Laurensian WORLD that was there seemed to know what day it was. I had so many Laurensians who I don't know the names of come up to me and give me a signature AYC hug (nothing really signature about it really, just a hug). Text messages also kept pouring in till my phone hanged (no kidding). Including the most shocking yet meaningful of the texts saying "HAPPY BIRTHDAY WORLD LEADER!" and the text from someone who was right there in front of me but just had to SMS his/her birthday wishes. Thanks for the texts guys! Sorry if I didn't reply any of them because I either overlooked them or missed them and sorry to those people who got replied many times because I did not remember replying them. (=D)

I'll be honest, I have lately come to realize and accept the harsh fact that throughout my time in Santa Laurensia Junior High School, at least in my final 9th Grade year, every student in the school at least knows who I am one way or another (as if I'm Student Body President or something) but I don't know everyone. I do recognise the faces of every Junior High Laurensian in 14h to 16th generation, but I don't think I would know all the names, all the more have saved their phone numbers on my phone and know who's is this text from. I would not really say that I am a "popular" student. I don't even know if people associate their knowledge of me to good things. But my point is, it just feels weird. In PSB, everyone knew who I was, but that was because it was such a small school and everyone knew everyone else anyways. But here in Laurensia, it's all different. Whatever it is, I don't like this concept of being "known".

So, long story short. The conclusion: the whole world found out it was my birthday, despite that I still forced everyone to work (actually, it was kind of the other way around at the beginning) and my parents decided to treat everyone for dinner (which was still mostly a work-based session) and it turned into a birthday party when there was a cake (damn birthday cakes!). But despite my frustrations that I didn't pull off my trick, it was an awesome day, as any AYC + GYF day is. It was my last birthday spent in Jakarta for at least the next few years and I'm glad that in my last year in PSB, I spent a birthday with my PSB pals and now I have one birthday with my fellow Laurensians as well.

But the thing is, I don't want to think of that day as a celebration of my birthday. I prefer to regard the festivities as a celebration of my relationship with these Laurensians. The people who came were all AYC or GYF or the 2 people who inspired me to end up in Houston. They are kind of the perfect representatives of the group of people who have shaped my Laurensian Journey (ok, not perfect, certain people were not there and those people would have perfected the day, but it's ok). It's a celebration of our journey together and at the same time, the perfect time for me to close the book and let go of them to continue on without me.

So what was the lesson learnt on that day? There is no hiding a birthday from a Laurensian!

The Journey Finally Begins --> Singapore

2011-03-14T21:48:00.000+07:00

If there was one thing I learnt this time, it was that leaving a Maths test half blank is not automatic elimination. Suddenly, my name appeared on that website that night under "Successful candidates for Interview". Working from the back never fails me!

I remember the first day in PSB, when the 27 of us walked into that Ruko (Shophouse). I remembered how we all ended up in that tiny MPH (Multi Purpose Hall), probably only the size of two classrooms in Laurensia, on the fourth floor and we were all panting on our way up. In that room, the objective was stressed many, many times. On day, one of us would be admitted to a school in Singapore. (Note: only ADMISSION. We're not talking about scholarships yet)

And so the hard work went underway, but the wait never did end.

Primary 6 to Sec 1, not a single school admitted me after a gruelling week in Singapore applying from one school to another.

In Sec 1, we tried again for admission, to Sec 1. Even that didn't work out.

Sec 2 was when I moved to my new school, Santa Laurensia, where the objective was deemed not met since I had left PSB. But by then, a few other PSB kids had made it, all of them being from the cohort below me, the cohort which I mentored some of them during the year-end break which was my "historical" transition from PSB to Laurensia.

The holiday separating Sec 2 (Grade 8) and Sec 3 (Grade 9) was the holiday I started charging for my mentoring services because I was earning money for AYC. That was another cohort which had Singapore Success Stories as well.

I went for AYC in Singapore, where in a few magical days of interacting with amazing people from around ASEAN, most of them Singaporean students, among them students from some of the best schools in Singapore, I was reminded of my long lost "objective". It was then when I started searching for a school again. (Well not during AYC, after of course)!

After AEIS and tests at RI, things still didn't work out.

Then, as I was about to give up, everything changed, all in just a few hours.

"On a scale of 1 to 10, where would you rank yourself on how prepared you are for this scholarship?" was the question thrown at me during the interview.

With hesitation, I said 9.5 (damn I'm crazy). Since I had just blurted such a high number without thinking, I'd best not wait for them to ask why. "I'm ready for this because I've prepared for this day all my life. Like the test yesterday for example, I didn't really study for it, well, I did, but it was only a few hours of revision. But it wasn't because I feel I'm so good or snob, I've been waiting for this day for a very long time, since I first started studying, since I was in Primary 4. I didn't take a 100 hour crash course like I know many other candidates did. For me, no point I drill for this test and then before I even go to Singapore I forget everything. For me, best I actually didn't study for the test, so the results of if I make it to the next round or not reflects my true capabilities. And besides, I've been working towards this for a very long time now."

"Then what's the 0.5 representing?"

"Well, since I moved to Laurensia, since there was a huge switch in the curriculum from Singaporean curriculum to Indonesian curriculum, my engine is cold and I need time and practice to kick-start my engines again!" Of course, we spontaneously broke into laughter together.

There was also my favourite question of the interview, "Are you Singaporean?"

"Err.... how should I answer this question.... Err.. no!!!"

But it's amazing, how life can change all in a day. In just a few hours, I was signed into a Scholarship and I just could not believe it. Till today, I'm not really realizing that this is a scholarship, I still think it's only ADMISSION.

When I found out I had made the final cut, I was at May Star (the Dim Sum place) with Zoya, Owen and Vinsens. Before the food was even served, we could already see tears of joy running down Zoya's cheeks. Yet, tension continued to fill the air for us boys throughout the meal. As the final "complimentary" dish was served, we had gotten the good news.

I remember hurrying my mom to lend me her Blackberry so that I could call Ms Anna and Ms Ng, the two teachers who have shaped me to be who I am today and just so happens one is a Maths teacher and the other teaches English. I ran to the pool near the restaurant to make my calls, none of which got connected. As I gave up calling them and turned my back to run back into the restaurant, I noticed Owen having the same fate and doing the same thing. As we walked back in together, I told him "this is it Owen, it all begins now!"

And so as of 2012, like what Owen said on his blog, I will be blogging from the island of opportunities, Singapore.

Be A Communicator, Not A Speaker

2010-07-28T23:47:00.000+07:00

Today, work begins. As we entered the room, we came into our first session. To be a world leader, you have to be able to get the people you are leading to have the same vision as you do. Nothing can be achieved if your people have no intention of reaching the same goals as you. To do that, you need to be able to persuade them and there is really only one skill you need to master, Public Speaking!

We were asked to give a 1-2 minute speech on the topic "Your Most Embarrassing Moment" and I must say that I was very surprised to hear 2 stories that had something to do with me (thanks a lot guys *sarcastic mode on*) but hey, it was part of the fun. Long story short, we had a great time and I want to thank Yu Li for the very interesting session!

We then moved on to the Icebreaking session where we got to know the other Youth Delegation Leaders (YDLs) from Singapore and Vietnam. It was nice to get to know them better, especially the Vietnamese YDLs who we were staying in the same hotel with.

I came the time to do a Mock-up of the things that would be happening at the actual convention. We each presented about ideas on the problems in ASEAN and how we could fix them.

As the presentations went by, we started to learn about how the problems each country was facing was very different from one another. For example, the Singapore Delegation talked about Youth Empathy. From an Indonesian's point of view, and I guess the Vietnamese also felt the same way, there are problems in our countries far more serious than Youth Empathy such as Poverty. The Vietnamese talked about how Youth Empowerment is a very hard thing to achive in Vietnam and the best place for them to start taking action is by improving the educational system. According to them, 98% of the school curriculum is dedicated to sciences.

Through the presentations I learnt how different the problems facing each country could be. However, at the same time, two or all of the countries could be facing one common problem but at different levels. Two issues that we found were common to all three countries were the Education System and the Environment.

Tomorrow we will be meeting with Ambassador Ong Keng Yong at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Ong is the former secretary of ASEAN.

On Friday we have to present on the topic "Can Indonesians Think?" Can Indonesian people think and get creative and innovative? Can they think as well as people in the US or in the EU? We will be very strongly considering your comments since we were asked to get the opinions of the people back home. This is you first and one of the best chances for you to make a difference. So come on people of Indonesia, Can Indonesians Think???

What You Say, What You Do, Can CHANGE The WORLD

2010-07-26T20:50:00.000+07:00

Over 300 Youth Delegates from 10 countries from all over South-East Asia will come together in the bustling city-state of Singapore for one reason, to build the future of ASEAN. As we get closer to the ASEAN Youth Convention (AYC), I wonder if I will be able to make my mark on this world. I mean, who am I? I'm only a "kid"! Am I actually going to be able to do something for the better of ASEAN?

The Preparatory Day on Sunday was coming to an end. We were all reminded about our flights. Then, it was my turn to lead an exercises that to me, explains everything.

We form a circle, holding hands with the people beside us. Toby turned off the lights, then, we closed our eyes. "Imagine you are on a field, where not a wall is in sight." I began. I for one, kept my eyes open, just to make sure that nobody was fooling around. The main idea of the activity was to get them to imagine what was on the line. When I did a way less "dramatic" version of this when I had the Copenhagen Gala Dinner, it really made me realize that what I did there and then could make a difference, for better or for worse.

I then went on. "There are 70 million Youths in Indonesia, and there are 20 Indonesian delegates standing in this circle. Now turn you head and look behind you. Standing behind each of you are 3.5 million youths, youths of Indonesia, youths that you represent. What you say, what you do, what you achieve in Singapore, could make a difference in their lives!" Then, I went on to telling them that we don't just represent the Youths, we represent all the people in Indonesia. That's 10 million people standing behind each of us. On that field, all 200 million Indonesians stand united as one.

As I began to picture that, I kind of started to realize how big a responsibility I had. I could make a difference in this country, and ultimately the world.

So, what is it actually that is so special about Youths that we can actually have a say in the future development of ASEAN? What can YOUTH Empowerment do?

"Kak OSIS" - Walking With The New Generation

2010-07-17T21:59:00.000+07:00

One thing I must confess that most of the current 8th and 7th graders in Laurensia don't know is that I have never experienced MOS, MABIS or School Orientation or anything like that. I came into Laurensia in the 8th grade and PSB never seemed to have such a thing at the beginning of secondary school. I must admit that I do feel "unqualified" to be "mentoring" the MABIS (Masa Bimbingan Siswa) as I had no idea what to expect other than the unpleasing descriptions given to me by my fellow Student's Council Members. As much as these new 7th grades had no idea what was in store for them, I had no clue what was in it for me too!

After out early morning clock-in time on Monday and after 7:15, I came into my assigned class, 7E, to start counting the number of empty seats in the classroom. I waited a little longer till there was only one vacant seat left to then finally come to the decision that it was the right time to start talking. I told them that I would be one of their mentors, though not the class coordinator (of course, I was a blank as them), and asked them to turn off their phones. Then all the other OSIS (Student's Council) mentors came in to help me out with my half-hazardly Bahasa Indonesia.

Nothing out-of-the-ordinary happened apparently, to my surprise. But it just felt weird throughout the whole process. For one thing, it was the first time in my life I had been called "Kak" (It means like older brother or the title you use to address someone who is only a few years older than you F.Y.I.), moreover "Kak OSIS"! First of all, I'm the type of person who finds no age barriers between me and younger kids. I really was just expecting them to call me by my name. I guess for formality they kinda had to address me properly, but I hated how I was kind of seen as "higher" than them. When I came to Laurensia, I didn't really have to call anyone "Kak" because no one was "higher" or more superior than me. It was like your first day in a new office. But it just felt weird that now people were "looking up" at me (probably not the best way to put it).

With that being the situation, I finally accepted that I did have some authority over them (hehehe). Having other duties in other classes, I kind of took the opportunity to "observe" what the other OSIS were doing to their so called "victims". Well, to me, they kind of basically made sure that they did their job and ensured that their individual classes were not going to make a fool out of themselves during the closing-ceremony performance (sorry guys, but this is really kinda the best way put it). I know this sounds very overly mature of a 13 year old kid to say, but seeing the situation I was in, I thought that if these kids "looked up" to me, I figured it was an opportunity for me to inspire them, so that at least they would actually get something out of looking up at me instead of seeing me as a role model only to gain no good qualities in themselves.

So, with that said, I really tried my best to implant some good qualities in these kids so that they don't make the same mistakes I and other people made in Junior High School. How did it go, well, I guess they would definitely remember me for giving out sweets and scolding them for not singing well enough. But whatever the result, I wish 7E and all the other 7th grade classes all the best in their Junior High School Journey!

Do Others Care More About Us Than Ourselves?

2010-07-07T21:53:00.000+07:00

The other day I was at Burger King at Supermal Karawaci about 4.30 pm. I sat between two occupied tables (well not really between, more like close to, but it doesn't matter).

On the table to my right, there were two men, most likely in collage or something. Though they looked Asian, they had very strong American English accents. I inferred that they were definitely not Indonesian.

On another table in front of me, there was a family of a father, a mother and two sons. Now there was not question that they were Indonesians.

Long story short, let's skip to the part when these two tables finished their meal. At the table in front of me, the family finished up their meal, wiped their hands with tissue, placed it on the table along with all the other rubbish and stood up and walked out of Burger King. If you're Indonesian, you might think "Nothing so special about that, it's a common sight!"

At the table to my right, I saw something that shocked me. The guy basically put all the rubbish onto the tray, took the tray with him to the rubbish bin, emptied the tray and put the tray on top of the bin. If you're Indonesian, you might think "Kurang kerjaan banget nih orang!"

Ok, I've got to be honest with you. What the foreign guy did was really something I haven't seen in a very long time. The last time was probably in Singapore or in Australia I guess. But think about it, and compare and contrast. Think about the title of the blog post and think about it. What do you make out of that. Share your thoughts and comment!

Dari 1 Sampe 34, The Journey Of Delapan D

2010-06-13T23:01:00.000+07:00

As the title might suggest, the number 34 may have very significant meaning, and it does and will have a very important memory behind it that will be with me for the rest of my life. Sure, its about my old and new life again, but thats why its so special.

My name is alphabetically behind enough for me to always be the last index number in every class i have been in in my life. But 34, thats the biggest number ive ever had, thats because 8D, is the biggest class ive ever been in.

Sure enough, i wasnt able to attend the farewell party, mostly because im trying to make the dreams of 20 people to go to singapore come true, but i regret it a lot. It seemed to me that i had to compleat the whole year to learn to appreciate them, like Kris Allen's song, Live Like We're Dying, "You never know a good thing till it's gone"

I can still remember day 1, when i came and had a hard time spitting at least one word out of my mouth. Trust me, it wasnt because of the language barrier, i had a bahasa vocabulary enough to make it past life, but it was because it was not prepared for the "hell" i was faced without transition!

Culture shock could be the best way to describe it, and when i say culture, i mean school culture. one i was definately not prepared for. but long story short, i leart about the real world.

but towards the end of the school year, i realized that 8D isnt just a class, it could change my life, and its going to stay with me forever. Unless im not promoted, im never going to have a class with the number 8 but a different letter ever again. This being my first time to switch classes, ive come to realize that im never going to be in the same class of the same people ever again.

As the last days of 8D come to an end, i came to think of the memmories ive had thoughout the year. From the first few days of school which featured my early confrontations with a few people which ended up a big misunderstanding because of the language barrier, to the final days of class meeting and farewell parties, ive come to learn that sometimes, its the naughty things that will be remembered the most.

Its hard not to tear up thinking about how much fun we had. all the blood, sweat and tears, laughing together, crying together, suffering together, living together. im glad that no matter what, our class still stayed together. In the mids of all the comedy, action and drama, is amazing how we've come so far, but remember guys, like Big Time Rush's song goes "We're halfway there!"

My message to 8D:

You guys have been AMAZING!!!! and have really shown me a lot of things. Youve made me "Glow Inside" and "Shine", maybe thats hard to believe, but ive shined in a unique way. I'll never forget all the hard times, all the jokes we cracked and all the moments that will stay in me forever.

I would like to appologize to all you guys if ive ever offended you, may it be in my words or deeds, but i hope u guys understand that it was never meant to offend. I hope we can move on from our past and keep moving forward

To the citizens of 8D, my last words for you. You guys are the "Kids of the Future", youve got talent, from maths to science, from writing to speech, from leadership to organizing, from music to art, from sport to spirit, and you could potentially be the future leaders of the world. Youve come so far from your starts, but the road is long, and its definately not a "Boulevard of Broken Dreams".

Remember in life, opportrunities come, and then they can go just like that, coz in life, second chances only come to the deserving, coz sometimes, theres only "One Time". Always remember what we've learnt this year in english, im not talking about the language, im talking about the moral values, Where can a journey take you?, What defines success?, Can we see change as it happens? CHANGE CHANGES LIVES, and one change leads to the next, one success leads to change, and one success leads to another. Go and make the most of your lives, coz ur all worth living,

"Everybody Knows" that "Life Is A Highway" and it's "The Long And Winding Road" but your have a "Beautiful Soul", so "Don't Stop Believing", "Keep Holding On", coz you've just gotta say to yourself, "It's My Life" and "I'm Alive". If you ever need me one day, "I'll Stand By You" and help you take it "One Step At A Time". Remember that "Your Beautiful" and you need to keep saying to yourself "I Believe I Can Fly", coz "I Will Fly".

The Love Story Behind The Taj

2010-05-08T08:25:00.000+07:00

I have always asked myself where in the world I could find a building so magnificent. Standing about one kilometre away from the Taj in Agra, India, I could already see the top of the white marble structure reflecting off rays of sunlight.

The Taj Mahal was built by the fifth emperor of the Mughal dynasty, Shah Jahan, in memory of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal, and was built over a 22 year period beginning in 1632. This huge mausoleum was built to serve of the final resting place of Mumtaz Mahal. It is said that many tourists have been touched by the magnificent love story behind the Taj. This place is definitely the highlight of most people’s visit to India and for sure, it’s mine as well.

Travellers are warned prior to actually departing to visit the place that they are not allowed to bring not only edibles, but also any form of stationary. As I listened to the explanation given by my guide, Faraz Khan, the reason behind this rule was really something I never thought of, but made sense. In the past, many visitors have tried to copy the designs on the walls of the main tomb where photography is not allowed. Having heard that, I started to wonder “are the designs that beautiful?”

As the bus pulled over, there was no sign of the Taj yet. That was when I found out that the Indian government blocked out the area within one kilometre radius of the Taj as a pollution-free zone. Polluted air causes the white marble of the building to turn yellow. This was one of the many efforts of the Indian Archaeological Survey to preserve their Wonder of the World.

It wouldn’t be as hospitable as the rest of India if they got us to walk a kilometre. Visitors can catch a ride on one of the electric cars which run all day long. From the drop-off point of the electric cars, it’s actually just a short walk to the entrance, but for some, this walk may seem long. Mr. Khan told us not to buy anything from the thousands of people trying to sell you all sorts of things. From drinks to souvenirs, if you ask the price, basically, you have to buy. Best not to buy for a very simple reason, they will rip you off! Sounded like a very sensible reason to me.

When I reached the West Gate of the Entry Gardens, I had to wait in line for security screening, another effort of the Indians to make sure that the Taj stays intact.

As soon as I got passed the security screening, I came face to face with a magnificent structure which in my opinion can be a monument in itself. The atmosphere suddenly becomes grand! We then slowly approached the grand entrance, ready to come face to face with the magnificent marble structure.

I don’t know if this is common, but when you see the Taj for the first time right in front of you, the first word that comes into your mind isn’t “amazing” or “spectacular” but rather “love” or “romance”! The magnificence of the mausoleum is just beyond words. Knowing the love story behind it, it’s amazing how all this was built for a wife who we should note down is dead! The long fountain that stretches down the gardens only makes the place more beautiful. I couldn’t resist taking a couple of pictures in front of the Taj before making the long walk to the sacred tomb.

As you get closer and listen more to the story, you begin to notice how the little details that make it much more beautiful. As I reached ten meters away from the marble structure, it was time to wrap our shoes with some cloth. I didn’t want to risk losing my Nike sneakers while inside the main tomb. It was a good alternative for people who aren’t risks-takers like me!

Walk up the 22 steps and you get closer to the tomb of Mumtaz Mahal and her husband. The time has come to enter the sacred tomb!

I walked into the main tomb and was awed by the grandeur of it all. In the middle of the room laid the final resting place of two very important people.

The first thing that struck me were the marble patterns on the walls. The translucent marble was stunning and the designs were all crafted by the thousands of craftsmen that came in from Persia, place where Mumtaz was born.

There, in the middle of the room, lay the only thing in the entire complex that was not symmetrical, the tombs. In the very middle was the queen. Her husband who built all of this for her rests in peace to her right. Surrounding them was a marble gate which was built at quite a far radius from the tombs. Tourists will only get a clear view of the tomb from the glass panel in front. The problem is that the panel is no so wide and a few people could easily block your view. Visitors are asked to walk around the tomb in a clockwise direction to control the traffic flow. Though the room was dark, it felt warm and romantic inside.

It is said that the Taj was built to look like the throne of god on the Day of Judgment. Indeed, being in this magnificent place feels like you’re about to enter heaven. As I walked out of the mausoleum, I began to reflect on life and the concept of love. Love, not only to a significant other, but to anyone really, is about true sacrifice for others. I left the place ready to see more of Hospitable India.

The Writers Of The Future

2010-05-03T19:24:00.001+07:00

Ok, I’ll be honest. I HAVE been slaking off on my blog. But I have a VERY REASONABLE excuse for that. I’ve been very busy cooking up something big for the next writing club term.
I'm not quite done with my Travel Writing Assignments yet so you might have to wait a little longer!

In the meantime, for writing club, we have to do this blog post about what we think of our fellow writers (which I was supposed to do a VERY long time ago), so that’s what I’ll be doing below. Without further delay:

Willa – I was amazed when I first met her at the interview. She used to live in the UK which is probably why her English is good and she has an English accent. I must say that she’s probably the dark horse of the club and that when competition comes, she can get us pretty easily. I find that though she’s quiet, she can really produce some quality work. Because our classrooms are far away and Becky takes care of the right wing of the school, I don’t really meet her often and I have yet to get to know her better!

Natasha – This girl popularly known as Sasha is one of the most energetic ones in the club! I was really surprised to find out that she goes to the same church as I do. That just goes to show how un-active I am at church. Well, she has always amazed me with the amount of effort she puts in into her essays! Though her English is a little behind compared to the others in the club, she works very hard to produce work of the same quality. As for her personality, it’s hard to ever find a frown on her face. She always lights up the spirit in our club meetings, something we all appreciate. The club has high hopes for her!

Karin – The Pilipino of the club never fails to amaze me! Her ambitions as a writer have surpassed my expectations. I remember when we met for the first time at the interview. I was amazed by her story of how she was first raised in Manila! She writes very descriptive narratives that are always enjoyable to read. She was probably born to make writing club. Her name even has the word “Novel” in it! She does a lot of writing club work when I have other people to chase after. She claims she’s a nerd and is proud of it, but I don’t see the nerd in her. But overall, she’s nice and helpful.

Erico – This guy was probably the first really good friend I made since I came to Laurensia, though the way I treat him in writing club doesn’t really show that. He’s got vision in life, something I really admire about him. It’s very clear what he wants to be and how he’s going to be it. Sometime, I kind of wish I was like him. He does his best in everything he does. Sometimes, the things he does can be a little quirky and odd, but that’s alright, no harm done. I’ve always seen a burning passion in his written word. He’s the best guy in the club (he’s the only other guy in the club) and I hope he keeps it up!

Becky – I chose her as the PIC for one very simple reason, she wants to be an author. Sure she has other dreams that she would really like to fulfill but her passion for writing stands out. What I love about her is the way she has clear goals in life, just like Eric, that’s why he’s her bro! As much as nothing gets in her way of reaching for the stars, she knows that we’ve got to live like were dying! She’s kind of one of the only students in school who I can speak English with and have no communication problems. Well, there a lot of qualities I admire in my PIC. The road shines brightly for her.

I'm Going to INDIA!!!!

2010-04-05T15:38:00.000+07:00

Coming to you from Kuala Lumpur International Airport, I'm about to board my plane to Delhi, India!!! I'm looking forward to seeing my Sec 1 history lessons about India come to life!!! I'm going to be doing my travel writing assignments as I go along!!! I'll post my work on this blog when I get back. Till then, Namaste!!!! :)

My First Journal Entry

2010-03-28T20:56:00.001+07:00

Alright, this is going to be my first Writing Club Journal Entry. Lots of pressure thinking that I dedicated this blog to all my English teachers and all my Writing Club buddies!!! Ok, where do I begin???

First of all, I want to take this opportunity to congratulate certain people:

1. Priscilla Manuel and the S.C.O.P.E. team at PSB for their success so far in preparation for S.C.O.P.E. 2010 (formerly known as TSA)! I’m sorry that I won’t be able to make it on the actual day of the race but I do wish you all the best!

2. Owen and Becky of Science Club for their inspirational achievement at ISPO!!! We wish you all the best in Brazil!

3. Writing Club (Me, Becky, Willa, Natasha, Karin, Erico, Silvia) for making it this far in Writing Club and surviving! Let’s work harder towards creating better writings!

With all that said, let’s hear about the highlights of my week!

The travel writing competition that I’m organizing together with the 8th grade writing club people (Becky, Erico, Silvia) has had its ups and downs. But of all the downs, Thursday’s training session was the biggest train wreck! I thought having a game would be a good idea and that everyone would be happy, and that if one of the splits would go wrong, it would be mine, the lecture. But I WAS WRONG!!! Why did the fun activity go more disastrous than the boring one. Was it because the games were lame or was it cause I was such a good public speaker (but I don’t think so)? I don’t know, but whatever it is, if you’re wondering why we just have to have another session on Wednesday, you might want to blame it on Thursday’s disasters.

Ok, since this blog is quite new, let me let you in on basic facts about me. I’m your not-so-typical guy from Santa Laurensia Junior High School who’s crazy enough to set up a writing club! I just moved in to this school from PSB Singapore School, which the environment by the way, are WORLDS APART!!! I call my life in PSB as my “old life” and my life in Laurensia as my “new life”, note that there was nothing wrong with my “old life”! I’ll be using these two terms often in this blog!

I’m one of those few kids who are crazy enough to say that teaching is my passion and I would like to be either a Maths or English teacher when I’m older. Me teaching Writing Club and my iPSLE students will serve as the start of my teaching career.

You’ll most likely get to know me more as this blog goes along.

Aaron C

Welcome All!!!

2010-03-28T20:23:00.000+07:00

Hey Everyone,

Even though the main reason of setting up this blog was because of the Writing Club Assignment of having weekly blog posts, I'll be writing about anything and everything under the sun (and the moon, but astronomically, were always under the sun right?).

This blog is dedicated to all my Writing Club people (Becky, Willa, Natasha, Karin, Erico, Silvia), all my English Teachers that have made me reach this stage in my writing career (Ms Jen, Mr Arthur, Ms Thiang, Ms Malini, Ms Ng, Ms Pia, Ms Patricia, Mr Jim) and everyone in PSB Singapore School and Santa Laurensia Junior High School. I hope to be able to post blog entires in languages other than English once I've mastered them! Enjoy my written words!!!

Aaron C