I end this day feeling super hyper. Drank four cups of chai today. 4 cups of chai!!!! Wheeeeeeeeee!

When I brought in my fourth cup into the mc room, Junwen was like, "What! Again?"

I used to drink lots of coffee when I was in JC but kicked the habit when I got overly dependent on it. Now my obsession with chai begins.

Tea, simply nothing like it.

The life of a university student during examinations......sigh.

7am: Wake up, brush teeth, wash up, pray, have breakfast, read the paper, drag sleepy self around the house...
8.30am: Get books together to study. Get totally motivated seeing the books. Watch some TV, you earned a break after motivating yourself.
9.30am: Go back to the books. Make a page of hand-written notes. Check your email ten times, someone important might send you one. Facebook.
10.30am: Back to the books, hit a difficult concept, walk around the house to try to internalize the concept. Watch tv to help your brain internalize the concept as it relaxes. SMS a few people.
11.30am: Find out whats for lunch and whether or not its worth looking forward to. Get back to the books. Throw away that difficult concept. Surely it wouldn't be tested for the exams. Right?
12.30pm. Although not hungry, eat lunch anyway.

Haha. Yes, and that leaves us with guilty pangs, right guys?

Well, thankfully, my day is slightly more productive. Slightly. Got the photos around my desk rearranged to add some new ones. My desk is a mess. Have a look at it for yourself:


Cool yeah?

Back to the books......sigh. Glycolysis, lipid biosynthesis, TCA cycle....... :(

Yesterday the cadets of Montfort NCDCC did the school proud, did NCDCC proud and did me proud by performing beyond the highest expectations to execute a perfect parade as Guard of Honour for Montfort School's founder's day.

For almost four months, these cadets have been waking up early in the morning to undergo very taxing training, but they never complained, they just kept pushing on to ensure that they give nothing less than their best. They worked hard so that they would realise their final goal.

I hardly slept on Friday night and finally gave on sleep around 4 am and went to get ready. had a really slow breakfast while reading LKY's memoirs. Then jumped on a bus to Montfort. The cadets got ready and drew their guns and did a final rehearsal. Then it was time for the pep-talk. Cpt Pang and myself spoke to the cadets about how much they had worked towards this and that now this was the moment that would bring fruition to their efforts. I almost choked up with tears at this moment. We then asked the cadets to take positions and they performed the wonderful parade.

After that was a photo taking session with the cadets and I spoke with the parents to thank them for their support. After that it was over.

I got the sec 4s in the room and spoke to them about their coming O levels and how they have to put aside their CCA and work towards a good L1R5. It was their final NCDCC session. After the exams when they come back on the 17th, it would already be their POP ceremony. When I was speaking to them about winding down from their CCA, I could almost feel the pain in them around the room. Especially from Caleb who was sitting right beside me. These people are the pioneers of the unit. They've already spent more than 3 years together building up the unit, going through good and bad times together. And the next time they would meet in uniform for pop, it would be over.

The unit's success doing this GOH means one thing, that despite being a young unit, the unit is strong just like other NCDCC units around Singapore. NCDCC's aim to become a Choice UG is gaining momentum and people know that when they see a NCDCC cadet, they will see leadership, a responsible citizen and somebody who knows basic civil defence skills which could one day save a life. I'm honoured to be part of this. To be part of an organisation which believes in building the character of the younger generation and ensuring that our cadets will be equipped with leadership skills that are not necessarily learnt in the classroom.

The sec 4s invited me to go K-box (is that how its spelt?) after the GOH was over. I declined. Not only did I need to study but I needed to re-charge for things to come.

The cadets have done us proud. The parade is over. Yet the spirit lingers. How does one cope with such wonderful memories knowing that it is now over? How does one move on even higher after spending so much of himself to achieve a new high? I think of what I was telling Sarah Cheng after production was over. I would move on to other things, even better things but once in a while, when all is quiet, I would smile quietly to myself remembering how wonderful i felt training the cadets and watching them grow from boys to men.

Pictures of the event can be found on the Montfort NCDCC Blog http://1st-in-last-out.blogspot.com. Links to more photos would be added later.

Leave a tag. :)

The peak is now in sight. Tomorrow, my dear cadets, we'll be at the peak, we'll conquer the mountain and we'll be on the top of the world.

Have a good rest!

I was looking through a scrapbook that I had made when I had just graduated from Victoria School. I became a bit overwhelmed with emotion. Even though I have stopped going back to VS for volunteer activities for more than 3 years, I don't think I have ever completely let go of that place. But I guess the emotions I felt had nothing to do with VS as it is now. I studied in the old school, for me the Victorian Spirit emanated from each brick in the Geyalng Bahru campus. I miss the atmosphere, my friends, my experiences, many of which have made me the person I am today. I miss, hanging out in the prefects room, studying late into the night in the small study tables that were in the most deserted parts of the school, the ghost stories, the numerous camps, everything, just everything. I miss my friends from the prefectorial board and the fun we all had together. Wow.

I'm definitely not good at saying goodbye. I never have been. I suppose that's why I'm such a sentimental fool. (A SNAG-sensitive new age guy-my friends call me....lol) That's probably why I can never fully let go of anything.

Very soon my sec 4 cadets will be saying their own goodbyes. This Saturday, the GOH, will mark the end of their service as SNCOs in NCDCC. The next time they come back to NCDCC, it'll be time for their POP. I'll miss all of them, I really will, especially my SNCOs. Wow, its difficult just typing this out. You never forget your first batch. I don't think I'll ever forget these guys.

P.S. And people, be nice. If you visit my blog, leave a tag!

Tonight is the eve of Aqa Moula's (TUS) 97th Milad Mubarak (birthday). To mumineen all around the world, Mubarak Mubarak!. And whats more, we've received the good news that tomorrow, we will be able to see and hear Aqa Moula (TUS) because there is a live relay of his waaz mubarak (sermon). Tomorrow, we will be so blessed! Showers of barakat will drench us! Moula will pray for us and do dua for us.

I am so lucky to have Aqa Moula (TUS) in my life. I cannot imagine my life without him. Who would have guided me to become who I am today? Who would have been my role model? When things get tough, who would I remember that would come and help me? Who would have shown me the true faith and path towards God? Who would have shown me that faith and religion is nothing without love? Only you Moula, only you.

Moula tomorrow please pray for me. Please pray for my faith, for my studies, for my company, for success this coming Saturday morning, for my future. And with your dua mubarak, I know the world will be a better place, for everyone.

May Khuda ta'ala give Moula a long and healthy life ta-rozay Qiyamat. Ameen!

Milad Mubarak!

Last Saturday on the 19th of April, I was deeply honoured to be awarded the Special Service Award by Nanyang Junior College. I was given the award because my my past four years of service to the college. I was quite surprised to hear that I was going to receive this award when Mr Victor Tan told me about it. When I arrived at the college, Mr Tan escorted me to my seat which was in the VIP section. We did a bit of catching up and also met my fellow Nanyang Alumni Association ExCo members. Soon the event started. I was the first name to be announced with a citation and the vice-princiapl stood up to show me to the stage. I was so thankful to all of them for making me feel so welcome at NYJC. Indeed, I'll never regret my decision to have gone to that JC. Even after so many years I still feel so welcome. And I'll be going to facilitate at the NYJC Leadership Training Camp this year again! So exciting!

Met Major John today. He patiently listened to me and as usual, gave me new perspectives and very good advice. He told me that as a leader, I should not only be able to solve technical problems but also problems that start to affect me personally. That in a higher position, I should find better, more mature solutions to problems as I carry more responsibility. There were so many learning moments for me in that short session with him. :)

All the UGs at Montfort Sec have been working very hard to make this Saturday's Founder's Day a highly successful one and I'm confident that due to everyone's hard work, this founder's day could be our best one yet. Two more days....

So exhausted now but so much more work left to be done...

To my ncdcc cadets, check out my message to you guys on the Montfort ncdcc blog at http://1st-in-last-out.blogspot.com

:)

After the car ride (whew), I finally reached Montfort and changed into my uniform in time to get the cadets ready for the GOH rehearsal. It was a roller-coaster. Cpt Pang and myself were very thankful that Encik Firdaus, Encik Haramain and Lta Sameer were able to come down to Montfort yesterday to help with the final arrangements and formations for the GOH. I think in the end, everyone was more or less satisfied, some more than others. My cadets had to work with the new arrangements. It was pretty tough on them. I think the guns started getting to heavy for some of them but to their credit, they kept going. During the water break when I asked them how they felt, all of them screamed back "awesome, sir!". What great cadets! However, their drills still lacked a certain something that would differentiate good from fantastic. Encik haramain commented that the npcc cadets were marching with that certain something so we asked the ncdcc cadets to watch the npcc contingent march past. They were standing tall and straight with a lot of gusto. I've always maintained that if we can learn something good from someone else, we should go all out and learn it from them. It is illogical and stupid to state 'pride' as a reason for not learning something worthwhile from another group. After my cadets looked at the npcc contingent (and got a bit of shouting from me), they polished up their performance and improved significantly. Cpt Pang told me that the Principal, VPs and Mr Loh were impressed with the timing and drills after that. So were Encik Firdaus, Encik Haramain and Sameer.

I thought that we had been pretty tough on them already so after they had returned their water mist guns to the armoury, I sat down with the cadets for a light hearted session with them. We joked around and I used this oppotunity also to try and motivate them to accelerate and work hard towards Founder's day which is in 7 days. We held the sec 3s back after everybody else went home, to announce who will be going for the SNCO course and to prep them for what is to come. After that I walked toward the ncdcc room when I saw Shijing rushing into the room and I opened the door to find Shijing sitting down on the floor with blood dripping from his forehead. As the boy ran into the room, he tripped and banged with head against the door which resulted in a deep cut above his left eye. I applied pressure using my hand until somebody finally passed me some gauze. Cpt Pang in his calm manner got everything arranged to transport him to the nearest clinic. We waited until the doc finished stitching him up. Shijing was very brave about it :).

And I went back home, all tired but glad to have spent nother day with my cadets.

Human Relations group project was over last Thursday marking the end of this very interesting module. This module rally helps to analyse why people behave the way they do and it teaches us not to judge people because their behaviour and cognition are all due to their background, or socialization as sociologists tend to call it. Not forgetting the wonderful friends I made in the class and my super-duper group mates: Tong Wei (dragon lady), Joel (pork bun), chin soon (ok, i forgot your nickname), Jivan (the not so great) and of course myself (walawala). :) It was great working with you guys to analyse the social image of the Singapore Girl! (a great way to fly apparently).

Yesterday there was a metabolism test in the morning which despite my lack of mugging was easy to pull through. I'm honestly not sure how many marks I'll get for it but with some luck, I'll get some marks which I'll not be embarrassed to repeat to others. Haha.

After the test I did something I hadn't done in a long time, sit down with some of my friends from life sciences and had a Burger King lunch with them. Ok so it was only two of them but better than nothing right? Haha. Weizhen kept Anne and me in good humour with his many jokes and stories of his exploits with the French lady who wants to keep him for two years (lol....it's not what it sounds like....he's got a research opportunity under this french scientist at nus and he has to give a 2-year commitment).

After lunch I did my prayers and I drove (yes, I drive) to Montfort Secondary School. Many thanks to Biying who found out the shortest and most direct route for me to get there from NUS. I was listening to some Marsiya and Madeh (devotional hymns) on the way there and I was suddenly overwhelmed. I was thinking that every moment of my Life, Aqa Moula (tus) must be thinking about me and doing Dua for me and the rest of the mumineen in the world. What Have I been doing? After coming back from Ashara Mubaraka in Colombo, how have I changed my life? Have I followed any of Aqa Moula's farmaan? Have I made an effort to become a better mumin, a better human being? Have I made a conscious effort to ensure that I exemplify what being a mumin is all about? Have I gone out of my way to help anyone? Have I kept Moula in my thoughts everyday, every minute? Have I said my prayers five times a day, on time? Have I read the Quran-e-Majeed at least twice a day when I wake up and before I go to sleep? Do I make an effort to remember Imam Husain (AS) who sacrificed his life for the forgiveness of our sins everyday? Have I done my part to make this world a better place for all of God's creatures? Sadly, its for all these small things that make us a mumin, my answer is no. Sometimes i feel my faith slipping away from me faster than I can grasp it. But I know Moula is on my side. I know that everyday Moula is praying for my salvation here and for the hereafter. Whenever I look at Moula's photo sitting on my desk, I cannot help but think that here's a man who sacrifices everything for us, so that one day when we reach the presence of Imam-uz-Zaman, we will have nothing to fear, beacuse Moula will be there and he will tell the Imam: "Here is a mumin, he loved me, he loved the Imams, He wept for Imam Husain, he made a difference in this world. Oh Imam-uz-zaman, please bring him with you to falak-e-mohit." I'm going to make a consicious effort to be a better mumin from today and I know in Aqa Moula's cooling shadow, I will succeed.

Apparently I'm naggy..... Boy, did that hurt.

Yesterday was my UROPS presentation. For days before, I had been tweking my prsentation here and there to try and get it to be perfect. Of course, a lot of thanks has to be given to Dr Mahesh for getting me to do a dry run in front of my fellow interns at DSO and giving me so many many tips which helped a lot when I was doing my actual presentation.

The presentation went well except for a few glitches at question and answers. Dr Mahesh rushed down from a conference so that he could be at the presentation to give me support. Thanks doc!

Oh well, exams are coming......

After a little blogging hiatus I've decided to get back on the blogging scene. According to last sunday's papers, Singapore are 'sincere'. We blog for the sake of blogging and not money, like many bloggers in the west who blog for money. Makes me feel better, I think.

Last few weeks has been quite of a blur but very exciting. Shahzada Qusai BS Vajihuddin (Son of his Holiness, Aqa Moula) arrived in Singapore in the capacity of Saheb-e-Dawat (Special representative of His Holiness). My family was very very fortunate as Shahzada Saheb accepted our ziafat invitation (lunch). The ziafat was held at the Darul-Imarat as he was going to leave Singapore later that day. Shahzada saheb gave us a lot of Sharaf as he even came down to the Masjid to lead afternoon prayers. Soon after the ziafat started and Shahzada Saheb did lots of dua (prayers) for Dad and Mum. I was quite happy for both of them because they have had the blessings of Shahzada saheb's guidance in many aspects of their lives. Mum had Shahzada saheb's guidance and dua in her studies and now she's doing her PhD and MBA both at the same time! And dad has been in the khidmat of Dawat for so long all under Shahzada saheb's auspices. Shahzada saheb also blessed me and reviewed my khidmat in fire safety during Ashara Mubaraka. Qadir's khidmat was also arazed and shazada saheb blessed him too. Shahzada Saheb also blessed my company, Duck Learning! And then lunch :) All in all, I felt rather lucky that day and really privileged to be the recipient of so much dua, barakat and blessings.


Left: Shahzada saheb leading afternoon prayers during our ziafat.
Below: Shahzada Saheb blessing me and doing dua for me and Qadir beside me.