Today's Chinese New Year's Eve.

I reached school early to get ready for the concert later. When it was time, Peiyu and I went out onto the stage to do an introduction to the concert. To the audience's surprise (perhaps), instead of the usual English language I host the show in, I had Chinese words coming out of my mouth. It's definitely a change, and it fits the school's mission of culturing "effectively bilingual" students.

The show went okay. After that I went back to my primary school (Keming Primary School). Met some of my ex-classmates and teachers at the school. So much have changed...

Went home at 12 plus. The others went somewhere to have lunch together. Rained whole day. Cooling. My mum said that rain meant that money was gonna come rolling in. Hopefully that's true. 'Cause we definitely need it.

1. My 30th entry in this diary. Woo-hoo!

2. Another busy day at school. Final rehersal for the concert tomorrow.

3. Mrs Lim has given me the job of analysing and preparing a proposal for the Orientation Programme 2004 based on the survey results of the Secondary Ones. Definitely good training for future. I would be Secondary Four next year, and I would be at the highest level in the Student Council (along with the other Secondary Fours).

See you tomorrow!

Had our first official rehearsal for our play during ELDDS today. We successfully completed the first two scenes - meaning we have gone through the first two scenes. We have not achieved the standard for competition yet, of course. That would be achieved in due time.

Stayed back after school for the Young Journalist Workshop. After that, I rushed off for the rehearsal for the Chinese New Year concert. Reaching the end, Madam Yong (the teacher-in-charge of the concert) was a bit frustrated at a few Secondary Fives. The other emcee, Peiyu, said that she had never seen her so angry in her life. Well, now she knows.

2 tests today. Very busy. I'm gonna get busier this week, what with me being the Campus 1 emcee for the Chinese New Year concert this Friday. I'm just one of the emcees.

Alright, see ya!

Sunday. Always a boring day.

Went for the monthly Student Council meeting. The EXCO members weren't too happy with our discipline, but what about their own discipline. Telling us to be quiet, while talking themselves. This is appropriately called inequality.

I passed the 2.4 km run test today. 13 minutes! 30 seconds better than last year. The passing score for me is 14 minutes and 10 seconds. But I'm sure I can do better!

Oh yes, I saw a rainbow as I was on the bus home yesterday! Cool, eh?

Today after school, there was supposed to be a post-mortem for the Orientation Camp 2003 planning committee. However it turned into a big spring cleaning exercise for the Student Lounge, also known as the Student Council's room. Mrs Lim obviously likes things to be clean and neat; just look at the satisfaction on her face once the cleaning was over.

Then we continued with the feedback of the Secondary One students. Ying Hui and I were given the task of typing out the feedback results. I have just finished half of it and emailed it to Ying Hui, who would continue with the second half and store the whole thing in the diskette Mrs Lim gave her.

Went home at 6.00 p.m. The buses were all full. How bad. Reached home at 7.

Today for ELDDS, the casting began for the SYF performance. After the fun casting session, I was casted as one of the less important of the main roles. Still a main role. Only thing is that I must try to be natural, as our trainer Tony pointed out to me. Oh, well, rehearsals would make me better!

Extremely busy today. So busy I only had a packet of soya bean drink for recess and 2 Oreos for lunch.

Shan't talk long. I have a thousand-over-word composition to write right now.

I've realized how difficult Chinese debate can be for me. That's because I communicate mainly in English. My thoughts are all in English. If you need to send a message across, best let it be in English.

Luckily I'm only the reserve. I'm always the reserve in a debate team. Last year I was also a reserve in the English debate team.

Right, I gotta be off researching for my debate.

Still doing research for the debate case. Actually it shouldn't be a hurry - the debate's one month later. But I suppose we need time to train out debaters, so we are meeting tomorrow to pool our research. Right now, I guess I'll continue by defining the motion first! Ta-ta!

Watched the sky lighten up this morning. 'Cause I woke up too early. It's rather nice to look at, what with the blue sky and the cool breeze.

Going to the library later to borrow a book. It's for reading's sake.

Went to The Chinese High School today for the Chinese Debate Competition briefing. We were a bit late for the briefing, but we caught the video of a past debate. The motion was (if it was an English debate) "This House believes that men have contributed more to the society than women." The debaters fired off like wild animals. Surely, my standard is less than half of their standards. Luckily I am only a reserve.

At 4 p.m. we got our first debate motion. Our team (Team B) was against Raffles Girl's School's Team B. The motion was "This House believes that action is the way to curb crime offenders", and we are the Opposition Team. Hurray! That sounds so much simpler and easier.

Alright, gotta go!

Warning: I might soon become the new Cleanliness Leader of 3/1. That is because I seem to care about cleanliness more than the current Cleanliness Leader. Watch out litter, here I (am gonna) come!

Ah! The chance to go to the Esplanade slipped through my fingers!

The Secondary Ones are going to the Esplanade to watch a show this week and next week. There was space for 20 Secondary Three Councillors to go too. Unfortunately, I didn't know there was space this week. And next week I had ELDDS in the afternoon, so I couldn't go.

Agonizing!

After school I attended a Young Journalist Workshop for Secondary Threes. Ms Yeo chose me to attend for 3/1 with 3 other students.

Anyway, it's rather new to me. It was the first time I was learning about anecdotes and other kinds of writing leads (the introduction to a news report). I even got Oreos as a prize for answering a question correctly.

It's a weekly workshop, so I'd be attending it again next week. I don't mind attending it. It's fun. And I get free food.

Chosen for a Chinese Debate competition! I don't wanna join! But I have to, 'cause I was chosen!

Sigh...

Today's Sunday. Now listening to Mariah Carey's "Hero". You know, the "theme song" for the Orientation Camp 2003.

Doing my homework at the same time. Drawing graphs as Physics homework. I'm not so confident about my curve graph. Sigh.

The Orientation Camp 2003 falls on today.

The Councillors were supposed to arrive at 6.45 a.m. The Secondary Ones were supposed to assemble at 7.00 a.m. Unfortunately, both parties were late. Therefore, we went straight into the station games instead of playing the introductory game, which involved blindfolds.

My duty for the station-game segment of the camp was simply to patrol the school. In the end, I ended up being the "extra" at my original station, The Jedi Force.

The Mass Games were the best segment of the whole camp. (It always have been like this.) It was a time when we would all get wet and dirty. One of the obstacles created by the Councillors was one in which students would have to crawl on groundsheets with soapy water. As an "added bonus", Ding Zhi, another Councillor, added mud to all the water. When the Secondary Ones were past the obstacles, the Councillors started to sabotage one another by smearing mud and pouring mud water on people. Ding Zhi, for a change, was sabotaged by most Councillors. I got a smackful of mud on the right side of my face and bits of mud on my clothes. Not to mention all wet.

After the wash-up, all of us gathered in Hall 1 for the cheer session and the prize-presentation ceremony. The Secondary Ones were rather enthusiastic, unlike on the first two days of the school. This batch of students was the most enthusiastic batch I have seen in my three years at Nan Hua. They deserve more than 55 claps.

When I reached home, I took a long shower to clean myself thoroughly. Couldn't risk bringing in germs to the house. Alright, it's late now and I gotta go have some sleep. Good night!

After school today, the Councillors stayed back in school for a final trial run of the Orientation Camp which would be held tomorrow. As a bonus to the Station Game Masters, the original Station Masters of the first trial run would return to their stations to help out. Therefore, I was at the station called "The Jedi Force". (This year's theme for the camp games was "Heroes", so every game had something to do with heroes.)

The Station Masters and I set up the Foyer, the location for our station. Then we waited for the trying team to come to our station. During the wait, we improvised on my original obstacle course to come up with a better one (sort of). The Logistics Team also came to take down the items used for our station.

Unfortunately, the trying team didn't come to the station. At 5.30 p.m., we were told to pack up and head to Hall 1 for debrief. We simply pushed the benches and table to one side so that children can come in from there tomorrow morning (for those who travel by car).

All hopes now on tomorrow...

After school today, a number of Councillors stayed back in school to help pack the Orientation Camp t-shirts according to the classes.

Unfortunately, the t-shirts only came in at 5 plus in the afternoon, so for the time before 5, we did our homework as ordered by Mrs. Lim. We had to set a good example after all.

We finished the t-shirt business within an hour. We also received our Councillor t-shirt to be worn on some Council activities. We hurried home soon after that.

Had a Chinese vocabulary test today. I suppose I can get at least 55 marks and at most 65 marks. Sigh~

Also, ELDDS' script for the SYF Competition is ready. We received our copies today. Title? "The God Has Spoken". Sounds very Survivor-like. I like.

Right, that's all I have to say. Sayonara!

Tomorrow we are having a Chinese test. Need I say more?

Or rather, can I say more?

Today's another school day, and it's the first day in 2003 that feels like a normal school day to me.

Anyway, like I've said, it's a normal school day, so nothing much's up. And I've gotta do my homework, so ta-ta!

The first Sunday of the year.

Feels a bit different, because tomorrow I'll be going back to school, unlike during the holidays, when I can stay at home all day.

Holidays. Who doesn't like them?

Today, our school held the CCA Extravaganza. Organised by the Student Council, its aim was to show the new Secondary Ones the CCAs Nan Hua can offer.

Like last year, I was once again giving a speech for my CCA, ELDDS. In simpler terms, it is simply a club where members do drama and occasionally debate.

At 9.10 a.m. I went to the Parade Square to catch a glimpse of the mobile display. The mobile display consisted of the NCC, the NPCC, the SJAB and the Dance Society. I skipped the dance section to get ready for the static display of the ELDDS. The classes came one by one. For every class, one of our number would talk to them and then we would show a snippet of Aladdin the Musical, a musical the ELDDS did in year 2000.

Sure is tiring, but at least there's air-conditioning.

Same routine as yesterday. Except today 1/8, the class I'm taking, played rapport building games instead of the race around the school (they played that yesterday).

The students of 1/8 were active and enthusiastic with games that involve running. When we sat down and played a name game that did not involve running, they got really bored and restless. I think next year we should stick to games which are very active.

All right, there goes today. Ta-ta.

The first day at school is seldom very good. Today, thankfully, is one of them. Not counting the fact that the buses were driving me mad.

I am in class 3/1 this year. Our form teacher is Miss Yeo, the teacher who taught 2/4 '02 English. There were no big introductions needed as she knew most of us, having taught the "most of us". The introduction was only for the benefit of the other classmates.

Our Student Personal Organiser looks very cool too. I got a sneak preview two days ago at the Council meeting.

At 10 a.m. I was excused from class to prepare for the orientation games for the Secondary Ones. The game itself was okay, but the enthusiasm level was low. Perhaps because this was the first day of school, so the students aren't as sporty as they should be.

Well, that should be all for the first day of school. Hopefully tomorrow the Secondary Ones show more enthusiasm for the games.

First time I went to sleep in year 2003: 12.34 a.m.
First time I woke up in year 2003: 7.43 a.m.
My first breakfast in year 2003: 9 a.m.
My first lunch in year 2003: 1 p.m.
My first diary entry in year 2003: The one you are reading
The first show I've watched in year 2003: Nation Countdown 2003

It's been nice knowing you, but nothing can happen between us. Too many bad things have been happening. Hope to see you again (not). Bye, 2002.

Hello, 2003. Nice to meet you. Hope we would have a good time ahead. What? Don't worry, we would get to know each other as time goes by. Who knows, we might even be able to broaden the social circle, since I'm gonna meet some new people tomorrow when school reopens. Anyway, can't talk anymore. See ya!