take me to the sky

Me
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"You haven't seen a tree until you've seen its shadow from the sky." — Amelia Earhart

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take me to the sky

Wednesday, August 06, 2008 One thing at a time

7:09 pm

Wow, it's been quite awhile since I last did this. All thanks to space camp and the onslaught of everything else after, and still ongoing. So we should go systematically one at a time and hopefully I finish this before 8 and then start studying for organic chem test.

International Space Camp 2008:

Flights were the longest I've had in my life? As in everything added up, but a huge gigantic thanks to Isaac for being your super kancheong self for getting us good seats and stuff so that I could stretch my legs out. :D And I actually am not so apprehensive of flying in a plane daddy's not flying anymore. Nothing I particularly remember from any of the flights. Oh, and another thankyou to johno too for making sure the I am entertained for the entire 50+ hours of flights by helping me load my ipod with everything, and sorry johnny bravo cause of me johno worked you so hard. XD

But the person that left one of the deepest impressions from this trip was this guy at the memphis airport. He comes up to us asking for a cell phone, and after we explained to him that we are not from the US, he said it's alright. Then he starts telling us about how he just got done with basic training (BMT for them in the US), and he still has senior year before he gets deployed to Iraq. I remember from my cousin's education on how the US education system works that that means that he's probably the same age as me, and it was freaky thinking about how different our lives and concerns are. He then proceeds on to telling us that he has a fiance (my eyes nearly popped out), and that they're getting married next february, and that during his basic training, his mum called to tell him she got cancer. I was again reminded of what a lucky person I am, to have all that I do. Through him, I saw a very angry but passionate american, quite an eye-opener. Andrew then reasoned out to me when I said that I think it's impossible to know what you want to do with your life to get married at 17 that when you get married, your marraige becomes your life, and your life becomes your marraige. Ultimately that's what it's all about. I guess it is. So that was insight number one.

I realised that pilots do many people a favour, they are the ones who bring families back together. This guy was hopping and dying to get home, and it was impossible to ignore the gigantic smile on his face when he was talking to his mum over the phone, and was the happiest person when the plane landed. It's probably silly of me, and I never saw it that way, but I guess that's how commercial pilots make their difference.

After we got to space camp, it was a much more sheltered world, in the sense that there was no more 17 year old engaged people. Isaac and I got in late, it was like night when we got there and I found out that I was in VONBRAUN team (I loved spending time with you guys even if I didn't say it esp anabelle, judith, kent, neals, carla, emily, linye) and rooming in room 404. And they call the toilets waste management. My first reaction to all the people in the room really was the crazy internationalism (I mint that word). First night jet-lagged, and sent an email home.

Next morning came to know adeline who is one of the few people I have come to become close to during camp and JUDITHH! who also roomed with us. Yup, the next few days were alot alot of playing and space history classes and things like that.

Highlight of the trip was probably SCUBADIVING. Yunhui wants to learn diving now, although johno thinks it's super dangerous. Yeap, scuba-ing was just amazong. simulating supposed weightlessness, playing basketball with the bowling ball.

Got to know sijia towards the end of the trip, and it was real nice getting to know her. Sharing our asian thoughts, and I realised how fortunate (again) I am to be born with an asian face in this decade, and the importance of chinese. I told myself that no matter how much I put chinese on the lowest priority (higher than english), I have to make sure I don't lose touch of the language after next year.

Okay, 7.40 argh. Yup, but in the US I was one of the quieter, smaller people. It was STRANGE. But good I guess, I had a good rest. :D And I love the weakening US dollar makes stuff there seem cheap. :D Okay, I know I have a very myopic view.

While I was at camp:

Thanks loads to all the super alot of fleming members who helped with mascot and beach run and EVERYTHING. raghav, johno, chengxu, michael, jehon, lots and lots of other people. :D

thanks johno for helping me collect all the work.

Everyone else ran their 2.4, and I haven't so I have to make up for it, and have to find some time to do my I pulls.

Tests and quizzes and homework. Whoopee. But I've been getting lots of help. Thanks everybody. (:

Monday:

Got back monday morning at like 1 in the morning, went for super late supper with my parents *smiles*. I was so glad to be eating singaporean food cause we were eating hashbrown and salads and really like nearly the same thing everyday. And then went back to school on that day. Yeah, so enthu right.

And I DIDN'T like collapse on the table which was remarkable but I took 2.5 hours to do a phyiscs lab the should take less than an hour. Then being the lucky person that I am, johno stayed to help me figure out everything wrong with my circuit which was everything. Owe you super alot man. (: Thanks for making my super duper long to-do list as well.

Yup, Thanks lots to the teachers for being really understanding and extending all me deadlines too! Hahahahaha. Yeah, I think it's all really overwhelming, but like I told weicheng when he told johno that "it sucks to be her(me)", I think I am a really lucky person already. Everyone around me is healthy, and I am not about to get sent to war.

Tuesday:

Then yesterday there was flex with wong cc. He's super nice I swear. I think the way I flew didn't do him justice at all. I shall work on it. It was great being in the area again though.

Then evening, Mr Ng's farewell. I think although there were glitches, thanks to all the people who put in so much effort to planning it. Thanks Mr. Ng for coming.

Okay, NEARLY cried. Thanks for sticking with us these past 2.5 years. You've always been one to not tell us how much you cared about us, never one to SPEAK words of encouragement, but you are the only mentor that has stuck with the group for a long 5 semesters. You didn't make us any promises, but just stuck with us. I don't know what in the school made you so compelled to leave, but it's meant plenty to me that sem after sem we still have you at assembly and for mentoring sessions that actually make us reflect on our lives, and what we might want to do with it.

I'm really glad that we (our level) managed to give you your perfect farewell gift of the whole level with 5 for both AB and BC calculus, and that you'll know that you've achieved something with us and aided all of us in our phy/math journeys.

I think shanghai will give you plenty of new insight, so although I MISS YOUR MATH LESSONS AND MENTORING SESSIONS LIKE CRAZY, I want to wish you all the bestest best there, and may you enjoy teaching there plenty.

Wednesday (Today):

Missed the school trip to tekong though I really wanted to see what it's like to see what all the guys would have to go through, but like I had R/T oral which I think I nearly failed again, but thankfully I passed ~~I think~~.

Much thanks to ziyang for helping me ALOT ALOT ALOT for R/T oral, for alot of things, and jerome for being my ATC just now. :D

Yups, it's 8.03, so I shall stop. The list of things to be done is madness, but I'll survive.

Oh yes, Patrick's (Patrick Sharp from NZ) quote:

You are not alone if you think about your friends and family. If you think about yourself then you are alone.

True.