Sunday, November 22, 2009

Year-end Reflection Day 2009

There are 2 tasks "assigned" to us before the day came...
(i) Identify 5 photos that speaks to the most about our life in SST, our contributions to SST, our joy, laugher and tears (if any) in SST for the past 1 year.
(ii) An elevator speech...


Here's my scrapbook:


Here's my photo selection:

(a) Guess where's this place? Visited this place in 2008... can recognise the door frame (minus those distracting posters)? Hahaha... it's Block B Level 2... where we spent most of our time now :D The staff room, which was converted from the library :D It said, the "Book Jungle".... hahaha... well, well... maybe a room of "farmers" when almost all of us had a quick taste of 'farming' - one of the craze in 2009!

This was an exciting visit... our maiden visit to a building that's older than some of us... yet was meant to be an institution catered to lead its way in Science and Technology! What a tall order!!! But, look at building today and make a comparsion, yes... it's a significant transformation :D Thanks to those brains and hands behind this change :D

(b) This event marked a significant milestone of SST... Guess what it was? MOE EXCEL Fest 2008! That's our very first outreach programme to potential students... and yes, it was the first time we put on the hats of the ambassadors! It was pretty exciting, when it's the first time the new team came into interaction with the public!

(c) The very first meeting EXCO that took place outside SST... Guess where??? The Esplanade! We were at Haagan Daz... Each of us only ordered a drink (plus a glass of water), with the exception of Eunice who had a scoop of ice cream that cost more than $5!!!

Here's the photo taken in this May! That was me 5 months after joining SST. Just sealed boxes of 'memories' and 'hardwork' and 'work-to-continue'...

This photo was taken just one day after (the previous photo). It's my maiden photo in the holding site, after we 'moved in' in that morning... at last... moved in...


Another milestone on 2 July 2009 :D
All of us ventured into new grounds... Enjoy the healthy fruit!


My MasterPiece... created using QuickTime...

What to do with an elevator's speech? In one email... it's about what we could contribute to the school while the other said, what we have contributed to the school to-date. Well, well... make it simply... my journey to-date...

Time, memories and emotions travelled back to last April. Indeed, to say it right, it started off in March last year when the school held its very first recruitment talk at Ngee Ann Polytechnic... and the door has started to open wider, and wider each day... till April... when eventually, I got my "admission ticket"!

Why use the analogy "Admission Ticket"? There's limited places! It's available over limited period of time. You miss the boat, that's it! It's an opportunity that came so timely when it's time for me to move on (after 3 years of attachment at ETD). Why it's an "opportunity"? Because of the match of my expertise to what I think it's a place where I could contribute well... That's why, in one of my tweets, I said, "上天对我不薄"! Really.

I guess, anything that made this journey different is, I'm not travelling alone - but with people whom I worked with before, and those who have a common goal, to create and materialise their dreams. As we work closer, I guess, we are bonded with stronger as we move closer to our common goal.


As mentioned in the clips, there are ups and downs, peaks and valleys... not just on the projects or tasks that we do, but also personal relationships. Each provide teachable moments. Indeed, at a more personal (level of) gain - The more we understand each other, we appreciate their company, support and presence. However, we must not take for granted when others et to understand us (because of the good relationship). It does not necessary mean that we should "be ourselves" in the way we talk and interact with each other. It's not their obligation to accept who we are just because they "understand" us. To build a relationship, it's two-way - there are gives and takes. It requires both parties to change to some extent, in order to build a good relationship. The underlying mode of practice - RESPECT. It's something that I thought some of us did very well, but (sadly) some of us did not. For the latter, is it because of your ignorance? or perhaps who's around you, what's around you doesn't matter - as long as you achieve what you aim to? ... while you wanted others to be less critical of the quality of work, do you strive to understand where these people are coming from? If one doesn't bother, one would have saved his/her breathe (省一口气,暖暖肚子更好!)... this is something, as a member of the family, I think we should think about...

As a family, I value each and everyone around... no matter we shared common views on certain things or not, no matter how flare-up we were with each other because of work (well, stress element kicks in quite often), etc... We come forward to join this family because we have a common dream!

Saturday, November 21, 2009

Guess who's that!

Wow! 1st time in the Straits Times (oh... my face?) hahaha...