it's new year's eve! boy, how time flies. 2007 has come and gone just like that. looking back, it is a year of gratitude, a year of turnarounds and a year of new beginnings. i became a j1, a rafflesian. the year started out horrid, i was missing the fun secondary school days, i was sick during orientation, i was taking KI. new year, in a new environment, in a distant land known as bishan. i had a hard time adapting, but God was good, he helped me. In RJ there was the amazing take 5, the simple but memorable class outing with 3Q before i changed class to the noisier 3R. there was tormenting project work, a bittersweet experience. there were the not-so-good memories like council campaigning, not getting into interact, and some class problems, dissolution of literacy group in RCLF. there were good memories like Class adventure camp, Deepavali celebration, class stayover, Dim Sum Dollies...i think overall being in RJ has changed me as a person, for better, not for worse. it broadened my horizons, let me interact with different people from different school cultures, strengthened my character and gave me unique opportunities (IMCB, SPH, MPS) and while i often play down RJ, i must say i am proud to be a Rafflesian (Junior College student, not Institution student, please do not mix the two up, haha)
in church, 07 was a great year. TiH was the first major evangelistic project we had in a long long time. the unity, the dynamics was something to enjoy and be thankful for. Church camp 07 was amazing as well, a truly wonderful experience with many people receiving prophecies and direction for life. who could forget Game on!, put together to inject some fun into otherwise dull life group sessions, then there was Livewire launch, where there were so many young people coming and having fun. Miracle in the Cradle, my first experience doing lights, harrowing, but fun. last but not least was a wonderful Christmas service last week, and getting a bumper load of presents. haha.
of course, there was still keeping contact with secondary school friends. some friends last a long time, if not forever. Joshua of course, watching many movies with me. then of course ho yan and junie having breakfast with me. i went back for xianying camp, and had a good time getting to know the sec ones and leading them. xiangying proper also happened on 07/07/07 and 08/07/07, it was great to watch them perform. i had many dinners with my council friends at 85, and going back ahs to play bridge. of course there was 4J chalet, drama camp, CDS christmas chalet and Orientation campfire. im still in contact with my sec school friends seh.
Enough of reminiscing, it's time to give out my (first) annual Noah Neo awards, which honour the people and events and things that made an impact and a difference in 2007, i dont care if u disagree, so here goes:
PERSON OF THE YEARI know TIME magazine named Vladimir Putin, President of Russia. but i really have to beg to differ and go for the runner up Mr Al Gore, former VP of the US. the reason is very simple, you have to give an Oscar and Nobel Peace Prize winner the award for person of the year. Ultimately, climate change was THE issue of 2007 and he, if anyone personified the issue and brought it to the fore. sure, his movie was inaccurate, but he made going green cool, and he must be the PERSON OF THE YEAR.SINGAPOREAN OF THE YEARthis was a toughie, and i whittled it down to NMP Thio Li-Ann and Hady Mirza. but i must go for Hady Mirza. i'm no fan, and i still think he cant sing, especially compared to the other Asian Idol contestants. Hady, if anyone, exemplified the Singapore spirit. I mean, coming from behind when no one expected it to whack our bigger neighbours in the ass and emerge victorious, you have to give him credit for that. anyone who can put Malaysia and Indonesia in their place deserves to be applauded. "there was a time when people said that Hady couldnt make it but he did..."ARTISTE OF THE YEAR (INTERNATIONAL)Hands down, Rihanna. Fergie came close, so did Justin Timberlake, but it had to be Rihanna. im no Rihanna fan, nor do i like her music, but i must say she was really a phenomenon this year. Rihanna's Umbrella was Monster Hit of the Year at MTV's VMAs, and was MTV's Greatest Hit of 2007. it's no masterpiece, but it's addictive and there's that funky track also, Please Don't Stop the Music. She's definitely made it big this year.ARTISTE OF THE YEAR (LOCAL)Hard choice, since local artistes are either low-key, act badly or are downright irritating when they act cute (Dawn Yeoh anyone?). but this year, my favourite is Chen Li Ping. Three awards at the Star Awards 25th anniversary special and a great role in 《黄金路》, she definitely did very well this year, also, i think she's a great actress. furthermore, she really slimmed down alot! wonder if that will happen to me in 2008...EVENT OF THE YEAR (INTERNATIONAL)Without doubt it was Live Earth. you couldnt get any bigger than that. it was quite hypocritical, what with wasting all that electricity staging the concert, and all those tv sets on, and all those cars driving all those people to the venues. im not sure if it really did raise awareness as it set out to, but people definitely sat up and take notice, even if just for a while. kudos to channel 5 for showing the whole thing 24hours too.EVENT OF THE YEAR (LOCAL)I cant decide between the closing of the National Stadium, or National Day Parade 2007, where the NDP was held for the first time on the floating platform...the former had a sentimental value, while the latter has a novelty factor. so im going to declare it a tie.EVENT OF THE YEAR (RJC)No doubt it was Take 5, you couldnt get any bigger than that in RJ. Not only was it my maiden Ultimate Frisbee competition (got trashed 6-0 in 7 minutes), we also set a new national record (tho last year's wheelbarrow was a more prestigious world record) for the most no of people eating mandarin oranges (yes, roll ur eyes). still there was a bouncy castle, many games stalls, soccer, bialathon, and the works. that day i also had my first tast of mr. prata and walked from bukit timah to orchard road through the scenic botanic gardens. Special mention award for National Day celebrations as wellEVENT OF THE YEAR (HARBORLIGHT CHURCH)Harborlight church is the church that i go to, formerly known as Berean Assembly of God for the uninformed. so many things happened this year, so much fun and so many events. Ultimately, i have to choose Tears in Heaven. the first time in a long time we staged a play, and a job well done indeed. sure the actors were still jittery and the crew still abit unsure during the full dress but everything turned out great on the actual day. i chose it coz it was a whole church project, everybody chipped in, everybody had fun and everybody was blessed.ok, my Noah Neo Awards for 2007 end here. they'll be back again next year. i shall try to blog tml about wad to expect for 2008, my new year's resolutions and stuff. but for now, should all acquaintance be forgot and never brought to mind, should all acquaintance be forgot and days of auld lang syne!
2007 OUT!
