It's late, it's normal now

I'd kill myself for sleeping so late if I were still studying at VS... but hell, I need to blog.

I respect men who admit mistakes even after they've defended their argument, after persuading others. Take MM Lee, after so long, admitting his bilingual policy was heavily flawed (and you know how stubborn this guy is in a good way :P).

So I have to take back some things about RJ, and replace them with these.

Life is stress.

This I think, applies to all JC though.

You don't get alienated by RI friends, they welcome you with open arms. But, the system, is not in your favor.

Its true, RP students get priority in CCA slots, they have a whole host of friends that vote for them during the various elections and they're more aware of the system and the school. You will face a disadvantage.

Underwhelming spirit.

Though the spirit here, is way more awesome (yeah Rafblood!) than a whole lot of other JCs, I get the unpleasant 'I don't care about the school' feeling much more now than in VS (nearly non-existent). And the spontaneity is much lacking. There is also a disheartening sentiment of 'RJ always performs' that makes the students apathetic about achievement - its really a norm.

Distance matters

The time travel spent traveling to school increased by roughly 50 minutes to and from from my house. Compounded with longer school hours and heavier assignments - it takes a real toll on your physical and mental health.

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I just had Photog Exco Interviews. Argh. I think I was too joke, not serious enough... OK SCREW THIS. I'M OVER-THINKING AGAIN.

I CONFIRM GET IN ONE I'M JUST TOO AWESOME TO NOT GET IN.

But then... as a JAE student who knows nearly no one, is it really possible to even be considered? <---- SHIT THIS PESSIMISM. ONCE AGAIN, ALL CONTRADICTIONS ARE OVERPOWERED BY THE ONE CRUCIAL FACT: I'M DAM AWESOME.


Haiz. Sorry if I didn't choose your pics, believe me, to whomever I asked, I really put my time into considering all your choices and opinions. In the end, the photographers sort of 'veto-ed' certain earlier choices. I have no qualms that some of my fellow exco nominees are gifted photographers, and I'm very grateful for helping me choose the photos, and loosening the tension before the interviews.

These are the pictures I considered. The 2nd one was edited further with guidance from the IHC photog competition winner (in other words, the person who pwned me xD), a really nice scholar from India.

Background behind pictures:
Fish!: Taken in Malaysia, this photo was entered into the IHC photog competition, and got runners-up for the theme 'Vigour'. My personal take? I love the way the fish actually scramble OUT of the water like a fish out of water and open their mouths to consume the limited supply of fish food. The different colored Koi fish add vibrance and dynamism to this high shutter speed shot.

Frozen Stream: Located on what is likely the upper course of the river (since its on mountain sides already), this river flows down the alps carrying fresh water that flows into Evian Mineral Water bottles (just look at the color of the river!) The shot was taken in Switzerland while on a moving, albeit slow train ride up the mountain. Personal take? Many people may be put off by the pure, soft colors of this seemingly unimpressive picture, but my fellow photographers agree that is what makes it so special - the pure, unadulterated landscape of snow and frost, matched with the pure spring water color leading the viewer into the mountain-scape. Hell, even my senior asked if she can cope that pic! < I WAS SO DAM HAPPY SHE LIKED IT

The Helix: One of the icons of the recently opened Marina Bay Sands Hotels in Singapore, the bridge embodies the fluid-like, yet rigid structure of DNA, of metal that is both malleable and hard. Personal take? The strange thing about architecture to me is how it can depict rhythm and flow will remaining tall and firm. I also like the picture for the clear reflection of MBS in the backdrop, as well as the vast visual presence my lovely <3 D90 was able to take despite the need for a super high depth-of-field and angle.

And then BAM! It hit me. Fish? Inside the river. Bridge? Over the river. THEY ARE RELATED.