1. Orientation 2010
Wow. Orientation was really special. I was really lucky to have been chosen as emcee. As emcee of orientation, I got the chance to have fun and welcome the Year Ones in my own unique way. I also met and worked with some awesome people, all dedicated in making Orientation a success. It felt really good being part of a concerted effort by so many of my fellow Year Twos. The energy was electric, the Seniors were high on crack or something, trying to get the Year Ones to have fun and join in on the craziness. Of course, the perks of being emcee of orientation was aplenty. You come for training only one week before orientation; you get to have fun on stage and meet new friends; you get to mingle with everyone in a stress-free environment; and everyone sucks up to you. To top it all off, the birthday surprise in the hall truly caught me off guard. Thanks everyone who had any part in that. The whole “emceeing orientation” thing actually started from a joke between Dominic and me. Indeed, we lived that dream.
Sketch Night Live 2010
This was the second annual fund-raising pre Drama Night show that the Drama Club ever put up. Again, it was held after school and in the LT AVA, infamous for its perpetual decomposition and the overwhelming amount of dust. The best part, the first show we did, the air con was totally dead. Hot, stuffy and dusty. I apologize to everyone who came on that day. Nevertheless, it was a fun night where we put up four sketches, all with the theme of Fables – Little Red Riding Hood, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, and the IP Productions of Rapunzel (Authentic) and Rapunzel (Spoof). The IP Productions were quite well received. In fact, the two Rapunzel skits were re-staged in their own show one week before Drama Night, as well as at Marine Parade Library as part of the VIP Roadshow. Although the skits weren’t awesome, it was not a bad effort for the fresh Year Ones who only had one week since they joined to put up the pieces. I applaud them all. Of course, the theme “Fables” was an effort that led up to the promotion of Cinderella (on Drama Night).
3. GeogRocks! 2010 (Kuantan-Putrajaya-Kuala Lumpur)
This happened after CT1. And boy, were we deserving of that break. Yes, break. Firstly, because I was hanging out with really cool people in Malaysia. Secondly because we were doing Geography, which I love! The Geog Trip was, in short, really really fun. We did so many stupid things la. Really, none of us were expecting the trip to be anywhere near fun. We were so wrong. Plus, Geog teachers aren’t such a burden to be around. I learned so many things like how to measure discharge of a river, urban planning, weathering processes, inner city decline, flooding management, rivers, and well, everything there is to learn in Geog. Except earthquakes and volcanoes.
4. Drama Night 2010 (Out of This World)
This was by far the most special Drama Night for me in the past four years. Firstly, I directed it with my awesome exco. Secondly, it was my last Drama Night. Thirdly, I loved everyone I worked with, and that was a show we all made and loved so dearly. Fourth, it was a rare occasion cus we invited MJC Drama to perform their SYF piece on our stage. Fifth, it was Mr Young’s last Drama Night in VJC. Sixth, it was the first time in many many years (if ever) that we received an overwhelming response ending up with a sold out performance. We performed our SYF piece, MJC performed theirs, and we ended with Cinderella the Musical. The crowd was amazing. They were wild. The night was simply magic.
5. SYF Drama 2010
I first embarked on this project with my Drama exco in October 2009. I was first introduced to the story by Harlen Ellison by Timo and I shared it with the exco. Lo and behold, a play was spawned from a sci-fi-horror short story. That, I think was the hardest part of staging it. The adaptation from short story to stage play. We spent months rewriting and devising scenes, even days before the staging during Drama Night and the judging, we were still making changes. Together with my co director Sophie Chew and Dax Young and my dedicated cast and crew, we worked really hard trying to make it all work out. Challenges kept coming and we kept struggling to find a solution; it was relentless. Eventually, we all came to the point where so much effort was poured in, that everyone involved were proud to be part of it, and to share it with everyone else. By the time we played at central judging, it didn’t really matter to me what the outcome was, because I know we all took ourselves to a level we never thought we could, especially without a trained coach. We were awarded a Silver. At first, shocked, we came to the consensus that what we learned and what we made meant so much more than a certificate from SYF. It was our baby, and we were proud no matter what.
6. Chicago The Musical
Chicago The Musical is one of those legendary Broadway Musicals that, for me, stands in a league of its own. Of course, we were in for a spectacular night of slick sexy moves dreamed up by the legendary stage genius Bob Fosse. The company did him proud by delivering something so close to what Fosse dreamed up, while jazzing up the old razzle dazzle with a little bit of tweaks here and there. Overall, a performance that bewildered, and a piece of Broadway that will never die. Ever. I feel so lucky they came to Singapore to perform.
7. Indian Cultural Night 2010 (aka ICS Night, or, Zaastra)
This was me connecting to the Indian society that was around me the whole time I was in VJ. The Indians are truly a lively, lovely bunch of people. Yes, Indian and proud. Anyhow, I was asked to emcee the show, and of course I jumped at it. It was a struggle finding a partner at first, but eventually we roped in a lesser known comic prodigy going by the name “Yan”. Yan is a VIP junior of mine and is enrolled in the academy known as VJ Drama Club. Working with Yan was really not working. It was fun. It was therapy. Seriously. It was insane. This guy can make a punchline out of almost any situation. Put that together with a wild concert, and you get a night of insanity. For those of you who didn’t watch this show, you missed out a lot. Too bad. Boo hoo.
8. TSD Practicals
This is the most exciting and excruciating part of TSD. The five weeks of intensive rehearsals and nothing else. Followed by a little preview for friends and families, and then the final show for the examiner from Cambridge. What we learned from TSD all came down to this. It was also nice that the class sort of bonded more throughout the process with our newfound friend called Henry, as well as our hangout at that time: AVA. I knew it was to be the last time I would be acting anytime soon. I was right. So I gave it my all. And I have no regrets about all three performances: monologue, duologue, group piece.
9. Mugging
No, not stealing. Studying. A whole lot of studying. Like, eight hours a day of studying. After TSD Practicals were over, we basically had nothing else on our agendas, so we were forced, luckily, to concentrate on studying for the A Levels. And boy, did I work my ass of or what? Most people probably wont believe me (especially a certain Vice Principal) but I truly worked really really hard till the end. For one, I am so glad it’s all over. Because it was one heck of a boring two-to-three-months.
10. Post As
After the last paper, and I mean the last of all the A level papers, I went straight home and did absolutely nothing. It felt so weird. Everyday after that, I was out socialising. For the first time since the few of us were at the zoo after prelims. Socialising felt really good. And so here we are today. Anyone wants to socialise?
The Others Who Made It
11. Glee
12. Inception
13. Robyn
14. Universal Studios Singapore
15. Last but not least, my neon green Nikes. They totally rock my socks. Literally.
