A Letter from New Dehli

"One teacher came and passed me this. Nah."

My brother handed me a large, white envelope with a wrapped present.

The giftwrapping paper was of an orange thin wax paper, and a cellophane sheet. The envelope read "Khoo Yihan" on its cover. There was a certificate inside. How curious.

It turned out to be a prize I received from an international art competition I took part, organised by India's 'Shankar's International Children's Competition'.

And it was a queer thing that I only received the prize now.

I participated in 2008.

Project AniCon

Our Projects' Day'10 Creative Arts Project.

Too bored, so I came up with a logo using fireworks.

Imagine, If you will

Have you ever felt the skip in your heartbeat when you receive a marked test paper?

Or if you have to check for results online? And if you failed? Or succeeded?

Have you ever felt the body aches when you have a fever? Or the day after some vigorous new exercise? Or when someone hits you and means business? Or maybe not?

Have you admired the clouds for more than 5 minutes? Have you fallen asleep on your study table? Have you ever wished that you have fallen sick so that you could miss school? When was the first time you took chili?

When did you first talk? What are your first words? And you really look like your dad.

Have you squished an ant before? Have you ever asked why the moon keeps following the car? When was the first time you realised that a mac was different from windows?

When was the last time you spent real family time with your family?

When was the last time you hugged a family member? Your grandparents, perhaps? Or do you remember the last time you kissed a family member? When was the last time you praised a junior? Have you ever taken a look at those childhood photographs? When was the last time you said "I am sorry" and "I love you"?

Have you ever cried in front of a coffin before?

Maybe not, but a cry away from the distant heart,

As Jesus died from the cross and nail,

Have you got an answer to all these questions?

Then again, maybe not.

But imagine, if you ever will.

Isn't it beautiful.

Everyone is yelling out loud in this computer lab as I make this post. Our Infocomm Studies Test on Javascript is an online form. Our results could be seen once we submit our test.

This test is rather unique. We were allowed to use the internet and ask from friends for answers - this is a form of enquiry in this subject, so we were allowed to run wild during the test.

"HI THIS IS MATTHEUS!" :D


-.- That was typed by Mattheus. Yep. That Mattheus from the post below. Again. You see the excitement.

Anyways, the results came out when most of us are done. Most of us got 13/20...didn't do quite good.

Just then, I heard:
"Yeah! Hi-Fi! YEAH!"
"Thank you Yue Jun, thank you."

I see Yue Jun slapping a hi-fi with a couple of other friends.

Yue Jun is the respected power of Infocomm Studies, Mathematics, and the Sciences. He got 17/20, and just agreed to stay back and help those who want a retest, which would be capped at 70%.

This test? If you got friends you can do well.
Ethan got 7/20, since no one wanted to help him.

How unique. Have we ever come across such a test?
Isn't it beautiful?

This is for my peoples who just lost somebody

"Good morning. Welcome to FCBC, God bless you!"

"They are theee... hospitality people on duty."

Mattheus brought me into Hall 9 and Max Pavilion of the EXPO.

It was the first time I'm attending a church seriously, which meant that I wasn't just there for once. I wanted to see if this church was really the church I've been looking for.

It just happened to be holy communion of the month - the breaking of bread, and drinking of acting wine. There was worship and singing. Then there was a preaching session. The church-goers took out their pens and took down notes.

I followed suit.

But slowly, I began to feel bored, and doodled on the note paper. I tried drawing a place where things were always peaceful and happy. I could see that the teens of the church were also daydreaming with their mobiles and earpieces. I continued drawing, and soon I've pretty much covered all the writing space.

The preaching really did last for very long, and the pastor dragged it longer.

"You feel bored?"

"Kinda."

"Yeah. It's normal." Mattheus was spinning his pen.

We had lunch with the cluster group, consisting of people of the same age - a group of about 10 people present. The church has given a friendly introduction to me, and I liked the warmth of the people, their closeness to God, and really frankly, the smiles of the girls.

"So you coming every week?"one of the cluster friends asked.

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Oo yay! Matt, you suceeded."

Mattheus did succeed, but so did the church. :)

Lunch was great, and we later headed our ways back home. I happened to be following a couple of my friends, Mattheus, my classmate, as well as Danielle, a long-lost primary school friend who transferred to another school in P4, on the MRT.

"Bye! See you again." said Mattheus.

I alighted from the bus. Just then, my mobile phone alerted me of an SMS.

It was from my uncle.

He told me that my granduncle has just passed away the day before of a heart attack.

I was shocked.

And just now, I tried drawing a place where things were always peaceful and happy. This is for my peoples who just lost somebody. I failed really badly.

We share the same birthday

"What's contraction and relaxation?"
"Er, when you bend your elbow, your biceps contract and triceps -"
I see that he gave me a dumb look.

"You know what I'm talking about?"
"Maybe?"
"Why not go read up first then come."
He stomped out of the study and went into his room.

"You see? Even he can't help."

As I have mentioned in my other blog's post: http://dartebiota.blogspot.com/2010_04_01_archive.html, my brother has been getting into quite a bit of trouble lately. You see, when I was still in P6, I got 'sabotaged into becoming the head prefect, and that really ruined any fun in P6.

And now its back. The adults in my brother's life (i.e. his teachers) tend to benchmark him against me. That's also why my mother always blames him for things he really didn't do wrong. They are not aware that what I did in P6 was really just a puppet show: I didn't mix much with my classmates, I didn't have time for a lot of things, and I hated how I was bench-marked against the previous year's head prefects.

When I went back to my primary school during CNY'10 this year, I still could not find my name carved on the model pupil board in the school hall. Yeah, I did well in PSLE, I was the head prefect and model pupil of the year, I gave all sorts of speeches; I was famous. It's all a put-up show, and I had to put up with it.

My father has begun to take on more responsibilities in the household, and that's a good thing.
After the SHHK Sports Meet on 30th April, I think they had to clean up the mess they made at the stadium.

My brother seemed to be getting into every single troublesome issue that arises in his class.

"Why did she want to punish you?"
"Because of David. (his classmate) He thought I didn't clean up."
"Have your teachers been picking on you?"
"Ya."

"Why?"
"Haiyah.. tell you, you also call the teacher. Don't tell you, you also call the teacher. Might as well not tell you right."
"But you must tell me why what."

"It's because of this guy lah."
He pointed at me.
"What all the... head prefect thing."

"Tell me more about it."
"Never mind lah."
"You must tell me. I need to know, then I can decide on whether or not to talk to your teacher."
"Never mind!"
"But you must say."
"Never mind."
"Just tell me."
"Mind your own business lah! I need to study."

With that, my father left his room. Not long after, I see him lying on the bed and reading a comic book.

Most probably, his teachers think that 'if your brother can, then why can't you?' And I hate the way they think. He deserves a better childhood, yet he does not want to tell us anything. His teachers ought not to, ever so blindly, stereotype him with me.


I was born on the 7th July, 1996.
My brother was born on the 7th July, 1998.
We aren't the same. But my brother should be voicing out his troubles to the family.

After all, for more than a decade already, we share the same birthday.

Singapore Tourism Board Tagline

Did you know that besides the usual 'Uniquely Singapore' tagline that we're so familiar with, there are other taglines that our Tourism Board would consider changing to?

Uniquely Singapore.
Live it up in Singapore!
Surprising Singapore

These are stored in the database of slogans.

On the other hand, Singapore Tourism Board is organising Your Singapore2010. Here it is:

http://www.yoursingapore.com/content/traveller/en/experience.html Do visit the website. It's really cool (:

According to CNA, this is organised to promote Singapore as an exciting destination for travel. The star of the Visa Travel Happy campaign Matt Harding was there to give a helping hand at the event which was held at Times Square.

What is Your Singapore?

Singapore is a city of the future for me. Just take a look at places like ION Orchard, our top-standard Changi Airport, Singapore Flyer, iluma, Integrated and World Resorts and all the upcoming excitement in Marina Bay, the YOG; within just these few years we've got so many things to look forward to - things that other countries do not always get.

Sometimes when you go overseas and you get back, the flight back can make you miss your holiday destination. We can enjoy the flight, but when you're back home you'll realise that you look up into the skies with satisfaction, and look into the Singaporean horizon with awe.