Fellow men, salute!...

Founder's Day.

The day that Pastor William Fizjames Oldham found the Anglo-Chinese School, which after 121 years has transformed into 7 branches, namingly ACS (Primary), ACS (Barker), ACS (Junior), ACS (Independent), ACS (International), ACJC and ACS (Jakarta).

Well, I'm new to the ACS Family (1.25 years of experience) so I can't possibly write a super-long essay on what the school hasdone for me. Yet. But I'm nevertheless greatful for what the school has done for me so far. It's a true honour to be accepted into an environment of future leaders, and I know God has His plans for me in here. Being an ACSIan is, to me, a good priveledge, and if anyone in the school is complaining about the school and wants to opt out, I suggest he do so. There are other students around the island working their brains out just to have a place here for the future and friendly environment we're providing, and if you can't appreciate the fact that you made it all the way here, you might as well just give that spot to someone else.

But enough on that. Here's this year's Founder's Day in a Assistant Prefect's point of view:

The day started off rather early. Had to report at 6.45 am in the Boardroom. In our Cerems. We then had a final discussion on what to do, before being dismissed for duties. Before being almost dismissed for duties. Rain was unexpectedly coming in, and after a few minutes the order was given to send the student body to the SAC first while the people in charge of the event discussed if the event should be cancelled or postponed all together. The rain then started to turn into a soft drizzle, and it was so decided to carry the show on.

We lined up the classes as rehearsed. Running around to make sure everyone was where they should be, I passed by many Guard-Of-Honours and saw their uniforms and weaponry. Dashing, I must say. A pity I can't join in the fun. But Canoeing is already fun by itself. Ah, well.

Everything was running 'smoothly'. 'Troops' lined up on the field. Students and teachers seated behind them. Guest and parents shaded in the school compound. Dr. Ong standing on his personal balcony Hitler-style (as quoted by teachers themselves). But then half-way through the event, the drizzle started getting heavier, and so the comand was given to evacuate all students to the Audi immediately, without waiting for the March Pass. It had to be done fast, and some students didn't want cooperate, but somehow we managed. The GuardsOH were left in the field until they completed the March Pass, sadly.

Once everyone was seated in the Audi, most of the Prefects and Student Councilors had to dissapear from the scene and quickly set-up the Reception for both students and GuestsOH downstairs. We brought out the tables, tablecloths, trays, food, sauces, dividers and even the sterio out of thin air, assembling everything into place like a full-planned drill. One of the Prefects actually hadthe chance of plugging his iPod into the sterio system, and so for the next couple of hours or so we had our own music playing throughout the 1st Level of the IB Block! Haha!

Once finished, we all ran back up to the Audi Entrance and formed a pathway to the Reception using the Prefects and Student Council as markers. We we half an hour ahead of schedule, and so the people surrounding my section of the path and I were having fun making up ways on how we could candidly guide the GuestsOH through the path, like doing the Robot while pointing to the directions, saluting the guests as they pass by, acting as mimes and doing actions to say, "To the staircase" and so on. I t was rather funny, although I'm not sure how to put the humour into words. But once we were informed that the guest were about to make an exit, we immediately became serious and froze into our positions.

By now, the music in the 1st floor was changed back into the school's selection, and everyone - guest and students - were feasting away on our hardwork. We couldn't touch the food until the school had their fill, even though the Student Council thought otherwise. But once everyone was gone, we had to finish as much as we could. Literally. We were encouraged to eat all we can in order not to waste the food, I couldn't eat after a few plates, and I knew that straight after this I had training again, so I stopped and joined the remaining Prefects who were dancing along tothe music being played, which was by now the iPod music again. The most hilarious song to dance wth was Larger Than Life by the Backstreet Boys, of which many interpretations of singing the song were made, like Elvis version, Opera version, Breakdance version, John Travolta version, James Bond version and many more. Prefects...

Once dismissed, I quickly stipped out from my Cerems to become...

(Theme music)

... Canoeist Man!!!

Seriously, I was wearing my PE uniform inside my Cerems throughout the whole thing. Freedom...

Made my way to MacRitchie with Davin, then did training.

After training, I changed into a black shirt and jeans and made my way to Auntie Ai Boon's house. For those wo don't know, Auntie Ai Boon is one of my Mom's greatest praying partners. She's very enthusiastic whenever she talks about the Lord and always have her own encounters with Him. She holds many Cell Group meetings, whether at her office (She works within the financial spectrum of Singapore) or at her house, and today she wanted me to come over to a parents' cell group meeting to share about how God has touched me in my life, from how He healed me of Authism to the chats We've had in Canoeing Competitions. And so I shared about the lot of it all. I'll just give a short summary on what I said.

For Authism, I gave a brief explaination of the condition and the fully obvious characteristics that I had to prove me to be such. Then I moved on to my Mom's faith in the Lord and how she refused to belive I was authistic. And true enough, when I was assessed another time by doctors, they found no more signs of the condition at all. In fact, the only way they could present the sudden change was that I've been an Asperger all along, a rather normal person with high IQ and observation skills. Now that's a benifit from a suffering.

Then I moved on to how I went through Primary 3, when I told my class about my 'disorder'. How I was suddenly looked down at by almost everyone and how I was even bullied by many. How I prayed through those times of darkness in great hope for a turn-over. How the prayer was answered the next year when I was first called 'Mr. Bean' by the class, and how from then on I had tons of friends with me.

Next I told them about Primary 6, the time when God changed (Or should I say 'saved') my life forever. Many things happened that year, like the defeat of 'Recomendation'.

That was the nickname I gave to a jealousy I had from Primary 3. I've never shared this to anyone before, and I wish not to elaborate on what the jealousy was about, but I'm willing to say that it involved a particular characteristic (or two), and if anyone had this particular characteristic(s), they'd be in my jealousy list. I'd have extremely bad thoughts about me doing, erm, bad things to these people, and I also did 'bad things' to myself as well. I knew very well it was wrong, but at the same time I couldn't get away from the temptations that kept pulling me into the situation. I was greatly depressed and codemned with myself, and I knew I was upsetting God more and more.

And so when my Mom told me about baptism, and how it kills off my old self and lives a new one, on how it clears the mind so well that God would become much more 'visible', I felt that this was a good way of getting rid of my jealousy once and for all, of giving back to God what I've saddened Him from and to know Him a whole lot better. I agreed to join a September session, and so to cut a long story short, the jealousy was wiped out of me! I was spiritually cleansed, the Lord literally appears in life more easily and I can understand Him better!

Time after time, the jealousy tries to come back and take hold of me again, but at those momments I can say, "No!" and rebuke them in the name of Jesus! I felt free, and now I'm in love with my God, as I know I owe Him a great deal, and yet He's done a whole lot more for me in His merciful love! If it wasn't for God cleaning me with baptism, I'd most probrably be swearing the 'f' word more often than any of my classmates by now. Seriously. I know it sounds a little too cleshee, but honestly speaking, I know very well how much a bad boy I'd be if it weren't for God's grace. But look what I am now! A very peaceful and well-mannered guy in love with the Lord! Probably not as much as Ben Liau, but nevertheless in love!

(While I was sharing on this part, I started to break down and cry. God always makes me cry whenever I share my testimonies about Him in great detail. Always. I don't know why, but I just trust He know's what He's doing.)

Then there was PSLE. For an introduction, I was ussually caught with a few last questions in Maths, a little out-of-the-point in Science and improper for English. But in the test, not only could I finish the Maths paper with 5 minutes to spare, nor the fact that I could answer the last Maths question properly and remember it for the next few months, but I scored A* for Maths and Science, and an A for English. And a T-Score of 260! My Mom prayed for a 270, and I prayed for a 254 (Entry mark for ACS(I)), so I praise the Lord that He gave me something in between! And a convenient mark too! You see, if I scored a 254, I'd just be at the lowest of the school standards, and thus may not enjoy my experience, especially with the roudiness in the Express spectrum. ANd a 270 would just give me more pressure to sustain and keep as a reputaion, as the school would be expecting more out of me. So 260 is just perfect, just right to lead me to a sweet class known as 1.10 Andrew, where another chapter of my life adventures begins.

The rest of the testimonies are in previous posts in my blog, so you'd better search it instead of making this post any longer.

The parents present were "touched" by my testimonies and were "inspired" in their faith for their children. I also met a senior lady who was once a well-known canoeist! She was sent to England to be trained and was rather experienced and well-skilled, even knowing a very difficult skill of reviving herself from capsize position by only using a twitch of the paddle! She's now a sports lecturer, but I'm rather honoured to meet her. And another lady, a literature teacher, even recomended me to write a book about my life with God, volunteering to do any touch-ups on grammar and all and to also find me a publisher! I'll think about it, I guess...

That's about it, I guess. Till next time. God bless y'all!