Five, Six, Seven, Eight...

Heh, first day of the post-exam break. Suppose to last 5 days long, and if you can't find anything to do at this period of time, you've not only about to waste over a hundred and twenty-five hours of free time, but also about to suffer the painful agonies of boredom. Something I particularly feared about last night.

But I guess I'm slowly being proven wrong that my break's gonna be stale. In fact, I'm starting to see that God's sprinkling a little - or should I say a lot of - adventure into my day!

The day starts off with me changing into my tangtop and shorts for the first Canoeing training I've had in a month. Slightly excited, and slightly lethargic, I stumbled around the house trying to remember the gear I would usually bring to morning training.

While searching fora second set of clothes to change into after coming back on land, I remembered the SMSes Ben Sim sent me about an emergency meeting for 'ALL prefects' at the Boardroom today at 7.45. I wasn't sure if I was suppose to go, or if Mr. See somehow fought the Canoeist Prefects out of it, but I took the latter opinion.

But then I felt a slight sense of insecurity, and so I decided to bring a set of my uniform just in case. Getting a lift from my Dad to MacRitchie, I strolled through the paths and to the chin-up bars, remembering the small details a regular to MacRitchie would notice.

Ah, yes. The beauties of the flora and fauna of a century-old man-made reservoir. Then just ahead at the last path, there's the rough outline of Mr. See pointing out to Brandon the different kinds of cloud formations in the sky. Ah, and there's Eugine telling more lame 'Kevin Beck' jokes, and there goes Mr. See in response by sub-strangling him with his left arm. Oh, he sees me here.

Wait a mintue. He's frozen seeing me. I wonder why. Walking towards him, he walked towards me as well, but without the need of much distance he asked in a loud but gentle tone why I was present. Before I could answer, he told me that Davin called him yesterday and informed him that the Prefects couldn't go for training today. I shortly asked back if he didn't excuse us, of which he answered back that it was organised by Mr. Samuel Sim so it was best if he didn't get us into trouble with him.

After commenting that he really appreciated the fact that I made the effort to come down for training today, Mr. See dismisssed me on the spot and so I ran my way to the bus stop. I checked my watch: 6:45 a.m.. Praise the Lord for an early dad to drive me to 'work'! Once most of the passengers behind me had already got off the bus (which was when I was nearing K.A.P.), I started putting on my uniform over my tangtop and slipping my gadgets (wallet, phone, MP3, blackbook, pen, badges and tie) in their respective places.

If anyone else was watching, they'd probably be thinking I was a very late student who couldn't tell if it was Sports Day or half-day. It took about three stops before I finished the full uniform, just about another five stops before arriving at school. At the final stop, I alighted with a slight sprint to the traffic light, before dashing across Dover Road and across the AstroTurf on the mark of the Green Man.

Along the journey, one of the cooks from the SAC (canteen) was cycling to work beside me, and we both had a short conversation in Chinese, of which I was so proud of God for giving me the ability to speak even that much without making myself unclear! Praise the Lord!

Arrived at the Boardroom just in time, with Ben Sim asking where I came from, and with me telling the whole story in a jumble of mutters. I then asked around what the meeting was all about, and David Hu said it was because the Senior Admin caught the Boardroom in a tragic mess, of which Mr. Samuel Sim was going to scold us on.

Ah. So I skipped training for a scolding, I thought to myself. But I was already there anyway, so I might as well just go through it. After socialising with other Prefects in a hustling atmosphere while waiting for a few more Prefects, attendance was checked and Mr. Sim soon arrived. Lined up into our respective committees, we stood up and greeted Sir before sitting down on the floor again, this time in echo silence.

He then introduced the matter in a formal tone, which was that a member of the Senior Admin once paid a visit to the Boardroom and found it in so bad a mess she started taking photographs of it with her handphone and showing them to Dr. Ong, who later called in Mr. Sim and Mr. Bongard for an explaination of the matter. They were both then reminded that if the maintainence of the Boardroom could not be sustained, then the Boardroom would soon be taken away from us.

Mr. Sim then added a footnoting that he wasn't going to scold us but rather point out an emphasis on a lesson we have to learn. He concentrated on the matter of how we had to take care of our assigned properties and not take it for granted, or it may jolly well be taken away from us again.

He tried using an analogy of a small girl with a big appetite to show how we had to maintain a good reputation by being first and foremost a good example, of which a Chinese scholar or to couldn't understand due to such specific bombasticness. Mr. Bongard later joined in and gave comments somewhat similiar to Mr. Sim.

They both then left us with a task: To clean and re-arrange the entire Boardroom from top to bottom within the next 3 hours.

We too the job seriously yet excitedly, and so the Trans-Council came together for a minute or two to discuss how the proceedure was to be carried out. They then divided the Prefectorial Board into 4 groups, of which were the respective committees, and they assigned shifts and roles within the shifts for each group, so that not too many people would be working inside the Boardroom at any one time.

Plans were slightly mis-communicated at the start, but after a few minutes or so we started catching well. As part of the Fund Raising Committee, I was involved in the cleaning and movement of the cupboards and shelves. Also had to help try to borrow custodian equiptment from the Estate Office, but by the time I arrived they they had already given out all the stuff to the previous batch that came.

After clearing out and cleaning the shelves, we brouht them outside along with the other items so as to allow the Student Act Committee to mop the floor. With the shelves and cupboards removed, the Boardroom looked a whole lot bigger than before. The SAC and another committe then scrubbed away busily while I went to rest along with the remaining Prefects at the Round-a-bout Dumpsite where we temporarily moved the furniture of the Boardroom to.

It felt rather weird sitting on a sofa in a surrounding that could easily allow cars to run you over, but it was nevertheless a good rest ith other Prefects. Some of the enthusiastic ones tried playing Table Tennis with a real tennis ball and the Council Meeting table just to kill the time, while some were playing a sport that was a mix between Soccer and Cricket with a rubber duckie, while some were standing at the window of the Boardroom watching the other Prefects mop the floor and pretending that they were making fun of them so that they'd get paranoid, while some were like me and sat on the sofas chatting about the current matters in our lives.

Soon, the mopping was done a Phrase 1.2 of the 'Renovate My Boardroom' plan was complete. While waiting for the floor to dry so we could bring in the furniture, we had a short break at the SAC, where I tried for myself a plate of baked rice fromthe Italian stall, of which tasted rather good but wasn't exactly worth $3.

I then went to the piano, where I saw the Prefects who could play piano show their stuff. For one thing, I never knew David Hu could play the piano. For another thing, I never realy realised how geonrome-flexible Prefects were on their taste of music. It was rather cool listening to them talk about a rather big spectrum of music, let alone watch them play it on the piano.

But before I could play He's A Pirate, we had to go back to the Boardroom in a jiffy. When we came, strong volunteers were called to help in the movement of the heavy furniture, of which I volunteered for. Removing my shoes, I went into the empty Boardroom with other strong and big-sized boys and we tugged in the shelves and tables and sofas and cupboards and so on and so forth.

The place slowly took shape, and I must say it was fun rushing around the room trying to move stuff to that perfect spot for that perfect feel! Slowly, but surely, the Boardroom took a new shape, and we were soon satisfied. We actually managed to rearange the tables in such a way that now we have a new Council Meeting arrangement, which is now a hexagon UN-shape instead of the old rectangular 'Mr. Trump'-shape! It was so cool, since now our Committee/Level/Prefect/Mentor Meetings could be held in such a more modernised format!

Soon, Mr. Bongard came to inspect the place, of which he gave a rather emotionless but comforting approval. He then emphasized that we had to make sure it stays this way, and make sure our mistake never repeats itself again. Hadrian then gave a debrief by stating that Phrase 1 on the Renovation Works is now complete, and that there was more to expect such as painting the walls!

We were then dismissed, of which I went home by bus along with a group of Year 3 Prefects. Arriving back home, I read the Bible at 2 Samuel 7:18-29, a segment where King David thanks and praises God for his victories after bringing the Covenant Box back to Jerusalem. The prayer comforted me in certain uncertainties I had for the past week, and I was at great peace and love!

I then went to sleep to rest after a good workout back at school (which was pretty fun while it lasted, if you ask me :D). My mom then invited me for high-tea at the Toast Box just nearby her office after fetching my younger sister from school, and we had a good meal to ease off the afternoon.

After the meal, we went to the Christian shop a couple of storeys up and looked around for stuff, of which Morriel found a manga comic of the Gospel, while I found another Ron Kenoly CD (Yay, Soul Gospel!!!). We then went to mom's office so she could fix a problem with the computers, since Kip McGrath sent us a new programme to include into the study plan but apparently didn't send clear instructions on how to run the programme.

While waiting for her and dad to fix the problem with help from a techie-on-the-line, Morriel drew more pictures of unicorns while I listened to my new CD in glee (Hehe!). Once everything was thankfully fixed, we headed for the Botanical Gardens for dinner at the Hawker Centre underground.

After meeting up with a coleague in the midths of the meal, we finished up and left for home. And that brings us to me going to my computer and typing out this post. Hmm, I guess God's really got control over the envents for the next 5 - sorry, next 4 days of emptiness and will be filling 'em up with activities to keep me entertained after all! Nothing to worry 'bout!

Well, after a fun and exciting day of redoing the Boardroom, and a calm and relaxing night of food and soul, I guess I better turn in now.


Psalms 91!!! God bless y'all!!!