Salvation, was what happened to all humans when He died on the cross.
And such a comforting and blessed word it is to human beings, that it is commonplace in the English vocabulary now. It has no links to the word 'salvage', btw.
Salvation, is also a frequently word used in the world of football, often when a late winner is scored or a string of good saves are made, especially in leagues like Italy where they do indeed believe in the 'footballing gods'.
And alas, salvation is what we felt when the common tests finally ended. It's been tough days for me, plagued by insomnia. Somehow, the tiredness I usually feel during the eves of tests were absent, and I just couldn't fall asleep! Seems quite a few people had such problems too, and now I know how badly it feels. Sunday night could only sleep at 3, and monday could only sleep at 4. Thankfully the monday and tuesday tests were afternoon tests, and I was able to rid the problem on tuesday night, just in time for Wednesday's morning paper.

Well, econs was a real test of time, maths was a test of whether you have did your tutorials, chemistry was a test of our brain saturation level, and physics was a test of carefulness. That's my interpretation of the tests. Nothing more to say till the papers are back. =)

So anyway, fortunately enough I had no tests on Friday, so I could go about getting much-needed sleep and spending time on the phone with friends, which is so, so, good to relieve stress. Friday was Anderson's Speech Day too, which was great meeting up with all the ex-andersonians and enjoying ourselves and the momentary freedom that we have, as well as having short chats with the teachers that have brought us to where we are. The concert was interesting, except the storyline was pretty random.

With some time available, I'll start uploading pictures of my trip to Paris and London.

Day 1.


The pantheon









Church Notre Dam.




Very artistic stuff at Luxembourg Garden.

Day 2



This is the Invalides. A military monument housing many tombs including that of France's most famous hero, Napoleon Bonaparte.




Musee de Rodin. The sculpture there is 'The Thinking Man'.
That and the abit of the Eiffel Tower in the second picture.



Arc de Triomphe.



At the base of the Arc.



Making our way up the countless steps.



View from the top.



Champs Elysees. The popular road leading to the Arc which contains loads of food outlets and shops.





Pont (French for bridge) Alexandre. The bridge with the best sights in Paris.



Arc de Triomphe du Carousel, very much smaller than the real Arc and it's opposite Musee de Louvre.



Outside the Louvre. The controversial triangle was the idea of the famous IM Pei as all you da vinci code readers would know.



Overlooking the Louvre.

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Ok that's all for now then. Gee, football news hasn't been great. It seems Wenger is looking to Martins as the replacement for Henry, and believe you me, he is rubbish. And so is Henry's reason for leaving. Sigh, are you just not brave enough to admit that you think the future is bleak for the club? At least more comforting news is that Rosicky and Ljunberg are eager to stay on for the long haul. Oh well, that probably means that in a year or two they would leave for some European club with bigger tradition as "things are not just the same after that canteen waiter has left the club". Get the sarcasm?

It's getting ridiculously late into the night, and yet I still can't sleep. Hate it during these nights, and they seem to happen ever-increasingly. Sigh.

Anyway, I was feeling unwell on friday night, that weird and ominous feeling in the throat. I tried to sleep early, and then I suddenly woke up feeling very giddy. Went out for a drink but that only made it worse, until...at last - vomit, "salvation", albeit very temporary. I felt normal right after vomiting, though the giddiness started to course back through my veins (i mean brains), and it was morning spent in bed. I prayed that I could recover soon, I knew monday was not a problem for me, I was strong enough for that. But it was whether I could recover and study anything by monday, for the toughest of the lot. And thank God, I was able to recover by the evening, spending practically the entire day in bed and doing nothing but reading the newspapers and replying to sms-es until there was this one message that particularly jolted me. I'll move on to that later (it's very anti-climax la really.) So anyway as I laid in bed, I thought of yesterday, CG, and I remembered (bits of) the sentences that Leon ripped off a card from Hallmark, that God would not give us more burdens than we can handle. That, and the fact that the nature of our relationship is with trials and tribulations. A somewhat surge in confidence ran through me then, I finally felt I could get through the week ahead. God is on my side. He would pull me through, as long as I put in my 100%. It's funny, how I sounded so pessimistic before and during the holidays, and then it is during times of suffering (this is hardly suffering compared to others la but..) that one finds the motivation to get on with life. The moment of reflection and realisation. That is also why I love watching sports. To be inspired by how sportspeople react in times of adversity.

Anyway, that bout of sickness meant it was another one missed. Rather I'd like to think it as a lesson well-worth-it that I have learnt. I look through my MSN contact list and there are plenty of occurences of pessimism. People saying they aren't ready for midyears and such, and true, I am no more prepared than them in terms of what I've been able to get into my head. However, I am indeed mentally and spiritually prepared for the week ahead. And when you are, you've always got a chance. I forgot who said it, but to win a Grand Slam Final or a penalty shootout, the only difference is in the mind. Obviously, England players are always too fired up about how they failed to win a game in normal time or extra time, and so they always falter during shootouts. And, to continue on this sports analogy thingy, I have 4 papers in the coming week. And monday's economics will certainly be the equivalent of Federer's French Open. Just FYI, Federer has been the no.1 tennis player for 3 years already and he has won every grand slam except the French. Just weeks ago, he was beaten in Paris by his arch rival Nadal. It was a pity. But oh wells, back to the common tests, all results are relative. And indeed, any progress would be good. As I always say, time is the enemy. And it is such a tough thing to overcome. I could never finish a higher chinese paper with the feeling that 'I wouldn't have written anything more if I had 5 more minutes'. Same thing is happening to be with GP and econs. But that is the challenge of it all. =)

So, the one message that was unexpected was the one that mentioned that Henry, the star of Arsenal and the Premier League's best player since the turn of the millenium, is leaving, for Barcelona. Smirks. Fair enough, he has been transformed by the manager into the star that he is now, and he has given more than that in return to the club. He has been dazzling during 03-04 when we were unbeatable. And in the past 2 seasons, he has been in decline. The spectacular goals have been very low in supply, and, he has no longer been the inspiration he once was to the rest of the team. Oh yeah, and he cost us the Champions League in 2006 with miss after miss which any average striker would have tucked away easily, and I mean easily. Indeed, the role of Arsenal captain is not an easy one. He has not been able to lead the team well, and now, at least we'll have someone worthy of being captain. He is heading to Barcelona, and I feel for him. Barcelona are going to become what Real Madrid was many years ago, a team of 'galacticos' i.e. superstars. Yes, they have Ronaldinho, Eto, Messi, and now Henry. When you have an attack like that, you know your defence is going to be under huge pressure to allow them to function. And sadly, as Real Madrid found out, that doesn't win you titles. So, this is indeed the end of an era for Arsenal. All the players I've come to know and like when I first supported them - Bergkamp, Vieira, Ashley Cole, Pires, and now Henry - are gone. It's time a new batch of players rise that I come to assosiate with under "the time when I lived", haha. And the future is bright. Whoever replaces Henry, will come to be known as the legend of Arsenal for this era, it's time Henry stops overshadowing the other wonderful players that have developed in this wonderful club. Yeah, let's move on.

I'm finally back from my overseas trip with my family.
It's been 10 days of non-stop walking and walking, and taking the subway, having a quick meal and then, more walking, haha.
But of course, it's been so refreshing and enriching and inspiring to see all the wonderful things that Paris and London had to offer that one could never get in Singapore (apart from cheaper food), and I got to spend so much quality time with my parents. It is certainly worth screwing up a common test (which I will, rest assured) for this, and I'd do this trade again, for sure. (Okay maybe not)

Here's the rough outline of my trip.

I left Singapore on the night of the 7th (thursday). The 13-hour odd flight direct to Paris meant that I arrived at Paris Charles de Gaulle at 7+ on the 8th. Time zone difference between Paris and Singapore is 6 hours. (We are ahead). So, taking the 8th as Day 1...

Day 1:
Took a bus and then Metro (their MRT) to the hotel, checked in.
Went to see the Pantheon (different from Athen's Parthenon) which was very nearby.
Walked to Notre Dame, checked it out.
Walked more to some shopping centre.
Looked around, then went to Luxembourg garden, and then back to the hotel.

Day 2:
Went to this museum-cum-garden of Rodin, which included the sculpture "the thinking man".
Then took the Metro to Champs Elysees, the widest and most crowded of the NINE roads leading to the Arc de Triomphe. Went up the Arc de Triomphe after that, took good pictures. Went back early to rest.
Came back out at night (which is like at 10, cos that's when the sun STARTS to set, it gets dark by 1045 approx.) to see the Eiffel Tower at night.

Day 3:
Went to see the Eiffel Tower during the day. Went up this time. Amazing views.
Then walked to the area around the tower, where there are quite a few wonderful-looking buildings. Walked all the way through some gardens to the entrance of the Louvre. Didn't go in, went back instead.

Day 4:
Went to see Musee de Louvre and Palais Royal, which occupied us till like four plus. Then went to Sacred Coeur which is just another of the many many many brilliant looking churches in Paris.

Day 5:
Took a train to the outskirts to this place called Versailles. O level History students would know this place. Spent the day exploring the palace and the huge garden. Went back to Paris in the afternoon to buy souvenirs. And that's my 5 days in Paris!

Day 6:
Took the morning flight from Paris to Dusseldorf, Germany, then from Germany to London Heathrow. (Btw, France is nearer to England than to Germany, and there's a funny reason for such a weird route which I can explain if you ask).
Reached our hotel which was right outside King's Cross Station.
Checked in. Then went to see the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge (different from London bridge). Then went to Westminster to see the London Eye and the Big Ben in daylight. Next was Piccadilly Circus where we did some shopping and had dinner.

Day 7:
Went to Madame Tussauds. The wax sculptures are amazingly real-like.
Next, took the train up north to Arsenal Station and saw the Emirates Stadium, whatever was left of Highbury, and went to the Armoury to buy some Arsenal souvenirs.
Went out at night to see the Tower Bridge, London Eye, and Big Ben.

Day 8:
Went to Victoria Station to see Buckingham Palace and the changing of guard ceremony (which is daily). Then spent the rest of the day at the natural history museum. Then walked abit to see Imperial College. Dad was not feeling well with persistent hiccups (really hope it's not serious) and so we went back early.


Day 9:
Sat on the London Eye. Apparently Singapore's will be bigger, cool eh?
Then went to Portobello Road, it was downpour at that time, so it was difficult to move about. Now I know why so many players can't stand the English weather. Had dinner with my cousin at Chinatown near Leicester Square. She studied actuarial science at London School of Economics and is now working (and earning a good income!). There were plenty of limousines probably containing celebs as they went to attend some movie premiere.

Day 10:

Late start to the day due to packing and checking out. Went to see the Millenium Bridge and St. Paul's Cathedral and Tate Modern Gallery in the afternoon, and then Marble Arch.
Went back to the hotel to get our luggages, took the Underground to Paddington Station after which we took the Heathrow Express to get the airport in a very quick 15 minutes. Taking the normal underground would take 45++.

Pictures to come and more detailed stuff when I have more time, hopefully. =)

I'll be leaving on the night on Thursday, the 7th, for Paris and then London and I'll only be back on the 18th. Which means........my CTs are pretty much screwed. But oh wells, I'm not rich enough to be able to cancel the trip and not feel guilty so I guess I'll just really enjoy myself there and relax myself.....away from notes and tutorials and cool (yes cool) textbooks. Yeah, I've decided I ain't going to bring any notes or textbooks or TYS or tutorials and what not. So I'll finally be able to spend time really the books which I really do enjoy reading (purely for the sake of it), i.e. football biographies (gonna read Jose's and Terry's), Philosophy books (those very simplified ones), and math storybooks on numbers, the one thing I find especially fascinating about math. It's going to be my first venture into Europe, and it's a long-awaited one. No disneyland and no theme parks, but I guess I've experienced enough of those, now it's time to appreciate the finer things in life that you can't experience in Singapore, such as the Louvre and Madame Tussauds'. Another thing that (if there is time and hopefully there will be) would be cool is to check out sporting arenas. This Sunday (will be in Paris by then) will be the final of Roland Garros (French Open - Tennis) and it will 99% be a Federer - Nadal final. Of course I won't be able to get a ticket, but I guess it would be cool to see the atmosphere around the stadium. Also during my time in London I'll be able to make a trip to my dear Arsenal's lovely new home - Emirates Stadium. (picture above, lol). Oh well, that's a lot of cool stuff I can't wait to see. Also, the usual overseas 'formalities'...kapoh-ing food from the airport lounge...vomiting on the plane (?), fitting into miserably small accommodation rooms, making the most out of 'free/provided' breakfasts...those are just typical stuff of my family. ANYWAY, back to CTs, and the reality is that I had planned to hardcore during the last week, but, owing to lack of urgency and in part my weakness, I just couldn't discipline myself to be in full-fledged studying mode. Sadly. So, I'm practically staring down the barrel of a bunch of disappointing results. But sigh, I only have myself to blame at the end of the day. If I was determined enough, probably rushing everything during the one week remaining after I return from the trip would be enough for me to scrap through with reasonable grades, but I know I won't. Yeah, maybe writing this will sort of like spur me on to make me eat my words, but (again) I know I won't. (I'm not even bothering to reduce it a "I doubt I will or something". Haha) But anyway, I'll enjoy myself in Europe, that I am sure. =)

Last Friday was Central Service! And I think it is indeed amazing for a district to reach Nexus already. It really is a breakthrough and looking through all the slides I really wished to be part of it, to have been part of the central family earlier...so I would really feel the taste of progress. But no la, Northeast is amazing too, and I'm sure they'll hold their own service in due course. yeah? Haha. Moving on, the speech Daniel made was very direct and true. The humour involved was minimal, but we were all fully focused on what he was saying, that Nexus is our 'set' target for now, for all groups be it JC, high school or NS. I really haven't been devoting much of my time to Him, but I'll really keep on trying. It is difficult asking people to come to church, sigh, but there's always that glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel to look out for.

Then that night, I just couldn't fall asleep. I was feeling so unwell. I was twisting and turning for the most part of the night, only being able to catch half-hours here and there. I finally vomited at 6 in the morning - all that i ate for dinner (which was at PS with the cg). After that, I felt ok. And then gradually, the giddiness came back again. And it lasted for the rest of the day. That sick feeling was just sucky. I had to stay in bed all day long, couldn't eat anything for breakfast or lunch (no appetite), and I was starting to feel all hot and sweaty. I feared dengue, but then my temperature did not go beyond 38.5, so I wasn't having a fever. So, I decided to persist and just fall asleep in bed instead of seeing a doctor. After all I think I would have felt much worse walking to the car, and would have been even more giddy in the car. So, it just didn't look like getting any better. I was praying, and then suddenly by 5pm I was able to start walking again, and by the night I was ok to watch TV and read books again. [My opportunity cost of studying]. Thank God for that. At the peak of my short spite of giddiness, I was even contemplating the fact that I would not be able to go on the trip. I guess that's just the typical pessimism I have.

Speaking of worries. I have been worrying a lot lately. I worry about my health. Whether, eating so much cereal and Weetbix will result in cancer. Whether, my retina might just drop off anyway. Whether, eczema is a prelude to something very serious. Whether, I will get cancer because my gums are not well (there WAS this Mind Your Body article this week about this..). I worry about my parents too, especially my dad. His myopia is quite bad, I worry everytime he has to drive back home from work and it's already past 7. I'm saying why not take the bus? Why not even take a taxi? And then I'll refute the second point cause I know it's too expensive and I'm a cheapskate. Recently my mom just told me of a scary threatening phone call to my cousins living in Penang. Sigh, why do such evil people exist in this world? And why is their law enforcement there so corrupted? Oh whatever. I'm just thankful that Singapore is such a safe place. And it would be a safe place even if there is strong opposition to the ruling party. It's the foundations which matter.

Anyway then on Monday there was PW. Only like 12 people turned up and we had to wait like half an hour in the stuffy area outside the comp. labs, and it was really frustrating and sweaty. lol. We really could (and should) have had a class breakfast. My group finally made great progress (at least I think)! But alas, there is still a long long way to go. After that met with Weelic and Cybil who were studying at the library, went to borrow some books about french and some math books. [Math books doesn't mean math textbooks here duh.], then went for lunch and back to school to see Jun Jie screw up at Chinese Chess...aha. So yesterday night and this morning, I have finally [or perhaps I'm just saying this to make myself feel good / show-off] shown some signs that I CAN study hard enough for CTs...did revision of Math and Chem and managed to do a few long-winded energetics questions. Now the thing is doing them fast enough, sigh. Speed is always my no.1 enemy for exams. Or should I say, time. So anyway, I was doing well for 1 night and 1 morning and I was going to continue it into the afternoon until bang-on-the-nail there had to a complete hacking down of the house above mine. The noise was like so loud, I couldn't talk on the phone, watch TV, study, read books, or do anything I thought was meaningful use of time. It was frustrating to let that momentum go. Cause it takes a lot to get me into that willing-and able-to-study mode. So I went down to the management office and asked why on earth the thing took place so abruptly without even any asking if any date was suitable. And thankfully he responded very nicely which made me decide to hold my frustration and just get on with life [nothing he could really do anyway]. So I just spent the afternoon running and then going to the gym downstairs and [the best part of it] bathing at the pool bathroom which means saving a few cents off my water bill. lol. And so that's how the pitiful day came to an end. At night I just wasted it chatting on the phone and reading some books and watching a bit of French Open, Federer's quarter final match. You see? Momentum lost. So much so for learning principle of conservation of momentum, I wonder where all that has gone to.

Ah. I've recently read some this interesting book about sleeping well and beds. (Cause there were some occasions where I've tried sleeping early and couldn't). And I decided I will try to change a few things. The book mentioned that the bed should only be used for sleeping and sex. So, fair enough. Only sleeping for me. I will do my reading of books/notes/work on some slightly-more-uncomfortable surface. I suppose the idea of it is all about relativity (not THAT relativity, but), making your bed feel relatively more comfortable. It also mentioned no afternoon naps. Sigh, I don't know how I am going to be able to avoid afternoon naps and watch champions league matches...but I guess I'll just have to reach a compromise eventually. Indeed, almost everything in life is relative. It has to be balanced with realism too. And then pessimism (so things don't become too realistic). Ah, I don't know what I'm saying anymore. Let's talk about soccer.

It's all pretty sad stuff in this entry today really. But I'll try to change it. The champions league was over long ago, but I must talk about it. England had 3 teams in the semi-finals. Chelsea. Liverpool. Manchester. No Arsenal in there, and everyone was saying how Arsenal have been 'left behind' and 'trailing'. What nonsense, since not one of those clubs managed to win it. Ahaha. I was really hoping for a Milan win and boy they did they do me proud. Yet again like last year, it was 2-1. Yet again, the team which dominated lost. This time the victims weren't Arsenal, they were Liverpool, the team with the supposed 'winning culture'. And even that couldn't lift them in the grandest stage of all club football at Athens. They lacked cutting edge and were simply outclassed by Milan. Ah, just as I declared when Italy beat Germany en route to winning the World Cup last year in Berlin, FORZA ITALIA.

Lastly, I recently got links from friends to some blogs by local students, with shocking content. I guess Singapore does indeed have some very extreme personalities who lead very extreme lives. Ah, while it's sad so know that such who commit such disgusting acts exist amongst us students in Singapore, I do admire the openness they have in describing explicitly the lives that they lead. After all, blogging is a freedom of speech. What wrong is there to offend yourself?