I've just came back from my holiday, and I think a lot of people never realised that I was on holiday until they found that I did not reply a single one of their SMS-es over the period of one whole week... or maybe they knew I was on holiday but conveniently forgotten =P
Anyway...
Have you ever wondered what's the point of travelling?
I know there are already various answers to this question, such as visiting new and wondrous places, taking a break from a hectic work life, or even just plain wanting to get out of your comfort zone and stretch your legs in dangerous and exciting places.
When you go on a package tours, I sometimes get this feeling that the only thing that matters on such tours is to reach each destination quickly and see the most important or most famous part of that place. Following which, you'll go to the nearby souvenir store, buy something and leave the place...
To me, the point of travelling isn't to get to your final destination as quickly as possible. Quoting Discovery Travel & Living, the journey to your destination is the most important part of travelling. I feel that after all these years, I finally understood the meaning of this words.
Just a few days ago, we had to take a train to reach our next destination and its going to be a really really long 6 hours ride to our destination. There was absolutely nothing to do on the train other then walking up and down the corridor, admiring the scenery outside, visiting the toilet, going to the food carriage and looking blankly at the occupant of the seat who is opposite you. Now, who could handle this sort of boredom for 6 hours? Well, I can actually if I have my mp3 player around, but being me, I decided to talk to the two people who were sitting opposite of me.
So I started the talking and before too long we were engaged in conversations on a wide array of issue. The person was from China and he's off travelling with his friend after finishing their college exams. I think its a great way to spend this short holiday away from home seeing as technically you've become an adult when you are admitted to university...
So anyway, through this conversation I learned about all sorts of stuff, such as different view points on life and society simply because of the upbringing of the person and the exposure to society that the person has. I think the point of travelling is not simply to just have fun and visit interesting places. One other point of travelling is the wonderful people and culture that you meet there. Maybe its because I like talking to people and meeting people, but that's what I see in travelling.
Through this talking, you learn about other cultures and other people's aspirations. The aspiration of a graduate from a small town, the beliefs of a person who went through NS and decides to seek his fortune elsewhere, the thoughts of life from a person who has experienced the same thing as you...
This are the things that I think we should seek out in life. That's why humans are amazing and every life is worth living, its because we are all different and unique.
Discmon
ps. I apologise for not sounding like myself for the time being. Haven't been blogging for a bit and writing essays, so I'm trying to warm back up.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Monday, June 09, 2008
The Final Event...
Etude 33...
I guess I'll remember this title as the FINAL EVENT that I'll possibly ever do as a member of NJ PA. It's true that I stepped down like a few days ago, but that doesn't stop my love for technical stuff and trying to learn more about the really cool systems that are all around us.
Anyway, some background on the event first:
Etude 33 is a last-minute request from National Junior College Symphonic Band. Basically, we did a recording for them when they had their anianime concert, and because of that (and their unwillingness to pay Victoria Concert Hall a large sum of money to do recordings), we were called in to do a recording for them. I responded enthusiastically to this event (although the rest weren't as enthusiastic) and of course I did the event...
Anyway, Nicholas Lim was the only person who responded to my request for help and so the two of us set forth to do the recording and the event. We met in the early morning at 11am in school to pack our equipments. We had to brave the big rain and storm to reach the school gate and we were pretty soaked by the time we reached control.... (dumb side gate). So anyway, we decided to pack a lot of cables just in case we need to drag a huge amount of extensions to be able to position the mic and do the recordings.
We packed a lot of extra stuff in the end, but this is due to the large amount of uncertainty that we had to deal with...
This is the layout of VCH. For the recording, we were planning to position mics at the aisle on the first floor as it would then pick up what "the audience will hear". This ensures the highest quality of recording, or that's what we thought it should provide...
Unfortunately, because of safety issues and the like (people running for their lives in a fire), the mics cannot be placed at the aisle and have to be shifted somewhere else. The suggestion was to place it at the side of the stage and record from there, however, we fear that this will cause only some instruments to be picked up and would result in a very unbalanced sound. We also did not have a super tall mic stand to hang the mic above the conductor so we had to forsake that method...
Our next course of action was to position the mic in this place where the lights are positioned. Sort of like a hole in the wall...
Basically its the 4 black holes in the wall in the picture above. This holes are normally used to position lights to shine on the stage. Anyway, we managed to position the mic there, however our test recording found that there
was a lot of echo. This is because a shotgun condenser do not just take in the sound in front of it but also will take in a bit of sound directly behind it. Since the box is closed, the sound echoes inside the box, resulting in a lot of pickup from the shotgun condenser mic as it takes in both from the front and the back...
Because of that, we repositioned the mic again. This time its outside of the box. Although the recording quality is the best here with a drastic reduction in the level of echo, we were not allowed to do that because of safety issue again.
In the end, we shifted our mics yet again to the far end of the concert hall. There's some sort of balcony on the 2nd floor and that's where we position
our mic.
Here you can see a picture of the position of the mic stand...
Anyway, we learned some cable laying skills that really made the cable invisible (position the cable and hide it behind the seats, follow the contour of the ground... blah blah blah)
Anyway, after the set up was completed, here is a picture of the lonely corner I was hiding at (nah, I wasn't hiding, I was openly displaying my presence =P )
For the recording, I used one shotgun condenser mic pointed at the stage and recorded using the AUX output on the Allen&Heath PA12 so that I can control the volume level using the faders. The output was fed directly into the audio input jack on my computer and recorded using Audacity. At the same time, the sound was processed using Realtek HD sound effects manager so that acoustic echo is suppressed. This was a measure taken to reduce the effects of echo in VCH.
Victoria Concert Hall is an acoustic hall. Meaning that it does not need mics or sound boosting systems to ensure that the audience can hear everything. What this also means is that the hall itself is extremely echo-y and sounds will bounce all over the place. To a certain extent, it's a very good thing. Firstly because when you send sound through a mixer and speakers and blah blah, there will definitely be a reduction in the quality of the sound because its a mechanical machine. To put it simply, certain frequencies of sound may be affected by the machines and the speakers. However, this makes recording a pain without PRO equipments because you'll have a hard time with all the echo bouncing around....
Also, do take a look at the long dark strip on top of the concert hall. That's the position of several speakers. MCs, unfortunately, are usually not as loud as instruments, therefore they still need mics in the acoustic hall. Thus, the speakers are positioned. Also, I checked their EQ while I was in their control. Their EQ has a drastic reduction in the level of the bass frequency of the mics, showing how much the bass frequency bounce inside VCH.This also means that most of the feeding that occurred is low frequency feeds, and is only brought about by the MCs who are around.
However, I think it's right to commend that their light and sound system is set up correctly. We do not hear any of the irritating buzzing sounds when the lights are being switched on or off. When lights and sound cables overlap each other, the power cable of the lights tend to interfere with the sound cables as a magnetic field is generated when a current flows through a wire. This results in the irritating buzz that we hear a lot in LT 1 and LT 5 to a certain extent.
Victoria concert hall has a very simple lighting set up not meant for rock concerts or large dramas where the lights have to be very accurately positioned and placed. It boasts several spots light that are aimed at various points on the stage, and a really nice full stage PAR flood + wash. But mostly PAR flood.
The spots are positioned such that their main target is the conductor's usual position and the left and right side of the stage for the usual MCs.
The PAR flood is what I like about victoria concert hall as a venue for large concerts. It provides ample lighting for the orchestra , bathing them in a soothing white light, while at the same time not compromising the performers ability to look at their script.
The control box at victoria concert hall is also well positioned, giving it a nice look at the whole stage and the whole hall in general. This allows it good control to anything that might happen. However, it does not need to be positioned in the crowd as most of the sound is not controlled from control but from the natural acoustic of the place.
Victoria concert hall also has nice house lights. The house lights can be dimmed to whatever intensity that is required and has a nice starry effect on the ceiling.
Overall, victoria concert hall has a simple but adequate lighting system for the events that it runs.
I think its fitting for me to end my NJ PA journey, with a journey to Victoria Concert Hall and taking a look at the wonderous system there as well as setting up my own recording system. Looking back, I started not knowing anything at all and was learning everything from the most basic. From the mixer, to the lighting board, to computer lightings, to the systems of various other venues all over Singapore and to a certain extent, around the world. I believe through all these experiences, I have learned many stuff that the seniors never taught to us (speakers can be joined together etc.) There are many different PA systems all over Singapore, and I strive to understand each and at the same time, learn something new from it (=
Going back to the event, its quite an enjoyable event, with band doing their utmost best at performing. I like to thank them for the splendid night spent there.
Oh... and...
Me and my equipments (= in the small little corner in Victoria Concert Hall...
A fitting end (=
Discmon
I guess I'll remember this title as the FINAL EVENT that I'll possibly ever do as a member of NJ PA. It's true that I stepped down like a few days ago, but that doesn't stop my love for technical stuff and trying to learn more about the really cool systems that are all around us.
Anyway, some background on the event first:
Etude 33 is a last-minute request from National Junior College Symphonic Band. Basically, we did a recording for them when they had their anianime concert, and because of that (and their unwillingness to pay Victoria Concert Hall a large sum of money to do recordings), we were called in to do a recording for them. I responded enthusiastically to this event (although the rest weren't as enthusiastic) and of course I did the event...
Anyway, Nicholas Lim was the only person who responded to my request for help and so the two of us set forth to do the recording and the event. We met in the early morning at 11am in school to pack our equipments. We had to brave the big rain and storm to reach the school gate and we were pretty soaked by the time we reached control.... (dumb side gate). So anyway, we decided to pack a lot of cables just in case we need to drag a huge amount of extensions to be able to position the mic and do the recordings.
We packed a lot of extra stuff in the end, but this is due to the large amount of uncertainty that we had to deal with...
This is the layout of VCH. For the recording, we were planning to position mics at the aisle on the first floor as it would then pick up what "the audience will hear". This ensures the highest quality of recording, or that's what we thought it should provide...Unfortunately, because of safety issues and the like (people running for their lives in a fire), the mics cannot be placed at the aisle and have to be shifted somewhere else. The suggestion was to place it at the side of the stage and record from there, however, we fear that this will cause only some instruments to be picked up and would result in a very unbalanced sound. We also did not have a super tall mic stand to hang the mic above the conductor so we had to forsake that method...
Our next course of action was to position the mic in this place where the lights are positioned. Sort of like a hole in the wall...Basically its the 4 black holes in the wall in the picture above. This holes are normally used to position lights to shine on the stage. Anyway, we managed to position the mic there, however our test recording found that there
was a lot of echo. This is because a shotgun condenser do not just take in the sound in front of it but also will take in a bit of sound directly behind it. Since the box is closed, the sound echoes inside the box, resulting in a lot of pickup from the shotgun condenser mic as it takes in both from the front and the back...Because of that, we repositioned the mic again. This time its outside of the box. Although the recording quality is the best here with a drastic reduction in the level of echo, we were not allowed to do that because of safety issue again.
In the end, we shifted our mics yet again to the far end of the concert hall. There's some sort of balcony on the 2nd floor and that's where we position
our mic.Here you can see a picture of the position of the mic stand...
Anyway, we learned some cable laying skills that really made the cable invisible (position the cable and hide it behind the seats, follow the contour of the ground... blah blah blah)
Anyway, after the set up was completed, here is a picture of the lonely corner I was hiding at (nah, I wasn't hiding, I was openly displaying my presence =P )For the recording, I used one shotgun condenser mic pointed at the stage and recorded using the AUX output on the Allen&Heath PA12 so that I can control the volume level using the faders. The output was fed directly into the audio input jack on my computer and recorded using Audacity. At the same time, the sound was processed using Realtek HD sound effects manager so that acoustic echo is suppressed. This was a measure taken to reduce the effects of echo in VCH.
Victoria Concert Hall is an acoustic hall. Meaning that it does not need mics or sound boosting systems to ensure that the audience can hear everything. What this also means is that the hall itself is extremely echo-y and sounds will bounce all over the place. To a certain extent, it's a very good thing. Firstly because when you send sound through a mixer and speakers and blah blah, there will definitely be a reduction in the quality of the sound because its a mechanical machine. To put it simply, certain frequencies of sound may be affected by the machines and the speakers. However, this makes recording a pain without PRO equipments because you'll have a hard time with all the echo bouncing around....
Also, do take a look at the long dark strip on top of the concert hall. That's the position of several speakers. MCs, unfortunately, are usually not as loud as instruments, therefore they still need mics in the acoustic hall. Thus, the speakers are positioned. Also, I checked their EQ while I was in their control. Their EQ has a drastic reduction in the level of the bass frequency of the mics, showing how much the bass frequency bounce inside VCH.This also means that most of the feeding that occurred is low frequency feeds, and is only brought about by the MCs who are around.However, I think it's right to commend that their light and sound system is set up correctly. We do not hear any of the irritating buzzing sounds when the lights are being switched on or off. When lights and sound cables overlap each other, the power cable of the lights tend to interfere with the sound cables as a magnetic field is generated when a current flows through a wire. This results in the irritating buzz that we hear a lot in LT 1 and LT 5 to a certain extent.
Victoria concert hall has a very simple lighting set up not meant for rock concerts or large dramas where the lights have to be very accurately positioned and placed. It boasts several spots light that are aimed at various points on the stage, and a really nice full stage PAR flood + wash. But mostly PAR flood.The spots are positioned such that their main target is the conductor's usual position and the left and right side of the stage for the usual MCs.
The PAR flood is what I like about victoria concert hall as a venue for large concerts. It provides ample lighting for the orchestra , bathing them in a soothing white light, while at the same time not compromising the performers ability to look at their script.
The control box at victoria concert hall is also well positioned, giving it a nice look at the whole stage and the whole hall in general. This allows it good control to anything that might happen. However, it does not need to be positioned in the crowd as most of the sound is not controlled from control but from the natural acoustic of the place.
Victoria concert hall also has nice house lights. The house lights can be dimmed to whatever intensity that is required and has a nice starry effect on the ceiling.Overall, victoria concert hall has a simple but adequate lighting system for the events that it runs.
I think its fitting for me to end my NJ PA journey, with a journey to Victoria Concert Hall and taking a look at the wonderous system there as well as setting up my own recording system. Looking back, I started not knowing anything at all and was learning everything from the most basic. From the mixer, to the lighting board, to computer lightings, to the systems of various other venues all over Singapore and to a certain extent, around the world. I believe through all these experiences, I have learned many stuff that the seniors never taught to us (speakers can be joined together etc.) There are many different PA systems all over Singapore, and I strive to understand each and at the same time, learn something new from it (=
Going back to the event, its quite an enjoyable event, with band doing their utmost best at performing. I like to thank them for the splendid night spent there.
Oh... and...
Me and my equipments (= in the small little corner in Victoria Concert Hall...A fitting end (=
Discmon
Thursday, June 05, 2008
A thank list that goes on forever...
... ... ... ... ...
To tell you the truth, I don't know how I should feel today after everything that has occurred yesterday...
With the end of yesterday, the end of 4th of June, the end of PA camp...
I'm officially no longer in NJ PA, no longer the QM, and no longer... in many people's eyes... do not have a life...
(=
Anyway, looking back at it all, its been an amazing and wonderful journey with everyone as we ventured forwards and made sure that we continue to do the good job that our seniors have left behind for us to continue to do. There were many trials and tribulations, many challenges and obviously (with the whole bunch of jokers around) a lot of laughter that we have had together...
So, I've never really done this before. (THIS being giving "thank you"s and comments to people on my blog in a sort of listing fashion, but I guess it has to be done). If I happen to miss out anyone, it doesn't mean that I don't remember you, just that I don't have as much to say I guess... (I'll try my best to write something for everyone)
Kai Zhong:
Of course, we start this of with our dearest President. Never forget how we all met together in PA and started to talk joke and everything. Even though we always call you "a joke" (and you did prove to all of us that you ARE a joke), I think I respected you a lot and made sure to follow what you say as much as possible. Of course, not forgetting the amount of hard disk space that you misused on my computer and using it to watch your anime...
You'll have to find another way now =P
Siyuan:
Possibly the most serious and most militaristic guy I'll meet in a long long time. Thanks for dragging us all back in meetings when we start drifting all over the place talking about lame crap stuff that could drag on for hours. Even though you don't say much sometimes, you make your presence felt all the time in some unknown way, call it the Siyuan's aura. I appreciate all that you have done and your confidence in us. Don't give up and continue pushing onwards. Sometimes its hard to see the small and happy things in life, but I'm sure you'll be able to see it eventually (=
Yu Xuan:
It's nice knowing you and meeting you over this whole period of time. Even though you don't say much, the things you say really gets to the root of the problem and I think this sure saves us a lot of trouble some times. Thanks for your confidence in some of us, and I think we won't forget the mugger of PA too early ^^. And of course, I'll remember all the events that we have done together...
Melissa:
I'll definitely remember how you like to come to control and throw your bags and then leave it quite soon after. Thanks for providing an IP perspective into our PA exco meetings so that we are able to better understand things from the other side. Thanks for being a great treasurer as well or we would not have been able to claim back our money after purchasing so many things here and there. Of course, its not just the role or the job, but also the level of dedication to PA. Thanks for everything (=
Levon:
Haha, our "glam" representative... (went to find a bucket). Ok, that's a bit better. Thanks for coming back to us eventually and I hope that after all this period of time, you have found a reason for all of us to come together and spend our time. Thanks for being THE CCO that keeps things going in the worse of times (=. Your "glam" actions will serve to be a constant reminder of the jokes that was added into PA after coming back (=. It's been a great journey with you to the end of our term.
Nicholas Lim:
Our TO. Sorry that I ate into your job a bit during our whole term >< but I guess in the end you still are the best TO, a much better TO then I would ever be (=. Thanks for your own personalised joke and method of talking that we would never be able to emulate perfectly. Even though you seem relaxed all the time and really slack, when we really need to get down to business, you'll switch moods and we get to see... THE OTHER NICHOLAS. Oh ya, PA aside, thanks for teaching me stuff that I do not know, especially math and science and the like. Overall, its been nice working with you and having you as a friend in PA (=
Eng Yian:
Although I know that there are some things that came between us in the end, I still feel that you are a great friend and a great person in PA. Without you, PA would be very different and we would not be able to reach what we are today. I would like to thank you for bringing new perspectives on the things that are happening all around us and I really like the debates that we used to have in control over all sorts of stuff. Thanks for everything, especially for supporting all of us when we first took over.
Yan Ling:
My classmate for the first three months in NJ and then later, my CCA mate for the next one and a half year. Thanks for supporting all of us after we have taken over and also your dedication to PA. Not just from signing up for events or coming to help us out during our two camps (in which you played a very very integral part in ensuring that we can carry out our camp successfully) but also in responding to those last minute events and also those big events where we simply require a lot of support from everyone. Thanks for always being there for all of us, and I hope you had a lot of fun times with us too ^^.
Huzaifah:
Possibly the most dedicated member to PA even though you were not able to help us out a lot because of the ban that was placed on you. But even with the ban in place and not being able to work with you any event after june, you still stayed with us all the way, you still came to control to talk to us, you still came and supported us in the best way that you could despite all the various limitations that have been placed on you. Despite not being able to know more about you after June last year, I still think that you are really a dedicated member of PA and I know I can rely on you if we ever needed any help.
The EXCO:
Thanks for the wonderful year. I think that through all the challenges and times that we had spent together, we have forged a bond that would not be so easily broken. Call it a electrostatic attraction holding oppositely charged ions together. (= Together, I think we make a great team where we do stuff in a nice and very funny manner even if the stuff is really damn stressful and challenging
PVC:
You know who I am referring to right? Basically, Kai Zhong, Siyuan, Eng Yian and Me. If I remember correctly, our name was derived from Siyuan's blog post after he notes that each of us have a very different take on life. Siyuan is the military freak, Eng Yian is the realist I think, I was the liberalist and the columnist (because I am too ideal) and Kai Zhong is the kopitiam uncle.
Basically, the Polarised View Club...
But it wasn't long before we became the Potentially Very Chaotic event crew. So named because the 4 of us happened to be the group of people who took up all the phantom events that occurred during the first 6 months when we were exco. And this events tend to became very chaotic because nothing is well planned for phantom events.
PVC crew all the way!!!
Oh ya, the standards we set for ourselves then:
-4 man bi-amp set up in 15 minutes
-2 man stereo set up in 5 minutes
-1 man control
-1 man backstage
Mervyn, Hsiang Wei, Grace, Cassandra, Eugene:
I'm sorry I link all 5 of you together because I'm not very sure that I would be able to write different things for each of you. Thanks for everything, especially the support you gave to us when we just took over and a whole lot of our own batch people left us. Probably the first group of people who came back to us after we took over and solved our huge manpower issue and member issues. I like to thank you guys for everything that you all have done for PA, everything in fact. And always staying committed to PA even after all sorts of things came into your life. THANK YOU GUYS!!!
Shijin, Yijing, Jingwen, Li Chun, Jonathon:
Thanks guys for everything that you all have done in PA. Everything over the whole of this year when we were in the PA exco. Supporting us for event and generally just creating more and more joke for us to laugh at (the star folding jokes really get into mind). Even though towards the end I don't really see a lot of you all, nevertheless, I feel the commitment to PA and whatever you all done to help us in some way.
THE JUNIORS:
There's just too many people I need to talk about and express my thank in this post, so I guess I could lump the juniors together as I don't know all of you guys that well yet. Come on, its only about half a year. Anyway, I think I know some of the juniors a bit better and some I don't really know that well... but ...
Thanks for all the support you guys gave to us after you guys joined us this year. With you guys in PA, you brought in lots of new stuff and lots of new laughter and joys for the whole of PA. I hope that I have taken care of you guys well and that I didn't leave any permanent emotional scarring or the like in any of you guys...
I guess the best part is that you guys injected a sort of new life into our already very stagnant jokes that we've been telling each other for the half a year already. (=
Other then that, I hope that you guys will stay committed to PA after we guys are gone (we are gone already technically) Don't give the new EXCOs a hard time and make PA the best CCA that there ever was.
To the new EXCOs:
I think I've said a lot of what I wanted to say to you guys during our meeting and the like already. So, just do your best and set your own expectations. Every EXCO is different, by extension, every PA is different. Make it the best you guys can do !!!
This list could go on forever, not forgetting:
The previous batch:
Thanks for choosing us as EXCO and educating us making sure that we all are proficient in technical stuff. Especially thanks when you came back and pointed out to us some mistakes or errors that we were committing. Thanks for all the wonderful memories that you gave to us when you guys are around, and the wonderful memories that you gave to us even when you guys have left, but came back to talk crap and laugh. Thanks guys for everything. We would never have reached so far without you guys...
Mr Ang:
Thanks for all your help over the past one year. I know that I have left some things undone and was not able to fulfil everything you had expected me to do as a QM of the CCA. Nevertheless, thanks for everything and especially helping us when we had some technical problems. I believe that you have given your best to us and I hope that I have given my best to you too. Thanks for the whole of this twelve months (=
Samuel:
Even though you only joined us in January, I could tell that you are a very dedicated member of PA when you were the QM then. Thanks for bringing in new insights and knowledge of technical stuff into PA and especially for always being with us when we were doing events and whenever we had any problems. You also gave us a lot of suggestions and comments on the things that we plan on doing and thus helped us to avert problems and the like. Overall thanks for all your guidance. Oh and especially thanks for accompanying me in control (ok, I don't know which way this thanks should go so I guess its both ways). Thanks for everything, without you, life would have been a lot harder in PA with all those random phantom events that pop out. (=
All the CCA's, groups and people who we had provided support for, especially council:
I guess firstly thanks for giving us events to do? Haha. I hope that we had provided adequate and good support for your events that you had planned for. Through all this event, we had learned a lot of new things and knowledge that we use to make sure that the next event that we do will reach a higher level of standard that the previous one.
If there had been any problems, screw ups and the like during the events we support, we apologise for it and hope that you give us a chance for us to do a better job next time. We learn through our mistakes and we strive to get better and provide better support each time we do an event.
Thanks also for letting me know about more about you guys through all this events. I would gladly say that I know more people compared to when I first entered PA.
This list of thanks would go on and there a few other people that should have been included on this list, but I guess if this goes on, this list would really go on forever and ever and.... pretty much forever.
It's been a really long and eventful year as a QM in PA.
Everything that has a beginning has an end...
Discmon
To tell you the truth, I don't know how I should feel today after everything that has occurred yesterday...
With the end of yesterday, the end of 4th of June, the end of PA camp...
I'm officially no longer in NJ PA, no longer the QM, and no longer... in many people's eyes... do not have a life...
(=
Anyway, looking back at it all, its been an amazing and wonderful journey with everyone as we ventured forwards and made sure that we continue to do the good job that our seniors have left behind for us to continue to do. There were many trials and tribulations, many challenges and obviously (with the whole bunch of jokers around) a lot of laughter that we have had together...
So, I've never really done this before. (THIS being giving "thank you"s and comments to people on my blog in a sort of listing fashion, but I guess it has to be done). If I happen to miss out anyone, it doesn't mean that I don't remember you, just that I don't have as much to say I guess... (I'll try my best to write something for everyone)
Kai Zhong:
Of course, we start this of with our dearest President. Never forget how we all met together in PA and started to talk joke and everything. Even though we always call you "a joke" (and you did prove to all of us that you ARE a joke), I think I respected you a lot and made sure to follow what you say as much as possible. Of course, not forgetting the amount of hard disk space that you misused on my computer and using it to watch your anime...
You'll have to find another way now =P
Siyuan:
Possibly the most serious and most militaristic guy I'll meet in a long long time. Thanks for dragging us all back in meetings when we start drifting all over the place talking about lame crap stuff that could drag on for hours. Even though you don't say much sometimes, you make your presence felt all the time in some unknown way, call it the Siyuan's aura. I appreciate all that you have done and your confidence in us. Don't give up and continue pushing onwards. Sometimes its hard to see the small and happy things in life, but I'm sure you'll be able to see it eventually (=
Yu Xuan:
It's nice knowing you and meeting you over this whole period of time. Even though you don't say much, the things you say really gets to the root of the problem and I think this sure saves us a lot of trouble some times. Thanks for your confidence in some of us, and I think we won't forget the mugger of PA too early ^^. And of course, I'll remember all the events that we have done together...
Melissa:
I'll definitely remember how you like to come to control and throw your bags and then leave it quite soon after. Thanks for providing an IP perspective into our PA exco meetings so that we are able to better understand things from the other side. Thanks for being a great treasurer as well or we would not have been able to claim back our money after purchasing so many things here and there. Of course, its not just the role or the job, but also the level of dedication to PA. Thanks for everything (=
Levon:
Haha, our "glam" representative... (went to find a bucket). Ok, that's a bit better. Thanks for coming back to us eventually and I hope that after all this period of time, you have found a reason for all of us to come together and spend our time. Thanks for being THE CCO that keeps things going in the worse of times (=. Your "glam" actions will serve to be a constant reminder of the jokes that was added into PA after coming back (=. It's been a great journey with you to the end of our term.
Nicholas Lim:
Our TO. Sorry that I ate into your job a bit during our whole term >< but I guess in the end you still are the best TO, a much better TO then I would ever be (=. Thanks for your own personalised joke and method of talking that we would never be able to emulate perfectly. Even though you seem relaxed all the time and really slack, when we really need to get down to business, you'll switch moods and we get to see... THE OTHER NICHOLAS. Oh ya, PA aside, thanks for teaching me stuff that I do not know, especially math and science and the like. Overall, its been nice working with you and having you as a friend in PA (=
Eng Yian:
Although I know that there are some things that came between us in the end, I still feel that you are a great friend and a great person in PA. Without you, PA would be very different and we would not be able to reach what we are today. I would like to thank you for bringing new perspectives on the things that are happening all around us and I really like the debates that we used to have in control over all sorts of stuff. Thanks for everything, especially for supporting all of us when we first took over.
Yan Ling:
My classmate for the first three months in NJ and then later, my CCA mate for the next one and a half year. Thanks for supporting all of us after we have taken over and also your dedication to PA. Not just from signing up for events or coming to help us out during our two camps (in which you played a very very integral part in ensuring that we can carry out our camp successfully) but also in responding to those last minute events and also those big events where we simply require a lot of support from everyone. Thanks for always being there for all of us, and I hope you had a lot of fun times with us too ^^.
Huzaifah:
Possibly the most dedicated member to PA even though you were not able to help us out a lot because of the ban that was placed on you. But even with the ban in place and not being able to work with you any event after june, you still stayed with us all the way, you still came to control to talk to us, you still came and supported us in the best way that you could despite all the various limitations that have been placed on you. Despite not being able to know more about you after June last year, I still think that you are really a dedicated member of PA and I know I can rely on you if we ever needed any help.
The EXCO:
Thanks for the wonderful year. I think that through all the challenges and times that we had spent together, we have forged a bond that would not be so easily broken. Call it a electrostatic attraction holding oppositely charged ions together. (= Together, I think we make a great team where we do stuff in a nice and very funny manner even if the stuff is really damn stressful and challenging
PVC:
You know who I am referring to right? Basically, Kai Zhong, Siyuan, Eng Yian and Me. If I remember correctly, our name was derived from Siyuan's blog post after he notes that each of us have a very different take on life. Siyuan is the military freak, Eng Yian is the realist I think, I was the liberalist and the columnist (because I am too ideal) and Kai Zhong is the kopitiam uncle.
Basically, the Polarised View Club...
But it wasn't long before we became the Potentially Very Chaotic event crew. So named because the 4 of us happened to be the group of people who took up all the phantom events that occurred during the first 6 months when we were exco. And this events tend to became very chaotic because nothing is well planned for phantom events.
PVC crew all the way!!!
Oh ya, the standards we set for ourselves then:
-4 man bi-amp set up in 15 minutes
-2 man stereo set up in 5 minutes
-1 man control
-1 man backstage
Mervyn, Hsiang Wei, Grace, Cassandra, Eugene:
I'm sorry I link all 5 of you together because I'm not very sure that I would be able to write different things for each of you. Thanks for everything, especially the support you gave to us when we just took over and a whole lot of our own batch people left us. Probably the first group of people who came back to us after we took over and solved our huge manpower issue and member issues. I like to thank you guys for everything that you all have done for PA, everything in fact. And always staying committed to PA even after all sorts of things came into your life. THANK YOU GUYS!!!
Shijin, Yijing, Jingwen, Li Chun, Jonathon:
Thanks guys for everything that you all have done in PA. Everything over the whole of this year when we were in the PA exco. Supporting us for event and generally just creating more and more joke for us to laugh at (the star folding jokes really get into mind). Even though towards the end I don't really see a lot of you all, nevertheless, I feel the commitment to PA and whatever you all done to help us in some way.
THE JUNIORS:
There's just too many people I need to talk about and express my thank in this post, so I guess I could lump the juniors together as I don't know all of you guys that well yet. Come on, its only about half a year. Anyway, I think I know some of the juniors a bit better and some I don't really know that well... but ...
Thanks for all the support you guys gave to us after you guys joined us this year. With you guys in PA, you brought in lots of new stuff and lots of new laughter and joys for the whole of PA. I hope that I have taken care of you guys well and that I didn't leave any permanent emotional scarring or the like in any of you guys...
I guess the best part is that you guys injected a sort of new life into our already very stagnant jokes that we've been telling each other for the half a year already. (=
Other then that, I hope that you guys will stay committed to PA after we guys are gone (we are gone already technically) Don't give the new EXCOs a hard time and make PA the best CCA that there ever was.
To the new EXCOs:
I think I've said a lot of what I wanted to say to you guys during our meeting and the like already. So, just do your best and set your own expectations. Every EXCO is different, by extension, every PA is different. Make it the best you guys can do !!!
This list could go on forever, not forgetting:
The previous batch:
Thanks for choosing us as EXCO and educating us making sure that we all are proficient in technical stuff. Especially thanks when you came back and pointed out to us some mistakes or errors that we were committing. Thanks for all the wonderful memories that you gave to us when you guys are around, and the wonderful memories that you gave to us even when you guys have left, but came back to talk crap and laugh. Thanks guys for everything. We would never have reached so far without you guys...
Mr Ang:
Thanks for all your help over the past one year. I know that I have left some things undone and was not able to fulfil everything you had expected me to do as a QM of the CCA. Nevertheless, thanks for everything and especially helping us when we had some technical problems. I believe that you have given your best to us and I hope that I have given my best to you too. Thanks for the whole of this twelve months (=
Samuel:
Even though you only joined us in January, I could tell that you are a very dedicated member of PA when you were the QM then. Thanks for bringing in new insights and knowledge of technical stuff into PA and especially for always being with us when we were doing events and whenever we had any problems. You also gave us a lot of suggestions and comments on the things that we plan on doing and thus helped us to avert problems and the like. Overall thanks for all your guidance. Oh and especially thanks for accompanying me in control (ok, I don't know which way this thanks should go so I guess its both ways). Thanks for everything, without you, life would have been a lot harder in PA with all those random phantom events that pop out. (=
All the CCA's, groups and people who we had provided support for, especially council:
I guess firstly thanks for giving us events to do? Haha. I hope that we had provided adequate and good support for your events that you had planned for. Through all this event, we had learned a lot of new things and knowledge that we use to make sure that the next event that we do will reach a higher level of standard that the previous one.
If there had been any problems, screw ups and the like during the events we support, we apologise for it and hope that you give us a chance for us to do a better job next time. We learn through our mistakes and we strive to get better and provide better support each time we do an event.
Thanks also for letting me know about more about you guys through all this events. I would gladly say that I know more people compared to when I first entered PA.
This list of thanks would go on and there a few other people that should have been included on this list, but I guess if this goes on, this list would really go on forever and ever and.... pretty much forever.
It's been a really long and eventful year as a QM in PA.
Everything that has a beginning has an end...
Discmon
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