[Long photo story]
There have been too many things going on again meaning that I have less time to blog. Couple that with the start of term, time seems to be so precious.


Welcoming the social science freshies to SMU


After that we headed to Gelare at Plaza Singapura for waffles and ice cream

Then it was onto Convocation 2007.


Setup at Suntec City Convention Centre Hall 602


Awesome and artistic theatrical main show for the freshmen

The performance was about finding yourself and emerging with your own identity. SMU students are different not because they want to be but because they are taught in a different environment.


A shot of my favourite area

This is the place that I spent my time sometimes for 15 hours in one shot. The five screens show live feed of what the cameras in the hall are filming. In the seat is the "studio" director who chooses the best shots that will appear on the screens.

The focus then shifted to the Asian Youth Leaders Forum.

I was give the honour to be the liason officer for the Yemen delegates. And yeah, all the liason officers had hotel rooms at the Grand Copthrone Waterfront Hotel. I stayed on the 22nd floor and as usual, I love to appreciate the view.



On the last day, before the delegates left for Kuala Lumpur to take a flight back to Yemen, I brought them for a little trip along Singapore's most famous road according to them - Orchard Road. We started at Wisma Atria all the way to Plaza Singapura.


Yemen delegates at Nike shop at The Heeren taking a short break

Thereafter, I was off to attend the Prime Minister's National Day Rally at the National University of Singapore's University Cultural Centre (UCC).



There were no evidences of the disconnect of PM with ordinary Singaporeans and most important no mee siam mai harm scenarios. Instead, this year's rally brought a lot of laughter.

Apart from showing that he's technologically savvy with his tools that aided the presentation, PM Lee injected doses of Hokkien, Malay and Cantonese phrases in his rather seemingly long rally speech.



But his approach was careful. Firstly givng out the bad news regarding changes to the CPF withdrawal age and retirement age then by topping it up with the good - HIP news for HDB dwellers and plans for HDB upgrading to transform Singapore.

Special shout outs to the students from Nanyang Polytechnic who came up with the interactive Google earth like maps to show how neighbourhood towns in and around Singapore would be transformed in the next few years. PM Lee also revealed future plans for Punggol 21 + drawing oohs and ahhs from the people present in the UCC.

I was at the edge of my seat often leaning near the balcony to get a better glimpse of the screen on stage.



The last slide was titled "Home for all". Tongue-in-cheek some say. Cause it signalled that everyone in the UCC could go home. But the ultimate meaning was that Singapore is a home for everyone and that no one is left out.

Since there were no major boo boos by the Prime Minister, I wonder what Mr Brown would come up for his podcast on the National Day Rally.