Cyclingâs final event â road time trials
The Netherlands clinches bronze in cycling
Basketball semis, Japan vs. Germany
Basketball semis, USA vs. Serbia
Noisy thing, that
Feeds
1256 items (954 unread) in 7 feeds
-
QuGee Forum
(2 unread)
-
talfryn.net (383 unread)
-
Wanderer
(312 unread)
-
To look life in the face
(56 unread)
-
Terry Wong
(163 unread)
-
YGG & YSS
-
čŹćłĺŻĺż - Impermanence (38 unread)
«
Expand/Collapse
28 items tagged "Events"
Related tags: 038 [+], amp [+], Happenings [+]
-
More YOG action
» talfryn.net
-
Putting power to the pedal
» talfryn.net
I didnât realise how young these athletes were until I got closer to the action. Mostly in their 16s and 17s, sporting faces of determination and anxiousness as their coaches held last-minute pep talks with them. The Thai cyclist was using a squishy pink-eared bunny hairband to tie her ponytail! Theyâre really still just kids. The Youth Olympics is probably the biggest event to have hit their lives⌠and those few minutes in the field of play might just be their most important yet. With some luck and lots of pluck, it may see them and their countries to the senior Games. For all the flak that the YOG is taking and for all the woes that the workforce is facing, feeling the spirit and intensity on the ground and looking at how very hard everyoneâs working, itâs difficult to find the heart to criticise when youâre in the midst of it all.
Junior Womenâs BMX semi-finals
Junior Menâs BMX quarter-finals
Junior Menâs BMX semi-finals
Commissairesâ tent, with the audience of schoolchildren seen reflected on top
Behind-the-scenes at the Ritz Carlton ops centre -
Grand Prix Saturday
» talfryn.net
-
Dance of the lions
» talfryn.net -
NDP 2009
» talfryn.netPutting my thoughts on NDP aside, I shall here pay tribute to the men and women who made NDP happen - it is a tremendous feat involving clockwork precision, manpower and logistics, planning and resource management, perseverance and sweat, plus many, many KFC drumsticks and bento boxes (and lots of wasted plastic and styrofoam). Having gone through two days of rehearsals with the contingents, I have come to understand a little better the sacrifices they have to make to pull it through. Yesterday under the heat of the afternoon sun, no less than five members of each of the Uniformed Groups had to be carried away on stretchers from the parade square, and even one of the contingent commanders had to be replaced. (The scene of the Colour Party in the first photo below was just a drill, thank goodness!)
Saluting at the playing of the National Anthem and saying the Pledge (haven’t done that for almost 10 years!) elicit an odd sense of programmed response and calm detachment.
Oh well, but who cares. The fireworks was awesome.
(Again, more photos on FB and Flickr.)
-
Patriotic zeal and resistant indifference
» talfryn.netLeong (2001), in Consuming the Nation: National Day Parades in Singapore, explores the background, organisation and aim of the National Day parades of Singapore, discussing their impact on participants and members of the public:
The National Day parade is packaged and marketed for the largest possible number of Singaporeans. Although the costs of the parade run up to a hefty sum, the expected returns are obviously not economic, but socio-psychological. Given the accounting mentality of state ĂŠlites, who expect monetary or tangible returns for every public expenditure and who take great pains to avoid any budgetary deficit, the commodification of National Day is calculated with intangible gains in mind: identification with the nation, pride and loyalty to the country, a sense of what it means to be âSingaporeanâ.
In sum, the militarization of National Day parades renders the parade a
ritual of power and hierarchy, dramatizes the stateâs monopoly of force, personifies the nation by underscoring values of order, discipline and regimentation, and reassures the populace in the face of anxiety.
(More photos on FB and Flickr.)
-
Remembering June
» talfryn.net20 years ago, 4th of June: Tiananmen Square Incident
65 years ago, 6th of June: D-DayThe Kranji War Cemetery yesterday at sunset was a enclave of serenity, peace, and hope.
I felt it fitting to reproduce here a poem that my sis wrote when she was in the fifth grade, after a visit with her school to the memorial:
In this peaceful scene before me,
white graves as far as one can see.
Thereâs a sense of great respect and honour
for the brave people who died in valour.These men did not die in vain,
or sorrow, or sadness, or anguish, or pain.
Instead, these soldiers were one great gift;
War and violence from us did they lift.They had courage and they were skilled,
hardly regretting the fight as they were killed.
Brutalness, torture and death they braved.
They fought merely for us to be saved.For themselves and their lives they did not care;
they wanted to fight in the war, the dare.
Though with their lives they had to pay,
now gone from the earth in which they lay.They know they definitely did the right thing.
In the wind you can hear their spirits sing:
Do not mourn for us in grief and sorrow;
we passed on for a brighter tomorrow.We did what we had to do.
It was the only thing that we knew we could.
We removed the confinement, the several large boulders.
We did what we did, for we are soldiers. -
âGreening a nationâ
» talfryn.netSo there I was, parked at a table full of local and international Shell employees (they were kind enough to sponsor a table and I was there courtesy of the Singapore Environment Council), a youngling challenged to bridge that vast age, experience and sectoral gap in making conversation with people who were asking me about my views on current issues, politics and business over a three-course dinner in a greenfully-decorated marquee full of the who’s who of Singapore’s conservation, environment, landscaping, horticulture, and socially-responsible corporate circles. I didn’t mind it one bit; I miss the intellectual stimulation, and I was at enough ease to have found some dry humour.
I went table-hopping a little. Good to see familiar faces. Keith was there: “Hey! Do you still remember… about four, five years ago… when we guided LKY? I wonder if he still remembers us!” Ah, yes… what an honour that was. I was too shy then, to have asked for a photograph, and I was too young then, to have realised that I had there in front of me the perfect opportunity for a real, personal open conversation with the then-Senior Minister and his wife. Instead, I merely did what I knew best, and showed him the waders, the mudskippers, and my beloved whip spider.
Minister Mah Bow Tan’s speech was followed by a short video (The Garden City Story) which charted the development of Singapore from jungles to a ‘City in a Garden’. Rather impressive aerial videography ala BBC Planet Earth that managed to accentuate the green in our cityscape. So much that we take for granted.
When MM Lee speaks, you listen. Not just out of respect, but because you know that here is a man with decades of wisdom and experience and confident in the knowledge that his vision was what made Singapore, and he is here to share.
I liked the anecdotes. He told of how a foreign expert came and exclaimed that they were (then) doing the wrong things… “Birds feed on insects, and you were using insecticides! Birds like the tall grass, and you cut them all off!” And then they took on the expert’s advice, and the mynahs and the crows came back, birds which MM Lee admitted that he didn’t like (muted laughter in the audience).
When asked about challenges for the future, he lamented that “humans have become to clever for their own good”, sentiments that echo those of other world leaders and scientists. Education should start with the young, who are burdened with a heavier responsibility for future generations.
Otherwise, as the media has conveyed in pretty much the way the media picks up and conveys messages, it was the usual story: Singapore’s green vision was a strategic intent to position itself ahead of the world, building world-class infrastructure, a first world in a third-world region, more green = more happy people, the mark of good administration and leadership, cooperation on all fronts and across all sectors, and so on. The Singapore Story.
It was clear… that it is the political and economic drive that greens a nation. Or this nation, at least.
Ps. This blog post was written while running low on mana. I thought I could’ve managed something more coherent and exciting. I promise it’ll be better if I could talk about this in a conversation… after I get my sleep.
-
SBWR 15th birthday
» talfryn.net
The GoH: SM Goh
Unveiling the SBWR Master PlanLink :: CNA article on SBWR’s 15th anniversary
Photos :: SBWR 15th anniversary
-
You can try, but you wonât stop me
» talfryn.netHaving done street or events photography for a while, negotiating your way through officials attempting to discourage you from taking photographs comes easily.
“It’s not for commercial purposes.” is the first thing I say to them. “It’s purely for personal use”, or “The people and places in my photos will not be brought into contempt” and other tried and tested phrases usually work.
On Friday night at the Singapore Arts Museum, however, I was further asked if I would be putting my photos online. I was truthful and told the lady that I may blog about it to help promote the Japan Media Arts Festival; but she was still hesitant but she was too polite about it to successfully forbid me from taking photos.
Then at the next zone of the exhibition, I was approached by another staff member, clad in black, and he asked me to refrain from photography. I did the usual rhetoric, and that I was not going to use flash. He was adamant, and said that it was a ‘museum policy’. So I pointed out the absence of ‘No Photography’ signs about the gallery, and that if they were really against the public taking photos, they should really put signs up. “That would make your job easier too,” I added. I passed him my namecard, and told him that I can be contacted if they wished to take this matter further, but I was going to continue snapping shots. “How many, and which ones?” He asked. I replied that I couldn’t say for sure - it would depend on the lighting of the exhibit, and whether or not I’d be able to frame any good shots. He wanted to call for his manager, and asked if I had any photo ID to indicate that I was a bona fide photographer. Well… I lacked the Singapore equivalent of a BAJ Press Pass and so gave him my PSS membership card instead. He seemed happy enough. So his manager came; we talked - she tried to do what her staff failed to, and I questioned her about their ‘policy’ and asked her for the rationale. She wasn’t too sure about it herself, only that the ‘directives came from the top’. I explained that if this was an exhibition with artifacts, then I’d understand. But the JMAF was all contemporary objects and there was nothing too sensitive about it. In the end, she relented.
I’ll be blasted if I am forced to follow some non-formally-enforced rule which I cannot make sense of. This reminds me of the No U-Turn syndrome: ‘In Singapore, drivers are not allowed to make a U-turn unless a sign specifically allows them to do so, while in some other countries drivers may make U-turns freely so long as the ‘No U-turn’ sign is not present’. I bet photography in Singapore is almost like that: ‘photographers are not allowed to take any photos unless a sign specifically allows them to do so, while in other countries photographers may take photographs freely so long as a ‘No Photography’ sign is not present.’
For all that fuss…
Photos :: SAM JMAF 08
-
Zoto uploads update
» talfryn.netIt’s been a busy month for the shutter. For November so far…
1: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve & Int’l Year of the Frog
6: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
7-9: Trip to Sedili, Johor Malaysia
15: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
18: Huntsman spider
18: ISEAS/WWF talk by Dr Chris Hails
22: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve & Kranji countryside
23: Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve
24: Bishan Park 2
25: Bishan Park 1
26: Launch of ‘Natural selection and beyond: The intellectual legacy of A.R.Wallace’ book at the Singapore Science Centre; Pulau Ubin -
Deepavali
» talfryn.net
Light-up along Serangoon Road
Hindu devotees at the Sri Srinivasa Perumal TempleLink :: More photos on Zoto
Deepavali, the most important date of the Hindu calendar, occurs on one day during October, and in the ethnic quarter of Little India, the festivities last practically for the whole month of October.
Deepavali is the Festival of Lights, and marks the defeat of the evil King Narakasura by the Lord Krishna. All round the world, Hindus celebrate this day as the triumph of light over darkness, and of good over evil. It marks the new beginning for Hindu devotees, and is a great time of rejoicing and renewal. During this time, Little India throbs with evening roadside stalls, booming music and strings of colourful lights. Shoppers throng the streets in search of the perfect sari to wear, or to fill their baskets with Indian foods and spices. Hindu homes are lighted with oil lamps , and offerings of sweetmeats and garlands of jasmine are placed at the family altar.
-
Sun Festival opening
» talfryn.netRobert Redford was supposed to narrate Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf at the Sun Festival opening concert on Saturday, but he had to cancel his appearance and was replaced by Geoffrey Rush. I asked my parents what they’d think would be different if Redford narrated instead of Rush, and my mom commented that “at least he’d look a lot better”. I admit that Rush seems to be having a hard time keeping up with the years (I was sitting three rows from the stage, and could see his face quite close and clearly), but he delivered the lines and dialogue with the dry wit and cold humour as befitted the story. Think Captain Barbossa with a smirk.
The other highlights of the evening most definitely were Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and the Vienna Boys Choir. What beautiful, angelic voices! If I may be so bold to declare, I think this may be as close as Singapore can get to staging a truly ‘world class’ concert. My only gripe for that evening - which had be transfixed the whole while (unfortunately not so my dad - he went fishing) - was the orchestra. It was a humble attempt to bring together the talents of musicians (students, mostly) from the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of NUS, the Peabody Institute of John Hopkins University, and the Guildhall School of London… but the orchestra was amateurish and musicians sluggish in appearance, and the music sounded flat. If only one of the world-famous Philharmonic or Symphony Orchestras were to make an appearance… but I guess that’ll be too much to ask for, for one night.
-
2:59
University of London Union Laurels
» WandererIt was quite a formal event with nice sushi! Yay, another award for my CV.
-
Earth Hour
» talfryn.netOur parents were out for the night, so my sis and I ‘turned off the lights‘ and tried to do our little bit, having our dinner in the semi-dark dining area (the world out there was still quite brightly-lit) and away from our compts. Having no candles in the house, we used torches when necessary while in the living room. Banjo looked on curiously, and I had the idea of doing some light painting. Jane joined in, and so did Dofu who was quite clueless as to what was happening, really.
-
3:35
5th NationallyâŚLondon: We are back!
» WandererThis weekend, dare I say, had been one full of mixed emotions. It had been a long time since I had felt such a push to achieve, a need to push myself to my limits. From disqualifications to beating the team who are the current British Champions, this weekend has been full of unexpected moments.
From facebook and other places you probably gathered that I was going to “Nationals”. Yup, so the sports I have been involved in since I stopped training swimming seriously in 2002 was lifesaving. Most people think that lifesaving is about getting awards, doing CPR, bandaging someone who has a bleeding finger. But I am talking about competitive lifesaving. According to the Royal Lifesaving Society, RLSS, âLifesaving sport is possibly the most demanding multi-discipline sport that exists in the world todayâ. It involves physical strength, lifesaving skill, teamwork and speed. Its a great sport, and I have been involved since 2004 and apart from last year when I was in Japan, I have been training with University of London Union Lifesaving Club. In 2005, our A team was the National Champion. Today, being part of A-team, we have re-lived our days of glory. As results were read in reverse order starting from the 25th team, we were waiting for “London A” - and although we knew we did well, we would be happy to come top 10. We came 5th!! It was so close that I could smell the medals.
And this weekend, I have unleashed the competitive side of me in a positive way. Yesterday, we had many lifesaving speed events, such as manikan tow, obstacle race, medley relay (where you have to swim 50m and swim 17.5m inside water, pick up a manikan and tow the rest, line throw and super lifesaver. All in all, I will just summarise the day with a lot of stress, tears (coming from the girls…not me -_-) and teasing. I broke the club record. The record for the most disqualifications in 1 event. I was DQed for 3 different things within a distance of 5m. It was quite impressive.
Today we had the normal dry and wet incident, swim and tow and line throw. However on top of it, we have a RNLI (Royal National Lifeboat Institution) incident. It was a beach simulation in an outdoor pool. I was shocked by the level of professionalism!! There was a jet ski and a proper lifeboat!! Although the water was freezing cold, it was just a blast! I don’t have any photos to show you guys since I was doing a competition and the area was barred off. In our line throw, we beat Southampton which has been the strongest lifesaving team in my memory as a lifesaver. I am beyond pleased.
I took my camera on Saturday, but it went out of battery half way. But we got some nice rope throw in action. There are a lot more photos on facebook.
All in all, it had been a great weekend. The most ironic thing is Cambridge and Oxford were tied…8th. We beat both
-
1:54
ĺ嚴飯
» WandererHappy New Year!
Us having 暯丸.
-
16:38
The Birthday Fruit Tart
» WandererHappy Birthday YGG!
-
Live07
» talfryn.netOne thing I learnt last Saturday was that the cheer really goes “Oggy oggy oggy! Oi oi oi!” and not the “Aussie Aussie Aussie! Oi Oi Oi!” that my ears have automatically been trained to pick up on and respond to, and which I found sounded out of place when I first heard it being chanted by the scouts at the Lord Mayor’s Show. As a few British Scouts have kindly explained to me, the English version came first, and the Aussie one is a variant. Ahh…
Live07 was amazing. The atmosphere and the spirit of it all… it’s one big Scouting party with 3000 in the cast, and even more from all around the UK gathered in the now-O2 Arena then-Millennium Dome to celebrate this last major event in our centenary year. Through it all, and especially through one of the items (Through the Years), I have come to appreciate more the history and the culture of Scouting. What had essentially started as a very British institution, encouraging the ideals of good citizenship and all, has now extended its reach into every single country in the world, save for four. The basic Scout Laws… honour, trustworthiness, loyalty, courage, usefulness, thriftiness… it is these that make good a man. But as an experienced Scouter had lamented, times are a-changing. In light of the modern society, it is tough to instil these values into young people, “How can we do so, when even the adults do not possess these qualities?” Even more so, the Movement’s purpose and principles remain ever so important today.
Also heard God Save the Queen being sang out live with orchestral accompaniment for the first time. In the closing segment, when the symphony sounded out the first few notes from the anthem and everybody stood up from their seats, hands by the side and headgear removed, the sudden silence and respect I could feel they had for the occasion was immense. What a feeling…
More photos from the night here.
-
4:11
Lord Mayor Show
» WandererThis year, I went to Lord Mayor Show with my dad and my friends to see the Lord Mayor Show. Despite the fact that my dad accidentally lost all this pictures on his camera. The great thing about living in London is the proximity you are to everything important to this once-upon-a-time great empire. Lord Mayor’s [...] -
4:48
Milestone II
» WandererLast year this time, I wrote Milestone. This time around, its Milestone II. So, this is it, everyone in the house except for me has graduated. Its not that sad. I have truly enjoyed celebrating it with them (and their families) today. I think one of the greatest things is that having gone through [...]
-
IFGWCC
» talfryn.netI attended the Interdisciplinary Forum on Global Warming and Climate Change at the National University of Singapore (NUS) yesterday. A turn-up of about 150 people, tertiary students mostly, and a few representatives from NGOs and other research and academic institutions. A break-down of the talks and topics covered: ‘Climate Change - Living in the Anthropocene’ Associate [...]
-
18:52
New Heights
» WandererAfter Fuji, 3776m, I climbed Mount Kota Kinabalu, the tallest mountain in South East Asia. I stood at 4092.5m above the South China Sea. Here are some of the pictures. I haven’t finished editing it. Here is me at the top: I saw lightning o_0 Me standing at around 3900m: Our guide: The sunrise on the top - but not [...]
-
Asian Youth Leaders Forum on CSR
» talfryn.netOn âInsights to Corporate Social Responsibility in Asia: YOUth Speak!â Went for the first event tonight - a networking reception dinner. First impressions - not that bad. Good company, people whom I could associate with more than I could those who attended the Business for the Environment Summit a while back! In contrast to the [...]
-
17:30
Festive Weekend
» WandererDespite not being able to make it up to the North, I managed to enjoy a bit of the festivity in town. There was a firework display in Atsugi on Saturday, and I went to shrines around Tokyo on Sunday afternoon. It was great! -
14:36
The first weekend of June
» WandererIs very very tiring!!! Yesterday went to Yokohama to see Fireworks and went up Landmark Tower with June, Matthieu LG, Ning Ning, Zac and his girlfriend Ami. I took a lot of pictures. You can find them by clicking here. Afterwards, I saw Randy by coincidence when I was trying to take picture of the moon. He [...]
-
Coming soon II
» talfryn.netParadise Gardens Sat 26th & Sun 27th May, 1pm â 10.30 pm Victoria Park (Mile End tube) Circus performances, fairs, music & dances… so many things! Anticipation Thurs 24th May - Sat 9th June, 11- 6pm One One One (Portland St tube) Highlights from the show include… eight foot chandeliers made out of fluff from a hoover… ironic sculptures of everyday objects [...] -
Coming soon II
» talfryn.netParadise Gardens Sat 26th & Sun 27th May, 1pm â 10.30 pm Victoria Park (Mile End tube) Circus performances, fairs, music & dances… so many things! Anticipation Thurs 24th May - Sat 9th June, 11- 6pm One One One (Portland St tube) Highlights from the show include… eight foot chandeliers made out of fluff from a hoover… ironic sculptures of everyday objects [...]