Monday, December 25, 2006

Merry Christmas Everyone

To everyone that I know, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Below are some photos taken during a christmas party organise by RAC Singapore West and also a Community Service Project done by RAC Raffles City.
It is nice to know that this holidays is about the spirit of sharing and giving to the less fortunate. Keep on smiling and serving the community.
Well done to both clubs... It was nice meeting up with familiar faces during this season.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

District Tour Video

Hi guys,

If you wish to watch a video montage of my tour pls click on this link.. Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haSw1UtgDqg

Now at Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

ETA: 2135 hrs on 13 December 2006

Lilian and I was greeted by the ever anxious ZR Yvonne from Likas Bay. She was so excited to meet us that she kept calling us even before we alighted the plane. After waiting for our luggage for more than half an hour, we finally exited the airport and met our ZR Yvonne. We then proceed to the carpark to meet up with President Jason from Likas Bay.

While exiting the airport, I noticed that the airport was undergoing a renovation and expansion. It was scheduled to be ready before early JAnuary 2008.
We then proceed to Supper at a famous Indian stall in Sabah called "Salim". There we were greeted with other club members from RAC Likas Bay and RAC Kota Kinabalu. We met up with PZR Lina Chin, Pres Kathy and many more Rotaractors. It was indeed a nice reunion. After supper, we went to our "Shane-ringlla". It was a double storey bungalow that belonged to Rtr Shane from Likas Bay. It was indeed by dream bachelor home. DAY 2: The day I lost my sole.

We started early that day and was thrilled to take up the challenge of "White" water rafting. We woke up early at 7 am and was sent to Beverly Hotel where a van awaits us to bring us to the train station. It was a one and a half hour ride to the train station. As expected the train was 30 minutes late. We boarded the train and began the 3 hour journey to our starting point.

Upon arrival, we were given instructions on how to manoeuvre the raft and explained to us some safety rules. Without wasting any time, we walked to the river and started our adventure. We were accompanied by an australian couple and 2 tourist from Hong Kong. The rafting started smoothly and we manage to work together as a team.

We then moved to the "Washing Machine" (one of the names of the river section). Our raft charged through the waves and attacked every obstacle that came towards us. However the elements got the better of us and we were defeated... or better yet, I was defeated. Half of the ppl in my raft went overboard which includes me.. hahahaha. Since I was the furthest from the boat, the guide through me a line and pulled me in. Upon reaching the boat, I waited patiently to be pulled up. When the time came for me to be "rescued", I was pulled up onto the boat by keith (one of the HK tourist inthe boat) and Lilian. However due to the "force of gravity" a.k.a. my weight, both of them are unable to pulled me up.

I began to panick (a bit) as we approached another fierce rapid. I heard the guide instructing Lilian and Keith to let me go. In my heart, I hoped that they won't leave me behind. Luckily, the guide, with his super human strength. managed to pull me up. I breath a sigh of relief.
After that tiring and exciting ride, we proceed for a BBQ lunch at the lodge. We laughed and recalled back the adventure in the river. Then it was time to head back to Kota Kinabalu City.

While waiting for the transport to take us back, I noticed that my "sole" was lost. We then proceed for a pot luck dinner at shane's place. There was a wide spread of food on the table, ranging from pasta, rice dumpling, curry chicken and many more. I really enjoyed the spread and teh company as well. I was also entertained by the RAC Likas Bay caroling group. We also had a gift exchange. We continued with our fellowship and when the guest left, Shane, Lilain and I started to clean the house and wash the dished. It was indeed difficult being a DRR.

Day 3: The day we had a whale of a time and a blackout!

The day was planned for us to visit the beautiful islands of Sapi and Manukan. Looking at the series of unfortunate events I had, I realised that the day was not that simple. We headed for breakfast and bought our tickets for the "island hopping". First stop was Manukan, we were surprised by the crystal clear water that welcome us at the jetty. Shane, Yvonne and Lilian enjoyed the beach while I opted for the more adventure choice of Para-sailing. It was indeed a thrilling ride. Fortunately the rope did not break. Ha ha haWe then headed for Sapi Island where we enjoyed snorkeling. We then proceed back to the main city but before that we make a detour to view a baby whale that is stuck in the shallow waters. It was a magnificent sight as it was the first time we saw a whale up front. Unfortunately, the whale was unable to be save and its story was published in the papers a few days after. We then proceed to the Philippines market in town to buy sourveniers and momentos from Sabah. We then proceed back to Shane-ringlla and got ready for our zonal meeting in Sabah.

Before the meeting, we had our dinner at the Sabah Golf and Country resort. The meeting went on smoothly until we experience a Blackout. It was a new experience for me having a meeting in darkness. It was an eventful meeting.We then headed for supper with members from RAC Likas Bay and RAC Luyang. At about 1 am, we headed back home and pack our things for our trip back.Day 3: Heading home...

We left for the airport early morning but before that we went to have breakfast at a famous restaurant ( sorry cannot remember the name). I tasted the best Tom Yam soup ever. We said our good-byes . Although the trip was short, I truly enjoyed myself and I promise to be back for more....

Till we meet again guys..

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Kuching Sarawak (10 - 13 Dec 2006)

ETA: 2100 hrs @ Kuching City.

The tour has begun. DRR Zakir and DHS Lilian started the District Tour with rain and storm at Senai airport. We were fortunate to have our good buddy, DCSC Keyuan, to send us all the way to Senai Airport.

Upon arrival at Kuching Airport, we were greeted by Rotaractors from RAC Swinburne and RAC Kuching. We then proceeded for dinner cum supper at a nearby coffee shop. It was a good session as I got to meet with old friends as well as make new ones.

We then proceeded to our "Bungalow." It is owned by Pres Michael Kwan's father from RAC Swinburne University, Sarawak. The place was cozy. ZR Andrea, Rtr Michael FV and Rtr Edison also bunked in the bungalow with us. After settling down, we decided to play Monopoly (board game). It has been a long time since I played the game and it was indeed refreshing. We slept around 2 am.

Day 2: We depart at around 8 am and headed for breakfast at KAYA AND TOAST. Upon finishing breakfast, we proceeded to Swinburne University to preare and print materials for the Zonal meeting. We (Lilian and myself) were then "kidnapped" by PDRR Samuel Phui to accompany him for tea break. We had Sarawak Laksa.

We then proceed for lunch at Tun Jugah Food Court, where we met with members from RAC Kuching, RAC Curtin University and RAC UCS. After finishing lunch, we proceeded for the Cultural village. It was a 45 minutes drive from the city. It was interesting for me to learn about the different culture of Sarawak. It also gave me some ideas on the upcoming Survivor Rotaract Conference. We also watched a 45 minutes performace and I was truly entertained.

We then had dinner with PP Abel from one of the Rotary clubs in Kuching. We were served Thai food. We then proceed for more fellowship with the other Rotaractors. We went Karaoke.



BTW did I tell you that the Swinburne University caught fire and was closed for 2 days?

Day 3: We headed for breakfast at FAT CAT and proceed to preparing for the Zonal meeting. The meeting was attended by both Rotarians and Rotaractors in Kuching. I was indeed very honoured. Once the meeting ended, we proceed back to our "Bungalow" and rested before going for dinner.

At the dinner, we had 30 ppl attending. It was very casual. We planned to proceed for bowling, however, there was a tournament and we did not manage to play. We then went for coffee and tea. The people present were entertained by the mind games that was shared by yours truly.

FYI: The ceiling of the room we had the meeting was leaking.

Day 4: We had an early morning and proceed to the Fairy Caves to view the wonders of nature there. It was a tiring hike up the stairs and up the caves but it was worth it. Though i had to walk on Bat's faeces, I really like the experience. Lunch was up next. We then proceed back to our accomodation and pack to go to Sabah. We said our good byes.

Lesson learnt: During my tour in Kuching, I had earned that they are a few things that are "legal and encouraged".

ETD: 1930 hrs.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

Rotary Distirct Conference (8 - 10 Dec 2006)

On 8 - 10 Dec, Myself, DRC John Ng, DRRE Dharma, IPDRR Audrey, IPP Mathhew and Rtr Amanda attended the District Rotary Conference at Johor Bahru. We had a great time at the conference and we took the opportunity to learn more about the Rotary Movement in our District. We had also set up a booth to inform the participants on the activities we had done in the district.
We also had a workshop session to inform the Rotarians of the challenges in the Rotaract Movement. We are honoured to have DG Dr Wu and PDG David Tong to be present during the session.We had also attended the Banquet Dinner and took the time to mingle with other Rotarians in our District. Overall the Conference was well organised and we enjoyed ourselves there. We indeed feel as though we are part of the family. WELL DONE to the organising committee. :)

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

Pack and ready to go...


Well people,

I have packed for my 9 days out of Singapore to attend the Rotary Conference in JB and also visit Rotaract Clubs in Sabah and Sarawak.

In total, I have 3 bags to carry.. and they are big. Following me is my dear District Secretary , Rtr Lilian. I hope our trip will be meaningful and able to spread the spririt of Rotaract. :)

Friday (8 Dec 2006)
Proceed to JB for Rotary District Conference
Welcome Dinner

Saturday (9 dec 2006)
Full day at the conference
Presentation in the afternoon

Sunday (10 Dec 2006)
Proceed to Senai Airport to travel to Kuching, Sarawak.
Arrive at Kuching Sarawak

Monday (11 Dec 2006)
Tour of Kuching

Tuesday (12 Dec 2006)
Zone 4 Meeting

Wednesday (13 Dec 2006)
Proceed to Kota Kinabalu
Reach Kota Kinabalu

Thursday (14 Dec 2006)
White water rafting

Friday (15 Dec 2006)
Zone 2 Meeting

Saturday (16 Dec 2006)
Proceed back to Senai and back to Singapore

Sunday (17 Dec 2006)
Sleep ..zzzzzz

Thursday, November 30, 2006

Those were the days!!


This is a photo of a group of Rotaractors when I was still a newby in Rotaract. At that time, I was 18 or 19. And this photo was taken during a Rotaract Orientation camp in SP... Can you spot me?

Monday, November 20, 2006

BBQ with Group Study Exchange Students from Holland



These are the photos that were taken when we hosted the Holland people at Amanda's place on 19 November 2006. We had a BBQ to welcome them to Singapore. The Group Study exchange students from Holland will be here in Singapore till 25 Nov 2006 and will be leaving our district back to Holland on the 16 December 2006.

Thursday, November 16, 2006

We got another club in Zone 1



On 11 November 2006, Rotaract Club of Segamat was chartered and a new club was born. The ceremony was witnessed by many Rotary clubs in the Johore. Not to be left out, rotaractors from Batu Pahat, Kota Melaka, Northwest, Marina City and Singapore West also graced the event. Of course the district team members lead by DRC John Ng also attended the ceremony.

I would like to congratulate the Charter President of RAC Segamat , CP Steven Teh, all the best and welcome to our big family.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

The Thamasat Rotaractors



Hosting of Thamasat Rotaractor


7 Rotaractors from Rotaract Club of Thamasat , Thailand touched down in Singapore on Sunday 29 October 2006. The group is made up of 6 ladies and a gentleman. They were a very entertaining group and they love taking candid shots. They will be staying in our district for a week and they are hosted by RAC Singapore West.



I hoped they enjoyed themselves during their stay in our Lion City (Singapore) in our district 3310. :)

Back to Batu Pahat for more DiScO DaNcInG !!!


On 23 September 2006, I was back again to Batu Pahat for more dancing and fun. It was time to attend RAC Aman College Installation. The theme was dancing...It was fun and entertaining. The new board of directors lead by President Ong Chee Wei was installed on that day. I wish all the best to the Rotaract Club of Kolej Aman Batu Pahat.

Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Kuala Lumpur ... what a trip.


Taking a midnight bus to KL is no joke man... I can't have a good night sleep as the ride was bumpy. However the company was good. 10 Rotaractors and guest went on a journey to visit district 3300 (Malaysia) and attend RAC Ampang installation. The list of Rotaractors are as follows:


DRR Zakir, Pres Yiling, IPP Junjie, PP Simon, Rtr. Keyuan, Rtr Dawn, Rtr Eileen, Guest Sewling (from RAC Singapore West), Rtr Paul and Rtr Celine (from RAC Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts)

We left Tuas scond link exactly at 0000hrs on 15 Septmber 2006. The six-hour journey was quite smooth. We arrived in KL at approximately 0600hrs and was greeted by members of RAC Ampang (IPP Mun Wai, Rtr Joanne, Rtr Carine). We proceed for breakfast and went to visit the Petronas Twin Tower. It was indeed a breath-taking sight as it was my first time up there.

We later split into two groups, the shopping group and the grooming group. I opted for the grooming group where we went to have our hair cut. In the evening, we attended RAC Ampang installation and met up with DRR Chandra (D3300) and DRR Ruby (D3460-Taiwan Northwest District). I also had the opprtunity to also meet other Rotaractors from D3300.



After the installation, we went back to our apartment for a short fellowship and all of us went to bed as we were too tired.

Next day, we had to say our good byes to everyone.... Thank you everyone for the great time.

Sunday, October 08, 2006

Meeting old friends in Melaka and making new friends in Batu Pahat

Melaka is considered a historical state for many Malaysians. For me it is the state where many of my closest Rotaract friends live. On 8 August 2006, after our work, 6 district members (DRR Zakir, IPDRR Audrey, DHS Lilian, DHT Winnie, DComSDC Amanda and DCSDC Kumar) squeezed into DRC John's car and headed towards Melaka.

It was an exciting three-hour journey where we (mainly me) shared our childhood memories and we laughed all the way to Melaka. We reached our destination at approximately 2000hrs, where we met up with out hosts. President Greg and IPP Wee of RAC Kota Melaka (KM) greeted us and we resume to have our deserve SUPPER! It was indeed a good meal as we were deprived of our dinner.

Upon finishing the dinner we went to back to our apartment to settle down and wash up. We then proceed to a cafe called a friends cafe to catch up with one another. We shared stories from the recent APRRC and looked at the photos and videos of the event.

The next day, we went to have the famous hard boiled egg and kaya toast. It was worth the trip. Members of RAC KM, Eugene, Kelvin and myself went to KFC.. Yes KFC to buy a total of 40 piece chicken. Don't worry it is not for me to eat! Do you think I am that greedy?

The chicken purchase was meant for the special kids from the "Happiness centre". This center is dedicated in helping the mentally disabled children in providing them the care and medical aids. It is sad for me to find out that some of teh children in there are abandoned by their parents. It does makes me appriciate life more.

We spend a couple of hours there and interact with the children and the staff there. We then proceeded for lunch and President Greg presented his yr plan and goals for the club.

At about 5 pm, we left for Batu Pahat to attend RAC Batu Pahat Installation. As it was our first time visitng them, we got a bit lost and arrived at the installation late. It was indeed a refreshing feeling as it is the first time I attended an installation that was conducted in Chienese/Mandarin. The installation was entertaining and the Board of directors put up a small dance item for the guest.

It was nearing 11 pm and the installation ended. The seven tired people drove back to Singapore. It was a tiring but fruitful trip.

Friday, October 06, 2006

First stop.. Rotaract Club of Johor Bahru


26 September 2006
Location: Johore Bahru, Malaysia

District Secretary Lilian, District PD Chairman IPP Ang Kah Hian, District MARCOM Director PP Matthew Phua and I (DRR Zakir), went across the causeway to visit our neighbours RAC Johor Bahru. The visit started out in a hospital. No one was sick, it was that the members are having a community service project there.



We arrived at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital and proceeded to the children ward. There we were greeted by President Elango of Rotaract Club of Johor Bahru. After a short introduction of everyone, we proceeded up to the children ward. The members of the Rotaract Club were orgainsing a colouring competition in conjuction with their "Hari Kebangsaan" (National Day) which is on the 31st August 2006.

I manage to interact with the kids and have the priviledge of giving out the goodie bags and prizes to the kids. We manage to also view the beautiful cartoon characters that were done by the Rotaract members a few years back. It was professionally done.


We then proceeded to the "Taat House" where we had our dinner. We had a lot of fun and laughter. It was nice to catching up and sharing ideas with them.

Thank you RAC JB for hosting us.. we indeed enjoy ourselves. Till we meet again.