I've been ill, in bed and clocking up disgusting amount of sleep ever since A Very Special Walk 2005 ended yesterday. Even now, my throat has this horrible taste to it and my neck is aching, dying to rest that heavy head its carrying on the ever-so-inviting fluffy pillow. Occasional coughs interrupt my typing, and deep breaths taken to control my wheezing.

And when this happens, details somehow got really mixed up in your head. A little here and some there. But in all that randomness, I would try to convey some straighten thoughts here.

First of all, I'm so glad that the Walk was finished ever so smoothly, a great thanks to everyone who has really committed their time and energy to this charity event.. Rainbow Centre, Autism Resource Centre (Pathlight School), and of course not forgetting the old boys and current scouts of Raffles 01 Scout Group! (That sounds really political huh?) But really, the key personnel has worked so hard for this event, that it almost made me feel guilty about the small part I play in the last goodness know how many months.



Well, it's no big secret that I'm never a big fan of big-scale charity events that worked on calling in basis, but I gues I'm just too big a skeptic. Like, if you can offer $250,000 for a prize, surely that can simply go into charity? Using money to attract more money seems highly business-like. But the important thing is always to look at the root of the situation, and to have the heart for the purpose. And one MUST really get down and be with the affected, be it patients or kids with autism... and you can really feel the joy when they start dancing or learning something. A parent cried when she saw her boy dancing correctly to the beats of the music during one of the performance. The teachers cheered and their faces were rewards in themselves. One father cheered her daughter as she managed to tie her shoelaces during the process of the walk. Many of the staff of these schools turned out to be parents of kids with similar problems, and this is what touched me the most.

So all the planning accumulated in one single Walk. And A Very Special Walk 2005 it was called. Money raised will be used to support projects to integrate students with autism into mainstream society. Pictures of the event can be found in my photo album here.

ok, enough with boring stuff. haha. the interesting bits coming!

1) hmm, first of all, I was the driver of a cool mini-bus (top left hand corner of pic above) for the 2 days of the event! definitely proved that I deserved my driving license when i managed to parallel parked it in two attempts! Besides all the few embarrassing moments when the engine stalled, I must say it was a fun drive!

2) And I've also told myself to stay away from goody bags for a long time to come. 1000 goody bags!!!! Not a joke to transport I tell you, or to even store; we basically took up the entire hall stage in the school to put all the goody bags before transporting them to Marina City Park.

3) I've fallen in love with taking pictures of kids. Kids tying their laces. Kids glancing out of their tiny buggies. Kids staring at you when you're taking photos of them. Kids waving. Innocence makes the perfect photo moment.


And so everything went on smoothly. Walkers coming in. People smiling and laughing. Weather perfect; the sun was beautiful the way it light up everything. Scouts in scout uniforms. Group Flag standing tall. Old boys talking about the good old days in 70s RI (yeah, that old). Chee Hau and Mark came to visit and we had batch lunch together. Stores returning was tiring.

It was a good way to start a Saturday.

If only I hadn't fall sick after that. sigh.

~~~~~

And Friday was Chelsea's Commencement! Graduation! and away from school!

As the many many new graduands stepped forward to receive their empty scrolls, I start to wonder how the Pro-Chancellor managed to sit through all these, for a week or so, 3 times a day, a factory production of NUS Graduates.

The ushers getting more efficient with their roles, even the balloons that float down at the end of the ceremony was planned to the second. And I was the most disappointed to note that there wasn't any cap throwing =( whatever happened to good old traditional cap throwing? Many photos were taken, but no tears were shed, hugs were missing.

But I'm comforted at the thought that it wasn't any better in the US. Lixian told me that in some universities, the Dean just called the Faculty and everyone stood up and be acknowledged that they have graduated. Like woah. Many people skipped it (I couldn't believe Lixian was in Japan at that time of her graduation ceremony!)

And I was in shirt and tie. Amazingly. I should have known that not all Singaporean guys will come in shirt and tie, even if the invitation card says so.