Melrosetqh

i haz ze world's worst eyebags

2012-02-29T14:20:00.001-08:00

I kid. I know people do have worse state of eyebags than me but really, my eyebags are like drooping at it's best. It's really kinda freaking me out. Saggy eyebags. Oh great.

Anyway, while composing this post, i'm well on my way to school and prepared for yet another mundane day in school spiced up with jokes/chat/sights of my friends. Can school just be there for socialising? Pretty please.

These few days have been pretty busy for me. Those times when i'm not busy, i'm busy finding "self-time" and trying to allocate time for my family as well as my friends. Hm, that really test my balancing skills.

But i do like the accompaniment of my family and friends and i do try to accompany them. So i will keep trying :)

Ending with a reference to a post i saw on facebook. It goes along the lineof what people regret most when they're about to die. Not being happy is one, not telling people how they feel is another and working too hard to mot enjoy life, et cetera.

I guess life is really about being happy and if you're happy, you will believe that your life is worth living and there will be no regrets, no?

Make this last for life please

2012-02-28T05:34:00.004-08:00

Og15 (Ripped off from kev's twitter hehehe)

OG15 brings me joy, laughter and love;

I'm really happy when i'm with my og. Had a great deal of fun whenever i'm with them! Haha especially last Sunday which is mere two days ago. Though, simple but well, the company is always the ones that matter anyway. Really :)

Guess where we were for lunch? Haha, we were creating havoc there i swear they would have kicked us out if we weren't a massive crowd ;)

After lunch was movie time. AND HOMG THIS MEANS WAR WAS SO FRIGGING GOOD.

Like one of the better movies i watched in sucha long time. ( Actually i haven't caught a movie since gazillion years ago but whatever)

I was lmfao-ing throughout the entire movie. It was really darn funny though the plot was kinda cliche but still. And the actors and actress was hot. So i was like double (Y)

Had cold stone too. Geez it was sooooooo guilty but boy was the ice-cream good. The one i got (Oreo x10000) was supreme. Really. I loved the ice-cream a lot. But yeah, the post-guilt was just weighing on me. Literally.

I really hope this continues cause i've seen so many ogs just go down and i really not wanna see og15 separating ever. Let's continue this shall we? I really hope we do!

And some glimpse into what i'm expecting in the future:

ROCKAFELLA.

I CAN'T WAIT

ME TURNING INTO:

(at the rate i continue eating at)

GETTING MORE OF THIS FROM YX:

(if i don't stop)

And thanks to the surge of my old photos popping out on practically everyone's newsfeed, i felt obliged to at least put a glam photo here.

Ciao

2012-02-25T00:04:00.002-08:00

Song playing now: Love Song

CLEARED MY OVERDUED X100 MATHS HMK

FYEAH

These few days has been a great whirlwind. Juggling between everything. I know everyone is also struggling to keep a balance these days so yupp, to make myself feel better, i'm like turning to music. I'm sorta liking the music i'm listening to naoz (Love Song) cause it sorta has a skippy beat/tune to it which makes me feel happier. Haha the impact of music on the human soul.

ANYWAY

#KTSP <3

Ogl lunch ytd was pretty fine. Wasn't reaaallly looking forward to it as in i'm like "ok-happy-not-really-excited" mode whilst some OGLs are like FYEAH mode. Itz ok, maybe it's just because i still see the rest of the OGLs around in school so the high level isn't exactly high.

Haha, but it was alright :) I only loved the cookies cause..... the lunch was nasi lemak. The food i am starting to hate: Nasi Lemak and Chicken Rice. Le sigh.

And yeap. I do look forward to see my kids tml though :) Hope most of them turn up! I'm like asddaadasdiahdasdasf in my school work and depression keeps kicking in while i'm trying to be like build this indestructible wall between mr depression/ sad mood and i.

AND YES, IVAN TAUGHT ME HOW TO CREATE LIKE INPUT WORDS FOR THE MEMES. Hehehehe. That was the only thing he did that was good!

So thanks Ivan for once! Or twice. Hahahahaha

Done by yours truly:

By Ivan:

Exactly, why no i study.

He spells my name wrongly. Le sigh. MALROSE. wtf.

Ciao

Sorry

2012-02-24T21:31:00.001-08:00

Feeling really horrible and bad that i wasn't able to fully integrate my kids into cjc. I mean... if a ogl isn't able to make their kids like cjc, is it considered that that ogl failed?

Maybe if i wasn't their ogl and someone took my place, they will feel more welcomed into cjc? And they might love cjc more and feel happier?

I really do feel that tingle of sadness when i see them saying they miss their sec sch, which i know is the truth and i accept, but somehow i feel like i have failed.

I do try my best to make them feel cjc is their home but maybe they're just not used to it? Maybe i just have to give them a little more time? I really have no idea what else i can do to make them feel more at home. I don't want them to feel as lost as i did when i was a J1.

Hope they will, ultimately like me, start loving cjc.

Ciao.
M.

Work, work and more work.

2012-02-21T08:36:00.001-08:00

Oh how i hate you procrastination. And erm, technology. The love-hate relationship i have with my phone appears most during times when i need to sit down and actually do some work.

It's 12+am again. I dk how i can do this to my body while typing with a relax mind here when i have econs CA tml morning and i haven't got half the things i suppose to get in my head.

Methods, yeah, i want to try them. Time, yeah, i have enough time. Determination? Wtf no. I'm really hating myself for doing such things to my body by not giving it the rest it deserve :(

And tml with morning CA plus 12 rounds around the track during pe, my body can't take this for long. But inma persisting. I've to make it work. MELROSE PLEASE DO SOMETHING NOW. NOW NOW NOW NOW.

Anyway, i think ms chia is like superbly nice. We managed to have a little chat with her after SD, like inundating all our problems to her and it felt so good to have someone with experience to give you advices. No wonder Mr Lim always say ASK- ask someone who knows.

It really does make sense. So in order not to disappoint anyone anymore. From today onwards, i'm really gonna try to change. And i will make sure my actions actually does match my words. No more "TRYS" but i must start with "WILLS".

"Determination"- to change for the better.

Ought to be sleeping now

2012-02-19T08:27:00.001-08:00

hahaha, it's already 12am and i'm still not asleep. I guess my body clock is tuning well to this sorta sleeping timing.

well, i will just sleep more during the weekend! (I guess end up i will still sleep enough huh :) ) This week has been treating me rather well, and i'm really hoping next week too. *Crosses fingers*

The insanity due to the boredom Of completing overdued homework coupled with the paucity of sleep ( though i slept for AT LEAST 18 hours this weekend ) ouch. How much things i could do with 18 hours. Sigh. The time we human spend on sleeping.

No longer my lalaland

2012-02-18T10:16:00.000-08:00

Twitter is no longer private to me.
It's like i lost that one place i could conveniently throw all my thoughts in without being afraid that people who see it might judge me and because it's just so unknown.

It's ok, i'm sure there are more avenues for me and in any case, i don't use twitter as often as i used to.

Happy Valentine's Day!

2012-02-14T07:10:00.001-08:00

Surprisingly, i had a rather splendid VD despite being #foreveralone but yupp, all the loveeee my friends showered me with was such a mood up-lifter! :)

Thanks darlings for making today sucha splendid one for me! All the things i was given was filled with love, thought and care though there are some that really stood out! Hehe shall let the pics do the talking.

VD is definitely well-celebrated for in CJ. Gotta love CJC FAMILY! :)

Not yet back on track

2012-02-13T07:01:00.000-08:00

I am still struggling with my work, all thanks to my procrastination. It's really taking a toll on me and i ought to stop and start mugging hard. I really wanna keep a balance between my social life as well as my work but.... it's really hard. I'm really hoping i will be able to adjust fast. Not gonna sacrifice my A's for this.

Ciao
M

ORIENTATION INIZIO 2012

2012-02-13T06:59:00.000-08:00

May i just say....

BEST ORIENTATION EVER

I can tell you, CJC's orientation is the best orientation you can get amongst the JCs. :) Our mass dance is a bomb, our core is a bomb, OGLs are a bomb and lastly, our J1s are da bombs!

And well, i have got prolly the BEST group ever?

Hehehe. My dearest OG15.

4 days with them and i really felt like their mother. I needed to bond and protect them. I know it sounds damn cliche but i've really learnt how to let others depend on me, so ahem, i can tell myself ACHIEVEMENT TO MATURE, UNLOCKED :D

Thanks OG 15, what yall brought to was more than what words can ever describe. :) The facebook message prolly was just that thin ice formed above the iceberg of feelings i had :)

And to my dear partner who prolly won't read this,

Thanks for tolerating my pms-ing moments and really helped me during the 2nd-4th day! I won't say you were the best partner but i can tell you tried so that's really good enough for me :)

INIZIO ROCKED

Orientation's tml!

2012-01-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

ORIENTATION IS TML OMG OMG OMG

Yes, orientation is happening tml!!!!! Omg, 2 whole months of preparation boils down to THIS week. Tbh, i wasn't really involved in my legion (yes, from house we changed to legion harharhar) but really, those Saturdays spent with them and all the time we had together, i've really bonded with them to the extent that i would reaaaaaaalllllllllllly miss them even after orientation 2012 ends. Hestia, let's do it well alrights!!!!!!!

I guess it's rather beneficial that we OGLs got to play a part in the entire preparation of orientation because through this i really understood and it allowed me to once again experience the warmth CJC family ignites.

I really hope my dear partner and i have a lot of fun with our OG. Though i think i'm still really annoying and he might have preferred another partner ( ouch) but nevertheless, i do hope we create a memorable time for our OG and ourselves as well since we might not stay in contact after orientation. :)

Tml is the dayyyyyyyyyyy. PLEASE LET IT BE WONDERFUL!!!!!!

Ciao!

MY CNY

2012-01-28T07:38:00.000-08:00

Well well, CNY is already over ( The de facto Singapore holiday for CNY i mean).

ORIENTATION NEXT WEEK FYEAH

So yeap. The above sentence actually does conclude what i'm looking forward to next week. Really hope my dear partner and i become more useful (Yes we aim to be less useless than what we have presented ourselves to be during pre-orientation period.) Haha, i think he finds me rather annoying but still.

But i'm not so jolly about missing lessons.

That really sucks.

IF i was still in secondary school. Having valid reasons to be officially excused for lessons for a week might seem to be the next best thing to having MC and staying at home sleeping my "sickness" away. But nope. I'm in jc, where even if i have like high fever, coughing my lungs out, I WILL CRAWL TO SCHOOL FOR LESSONS. Missing one day = gg-fied, now let me try a week. Omfg.

Ok, i'm sorry to bore you with my rant but hey this is MY blog so i'm entitled to pretty much write about anything. In your faceeee people who detest reading long paragraphs and hate what i write but still visit my humble blog.

ANYWAY

Back to what i was trying to tell y'all about in my title: MY CNY.

As you know, i was REALLY looking forward to CNY. And yes, i managed to survive with the entire homework pile suffocating me. And tbh, i didn't really had anything in mind to wear during CNY. And like i told my dad, "CNY is like one of the rare occasion where i can like dress-up so please don't deprive me of that small small terribly small pleasure that i have in my lifeless J2 life" ( i said that when i was trying to get money from him to buy clothes lololol) And my dad gave it to me. Thanks dad i lurblurb you a lot <3 <3 <3

So.... it turned out pretty much a surprise when like quite a few people told me they liked/praised/loved what i wore.

don't mind my face. it looked so dull please thanks to all those school work.

I bought the dress really long time ago but didn't know when to wear it. I bought the envelope clutch but didn't know when to use it. Lol. So i use them now. Haha, it actually feels good to get praised for something i didn't think was impressive/nice/wonderful.

And do check out my eyes. I took frigging 20 minutes to draw my eyeliner.

*Bimbo-tically proud of myself -slaps self-*

So yeap, these are the few pictures from my CNY. It was rather mundane though, since i only visited a few relatives (by a few, i mean like........ less than 5). And it's rather awkward to be suddenly talking to your cousins after an entire year of zero contact, zero social interactions. Yeah, i know they say blood is thicker than water. But it's not like people with the same blood have telepathy right? But i really tried to be more closer and friendly within that short 1 hour span. Yes, since i like one of the eldest. Teehee.

And yes, i STUFFED myself with all the CNY goodies!! I FRIGGING LOVE CNY 1) RED PACKETS 2) FOOD 3)FAMILY+RELATIVES+FRIENDS TIME (In no particular order)

So yeap, and my family makes our own pineapple tarts (which i brought to school for friends to test. Hehe), love letters (I........sort of ate all, so, yeap, didn't have it to bring to school for them to try) and some peanut puff thingy! Hohoho. Talented right???? Thought it's done by my mum and maid, still. *Pushes face in to grab some compliments*

Yeah, so you can really tell how much i ate.

Geez. All the calories.

All.

The.

Frigging.

Calories.

Fats.

OMFFFFFFG.

Yes, i regretted straight right after CNY anyway.

Lolololol.

Ok, i shall end my post here cause my eyelids are already half-way shut due to the realllllly long and hectic day today. Le sigh. May next week be successfully fun!!

Ciao,

Adios week 2!

2012-01-21T08:56:00.000-08:00

Yes!! Week 2 finally passed. This week felt like it was crawling really slowly by.

FYEAH CHINESE NEW YEAR IS HERE

I have been looking forward to CNY since, well, school started. Lol. The very next holiday. Hehehe. Though i'm laden with all the homework my teachers has kindly tossed us with to do with the very few pockets of time we have in between of eating love letter, pineapple tarts, pork, collecting our lovely hongbaos and relaxing. Yes, how very kind of them to keep us occupied even during the minute spare time we have.

Anyway, i went out with Han Han the other day.

AND SHE LOOKED SO CUTE WITH HER NEW HAIRSTYLE AND SPECS.

Never dared to attempt such hairstyles but she really pulled it off well ;) Shall not praise her too much lest she gets really proud of herself again. Hahaha.

Love her like crazy!

Ciao!

The level of stress

2012-01-17T00:46:00.001-08:00

It really goes way beyond my threshold and i'm totally immersed in it. Constant paucity of sleep from the previous 7-8 hours sleep per day is really affecting me emotion-wise.

Piling on the burden is the inability of myself to really focus and finish all my work. Always in a state of a daze and knowing i'm in it and realising that it's wrong yet unable to do shit about it makes me feel totally guilty and mad depress. Adding on to it, i've got to worry about other commitments other than acadamic-wise.

Stress level is darn high and i'm always in a constant need to find friends whom i can inundate all my worries and problems to and is able to take it and give me critical advices. Sigh. Gone are those good old days where i can tell practically anything to friends. Now, each word i speak have to be laced with caution and fear of being possibly negatively judged and disturbing the person who i presume is busy. Well, life gets more complicated with each passing year.

Really, please. Let me get through this with a determined and strong mind.

OFFICALLY SICK

2012-01-14T08:07:00.000-08:00

This is how stressful week one was.

I keed. I got sick from testing too many love letters. ( I would really love to associate this to some conspiracy of my maid for trying to get me sick but it was my own fault- Can't stop myself from falling into the pit hole of temptations)

Spent most of today in school. Yes, school, somehow i feel that school becomes people's second home not because of that endearing feeling home gives to one but because........ we spend most of our time there ( other than our actual home)

Anw, i think too much. Too often, too much. WHY WHY CAN'T I THINK SIMPLE.

Ok, shall process my thoughts via simplicity route.

Ciao
Mel

Cause i can't just give up

2012-01-13T06:41:00.000-08:00

Not now, not tomorrow, not forever.

This whole week has been really hectic. Though i believe i have not culminate to the I-am-ready-for-J2 stage but this week has been surprisingly effective in getting back to the study mood ( Though i'm not 100% in yet).

Anyway, i always had envisage J2 life to be rather lifeless. Paradoxically, it has been rather too full of life for me this week. With Open house and OGL meetings, et cetera there really is not much time for me to study + rest. Much less to say- To tend to my bakery story.

P/S: I think CJC is ranking very high in the JC's open house stratosphere :)

"God won't give you anything more than you can handle."- Today's reflection. And yes, it sort of made me relieve and become mentally stronger, in the sense that- I'M NOT GOING TO DROWN IN THIS INUNDATION OF STRESS. YES I'M NOT.

I reaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaally need a lot of help in time management as well as self-esteem/confidence issue. Cause i don't trust myself enough. Really.

Really hope i can cope well with all of this.

I really am sick of being average. Or bad. Cause it's just too normal. I need a change.

Ciao

Hectic schedule leaves less time for unnecessary thoughts

2012-01-09T08:27:00.000-08:00

It's true you know. The more busy you are, the less likely you're to entertain unneccessary and nonsensical thoughts. And i think i had my dose of it today. First day of school and i'm piled up with things to be done. ( Well truth is, i haven't actually touch them during the holidays- Thus the piling up) Other than the ostensibly busy schedule/timetable, i have been like getting serious hunger pangs lately. Like now. In such a weird hour.

Paucity of stupid thoughts today relieves me. Really, i like being busy in a way that like, busy with doing things you truly enjoy. Not prepared to delve in that huge pool of work yet but A's are like near. IT'S LESS THAN A YEAR.

I don't wanna be emancipated from my hectic schedule. Well, not just yet.

In the mean time, i will just struggle with the occasional regrets of being glad for having an hectic schedule and enjoying it.

ANYWAYS, i'm glad that most of my juniors have done well for O's! Well, O's is not the end of the path, you still have a long way to go, trust me. But for now, do pick your choices well. And i do hope CJC is in one of your choices :D

To those curious about our CJ's open house, well i hope you are....

http://www.facebook.com/events/162831887157135/

Join us during open house on Wednesday! Well, if you know me ( somehow someway somewhere) do drop me an sms/fb msg/ tweet/comment/what thing you can use to communicate with me to let me know if you're dropping by so i can like give you a tour around the school since i'm involved in orientation :)

Overdue post: 2 in 1!

2012-01-01T23:40:00.000-08:00

On the 2nd day of this brand new year- 2012, i have decided to finally post up the "2-in-1" event with my clique. Honoured eh. Was thinking of posting my whole short-but-nevertheless-ultra-fun break to Malaysia but i decided it was more meaningful (deletes and inserts more appropriate word here. It's 3pm in the afternoon and the heat is burning my brain, I CAN NO FIND SUITABLE WORD SO DON'T BLAME ME) to post this instead!

Anyway.......... If you gaises saw like my facebook album "2 in 1!" It's just really a short write up on how we celebrated sy and ys birthdayyyyy ( For SY was darn overdue sorrrryyyyyyyyyyy but i guess there's the surprise eh)

Back to the topic. For our clique, we really try to surprise everyone on their birthday.

And the difficulty level of putting surprise elements into celebrating their birthday increases exponentially.

I swear i was like freaking out on what to do for both their birthdays cause we have used practically all sorts of surprises on the previous birthdays- Acting, white lies, et cetera.

But i guess with the 5 brains put together we did it once again. Hahaha.

I really do hope they were surprised even though they like sort of expose the secret like a few minutes before the actual surprising took place.

So the actual plan was actually to go to Sentosa to celebrate their birthdays. However, the weather disapproves and we ended up in a mess on whatsapp trying to come up with our impromptu plan B. Haha, we ended up going for lunch and catching MI4. ( Imo, the movie was not bad except Tom Cruise was slightly a little too short but sigh, as quoted by my uncle "Life is fair- If life bestows upon you good looks, then u can't really complain much if it takes away some cm from you" True much)

We took a few neoprints with me ended up looking like a monster with all their edits and an unfortunate mistake of my own between lunch and movie.

Then we headed to City Hall, walked to esplanade and chanced upon this! The floating balls of Marina Bay. Lololol. IT'S FREE SO OBVIOUSLY WRITE MORE RIGHT. ( Spirit of a kiasu Singaporean)

I think i wrote the most, considering how much space i took up on the ball, all my wishes for 2012. I really am wishing it will all come true *cross fingers*

I shared one ball with xk. But yeah u can see from the picture how much we wrote. But hers was like filled with so much spaces here and there and mine was like compact.

All of them were like, "WHY U WRITE SO MUCH" But yeah, free one might as well write more!!

Hahaha, after seriously writing all our wishes for about half an hour, we were like goofing around while enjoying the night scenery from the side of the esplanade. Winnie and i were busy taking instagram-worthy photos. It's all really pretty!!

Had dinner then walked the helix bridge while playing some games. And headed home after walking into marina bay sands.

As i grow older, i swear i cherish my childhood friends more and more cause no matter how much the people around change, they will stay the closest towards me since we have all opened our hearts to one and another. It's like we have already bared ourselves to them, knowing that they won't judged as if they did, they would not have stayed your close friends for so long.

I guess for 2012, the ultimate resolution is do well for A's; safety and happiness of my family and close friends; to find more true friends and definitely be less socially awkward.

Ciao,

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T06:54:00.001-08:00

It's already 2012 but i'm still having the old sickness of procrastination and this is really horrible.

Sidenote: Just got back from my short break to malaysia. The resort i was staying in was awesome and amazing, the entire trip has been nothing short of great :)

Nevertheless, i hope to really look back into 2011 and you know, reflect.

In retrospect, i have actually had many virgin experiences in 2011. Not all of them wonderful and exciting but all made an impact in me.

From getting back my O's results to going back for speech day, from entering cjc to taking promos, etc. I have made a couple of good friends and lost a few. But well, 2011 wasn't a really great year for me, it was pretty much a challenge since people around me changed rather drastically ( can't really say for the better or for the worst) but i guess life has taught them a couple of lessons that spark of the change in them.

I think i have changed as well. Well, i became more socially-awkward and less happy but still really grateful for my healthy and happy family and the well-being and strong ties of my friends. And if i have offended any of you unintentionally please do not feel offended alright? :)

2012 will be a better year and i must make full use of it. :)

Ciao!

Simple pleasures in life

2011-12-27T05:33:00.001-08:00

The simple pleasure in life is just being happy, isn't it?

I seem to always forget this point. Struggling so hard and effortlessly to gain superficial matters- It makes me unhappy.

Maybe that's why simplicity often brings us to the answer. I JUST WANNA BE HAPPY. The rest? Let it be.

At the end of the day, the happiest person often leads the best days.

I just.... wanna regain my simple self with that touch of happiness :)

I really don't wanna envy others. Why envy them when i definitely can live better? :)

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T01:07:00.000-08:00

It's finally Christmas! To think i thought this day was darn far away and if i was even able to survive in CJC, through my JC1 life. Well i did!

People whom i really do not wish to lose at all. Love you girls like crazy.

Well, I realise i lose friends easily. I mean ones that i really cherish but they will sort of just slip out of my hands. Well, i just don't wannt lose any.

Anyways, Merry Christmas.

Mindless thoughts: 3

2011-12-23T08:34:00.000-08:00

Inundating my web browser with all sorts of videos- From all my graduation videos to the sweet victory of Melanie in xfactor USA ( which also means the end of Chris's xfactor journey without the 5 million dollars. aww still feeling a little sore over it though but nevertheless, Melanie deserves it).

Smorgasbord of feelings flooding inside me now. Especially that nostalgia fellow with all those graduation videos. Well, all i can say is, videos have a whole different effect compared to still photos. It really shows your expressions and feelings at that moment and the en masse interactions occurring simultaneously at that one moment. A picture speaks a thousand words? Well , then i say a video goes more than that.

Was thinking of creating a video for IT26 since we have no J1 graduation video and all. But once i think of the amount of time i have left. That.... sucks. Totally exacerbating the down feeling in me. Ok.

And also, i'm stuck at AJC's chemistry question. Sometimes i really wonder if i can handle the A's. It's really tough from the minute amount of questions i have accomplished.

Ok shall be logging off now.

And i do wanna blog about the memorable occasions that i had these couple of days but i just can't find that right feel to blog about it all. I will SOON blog about them anyway.

Till then, goodbye :)

If you really do read this post and even read till this sentence and survive, thanks. Pardon my lack of liveliness in my recent posts!

Mindless thoughts: 2

2011-12-20T07:11:00.001-08:00

Have yet to come up with a proper blog post since eons ago due to.... laziness.

Just when i have the mood to, you know, blog a proper post (By proper i mean long but like entertaining) I even like post pictures and stuff. Then i get really lazy and wantonly post the post.

I'm gonna credit this partially to my memory span, which is of a goldfish. Really. I'm terrible at remembering things. NOT because they're of little significance but because i just have bad memory ok.

Yupp, randomly blasting something here.

M

It's already the 19th!

2011-12-19T00:42:00.000-08:00

HOLIDAYS IS ALMOST OVER

Omgggg. Freaking out now cause i have yet to complete a single holiday homework. And if that isn't bad enough....... I DON'T HAVE THE MOOD. wtf. ok gonna freak myself out more now so i can have the motivation.

(in the midst of churning out this post, i killed a mosquito. yay me)

Smrt

2011-12-17T21:36:00.000-08:00

Lately, SMRT has been the talk of many media as well as the hot topic among Singaporeans, causing quite a bit of furore over its recent incidents.

Firsly, i would like to applaude SMRT for it's many years of smooth (well, most of the time in the past) journey. However, with an burgeoning population and the increasingly-expensive private transport as well as taxi fares, more Singaporeans are turning to public transport. Which is what the government has been encouraging for many years. "More private transport leads to less pollution, less congestion..."

However, is the public transport able to take on the weight, literally, of our 4-6 million population? And with the price of fare we pay for our public transport, people EXPECT better services and more efficient transport routes. I mean, if the increase in fare is not channelled to better being able to meet the needs of its commuters as well as improving its quality and service then where is it channelled to? Hopefully not to an individual's pocket.

In any case, with/without a price hike, SMRT should have been readily-prepared for such incidents. Is it not in one of their emergency cases? Or is preventing terrorists' attack the only emergency plan that they have prepared? Such cases are TO BE EXPECTED and i believe any average man on the street knows that for transport-wise, it is expected that there will be hiccups like power failure etc. However, from the chaos and commotion caused during the recent incidents, it shows that SMRT wasn't fully-prepared to tackle and resolve such scenarios. Also, if such incidents caused by a power failure led to such a big commotion, how are we assured that during major events like terrorists' attack, SMRT IS even prepared? Or if the preparation is even enough?

Lack of organisation and response were the few major loopholes seen in the recent incident. Officers dispatched to handle the crowd were ,ironically, besieged by them instead. Commuters did not have the latest update or even a clue on where to head after the trains broke down. Should they continue waiting for the train service to resume or board a bus instead? If they should board a bus, which bus should they board to arrive at their location? Were shuttle bus already dispatched? How do they claim their train fare? For commuters stuck within the train, they had no knowledge of what happened when their train stopped or even when will the service resume.

With questions like these ,unanswered, fear and uncertainity will definitely arise among the commuters. If more prompt response were given at a faster speed to commuters, perhaps, things could have been better handled.

With the increasing reliance on public transport, all commuters will definitely hope to see a major improvement in the service of SMRT and how they handle such cases.