I had my last paper today. i didn't study for it at all. and i'm gonna say this even though i don't like to say it, i hope i will PASS. I will really be contented with a PASS.

End of Regatta 2005. End of Semester 1.

Regatta 2005 - my most memorable race.

I'm really overwhelmed by my superbly mixed emotions.

Firstly, i want to thank my darlings, eunice and yuerui for coming down to support me. it really made me feel so loved when i hear the oh-so-familiar "meh!" and "siao!". *big hugs* and i was really so touched to hear that you girls were very proud of me.

It just pains me so much to think about the IVP race. like *ouch* it really hurts. we had a great start, great maintenance, good long hard strokes, a perfect coxwain, steady pacers, awesome rowers. it was really an honour for me to be part of the boat. nothing more that i could ask for.

Cindy, Yirang, Boon Chin, Geoks, Wenya, Grace, Angeline, Weiling, Raine, Zhen Yi, Lijun, Amanda(my fellow partner). Thank you for believing in me, for trusting in me and for giving me the confidence that i never had in myself.

For those on shore, thank you for all the jiayou, hugs, and all the pat on the back. And my TBC, thank you for the encouragements and making me have faith in myself. I really hope i didn't let anyone of you down.

The IVP race, was our last race set for Regatta 2005. We all wanted it badly. Really badly. We wanted so much to make everything worthwhile. All the trainings we had, food ban, the weekends that we burnt, the sacrifices we made, all just for this race. I swear the whole boat rowed our hearts out, for the whole team, NUS dragonboat team.

Team Nus, Lane 5.
"KE BARISAN".
Yirang and i gave one stroke forward.
"PADDLES READY. READY AND GO!"

off we go. "POWER!" GOOD 10 LONG HARD POWERFUL STROKES. GREAT STARTS.
from starts, to up-pace, to up 10, to maintenance, we pulled the water with all we have, and at the half way mark, WE WERE LEADING.
Boon chin shouted, " WE ARE LEADING! TRUST ME!"
with that, we pulled even harder.

and then, we felt the boat rocked.

at that moment, the whole boat just pushed on and fought back, holding on to the other boats and we made sure they didn't get away from us.

We were so close. So near, yet so far.

i really hate river taxis.

after yesterday, i thought i would have gotten over it and come back stronger next year. nothing, but stronger.

I just read bc's post about the race set. and i actually teared. I couldn't help but feel the injustice, the anger, the lost and the pity. tears simply welled up in my eyes as i read every word. the race set was still so clear and vivid in my mind, totally unforgettable.

bc, its so heart wrenching to know that you want the best for us. the effort u made to enable us to have a good start, the calls u made during the race, and the attempt you made in asking the starter to not carry on.

NUS db girls, we will get back at them. They gave us shyte, its only fair that we give it back to them.