Every December spells time for monsoons, feasts, shopping, presents, StanChart marathon… but amongst all these, it’s time for a very merry Cross Country Christmas! On 26^th Dec Boxing Day, after several days of log cakes and turkey, the team gathered on for even more feasting. To satiate our stomachs of bottomless pits was a tremendous potluck– including a supersized roast chicken, sausages, bee hoon, sushi, rice, potato salad, tortilla chips, cakes, Garett’s popcorn (!!!), fruit platters…

After dinner, partygoers were treated to a medley of carols (rendition exclusively for NUS cross only) by the committee, wherein 50 Seng also made a cameo appearance! Following which was a charades showdown between Team Doritos and Team Ruffles. Some of us had a wicked time visually mutilating fellow crossers on the white board but the rest of us had a good laugh. The best-dressed prize went to Anne, who was really shingzzzly-clad in her own made costume. As the party came almost to an end, it turned into an impromptu showcase of talents by sentimental guitarist Norman, funky beatbox Philip and resident vocalists Zheng Hong (whose band also recently launched its debut album – do support!), and Anne.

So you think crossers can only run…? Now think again! (We also eat, sing, dance, design and sew our own clothes, and most of all, have fun!)

A BIG THANK-YOU goes to the committee for putting together the party that brought a fabulous year to end on a high note! Kudos also to all who came, brought food and sportingly (pun absolutely intended) participated.

In one way or other, 2011 was a good year for NUS cross. As a team, we received accolades in various races at the inter-varsity, national and international levels. As individuals, some of us achieved PBs, others celebrated their graduation days, yet others found jobs…and a select few also found their special someones

Let’s continue to run after our passions and make 2012 another fabulous year!

A quick update on the races our teammates participated in over the last two months:

Oct 9: Nike Run
10km women result: Siew Min (1st)
Other Participants: Sarah, Mei Hui, Tricia, Zakiyah, Valerie, Justin, Patrick, Alvin Low, Eric Chan

Oct 30: Taiwan Half Marathon Relay
Result: Team 4th Position (Siew Min, Xinqi, Kai Ming)

The quartet who did us proud (:

Dec 04: Standard Chartered Marathon
Full Marathon: Patrick, Alvin Lee, Alvin Low, Azrul, Kelvin Ling, Eric Chan, Kelly, Bee, Cai Sang, Genesis
Half marathon: Mei Hui, Sarah
10km: Yannick (9^th position)

Also, this will be the last update from the both of us. Kelly and Philip will be our next blog admin and update our blog subsequently. Do show them your support by sharing your race experiences when approached!

Enjoy your holidays (:

Signing off,
Emelyne and Jackie

Back to the main topic, I was late for the camp itself as I attended some sharing session that ended just before 8pm. By the time I joined in, it was already sorting time. As a result, I did not get to really interact much with my fellow freshies which also meant not getting to know the girlsL  Anyway, I put on a bright pink “sorting” hat that doesn’t suit me at all and was sorted to Gryffindor.

Me in the sorting hat

We were then dispersed to the various locations to shower. For my OG, we went to some haunted part of RVR where there wasn’t a single soul around. Nonetheless, mid-way during the shower, we were chased off by a random guy who said the place was for the occupants there (as if there was anyone staying there in the first place). As a result, Tricia and Kelly had to go all the way to SRC to shower while the guys had to finish showering and get out from there asap. We proceed to SRC for dinner where Calvin bought curry rice for us. The meal was ok to me since I had poor taste buds. But I heard some comments about it. Although there wasn’t any girl in my OG then, it was still fun interacting with the freshies in my OG to make it up for me missing the orientation games earlier. After dinner, it was an information sharing session about the cross team. Justin gave a very good briefing and ironically, I see myself in the pictures during presentation despite being a freshman myself. We were given towels which E-main claimed she sew some of the words herself (I TOTALLY BELIEVE YOU, E-MAIN. REALLY! ) and went to MPSH 6 to sleep. Knowing the amount of sweat and footprints on the cheerleading mats (I was in cheer for rag), I did not sleep on them. It wasn’t long before we went to slumber land.

At 0700 hours sharp, we woke up for a run to Hort Park. As I don’t usually join in for Wed’s easy run, it was a unique experience for me as I never ran there before. The route was quite scenic with lots of greenery and interesting sights. However, it was not all smooth sailing. Somehow, we stopped at the wrong location and in the end, we were the last OG to arrive despite being the first to move off. Breakfast with simple with bread and biscuits but sometimes, it is the company that is important, especially with two girls in my OG now. After some time, we went off for the main highlight of the camp: The Amazing Race.

The race was indeed amazing. We practically had to travel from one end of Singapore to the other with stations at locations like West Coast, Turf City, Macrichite, Botanic Gardens and Bedok Reservoir. (notice any similarities/familiarities). For Gryfindor, we started off from West Coast Park clearing some obstacles course aka playground with our limbs tied to each other. We went to Botanic Gardens next which took like forever on public bus (it has been a while since I took public transport). Nonetheless, we make use of this time to get to know each other more. For me, I manage to find out more about Siew’s friend from NTU. (I think many will know who that person is). We arrived at Botanic Gardens to play a game lasting 10 minutes crawling through a web set up by Eric Chan, Nic Tey and Calvin. (it is so not worth our travelling time) We were then sent off to Bedok Reservoir which we protest not to as time was short. But it was all in vain. Over there, we played a game where we feed each other water melon without any utensils and have to squeeze oranges using our biceps. At least we had our fill with watermelons and oranges before heading back to school.

Feeding each other watermelon

Back in school, I had to leave for a road relay time trial which ironically I did not take part in the end. During my absence, I heard the guys were playing the MRT game and there was a cheer showdown which Tricia was quite enthusiastic about (she even ask us to rehearse in the MRT). Before we know it, the camp has ended.

The camp has been quite fun and interesting. I finally get to know more fellow freshmen after spending months training with the seniors. I also get to interact with seniors get I hardly talked to before like Tricia and Kelly. Before I end off, I like to thank the organizing committee and seniors for planning and execution of the camp. See you all in the next training and have fun running!!!

P.S: All photos are from Facebook since I didn’t take any pictures (I am camera shy)

It has been two months since our blog was last updated and your cool, classy, cute and committed cross blog admin hereby sincerely apologize for it. As everybody is once again busy with school work, it was indeed difficult to find people writing for our blog. Nonetheless, we have our very enthusiastic freshie–Eugene–who contributed two articles this time round. A big thank you to Eugene and do read about his cross camp experience in the following post and his Northwest Youth Run experience at http://nusxcountry.wordpress.com/post-race-thoughts/.

And here comes the review of our events and races over the past two months:
August 12-13: Cross Country Camp

Sep 16: Mid Autumn Festival Celebration

Oct 1: SUniG Cross Country
Men’s Result: Team 2nd; Individual 3rd (Madan)
Women’s Result: Team 1st; Individual 1st (Emelyne), 2nd (Xinqi), 3rd (Siew Min)

A BIG THANK YOU to all our runners and supporters (:

Remember to take a look at Eugene’s posts!

Signing off,
Emelyne and Jackie

Here is a quick update on the races and activities for the month:

Races:
July 10: Jurong Lake Run
Women’s Team: Siew Min, Emelyne, Zakiyah, Mei Hui, Sarah, Anne
Men’s Team: Justin, Giri, Norman, Yannick, Jovian
Mixed Team: Melvin, Mel Lim, Mel Tan, Yap Xiong, Roy, Ben

Go TeamNUS!!!

July 10: Race Against Cancer
Participants: Azrul, Kelly

July 24: Shape Run
Participant: Kelly

A few of our teammates (Wei Chong, Yap Xiong and Kelly) have shared their race experiences in our blog. Please check it out at http://nusxcountry.wordpress.com/post-race-thoughts/ .

Outings:
July 22-24: Cross Overseas Trip

Group photo at kelong restaurant (:

July 28 : Cross Outing at USS

Can you spot Azrul?

This month, we have Melvin Lee, one of our beloved ex-captains, as the guest writer for story of the month. Read about his post, new season, new happenings, at http://nusxcountry.wordpress.com/story-of-the-month/.

With the new semester starting soon, we hereby wish you a good semester ahead. Study hard, train harder and play the hardest!!!

Signing off,
Emelyne and Jackie

The month of June was a quiet one, with most of us going for personal holiday vacation. Yet some of them were reminiscing about the series of exciting cross events in May, in particular the Mauritius trip. Want to know what’s so fun about Mauritius? Check out the 10 reasons why you should visit Mauritius, by Mei Hui and Shanqi, in the post below to find out the answer!!!

The month of June was also a remarkable one, with a few of our inspiring teammates completing distances ranging from half marathon to ultra marathon. Kudos to the following participants of the respective race who have done us proud:

Sundown Ultramarathon (25 june 2011): Fabian Hia, Alvin Low, Elrick Han
KL Standard Chartered Marathon (26 june 2011): Nic Tey, Wei Chong, Emelyne Teo

Jackie: “Don’t forget to congratulate Emelyne if you see her online/in real life! She is after all our very own MARATHON CHAMPION LEHHHHH!”

Last but not least, we are honored to have Azrul, our male ex-captain, to share with us what NUS cross country team meant to him. Check out his post at story of the month!!!

Have fun reading!

Signing off,
Emelyne and Jackie

How was it, you might ask? Was it a sexy exotic place? Did anyone have summer flings (STEAMY STEAMY!). But I think I’ll let the story below speak for itself. Three of the people who went, Shan Qi and Mei Hui and Azrul have graciously volunteered their time and effort to share with us their story (plus Mei Hui and Azrul are so free nowadays XD ). So without further ado we present to you a post…

by Shan Qi and Mei Hui

“Tesh sent me here because he was involved in a road rage and is in the hospital now, with a broken nose. You have two choices now: to detour to the hospital first, or to put your stuff at the villa and then visit Tesh,” – that was how we were welcomed by Tesh’s friend upon our arrival at the airport, only to find out later that it was all a prank. Talking about the Mauritian way of welcoming people…

So we headed towards Jet Villa – our accommodation for the next eleven days – instead of going to the hospital. Located in the tourist area of Flic en Flac (which is in the west of the island), Jet Villa was just a stone’s throw away from the beach. We were greeted with a “cocktail party” at the villa, except that there was no real cocktail but finger-licking finger-food (no pun intended) and tropical fruit juice. Exhausted from the flight and long road ride, we spent the rest of the night chilling away at the villa and the beach. Sunset in Mauritius was really early – at around 6 pm, and by 6.30 pm or so, the sky was already pitch-black. After dinner, we took a stroll along the beach, gazing at the galaxies of stars adorning the night sky. The cool mild weather was a great escape from Singapore’s 35°C oven. However, mosquitoes were pervasive in every corner of Mauritius. And we all came to the conclusion that the favourite pastime of Mauritians was to kill mosquitoes.

Reason #1:

It is my hometown, duh. ~ Tesh

………………

Being the true-blue crossers that we are, we began each day of our trip with a refreshing morning run along the beach. Wait, not all of us though, as to some of us, waking up at 6 in the morning is really a pain. Hehe. The regular ones were Norman, Azrul, Eugene, Melvin and Mei Hui. Three cheers to them for being so disciplined! So on the morning of our 2^nd day, we did a 45-minute run on the sand (which was really challenging) while watching the sun slowly rising from the horizon. After a hearty breakfast of sunny side up, sausages, baguette with cheese, yoghurt with honey stars (and the list goes on), we started exploring the island, which was 3 times bigger than our little red dot but with only one-third of our population. Our first stop was the Trou aux Cerfs volcano, where we went hiking down – yes, down but not up – the treacherous terrain covered with dense vegetation. The path was narrow, muddy and slippery, with thorns and insects threatening to attack us along the way. We emerged from the volcano with scratches and bites from mosquitoes and some of us, bees. Nonetheless, it was a thrilling experience.

Next, we went sightseeing at the Grand Bassin (literally the ‘big lake’), a place considered sacred by the Hindus. Looming tall at the entrance was the towering statue of Shiva the Hindu Goddess. The water in the lake was thought to be holy as it was apparently brought in from the Ganges River. After Grand Bassin, we visited the Black River Gorge viewpoint. It was Tesh’s favourite viewpoint for a reason – the view was indeed breathtaking. We had our picnic lunch there, and proceeded for more sightseeing, picture-taking and cam-whoring at the 7-Coloured Earth, Chamarel Waterfall and Chamarel viewpoint.

Reason #2:

Running along the beach by the amazingly beautiful sunrise/sunset! ~ Mei Hui

………………

Day 3 was the long-awaited sea-activity day! We started by visiting La Ciatdelle and Cap Malheureux, two coastal viewpoints located in the North. What struck us most were the crystal clear, aquamarine waters of the sea shimmering in the warm morning sun. And so, non-stop photo-taking (and posing) with such scenic backdrop left our poor stomachs growling, and we proceeded towards Pereybere beach for our lunch and water sports. Hungry as a horse, we all made a beeline for the kebab, which was uniquely and deliciously served with baguette. Energized and contented, we then rushed for buoying and parasailing. During parasailing, we crossers were the only lucky ones to spot dolphins out in the sea. I had the most perfect, bird’s eye view of the cute creatures as they were just right beneath my feet as I went soaring up the sky. After that, we explored the different stalls selling local delights at the beach, experimenting pineapple sprinkled with curry powder and avocado dipped in sugar. Eric was the happiest among us all.

Reason #3:

The lovely beaches which are nothing like Singapore’s, oh, not forgetting the equally lovely beach babes ~ Eugene

………………

On the 4^th day of the trip, Tesh brought us to visit his home, which was right opposite a mental health care centre. All 20 of us had a good time chatting with his parents and secretly laughing at his photos as a child. After that, we headed to the Le Pouce Mountain for our second hike of the trip! Armed with the ambition of reaching the peak, we braved through moss-covered rocks, dense vegetation and muddy trails, but not forgetting to stop occasionally along the way to take pictures. The 2-hour climb was tiring, but the view was indeed rewarding. From the top of the mountain, we could capture a round-island view of the whole of Mauritius – and trust me, it was breathtaking. Later that night, we had an inter-apartment cooking competition during dinner. We were given 30 minutes to shop for groceries at the local hypermart, and another one and a half hours to prepare our dishes. Our group – comprising of Siew Min, Melvin, Eric and the two of us – emerged as one of the winners for our delicious bruschettta and beef pasta.

Reason #4:

The unique mountains, and the breathtaking view from the peak. ~ Azrul

………………

Day 5 was another sea-activity day! We started out with sightseeing at the Natural Bridge. As its name suggests, it is a bridge formed naturally from the erosion of rocks by sea waves. The sweeping waves were so powerful that the waters hitting against the rocks turned foamy and as white as milk. Following Natural Bridge was our snorkeling trip. We had a fun time swimming and floating around in the cool, pristine waters as we enjoyed the view of the beautiful marine life – the array of uniquely-shaped corals, schools of colourful fishes – and at the same time swallowing down gulps of salty water. Some parts of the sea were so shallow that I was cut by the corals, which left a 5cm scar on my leg.

From Blue Bay, we proceeded to Mahebourg Waterfront, where the famous model shot was taken. After having a hearty lunch at KFC, Tesh brought us to a local spot hidden away from the knowledge of the usual tourists, for a local activity called cliff jumping. It involved more than just jumping off the rock cliff into the gurgling river water below – it took a lot of courage to conquer the fear of heights, and a lot of faith to take that leap over the dangerous rocks, down into the river. We began with a ‘test-jump’ from a big boulder of about one-storey’s height. Some of us were terrified and hesitated to jump, while some of us were like Tarzans, excitedly going for our second and even third jumps. After that, those bold enough moved on to a higher cliff – this one about three or four stories high. The danger of this jumpspot lied in the rocks jutting out from underneath the cliff, which we had to leap over or we would end up like dead fish on them. So the challenge was to jump hard and jump far. Standing there watching the gushing water beneath my feet, my heart was thumping so hard I could hear it in my ears. A lot of stupid thoughts ran through my mind as I stood there, hesitant – will I die? What if I hit the rocks? But the longer I stood at the edge, the more afraid I became. So before my fear consumed me, I told myself, “Heck lah, just jump!” And I jumped – far and hard to avoid the rocks. The free fall was terrifying. In that one-second or so, I felt completely overpowered by gravity, dragged by a strong unseen force down, down, down. Then came the SPLASH! And I was in the water – safe, unscathed. The experience, the whole adrenaline-rush was so thrilling that I went for a second jump. But one thing I learnt from cliff jumping was to NEVER jump from a building, even if you are contemplating suicide. The feeling of free fall was just too horrifying to bear.

Reason #5:

Learn NEVER to jump off the building. I mean, learn to cliff jump. ~ Shan Qi

………………

Finally came shopping day on the 6^th day! We took a public bus from Flic en Flac to the capital, Port Louis. The public transport was nothing like our SBS or SMRT. Instead of EZ-Link card, there was a bus conductor (with really amazing memory) collecting bus fares from all the passengers. And instead of pressing the bell to stop, we had to pull a rope right on top of the window to ring the bell. The shopping place we went to was reminiscent of Bugis Street – a street bazaar with confusing intersections, overpriced merchandise and where aggressive bargaining was the only way to survive the ‘bloodsuckers’. After buying tonnes of souvenirs and local products to bring home, we had our lunch at the marketplace – a perfect place to experiment all the local delicacies. We had the famous dahl poori, a type of flat, deep-fried bread stuffed with gravy, lentils and little spices. And one cannot eat dal poori without having another local favourite, alouda. It was a type of vanilla drink with sago and topped with ice cream. Indeed, dahl poori and alouda were just the most perfect combination for lunch – both cheap and yummy too.

Reason #6:

The wide variety of yummy Indian food, especially the heavenly alouda and dahl poori. ~ Melvin

………………

Day 7 was a day of more sightseeing to the south and southeast part of the island. We started from Baie du Cap (Cape Bay), and then to Gris Gris (Grey Grey), another coastal destination where we had our picnic lunch. Next, we headed towards La Roche qui Pleure (literally ‘the crying rock’) near Gris Gris. The place was named so due to the holes in the rocks that were always dripping with water. To me, these places were more than just tourist destinations with spectacular scenery; the lovely blue sea, vast azure sky, warm sunshine and cooling sea breeze provide the most perfect environment for contemplation – of how blue the seas can actually be, of how much we are deprived of in our concrete jungle, and of how much a paradise Mauritius truly is.

After dinner was Amazing Race, a bonding activity planned and hosted by Tesh and his friend. All of us were divided into 3 big groups, and had to compete with each other to find the ‘treasure’. We were made to run from one station to another, from our villa to the cemetery to the casino to the beach and back to the villa again. And at each station, we were given a clue and some form of riddle which we had to crack our smart brains to solve in order to proceed to the next station. All eyes were staring at us as we ran along the busy street, but it was really a lot of fun.

Reason #7:

Because having a local friend to bring us around is far better than going alone. For example, you get to go to the cemetery. ~ Tai Hau

………………

Day 8 was our first free-and-easy day. Due to different preferences of activities, we were divided into 3 groups. The first group went for skydiving (which costs $10 per second, for a total of 40 seconds). The second group went shopping and to visit the sugar cane museum in town, while Eric, Melvin, Eugene and I went deep-sea fishing. We (especially Eric) were determined to return with fishes like giant tuna, swordfish, and perhaps a whale to make the others regret for not coming with us. We were lucky in the first half an hour. Not long after casting the trawl line, we caught a bluefin tuna! We were so excited and filled with hopes and so certain that we were going to catch a shark next. However, the first hour went past, and then the second hour, and the third – nothing. “Patient, patient,” Eric said. “Good things come to those who wait.” So we waited and waited. It was already our fourth hour out in the sea, and our guide decided to use part of the tuna we caught as life bait. Smart move, because in that one hour or so, we caught 6 fishes in total! Including an inedible angelfish which we intended to release at first. But we posed with it and photographed so much until it died.

So, carrying the packet of freshly caught fish, we went to the supermarket to shop for ingredients before heading back to the villa to cook our fish. Eric, our great cook, skillfully demonstrated to us how to marinate the fish with spices before sending them into the charcoal. We had a wonderful time sitting by the pool barbecuing potatoes, drinking cold beer and eating mozzarella-baked fish. Great food, great weather, great company – great life.

Reason #8:

You can catch big fishes (like whales) at deep-sea fishing. ~ Eric

………………

Day 9 was another day we so eagerly looked forward to – the famous Catamaran cruise! Donning our floral-print shirts and sundresses, we happily set out for Gabriel Island which was off the northwest coast of Mauritius. The entire journey took about two hours. Lunch was the delicious BBQ buffet set out on the beach, with free flow of food. We were advised to stay as near to the BBQ pit as possible, so that when the bell was rung for lunch, we could rush there to be the first in the queue. After a scrumptious meal of pasta, grilled fish and fresh salad, we lazed around the beach, having heart-to-heart talk, sun bathing and just watching the world go by.

Late at night at around 1 a.m., a few of us went to the beach to watch shooting stars. So there we were, lying on our backs listening to Justin Bieber’s ‘Baby’ blasting from Norman’s speaker, as we strained our eyes to look out for shooting stars. Although mosquitoes kept buzzing around our ears, we (especially Siew Min) were insistent on spotting at least one shooting star. Most of us saw at least 5 or 6! And under the skies of glittering stars, wishes upon wishes were made.

Reason #9:

The shooting stars! And the feeling of excitement and satisfaction when you spot one. ~ Siew Min

………………

After a few days out in the sun and the sea, we ventured into the mountains again on the 10^th day for canyoning. We had to dress in suffocating wetsuits, smelly helmets and tight harnesses with heavy metal carabiners dangling around our waists while we tracked into the jungle. With the guidance of our humorous instructors, we bravely attempted abseiling down the waterfall, flying fox across the river, and for some of us, cliff jumping, again. The half-day adventure left us so tired and hungry that we ate like hungry horses after that. For lunch, we sampled the delicious local pizza Debonair’s – no, devoured was more like it. We ordered 2 extremely large triple-deck cheese pizzas (for 3 persons), and greedily bought another family set of fish-and-chips too. Everyone else at the restaurant could not stop gaping at us as we, especially Norman, stuffed down our food like people who had not eaten for days. There was more food at night – BBQ dinner at the beach. As we were enjoying our meal under the stars, music sounded behind us – it was a troop of local dancers and musicians. They performed a few tribal dances, and even a local version of beatboxing, which gained loud cheers and applause from the crowd. We were even invited to dance with them. Today was the day I ate the most on the trip, and perhaps in my life.

Reason #10:

Debonair’s pizza! ~ Norman

………………

(This part was written by Azrul Azmi, who requested for his name to be bolded.)

Time flew by and before we knew it, it was already the last day of the trip. We had another day of free-and-easy, some of us at the luxurious beach resort, ClubMed, and some of us at the Casela National Park.

Even though the park was home to a huge array of birds, they were not the sole reason why we were there. In fact, we were there only for one thing: to interact with the big cats like lions, tigers and cheetahs. As we made our way through the park, we saw a swan wandering around a grass patch. Keen to take a photo with the animal, we crept towards it but before we knew it, we were chasing it around as the swan was camera shy. Further down were several species of tortoise. How much they reminded me of the cartoon Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles! However, they were the slow version (and I am a faster ninja too). We were entertained by the way they moved and interacted with each other, and how some of them seemed to appear smarter than the others. At last, after taking an internal shuttle bus, we arrived at the home of the big cats. Before entering the cages, we were each given a stick for defense. The lions and tigers were so domesticated that they could not even be bothered by our presence, but just lazily minding their own business. We also had a chance to see albino lions and tigers. We took our turns stroking them and also taking group shots with the animals. Then we proceeded to the cheetah cages. The cheetah that we interacted with was still a juvenile and hence was very playful. It seemed very excited to see us, and purred like a motorboat when we interacted with it (which was a good sign). We spent the rest of the day at a local town, grabbing our last chance to savor the local dishes and do a little bit of shopping before heading back to the villa.

As we formed a line to bid Tesh farewell at the airport, our hearts were heavy and reluctant to kiss this place goodbye. Eleven days in Mauritius, and we had had so much fun together, made so many new friends, and discovered a different side to each other which was never seen before. Indeed, Mauritius is a paradise laden with so many natural treasures. But nothing beats going there with a bunch of crazy close friends, who added so much laughter and colours to the trip, and turned the paradise into hell.

Just kidding.

Oh wait, there were 11 days altogether? Oops.

Reason #11? All of the above reasons J

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Well there you have it. I personally enjoyed every single bit of it since I was one of those unable to go. Thanks for sharing you two plus one!

For those who’d like to share some of their experiences, please do approach/email/facebook Emelyne and I! Take care and have fun for the remainder of your holidays, team!

The long awaited monthly update has finally arrived! Here we are to summarize our cross country outings and external races that our friends have taken part in the month of May:

Outings:
May 07: Cross Back Together (or Cross Bake Together)
A dinner filled with home baked delights featuring bruschetta, pizzas, jellyhearts and homemade fruit cake.
Quote from Ben: “Glad to see the baking thing still going strong. heh. Am proud of y’all. I can graduate in peace.”

May 14-25: Mauritius Trip
Nice beaches, nice food, nice weather and nice company. Thanks Tesh for organizing the trip (:

From left (guys): Eric, Melvin, Norman, Eugene, Azrul From right (girls): Shanqi, Mei Hui, Siew Min

May 26-28: Cross Country Chalet
Everyday I’m shuffling. Check out the comm dance on fb!!! Hope u guys have enjoyed watching it

happy family (:

Races:
May 07: Nike Goddess Run 2011
Participants: Mei Hui, Sarah Tan, Shanqi, Ameera, Meiyi.
Check out Sarah Tan’s post at Post Race Thoughts!!!

May 08: Best Friend Run
Participants: Bee, Emelyne, Patrick, Giri
Check out Bee’s post at Post Race Thoughts!!!

May 21: 100PLUS Passion Run
Participants: Emelyne, Justin, Nic, Giri, Roy, Elrick, Eric Ang

May 28: Sundown Marathon 2011
Participants: Yannick, Kelvin Ling, Calvin Sutiono, Eugene

Last but not least, we have Nic, the winner of blog guessing competition, to share with us his running-related story. Check out his post at Story of the Week!!!

Have fun reading (:

Signing out,
Emelyne and Jackie
(Your cool, classy, cute and committed cross blog admin who are still searching for the brave soul)

Some people might be asking me, what are some of my takeaways during my term? How do i feel and stuff..maybe i hope you can give me the chance to share it with you here in this blog, and YES hoepfully you’ll read it till e end.

In general, besides having a good running year(good timings, making the cut to sUNIg as a reserve and other landmarks), i believe i also had a decent term, alongside with the rest of the committee to help manage this team. Looking at the team expanding with a huge intake of freshmen in Aug, to the 1st ever Cross Country camp( a miracle in my perception), sUNIg( where the ladies won n the men were 2nd), success in IVP Track n field, The team trip to Taman Negara, and not forgetting the various cross country races, it has been heartening to see the team so big compared to when i first joined the team in Aug 2008. I am deeply grateful for the privilege and honour to serve the team with the best of my abilities. Of course there are things i have done well and there are also some that i didn’t do it that well. For those things that i have not exactly done well to your expectations, I apologise and i seek your forgiveness. For the things that i have done well enough, i hope i have been able to bless you and alongside my batch of committee members, made your time in the team an enjoyable one.

I must do admit that a little regret i might have is that i may not have build a strong friendship with everyone, i apologise but i want to let you know that i love everyone of you and appreciate your friendship and i hope i can catch up and connect with you during the holidays, whether be it at post training dinners or other possible occasions before sch starts n busy life strikes in=)

To those who i may have diasppointed: if there are things and my habits that i have disappointed you with, i sincerely apologise and will reflect upon it and work to improve on it. I hope you can be gracious enough to forgive me and help me along the way. DO continue to let me know if there are things that i have not done well, i will continue to listen, engage and reflect.

Then, you probably be thinking, with all those things mentioned above, why ” I choose love” at the title? How is it related?

During my term as team manager, a number of events has made me think a lot and hopefully mature in the way i do things, how i see people and things. One of the key aspects is on how i see people n manage them. Despite the highs, there were a few  lows, for e.g the management of the blog, and somehow affected people in the team.

As far as the bonding with the majority is pretty good, we can definitely do more to enhance the bonding of this team. What made this team such a closely knitted family unit is really our willingness to embrace and accept one another. As the team grows bigger, there will be many, different personalities and all of us come from different and unique backgrounds. Despite the differences, we come together as one because of more than just the passion for running, but our connection and friendship with one another. During my team manager term, a number of the people, be it seniors or freshmen, spoke of how this team’s like a family. My biggest wish, before i graduate is that this team can really a group of people who not just come together becasue of the love of running, but a group of people who are friends for life.

At the same time, as we continue to embrace and accept various people, i feel that we have to be aware that because of our imperfections, we may either offend or hurt or disappoint from time to time. However, i believe this is when we make a choice, whether to nurse that pain and allow it to rot our hearts or do we choose love to actually forgive the hurt( of course time is required and restitution of trust is required) and still be gracious to accept and embrace one another? I am pretty sure that such times will come to test the depths of the friendship, and i believe it’s our decision to love one another in spite of tough times that will keep this team closely knitted and connected.This will also mean so expectation management from everyone of us, in a sense of give and take for things to work out=)

As the new season edges in, i would like to urge EVERYONE of us to really make a decision to say, ” I Choose Love” and continue to embrace, accept and love not just the graduating seniors and the current seniors, but also the new incoming freshmen. The strength of this team is NOT just built upon the new team leadership, the strength and unity of this team is dependent on ALL of us.This team can only be as strong as how strong the people want it to be and it is the people and the human spirit that will enable the team to move forward to greater heights.

To the new team leadership: As i mentioned before, i see a dynamic, energetic and strong team in the 6 of you. I know that you guys can lead this team to greater heights and wanna believe that you will continue to stay strong, energetic and dynamic and you will outdo the previous committee=) Do feel free to speak to me for anything, ultimately all of us are friends to one another.=)

Meantime, all the best to the graduating seniors and almuni who have entered the society and to the rest of us, have a blessed holidays, enjoy and have fun!=)

yours sincerely,

Nic Tey=)

It’s that time again. What time, you ask? Well it is time for an update for races of course! The number of races are increasing yearly and 2011 is not any different! Follow me as I guide you on what races we will be looking forward to for the next TWO MONTHS. Yes, that’s right, TWO MONTHS. I’m trying to do a bimonthly sort of thing here, so do comment in the comment box for feedback, mmm kay? Also, I’ll be splitting the post into two, to prevent eye strain.

100PLUS Passion Run 2011: 21st May, http://www.singaporepassionrun.com (CLOSED)

Come friends, do you know what is the most important thing in running? You over there. Talent, you say? Yes yes, of course. How about you there? Hard work, you shout? Indeed. What’s that, that young man over there? You say passion? Passion? PASSSSSSSSSSION?For that excellent answer, I’d like to pat your back and agree with you. Passion is the word of the day, at least on the 21st of May 2011. On this day, we will be seeing runners of all sizes, age and interests coming together for a nice run on the East Coast. For the competitive category, there will be 25km Open, 12km Open and Veteran. Personally, I am surprised there isn’t a 25km veteran category. On the other hand, judging from the thematic approach the organizers have taken in their website, I wonder…
At any rate, even if you are not taking part in the race, do give a look at the website and have a good laugh at the caricatures the website has on the various people that we (too) often encounter during races. While drawn in a way that really exemplifies the stereotype, I find myself chuckling at the portrayal nonetheless. One thing isn’t there though. They missed out “NUS Cross Country Athletes”. We are a different breed, after all.

ALIVE Run 2011: 22nd May, http://www.aliverun2011.org/ (CLOSED)

Aaaah, ALIVE Run. I remember joining it last year. Similarly, it was and is held in the East Coast park, albeit in a different area than above. Anyway, being a charity run, it’d be good for those who’d like to kill multiple stones with one bird. I mean, it’s so awesome. You can 1) do your part for charity by doing what you can do best, 2) do a long run and/or even a tempo run if you’re feeling up to it and 3) soak in the atmosphere of a lot of people running. The organizers last year weren’t too bad, and we had some entertainment like bands to boot. Overall, last year’s run was good and I wouldn’t expect this year’s to be any different. Regrettably, registration is over due to the quota being filled up. For those who are going/went for this run, good on you mate!

Metta Charity Run 2011: 4th June, http://www.metta.org.sg/mettarun2011/index.html (STILL OPEN)

Metta is a Buddhist welfare association that provides quality health care and welfare services for the needy and less fortunate, regardless of race or religion, according to its website. Don’t just take my word for it, visit http://www.metta.org.sg/english/abt_intro_metta.html for more details. These guys are doing a great thing out there, taking care of not just old folks, but also the disabled and people from needy families. As such, do do a part by signing up for this race! Yes, race and not run. There are prizes for the top three, but I think the greatest prize, should you choose to participate is a warm feeling you get when you know you are doing a part for charity. This 1okm is held in  (guess where!) East Coast. There is a 5km event available too, but I’m afraid that’s not applicable to people above 14 years old.

Legs and Paddle: 5th June, http://legsandpaddles.blogspot.com/ (LAST DAY TO REGISTER ON 17th MAY)

Organized by our friends from the NUS Sports Club, Legs and Paddle (LNP) is a unique combination of both kayaking followed by running. For both Men’s and Women’s Open, participants will have to (GASP) kayak 6km and then run the same distance. For us Crossers who are used to just using our feet, this may prove to be quite a grueling challenge. I took part in this last year and boy oh boy did I kayak for my life. You’ll be so jelly after the 6km kayak you’d be collapsing after that (if it’s a solo challenge). Alternatively, there is the “Team Relay”, involving four parcipants: two to run and two to kayak. Perhaps you can find a pair of dragonboaters/canoeists out there and join in. I can almost imagine a dream team forming, yknow, between these two CCAs. But be quick, registration is almost over and the last day for walk in registration is on the 17th of May. I’d hurry, if I were you and I was interested. Nevertheless, do give it a try.

That’s all for now, folks. It’s 3am now and I’m both hungry and tired. While the first part of the post isn’t really informative (face it, four races and only one and a half is truly available for registration? Shame on you Jackie), do look out for the second part coming soon and I look forward to writing it too! Good luck and goodbye!

Cheers
Jackie
Race Guy