Remember

This is the photo ms koh was talking about.

@AngryMob: i hate all of you!!!
haha, it wasn't a "planned" trip to see their mtg..just happen to be in sch for some other thingo..

^_^ --> T_T

Wow. Angeline's post, really hit it on the spot. Eunice, Xing Quan and Melissa's added to the watery well...

When Mr Cheng told us that we were getting a new clubroom, I literally rejoiced! I was so happy, I couldn't believe it. When Mr Cheng brought me and Elliot up there for the first time to measure the dimensions of the room, I LOVED it! It was much larger, the idea of a pull-down studio backdrop was brilliant and bestbestBEST of all was:

WINDOWS!

^_^

Natural SUNLIGHT! OPEN THE WINDOWS and FEEL the wind lift your hair when you stick your head out (if don't stick out cannot feel one >_<).

I even already have v. fun experiences in it liao, like exclaiming and prancing around the empty pre-renovated room, sweating like siao while measuring the room with Elliot, FINDING OUT ABOUT HOW WE CAN ACTIVATE THE GHOSTS IN THE NEW ROOM ESPECIALLY!!! (Haha this one you have to find out for yourself.) :D :D :D And today! Organising the stuff, a cockroach jump out of one of the bags (from the clubroom(?)) and I screamed like siao and Zheng Hui saved the day.

(

)

Super duper duper funnnnn.

And when I first went in last Wednesday and the J1s had that human chain transferring our stuff! It looked very fun, though for a moment... I felt... a bittersweet sensation, a sort of finality that marked how the page has already turned... I wonder how this chapter will be like...

WOW THE LAMINATE FLOORING!! So prettyyyyyy! DDOOUUBBLLEE AIRCONDITIONER UNITS!! The backdrops installed on the ceiling, and again,

Bright Bright SUNlight!

SHIOK SIAL!!!

I can honestly say that in the beginning I hated how dark the photog room is, how you can't open any windows... If I ever felt low in the clubroom, the walls seemed so oppressive, the room very cramped and the air so... stale and stuffy.

If I ever felt low in the clubroom, I'll step out and re-enter MJC, walk to the stars that leads down to the track and sit, basking and soaking in the afternoon golden light.

If I ever felt low in the clubroom, I'll step out with Shirleen and/or Vanessa and/or Angeline and we'll walk to the toilet, sometimes gossiping or complaining, mosttimes laughing or simply in a comfortable silence.

If I ever felt low in the clubroom, I'll step out to the canteen and buy food. Mr Cheng always says that we cannot eat in the clubroom, though he sometimes offers his own chicken nuggets (which Angeline will accept, hahahaha!).

If I ever felt low in the clubroom, I'll step out and disturb Mumtaz at the study bench in the atrium, or Kar Mun and chitchat a bit in the cool evening air.

Then... I'll always go back to the room. Always feel pekchek and uncomfortable, and I hastily make for the clubroom again, away from MJC and into our room. Our. CLUBroom.

"Heh, don't go into the clubroom at the end of the day like very weird leh."

"What you doing here?"

"Dunno."

"Go home study lah!"

*thinks about it* "Dowan. I company you lah."

"Err... okay."

Thinks to self: Ahh! The clubroom smells like fishburger. Hmm... Did someone burp?

"Eeeee! Who dissected the cockroach and spread all over the table? Yuck! So disgusting."

"The room is a mess. Can you all please pack up or not, your seniors always kept it tidy."

*looks around* OH. Spend too much time here already, was gradually accumulating and did not even realise it.

... Wah.

... ...

... ... ... Maybe...

In the beginning I always wondered why everyone else was so reluctant to leave that room. I mean, I didn't like the cockroaches and the spiders. I didn't like the dust.

Now that I think of it, I...

The memories of that room,

the conflicts,

the celebrations,

birthday bashes,

silent treatments,

being pestered by Angeline about batteries,

whispering secrets with Vanessa at the cutting board,

catching up with Aida while watching Youtube videos,

Yun Su, Kar Mun and Karishma looking through the PUSB,

getting endlessly teased by Mumtaz exasperated at my antics,

Soon Siang/Syaz popping their head around the room door to say bye,

reminding Elliot about his wallet as we rush out of the room before alarm,

being reminded about my wallet or handphone left somewhere by CC,

camwhoring with Shirleen on the workbench with handphone camera

(surrounded by DSLRS),

laughing at Zheng Hui being wrestled by Mr Cheng,

seeing laoda Quentin being outtalked by Cherish,

taking our first tour conducted by 08 exco,

getting photography lecture by Kingston,

observing Xing Quan observing someone

(disclaimer: EARLY LAST YEAR ONLY),

going crazy techno dancing with Eunice,

learning photoshop skills from JunSen,

hearing Ms Koh's heeled adventures,

putting together our first exhibition,

meeting the exco for the first time.

Now that I think of it, yeah, I think our new rooms uber cool.

Now that I think of it, I know in my heart of hearts, I'll definitely, truly, without a DOUBT, never EVER forget our clubroom.

T_T

For those who are interested in joining the EXCO...

I have been reflecting on certain issues...

Photography, on an individual level, is very much a personal expression. Some have used it for the greater good of mankind like Eugene W Smith, some used it for commercial gains and some even used it for selfish reasons. But no matter what, much time is always required for mastering a skill. And no one can ever dare to say that they have arrived because photography is like a journey that one takes.

So normally the seniors will organize outings for the juniors to kick start their exploration. Most if not all of the juniors like enjoy the outing. Then some of them will start to take the initiative to borrow the club's equipment to practice.

However the honeymoon period will only last for a few months as the JC1s will have to rise up and take over the mantle. A number of them will run for the EXCO but only a few will be selected.

Usually those who are voted into the EXCO are very enthusiastic photographers. Well they have to be, if they want to be in the EXCO. And there lies the quandary as it is a well known fact that MJC Photography Club's EXCO members are worked very hard (not that I am a task master but we do have a lot of projects to do), and because of that, the EXCO members may not have as much time to explore photography. And this is something that I observed in my previous 2 EXCOs, their photographic skills and expression improved by leaps and bounds after they stepped down from office.

So honestly if you want to just have the time to explore photography, it might be better to remain as a member as being an EXCO member, you will definitely be bogged down by meetings after meetings. But if you are a member who wait for things to happen (ie wait for EXCO to organise outings) then you might end up disappointed cause the EXCO can be so bogged down by the projects that they simply have no time to organise outings.

However things are getting better especially with Elliot's batch with new initiatives such as PUSB, CIP attachments.

But yet if you are someone who wants to take the initiative to learn, (like Chin Chye), you will naturally want to join the EXCO as the EXCO have direct access to all the equipment, just that they dun have as much time as they would like to have to go and shoot. Trust me, its better to join the EXCO if you are such a person... Look at Chin Chye, he's as good as being an EXCO member just that he does not hold the title. : )

So where do we move from here??? The ideal state is always for EXCO members to have the time to explore photography and yet able to complete all the projects they have to do. But till we reach that stage, we must always put the projects that we do as top priorities. The reason is simple...

The EXCO is in charge of running a club. To run a club means to manage resources, projects and outings in the most efficacious manner. But eventually to run a club means we would have to engage the members in a meaningful way.

If we want to engage our members, we will need resources such as equipment and meaning outings and projects. And the EXCO will be the one to spearhead these projects, whether is it to raise funds or to organize outings/camps.

When I first took over the club, there was only 9 JC1 members. So if now I want to run the club in a manner that every single member would be engaged meaningfully, I can do it easily... How???

Cap the membership of the club to 9 members only.... Why 9??? Because I have 9 Canon DSLR bodies and enough lenses to share around... Okay lah, maybe can increase to around 12, provided that the other 3 will buy their own cameras...

But alas, this scenario is not possible... we can't possibly stay at 9. If we stay at 9, I might missed out on members just as Melissa, Cherish, Quentin (just to name a few).

So with increasing membership, our resources will always remain scarce... fundraising projects will always be held... multiple outings (to split the members into smaller groups so that everyone can have a camera in hand) will always be organised. The EXCO will always be bogged down by their duties and projects.

Well the good thing about being successful is that our efforts like eventually be recognized and we can get additional help with resources such as sponsorship for printing materials, loaning of cameras for the upcoming camp and the new club room cum studio.

Let me tell you something about the studio... We are most probably the only school who have a photography studio other than the tertiary institutions. Setting up a studio is not cheap and Ms Lai has graciously given us her support because she believes in us and she recognizes that we need more resources so that we can take in more members in future.

But hey, setting up a new club room is also hard work. It took 28 JC1s 3 whole hours to move the entire equipment over and clean the room. In fact, the room still need quite a bit of organising...

Much is given, much is expected... we cannot rest on our laurels. The room is given to us so that we can do more and engage more.

For every project that the EXCO do, much thought must be given to it. Meetings must be carried out with every member of the EXCO available and trust me, this is no easy feat when the EXCO consist of 6 or more members.

This is where I will state my stand very clearly to aspiring EXCO members...

I believe that unity is very important. In fact I believe that an EXCO which eat together, laugh together, work together and cry together CAN and WILL accomplish much. Therefore every individual must be prepared to sacrifice their own space and time if they want to join the EXCO. And our accomplishments bear testimony to it.

So do give serious consideration before you decide to run for EXCO.

EXCO is tough, not just tough, but very tough. But the tougher the work, the sweeter is the fruit of your labour. Don't believe, ask your seniors and the alumni EXCOs.

PPC

Before the room beside the art room

Before I go and tear in my sleep, let me give you guys a brief history of the room.

For the really old birds like me, we all experience this kind of shifting once before. We were like the new J1 ones now, happy to get a spanking new room. To be fair, the school already did us justice by giving us that room. Our oldest room was at where perkcafe is currently standing now. There is where the first batch of MJC Photographers were born. Imagine all of you people in perkcafe, even without the equipments, you will be left with not even standing space left alone sit.

When I was new happy J1, we were totally disgusted with the room. The small cramped space, the messy working table and the dumping ground of waste printing paper underneath the working table. But I could see from my seniors then, they loved the room. They also practically eat sleep live in that room like we do. I think I can even recall a canteen plate on the table in the room.

Then it was time to shift house. We were overjoyed but our seniors from the look on their faces, I know they were reluctant. They were sad to leave the room. They probably had fighting spiders experience in there. They probably missed the old stinky smell that is now replaced by ice creams. They probably found perfect sleeping corners in the room to take a nap. But there is only one word on their face:sad.

But we had to do what we had to do. We vacate the room in one day and shift everything to the new room beside the art room which was a stall. I din even realize it was there until then. As a matter of fact it is really a store room. We dump many art pieces and useless stuff and put in our stuff. We scrub and clean happily the dirty room, happy that we have a new room but I doubt none were on our seniors faces.

The study room used to be a art room. I dont know why we have a art room cause none of us take art but then the whole room is ours. All for our own use. We din even have the glass panel then. So no one will know what monkey business we did in there. It was so spacious, the whole orientation could be held there.

As days of times passed on, that became our room. A place in the school we could call home. Stinky dry boxes, floors that never seems to be clean, work benches that were always messy despite being cleared 2 min ago. All these became part of the beloved room we loved. Then we pass it on to our juniors Eunice and gang whom I think also had a similar if not better time in the room.Then we left the school.

2 years of army gave me little time to do my own things left alone come back to MJC. But, whenever i was back I would check if the door was locked( which was the case most of the time), if not I would pop in my head . But the new juniors dont know me then and I was left with weird looks. When I was officially back as alumni, i told Jun Sen that the first thing I want to do is to jump into the room and take a long deep breath of the smell so familiar.

Now, I guess that is gone too. We begin a new chapter of MJC Photog in a new room. A room that is bigger and better for our future generations. A room in which the new J1 will learn to grow fond of. A room where they had to fight their own spiders. A room which they have developed a weird smell in.
A room in which they will eat sleep and practically live in. Isn't all this going to be all too familiar?

I realize now, its not the room we missed. Its the memories that we had in the room that we missed. And may these memories live on..........

Dear Mr OPR (Old Photog Room),

I don't think you really ever knew me and I don't think I really ever knew you, since we barely saw much of each other (figuratively). You were like the milkman who leaves milk outside my door every morning but never got the chance to know each other, which is weird, but since everyone's leaving their last messages, -tear stain-I thought I should do one too.

My memories of you are far and few between, but nevertheless, I have never forgotten them even though they might not have been the most pleasant -___-" namely, having to play catching with He Who Shall Not Be Named and She Who Shall Not Be Named, which sucked 'cos there wasn't any where to run and I always got caught and had to suffer the consequences. Yes Mr OPR, where heaven was to the others, you were like a torture chamber of endless pinchee pinchees to me. -tear stain-

However, stepping beyond your doors was kinda fun too. Opening the door to the OPR was like opening a Mystery Box in Pet Society because you never really know what's inside it (literally). At times, you were so elusive that I once opened the wrong door and nearly got lost in the mugger's fish tank -tear stain-

I never got to see those cockroach friends whom I heard so much about, though I'm sure they're on their way to their new home now. -tear stain- So all the best Mr OPR, I'm sure you'll have many more memories with your new residents -tear stain- and I wish you all the best. I once dreamt that you were swallowed by a tsunami, so please take care of yourself.

Yours Sincerely,
The Squirrel. -tear stain-

"The room beside the study room"

Now that it has come to the end of the day, when the bees stop buzzing to rest for the day, Ange's post have really raked up some memories of mine.

For people who have literally, worked, lived, breathed the Photog room for the past four generations, we really had a lot of fun in the room we often grumbled about. The narrow. Dusty. Cockroach infested. Spiders. And always smelt weird until we cleaned it room. It was just more than "the room beside the study room". (Let me be honest, the room really smelt weird...)

It reminds me of the time when I looked into the new dry cabinet, and thought, "wow, this dry box doesn't smell of anything. Is it even OURS?"

(If you're not acquainted with the smell of stale sweat stuck on leather, try sniffing our old dry box.)

Before the Photog room was the photog room, the sign above our door says "Art store".

That's "the room beside the art room".

The art room was our clubroom, where we had all our activities. Many of the just-graduated members would fondly remember Chee Howe spewing pineapple tarts all over the floor while singing Majulah Singapura. The first time the 06/07 EXCO met Ms Koh. Chasing after cockroaches. Laying the telephone cable. Setting up our exhibition.

Behold, the old study room.

With no air con. No furniture. No projector. No carpet. No nothing.

A club of 40 people would still meet every week, week after week at the unfurnished and stuffy class room. Mr Tee would always lovingly nag at us "remember to lock the windows!", or just hanging with Chee Howe playing the stupid Virtual Tennis on our Sony Ericsson handphones at the back of a club meeting.

The place where we played our orientation games. And PPC had to pluck a strand of his leg hair as a dare for one of the poor girls we tekanned. (and Chee shouting, "hey! we haven't decided which part of your body the hair has to be from!")

Our big club room.

Where King, Chee and I would run around the room like little kids, trying to "shoot" one another without "dying".

Where King and I spent the whole afternoon, sweating it out, laying 3 metres worth of telephone cable for the to-be-banned-by-Mr-Tng phone that directly calls the teachers at their staff room.

The art store was like our hideout. We watched movies, anime, played games. We played card games like Uno, Lobo77, computer games like Chess and Deimos Rising, stupid games like Blinds Man (where we make the room a huge mess, turn off the lights and act like a blind man and try getting across the room saftely), and Chee and I would always "fight" each other with the rolls of mahjong paper.

Where Pres will always go "please put back the stuff where you took it, LEH!" and give her dagger glare....

King's "NO FOOD IN THE CLUB ROOM!!!!!"

Chee's jovial laughter.

Moments of difficulty locating our own green tea bottle because the room was full of them (the then official club drink) and sometimes will end up drinking each others drinks.

We definitely had a lot of fun in the room.

The moment of realisation of real recognition was given to us when the sign "art store" mysteriously disappeared and was replaced with "Photography Club".

The proud moment when the four of us put up our first logo at the top of the doorway.

How PPC literally announced to the whole school, like a proud father, of the new logo and motto the Club have.

When King and I first stuck the first collage of the club on the club wall, the last time as EXCO members.

How we just sat around, waiting for each other to go home, when actually we're all ready but just kinda reluctant to leave those cute little green classroom chairs.

How Chee slept on the workbench with a box cover as a pillow.

The times we fought and quarrelled together.

How PPC and Ms Koh tried to keep us out of the room after we step down but to no avail.


May the juniors enjoy the fruits of our labour, and never forget how the seniors strived for every bit of privilege you have and will enjoy today.

Because we really LOVE Photography > MJC.

To those who miss the old club room.

Hello all!

This is probably a totally different tone from the previous picture-filled,happy post.

A totally,totally different one.

Perhaps when we move towards our new beginnings,there'll be times when we see,our.

M.E.M.O.R.I.E.S.

The past,that we've yet to forget,perhaps never will.

Today was the random unpacking of the new club room.

Reorganising of some stuffs.

Ransacking every single cabinet,looking at every corner...

"I really can't find my batteries!!!!"

Until very,very long later,...

Shir exclaimed that,they were actually at the most obvious place,right beside the door -.-

And then we continued.

Zh with his dust allergy,me sneezing every now and then,shir being called by us so very often.

The printing station is almost done,while the small lil hidden corner is a mess.

So we lalalaaaa and then,we left cause its time to lock the doors!

After that,we left the photog room.

And we went to our photog room.

Found many stuffs left behind,things that we were searching for to bring down.

So zh decided we shld leave our stuffs there while we wash our hands while shir and i insisted we bring our bags along.

But we ended up staying more than just the time we require to take zh's bag.

As he left for the toilet and shir,for her frd for just a moment,I was left alone staring at the empty room.

It looks big,have never seen the room so big.

Filled with dust everywhere,and maybe hair,or spiders if they've not abandoned the place like us.

The pen lying on the floor.

My random filled-with-electrophilic/nucleophilic-addition/substitution-mechanism paper.

Monday.

In the room,mugging for chem.

Friday.

In the room.

Nothing else.

Just the room,literally.

):

We really used to despise the old room and grumble about it ):

How narrow it is.

How small it is.

How dirty it is.

Blah blah.

Definitely not as spacious as the new room.

But now,there's no workbench to sit on and swing your legs.

No paper that sticks on the wall that says "No bags on the workbench."

Definitely not as cool as the new room.

The floor is just cement,and when you mop,the area darkens significantly.

And then,the dark area disappears as quickly.

How shir,van and i were fascinated when we first mopped the floor.

Perhaps the new room will be fun to mop in.

Relative to the old room?

I think the old room will be more enjoyable.

At least there are spider webs to destroy :D

Definitely not as bright as the new room.

Where we have light entering,we can look out beyond the club room.

And maybe shoot hall events inside using a 70-200 with a 2x teleconvertor and tripod to stabilise it.

But we lose the freedom.

The world being just the photog world,away from all noise outside.

Though i gotta admit old club room is really noisy :p

But...

The old club room is the one and only.

Not that the new one isnt.

The old club room...

Squeezy,and it puts us together,literally.

The place you can run in and out of school so quickly cause its just beside the side gate.

We can change one room into two on Saturdays where we monopolise the study room.

Or we can just live in the mess,one of our many weird traits.

And how i can just display my equipments on the workbench.

Chin Chye helps me clean the lens while i write it into the log book.

Just,...

Many,many,many...

But still,we're now in a new room.

So sudden,so fast.

I thought we wont be the exco to witness it.

Idk if its smth to be proud of,but i guess so.

Like how the exco that had our current photog room felt when they have that room.

Yet now,they'd prefer a btr place.

A place where a permanant studio can be set up.

Not one where you'll have to go around searching for a place for studio.

But i thought we'd love our old room for all its perfections and imperfections.

Like how me,shir and zh does.

We talked really long there.

Those times...only to be remembered,never to be relieved.

And the saddest sentence i've heard today...from shir.

"I'm in the room beside the study room."

Ange.

P.S: sorry i just got too engrossed and it turned out this long :/

The Photog Room

The Photography Room - In pictures

I guess most of us spend our time in the club room to do productive stuff, or perhaps to chill after a long hard day in school. I realised no one (that i know of) has taken a proper set of photographs of our very own club room... to think that we are photography club somemore.. 

So, this post is dedicated to our very own lovely club room, which has its own aura that will trap you inside for longer-than-you-know-once-you-step-out-of-club-room-the-sky-is-dark-liao. 

This post also lets alot of the non-photog members to get a sneak peek into the mysterious-and-must-be-very-shoik-inside photog room. 

I put that sign up after looking at students getting scolded by PPC for not knocking the door everytime coming into the room. (And also getting quite irritated by people just walking straight into the room as though it is their house)

 

The always-messy-after-an-event club room

We are the coolest club, because we have our own aircon, two PowerMac G5s and ah dell!

(The fastest computers are found in our room)

The Epson 9600 inks

Our four rolls of backdrop. My personal fav shot

Our great cupboards 

We have our own dedicated access Wireless network also~ 

G5 

Thats all, if you got photos of the club room you'll like to share do blog about it

Till then, happy holidays!

Quentin