I talked to Juwon, a Korean SME who was my team mate for the Sentosa group activity, asking her what are her thoughts about Sentosa

I can't believe it, it's over.

We made new friends, braved through horrible internet, went on crazy adventures together. It was hard work, but yet ridiculously amazing. This surely is, a once in a lifetime experience. I'll never forget it and all the people I've met on this trip. I wouldn't have had such great memories without all you wonderful people.

Firstly to Daniel,

Thank you for giving me this opportunity to chase my dreams. It has truly been an amazing experience. I don't think I even have the right words in the vocabulary to describe it. All I can say is Thank you, for everything. You put up with all our nonsense, laughed with us and smacked us when we were out of line. I'm really glad I got to know you and thank you for taking such good care of me over the last two weeks babysitter. Stay in touch! (:

Secondly to Miles,

Thank you for being by my side throughout this entire period. I know it hasn't been easy on you either and you are a total star for giving me your 100% support. You are an amazing guy and you have my entire heart <3

Next to my Singaporean SMEs,

You guys, you guys. I don't know what to say. Well first off, WE SURVIVED!!! Two mad weeks of attending events, living together(and killing each other) and fighting the internet together. We're a team made up of people from all walks of life and I'm amazed no one has killed anybody yet(keyword being yet). Thank you for being there with me through this entire experience, ranting along with me, going on group activities together, learning and working together. All these memories of you guys and YOG, I'll never forget. Take care everyone and stay in touch! (:

To the Korean SMEs,

You guys are a noisy crazy fun bunch but I love it. You people are AWESOME. I really got to know some of you over the past two weeks and I have made so so many new friends. It was really great to have met you guys. Hopefully one day I'll get to go to Korea and you guys could bring me around. Hehe. I had a lot of fun hanging out with you, going on the flyer together, shopping, eating, having mad adventures like learning lion dance and going around Sentosa.. Thank you for the wonderful memories you have given me. I'll always remember this trip and you guys! Remember me too alright. Take care and have a safe flight back to Korea. Pleaseeee stay in touch with me! <3

To the China SMEs,

Though I didn't really get to know many of you well, I still made friends with some of you during the group activities and stuff. Hehe I know my chinese is really bad so that's a problem. Sorry! I still tried my best with my half decent chinese. Hahaha. Anyway it was really great having you guys with us in Singapore. I hope you enjoyed your stay and that we were good hosts (: Take care on your flight back to China and stay in touch with all of us! (:

And finally my precious readers,

Without you guys, I would be nothing! Thank you so much for all the support and faith you have given me in the past two weeks. To everyone reading this, family, friends, random people, everyone: THANK YOU SO MUCH. I got the Best Singaporean SME award during the farewell dinner. That would have not been possible without the love all of you have given me. Thank you <3

Aw, so mushy. This ain't the end yet folks! I still have more updates coming up as the YOG draws to a close. Stay tuned! (:

Yesterday was our second group activity at Sentosa! We were split up into groups of six and given a mission for the day. We were to pick two or three attractions to do while at Sentosa and upload pictures onto facebook using our Galaxy phones. Our team decided to try out the Megazip as that was one of the newest attractions at Sentosa. The other place we wanted to visit was the Images of Singapore as we wanted our visitors to learn more about Singapore's history and culture.

We had a meeting before we set out at which we drew lots for our modes of transportation that we were to use to get to Sentosa Island. I picked MRT and Sentosa Express for my team! We decided the fastest way to get to Vivocity would be to take a bus to Outram MRT station and then take the purple line to Harbourfront. From there, we would walk to Vivocity and take the Sentosa Express from there. From the moment we set out, our Galaxy S was already coming in handy! We opened up applications like Shownearby which we used to find out which buses were near us, what buses were at those bus stops and how long were the buses going to take to arrive. My team mate even had an application called SG buses that lists all the bus services in Singapore, their routes and arrival times.

Our mode of transportations!

Waiting for the bus!

We found out which bus got us to Outram Park MRT the quickest and its arrival time. When it came, we boarded it and took a short ride to the MRT station. Once there, we took the MRT to Harbourfront station. We arrived in a matter of minutes and rushed up to the Sentosa Express station where we bought our Sentosa Express tickets. All along the way, everyone was busy using their Galaxy S to take pictures and upload them to facebook or twitter. People were even updating their status on facebook or twitter and checking into places using foursquare. The Galaxy made everything really convenient as I could arrange all my favourite applications into one page so I could access them easily and quickly. For someone who has never used a phone like this before, it was a little overwhelming at first but I soon got used to it with some help from my tech saavy friends. I mostly use applications such as Touiteur, Facebook, Pixelpipe and Foursquare to keep in touch with my friends and stay updated. I use other applications such as Google Maps and Shownearby to navigate around Singapore.

Taking a quick power nap

All my favourite applications on my home page!

The Shownearby application!

I use Pixelpipe to upload my pictures to facebook, twitter, posterous and anywhere else I want!

I stay in touch with my friends and update my status using Touiteur

And of course some games to keep me entertained. This is Abduction, a game similar to Doodle Jump

I'm sure everyone knows this game, Paper toss!

When we arrived at Sentosa, we alighted at the beach station and decided to take a beach tram to the Megazip ticketing booth. However we were in for a disappointment when we got there. We found out the attraction only opens at 2pm! ): This called for a change of plans as we were not able to come back later at 2pm due to time constraints. Instead we decided to go for the luge as that would bring us to Imbiah Walk where Images of Singapore was located. When we got to the Luge ticketing booth, we found out that there was a new trail! Our group decided to buy a package so that we could try out both Luge trails. It was a good choice as our visitors really enjoyed the high speed travelling down in the Luge carts and the scenic views over Sentosa when we were on the Sky Ride.

At the beach station waiting for the tram

All ready for the Luge!

Having fun on the Sky Ride

Afterwards, we headed to Images of Singapore and learnt more about our history and culture as we explored the air-conditioned multi sensory musuem. The museum was surprisingly well kept and decorated with wax figurines and different zones such as a war zone during the japanese occupation, Chinatown and Little India. All cultures and our history were well represented in the musuem. I was bombarded with new sights and sounds as we walked around the place. I liked the museum as I felt like I was entering a different world everytime I walked into a new area. Everything was very exciting and realistic.

Wow, this post is getting way way way too long. I'll continue the Universal part of the day in another post soon. Toodle-loo! (:

While out with my Chinese and Korean friends, I took the opportunity to talk to them and ask them what they thought about Singapore after being here for several days.

I talked to Wang Xuan from China and asked her what she thought about Singapore

Singapore is a very beautiful place, the people here are very kind. There are many different nationalities living here, China, Korea and Malaysia etc. I like the Hainese Chicken Rice here. The climate here is very good, it is hot in the day but it is nice and cooling at night.

I then talked to Jihyang from Korean and asked him to compare Singapore to his home country.

Singapore is so hot, I live in Jeju Island but Singapore is even hotter even though Jeju Island is the hottest area in Korea. I have not tried any Singaporean food yet but I plan to try Chilli Crab during my stay here. The surprising thing about Singapore is that it is very clean and the people here are very kind.

A few days ago, we had a combined group outing with the Korean and Chinese SMEs. The programme of the day: Learning Lion Dance, followed by a trip to Jurong Bird Park. When we heard about the itinerary for the day, many of us were whining and complaining. "Huuuuhhh lion dance is so stupid, the bird park is so boring etc etc."

After breakfast, we boarded the bus for Radin Mas Community Centre. Upon arrival, we watched several demonstration videos on lion dance and dragon dance. They then brought us downstairs for some live demonstrations. After that, it was our turn! We were split up into groups for the day, while we were waiting I was talking to Na Hee, Jake, Grace and Mushroom(my team mates for the day) trying to get to know them better. When our instructor approached us with the equipment, we stood up apprehensively. None of us had done lion dance before and we were really nervous. I didn't want to make a fool out of myself! Turns out, it was pretty fun. We took turns trying to carrying the lion and running at other people to scare them. At the end of the session each group did a performance for the rest. The session turned out to be a lot more fun than I expected (:

Short but sweet demonstration from the group of instructors

Trying it out for ourselves!

Afterwards, we headed to Jurong Bird Park for lunch and to explore the park. Entering the bird park, my korean team mates were quite excited to check out specific bird exclosures. I tried my best to show them around despite not being very familiar with the park. We rode the panorail and watched some bird shows which were really entertaining as the birds flew over the audience and performed tricks showing off their skills. There was even a bird who could sing and talk! Everyone had fun together even though it was a pretty hot day. I really got to know some of my korean and chinese friends better. We talked a lot during the day, telling each other about our countries and cultures. Though not everyone spoke english, language was not a problem as I could speak basic mandarin and the koreans could speak really good english. Though I started the day with a negative mind set, I ended up really enjoying myself with my new friends as we learnt new things together and explored the bird park. 

Having fun at the bird park

I was at the YOG Opening Ceremony when I happened to overhear this couple proudly proclaiming to the people beside them that they are proud to be Singaporeans, especially today. Seizing the opportunity, I ran over to do an impromptu interview with them(all hail the voice recording function on the Galaxy S which has saved my life countless times).

Bert and Anita, an enthusiastic Singaporean couple proudly proclaiming that they are proud to be Singaporean especially today. They think the Youth Olympic Games is extremely fine and they hope that the athletes would do their very best with record breaking performances at the games.

Pride for countries was evident as there were many flags being waved and roars of approval were heard especially when the flags of the 204 participating countries were presented.

Cute Korean girls who happily picked up their flags when I focused my camera onto them

Took some time and mad gesturing from my side before I managed to get these koreans to understand that I wanted them to pose with their banner.

Wandering around Suntec, I was lucky enough to bump into an athlete exploring the Olympic Photo Gallery with her family. I eagerly approached her and asked her if I could do an interview with her. She agreed at once and started answering my questions with a radiant smile.

Nic: What country are you from?

Jessie: I'm from the United States.

N: What sport are you competing in?

J: Taekwondo

N: What's your name and how old are you?

J: I'm Jessie Bates and I'm 16 years old.

N: Okay so I hear that you're fighting tomorrow?

J: Yes I fight tomorrow, at 2pm I'll be competing in the 49 and under category.

N: Are you excited to be here for YOG?

J: I am so excited, it's such a great opportunity and I never imagined that Taekwondo could have ever taken me so far. It's amazing to see people of my calibre everywhere in different sports. It's just incredible.

N: Taekwondo is a korean martial art, how come you ended up learning Taekwondo?

J: I actually used to live in England before, so I started Taekwondo in England. When I moved back to the States, I kept doing it because it was something that I was good at and I had the potential for it. It started when I was little kid, just something to get me active and I excelled at it.

N: So how are you feeling about tomorrow?

J: I'm so excited, there is nothing more I could ever dream of. Watching everyone fight today is making me even that much more excited for tomorrow.

N: Do you think you can go far tomorrow? What are your goals?

J: To win the whole thing. In a fight, match after match, round after round, I'll fight with everything I've got in my heart. If I win, good then I'll go to the next one. But if I lose, then I know I put everything out there.

N: Okay thank you for your time and I hope you do well tomorrow.

J: Thank you!

We ended the interview with an impulsive hug and took some pictures together. Jessie was a really sweet and friendly girl and I'm so glad I got the chance to meet and interview her (:

Jessie doing a Taekwondo pose for her family

Posing for a picture with Jessie after our interview

After educating myself about Taekwondo, it was time to head up to the competition venue for the start of the Semi Finals for the Women Under 44kg and the Men Under 48kg category. By the time I cleared the security checks the competition had already started so I hurried up and got myself a good seat in the stands. I turned my attention to the fight going on and I was surprised, two of the girls fighting were quite small in size! However don't let their diminutive sizes fool you as they were full of energy as they aimed kicks and punches with each other. Their fierces screams and battle cries certainly didn't match their small bodies. The fights were really exciting and I found myself cheering for the Russian athlete VALUEVA Anastasia to win as she was really cute but fiery too with her well placed kicks. She did eventually emerge the champion at the end of the day and as she took a victory lap around the hall, the Russian delegation went crazy cheering for her.

Anastasia from Russia aiming a kick at her Turkish opponent in the Semi Finals

The Turkish girl desperately trying to fight back with mere seconds left on the clock in the final round.

The Russian delegation passionately cheering on their athlete

The boys event was somewhat less eventful though the Semi Finals were good fights, the Final match was a walkover so that was pretty disappointing for me. I thought that was pretty messed up as they did not even give a reason for the walkover and instead they announced the winner straight away. Hm which left me speculating as to why there was a walkover. Could it be due to the fact that Israel was meeting Iran in the Final and they refused to fight due to some political issues? Hm hm hm. What do you guys think?

Here are pictures from the fantastic demonstration put up by the World Taekwondo Federation team

On Sunday I journeyed to Suntec City to cover a sport I have never watched before, TAEKWONDO. When I arrived, I found out that the semi finals only start at 6.30 so since I had a little time to kill I decided to wander around and check out the action outside the venue. I went down and found a Learn To Play program! In this programme, you could learn either Taekwondo or Fencing. Since I'm a fencer, I decided I should learn Taekwondo as I wanted to know more about it since it's the event I'm covering today. I hurried over excitedly and filled out the form. Once that was done, I had to go through a short briefing where I learnt about Taekwondo's history and rules. So here are some of the stuff I learnt:

Athletes who practise Taekwondo are also taught values such as Indomitable Spirit, Perseverance, Good Manners, Courtesy, Integrity, Resolution, Persistence, Unconquerable, Will Power, Restraint, Politeness, Steadfast and Self Control. This shows that Taekwondo is a sport that not only trains you physically but in a way of life as well. 

After we finished the briefing, we then lined up on the mats facing our instructors. Looking at the other participants, I realised I was the only teenager there. However I decided to put aside my dignity and join the little kids in their fun and boy did I enjoy myself. The course was quite a short one, we learnt a few simple kicks like the front kick and side kick. We also learnt how to punch! Though the course only lasted 5 minutes, I was huffing and puffing by the end of it. Taekwondo certainly isn't as simple as it looks!

Okay in my next post I'll be uploading pictures and talking about the fights I watched that day! (:

Me attempting a side kick!

Super happy with my certificate after I completed the course!

Hehe little kids I learnt Taekwondo with!

I'm currently writing up my Taekwondo article now, but just to keep you guys entertained I thought I'd do a short update. I went down to the Singapore office after breakfast and look what I found there.

Hehe this is me, running in the torch relay! (:

I went searching around the office for more goodies and I found some really cute Lyo and Merly YOG pins. Hehe don't you think it's cute. I went crazy when I found them. Since I'm such a nice person(hehehe) I decided to share my treasures with you! Comment on this post and tell me what you think of my blog so far. Examples of comments: Oh I love your blog, it's really nice to read. Hahahah kidding. I'll choose my favourite comment and give that person this super cute pin! Leave your email address in your comment and I'll be in touch with you if you're my favourite commenter. Go go go comment! Contest ends this Friday 20th August at 11.59pm.

I was wandering around Marina Promontory waiting for the concert to begin when I bumped into two athletes from Serbia taking pictures of themselves with Singapore's skyline. Here's a video of my interview with them!

There were many many people who came down to The Marina Promontory to catch Korean stars Beast and 4minute in action. Those who were lucky had tickets to the concert, the not so lucky ones camped outside the barricades hoping to catch a glimpse of their idols. I was walking around taking pictures of the fans. I bumped into these two cute girls outside the barricades waiting for the show to begin and so I decided to interview them.

The Urban Drum Crew stunned the crowd at The Marina Promontory with their colourful drums display and amazing skills

My apologies for this super late update, but posterous has been giving me such hell with the uploading of pictures. So I've decided to just heck it for now and update my blog without pictures for the time being. I'll resize the pictures in my spare time and try uploading them again. For now, just bear with me and my wordy posts!

In this update, I'll be talking to you guys about the fantastic experience we had at the opening ceremony!

It was with great excitement when the other SMEs and myself left the hotel for the the YOG opening ceremony. The first thrill of the day was using our opening ceremony tickets as an ezlink card. There was much skepticism amongst us with us all being typical Singaporeans asking doubtfully,"Really will work meh?" To my delight, the card beeped successfully when I tapped it against the reader. It certainly is an interesting twist, as the opening ceremony ticket triples up as a Visa card as well as an ezlink card. Amazing!

When we arrived at Marina Square, we were greeted by a massive queue to enter the roads leading to the Floating Platform. What's the hold up? Intensive security checks. Security certainly was not taken lightly at the ceremony yesterday as numerous metal detectors and scanners were set up. After we finally got past the security checks and collected our audience interactive packs, we hurried to the entrance for the light blue sector.

Finding ourselves the best seats possible, we sat down and prepared ourselves for the start of the ceremony. The hosts came out after a few minutes to brief the audience about their interactive packs. We had two torches to use, one in the shape of a heart and the other was a dove. These beautiful torches look great lit up! It was an amazing sight when the audience switched on their torches together and waved them around.

Soon thereafter, the show began! It was a blur of colorful costumes, good music, lights flashing and plenty of fireworks. There were many different acts, from modern and traditional dances, to drum acts, to singing acts and even a scene where they fought against a giant monster. Throughout the show, performers came and danced amongst the audience. Stage crew even walked along the aisles carrying giant puppets which were really adorable. 

Then came the presentation of all 204 participating countries' flags. When a country was presented, there was always cheers from the audience. However the biggest support of all of course came when the Singapore flag was  presented. When the flag was brought out, the entire audience leaped to their feet frantically waving their flags and roaring their approval.

For me, the highlight of the show was when the Youth Olympic Flame arrived at the ceremony. The flame arrived in a dragon boat carried by the Singaporean swimmer Amanda Lim. This brought gasps and cheers from the audience as they spied the boat approaching the platform from afar. The flame was then passed on to several other Singaporean youth athletes and finally Singaporean sailor Darran Choy lit the cauldron to deafening cheers from the audience. The audience watched in awe as the flame travelled up in a spiral towards the cauldron finally ending up in a vortex flame at the top of the tower. I have to say, I felt unspeakably proud as I watched the flame burning in the tower. Watching the flame reach the cauldron was all the more special for me as I was one of 2,400 torchbearers in the Singapore leg of the JYOF.

All too soon, the ceremony came to a close after Singapore's president SR Nathan declared the YOG open. Though the show was a spectacular one, what really struck me was the pride and joy that all Singaporeans had for their country today. Hosting the inaugural Youth Olympic Games is such a big honor for Singapore and our pride was really apparent in the cheers and enthusiasm of the audience. I hope that over the next few days, all the games would run smoothly and that this YOG will be a successful one.

I'll be watching Taekwondo tomorrow, it is my first time watching the sport and I'm quite excited to see what it'll be like!

After catching NDP on television, I looked up Joakim Gomez the next day to interview him about his National Day experience and aspirations.

Today marks the official beginning of the Samsung Mobile Explorer(SME) program. All 10 of us gathered at Samsung Hub for an official introduction to the program where we met our counterparts from China and Korea. It was kind of strange at first but after we got over the initial awkwardness, conversation just flowed as we got to know each other better. After we attended a quick photography session together, we headed down to the CIty Celebrations at the Marina Promontory with our new found friends.

The City Celebrations passed in a blur of excitement and spam of photographs. I was so excited when I arrived, I immediately took out my camera and started snapping away. Which of course means that I have about a million(okay not quite) pictures to sort through now. Haha. I didn't really like sitting around during the acts so I walked around, exploring the sidewalk around the promontory checking out the little stalls and side acts. Though my back was aching by the time I got back to the concert area, I was rewarded with interesting pictures and an interview with two Srbija athletes.

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The gigantic city celebrations backdrop that everyone was taking pictures with[[posterous-content:pid___1]]

The various entrances for the concert

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The stage area for the City Celebrations at Marina Promontory

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Yay we're here!

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Fans who camped outside the barricades waiting for the acts to begin

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The awesome coke stand which was handing out free coke! :D

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The arrival of Minister Mentor Lee Kwan Yew

Returning back to the concert area, I settled back into my seat to wait for the main acts 4 minute and Beast to begin. It was a long wait but it was worth it when the two acts finally took the stage. The appearance of the stars got their fans going insane, jumping out of their seats, screaming and waving their posters and flags. The two Korean bands were definitely the highlight of the night with their funky dance moves and upbeat songs keeping the audience on their feet and asking for more.

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SMEs caught in action!

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Crazy korean fans who came at 5pm just to get good seats

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The huge crowded in the VIP section

I am completely exhausted right now as I sit in our office doing this update. I would love to be in bed right now or evens stuffing my face(I haven't had my dinner! ): ), but because I am such a hard worker(ahem ahem) I decided to do this update before I allow myself to go to bed or eat. Though it was a super tiring night, it was filled with excitement while exploring the promontory and enjoying the concert put up by the different acts. Tomorrow I will be attending the YOG opening ceremony along with my fellow SMEs, excited! Hehe.

Sorry there are tons more pictures but due to the file upload size restrictions, they'll only be up in the next few posts!

Here are some videos I took during my journey as a torchbearer during the second day of the torch relay.

Look at the supporters lining the streets!

Waiting for my turn to bear the torch

After my run (:

I would like to thank my classmate Syafiq for his assistance in uploading the videos, the last few posts would not have been possible without you! (:

I went to say hi to the Samsung and Coca Cola cheer buses that were part of the JYOF convoy. These people are amazing, they sacrificed their weekend volunteering to be part of the JYOF cheer squad. Their energy and enthusiasm completely overwhelmed me. Big shout out to all these wonderful people, thank you for your support and love!

The award winning MONSER cheerleading squad from Taiwan wowed the crowd with their spectacular moves during their performance at the JYOF community celebrations at NYP.

Check out the video of their performance here. Apologies for the shaky quality as I was tip toeing throughout the performance.

Check out the butt bump Jen and I did before she passed me the Flame! :D

This video was supposed to be up ages ago but due to technical issues I only literally JUST managed to get it up on youtube. Yay! (:

So here you are for your viewing pleasure, the students of Nanyang Polytechnic performing the dance to the Singapore YOG cheer. I thought they had got rid of the song for good, but apparently not. Hm. Let me know what you think. Thumbs up or thumbs down? Do you think Singapore should get rid of the cheer once and for all?

Yesterday, I became a part of Olympic history. I took part in the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame and I cannot even begin to describe what the experience was like, but I'm going to try my best.

First, a little background information about the YOF. It's journey started in Greece, specifically Olympia on 23 July 2010. It then started it's journey around the world where it travelled to five cities which represented the five different continents. The JYOF will pass through this five cities dubbed the celebration cities: Berlin(Germany), Dakar(Senegal), Mexico City(Mexico), Auckland(New Zealand) and Seoul(South Korea). The Flame reached our sunny shores on 5th August. An interesting fact is that the International Olympics Committee(IOC) has actually decreed that there would be no more international torch relays after the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Prior to that, only twice has the Olympic Flame been carried over more than one continent and that happened in the Beijing 2008 Olympics and the Athens 2004 Olympics. However the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (SYOGOC) made an appeal to the IOC and they made an exception for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games(YOG). Therefore the JYOF is made even more special as this is the last time the Olympic Flame will be carried in an international relay.

When I first heard that I was chosen to be a torchbearer, I was so overwhelmed I actually teared. I couldn't believe my ears when I heard the news, I jumped up and down and screamed. Prior to the big day, I did my homework and read up about the JYOF and the Olympic Flame. The day before the relay, I attended the community celebrations at Nanyang Polytechnic to experience the atmosphere and to report on the event.

On my day of the relay, I made my way down to St Patrick's School to report before the afternoon leg of the JYOF started. We were given number tags and a short briefing before they herded us onto special red JYOF buses to drop us off at our designated pick up points. It was a long journey but it was anything but boring. I was interacting with the other torchbearers in the bus and found them to be of different ages, occupations and races. Everyone was represented, from kids to the elderly, students to Grass Roots leaders.

Posing with the torch at St Patrick's School

Posing for one last picture before we head off

Check out the convoy that accompanied us

It took about an hour to get to my drop off point but time passed quickly as I was standing at the window the entire time waving to all the supporters that lined the streets. The support and love shown for the torchbearers and JYOF was truly amazing. As we passed by the residential areas, we saw entire communities out there along the streets waving our national flags, YOG flags and some even printed out special banners declaring their support for the YOG. A wedding and soccer game even stopped their events to come out to the roadside to support the JYOF as the convoy passed by. But I have to say, the craziest support came from the Coca Cola and Samsung Cheer buses. These guys were incredible, they were with us throughout our journey, screaming blowing their vuvuzelas and frantically waving anything they had to cheer us on. All the people on these buses were selfless people who volunteered their weekends to be part of the cheer squads. I salute you guys! Thank you so much for all the support and love given ♥

On the way to the drop off point

Supporters along the way

Nurses outside Changi Hospital who abandoned their work to come support the JYOF

Two little boys who followed us on their bikes all the way from the start of the journey to the end. Thought they deserved at least a photo for their commendable perserverance. I wonder how they got back to Bedok from Simei after the event..

When it was finally my turn to be dropped off, I dismounted from the bus and was greeted by my fellow SMEs and the energetic Samsung cheer squad positioned at my lamp post. After posing for a quick group picture with them, I went onto the road to wait for Jenifer to appear with the torch. I did not have to wait long before she arrived escorted by the support runners. We posed for a few seconds in front of the media van before she passed the torch to me and then off I went. I smiled from ear to ear, waving to any supporters I saw along the way. I must say, the torch was heavier than I expected as my arm was aching during the journey. Nevertheless I perservered to keep the Flame high in the air, lifting it up proudly. Before I knew it, my 200m journey with the Flame was over and I had to pass it on to the next Torchbearer. I waited a minute or so before the pick up bus came to collect me. My fellow torchbearers greeted me with cheers, handshakes, highfives and hugs when I boarded the bus. We eagerly exchanged experiences and laughter as we were sent to ITE East where the Flame was to rest for the night and for the community celebration of the day. After the celebrations ended, I was grabbed for an interview with mediacorp where they asked me what it was like to be the torchbearer and what were my thoughts about the JYOF. Look out for the Samsung ads over the next few weeks where the footage from my interview will be aired!

The awesome Samsung cheer bus!

The Samsung cheer squad positioned at my lamp post

Posing for a picture with the Samsung cheer squad. Thanks so much for being there, you guys are amazing!

Receiving the torch from Jenifer

Posing for the cameras, check out the huge beam on my face

Anddddd I'm off!

Waving and smiling as I go

Check out all the people escorting me :D

Overall, I have to say the experience was an amazing one. I'll never forget what it was like to be holding the torch and running down the street waving to everyone. I remember looking up at the Torch in awe and thinking to myself, "Wow this was the Flame that has travelled through 5 different continents and I'm carrying it right now!" The feeling of pride not only for myself but for my nation as well was simply uplifting. I forgot my fatigue and strove to bear the torch high and proud for the rest of my journey. I am proud to represent Singapore and Samsung in the JYOF and I thank Samsung for giving me this wonderful opportunity. Check out the pictures from my journey below. All images were taken using my Samsung Galaxy S.  I also took videos along the way and am trying to figure out how to upload them. Stay tuned for my next entry on National Day! (:

Group picture of all the torchbearers on Bus 7, thanks for sharing this wonderful experience with me! (: