HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Written by Toh Jern Ling

Edited by Eliza Tan

10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1… 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

Guess what? The ICC watchnight started out (for my family and me) as the food deliverers. Coach Joseph and Coach Debra ordered the food from a caterer at OUG and since we were staying nearest to the caterer (errr...also about a half hour drive), my daddy volunteered to collect. The exciting part was.... it was raining when we reached the caterer's place! My brother and daddy were almost drenched by the rain when they transported the food from the shop into the car.... thank God, the food was dry!!! And the best part was..... our whole car smelled like 'food.' YUMMY!!!

After giving thanks for the food, everyone charged towards the food. It was ‘makan’ and fellowship time!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

Say cheese!

After that, the exciting time came........ GAMES TIME!!!

We played two games:  The ’Why’ game and ‘Cat and Mouse’ game.

In the 'Why' game, some people asked serious questions like "Why is Jern Yoong wearing red today?" and "Why do we feel happy?" Everyone answered the question of the person to his/her left. After that, someone would read out the question on his/her paper, and the person to that person's right would read out his/her answer. Roars of laughter broke out when there were 'mixed and matched' answers to these questions..... like 'Why do we feel happy?' matched 'So that we can get FAT!!!'..... and many more. 

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

Everyone mimicking my brother's new 'cheese' style from our retreat:

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Photo by Eliza Tan

Cat and mouse:

Photo by Eliza Tan

Me: So, any questions before we start? 

Eunice: Me! Me!

START!!!

Photo by Eliza Tan

I don't want the cat to catch the mouse!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Quickly!

Photo by Nathanael Chong

Question: Why do Ranen and Ian like beatboxing?

Answer: Because they have wings!

Photo by Eliza Tan

As the circle got smaller, it became more and more exciting!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Crowd: Go! You can do it!

The circle got smaller and smaller until it went down to two ladies: Coach Mei Nee and Eunice!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Eunice: Aaaahhhh!!!! Don't give it to me!!!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Eunice won the 'cat and mouse' game! Woo hoo!!!

Then we climbed onto the sofas and beanbags to watch the ICC 2014 Review video. Well done, Eliza! Here it is:

This was followed by Coach Joseph's sharing on the effectiveness of making New Year’s resolutions (Results-Action Plan-Belief-Experience) by changing E1(old experience) to E2(new experience) as this will foster new beliefs (B2) from old and rigid belief (B1). New belief will drive new action plans (A2), which in the end, will produce new results (R2).
Coach Joseph challenged us to change R1 to R2, A1 to A2, B1 to B2 and E1to E2. 

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

Coach James shared his success story about 'losing one-inch of his waistline' secret, which was to exercise without excuse!!! And, he achieved it, congratulations!

Photo by Eliza Tan

We then had a sing-out! The YSGers got Speaker Nathanael and Speaker Jern Yoong to play their guitars and the rest of us sang our hearts out. We also ate cheesecake ice-cream! (Just thinking about that makes my mouth water!)

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

Photo by Eliza Tan

 Besides the guitar and singing, we also had bongo by Speakers Ian and Ranen.

Photo by Eliza Tan

Ranen also used the guitar as a drum! so creative

At about 11:45pm, everyone gathered around to prepare for the countdown. Eliza gave us glow sticks and told us not to crack them until 12:00 midnight. It was hard not to crack them. Some were already cracked and so it was glowing a little before 12 midnight. 

10..9..8..7..6..5..4..3..2..1.. Happy New Year!!!!!!!!!!

We broke the glowsticks and waved them in the air and shook hands (for the speakers, we shook hands, for the coach couples, they hugged!)  :)

Photo by Eliza Tan

See what I mean? :)

Photo by Eliza Tan

Then we started singing. La la la la laaaaa!!!

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

It was pretty dark, so Charis, Jonique, and I used the glowsticks to see the lyrics. Smart huh?

Photo by Eliza Tan

Eunice and I were so happy that we are finally twelve that we kept high-fiving each other. :)

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

We also played with those light-fire thingies which I used to be very scared of, but now, I have conquered my fears! :)

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

Photo by Eliza Tan

After that, we went back to the house to watch the ICC retreat seven churches skit videos!

By 1am, most of the coaches had left. But the night was still young for us speakers...... so we ransacked Coach Joseph's cabinet and found a movie to watch. We had a midnight movie until about 3am before we finally decided to call it a night. However, the girls had a bit of a party upstairs, while the guys did their push-ups and jamming on their guitars before everyone 'konked' out.....

It was truly a memorable night!!!

Photo by Eliza Tan

Words A.L.I.V.E. spelled out with glow sticks!

        The next morning, we woke up at around 8:00 am. For the girls (I don't know about the boys), Eliza was the first to wake up. After that, the boys came upstairs to wake us (annoying!) and because of that, I woke up (goodness, I needed my beauty sleep). After washing up, Eunice and I shook and rolled Jonique over. Finally, we managed to wake her (phew, thank God!) and we went downstairs, greeted everyone, played piano, heard Ranen and Ian beat-boxing, (I don't hate them, though) then, some coaches came and then, it was breakfast time, yay!!! Then we went to Coach Wai Hong's club for swimming and ping pong. We had the best time!!!

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

The girls and Jaeriel jumped into the pool while the other boys played table-tennis (more commonly known as ping pong).

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

After about an hour of ping-pong sweat-out, the boys joined us in the pool. Coach Alfred came and asked us to jump into the pool together so that he could take a photo of us in action!

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

We were getting ready to jump....

Photo by Alfred Chong (Coach)

Get! Set! GO!!!!!

For me, when I went into the pool, water went into my nose and since the pool was like 7 feet high (I think) and I couldn't see in the water because I wasn't wearing goggles, I felt myself drowning. Head lines flashed before my eyes, I was like: 'Oh no!' But, thankfully, I managed to grab on something and pull myself towards shore..errr... edge:)
Then, we went to the kid's pool to go down the slide (sounds silly, right? Laugh all you want, Coaches, but it was really fun!) After that, my brother came up with this brilliant idea: a game of water polo! Everyone agreed.
We took teams. Nathanael and my brother, Jern Yoong were the leaders and were supposed to pick their teammates. Jern Yoong's team: Eliza, me (of course, I'm his sister:) and Ian
Nathanael's team: Eunice, Jaeriel and Ranen (We had decided to separate Ranen from Ian because if they were together, they would probably hog the ball. Oh yeah, Jonique was the judge (Ha! Ha! Surprised?)

While the speakers were having fun in the water, the Coaches yickety yacked away: fathers yacked and mothers yacked even more. :) Then Coach Joseph announced that it was time out, but the speakers begged him for one more round. "Lunch can wait, 'Mossi'!"
But we couldn't stay in the pool for too long. So, our game had to end. It was a very fun and memorable swimming time!

We went for lunch: Bak-kut-teh! Yummy!!!

Photo by Joseph Tan (Coach)

After that, we bid each other goodbye and while we were walking towards our cars, Ranen said to me: "I wish you a happy Christmas and a merry new year!" (Ha! Get it?)