Purple Things That Amuse Mel Mel #2

Hey hey~

Because everyone deserves to see their name in glitter and sparkles...

*hugz*

Mel Mel

An Interlude by Charles Schultz...

Hey hey~

I received this in an email today, I think I've read it somewhere before, but I thought I would share it and post it up nonetheless.

*hugz*

Mel Mel

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The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read the e-mail straight through and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.

Purple Things That Amuse Mel Mel #1

Hey hey~

At first I thought my fascination with the colour purple was something that developed while I was in university. Upon further reflection, however, I've come to realize that its appeal is something that has been around much longer than that.

I remember in my first year of high school in New Zealand how I met a prefect on camp who had purple boots! For the longest time since then I've a wanted a pair of purple shoes to call my own!

Behold! One of my favourite possessions as of November 2005: my purple Converse shoes! Hehehe

*hugz*

Mel Mel

Leaving on a jet plane...

Hey hey~

While wrapping up the last of my packing, it has finally dawned upon me that this is really happening... As of 7:55pm today I will be on a plane back to Australia after 5 months away - WOW!

Although I am not orginally from Singapore, over the past 5 years since my family moved here I have slowly adjusted and become more and more accustomed to its environment and culture with each returning trip.

Things I will miss about Singapore:

• Late night makan
• Singaporean AIESEC-ers
• Mum's home cooking
  
• The efficient public transport system
• The food in general (popiah, rojak, sotong, you name it!)
  
• Singlish
• How incredibly clean everything is!
• Shopping
• The technology
  
• MY FAMILY!!

Okay, looking back at the list, it is quite food dominated isn't it? Unlike in Australia where people would head down to the pub to catch up or have a bit of a chat, here such things revolve around eating food - In that sense it's truly my kind of culture! ;-)

I'm wondering whether or not reverse culture shock will hit me once I get back to Australia... It's probably inevitable to some extent, although I think I will be so busy from the moment I land that I don't think I will have time to be homesick straight away.

Things I am looking forward to back in Australia:

• Seeing the Sydney Harbour Bridge once more
• $5 steaks and sticky date pudding
• Experiencing autumn in all its glory (or basically any other weather that isn't hot and humid!)
• Arriving back in time for the season of my birthday fruit - the feijoa!
• Finally starting my MC term
• Eating at the Korean Cafe, Cya, and the Japanese Ramen place.
  
• Having access to more coverage about the upcoming rugby union matches - Super 14, Tri -nations and the Bledisloe.
• Graduation
  
• The return of The Edrick Show
  
• Catching up with everyone again!

Less than 24 hours to go...

*hugz*

Mel Mel

Pinoy Ako

Hey hey~

I was delighted to discover Pinoy Ako by Orange and Lemons included on the conference APX CD because this is definitely my song of conference!

Sure there were lots of other worthy contenders like the hilarious Spaghetti song, good ole Tunak Tunak, the funky Revolution song, or the ever energetic Le Le... but out of the entire trip, this one definitely evokes one of the strongest scenes from my memories at AP: on the last night, a whole group of us, led by the wonderful JM, danced to this song by the waterfront under the moonlight. I remember looking around at all of the faces around me and realizing that only 7 days previously I didn't even know the names of anyone outside of my delegation. What a difference a week makes. By the end I knew names, recognized faces, could recite local drinking chants, related to people's histories and hobbies, and listened to their hopes and fears. As a group we had come so far, and shared and experienced so much together. It was truly a magical moment of realization.

This is a really beautiful song and I encourage all of you to try and get a copy of it to listen if you can. I think it pefectly encapsulates my sentiments towards all of the Filipino AIESEC-ers I was fortunate enough to meet. Myself and several of the other Australian delegates often commented that we felt like we were in the 'happiest place on earth' (a la Disneyland) because of the amount of smiling we did throughout the entire trip. It's true, I'm someone who naturally smiles a lot, but even I was surprised! Sure, the AP is cute growth network in general (in more ways than one! hehe), but a lot of this vibe and energy came from the OC who were some of the nicest people I've ever met. Kind, obliging and fun loving, they humbled me so much and also proved to me that it is possible to be born with singing, dancing and music in your blood!

AIESEC in the Philippines, I know you are going through some rough times at the moment, but I know you will make it through to shine once more. I want to thank you for sharing so much with me and giving me this unforgettable opportunity! Everytime I hear this song I will be forever reminded of all the lessons you taught me and of your inherent passion for life and people.

*hugz*

Mel Mel
P.S. Many thanks to Ces for providing me with the lyrics and translation to this song!

Lahat tayo'y mayro'ng pagkakaiba
sa tingin pa lang ay makikita na
Iba’t ibang kagustuhan ngunit isa ang patutunguhan
Gabay at pagmamahal ang hanap mo
Magbibigay ng halaga sa iyo
Nais mong ipakilala kung sino ka ngang talaga

Chorus:
Pinoy ikaw ay pinoy
Ipakita sa mundo
Kung ano ang kaya mo
Ibang-iba ang pinoy
Huwag kang matatakot
Ipagmalaki mo pinoy ako
Pinoy tayo

‘Pakita mo ang tunay at kung sin
Mayro’n mang masama at maganda
Wala namang perpekto
Basta magpakatotoo ooh ooh
Gabay at pagmamahal ang hanap mo
Magbibigay ng halaga sa iyo
Nais mong ipakilala kung sino ka ngang talaga

[chorus]

Talagang ganyan ang buhay
Dapat ka nang masanay
Wala ring mangyayari
Kung laging nakikibagay
Ipakilala ang iyong sarili
Ano man sa iyo'y mangyayari
Ang lagi mong iisipin
Kayang-kayang gawin

[chorus]

Reflection on APXLDS 2006

Hey hey~

It has been 2 weeks since I returned to Singapore from my amazing experience at APXLDS 2006 in the Philippines, yet here I am still trying to get my head around everything that happened at conference.

This was not my first international conference (I was fortunate enough to also attend APXLDS 2004 in Singapore), yet when people have asked me which was better I have not been able to really respond. To be honest, it is impossible to compare the two simply because they were both two very different conferences that I attended when I was at two very different stages of my AIESEC Experience.

Having said that however, that does that not mean that I have been able to avoid the inevitable post conference withdrawal syndrome that has been shared by all the delegates. Common symptoms include:

• Expansion of your MSN/skype contact list to a ridiculous length which leads to spending even longer amounts of time online chatting (often in incredibly overcrowded chats conversations consisting of 20 people that is virtually impossible to follow).
• Listening to songs from the conference CD and trying (but usually failing and in my case often miserably) to remember all the moves!
• A sense of isolation from those who did not attend conference with you and hence don’t understand all the small things that added up to make it the incredible experience that it was.
• Endlessly looking at and pining over photos and videos that were taken.
• Planning your next trip to another international conference and/or overseas so you can see everyone again.

For me, I entered conference wanting to come out with more confidence about my impending MC term, but what I received was so very much more. Aside from the XPros sessions which were great (I mean who could resist such awesome facis and having sessions in the pool!), my favourite part of the agenda would have had to have been the daily APness sessions. For an hour each evening, 3 countries would make a presentation and share more about their culture. There were dances and skits, some showed videos and sang, others even taught us local drinking games and shared food. It really felt like an extension of global village. I don’t think I truly appreciated the diversity of the AP region until this conference, which is sort of funny considering I’ve lived in 4 different AP countries over the last 22 years. Food for thought eh?

This is probably also the first conference where I’ve ever slept so little (And for me this is quite a big thing because I’m huge fan of sleep!) There was too much to do! In retrospect it is funny that I even remembered my name by the end of conference given that I probably averaged two hours worth of sleep at night if I was lucky. Sessions would start at 9am and then continue on full speed until about midnight. This would be followed by what I call ‘structured fun time’ arranged by the OC and consisted of things like karaoke and skolling. After much dancing, drinking and further general merriment, I would usually end up by the dockside watching the stars and talking with people about this, that and the other regarding life until the sun rose at like 6am. Then, if I was lucky I would try to catch 2 hours of sleep before waking up to start it all over again! Sure there were times where I felt tired, but I think it was more of a mental or emotional tiredness from trying to constantly process and absorb everything that unfolded. Most of the time I found myself surprisingly energized simply because I didn’t want to miss a single moment!

And of course there were so many memorable moments from conference! Far too many to try post here right now. I really thank everyone who contributed to making APXLDS 2006 the experience that it was for me. I truly think that I’ve left a bit of my heart back in the Philippines along with everyone I got to know while I was away - And it’s a wonderful feeling! ^__^

*hugz*

Mel Mel

Hey hey~

Okay, I've finally managed to jump aboard the blog train and claim a little bit of cyber space as my own!

I thought this would be a great place for me to record some of my thoughts and moments over the course of the year ahead and beyond as I not only start a full time term as MCVPPD 2006-2007 of AIESEC Australia but also embark on a new chapter of my life.

So, who am I? Mel Mel, a kiwi girl who did her high school at a Britsh International School in Hong Kong, with family living in Singapore, someone who has along the way developed a quasi-American/Canadian accent, blur like sotong, rojak, sister, media communications degree graduate from Sydney University, optimist, small-to-medium-sized-asian-girl (SMAG), purple addict, oldest child, an AIESEC-er, complicated? maybe... confused? sometimes... enjoying the journey that is life? most definitely!

I am forever a work in progress, so who knows what future adventures await... watch this space!

*hugz*

Mel Mel