Celebrating Our New Journeys!

• thank you all who have expressed your well-wishes towards my previous colleagues and i as we embark on our new journeys. its just as well that there are two grand celebrations at the beginning of august to mark the new phase in our careers -- beijing olympics opening on 08aug and singapore ndp on 09aug. haha, these two are obviously not celebrations meant for our job-switching, but hopefully the joyous atmospheres have done something to wash away some of the uncertainties, worries, fears some of us may have going into our new jobs.

• to tie in with the olympics opening, i wore a top with the five fuwas on friday. watched the ceremony from start to end for the whole four hours, cant remember whens the last time i watch olympics opening in its entirety, or maybe this is the first time. at the end of the night, there were segments which left a lasting impression. i like the 29 giant footprints created by fireworks across the sky of beijing. i like the incorporating of the four great inventions (gun powder, paper, movable type printing, compass) into the show. i like little 9-year old sichuan rescue hero Lin Hao walking in with china's contingent as co-flagbearer together with the little nba giant Yao Ming. and of course, i simply have to like the creativity involved in the lighting of the torch. thank you china for the great show!
• last night, it was singapore's turn to put on a stunning performance. it was the second time staged at the marina bay platform. i missed last year's debut, so was happy to catch it this time round. the annual ndp, though sometimes criticised by some as being too propaganda, too "national education", never failed to trigger my emotions, sentiments and patriotism. to me, the singapore flag holds a special meaning. all right, more on that in my next entry perhaps...
• for now, my focus is back on the olympics. china vs usa in men's basketball tonight! the nba stars from usa against Yao Ming-led china, well supported by Yi Jianlian and Wang Zhizhi. there is little doubt about the winner (even the most die-hard china fan will have to agree they stand little chance in creating an upset), but the stars on parade and the home crowd invloved in this fixture has made it a mouth-watering prospect. im already drooling.