Shirt Designs so far

HI EVERYONE!

The following are the current shirt designs (thanks to aaron tan who drew them) that we're thinking of printing, do give us your honest feedback and suggestions on how we can improve them. Also, it'll be great if you guys can come up with a cool slogan that encapsulates the spirit of our climbing team. :)

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Let me/aaron tan know if you have any ideas for the shirts or a cool slogan to contribute please! Thanks alot and in the meantime share your opinions on the designs!

Five things about Paul

Hello. I don't blog so I'm not really sure what to write. But here goes.

1. SA
I've been in St Andrews for my whole schooling life (not including now of course). Yup that's right. The whole way from kindergarten thru to JC. Weird right. Normally people would want a change in environment and all. But I guess I'm not really a true Saint cuz I didn't play rugby. Haha.
Oh here's something interesting: my secondary school principal was my aunt.

2. Anyway, it was in JC that I started climbing. But my interest really took off after going to the US at the end of J1. Here's why:

My addition to one of the many 'postcard' views of Yosemite valley. El capitan & Half dome.

After reading about the historic ascends made by all the big names, it's really inspiring when you see the magnificent rock faces for yourself. Well actually, Yosemite itself is already inspiring even if you weren't into climbing. That was what actually made me go back there.

The Royal arches, north dome, the Washington Column.

I'm no Ansel Adams so please pardon the bad photos. I was using a point and shoot cam.

Sentinel Rock

When I was near Yosemite falls, I remembing seeing 2 guys walking with lots of quickdraws. It was weird because it was winter (0-2degC)! I didn't think anyone would climb in that temperature.

Yosemite is one place everyone should visit at least once! :)

After Yosemite, I visited an aunt in Arizona.

Pinnacle Peak Park

Sports and trad climbing here. Anyone interested? Got free accom. Haha

3. Food
I love gourmet food. To me, it's one of the finer pleasures in life. But it's too expensive to eat out, so I just look forward to the weekends when my cousins cook (sometimes my sis too). Like just last night I had oxtail stew *slurp* :) Occasionally, we have a rich dessert - like my cousin's wife made an almond dacquoise (a kind of french cake) for his birthday. But I don't really have any pictures so I shall not elaborate.

Instead, since we're going to HK I thought it would be appropriate to whet your appetite with some food I had there.

This is from Butao Ramen. The chef, Ikuta Satoshi, is from Fukuoka so he serves the Tonkotsu style. Only 200 bowls a day. I'm not so much of a connoisseur on Japanese food, but I know enough to know that it is really good stuff.

It has been featured in the media many times like nytimes, etc... Here's the cnn one: http://www.cnngo.com/hong-kong/eat/hong-kong-hottest-hole-wall-ramen-shop-974723

I think I queued for 45min. Haha


This is from Tim Ho Wan. It's a one Michelin starred restaurant. Apparently, it's the cheapest Michelin starred restaurant in the world. And I won't be surprise. The dim sum here is priced similarly to any mid range restaurant here. Like $1.50 - $2.50 a plate?
Anyway, look at that char siew! The texture is just right. Also, notice how their bao is more of a cake consistency.

4. Ok so enough about food. Now say hello to Kate :)

She's a Shetland sheepdog.

*I love my bone*

5. Music

"Music is one of the most beautiful treasures of our life. It is the language of our soul, our heart. It is our spiritual nourishment."

Mariss Jansons

(It's said more eloquently in German but posting it in German would defeat the purpose since not everyone undersetands.)

In my iPod you'll find many genres of music. I've got music ranging from OneRepublic & Toni Braxton to John Coltrane & Ella Fitzgerald. I've also have everything from Beethoven to Rodgers & Hammerstein.

I play the piano too albeit very poorly. So normally I just leave it to the people who are more proficient to provide the music.

Alright, I think I've written enough(too much? haha). Hope it was an interesting read for ya'll.

Now, over to Si Hui.

The long-awaited 5 things

Hi everyone! Sorry this came rather delayed but I was kinda caught up with work. But better late than never right. :) Okay in case people don't know who I am:

Alright for the 5 things I've picked things that I don't think people in the climbing team know about me yet, except maybe Si Hui but she doesn't count cos I see her every school day. Here goes:

1. I started climbing by accident.

I started climbing in secondary school with my school's ODAC but ODAC was certainly not my first choice. Photographic Society was my first choice but they rejected me so I ended up in ODAC, but I believe that's all part of fate, because I've never looked back ever since. I was never really under a climbing club till I came into NUS so initially I was afraid that training will kill the fun of climbing, but I've been proven severely wrong. NUS climbing has made me love climbing more and that's why I've been sulky for a few weeks now following my injury. :(

2. I need a lot of sleep.

I'm not too sure why too, but I cannot really function properly if I don't get enough sleep. Which is why I don't know how I'm going to survive working right after I graduate (or how I'll survive in Med school, for that matter), but I guess only time will tell. That's why during camps when activities end I'll probably be the first to head to sleep, and I'll always miss out on the HTHT's through the night. :/ But I'd rather do that than be grumpy/grouchy in the mornings. Which also leads me to add that I am NOT a morning person. So if you see me at 8am in the morning and I don't wave to you, I apologise in advance!

3. I consider myself to be a jack of many trades (yes, and master of none).

You could blame my mum for this, because since young she signed me up for countless things. I've dabbled in these things before: ballet, piano, swimming (I'm a certified lifeguard!)...I can do most sports (except tennis, I can't seem to get it) and am trying to get more involved in things like dance, music and theatre, which brings me to...

4. I enjoy literature and the arts.

Hi gwen, that makes the 2 of us. Although I don't read very much, when I do I really enjoy myself because there are a lot of techniques that go into writing a good poem/novel/play. Good novels are those that do not have a fixed interpretation, with words that evoke different feelings for different people, much like boulder routes I must say. I haven't got the opportunity to do much in the area of the arts since secondary school though, so I'm hoping to take classes in music and dance, and hopefully get to be involved in a school theatre production. Fingers crossed I'll find the time!

Finally,
5. I love going on service trips.

I've been to Cambodia 3 times now, all of which were for service. I feel that these trips help me to stay grounded as a person and they also give me an opportunity to relax and recharge before returning to hectic, crazy Singapore. I've done things from teaching English lessons to building a village house from scratch to painting a school mural in Cambodia. It's really very fun, and I intend to keep doing these trips even after I start working. :) I'll let pictures speak for themselves!

First time in Siem Reap in June this year. The kids were so fascinated with pipe cleaners! :) 

All from my trip in 08, where we built a village house and gave out handmade soap

The mural my team and I painted in 07

Okay by now you guys should know enough about me. You will have to know more by interacting with me because words don't really mean everything. :) See you guys around and always have fun climbing!!

PAUL, I hope you have your 5 things ready!

6 mins of entertainment by Quest Crew

They're the guys who choreographed LMFAO's Party Rock Anthem...

5 things about tan

1) i didnt used to always have such a nice hairstyle.

but i appeared in the famous anime Naruto as rock lee.. oh the springtime of youth! T.T

my life motto: we're only young once, climb hard now work harder next time :)



2) i call jensen seah boss and not ah pa not just becuz i dont have a vertical taco but becuz he IS my boss.. i'm one of climbasia's bangla boys.

i have been working in climbasia since JC 1 and thru my army days... yes i was moonlighting but it paid better than army, who can blame me?

3) i used to coach the vjc climbing team back when i was lobo-ing after ORD.

i think i look as young as them! the secret of staying young is through hanging out with xiao mei meis :)

4)i hate insects

[ no image inserted ]

5)this fact will affect the way u look at me. so i'm not gonna tell u. but here's a clue: its gotta do with my family background ;)

next up.... juan min i choose you!

solar light bulb!

5 things about gwen

Hey guys! I know I took really long to write this, but its because, um haha I didn't even know the address of the blog, and I do not understand google/yahoo groups. You laugh now, but my lack of computer skills ensures that I never get addicted to the computer.

SO, here goes! (this feels like a college application essay)

1. I have one double eyelid and one single eyelid.

Yes, I know its very spastic. As you can see in this picture, I have to be extremely meticulous when I draw eyeliner because one eyelid is double and the other is not. My eyes look normal here right???

BUT!! This is NOT a sign of a birth defect! Its merely the last stage of puberty that hasn't occurred yet. According to my mum (whose eyes used to be like mine) the other double eyelid only appeared when she was 20?

2. As embarrassing as this is, I have a lot of unglam pictures. So many in fact that my friend Kristal decided to create a collage and upload it on Facebook.

For your viewing pleasure:

Actually, I'm so used to having unglam pictures that it doesn't bother me much anymore! It's called embracing your inner Demon Child. As you can see, the wink face repeats itself frequently.

I blame this on the F.R.I.E.N.D.S series, because my best friends and I would impersonate Joey saying "How you doin' ?" followed by the wink. Hence, the bad habit.

Still doesn't explain why I have so many unglam pictures though.

3. I used to have normal colored hair

However, just before school started, I felt that since I was only 18, I should take advantage of my youth and do something unexpected to my hair before I turn the dreaded 19years old. But, as we all know, what happens in reality usually doesn't meet our expectations.

Expectations:

Reality:

It's fine though, Jesus loves me regardless of my hair color.

4. I think I may have OCD. or at least, a very mild case of it.

When I was young, I used to group EVERYTHING into groups of five, and I had a huge obsession with the number 5. No, 5 isn't the name of my childhood crush, it's a number that I was worryingly obsessed with. Actually, just thinking about it now makes me worry that this obsession is going to start all over again.

Also, im a clean freak with a capital C. My friends came over to my room in Sheares Hall the other day, and when they left, I ended up cleaning my table, floor and changing my bedsheets.

This doesn't mean that I don't want you to stay over anymore Ash <3

5. I intend to major in Literature and go on to become a journalist because social convention dictates that I have to find a proper job. Alternatively, I would't mind having a rich (old men may not apply) husband to support me while I while my life away writing and reading. Ultimately, I hope to finish writing my first novel by the age of 25! (for personal satisfaction, not monetary gains)

For the next blog post,

I CHOOSE YOU AARON TAN!

5 things about Shiyu

Hello people! Sorry for taking soooo long to blog, WHY NOONE REMIND ME!!?? HAHAHA.

Some pics:

Me 5 years old

Me 10 years old

Me 15 years old

Hahaha ok just kidding. Those biceps damn gross la. Here are some pictures from my JC days :)

Me and my classmates. We always get into trouble one haha.My cross country team

I was botak because my cross country team thought that shaving our heads will make us look pro, but end up epic fail, we lost also hahahah.

1. im not gay

Okay, first thing first, this might seem surprising for some but truth is.... I AM NOT GAY AND I DON'T SWORDFIGHT CAN! I’m a straight man who had gone through my national service one hor!

Seriously how can something like this be deemed as gay by anyone?

HAHAHAH (sry han)! Anyway for those who didn’t know, Joel and me were bunkmates in army :D So we stayed in the same bunk for like 1 year plus, during which, I repeat, THERE WERE NO SWORDFIGHTS.

2. BASKETBALL!!

Well climbing isn’t the only sport that i like. The next best alternative to it for me is basketball!!! I used to play it ALOT (almost every day) until i came into NUS, where the limited amount of free time i am entitled to have forced me to choose between climbing and basketball (i chose climbing :D). Basketball for me goes a long way back to my primary school days and had been an integral part of my life all the way through army. My CJC’s basketball court was as much as a home as the NUS climbing gym is to me now haha, i would always be seen around in school, in a darker-shade-of-blue uniform (soaked in sweat) and with a basketball stuck to my hips, think i play more than the basketball team people hahhaha. So anyone here who plays too? Can play together some time!!:)

3. CONSISTENCY

JC1 Mid Year Exam

JC2 Common Test

JC2 Mid Year Exam

JC2 Prelims

I know my results are lousy la, but you can’t deny I’m consistent right hahahah! It's a miracle i got into NUS, damn happy they accepted me, or else i might be part of the organising team for vertigo already hahahaha.

4. SIX

New Zealand more than 10 years ago, im the guy on the left.

I have 3 siblings, so including my parents and me, my family totals up to 6! I have two older sisters and an older brother, which makes me the youngest member in my family :) I’m proud to say that 3 out 4 of us are/were NUS students hahaha. One sister have graduated, while my brother (winfred’s dhs classmate :D) is a year 3 computer engineering student.

5. LITTLE INDIA

Yeaahhhh i stay in heart of Little India and here’s a shot of my street: (kope from google image one)

Quite a nice place to stay, very convenient and all, just that weekends always got alot of people, then it is almost impossible to draw money from dbs atms also. Occasionally also can hear people fighting downstairs one haha.

Anyway if anyone going climb at CA must jio mee ah! I’m just one stop away : )

Next gwen!!

5 interests of Jac

Hi guys! Please address me as Jac because that would be lovely.

Since we're going to be so involved in climbing, I will not share any climbing-related things.

Here goes:

1. I have an interest in interior design. When people go clubbing, I prefer going to see showflats/residential properties. I love viewing exquisite interior decor and soaking in the atmosphere the designer attempts to create for showflats and get excited seeing old run down houses because of all the ideas in my head that could turn the place into a beautiful sight. I have personally done up my previous and current home. I really relish in the satisfaction derived from seeing cement and bricks to a beautifully furnished home! I developed this interest when I was in my tween years and have shifted house 6 times.. and still counting. Every shift means a new opportunity for me to design again which I am really looking forward to. 

2. I love other sports which are too expensive to do on a consistent basis. One of them is jet-skiing, which I fell in love with after a Phuket trip in 2008. The adrenaline of flying up and plunging down into the huge waves drives me crazy. Another is go-karting. Singapore's facility is too expensive.

I went to JB for karting sessions that were half the price as compared to SG. And have been wanting to go again. The need for speed and the feeling of being so close to the gravel keeps me on the edge.

3. I have a cat called "Sushi". She loves me the most in the family(or so I would like to believe) because she only chooses to sleep with me in between my legs(weird position to be in) at very rare times on my bed. She responds to me very energetically and looks at me with her big watery eyes. Whenever I eat, she'll be ON the dining table pretending to be the one of the dishes (or sometimes she tries to paw them so she can eat them too). Whenever I study, she'll be sleeping on my books and files just to accompany me.

During my A levels

And whenever I read the newspapers, she will be trying to sit on top of it all right in front of my face(honestly I don't know what her intentions are) but I will still try and flip the pages and she will not budge at all.

Fat lazy ass looking away pretending nothing happened

Her favourite sleeping spot is everywhere in the house with no permanent spot. Sometimes she climbs to the top of the fridge for warmth, sometimes she hides herself under my covers, sometimes she sleeps on my bag which I place on the table, and other times when the Cupboard Opportunities come, she'll dive into the shelves and plop there comfortably. She has since learnt to open the cabinets in the house to sleep with the bowls and plates. When she was a kitten at 3 months, I used to sing her lullabies till she fell asleep in my arms.

Sushi at 6 months old

She has been sleeping her life away(3/4 of the time) for 3 years and still counting. Yes, i love my cat so much that she's the most elaborated point i have here. 

4. I enjoy fine dining a lot. A lot, a lot. I'm most generous when it comes to spending on food. It's one of my dreams to dine at the celebrity restaurants at MBS. But I haven't reached the level to spend $500 on a degustation meal(those damn liao lui and small portions) and it won't be anytime soon either. Many girls' dreams are to buy that diamond ring (over-generalisation), but my dream when I earn my first real perm job pay cheque is to go for a satisfyingly good meal. I enjoy ice and dessert wine too but it's too expensive to indulge in it whenever i want.

This is a toe stall

5. I loved skating. Notice loved. Because the skating scene has since changed. I used to skate with the NUS Skating Club people when I was still a xiao mei mei (secondary school days). Then, I was actively involved in SGSkaters as well, which has closed down long time back. All the people around me were much older, so I was always very well taken care of. I used to be very good at slaloming that I was invited to join the national team when they started a girls freestyle slalom team. I could have pioneered the girls slalom scene in Singapore cos there were very very little female slalomers. Imagine all the potential when I was merely 13/14 years old. HAHAHA.

This video was done 5 years back in 2006:

The move is called "crazy", which I think it's the best description for the devotion I had for slaloming.  I've lost all the skills already. So don't ask me to perform tricks with the very old and stiff joints because they have not been used.

After reading all that, you'd have to do minimal homework to find out more about me. But that doesn't mean I'm not interesting anymore. I still am... hahahaha. 

Next up, Shiyu please!