XY Camp 2009
December 31, 2008 by edk

The topic of the day is AHSCDS. Nothing flashy, nothing gimmicky, nothing over-the-top. But even so, it has a magnetic pull towards me; I always go back after some time.

4 years. I spent 4 years, and some of my best times of my life in this Society. How time flies. Yes, I am sentimental. And all the memories just come flowing back after camp recently.


I don’t know why, but this year’s camp has a lack of feeling. Perhaps it’s the tension that’s in the air about the end of XY. Or perhaps it’s because of all the scoldings that’s coming around. Perhaps it’s the lack of games. Whatever the reason, this year’s camp felt different from all of the other camps I’ve been in. It lost the certain sense of… fun? Of excitement, perhaps? Whatever the feeling is, it’s gone for now.

There’s just so much things I want to talk about here that I just can’t wait to pour out, yet don’t know how and in what way should I express them correctly. End of camp always give me that feeling. It’s like you lost something very, very important to you, and the feeling lingers for a period of time, mixing up your other emotions. I’ll try my best to talk about each feeling I had one by one. I may sound a bit unsuited to say the following things, but based on my own feelings, observations, thoughts and recounts from seniors, I pieced together a little thought piece.

I’m a member of the AHSCDS alumni now. Suddenly free from the usual responsibilities, I’m wandering around aimlessly when I’m not in rehearsal.

Being in the alumni ju opened my eyes up a lot. Because the script’s concept varies according to different people, we share our experiences together. But there’s also so much you can learn from just being there. Through normal conversations with each other, I picked up on how JC, Uni and Work can change one’s life. But seeing how some groups of alumnis still find time to come back, to hang out together, I had an idea.

I decided to put together a group of CDS members. I fear that which happens in my ju actually happens to me. I’m gonna hold this group tight to the end, so that whenever there’s a CDS event, or whenever we need company, I, and the rest of the people, will never have to come back alone. I’m revamping WCG, to be more CDS based, now that I’m an alumni. I failed at most of my jobs in CDS; I’m not gonna fail this. I want to keep a contact list together. It may be hard, it may be fruitless; But I still want to try it out, at least. Interested parties, let me know.

While waiting for the tech runs to end, I sat in the dim light of the school concourse at night with Yeok Seng and Chen Yu. Somehow, the night time view of the school gives one a nostalgic and romantic feeling. I looked around and I suddenly became overwhelmed with images and emotions.And then I was up on my feet and talking about the past to them.

Flashback to Sec 1 Camp; Yeok Seng, Alicia and the rest of my group sat on chairs taken from the SC Cafe at the concourse. We discussed group names, I kept quiet, Yeok Seng tried to break the ice. My first impression of Yeok Seng.

Flashback to Sec 1 Camp Steamboat Night; I sat on the same spot with Gwen and both of us refused to give up our seat to the other. Chen Yu took a photo of that.

Flashback to Sec 1 and 2 Camps; We ran up and down the blocks playing block catching. Kiat Hoh hid in a recycling bin.

Flashback to CCA Days; We set up our booth in concourse and went around attracting new Sec 1s to CDS. We shared a common goal, a common background, and a common identity. We are AHSCDS.

Flashback to XiaoPinBiSai Day; We sat at the concourse, waiting for the lorry to come, so we could load our Props onto it. We wanted to sit in the lorry, and feel the wind blowing in our hair.

I could just go on and on forever about the images that went through my mind. There’s a certain magic to the stillness of night; like a picture, and you put the images in it.

XY 2009 is the last XY. 10 years of XY and XY preparations. 10 Years of AHSCDS members who toiled for it. Who lost sleep for it. Who sacrificed time, energy, friends, studies for it. 10 full years of Memories. Each member has their own unique memory of it. My first memory in secondary; This is my dream, to one day perform on stage, and make the audience laugh and cheer. I did it in 2007; I hope I can do it again in 2009.

Being a member who has been leaded and leading on both sides on the coin, the stable side of CDS with Ting Ting Yuyang’s batch, and WenQi and Yeok Seng’s batch, and the unstable side of CDS, who frequently caused worries to LLB, Trudy and Chen Yu’s batch, and my own batch, the contrast is very real. 2007 appeared to be last XY, but because the members who like me, having experienced the better side of XY, wanted to continue, XY once again soared.

Flipping through old photos of the past brings back yet more memories. I always wanted to experience AHSCDS in the past. The past, where everyone was united together as CDS and less concerned about themselves. Friendships and bonds were made then; I still see them kept together. Audrey, 9 years my senior, still toil and participate in CDS, with that becoming a major part of her life. Alumnis come back to watch the Alumni ju, even though they don’t need to. Those bonds created in the past still continue to pull them back to CDS.

Seeing them come back brought one thought to my mind; Why can’t I have the same bonds as them?

That brought a question to my mind; Yeah, really, why can’t I? Even in this desperate times, I am seeing a little hope. Very little perhaps, but I see small traces of possible glory in the juniors. I hope that one day, they will rebuild that glory.

CDS is more than just another CCA of the arts. It’s a mixture of people, who like the arts, who dislike the arts. Of unlikely people to have been in CDS, but still are. With different attitudes, priorities, mindsets and lifestyles. Joined together under one single name.

CDS isn’t just a Society. It’s an idea. And just as long one person lives that idea, it will never fade, or never die. It will only grow, adding to its history, whether good or bad, long or short.

CDS and XY; Ideas that will forever live on, at least, in my own heart.