SMO Prize Presentation and Jigsaw Puzzle Competition

There are 2 events today. In the morning, I went for the SMO prize presentation ceremony which was held at NUS High Auditorium. For SMO(Junior) Team category, NUS High won 2nd, tied with Hwa Chong. We were awarded with $500, however, we couldn't keep the money as it's for the school.

For the SMO(Junior) Individual category, Ang Yan Sheng got 3rd whereas I was 6th. We were awarded with $200 cheque and $100 cheque, respectively. Last year, I got 8th and the prize money was also $100, but in real cash.

After the SMO prize presentation, we had buffet lunch at the Concourse, before proceeding to the Civil Service Club for a jigsaw puzzle competition. It was a 1000-pc puzzle, which was extremely difficult - more than half of the picture was pink and 1/5 was all white (you can see the puzzle from the photo below). There were about 20+ teams competing. After 3 hrs, we did not manage to finish the puzzle, leaving 203 pieces uncompleted. Yet we came in Champion!! The 2nd team had 267 pieces undone, and the 3rd team 293 pieces not fixed. We won a $500 cash cheque. My mother's friend received $125 while the 3 of us kept the remaining $375. After deducting the registration fee of $23 each, each of us earned $102 each. So, today I earned $202 in total, haha!

Soda Green

This is not a drink, it is a pop group 苏打绿. Their song, 小情歌, is one of my mother's favourite songs. She said it was 百听不厌, which means she won't get tired of it even after listening to it for over a hundred times.



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This Sat is the prize presentation ceremony for SMO. I will be meeting Wei Liang, who is 12th in the SMO (Junior). In the afternoon, I am taking part in a jigsaw puzzle competition held at Civil Service Club. Next week, I am taking part in the Rubik's Cube competition (I signed up for 2x2, 3x3 and 4x4 events) organised by Toysrus Singapore.

Olympics 2008

This year's olympics is held at Beijing, China, obviously you all know. Singapore won 1 silver for table tennis team and nothing for table tennis single and for swimming. This year, the swimming pool at the Water Cube is specially designed to be over one metre deeper than usual, so the waves dissipate and reduce turbulence to the bottom. Also, special swimsuit (LZR Racer) worn by the swimmers is extraordinarily light and smooth, designed for better oxygen flow to the muscles and holds the body like a shark's skin. No wonder so many swimming world records were broken, 8 of them by Michael Phelps. Unless future venues are designed with more high-tech methods such as different chemical compounds in the water to further reduce water turbulence and resistance, maybe there won't be anymore swimming world records in the next 20 years! Usain Bolt, aka Insane Bolt, broke the world record for running 100m and 200m. All of these you should know already, so I am just talking crap.

Just some funny videos for you to enjoy.

Future Creations in Year 3000

SMO Prelim Results Out

The results list is only preliminary, showing top 10 for individual with no ranking. Both Ang Yan Sheng and I are in the top 10 at the SMO Junior National level. I didn't get top but 2nd in NUSH, duh. Anyway, Ang Yan Sheng is better than me but then he is in Year 2. At least my score is better than last year, so I am happy. The final results will only be out during the prize presentation ceremony on 30 Aug. But I think RI's top two scorers have higher marks than Ang Yan Sheng, so NUSH's best individual result for SMO Junior can only be 3rd or more.

Actually, I am quite surprised that Jonathan did not get into top 30. Maybe his handwriting is illegible and the marker could not read it!

NUSH team got 2nd (Ang Yan Sheng, Jonathan and I in the team), tied with HCI, and apparently, RI got first, 5 times in a row, which means they can keep the Challenge Trophy. NUSH also got team 2nd for SMO senior, and the first is RI, duh. NUSH got team 4th for SMO Open. 1st is HCI, 2nd is probably RJC, 3rd is RI, still quite duh.

I am also very happy that I managed to get Gold award (very lucky!) for SMO Open.

Next year, NUSH must aim for team 1st in the SMO Junior!!!

Dragon Illusion

This is a wonderful optical illusion. This little dragon is made out of paper - you simply cut it out and stick it together, and stand it on a table. When you move around, the dragon's head seems to follow you around the room. View the video, to see what I mean.

How does it work? If we move around when viewing a solid object, our brain knows how the object we are looking at should behave. However the dragon gives us the wrong clues, because we mis-interpret what its shape is. We assume that the nose of the dragon is pointing out towards us, but in fact the dragon's head is concave.
You can download a copy of the actual dragon and try this illusion for yourself if you wish.