Yay Invest...

Investiture for me can honestly be said to have started the day before, in the midst of drafting notes, designing notes, writing notes... all the way to 6:30 AM. Then after that came the hard part - waking up - at 7:30 AM when I went off to school.

Investiture this year was held in an LT instead of a classroom, which is a vast improvement in terms of space. And it could be my imagination, but I seemed to recall a lot fewer people attending Investiture last year than this year.

Anyway Investiture this year was TRULY AWESOME, a million times better for me than last year's. Yep, and I attribute this mainly to the strength of the J1 batch, who I find really inspiring and wonderful people. Of course there's my batch too, all great and equally awesome people whom I really couldn't imagine life without, but really the J1s really strike a deep chord together, and it's amazing to stand here on the sidelines watching them come together. Really GMH.

(disclaimer: photos courtesy of Cassandra and Benni)

So first up were the speeches by Lucas and Zhenyi, our BM and ABM, and two more hardworking, committed, and fun leaders we could not ask for. Thanks to all that you two have done for us over the past year, in and beyond band. Best CCALs ever! XD Okay Bonaventure's in this pic too so I'll mention him haha: best SC ever! and cool EXCO member too haha... can't imagine band without you haha XD!

Next up were their successors, Talia and Johnson, giving another speech. Interesting that both come from the fluboe section, haven't seen anything like that before. But no matter, I'm sure you both will prove yourselves in times to come. Don't worry (or actually, worry) the J2s will always be watching haha :)

After that came the actual handover of EXCO'10 to EXCO'09. Hmm... well I know I wasn't a really active member of the EXCO, often having to be chased by Lucas/Zhenyi to do stuff, most of it well over the stipulated deadline. Well, to the two new librarians, Patrick and Cheryl (wish you were here!), hope you two have observed Ethel and I well over the course of our term. Hope that you two will continue what was good and improve on what was bad... yeah and do the library proud XD. It's interesting to note that before the interviews and stuff I never would have anticipated the two of you as my successors, yep but here we are, and I wish you two all the best! (you'll need it, librarian is a real pain)

So upon conclusion of the "official" handovers came the unofficial ones. We broke into sections to exchange gifts, and before long the LT was full of happy conversation. Yep, thanks clarinets for all the notes and presents! I really love the photos especially, because they help me to recall all the cool times we had. (okay who am I kidding we didn't actually have that many because I was so antisocial and fail at bringing the section together but there were some really nice bits at the end haha :D)

So sad right that there were only four of us today due to circumstances. Haha Cass I know you read this, and yeah I really appreciate all the effort (and money!) that went into the wonderful card and the photo frame!

My biggest treasures of all Investiture are the notes. Among guys, we don't often open up so much, so it's always painful for me to keep guessing what everyone really thinks of me. I feel that notes are really one of the sincerest ways to show thanks, yeah and I cherish each and every note. I have this box full of band memorabilia, a third of which are programme booklets and tickets of every single concert I've attended, another third of which are random items and presents collected through my band years, and the last third - and most treasured - are my notes given to me by seniors, juniors, and (finally!) batchmates.

Yeah and this year there were many more notes than normal, because it's the first time we batchmates are writing to one another. And these notes, I love especially.

The noisy cheerfulness of gift-giving soon gave way to the J1 batch items, and for this part I'll let the videos tell the story.

[J1s] - Batch Song
Haha we finally get to hear it in it's full glory!

[J1s] - Time To Say Goodbye
The name of the song sounds vaguely familiar... but the mood was apparent through the music. Loved the idea of the slideshow being accompanied by live music! And very appropriate song for such an occasion...

[J1s] - Speeches: Fluboes, Clarinets, Saxophones & Lower Woodwinds
I LOVE THIS IDEA! Was really touched by this gesture, also laughed to death at other parts.
Highlights:
1:27 - big forearms!
1:44 - DUN WAN I WANNA SLACK
1:54 - section romance haha!
3:36 - sorry Hui Jun but OMG THIS MOMENT TRUMPS ALL OTHERS!!!

[J1s] - Speeches: Trumpets, French HORN, Trombones
Highlights:
0:27 - haha Russell I think you saw that one coming XD
2:46 - "well other sections have 1 minute to talk about their seniors..."
3:25 - hottest and cutest guy omg

[J1s] - Speeches: Euphoniums, Basses
Highlights:
1:13 - Indian accent FTW
2:33 - "never wears anything that is white..."
3:04 - OMG
4:17 - pissing off the student conductor and carrying on the tradition this year lol
7:11 - "but to touch it is just gay!"

[J1s] - Speeches: Percussion
Highlights:
0:14 - "I'm not going to roll on the floor cos the floor is very dirty..."
1:26 - "eh y'all give me wan hor"

[J2s] - Lean On Me
Lean on me
When you're not strong
And I'll be your friend
I'll help you carry on
For
No one can fill
Those of your needs
That you won't let show

Haha I really love this song! And I really enjoyed singing it although my singing sucks and I'm singing, like, HUMM HUMM HUMM HUMMMMMMM... I'm sure it will bring back loads of memories in the future.

[Whole Band] - I'm Yours
Well open up your mind and see like me
Open up your plans and damn you're free
Look into your heart and you'll find love love love

Listen to the music of the moment people, dance and sing
We're just one big family
And it's our God-forsaken right to be loved loved loved loved loved

So I won't hesitate no more, no more
It cannot wait, I'm sure
There's no need to complicate, our time is short
This is our fate, I'm yours

Yep so that concluded PART ONE of Investiture.

Well PART TWO was section outing! Unfortunately our section was only 4/7 today, with Jessica Kangwei and Cheryl being missing :(. So in the end we camped out the varese for a long while, then we camped in the J8 Subway eating lunch and talking for 3 hours. Haha it's quite cool that we can actually talk for 3 hours... even though some bits of the conversation was quite weird haha XD.

And after that we made our way down to Samantha Seah's house.

First impression: AWESOMELY BIG

Yeah it was really big, and a nice place to have a BBQ. A large part of the band came, So between BBQing and playing Band Hero on the big TV, there was also lots of bridge, lots of UGLYUGLYUGLY, and lots of really delicious food! My heart and stomach go out to the chocolate fondue, especially with the bananas. I remember once I had a really nice cheese fondue in Switzerland, and this chocolate fondue was just as nice haha XD.

So we stayed there, doing random stuff like frisbeeing and screaming (not me) our lungs out to the Band Hero mike, as well as taking lots of pics. Unfortunately I haven't got any of the pics there but when I do they'll be here.

We stayed pretty late, till about 10:45 PM, and that concluded PART THREE. Was a really great evening, and day as a whole. This has been my best Investiture ever, and it was one of my most awesome days every; made good by this really great band which I will truly and sincerely miss it once I'm gone (which happens to be about now). Thanks to everyone, for being so awesome in your own way, and for making this part of my life the meaningful and fulfilling part that it has been!

THANK YOU RJCSB!

Labels: band