Most of us will probably spend a Friday night mugging partying to the break of dawn and waking up at noon the following day. Well, not this bunch of Shearites. Not the Sheares Voluntary Corps members and a bunch of enthusiastic Shearite volunteers who spent their Saturday morning making the day of another person better.

On the morning of November 7, VC organized it’s first event of the academic year with a trip to the Care Corner Seniors Activity Centre at Toa Payoh. Departing at a very ungodly hour of 8 o’clock in the morning, clad in bright, happy orange t-shirts (white for the VC members), we were looking forward to a day of fun and interaction. The agenda for the morning was games, games and more games! What a fun way to start the day.

After a short while of interaction and introduction between volunteer and elderly, it was finally time to start the first event of the morning, station games! There was a grand total of 3 different stations each with a unique and fun game for both volunteer and elderly to enjoy. One of them involved throwing a ball at a stacked tower of aluminum cans like a game of bowling. You’ll be surprised by how well these elderly can “bowl” as they score strike after strike with little to no effort!

While there was a small element of competition in each game, everyone’s a winner this pleasant morning as the elderly were treated to gifts courtesy of the generous sponsors that the VC Marketing team has sourced for.

Next up, were mass games! It was a warm and pleasant sight as everyone laughed and had fun playing a game of ‘Pass the Parcel’ followed by a game of ‘Bingo’.

Soon, it was lunch time, time for a warm meal as performers from Geyao entertained everyone with a medley of songs. Special shout out to shuai ge Zhen Lin who entertained everyone with his antics that day! However, Geyao were not the only star performers that day as some of the elderly too took turns to showcase their talent in singing as the crowd clapped and cheered on.

Finally, it was time to go home as the bus arrived to pick everyone back to hall. The Shearites camwhored took photos with the elderly and bid them farewell. As we sat quietly on the bus (well not that quiet since Kent Toh agreed to treat everyone bubble tea!), we went home tired but filled with warm fuzzy feeling all over, knowing that we have touched someone’s life today and made it better.

Kudos to the VC team for a job well done and to the volunteers who sacrificed their Saturday morning to help out!

 The horrors of night cycling started way before the actual cycling even began. As per Sheares tradition only male – female partners are allowed for the event and this busy bee had to find a partner to go night cycling with her in order to write this article!

With my most frequent hall socialization occurring with the other females around hall, this was turning out to be quite a problem.

So, I had to muster up courage, puff up my chest, and ask one of the few guys I know, for the privilege of cycling with them. To my horrors, most of the guys already had partners and those that don’t, have a test on the Saturday of night cycling. This busy bee was somehow going to have to go to night cycling…without a partner!

Filled with despair, the light shining onto my darkness came in the form of the news that they do allow girls to cycle one another, discreetly. Oh yes, finally they embrace the existence of female –female pairings! Armed with this new knowledge, I secured a partner for night cycling. Only to lose her to a guy soon after. Undeterred, I got another partner. Who says girls can’t cycle together?

When The Day finally arrived… (times might be slightly inaccurate as this bee didn’t have a watch)

9:30pm We were supposed to gather in the MPSH, but surprise surprise, only a handful has drifted in. My partner and I grabbed our shirts and got our wonderful IC to help us change our shirt size as it’s too big. Back to our rooms for changing!

10:00pm Back in MPSH once more. Crowd looks more decent now. Decked in Halloween-esque black and orange, my block is gathering together to chit-chat, but I can see some ICs coming over to ask us to break up into our groups.

10:20pm We are in our groups. And the only other people I know, are all from my own block. Wonderful. As to be expected, there are many couples and many nearly-there ‘friends’. Hmm, might be a good time for the writers of Shitty to get some info!

10:40pm After a nice and short briefing, we have to wait for our group to set off, so to entertain us and prevent us from falling asleep, the good people of Sheares welfare have decided to screen a movie. Horror movie. At night. On Halloween’s eve.

11:20pm Still watching Coraline.

11:30pm Still watching Coraline.

12:00am Still watching.. No, the movie is over! Now we wait in darkness until we are called. *gasp* Did my ears fool me? Am I imagining things? Is my group finally leaving?

12:20am I have realized 2 things about myself. One, my head is not as big as I though. I actually fit into a size M helmet. Two, my balance is completely unstable. If it wasn’t for the fact that my partner is too shor- I mean vertically challenged to sit in front, there would be no way I would be allowed near the front seat. She told me that she is a free-thinker, but just for tonight, she would pray.

12:30am Going down a slope without breaking is fun! *screams from my partner to brake floats by*

12:50am Mmmm, cycling and enjoying the breeze is fun fun fun. Wait, is that a drop I felt? Might (Please) be my imagination

12:55am Alright, it is not my imagination after all.

1:10am Gosh, I probably look like something the cat dragged in. Good thing I didn’t wear glasses or I would have probably crashed onto a car or something. Ga, the rain is being blown into my eyes!

1:20am Does my IC know where he is going??! And who is that green shirt man riding along side him?

1:30am We see another group. We are not lost! Riding towards Labrador Park now. Mr green shirt is still with us, riding next to our IC.

1:40am Playing some games in Labrador Park now. Actually, I’m just glad for the shelter. The seniors got volunteered to play a ‘guess what she/he is eating’ game, and apparently kaya + wasabi = yummy! Maybe we can get uncle Vincent to add that onto the supper menu.

2:00am Heading to Lao Pa Sat now. We seem to cycling away faster! Mr Green shirt is still with us. He must be an alumni member, otherwise he won’t be with us…right?

2:30am Is our IC lost again? Luckily some seniors in our group know the way! Hmm Mr Green Shirt seems to have left us…

2:40am Finally we are here! And so is everyone else! This is only my second time in Lao Pa Sat, so I’ll just eat what everyone else is eating.

3:00am What everyone else is eating might not be nice. The egg omelette and pineapple rice do not need to be tasted a second time. Taking this opportunity to chat, I got to know more about the people in my group. Including a guy who spent so much time in Block D, he doesn’t even know that I’m in his block!

(Time Unknown) The following conversation occurred.

Group mate: “So IC, who was the green shirt guy that was following us? He must have been charmed by you!” *laughs*

Me: “Wasn’t he an alumni member??”

IC: “No, he was just someone from PGP who decided to accompany us.”

And thus the mystery of the mysterious green shirt man was solved. Our night cycling event must have been too fun to miss out on!

3:30am We finished our food long ago, but we still can’t leave as we have to wait for the other groups to go in front of us. Playing a game with a terrible punishment to pass the time now. Why is there a green substance on the satay plate. And why is our punishment dipping food into that green substance and eating it?!

3:40am Finally, it’s time to go. Onwards to the indoor stadium.

4:00am Brrrggh, it’s so cold even though the rain has stopped! It’s a good thing that I love cold weather. Even if my partner hates it.

4:10am Someone in my group is playing music. Let me get closer.

4:20am Wow, it’s cooling and quiet at night with love songs to serenade us. It all feels so…romantic! And it’s my female friend next to me.

4:30am At the indoor stadium now. They shooed us away as the previous group was still playing their game. Is that light sticks I see?

4:45am Watching some pairs in my group play a “how much do you know about your partner game” right now. Pretty interesting how much some people know about their partners…

4:50am Did some bikes just zoom past us just now? Wait, is that Kent Ridge hall folks?!

5:00am Gaa, the bridge area is crawling with KR bikes. At least the bridge still looks lovely at night.

5:10am It’s time for us to make a choice. To go straight to East Coast, or to travel further to a food place and then cycle back to east coast. According to our IC, it might rain soon, and cycling to east coast when it rains is the pits. In the midst of our discussion…a guy left his bag at the stadium and needs to go back to take it.

5:15am Waiting for the guy to come back. Is that the KR bike gang? And is that a traffic police scooter I see? Why is it that KR is accompanied by the traffic police, while we have to trudge along by overselves?! It must be because the traffic police think that Sheares hall can look after ourselves.

5:20am The guy is back, and we have decided to East Coast directly. Hurrah for waiting for the bus for 1 hour later!

5:40am Yes, we have finally reached East Coast! Since we are so early, we can either return our bikes or cycle around. Once again, the place is flooded with KR folks. Obviously, we decided to give cycling a rest and trudge to McDonalds to recuperate.

6:00am It’s interesting how the people cope with exhaustion. Some people are just sleeping on the tables, others are eating to keep themselves awake, and people like me just stone straight ahead.

6:15am I thank my IC for making us skip the last stop. I just met someone from the first group to depart. They went to all the stops and they just came to East Coast! If we had gone to the last stop… we will probably get caught by the morning office jam!

6:25am The bus is coming soon at 7.30am and there is a long long long queue of people waiting for the bus. Waving goodbye to our ICs, we quickly made our way to the pick-up spot.

6:30am Where is the bus? It’s 6.30am already! Wait, did I hear that correctly? The bus left already because it was full? NOOO! When is the next bus? 7am? NOOOO!

6:45am Waiting for the bus now. Some people couldn’t wait and took a cab back already. My budget is too tight for that!

7:00am Yes, the bus is finally here! There is a flood of people going up the bus, but I managed to find a seat. Oh no! No standing is allowed, so some people have to sit on the bus floor.

7:35am Eh, why did you wake me up partner? Is that…is that Sheares Hall?! Yes! A bathe and a bed await me! Goodbye and thank you for your help partner!

If you have been wondering what happened to Psyche 08/09, well wonder no longer.

The wait ends this November, 2009…

It’s the POOL WARS! After (what I heard was) crazy marketing antics of two overgrown kids thrashing around with “light sabers” in the comm hall, the blocks gathered to cheer and support their teams in the E-shack.  

For the first battle of the war, it was the 9-ball qualifying round for the individual contestants. 28 participants took part in the match, eventually 8 of them qualified for the finals. Their average timing was 1 minute 40 seconds. (Wow!) Of course, this was slow compared to Swee Foo who managed to finish his qualifying round in 2.38 seconds, having scored a golden break. Perhaps his luck can be attributed to the fact that he just completed his other FYP in block A (Heh heh.)

Lady luck did not just shine on Swee Foo, but also on his C-Towner Matt who had managed to ease into the finals based on pure luck. The sleepyhead who needed at least ten plus people to wake him up for the finals (Matt) was lucky enough to pocket balls in whatever pocket he wanted despite being a noob at pool. Alas, luck did not shine long enough on them as eventually it was Vimal and Michael (Block A), Visoth (Block B) and Calvin (Block E) whom proceeded to the semifinals. 

After the grueling semi-finals, the match boiled down to one between Vimal and Visoth. It was a race between 2 matches for them. It was a seemingly professional match that drew gasps from the crowd. With both of them equally matched in skills, the match eventually boiled down to luck. In the end, Visoth, not moved by pressure, eventually emerged victorious. Visoth (aka the new Luke Skywalker) would also like to dedicate his win to his girlfriend, an equally good pool player, Zhen Jun. (Hahaha!)

For the group category, Acers and C-Towners had a rematch in order to determine who would move on into the finals to meet the undisputed Deeblockers. With one win and one loss, it boiled down to the girls, Wen Yuan (Acer) and Qiu Ping (C-Towner) match to determine the finalist. Unfortunately, for Qiu Ping, who was initially winning, saw her ball ricocheting and knocking the black 8 ball into the pocket. With this, it was the Acers who proceeded to the finals.

It was the rematch of last year finals – Block D and Block A again. This time round, the Dee-blockers, having missed out on the championship last year were back with a vengeance. Led by the self-proclaimed international player Bear, with Kerry and Sheryl, beat the Acers trio of Wen Yuan, Vimal and Michael hands down with the score of 3-0. With this, the Dee-blockers were crowned the Jedi Knights! Congratulations!

With that, the pool wars were officially declared over. Jaden, the Vice Chairperson of HAC would like to thank all HAC members who had made this event possible. His scandal and boss, Chairperson of HAC Jie Sheng would also like to add on that he hopes that it would be possible that there would be separate girls and guys individual categories for the pool wars next year so that more female Shearites would get to showcase their skills. I concur – more eye candies for me!

P.S. Comments like the “the pool table is too old” and “they ought to change the pool table” comments could be heard throughout the matches. (*Hint HINT* SCRC, JCRC and DOHA)

P.P.S. Hm, I think I also heard comments like the E-shack is too small, the board games are not enough, the computers are too old and… 

Good Luck Concert and IHG Captain’s Supper has definitely been splendid for all Shearites on Thursday night! Once again the collaboration between Cultural Management Board (CMB) and Sports Management Board (SMB) was remarkable in organizing this event. The theme “Across the Universe” was clearly seen by the efforts undertaken by the CMB to decorate the entire MPSH with paper cut-outs of aliens, stars and moons.

The night started with Natalie and Gughan as emcees for the evening and the atmosphere was quickly hyped up by the first performance by Sheares Dance – which was totally phenomenal! Both seniors and freshmen groups had electrifying performances with an interesting line-up of songs like Sorry, sorry by Super Junior and Stuttering by Mario.

SHaca was next in line in the array of performances. The all-girls group may have ‘guessed the numbers and figures’ but nobody second-guessed their talents after their breath-taking rendition of The Scientist by Coldplay.

The Sheares choir then enchanted us with Take these Wings and Colours of the Wind soon after. Next, Stuttering was performed by another SHaca group of male vocalists and melted the hearts of the females in the crowd.

The third and final SHaca group (a mix of males and females) put up another amazing performance, with a surprising blend of Stand By Me and Beautiful Girls. The lead singer – Sasha, is definitely one talent to look out for!

Following that Geyao gave their best performance yet, with Xi Pen Dao Ye Qiu, Shao Nian and Shuo Hao De Xing Fu Ne. Cheers to the vocalists and the instrument accompaniments!

It was then time to reminisce and appreciate the efforts of 08/09 IHG captains. They did their best, and it was time for them to step down for 29 new captains of 09/10 to usher in a new beginning of bringing Sheares Hall to much greater heights. We dare to reach the highest!

Rounding up the night, Sheares Band gave a powerhouse performance with 4 songs – Hero by Chad Kroeger, Blind by Lifehouse by Daryl, and Disease by Matchbox 20, Somebody told me by The Killers by Zheng Hong. MPSH was definitely amplified by their fantastic vocals as they pump up the hall song after song.

As the concert came to an end, everyone headed to mirror area for IHG Captain’s supper treat – for Shearites to mingle with one another and, for the performers and organizers to give themselves a pat on the back for the last couple of weeks of hard work.

Lastly, a big THANK YOU to everyone else – Tech Crew and IT Crew – who gave in their best efforts for this event, as well as the audience, without whom would not have made this concert a success. The organizers and performers of GLC 2009 only have one more thing left to say – Good luck Shearites!

Hearing recounts from the seniors about the previous MAF celebrations Sheares had with Kent Ridge, many of us freshies were curious as to what to expect on Wednesday night for our yearly mid-autumn festivities with our neighbour. This year, Sheares Hall played host to the annual MAF with KR and it appears, from all 5 blocks, that any rivalry between the halls dispelled for the night as everyone enjoyed new company.

The Acers (Sheares’ Block A) and the Angels (KR’s A Block) were quickly divided into two groups, each group consisting of both Acers and Angels and took turns to visit each other’s blocks. Over at Block A, the Acers introduced their traditional game of ‘Who’s Your Daddy?’ and had the Angels enjoying themselves immensely. The Angels were also eager to share the fun and had an each Acer paired with an Angel to play games at their rooftop. When it came to the gift exchanging, both blocks prepared hand-decorated photo frames  for each other, much to the amusement of the Acers and the Angels alike. Looks like great minds think alike heh.

The Beekers also had a whole line-up of exciting events prepared for the B Block residents (KR) too. There were performances complete with amplifiers and gadgets specially provided for the night from the Tech Crew in Sheares Hall, including a very special love song performance by Jeremy for Min Qi (hint: you can catch this performance at the Beekers’ blog!). Of course, no party is complete without games.  ‘Charade’ and ‘Broken Telephone’ were played, followed by the Beekers giving B Block a yellow plush stool and receiving a glass of beautiful, colouful ornaments. 

Over at Block C, the C-Towners had done up their rooftop with lights and lanterns at every corner just for the night. The C-Towners shared the love with a video of all the Block C special moments, and had Kok Yong and Terrance perform 2 Chinese songs for their guests. The Block Committee from C Block also put up a special performance of ‘Collide’ and ‘I’m Yours’ for their host. Both Blocks performed their anthems and ended the night by ‘pond-ing’ both Block Heads. The joy of cooperation at Sheares’ Hall peak. C Block also very generously gave a door tag to the C-Towners for their newly-painted lounge and both exchanged gifts with photos of the 2 blocks.

The Dee-Blockers were having just as much as fun with their guests from D Block as well, bonding over games and friendly forfeits, and discovering a mutual love for ‘cam-whoring’ together (actually cam-whoring is a universal thing ain’t it?). The residents of D Block prepared a very elaborate gift of a huge paper crane to show their appreciation and in return, the Dee-Blockers gave them a green pillow cushion (the colour of D Block) with sewn-on letterings. Looks like there’s also a soft side that both blocks secretly share(: Rivalry, what rivalry?

Last but definitely not least, the Eekers welcomed E Block with Block Head Quelynn and Vice Block Head Oliver walking over to Kent Ridge Hall to escort their guests over. The Eekers also prepared lanterns for each of their KR neighbours so they could enjoy a lantern walk en route to Sheares. After a round of introduction, both blocks played ‘Niu Lang Zhi Nu’ and had ice-breakers. Literally ice-breakers! Each group had to break a block of ice with a T-shirt frozen in it and have one member wear the de-frosted shirt. The Eekers then had a wushu display by their fellow Eeker Mengyao and a special performance “Shan Hu Hai” by the Block E Band (BEB). E Block also prepared two songs for their host in return, and gave the Eekers an Elmo (Block E’s mascot!) and an iguana stuffed toy. Not just that, they presented their block t-shirt to the Eekers and gave each of the block committee members a personalized photo frame! Of course, the Eekers did not fail to match up to such graciousness and gave E Block a decorated japanese lantern  as well as personalized lanterns for the block committees from E Block.

Of course, how can we celebrate MAF without great food? One of the highlights of the night across all five blocks would be the ice-cream mooncakes (sponsored by Swensen’s) from Sheares Hall and Kent Ridge’s speciality – mudpies- that everyone looked forward to. 

Kudos to all the Block Committees from both halls for making this year’s MAF a great success! Who’s excited for next year’s SH-KR  MAF already?

Malaysian Night, an annual event organized by the freshie Malaysians of Sheares Hall, is a mini gathering cum get-to-know session for all Shearites, Malaysians and non-Malaysians alike. This year, Malaysian Night was held on the 9th of October at the MPSH.

It was a night of fun and laughter as the event kicked off with a game of charades with a theme of everything Malaysian. Here Yeong Luen does his best impersonation of Tunku Abdul Rahman shouting merdeka!

And what’s a Malaysian event without the use of the Malay language? Next up, was the classical word passing game (the one where the players stand in straight line and a secret message is passed from player to player from the front to the back), with a slight twist. Each time the secret message is passed, it has to be translated to the Malay language and back to English subsequently.

Next up, a performance by our very talented C-Towner Zhen Ling who sang us a few songs. Before he was done performing, his army of loyal fans swarmed him with “gifts and flowers“! Yes, we can hardly see him buried beneath all those… flowers.

As the night came to a draw, what better way to close the event than with food as the Shearites ate to their hearts content while mingling in the MPSH.

Kudos to Chen Kim and his organizing team for a successful Malaysian Night!

Written by Melissa Chue and Sasha Cyriac

Mooncakes and lanterns, all enjoyed under the glow of the full moon – yes, the annual Mid-Autumn Festival, or MAF, is back again and so are the festivities. Every year, each block would gather together to commemorate this special occasion and this year was no exception, with both seniors and freshmen gathering on their respective rooftops to celebrate MAF in their own ways.

Just like the cultures of the various blocks are unique in their own right, the same goes for the programs planned by none other than the respective block committees. At Block C, Block MAF was an opportunity for block mates to get together and chill out for the night. Nestled comfortably in their newly decorated rooftop, the C-towners enjoyed performances put up by their block mates while getting to know a few new Shearites who had just moved into Hall.

The Eekers, on the other hand, had their appetites whet by a series of mouth-watering games, including a tasting game where they sampled mooncakes and tea. And if anyone was still feeling hungry after the games, they had a whopping 8 pizzas to look forward to, courtesy of a very generous block head.

Over at Block A, it was a fun-filled night jammed packed with activities, starting with a screening of Madagascar 2 in their very own home-made theatre at the rooftop, complete with their personal kachang puteh man ready at their service. Watching the hilarious jungle adventures on the big screen left the Acers itching to explore, and so they lit up their lanterns and embarked on a night walk to West Coast Park. Though the journey was long (resulting in muscle cramps suffered by a couple of Acers!), the fun shared between them kept them going, and the evening ended with a bang when the Acers carried out their traditional ritual of “barbequing” their beloved blockhead over a fire made by lighting up their paper lanterns.

Speaking of travelling, the DeeBlockers had no intention to limit the fun to themselves. In fact, the guys decided to spread the love by venturing out to the other blocks to serenade the ladies with a heartwarming rendition of classic love ballads. We’re sure that their intended audience was touched by their efforts, even though this incurred the wrath of the resident males, some of whom wanted to pond them! (Guys, it’s time to buck up if you don’t want these serenading DeeBlockers to steal your ladies!)

All in all, Block MAF was a fun-filled night, and we’re sure that our fellow Shearites thoroughly enjoyed themselves. If you haven’t had your fill, don’t worry; just keep your eyes peeled ‘cos our combined MAF with KR (our dearest neighbor) is coming up soon!

When and how did you meet?

We met at the old Sheares Hall in 2002, through block comm.

What activities were you involved in during your residence in Hall?

You Min: Besides block comm., I was also involved in CMB-related activities such as Sheares Choir (of which I was the I/C), and last but not least, Shacapella

Chuan Ling: I was in block comm. too! And I played sports for Sheares Hall. On top of that, I was a part of the D&D Pageant comm. and Rag…

You Min: I was used as “free labour” for Rag!

And now for the question that everyone’s been dying to ask: how did you court each other?

You Min: Actually, I hated him at first ‘cos he was quite irritating, but eventually, we got to know each other better through block comm., and block suppers during orientation

Chuan Ling: And ICQ helped a lot at that time when there was no MSN!

Why come back to Hall for your solemnization? How did you come to that decision?

After four years of residence, Sheares Hall became something like a home to us.  We wanted a place with more meaning where we could express ourselves, and share memories with our friends, some of whom are fellow ex-Shearites, like the Block D blockhead during our time.

Besides each other, what are the best memories that you have of Sheares Hall?

You Min: Stealing slippers and ponding!

Chuan Ling: Not to forget our nightly mahjong and drinking sessions, and Fat Tat Lou! Those were fun times that helped us to build friendships among ourselves.

Any tips you have for the current couples *and couples-to-be* in Sheares Hall?

You Min: Just be yourself…and see how each other look like in the morning when they have just woken up!

During your time in Sheares Hall, you were residents of Block A..so, any special messages for the Acers?

Chuan Ling: Don’t mug too hard. Stop studying and start living!

On behalf of Sheares Hall, we extend our hearty congratulations to the couple, and wish them both a happy and fulfilling life ahead (:

Written by Sasha Cyriac

As I left my home country, I was excited and yet nervous about the life that stood before me in Singapore that had yet to unfold. An experience that would change my outlook completely!

Leaving home is never an easy task. It’s not just the physical things, that one has to part with, but also the good old memoirs of having your parents around for almost everything, friends you’ve known throughout your school life, old Aunty Shanti, our next door neighbour, poking around for the latest gossip. And then there were those precious birthday bashes one can never forget, those delicious eating places and all those little things, that had formed an integral part of my life.

And then that day finally came. I packed the little precious that I loved, and with a heavy heart took the path I had to take.

The next day, I woke up, tired and sleepy, and suddenly realised that the things around me were unfamiliar. The ceiling was different, the cupboards were different, the whole room was different! I was in my own new room in Sheares Hall. And the next thing I knew, I was being dragged by my new hall friend for breakfast. Fifteen minutes and two tasty paus later, we had to rush for our first IBG meet. Several sports events had been organised, and I being an energetic freak, signed up for almost all. An opportunity to meet new people and to shed some of the extra weight I had gained, now how could I miss out on that! Several of my hall mates had also turned up for the meet and we signed up together for all the sports events like badminton, touch rugby, volleyball and so on. Running around the SRC field covered in sweat and mud, with our block mates cheering for us was indeed an exciting experience. And at the end, whether it was a win or a loss, there was always that last photo clicked to capture the moment.

An intriguing thing about all Singaporeans is how each person is so creative and puts his or her heart and soul into everything, whether it was about designing their own little room, or putting up the little posters on the lift. And the best there was to see was Rag day. It was fascinating to see how hard each Shearite had worked to make those rag handicrafts with such intricate detail. Whether it was about working with coke cans, or chocolate wrappers, or paper wafers, anything and everything was used, and with such great efficacy.

And then there were those late night pyjama parties, those little treats at Sheares supper, making cookies and pancakes in the kitchen,  getting wet playing with water with my block mates and doing endless amount of silly stuff. And in no time I had realised that I had established my own little home here in Singapore, with new friends and a new family! In the back of my mind, those familiar words still swim, but they now say ‘Welcome home, to SHEARES HALL’.

The Unofficial NUS Hall Guide from funkyundergrad.com lists nothing beyond the communal hall as our late night hot spot, and adds that “With a supper stall that serves such great food, no one bothers to go out”. But is this really true of our Shearites? Are we so content with our comfort zone that we’ve completely lost the need to venture beyond the gates of our Hall? Are Fong Seng and Vivo City the only places we visit when we’re not cooped up in our rooms mugging our brains out?

Well, I for one refuse to believe that us Shearites don’t bother to go out! Contrary to popular belief, there are various places beyond campus that have so much to offer that it would leave anyone with the itch to get out and about.

1.     Fong Seng and the 24-hour Prata Shop

This is the alternative supper haven for Shearites who have had enough of Daniels and Kumars and want to try something else for a change. Here, you can enjoy prata and iced milo at a cheap price. Though its location is quite a long distance from Sheares Hall, it also operates 24 hours a day so you don’t have to worry about going hungry in the middle of the night after Uncle Vincent’s stall has closed (assuming you have nothing in the fridge). Also, walking to and fro will help you burn off any unwanted calories and fats from supper, so you won’t have to worry about getting fat after chowing down all that prata.

2.     Sheng Siong Supermarket

Next on the list, Sheng Siong is the number one spot for Shearites to get all their groceries, ranging from packets of instant noodles to household appliances, including tacky Christmas lights which quite a few may have used as part of their props during Buaya Week. In fact, Sheng Siong offers such a wide variety that a Shearite once brought his own bags to cart all his purchases back! 

3.     Hort Park

Located in a quaint corner not too far from IKEA, Hort Park is made up of 40 showcase gardens put together by various individuals and companies hailing from the local horticulture and landscape industry.  Judging from its attractive landscape, it is no wonder that Hort Park has earned numerous prestigious awards in architecture in recent years. 

Though often missed out by Shearites headed in the opposite directions towards places like Vivo City, Hort Park has a lot to offer, both in terms of nature and photo opportunities for nature and photography enthusiasts alike. Best of all, admission is free and you don’t have to pay a single cent to enjoy the natural beauty it has to offer; just step into this natural retreat for a temporary escape from your vigorous mugging schedule.

4.      Vivo City

Feeling just a little bit overwhelmed by all that mugging? Then hop on the bus and take a ride down to Vivo City for some retail therapy! Touted as the largest shopping center in Singapore, Shearites can fulfill their shopping needs or just indulge in the luxury of window shopping, and maybe catch a movie before heading back for dinner. Just look at the number of shops inside and you’ll be spoilt for choice. 

And to add icing to the cake, Sheares Hall is the nearest hall of residence to Vivo City, which means one doesn’t have to go far in search of a decent shopping mall. Thus, it is not surprising to find a handful of Shearites walking around the vicinity during their free period. And if it’s a bright and sunny day and you’re feeling just a tad bored with window shopping, Sentosa is always a short monorail ride away, where you can enjoy the sunshine and get a tan on one of its beaches.

5.      Haw Par Villa

Last but not least is Haw Par Villa. Now, why of all places is Haw Par Villa included in this list? There are neither shopping malls nor supper spots, so why would anyone in the right mind want to go there? Well, no worries if you have yet to step anywhere within 100m radius of the place, you’ll be doing so soon during the upcoming block Mid-Autumn Festival.  

There are definitely a lot of fascinating places scattered around Sheares Hall. So, take the time to venture beyond Hall whenever you feel like it, otherwise the only scene you’ll see outside your door is this: 

                                                                       A lonely-looking corridor during Recess Week 

 Have fun exploring!