Collin Ng's Blog

Me after the race It was the inaugural event organised by Infinitus and admittedly, it was not cheap either.  It came with two race categories, 30 km (run 5 km, bike 20 km and run 5 km) and 60 km (run 10 km, bike 40 km and run 10 km) respectively.  I decided to sign up for the 60 km event to test my own endurance.  This race could have cost me more than S$200.  My club, Aranda Country Club agreed to absorb half the cost and coupled with early bird discount, I only paid less than S$80.     Start of our 10 km first leg run  The race happened this morning at the Changi Exhibition Centre.  For 60 km participants, we had to run 2 laps inside the exhibition centre in our first leg, cycle 4 U-turn laps along the Coastal Road and finally run 2 laps to the finish.     The night before I hit the bed early.  Though I set my alarm at 0415 hrs, I actually got up at 0130 hrs...haiz, I was too excited, probably.  Anyway, I...

Eid al-Fitr is known as the “Festival of Fast-Breaking”.  In Singapore we call it Hari Raya Aidilfitri or Hari Raya Puasa.   Muslims have to observe a month of fasting, which is known as Ramadan and when it ends, Hari Raya Puasa celebration will begin.   In Malay, the words “Hari Raya” is called the “grand day of rejoicing” which falls on the first day of Syawal, the 10 th month of the Islamic calendar.     During Ramadan, Muslims have to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and indulging in any form of behaviour that serves to nullify the fast from dawn to dusk.  They are also required to perform religious duties such as reading the Quran.     Days before Hari Raya Puasa, there will be a “Hari Raya Light Up & Celebration” along the stretch of road at Geylang Seria which showcases our proud Malay culture and other inter cultural events.  It is usually run for a month until the last day of Ramadan.  The light up is ...

The idea of having an International Youth Day was proposed in 1991 by a group of young people in Vienna, Austria during the first session of the UN’s World Youth Forum.  The primary aim of declaring Youth Day is in concert with fundraising and promotion purposes, among others and to support the United Nations Youth Fund in partnership with various youth organisations. While ours is not for charity purpose of sorts and have been observed for more than three decades, it is a festival celebration for the youths here.  It was first celebrated on 18 July 1967 at Jalan Besar Stadium when Singapore Youth Festival (SYF) was launched by our first President, Yusof Ishak.  It involved some 24,000 from primary and secondary school in a two-week celebration then.   This has since metamorphosed into an annual event showcasing youth talents and involving more than 40,000 students typically in the month of July. Whatever its purpose or aim, it is therefore safe to say tha...