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During my time in HS Urban Gardening, I have learnt how to culivate plants, maintain an ecosystem, and most importantly grow delicious foods. Patience and an urge to nuture is required to be able to perform in this service, and I believe that I have been able to learn this new skill. Although there is much room for improvement, I have been able to socialise with like-minded individuals, who share a common interest or wish to gain a new common skill.

Additionally, not only am I given the opportunity to try my own grown fresh produce, this service and my work contributes to the school kitchen, or other charity kitchens around Singapore. Being able to grow food produce in a country that is limited in terms of making fresh produce (where Singapore gets most of its produce from Malaysia, which would not be considered fully fresh) makes me feel as if I really am contributing to the society.

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During my high school journey, I have been able to continue my gym progress from last year in high school. Wanting to continue my routine, CAS helped motivate me to do so. This is critical for me as I feel that I am able to track my progress, and make sure that I am regularly meeting my goals and not falling off track. Aditional to motivating me, this improves my quality of life, energy levels, and stress levels. I feel that I have been able to go outside my comfort zone to push myself during my CAS journey

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For my creativity aspect, I am working together with another student, Ansel Song, to creat e an image collage of the unseen and seen of Singapore, such as migrant worker lodgings, alley ways in Katong, or the magnificient architecture of Singapore, such as Marina Bay Sands.

Through this project, we are bringing awareness to the unseen portion of Singapore. Usually, tourists (and even resisdents in some cases) are only exposed to the flashy, rich side of Singapore. Featuring the downtown core, CBD, Marina Bay Sands, and exclusive events, Singapore seems like the perfect habitat for the rich. Hosting one of the most exciting and iconic night races, Singapore is considered the home of the F1 night race. But what really goes into the construction of the glamourous lighting, buildings, and the track itself? Looking past its events, what goes into building the 57 floors of Marina Bay Sands? To answer this question, we are trying to showcase the underside of Singapore, the people that actually make the country work

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In this initial reflection with my CAS supervisor Ken McClure, we discuss the importance of CAS. In this discussion, points on why CAS is important to develop a variety of activities and skills along with these activities. On the other hand, we also discuss the time management issues, or rather skills to develop, that also come with participating in CAS.

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In this reflection, me and my CAS supervisor discuss improvements that could be made to my CAS reflections, where a few of them were missing due to time management issues. Fromn this discussion, I took away certain methods to manage my time and meet deadlines, as well as keeping me on track to complete what is requried to complete my CAS.

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As part of developing my photography for this CAS project, I recently invested in a 70–200mm f/4 USM IS lens. This marks an important step in taking my work more seriously, as it allows me to capture subjects from a distance without disrupting natural scenes. In particular, this is valuable for photographing everyday life in public spaces, such as workers in transit, quiet alleyways, or moments of routine that would feel artificial if staged.

Using this lens has made me more aware of composition, framing, and compression. The longer focal length forces me to think carefully about subject isolation, background blur, bokeh, and how layers within an image can communicate depth and context. Instead of relying only on wide shots, I can now highlight specific details, such as facial expressions, body language, or textures, that help tell more personal stories.

This directly supports the aim of our collage project, which is to contrast the visible and invisible sides of Singapore. By improving my technical capability, I can better represent individuals and environments with respect and clarity. Overall, acquiring this lens is not just about equipment, but about committing to growth as a photographer and strengthening the impact of our creative message.

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Continuing my work at the Singapore Airshow, I became increasingly interested not only in individual aircraft, but in what these displays represent on a larger scale. This image, featuring a helicopter releasing flares against a clear sky, captures a moment of raw power, precision, and control. Beyond its visual impact, it reflects the capability and readiness of the Singapore Air Force, which plays a central role in safeguarding the nation despite Singapore’s small geographical size.

At the same time, the airshow is not just about national strength, but about global cooperation. I also photographed aircraft and display teams from other countries, including the Indian Air Force Sarang Helicopter Display Team flying the HAL Dhruv ALH, as well as aircraft such as the Apache helicopter. Seeing these teams perform side by side highlighted how aviation brings countries together through shared engineering, training, and innovation.

From a creative perspective, this pushed me to think beyond “cool shots” and consider narrative. Instead of treating each photo as an isolated image, I began to see my collection as a visual story about technology, collaboration, and the human effort behind flight. Capturing moments like this requires anticipation, situational awareness, and quick decision-making, all of which challenged me to improve as a photographer.

Overall, photographing at the airshow deepened my appreciation for aviation not only as a technical field, but as a global community. It strengthened my commitment to using photography as a medium to document meaningful events and to communicate ideas that extend beyond aesthetics alone.

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Looking back at when I photographed Formula 1 in 2025 at the Singapore GP using only my EOS R100 with the 18–45mm kit lens, I realise how technically demanding that experience was. Unlike the airshow, I did not have a telephoto lens, advanced autofocus tracking, or multiple focus points. I was shooting through fencing, with cars travelling over 200 km/h, and very limited reach. Because of the fence obstruction, I could not rely on fast shutter speeds to freeze the action. Instead, I had to intentionally lower my shutter speed and pan with the cars so that the fence would blur out of focus.

This forced me to develop precision and control rather than depend on equipment. Panning at low shutter speeds required stable hand positioning, smooth rotational movement, and accurate anticipation of the car’s trajectory. Most attempts failed. Many frames were either completely blurred or poorly composed. However, through repetition, I gradually improved my timing and body control, eventually capturing sharp cars against motion-blurred backgrounds.

What makes this experience meaningful is that it taught me creativity under constraint. With limited zoom and autofocus capability, I had to think more carefully about angles, track position, and composition. The challenge pushed me to understand motion photography more deeply instead of relying on technology to compensate. In many ways, this experience built the foundation for my later aviation photography, where I could better appreciate the technical advantages of upgraded equipment.

Overall, this was not just about capturing fast cars. It was about resilience, adaptation, and learning how limitations can strengthen technical skill and creative thinking, which in the end turned out to be worth the struggle, and was rather beautiful.

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As part of my CAS activity strand, I began road cycling as a way to reintroduce myself to endurance sport after a long absence from structured physical activity. Over the past few years, I have dealt with significant knee issues, including missing cartilage in my left knee and a torn ligament in my right knee. These injuries made me hesitant to return to sports, as I was concerned about pain, reinjury, and physical limitations.

Cycling provided a low-impact yet physically demanding way for me to rebuild strength, mobility, and confidence. Unlike gym training, which focuses more on controlled movements, cycling challenged my cardiovascular endurance and mental resilience. At the beginning, even short rides were difficult, and I had to carefully manage intensity, cadence, and recovery to avoid aggravating my knees.

Through consistency and gradual progression, I have seen measurable improvements in stamina, leg strength, and overall comfort on the bike. More importantly, this journey has helped me redefine my relationship with sport. Instead of focusing on what I cannot do because of my injuries, I have learned to focus on what I can do and how I can continue improving safely.

This experience represents a major step in rebuilding my athletic identity after nearly five years away from sport. It has taught me patience, self-awareness, and the importance of listening to my body. Road cycling is not just a form of exercise for me, but a symbol of recovery, persistence, and long-term commitment to my physical and mental well-being.

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Looking back at my time in HS Urban Gardening, I realise it has been much more than just planting and harvesting. I learned how to cultivate plants properly, understand soil health, and maintain a small but functioning ecosystem. Growing food requires patience, consistency, and care. You cannot rush the process, and that taught me to slow down and be more attentive.

One of the most meaningful parts of this experience was working alongside others who shared the same curiosity and willingness to learn. Urban gardening created a space where we could exchange ideas, make mistakes, and improve together. It was not just about the final harvest, but about the process and collaboration involved.

I also found it rewarding to know that the produce we grew contributed to the school kitchen and sometimes to charity kitchens around Singapore. In a country that relies heavily on imported produce, being able to grow even a small portion locally made the work feel purposeful. It reminded me that sustainability starts at a small scale, and that even student-led initiatives can have real impact.

Overall, Urban Gardening taught me responsibility, patience, and the value of contributing to a community in a tangible way. It is something I will carry forward beyond CAS, both as a skill and as a mindset.

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Being involved with JAAGO GC has been one of the most meaningful service experiences in my CAS journey. Through this organisation, I learned about the realities faced by many children and families in Bangladesh, particularly those from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and refugee communities. Understanding that access to education is not universal challenged many assumptions I had previously taken for granted.

JAAGO’s mission to support inclusive and equitable quality education directly showed me how long-term change begins with consistent access to schooling, resources, and safe learning environments. Knowing that JAAGO GC helps sponsor children, develop teaching materials, and support extracurricular activities made me feel that our efforts were contributing to something tangible and lasting.

Participating in fundraising and awareness initiatives, such as Run for Rights and projects connected to ethical products like Nakshi Kantha, taught me that service is not only about donating time, but also about advocacy and sustainable support. I became more aware of how social issues, such as poverty, displacement, and gender inequality, are interconnected, and how education can act as a powerful tool to break these cycles.

This experience has helped me grow in empathy and global awareness. It reminded me that even as a student, I can play a role in supporting change beyond my immediate community. JAAGO GC reinforced the idea that service is most impactful when it is sustained, informed, and rooted in genuine care for others.

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Port dickson - Project week (Reflection 1)

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Port dickson - Project week (Reflection 1)

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Spending a week (5 days) in Port Dickson was part of my project week. Being group 36, we had 6 people on board travelling to Port Dickson, a few kilometers below Kuala Lumpur. Before starting the trip, while planning, I wasn't the most familiar with my group to be honest. I didn't know atleast half of my group well, only 1 person was my close friend, as just recently I hadn't been able to join my main friend group's trip. Feeling quite down, I wasn't too sure about the trip itself, and whether I would truly enjoy, spending quite a fair amount of money on a trip to Malaysia.

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Halfway through the week, things looked much better. Having had to travel for almost 8 hours by bus, we spent a lot of bonding time together, playing games to stop eachother from getting bored or tired, interacting with eachother, and getting to know each other much better than before. During school hours, we never had the opportunity to collaborate on a project, or even talk to each other. However, during this trip instead of sleeping or going on our phones (with very limited data of course), we instead took initiative to learn and talk to each other.

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Having had spent an entire week with my group (and group 38, who I know better), I can confidently say this experience really did open my eyes. I feel like I am able to understand my peers much more, and make friends much more easily, gaining skills such as collaboration with people I am not the most familiar with, or learning to communicate with people I am not the closest with. All in all, I believe this trip was a much needed trip, where I was able to expand my group of friends and connect with new people, to of course gain new experiences.