Rag Day

Rag Day actually started one day earlier - i.e. on Friday 5th Aug it was already officially rag day, cos i didn't get to sleep a wink that night. Never could i know that the day could be so long. Woke up at 1100 (Friday time) in hall, went to eat lunch with Wang at YIH (after his damned QET), went back to hall and back home, around 1400, and felt guilty not helping the raggers. Slept a while back in air-conditioned comfort up to 1730, where i returned to hall groggily, cos there was a briefing for all Movers at 1800. Took medication.

The briefing was to meet up at 0000, and prepare to move the props for Rag from hall to SRC. The activity would be through the night, which i was quite scared that i would not be able to make it. well, worry later. in the meantime i had dinner, and met up with the rest at 2000 for some mass production activity. went back to my room at 2130, found i can't sleep, dammit, all the serotonin used up. struggled in bed for like 2h, then went down to lobby to await the briefing, ironically, this time feeling more groggy than ever.

Then we moved the props from Sheares Hall to SRC. First was the bell, which the entire procession looked like a funeral cortege cos we loaded the bell, which was this gigantic 2m x 2m structure weighing about a few hundred kg - onto this lorry, and cos it couldn't fit, 4 guys had to support its sides, and some at the front and back. And we were going slowly, about brisk walking speed. Up the ridges, past kr, t and e halls, past the engrg busstop and to the roundabout, and down the road to nuh. gotta make u sweat. It was our first structure, but becos of its design and meticulous craftmanship (and the speed we were walking!) it attracted alot of attention.

Then came the remainder of the props (which were easily carried, i.e. by 2-3 people). Got our first rest at about 0200 hours (?) at the Science bus stop. Granite and hard stone benches weren't too good for sleeping. I wanted so badly to sleep on the grass or go into the air-con comfort of University Hall, but something stopped me... didn't sleep a wink there, instead made slight conversations with the people around. The next round of moving was at 0330, came back to hall and helped out with the remainder of the stuff, found out that Christina was still awake (!) and she came with us - the last trip was scheduled at about 0430, by then everything at the rag area was already carried away, it felt so barren all of a sudden. The dancers should be waking up now.

Slept from 0500 hours to about 0700 hours on cold, hard granite at the entrance of the 197 bus stop. Never imagined myself doing that. never imagined that i would get 4 (yes, four!!!) mosquito bites when i woke up. It was Rag Day!!

went back to the fair where everything was already being set up -