YOG torch at HCI

On 11 August, the YOG torch came to our school, Hwa Chong Institution. In the morning, everyone was very excited about the torch and we were discussing about it. "What is it going to be like?" "Are we really going to see the lighted torch?", are some of the questions we asked. Its 8.30am. Some YOG cars passed. The sponsor, Samsung, came and distributed flags to advertise their product in which most of those who took them were the Secondary ones.

Its 9.30am. Our history teacher, probably bored of waiting, came to chat with us. "Is this really worth waiting?" this was generally what he said and what he meant. "Mind you, we are waiting here, in Hwa Chong, where the students in 1956 protested when the government wanted to wipe out the communists in Singapore. And mind you, this YOG will also be recorded down in history." So is this event really important such that we had to give up our curriculum time?"

Finally we were asked to stand up. Finally, the moment we have been waiting for. We were expecting the torch bearer to run the 100 metres along the road, with the trucks, the support runners, and the camera. However, what we saw was just the torch bearer carrying the safety lantern, with one of the support runner holding the unlit torch. That's all we were going to see? Unfortunately, yes. That's all that we saw yesterday. How disappointing. As a Singaporean, I am proud that my country is the first to hold such an event. However, I do feel that they should use this chance to showcase the capability of Singapore and not make this so small scaled.