Amongst which lurked the diabolical devils of struggle, pain, lethargy and (surprisingly), time.

Described in singularity: CHALLENGES.

Yup, that's right. 'Challenges' was the beholden title we christened SSA's item with, with hopes that through this performance, we would showcase the toughness of people, the strength and vitality of the human spirit, that we would touch the audience all the way down to the abyss of their pulsating hearts.

Challenges might be, in a word, the quickest way to summarise why we practice this faith. Chanting is about bringing forth our inner Buddhahood, to bring forth insurmountable amounts of incredible lifeforce, in order to achieve absolute happiness in life.

But what stands in our way? And we do we practice? Heck, why do people even read self-help books, quote quotable quotes, watch guidance videos, seek counsellors, practice a faith etc?

The answer lies therein the word, 'challenges'.

The obstacles in life are inherent and unavoidable. They creep up on us in the most idyllic periods of life, rearing their often ugly heads to poke at our emotions and to take us out like falling dominoes. They can slam into our faces like a slap and present themselves without warning, a shock so sudden some of us break down and lurk into depression. It can be brutal.

And this was the first point of the performance.

The pain-streaked faces of the performers, the negative emotions we were supposed to portray, in the beginning of our segment. We wanted to dramatise the struggles that all of us face in everyday life, through coordinated splashing of the water that made our stage, using nothing more than our prop, a cape.

We used our bodies, our actions, to show the challenges we faced.

My group was responsible for pulling the ropes that led our floats in. That was the first show of struggle we had. And boy oh boy it was real hard! There wasn't a need to fake emotions: the rope was thick and heavy, pulling it required good hard effort and the water didn't make anything easier.

Then came the rest of the performance, then with a drop in music, we all fell to floor like wounded soldiers. The music changed emotion. Drums resonated through the stage, then, a reassuring voice of reason came through.

"Young Lions..." it said.

We raised our hands up, stretching out for that little miracle of hope.

We clenched our fists and pulled it back down to our hearts.

Some of us would raise their hands up again.

Eventually, all of us managed to break through and get up, this time struggling, pulling, sweeping water with our capes, and got to our positions.

Then came the rockin' tribal dance!

This part, in my opinion, signified the triumphant breakthrough of our challenges, the defeat of the devils that were hurting us.

We could smile again!

We were dancing with faces full of joy, vitality and hope.

The music reflected all of this.

And then we ended off with a blast, arms outstretched, facing our esteemed audience, all of us looking like letter Ys from above.

I couldn't help but crack a big smile.

The feeling of happiness, that we had done it, that we had made it through to the final spectacle of our performance had made its way through me like a mist, and manifested as a big fat grin on my face.

And as we made through the finale, with the wonderfully written and performed Chingay 2012 theme song as our sonata, the emotions broke through all of us. The fireworks display allowed us to take a breather from moving our capes to the music, and we stood there, feeling like the beautiful stars that we were as the confetti drenched us all over.

It was truly amazing. Epic. I'm almost tearing as I type this.

The feeling of achievement, the astounding sense of joy that surrounds me, when I complete a truly wonderful journey like this, I can't, I simply can't describes in plain old words.

You've got to be there to feel it.

I believe everyone involved in Chingay 2012 felt it.

Splendid, just splendid.

Over 4 months, countless practices over 2 days a week, the prayer meetings, the rehearsals, all the way to the final three days. They were all wonderful memories that would last a lifetime.

We worked so hard for this. We struggled through the initially half-shin deep water running over 200plus metres to our position with heavy, drenched capes on the support of our shoulders.

Some of us struggled just to make it to training, some to get the moves right.

The head trainers and chereo team struggled with the moves, then coordination, the conducting of the young men and women under the charge in the field.

Our block ICs and group trainers made through all of this with us too.

And on February 4, 2012, we defeated all these challenges, hands down, KO win, face flat, body splat, with an INCREDIBLE, RESOUNDING VICTORY!!!

I would really miss all of this, really.

I look at my cape and all the memories are flooding back.

Facebook is full of bright beautiful people in yellow!

Thank you B9 for making this experience so sweet and saccharine for me, for each other.

I still recall being unhappy that William, Doyle and I were left apart from our 'hometown', NPSD. But we probably regret feeling like that now, for we have made great friends and had great experiences.

To my cube, William, Doyle and Chang Long for just about everything.

To the awesome YWDs I usually chill with, i admire your spirit and high-ness! (p.s. Jaymie, take care of your knees, dont take more drops to them!)

To our dearest trainers, Elaine and Tuankiak, for taking care of us all this while.

To those of my comrades and friends who watched and supported the show, bless you all!

To the Soka Stallion uncles who took care of our belongings, who served us blissfully cold water when we needed it the most, who were there to support us in person and in spirit, THANK YOU!! I respect you all!

To the rest of the performers of Chingay 2012: You people made this show yours, we made this show ours together!

and

To everyone involved in Chingay 2012: THANK YOUUUU SO MUUUCCCHHHH

I'll miss everything about it!

"Love will make you see" - Chingay 2012

-Kenneth