“During the semester holiday, a group of excited students from Ngee Ann Polytechnic, School Of Business and Accountancy, prepared to embark on a journey to Thailand for a community service project. After spending 3 days together in a bonding camp, everyone was used to the company around them and was prepared to spend the next 2 weeks or so in a foreign land together, to lend a helping hand to those in need living in Thailand.

Who knew that their excitement was to be short lived – just 3 days before they were about to embark on their journey, news of a coup in Thailand was received. Due to the safety concern for the 30+ students, the trip was thus called off, pending to be postponed to the following semester break…”

---Poly year 2, semester 2---

During one of the lectures, a group of students from the previous IBSM trip came down to talk about their experience in China. Being still in the mood of wanting to go to serve Thailand, Edward paid little attention to the talk.

Re-enactment of conversation between Edward and Christine (not accurate to every word, but this was roughly how it went…) :

Christine (also supposed to go for Serve Thailand) : Hey! The IBSM trip seems to be a very meaningful and prestigious trip to go for! Why don’t we sign up for this?

Edward: Har… don’t want la… we are already going to go for the Serve Thai trip already. Besides, also not really interested leh. Still got the excitement to go for the Serve trip more.

Christine: A lot of people sign up for the trip u know? Seems like a very good trip to go for. You sure don’t want to go?

… …

... ...

And so over the next few days/week before the dead line, many students rushed to sign up for the trip. And between Edward and Christine, their debated on whether or not to just go for the Serve Thai Trip (they are confirmed a place for the trip since they were supposed to got the previous time around) or to sign up for this IBSM trip (have to look at results, and don’t know if an interview will be called, thus, a place on the trip is unconfirmed).

Just days before the dead line, they came to a conclusion (Edward stills having not much clue about the trip, but having heard bits and pieces of information, and feeling the excitement of the people around him who have decided to sign up) :

- They will sign up for the IBSM trip, and at the same time, keep the Serve Thai Trip in view.

- See if they both get accepted for the IBSM trip. Of so, they will go for it.

- If only one gets accepted, shall see if he/she would want to go alone on that trip or back out – then both of them will go for the Serve Thai trip.

- This way, if neither gets accepted, then both shall go for Serve Thai Trip!

And hence, they submitted their application and waited…

And waited…

And waited…

Until the result was out!

Sadly, Christine was not on the selection list but on the stand-by list.

PANIC! PANIC! PANIC! * WHAT TO DO?!*

But not long after, a call was received to inform Christine that someone had back out and she was IN! Great!

And thus, their new journey begins….