Coffeestops 2.0 – A Renewal

Announcements — By Jian Wei on June 20, 2009 at 2:34 PM

Following up on one of my previous post, the Coffeestops gang have voted (5 In Favour, 4 Absentees) to take Coffeestops into a new direction. As of this moment, we are still hammering out the final fine prints and details of what we expect out of this renewal. This whole saga and discussion of renewal among the members brought me back to one potent moment when I was just 14 years old.

It was a sunny morning as I dashed into the ground floor of Block Bitara. Pn Yek (Our Prefect Teacher then) wasn’t too pleased with me – I was late. And the seniors have arrived. It was back in those days where I was very different from the person I am today; naive but eager to learn; still oblivious to the fact that I would helm the board in a few years time. Pn Yek had called in her former Prefect Seniors from SMK Subang Jaya to share their experiences running an institutionalized board.

To be honest, I can’t remember much of the event. But there’s one moment that’s still vividly imprinted within my mind:

“Grow and develop this board to the best you can. Your journey is like a book being flipped through its pages. Your success will be determined on how many footprints you leave behind.” said Cynthia*

Leaving Footprints in the Sand

Little did I know that such a quote would change the way I live my life – it became the purpose of my existence: to leave footprints in the sand; to alter people’s lives for the better. Little did I know that that quote will be the one that kindled my interest to run for Head Prefect. Little did I know that that quote would be the one that spiked my passion for public policy that now landed me an internship with the Department of Aviation in Chicago.

So, as the members are still debating over the trajectory of our change, I can’t help it but to ask myself the simple question:

What footprints has Coffeestops left behind?

There were light moments, such as the “Interview with Mirra Low” that didn’t seem to be worth much at that time; just a random attempt by us all to make our mark in the blogging world, but now they are precious for they remind us of the importance of friendship; the vitalness of staying connected.

Importance of staying connected...even when you are gone.

There were also short but no less meaningful birthday wishes that were splattered around the pages of our blog. The wish may only be applicable for a day, but the effort and thought that goes behind creating the post goes a long way, overlooking trails of history that led to blossoming of camaraderie.

There were also lame videos of Sarven trying to defy gravity (Atmospheric Pressure, May 16th), of him trying to sing (OMG)…. These posts started out as comical pokes at Sarven for he’s just so sporting and funny. But now these joyful, carefree and jovial moments mean so much more to us. It’s a reminder that while we are now growing up and heading separate roads, changing in many ways that sometimes baffles us all… there was one moment in time when we were all still innocent and naive. We laughed, played and joked; we viewed the world through the rainbows and the world was our playground.

The Times When We Do Lame Stuffs

Then there were more serious ones, like the “How To Improve Platelet Count” post (March 11th 2009), in which Kok Kuan reached his hands out to the world in aid of his then ill sister. People responded. And it was touching to read the comments like “Thank you for this site. I will try them for my mum to fight against her leukemia.” They were from strangers whom we would never know…It was gratifying that this site could have at least calmed a soul and spare them a peaceful sleep. It might not seem much but it’s this simple giving and receiving that makes the world go round.

Finally, beneath the peaceful facade lies private posts that are hidden from the public eye but obvious to the members of this site. They were posts of frustration, anger, sorrow and broken hearts. They were communication of the most genuine…they were communication between best of friends. Free from pretense, the posts were open, honest and truthful. Nothing was barred. Posts from how I finally fell for a girl but then lost it all, to how frustrated we are with each other for not living up to our commitments…

These footprints reminded us why Coffeestops was made in the first place.

It has been a great year and a half. But now it’s time for a renewal.

It’s time for Coffeestops 2.0!

*I might get this name wrong.