The Misunderstood Ones. Please spare our national dragonboat team survivors.

Okay, so you've got the whole media hogging your papers, TV, Internet and maybe even YouTube on the dragonboat tragedy (that's what it's called in the Straits Times). Apart for 5 brave guys losing their lives for our nation, we have... the survivors.

I really feel so terrible for them. Adrienne told me once, "Can you imagine those guys that are alive? They would feel very, very guilty for being alive..."

I think it's true. I can never imagine myself in such a position. I think you can make a Bollywood movie out of me if that were to happen.

Anyway on a serious note... So they survived a near-death experience. They are happy to have survived, but terrible to be alive. That kinda feeling really sucks, man. You know, you are alive but you lost 5 friends in just a matter of minutes.

Doesn't help that the media make it sound like the team made the decision NOT to listen to the Cambodian authorities, chose not to wear life jackets etc. Sometimes, I don't know if the media is blowing it up, but I have heard people thinking that the team members are to blame for this incident.

People, please spare them! They are already fitching sad that they have to lose their friends and team members in a tragic accident that happened so fast and you guys are pressurising them, making them sound like culprits. Seriously!!! I think they need a break.

I really have to take my hats off to the team captain. Not only does he have to be strong for his other team members, he has to talk to the parents of the then-missing team members, identify the bodies and speak to the media and to all the attendees of the memorial service at the joint funeral last Thurs.

The pressure, the intensity... it's really too much for anyone. I really hope that they will be fine.

So, to all our brave dragonboaters, please cheer up, ignore all those nonsense and stay happy. Reuben, Boon San, Wei Cheng, Jeremy and Stephen will be fine in Heaven and they will not blame you, so please don't blame yourselves.

What's done... is done. Nothing can be done to make them come alive. All we can do is pray to them and move on. I'm sure they want us to be happy. So BE HAPPY. :)