=D.

Off to New Zealand!
Hopefully I get to horse ride and go fishing!
My 1 week of reprieve. =)


Yaahooooooooo!

7:56 PM :D

I once asked a peer of mine, why the company's quartermaster's attitude sucked so bad. He simply told me that the quartermaster's previous efforts were unappreciated. Oh well, the value of appreciation really says quite a fair bit and it showed its colours recently dawned on me.

The organisation loves to state how it has leaders. But of course it doesn't go into detail what kind of leaders. It cant be too frank when some of its leaders happen to be the sort that want full control of the situation without being on the ground. The problem with that being they always want the safest way so as to cover their ass, but they have no idea what the situation is like and how best to take full advantage of it.

I too had a taste of this particular leader.

Being on duty, I had to send a report in 2 hours upon reaching back to camp. It so happened 33 items to identify are not exactly very simple when the reference materials you have are not sufficiently comprehensive, however the section commander insisted on getting the full picture. We stopped when there was 10mins left and then I realised, the files had to be sent in pdf format. Sadly, no one in the room knew how to. Not a warrant who has been in the unit for at least 10 years, not a 'youngster' who is supposedly good at computers, basically no one. So being wise, I sent out the report in word format to meet the 2hr timeline. It was only about 15mins later, I realised I had to convert it to open office following which there was this pdf icon to convert the file. So I resent out the report. Technically speaking, I did my job. I sent out a report in 2 hours and I sent out the report in pdf format.

Of course, the 'leaders' felt that it was too much! How could I have sent out 2 reports, one in word format, the other in PDF! So being the snobbish people they are, preferring to sit on their armchair and criticize, they decided that I should be given 3 extras for my terrible mistake. Well if the organisation had not one rule that said juniors can't be rude to superiors, I would have frankly told the 'leader' to go and die.

I come into this place, NOT being taught what my job entails. Why cant the 'leader'(who happens to be is in charge of operations) take responsibility for not educating people on the system. Maybe it is cause there was no system to begin with. Papers last being updated in March 01 clearly state that I did not have to do that duty. Shouldn't the leader bear responsibility of the fucked up state of his matters.

What I cant accept from him is that he just awarded me 3 extras without asking what happened. He criticized me, not giving me a chance to explain myself, rattling on as if he knew what happened. Best of all, not even a single word of thanks, but just 3 slaps across my face for a job that I took on my own.

So I have to ask myself this question. Appreciation? I dint expect this since council days. But neither did I expect insults from an internal source whom I now hold no regard for.

Cheers to the most fucked up organisation and hopefully the fall of its 'leaders'

Just to end off : When the chief tosses and turns on bed, everyone below feels an earthquake. =)

4:10 PM :D

Its one of those situations that I have encountered.
The question has once again chanced upon me.
Should I just go with the flow or break away from the norm?


Months of training to recite a creed. It was about the most valuable thing anyone would ever need. Its like one of those all-encompassing statements you find. Intently vague to allow the imagination to apply it to any scenario it deems suitable(which is about everything).


I feel darn unlucky to get such a superior. He holds the believe that NSFs place no effort in their work. But what can I say? He is one of those who jump at the chance for a small pot of gold only to find out that their stuck in a pool of shit?


Its frustrating trying to talk to a piece of wood. He seems to find great joy in asking for opinion, shooting it down and then proposing his solution is the best there is. I feel like I'm there just to boost his confidence in his dilusional world.


Best of all, he wants me to get GOLD for IPPT. For it is an organisational REQUIREMENT he claims. Just for the record, he only has a silver and perhaps at this time it is best for him to know that I did not sell my soul to the organisation, he did.

12:26 AM :D

As in past years, I have no resolutions this year.... just plans for the year ahead which include

1) being an outstanding Pl 2IC...whatever that means
2) being able to drive by year's end
3)being able to dive by year's end
4)taking sats
5)applying for unis
6)getting a silver for ippt (this is where god comes in)

ah ok... that should be about it...

10:33 AM :D

I'm so relieved that it is over...

9.22 =D.

And I'm so proud to have done it! =) HaHaHa

Oh then again I have to thank many people.
Bing Xiong and Bern-thanks very much for running with me for the past few sundays

30th EOD coursemates-thanks very much for running with me... in sbo attire at night when you guys are free

56th EOCC- For chasing my ass down the last 600m which felt... I can't describe it. But those who have done SOC would know how it feels. In particular, Jasper, Gang Yi and Dominic for running through it with me =).

And of course all those of you who have encouraged me!

Hai... How lucky have I been to have cleared this...

3 weeks and 36th here I come! :D

10:08 PM :D

HaHa, no where else would I be able to find such interesting discussions in NS.

Given a set of philosophies and principles to act as a guide one can always expect different interpretations.
It is just like how 'care for soldiers' is ambiguous. Ask most people what 'care for soldiers' means and it you would most likely get something to the likes of rewards be it in terms of nights-out or day offs.
If you unlucky to ask the wrong person, you might end up realistic training. Sadly, realistic training is something that most people do not wish to have for.
2 extremes.
The outcome depends on your superiors interpretation.

The interesting part is when you have a situation where principles conflict. How should you PRIORITISE then? This is when one's mindset comes into play. Some always have safety at the top. Others are more forgiving and would allow for some leeway in safety. Which always makes for an interesting discussion and a final conclusion that goes along the lines of do what you think is right =)

1:08 PM :D

It ain't over till the fat lady sings =)...

n 9.29 is still my target!

hai...

its getting a bit random... but fret not

for the less you see, the more you know... or so you think

=)

enjoy your week ahead... just like how I will...

8:20 PM :D

Sometimes in army, you just have to suck it up. Not that you don't do it elsewhere. It just so happens that you have to do it more often in army.
Then again, I have been extremely lucky to get into EOD. Such a blessing to get away from this place. It would not have been that bad if not for a certain event occuring. Ahh, nevertheless I have my fair share of haters and non-believers. I mean most people would be fuming mad that they passed SOC and got gold for ippt but dint get in. Then there are those who did so well in the physical test but also did not get in. And of course the last catergory of people who are just sore that their stuck in FE(e.g davidson ching). Whatever it is, all they need to know is that I did not choose who stayed and who left. So dont ask me...
Anyway it gives me 7weeks to train for SOC. And its not the 11 obstacles that kill me, its the last HIDDEN OBSTACLE-the run. 9.29 is the target. Currently its at 11.58. =)

5:29 PM :D

The best 10km! I had a nice slow jog with Kevin n Roy. Normally I would have done 6mins/km which is quite slow. Today I did bout 7min/km! The human traffic meant that I had to wind through the crowd, not to mention 100+ to keep my stomach full, a few stiches and of course, no LTA Halik!! =D

Sadly, Musang is next week. Hope it would not rain, anything else should be fine =D!

11:20 PM :D

CBRE... EOD... Bridging... Armour or Field.

I guess I'm left with field now, after failing SOC and getting a mere pass for IPPT. For many others, the options are still left open for them. I shall have a short intro to the various specialisations.
CBRE/EOD: seletar camp, deals with chemicals, biological agents, explosives,..., risk pay of 200.
Bridging:seletar camp, more towards floating bridges
Field: nee soon camp, mines are your best friends
Armour:nee soon/sungei gedong, instead of a tonner, you use a tank to transport your stuff

Ah needless to say many want to go to CBRE/EOD. For various reasons. Sadly to get into CBRE/EOD, you need to go through an interview. So it really sucks if you want to go there, but you dont know why?! Then again, to say that would be wrong. Many know why they want to go there, but they can't say why. After all, no interviewer would like to hear, 'I'm here for the money' or 'This place is quite slack'.

9:38 AM :D

Well they say God is fair. In some people, the lack of 'intelligence' is replaced with sly intentions. It certainly does help that they have the permanently blur/cock face to show the world, starting the chain of unconscious events that would naturally make one believe that they are bound for failure. But of course, no one wants to be known as a failure? Therefore they need a way to change it or, at the very least, disguise it. This is the perfect time to take full advantage of the blur face to trick the world. Sadly, after they have played the same tune over and over again, it gets pretty obvious.

9:09 AM :D

Life starts to get interesting... especially when you have an officer trainee in your platoon.

Imagine having your science teacher in your project work group. Of course it does not seem so bad, well that's cause it is not in the military context. Your science teacher can only teach you science, after all that is what his paid to do. The officer trainee on the other hand, must ensure discipline and train us to be officers. It sounds fine, till the point you realise that he knows everything, or so he thinks.
He made a big fuss that when he instructed the cadet platoon commander(CPC) to get us to come down in 5mins in long 4, we took 10+mins and we were walking down. Of course he gave a lecture on the lack of platoon 'integrity' and how he would have punished us if he was our PC. HaHa, I really feel very sad sometimes that I'm in a military organisation. No where else can you punish people for any stupid reason and they accept it, not cause the sense of fairness is lost, just that there was none to begin with.
I have to give it to him for spending 40+minutes downstairs doing stores while I was studying in my room. When told to go down, I took my own sweet time to change clothes and go down. In fact, I felt damn sian going down.
Then again do I really care?... Nah...
Where is his ability to plan in advance?
Where was he the previous day when I was sawing wood?
And lastly stop giving the guise that the CPC called us when you are the puppeteer playing the puppet.
Well at least I have learnt a few lessons from this:
1) What you don't see, you don't know.
2) The ability to foresee future problems and come up with current solutions is known as foresight. The ability to act sensibly to the situation as it unfolds is known as thinking on your feet. An Officer without the ability to do both is known as an Officer who 'knows' everything.
3) You do not have to be in a position of power, to control power. 2Black Bars are all you need =)

4:17 PM :D

Perhaps I'm just lucky, or maybe this is just the beginning...
Over the course of 7 months, I have seen 3 different Officer-in-Commanding(OC)/Wing Commander(WC). All 3 whom are pretty inspiring in one way or another. CTW(Cadet Training Wing) had a change in WC and thankfully to someone who actually believes that sense should exist in an environment where tradition is pretty much everything and anything. Then again I'm not expecting a holiday here.

On another note, the dark knight is a really good movie. Though I can't point out exactly which part made it so outstanding.

9:10 PM :D

I'm back!

As usual, the plane's acceleration down the runway felt damn shiok. The thoughts of the Brunei's Jungles faded... a short 2 hour flight and the plane touched down in Bandar Seri Begawan. The confusion at the airport was at its peak. Just like a flock of cattle, we were herded and systematically shifted from one location to another, and back to the same one, several times. No one bothered to use their brains since it was 4am in the morning. A bus ride, ferry ride another bus ride later, we reached the campsite. Dint look too bad, just like what the pictures had portrayed.

BTW, foxtrot's sergeant major had a brother who was also a sergeant major at that camp! HaHa... Though we dint realise it on 1st glance, but there was a slight similarity.

Navex was bloody tiring. I so happened to be IC(since I was the 1st on the list). My team had really capable people(camels) and a great instructor(Lieutenant Samuel). Thats about all you need for a good navex team. Someone to show you the direction(with the aid of a GPS) and people who can basically carry 15+kg uphill w/o too much difficulty. Sadly I fall into neither category. So basically for the entire day, I would just be looking forward to HARBOURING. Sounds damn sua ku but it was actually quite fun gathering firewood n starting a campfire. Sleeping on a hammock was initially pretty freaky. How am I to trust that my weight would be supported by loops round a tree, fastened off with a shoe-lace knot. Nevertheless once I gained confidence in the hammock, it felt way better then sleeping on hard ground.
Our 2nd night was more exciting, while harbouring near the peak of Mt. Biang(about 300m abv sea lvl) we encountered the animals/insects. 1st to keep us on our toes were wild boars. What a disappointment, I thought I would see one of those monstrous pigs, all I got was something slightly larger then a suckling pig. While the whole world thought of ways to scare it away, I was actually thinking of bringing back(it seemed harmless). Then there was a hornet that had to be the dumbest insect. Being attracted to light is one thing, flying into a fire in search of light is another. FYI, the hornet was about 15cm from head to the tip of its wings. Oh, it was also my 1st time cooking outfield, and what better then Maggi mee. However, we dint sleep on hammocks as falling off the hammock would also mean falling off a steep slope.
The 3rd day was interesting, cause it was a matter of having a 3d/2n navex or a 4d/3n navex. It took about half an hour to get to the checkpoint. But that is where it got interesting. Coming down was not as easy as going up. There was this particularly tough part, coming down through a ravine. It was basically filled with huge boulders that had moss on it. Though we had not taken the 'given' route, we still managed to reach the river crossing site! Dinner was fantastic, stuffed myself with canteen food.
The following day, we were made to do a survey. Nothing interesting else then the instructor who conducted the survey. He was an ex-foxtrot instructor. What was particularly interesting was the common hatred towards wing2IC. He shared with us the quirky-ness of a few foxtrot perm staff.(e.g. how lt glen threw thunderflash, how Ahmed was Ahmed, how lt Michael was a !@%!@!@$, how wing comd was...)
For R&R, we had M&M(Mosque n Museum) Brunei has nothing much to see. The population density is so low that everywhere seems like a rural village and the city center seemed like a town center. The hustle and bustle that I'm so used to seeing in Singapore was... gone. Perhaps its due to the fact that no one seems to walk on the streets there. The only face you see on the streets is...the king. Seems like the whole nation is celebrating his 62nd birthday. Oh and the highlight of their malls, movies are just $4.50... it was pretty worth it for a decent cinema.

BTW, if you get a chance, you should buy jollibee fries. They some how remain not only tasty, but crispy even when cold.

Oh and I saw tekong on the way back!.!
6 months ago, I was inside a shellscrape looking up wondering when I would be in a plane.
6 months later, I look back down from the plane,....

11:29 PM :D

God is good to me...




He knows that I have been yearning for a plane ride after seeing planes take off and land from tekong.




I remember, it was such bliss to see a JUMBO take off while I was lying down in my shellscrape (mud pit/grave hole). Hai, at least there was a hint of civilisation to tell me I have not departed from this world. I was thinking when would the next time I would get to ride in a plane. And the nearest time that popped to my head was.... 2 years later after I ORD. Damn, thats long... felt sad and stoned at the foliage.









Fast Forward today, and I know why they say you should be careful for what you wish for. I mean a FREE plane trip on Royal Brunei Airlines is not that bad, till you realise it is to Brunei.









Then again, I shouldn't be too demanding, how many of my friends would get this ONCE IN A LIFETIME opportunity to climb a MOUNTAIN on their four limbs O.O Ah ha, the girls dont get to do it(ok thats about half swiped out). Err not every guy is Singaporean. Even if they are, they might not get this chance to go BRUNEI. I feel so privileged already! Its what I would call a SELECT 'FEW'. And I am one of the selected =).









Oh wait, how could I have forgotten. God has foresight, he knows that I want to go trek at Milford sound in New Zealand after I ORD (you see I can't just take a plane ride to no where). But like ALL instructors and commanders, he needs to give me 'welfare'(or what they know as tough training). Of course I can't expect GOD to send me to some nature reserve to do my 'training' or else how am I to be prepared. He has to send me to the forests and the tekong ones would not do! Their all secondary forest, what I need is a JUNGLE. And of course the weather had better not be cool like that in New Zealand! It has to be hot and humid. Ahh, now thats what they call 'welfare'!

Oh wait, I'm losing track.... as I was saying GOD is GOOD to me.





Anyway, that a side I'm actually quite interested to see what it would be like climbing a mountain.

Hai... it is weird checking in with only a card... hope i dont do it too often

5:51 PM :D

Justin Boon... Combat Engineer
O.O
Woah. It was my third choice actually. 1st being signals, 2nd armour and last being infantry.
I'm not sure how am I suited for such a vocation. Well actually, I have not much idea what it is about. Many say that I will end up carrying bridges. While online sources say that I might end up digging an UNDERGROUND command post. Perhaps the ambiguity lies in the fact that there are more then 4 kinds of combat engineers.
On one hand I feel sad that I dint get signals/logs/something more slack. On the other hand its something new and different n most importantly, not infantry.

Oh anyway I had my 9km run today. HaHa boy was it funny.
I was pacing daryl and we were both the last. That would naturally mean an instructor chasing my ass(literally). I was running at about 6min/km, which was not fast enough. So it mean constant nagging like "open up your pace",.... seriously irritating la. I'm not there to compete and win a competition. I just wanted to finish 9km at the pace I was going. Of course the instructor couldn't stomach that and he asked me if I wanted to pick up the pace or quit. Again he resorted to his rhetoric questions which I just ignored. N he was PISSED. HaHaHa, I was laughing quietly in my heart. Though I kinda pity him for placing in so much effort in chasing my ass when I dint bother listening to him at all.

oh yes... I'll be going to Brunei soon.

10:07 PM :D

It has been a long time since I have dug a hole. The last time being back in BMT.



This time, I went to marsiling for my field camp. Started off with a platoon battle course and a platoon attack. Movement to the form up point was totally crap!.!.! My poor buddy n a few other people got screwed for not plotting well. Not to forget the steep slopes and a heavy load to ensure that your feet arent too far off the ground. The attack went pretty well, IMO. But my section commander felt otherwise(the day his not satisfied is the day I don't lead an attack). He asked me,"Why is it that you all can do the drills so well but when it comes to the actual thing, you guys cant do it up to standard." I was pretty much stunned when he asked me. Well I just told him simply that drills are just guidelines for me(of course in a nicer n more diplomatic tone).



Digging was easier this time. Mainly for two reasons:

1. Thanks to the wing that had come a week earlier to loosen the soil for us. Not only that, the "depression in the ground" made my job easier

2.No rocks

I took about an hour to get my shellscrape done. Nothing to be proud of considering how much was already done for me. The fire trench was a bit more difficult. Just when we were about to dig, it threatened to rain. My buddy n I had just started getting the outlines of our trench when it started pouring. The feeling is ultra sian. All the excitement about getting a hole in the ground was suddenly washed away with a thunderstorm. Came back 2 hours later, with a few tools lying around and a partially dug hole. Thankfully, the very fact that our slope was steep meant that the water drained pretty fast. Not to mention all the surface runoff was diverted into the shellscrapes beside my trench. So throughout the whole night, my buddy n I took turns digging out nice chunks of soil. Others were so fortunate. Pan n Ming Xuan had this mud pit, Kenneth dint get it easy either. On the other side, ah lets just say my buddy n I had one of the easiest jobs. Our overhead protection was a bit crap though. The effects of not having enough sleep and working throughout the night had made me feel lethargic.



That wasnt the most sian part.



While others had stand to, my section was tasked to clear the digging stores for the platoon which was scattered all across the slopes. After clearing it, we were made to start on the command post which was about 15% completed. I was wondering why were we so suai to get this kinda shit man. While others get to do stand-to(sleep in trench), here we were doing sai kang. Then we got news that we were to be the enemies for the platoons, to test out their defence(Led by cpt ash). Hai the 1st attack was total crap... seriously crappy feeling. Try bashing UP A KNOLL that is about 60m in elevation at 10pm at night, with the only light being moonlight which has been filtered through the canopy. Not only do you get caught in all the vines, you fall and you will start wondering why the hell am I doing this. Being the 2nd last person, you have no idea wth is going on in front. After going up the slope at such a fast pace, they suddenly stop for a good 10mins. And since your right at the back all you do is sit down, curse and swear, take a break, and question yourself again!, what are you doing here?!?!

I was told at the end of the attack that the front guys were creeping up the enemy and silencing them off(quite impressive). The 2nd attack in the morning was against my own platoon, nothing exciting bout it. The last one was the one to look out for. The defenders were pretty much stunned at how fast we had swept into their depths and surrounded their main trenches.



Coming back to camp, I had recieved a few sms-es. Woah they made it seem like samuel had got his leg severed or his parents had died in an accident or... I dont know what la. But they made it seem as if samuel was in great agony. All I can tell samuel is that you have to get over it. Whats done is done and will not be changed. How you move on from here is entirely up to you. You have friends who care enough to send me sms-es that scare me.

The last event was the one I was looking forward to- Alpha-Golf commisioning parade. I was not one of the participants in the parade square but I was the MEDIA USHER. HaHa, though I lost my duty half way when the media left early. So I ended up being a spectator in No. 1. Hai the only thing lacking was the rank... n all those badges... well maybe that sword too. I guess the main highlights of the parade was the slow march up into the stands (which literally rocked the whole gallery), the recitation of the Officer's Creed(not like how we do it after every water parade), the tossing of peak caps(with smiles that were enough to make mr grumpy feel happy) and of course the placing on of epaulettes. Many went around saluting the newly commisioned officers(and collecting angbaos in the process). What I thought was especially meaningful were those with messages in them that encouraged us to strive on. Even though it so happened that the two I saw were from a signals n logsitics officer.

N a look back... 3 months has passed...
they say time passes fast when your happy
slow when ure sad
I dont recall feeling happy...
But since I felt it has passed fast
it only means that Im happy.
Then again, I recall being happier in BMT
Even though time seemed to pass awfully slow.
Perhaps the saying was wrong.
Or perhaps I have just decided that
WHAT WILL BE... WILL BE

5:44 PM :D

Bad Attitude or Realistic-

If I asked you to run 100m under 10secs for $100 and a badge, would you do it?
Everything is in your favour, you get more fit, you have monetary incentive and you get boasting rights.

Well in my case it is IPPT. I have managed to get a silver, but it is not enough. I 'need' to get a gold.

So they conduct re-IPPT hoping that I would have improved. Though they tell me that I shouldn't expect miracles. Like how 11.20->9.44> is NOT miracle. But just, normal.

Sadly, I happen to know what I can achieve and what I can't. So I don't go all out and run. I mean seriously whats the use of me running like some mad dog knowing that I would never hit the timing. Im already sian enough taking the retest while others get to swim. So, I ran 12.20<.

Of course I heard all sorts of remarks along the route, like,"you think this is a walk in Bishan Park", "widen your stride", "I have never seen anyone fail 2.4 before". Not that I care anyway. Bleh I don't even know why was I doing it. Perhaps I should have just opted to sit out. After all it is INDIVIDUAL physical fitness.

I know most of you would prolly disagree with me. After all I was the ONLY person who failed the 2.4, the rest all placed in some effort to at least pass. So statistically speaking you belong to those who would have placed in some effort, even though you know you would not get gold. But I just don't see why?!. Perhaps I look at things from such a perspective that encourages me to stay in my comfort zone and not bother pushing boundaries. Hmm....

8:58 PM :D

Was just scanning through the past entries in my blog... I don't see much change in the way I am.

It really helps that I used to have more detailed posts in the past. Right now, it is pretty much limited. I can go around saying what I like.

Perhaps it is time I make this a private blog. But what then would be a good password. My nickname?... I dont know.

Hai but the glance has certainly brought back fond memories... and showed me how fast half a year has zoomed past.... very soon.... it will end.

Labels: reflection

6:51 PM :D

And so it ends......



It was not as bad as I put it out to be... Water still flowed from taps... The roof was not always missing... and I did not face the ground too often.



Perhaps there is not much to say... like how interesting can it be carrying a field pack and navigating around an island?

As much as I would wane blurt out every single thing I felt about the camp, I cant. After all, some have found out my blog's obvious address.

=(

11:10 PM :D

I lead a secretive life...
No, I never chose this path... It just so happens that somethings have to be followed...
Or else... some foreigners might read my post and find out sensitive stuff about what I do... btw everything I do is sensitive information according to them. Worse still, even the locals might catch me.

I'll be staring at the stars for 9 nights and my eyes wud be filled with green... they say it relaxes the eyes... yet it makes me feel more irritated that the roof is some how... missing. Take it in the other sense... Im pretty much envious of you reading this. But nevermind what needs to be done needs to be done. Go with the flow

all the best in the weeks 2 come... n till my next posts comes out =D

10:47 PM :D

7km never seemed so long... till you run it. HaHaHa.

For some 7km is just another run... for me... its different.

I mean its not much difference actually... I'm at the back of the 'pack' (though there is no pack since everyone is way ahead of me).

But since it is an endurance run, there is an instructor behind known as the sweeper and as the name suggest he SWEEPS people forwards. Of course im the first and only one to taste the broom.

He questioned my motivation, my ability to overtake the 2nd last and not be last. I wonder what is so bad about being last in an endurance run. I realised this is army, no is not an option. So, "I don't know" came out after hesistation. *explicitives* was the reply I got.

Dont you just love the army =D.

(btw i completed it, 2nd last. But i felt damn bad cuz the last guy wasnt even competing with me, yet i made it seem as if I was gona get some reward)

1:41 PM :D

20 days in what seems like a jail.

Life is not bad in my current home... its not hell-ish as denis has made it out to be
but neither is it heaven.

3 weeks down... 11 to go =D be optimistic... only 11weeks left =D

3:49 PM :D

I woke up at 5.30am.
O.O

5:45 AM :D

My platoon's photos.
The top being a formal one at company line and the other somewhere in the jungles of tekong.

My section's photo.
What a terrible day to have POP on. It started the rain the moment the companies started marching in, and it never stopped till we left the island. I did not take part in the parade as I had missed to rehearsals.

It has been a very fast 2 months I had with these guys. Interesting moments and quirky events have all happened. Like what happened to the sergeants on the last night and to us after that. The amount of camo cream and water was by far the furthest it has gone.

Enjoy your week ahead =)

8:08 PM :D

Wohooo... Done with 24km march...

Damn they keep doing fast march... n bronco is seriously the best coy to be in then.
Their officers are so UNDERSTANDING =)
HaHa... but I dont really care I completed it and it was not as bad as 16click.

Well that was cause I dint even have time 2 prep for 16click la... i just wore one pair of socks thinking they would give us time after lunch... what a mistake...

OC's night and recruit's night is over...

Graduation Parade (GP) rehearsals next... followed by POP on the 12th.

Time flies in BMT... but its far too early to rejoice as I have not found out my posting yet...

Wonder whats next... but for now... have to go n collect my results... all the best to those in the same situation as I am in... =))

1:42 PM :D

Had my 16click this week... survived with lots of blisters and a few abrasions.

Live range was the next big thing in the week.

Managed to come out on friday to remove my braces.

Only to find out that I'll have to go back again to clean my rifle and do ippt on sat. No complaints though.


24click is next week. Which is also my last full week. like almost half of the week is filled with rehearsals for POP. Not that i think it should be such a big thing. Actually staying in tekong is not bad. Your given the benefit of doubt with some commanders that are reasonable. Im not so sure what lies across the sea....

9:14 AM :D

Saddening...

Had IMT for 3 days(this arcade firing range). damn sian... its like a half day affair. So the other half we would end up doing sai kang.

Day 1 Sai Kang: COA walking past... so we had to clean the roads blah blah blah....
Day 2 : Area Cleaning-Stand by Area/Bed
Day 3: Duty Platoon- Tidy up the stores n prepare for hand grenade session the next day(sat)

Who would like to throw a hand grenade on a saturday. When everyone in your cluster has booked out on friday. And here you are, stuck in the camp for god-knows-how-many-hours. So everyone chiong-ed like mad. There was suppose 2 be a ceasefire from noon onwards due to the airshow. We started off at 9.20. So the mad rush began.
Sadly, even though we ended at around 12pm. Tonners would only arrive at 2+. In army terms, its called suck thumb.

Oh I'll have to book back in by 5.30. Cool. about one day for me 2 stuff myself with good food, sleep in comfort and realise the world still rotates.

5:17 PM :D

The following reasons are why I think SIT(uational) Test was good.

Having been through field camp, one learns the need to pack the field pack properly and hence its easier to find things and get it out. Building a basha(half-tent) was pretty much a breeze and my basha was quite nicely done.

The campsite was fantastic. It is directly situated at the beachside, which was situated about 60m away. Not to mention the fantastic view of the airport which gave the sky this orangey glow in the sky. Looked especially wonderful in the morning when it would turn a purple hue for reasons I cant explain.

The weather was great too. Thanks yl for the weather forecast. HaHa. Not only did it not rain for 3 days, the sky was cloudly. This meant that I did not have to walk around the Sit test site soaking wet. The occasional breeze was really nice, seeing how the tall grasses sway in the wind, so not singapore.

My detail(group) was quite good, some cannot keep their gaps shut while others cant wait to do guard duty at every station(it means they can sit n slack). Thankfully I was no. 7, in my detail. That meant I was a minesweeper(though some retards would think I plant mines). My equipment is a bayonet, which is what everyone else has to carry. So technically, everyone was a minesweeper, just that I had the title of being it, tgt with my buddy. If i were to be no.6, life would not be so pleasant. I would have to take the "LAW into my hands". The LAW(light anti-tank weapon) is this metal tube that is suppose to take down small tanks/vehicles. My detail's sergeant was FANTASTIC. No leopard crawl, no arty(artillery) drills, all we had to do was double up(fake running).

SIT test is actually quite fun, cause your on your own. The detail just figures out a plan an executes it. I think my detail managed to pass 11 out of the 12 obstacles. The accessors were quite nice too. They would cut the exercise once they realise that we have gotten the idea of what to do and how to do it.

I guess one of the best parts was having KFC OUTFIELD. No joking here. Chinese New Year meant that we guys recieved a treat. While others enjoyed their KFC at company line, my coy had ours outfield. Felt damn great, considering that outfield meant no 'commercial products'.

Another one would be having seen the black knights in action. Like even the accessors cant resist turning their heads into the direction of fighter jets blasting past, doing all sorts of maneuvers.

However, please do not be mistaken. I still prefer my company line to some dusty piece of land. Marching is terrible. Fast march with LBV(Load Bearing Vest) or Slow march with FBO(Full Battle Order) they both suck. Especially since my foot had blisters forming, my toe being squeezed due to the bending of the boots and of course the sand that is circulated in the air after everyone drags their boots 2 walk through the sandy path.

I'll be spending my birthday in camp =( hai. There is always a first for everything. Thankfully snacks are allowed and I shall make sure I enjoy that night with lots of food. Grenade and Range next week... Hopefully I dont make any minor mistake =)))

Enjoy ure week ahead....

12:50 PM :D

2nd bookout.

Field Camp is OVER. It feels good.

Then again when your in the army, nothing is good. SIT test is next week. And I'm going to get confined for another 2 weeks. Crap la =(.

SIT test is another out field camp. Though its only 3D2N, the point is that its OUTFIELD. Hopefully we dont have to do that 'discipline' stuff. Like light discipline where this pathetic small stream of light is allowed. Field rations arent that bad. Butter biscuits are my fave.

Anyway I'll just share something I have noticed in the army. Its all a big show. Well of course you have most probably heard of the all famous quote that "all the world's a stage,....." The army just proves it right. The need for a sense of urgency is endless. Like the moment you start walking/slacking the world will crumble and fall, seriously. Therefore, you must run, or the very least, jog. Now here is the interesting point, it does not matter if your jog is SLOWER then your walking pace. The point is, your jogging and you HAVE a sense of urgency =) .

Anyway can YOU advice me on what I should try for?
Should I go command school or just be a rifleman. I hate making decisions with the pathetic info I have. Of course all the sgts and officers and basically everyone says try for OCS. But I seriously dont mind being a man. Like if the life is similar to that of a recruit. I just pray for no field camp =D. Hopefully the navy/air force/police/anything-that-is-not-the-army can SAVE me. HaHa. Oh its kinda universal at what shit goes on in the army. So when there is the navy/air force talk, the captains know exactly what to say. Be it the routine water parade, the area inspections, the field packs, the load bearing vest, the helmet(that has been suggested to be used as a cooking pot) and of course the field camps. They would just point out all this crap is not found in the navy or the air force. Ok thats all I have for now...

6:12 PM :D

It is so similar to Council Camp of course with added workload and a longer duration. The timings to meet, expectations that can only be fulfilled in one's dreams and of course the humans that "make it all possible".

9:37 AM :D

Hai, wanted to blog but it is already 11.55 now!

Just finished packing my bag.

Looks like it would be a good two weeks in tekong before I ever post something again. Till then, Happy working(or slacking) and come back in two week's time!

ps thanks for the well wishes... =)

9:52 PM :D

O.omg its 2008. Like all true blue (superstitious) Chinese, I believe that this year would be a 'lucky' year. Oh wait or is it suppose to be a prosperous one. Hmm. Never mind it shall be both.
Anyway I had dinner at my Uncle's house which is huge, as in the land area. The building itself is not as big for the land space that it has. Has not changed much since chinese new year. A few more potted plants and the rest remains the same. By the time my family reached, all the food was pretty much ready. It was a pot luck dinner. Had so many different dishes. Chicken, Roast Pork, Chicken Curry, Mee Siam, Roasted Duck, quite a few braised dishes (which I dint touch so I cant recall), abalone(which was finished by the time I came to it) and of course desserts. They had oreo cheesecake, apple crumble and a pumpkin pie. Lots of food. Hai sadly none of my cousins were there. Most distance relatives with quite a few of my uncle's friends around. Hmm one is the head of republic poly, most of them doing business and I presume the rest have either golf or wine as a hobby(or maybe a lifestyle) cause those were the only two topics I heard the group talk about. Some of them brought their children along 4 whom were below 10, 2 Uni students(who are cousins) and 4 young adults. Obviously I had limited choice of people to talk with, not that Im fantastic and rubbing shoulders with strangers. However the 2 uni students whom I had a chat with were friendly and nice. One is doing vet science and the other is reading law both at rather prestigious universities. Found a little more about the UK education system and their, rather interesting, army life. Caught a bit of X-Men 2 on my Uncle's wide LCD screen tv. Haiz. I think he should donate it to me, I'll ensure that it is used more frequently, even though I'll be enjoying in some island quite close to home. Left around 11 and dad rushed all the way to city center to drop my brother and me. My brother had an invitation together with my dad to view the fireworks from Maybank(I represented my dad, HaHa). The view was spectacular from the 18th floor. Could see the whole bay and the packed esplanade bridge. (Pictures shall be uploaded another time.) Perhaps the only drawback was the lack of atmosphere.
Rushed back home immediately after the fireworks ended. HaHa was so afraid that there would be a massive human jam. But surprisingly the MRT was so empty that I even managed to get a seat. Sorry aaron n gang for pang seh-ing though haha. Dint want to get squashed in a crowd.

HaHa thats 2008. Eh not bad for me. For the past 18 years, I have been always in my uncle's house for the countdown. A change and a change it has be. For after 12 years, Jan 1st does not mean that I'll have to wake up at 6.30 to attend school(though I kinda miss it). For after 12 years of student concession I will finally travel without it(I'll obviously miss it). Hai just to make it worse, Ill have to wake up at 7 and travel all the way to lakeside(w/o concession) to do a stock take for a company. Wait I should be positive about this change. How can I start my New Year on a low note.

Hmm. This is 1stly about the inter JC pageant. For those of you who arent informed, well you need not know about it la. Just know that there is this pageant going on.
There was this voting system and the difference between the top contestant and the one right at the bottom is about 20,000. So a noble person by the alias of witwicky posted this:

"Is it just me, or did anyone else realise that the voting system is a bit screwed up? Look at the skewed distribution and the story unfolds. 20,000 votes against a few hundred? Absurd as it sounds, is it mathematically possible for contestants to vote for themselves 20,000 times? I think the system where everyone is able to vote only once, checked by a unique IP address, serves better justice not only to us, but the contestants as well. Just my 2cents."

It makes sense, save for the part of the contestant who would vote over 20,000 times for himself/herself. An exaggeration, but I suppose the point he is trying to make is that people can re-vote. Fair enough.

Then comes ahpengleh5 who goes directly to the absurd point that witwicky claimed, this is what he said:

"I beg to differ. I seriously disagree with you saying that the contestants would keep voting and clicking for themselves. Moreover, this voting system doesn't decides completely who the real winner is. And whats more, from the post ur just posted, are you trying to imply that the top few pageants on the m/f pageant list are clicking and voting for themselves? Think twice."

HaHaHaHaHaHa for those of you who din't get it. The following should help:

I seriously disagree with you saying that the contestants would keep voting and clicking for themselves....And whats more... are you trying to imply that the top few pageants.. are clicking and voting for themselves? Think twice.

Hmm I wonder who should think twice about what his saying.

I wouldn't be surprised if ahpengleh5 happens to be a ardent supporter of the top few contestants. Perhaps one that clicks his/her life away.

Finally I wonder how the winner of the voting contest can be crowned Mr/Ms Popular if all the winner had was a team of supporters clicking their life away. HaHa. I believe some people shouldn't lie to themselves (or to their friends).

Anyway something more to brighten the mood my friend is in TJ! =)
To brighten it even more I only have to work for half a day.
And even more I'm getting paid for a full day of work(oops im talking about pay again)
And even even more, its bedtime

P.S. gd luck mr aaron-shutterbug-noob.

9:12 PM :D

In the Office, you experience new things. Here is the top of the list:

1. Retarded Regulations. E.g having a password on the photocopy machine but the office laser printers are open to all. My brother claims the password is to ensure no one abuses the photocopy machine. Another reason from a senior colleague was that so 'trainees' like myself dont go around and destroy spoil their photocopy machines. They have 3 around the office. The screwed thing is that the audit dept's photocopy machine sucks. For some reason I cant explain, the feeder gets jammed half the time and the other half is with paper that gets jammed within the machine. Damn troublesome.
2. Unreasonable colleagues. I'm sure you have heard about them. Mine is not much different I think. It has got to do with Part 1. Since the photocopy machine at the audit dept is hopeless, I decided to use the tax dept's one. I tried it out last week and it is way better. Just so happened that a senior colleague was there photocopying some documents. Let me introduce her to you. Name: AH Dept: Audit. So she was rather surprised I was there (Afterall people are selfish and shes the epitome of it). She asked me if I had the password to the photocopy machine in a cynical manner(I'm not SUPPOSED to have it afterall). However I asked for the password a few days before from a colleague in the tax dept and it was given to me without questions. Of course AH was not happy. She has competition now. Justin vs. AH for the Tax' photocopy machine = Pissed AH. No more exclusive usage for AH for now even a trainee can access her 'secret photocopy machine'. Ah what crap. To show her displeasure she had to stay and watch me punch in the password. Ah since none of you work in the office I must as well tell you what I did. I din't really remember the password but I knew it had 05-07-99. So I punched in 070599 *beep* wrong. 050799... and I accessed it. AH was 'delighted' and stomped walked away. An hour later I just so happened to past her desk and AH asked me if I left recycled paper at the bypass feeder. I admitted I had. Her response was that I should not have done that and if I were to do that again, I should NEVER use that photocopy machine(See! the jealous ***** showing her true colours). WTF?!?! I dont see whats the big deal la. Last week when I went there, I saw recycled paper in the bypass feeder. If I had brought excess, what is the point of me taking it back when I can just place it there for the next person to use! As if recycled paper on the bypass feeder would do harm to the machine.
3. Selfish Colleagues. She feels cold in the morning, she walks over to the thermostat and turns the temperature up to 25 degrees. Wonderful =). Not to mention her face which looks like it has been pissed for a centuary. Ironic how she has a winnie the pooh wallpaper. Or maybe it is to make up for the disasterious face. You decide(sorry I cant take a pic of her). Well the same person decides that everyone in the office should listen to her chinese music too. Though she tries to be considerate my turning the volume low, it still obvious when the office is silent. When people talk, it gets worse. It sounds like someone whispering into your ears. No prizes for guessing who talks shouts. She thinks that there are only two people in office and the whole world needs to hear their conversation. So she asks a question or just whine about how her email is not getting through. And her friend(who happens to sit beside me) is no better. She still has not realised how noisy she is throughout the day. Oh and the best thing. When I went to collect files she decides to come over to my place and chat with her friend. So I came back with a stack of files and her inside my cubicle. Over heard her conversation saying how she would like to have this cubicle since there were cupboards. After 2mins she suddenly realises I had been waiting for her to get out of my space cause I could not sit. She had the cheek to say,"Oh, I'm so fat ar." Eeer I think thats only the beginning of it....

HaHa Who says work is boring has got to redefine it. Come work at an The Office.

Anyway here is my new office resolution: I shall do work as slowly as possible. Since:

1.they are going to give me the same stuff to do over and over again(nothing learnt)

2. when I'm done, I get more and I even get asked to be the office boy!(endless work)

3. I'm going to leave

=) Savour the final days of 2007... By Sleeping

9:07 PM :D

Jolly Christmas!

O.oh Short recap of the day's happenings.
Woke up late and therefore arrived at office late. Was given additional instructions to complete the work I had the previous week- simple enough. This was followed by another list of company names(more work basically), same task though. Aargh the photocopier sucks and I couldn't use the heavy duty stapler since the staple would penetrate the front but the normal ones wouldn't do either, it is about a stack of 40. Till I found one that could get the job well reasonably well. Rushed to Goodwood Park Hotel for lunch which was suppose to start at 1.15pm. My brother and I left the office last, but somehow we weren't the last to reach. The lunch started quite promptly and the drinks started flowing freely, gassy drinks, red wine, white wine and of course cold water. Lunch was ok, I craved smoked salmon(terribly) and it was certainly satisfied. By the way, it is a buffet consisting of both western starters, Asian main courses and western desserts and whats a christmas celebration without the turkey. Though they had a full turkey there, it was only for show la. What they gave us was the breast meat, I would love the drumstick. If not for the person carving the turkey, I would have gone n ripped out the drumstick!(Nah I'm not so desperate, you'll see why later). Oh and I finally won a lucky draw prize!! :D haha lucky no. 14 for me! some traveller 'essentials'.

Soon after that, it was dinner at my house. Had honey baked ham on the bone and... turkey =). There were other items which I don't know the names of but basically it was nice food for christmas. Though I was not in the mood of stuffing myself with food. Since it was such a long time since I had ham on the bone, I headed straight for it. HaHa. Its a huge leg, so there was no shortage. As much as I wanted the turkey drumstick, I couldn't have it. It was being heated up in the oven(see YL, it can fit inside!). By the time it was done, I was filled with drinks. HaHa...
Watched "home alone" its such a nice christmas movie, though I prefer Home Alone 2 better.

Hitched a ride to Marina Sq to meet up with 16/06 people who were having dinner at this steamboat buffet place. By the time I reached, they had started 'cooking' the ice cream. Come to think of it, it is a bit retarded la. Just place some thick milky concoction in this cold pan and watch it freeze up. But it was something new so I had a hand in making some. HaHa. Went for gift exchange which took an extremely long time due to people like shi fang who could not be easily satisfied. HaHa. Left for home after that.

thoughts on christmas
-Does it really 'feel' like christmas? Somehow it just feels like another day for me. The lights seem to have lost their mystical appeal. Perhaps watching houses decorated with 10000s of bulbs have diminished the appeal(catch it on discovery travel n living). The lights along esplanade just look so plain. No red, no green, no yellow, no blue. Just white. Not to mention the lack of creativity. The same design replicated along one whole stretch of road. Just in case cars drive too fast past the decorations, hopefully they catch a glimpse of one small section of it and they need not see the rest. Or it could be due to the fact that they just wanted to save money. Then again must as well not decorate. But I guess its not only about the lights of the fact that the sky was so cloudy with the full moon hiding behind the clouds. Or perhaps it could be due to the lack of christmas songs. Like how I wish the moment I entered the car, I would hear 'Winter Wonderland'. Then again the irony of having listen to a song, trying to replicate the circumstances only to find out that your in sunny Singapore and the only place your likely to see winter, is in snow city. Well some would say you wouldn't see snow, but more of ice. Whatever it is, the point is still there- Singapore has no snow(foam fails terribly at replicating THE effect). Perhaps I'm just to fussy, some things should just be accepted for what they are. I should go n sleep and try conjure a nicer christmas. Till next time, have yourself a Merry/Jolly/Warm Christmas.

Ooh my christmas song recommendation "Do they know it is Christmas"
and my fave line: And there won't be snow in Africa Singapore this Christmas time

http://youtube.com/watch?v=8jEnTSQStGE

1:24 AM :D

Ahh the cookies were a disaster. Yong Long (YL) added salt instead of sugar and we only realised when it was time to test the cookies out.
Well the 1st hint came when I was sitting next the oven waiting for the cookies to bake. Was so bored that I decided to taste the batter. It was saltish. Hmm must have been unlucky to get grains of salt in that small little sample i took. (1/2 a teaspoon of salt was required) Decided to try another small pinch of the batter, still salty. Ahh nvm something wrong with my tastebuds. Asked yl to try, but he dint want too =(. Haha. Took about 20mins for the cookies for the 1st batch of cookies to bake. Haha my maid was hilarious la. She went to take a satay stick n poked it into the cookie, so happened that our recipe had so much chocolate chips that she ended up poking one. She saw the melted chocolate on the stick and she said, "Ai ya not done yet la, still wet." L0L. But the bottom of the cookie was cooking faster then the top(it was turning brown/black). So we took it out, flipped it, and placed it back in. I just had to pinch a little bit of the cookie just for taste =) haha, it was salty. Ahhhhhh. HaHa, we then realised that we had used the wrong ingredients!. LoL. Joel and Eugene were the only ones who ate part of the cookies. Just imagine 375g of salt inside the cookies, even an equal portion of brown sugar wasnt able to help. HaHaHa, next time I must ensure my maid is right infront of us when I bake.

Hmm todays work was ok, not too boring, but quite tedious. Basically it is updating records, ensuring they tally and filing them. Wah the photocopy machine is damn hopeless la, it gets jam half the time, so irritating to photocopy about 200+ pages(It had an feeder unit). Took me about 1+hour to get that done. Lunch was surprisingly good, went to get chicken chop and tau pau-ed back to the office. Btw, lunch there is mere 45mins! I thought they would have given an hour for lunch, considering the crowd in somerset. Continued work all the way till 5+ and just finished just before office hours(which is at 5.45pm). The train station was packed, thank goodness SMRT decided to turn on the aircon to full blast. Helped reduce the stuffed-feeling.

Looking forward to the HALF day on monday followed by Christmas Lunch! Hopefully I'm invited. =X

Labels: Cookies

9:02 PM :D

I'm working.
=)
I'm working in and auditing firm for about 2-3 weeks. Don't really intend to learn much accounting stuff though I will do what they ask me to do(teaching has to come with it naturally).
1st day was stock taking. The name says it all, but just incase you din't know or are unsure. Heres the rough gist of it.

1. You go to the company and see the workers count the stock/inventory/what they have
2. You ensure it is follows procedure(they dont count 1..2...3...1000)
3. You sign and acknowledge
4. Any discrepancies(stock doesnt match the no. reflected in the list) would have to be resolved(somehow)

Basically that is what its about la. Sadly the company I went to was in the midst of changing their system which meant all their stock was all around the warehouse. So counting wasn't simple. It dint help that most of the stock came from a certain few companies so everything was in just a few sorts of packaging and the labels were so similar.

I heard from a colleague that stock takes normally take half a day. Mine took a full day with overtime. So I ended work at 7.30pm. N it sucks la, my brother just told me that I wouldnt get paid overtime cause I'm working in a profession and if overtime was allowed, everyone would slowly do work and get overtime. Din't help that my mentor told me that I could have asked to leave early to meet my friend =(. I feel cheated. I shalln't do overtime anymore. I have to meet my computer every night as early as possible. I wonder since I get paid a fixed amount, do I get paid during holidays too =)? that would be fantastic I get almost 4 days of break in my 3 weeks of work (so basically i cant count it as 2). Eh, then its not too bad. O.oh no I have become so focused on the pathetic pay I'm earning.

I should be focused on the bigger picture of gaining the 2 weeks of experience in an office. I would have to say even after today's tiring work (with no overtime pay)((oh no i mentioned pay again)) I'm still quite optimistic about working in an office. I should really get down to doing account, trying to balance a "balance sheet" or whatever accountants do on a daily basis before I decide if such a subject would be of any interest to me. But for now, I'm still quite optimistic. =)

Oh its 6 days to christmas people.

-about other stuff

1. I'm gona bake cookies tmr, though I dont know what cookies. But I'll decide on that tmr. =)

Labels: work

10:57 PM :D

Woke up at about 10.20. Haiz I thought I was just in time for lunch while lazing on bed. Left the house at around 11+ for some japanese lunch buffet at Minori, its at UE square. (PS lihong haha i thought it was near novena) 2 of my dad's friends came along. Quite akward having lunch with strangers sitting opposite you. Can never seem to appreciate their jokes which fall into two categories "HUH?!" or "is that a joke?". So I would do is just give a weak smile. Can't smile too often or else they might end up making even more 'jokes'. Food was quite good though. I'm hooked on to grilled chicken hearts. Here's a picture of it together with some grilled mackerel. The texture is sort of piece of rubber, similar to abalone.Chicken Balls and Yaki Tori in a thick sweet sauce =)

Whats Japanese Food without some raw fish. Lots of salmon =)

It is just tofu(beancurd), but the fish flake is so cool.

Went straight to tiong baruh to collect my specs for army. My eyesight is getting worse with each passing year. But I have my faith and hopes in LASIK. Right now it is about 800 on the right and 500 on the left.

Decided to watch Warlords with my brother after realising it had just opened.

Movie Review:

Err. I thought it was the the kind of movie with some epic battle(think LOTR or harry potter, golden compass would be the lousy example). Sorely disappointed. Yar it did have some nice battle scenes but the sound is so fake. Like so bloody obvious that they had edited the sound so 100 people marching down a dirt road sounded like a whole army walking across a gravel flatland. The battle scenes are truely deserving for a NC16 rating. And Jet Li, is godlike. Seriously who can still carry on battle with a pike through his body, else then Jet Li of course. Ai ya to sum it all up, if your bored, this would help get rid 2hours of your life and if your not, dont watch it.

Went back home and had light dinner =). Till next time!

Btw I have started to exercise(outside of PE time!). For those of you who don't know. I'm Justin.

-I know that din't help, but what can I tell you?

Labels: Holiday

12:32 AM :D

Woke at 10.30am and went online for awhile to chat before leaving for tampines mall. Have not been there for quite sometime but its still the same la. Went straight to Golden Village to find shaun and bernard waiting there. Went to watch the Golden Compass.


Movie Review:


It is ok lor. I felt that the director snipped of many parts so as to shorten the film. So the final product is some sort of summary. Not sure if the director could cut off any scene totally but it was terrible to have each character introduced and before a personality is full developed, it is switched to another one. Was not coherent at all. Action was evident, though gore had to be toned downed so as to make the show PG. Like who could imagine a bear's lower jaw being swiped off and no blood at all. Not to forget the speed at which the jaw flew off, made it seem more like nothing had happened. The ending just signals a future movie, which I hope would be more thorough and complete.


So basically if you want to watch it, then dont expect much.





Was exactly 2 when we left the cinema. Gave Denis a call to find out that he was at home, waiting for tan shing kwan(TSK). Persuaded him to get him out after covincing him that we wouldnt go back home. Went to eat the yakitori set lunch together with some taiwan snacks. I ordered the squid, Bing Xiong(BX) took pork and Shaun got chicken. But I ended up stealing a lot from BX, couldnt get enough of the plum sauce =X. HaHa sorry bx =). Denis came when we were about to finish our lunch. Decided to walk around TM before I got lazy and asked them to take the bus to esplanade. Taking 10 is so much better then taking the MRT. There are plenty of seats and a working air conditioning system. I think the MRT network wants to cut cost(perhaps being environmentally friendly would be a better cover up). Their air con system never seems to be on full power and it doesnt help if your standing. Reached at about 4+. Way too early for the concert but just in time to see the stage being prepared. Went the the rooftop garden and took a few pictures with the CBD skyline in the background. Before we saw TSK slowly strolling in. Walked back to the concourse to see the soundcheck taking place and had a little sneak peak of their performance. Played a trick on BX which turned out to be a disaster! After trying to lose him, he couldn't find us! If not for TSK being insistent that BX would lose his way, BX might just end up waiting along the singapore river for his true love to find him.





Went to marina sq for dinner, though I dint really have much of an appetite. Shared food with bernard who happened not to have much of an appetite either. We realised that after we had bought our food, it was 6.50 O.Oh crap. The performance was going to start in 25mins. Aaaah. Queen Lim Woan Yun and Tai Tai Ang Shi Fang made their grand entrance by sashaying to the table. They decided to not have dinner then, or else they would have missed Lihong's item, which happened to be the first one.

Surprisingly we reached there just in time to catch Lihong perform his item. Some of the pieces played were perfect for a lullaby. Others were much better at keeping my attention. I particularly liked Jensen's closed eye item. Shaun claims it has to do with emotions, while I feel it is the perfect way to prevent stage fright. Then again you shouldn't trust my judgement. Have a look at Vengerov playing Csardas. Find his priceless expression at 2.33-2.34! Any violinist care to educate me on what emotion that is and for that matter, why eyes must be closed when playing the instrument?


Lihong's & Junshen's sabre dance and the carmen piece by 2 J1s were very nice too.

Went for light supper, which I had a teh cino. While having supper, I found out that Jensen was not from an international school. (Which come to think of it, made sense. I remember ratchaphorn telling me something about how only govt. funded schools could get the Asian Scholarship.) *Shocked* All along I thought Jensen had gotten his accent through an international school. Ai ya for those of you who know Jensen, don't you think he has a different accent from other malaysians o.o? haha... Or izit just me o.O. Anyway I know how come you can tell a malaysian chinese apart from a singaporean chinese. Just speak in mandarin, it works perfectly for lihong. I cant describe accents well so you would have to test it out yourself.
(Left to Right: Jensen, Yong Long)

Talked quite a lot of crap with Yong Long and Jensen ranging from recent movies to Jensen's girl. (Whom he has refused to reveal.) Had to make a move as the girls (ASF n LWY) had work the next day. Yong Long couldnt be bothered much about work. Haiz the difference in work attitude. HaHa.


Went back home by MRT, the aircon was not functioning well and neither were there any available seats.


A final note, though most likely denis nor TSK would see this. All the best and see ya guys soon for a christmas or new year gathering!

Final thoughts: I cant believe how fast the year has passed by.

11:13 PM :D

I think it should not have done that farewell post.

Reason 1:
Its something personal that should not be open for the whole world to read...

Reason 2:
MSN messenger

ok no more reasons...

Today was nice. Managed to wake up at 6.20(thank god for snooze). Reached the train station just on time to catch the train with shaun, shing kwan, woan yun and denis on board. Reached queenstown at 8.30! and waited about 15mins for KBX(koh bing xiong) before we left for the community center. Just left the station when this madman(LiHong) comes running-what perfect timing. Reached the community center to find out the event was gona start at 11am. Wanted to murder ShiFang, but was to tired and lazy to do so. Started origami. It is tough trying to teach primary school students how some steps. I love those that would just sit down in their seats and passively absorb info. Memo:Do NOT be a primary school teacher, or any other teacher(with the exception of a tuition teacher).

Event ended & ASF told me at 5pm, "5.30pm maximum". Needless to say that it ended much later. Reached Chomp Chomp after taking an mrt ride and taxi to a food court. Denis seemed rather surprised that we took a taxi to go to a hawker center to eat. HaHaHa. Reached the hawker and only got a seat at about 8.30 O.O
What we ordered(part recommendation by ASF part by TLH's cravings)
-Hokkien Mee(which ASF calls PRAWN MEE. So decieving la, while searching for a table I saw one table with the prawn mee SOUP, so I kept trying to find Prawn Noodle Soup... how would I know that the stall was so near our table and it was called some Hokkien Prawn Mee. wt..?!)
-Stingray, Solefish BBQ-ed tgt with ultra spicy kang kong(I thought Chomp Chomp was the name of the famous BBQ stall, till SF told me the whole hawker center was called chomp chomp... haha the stingray n solefish was good, but the kang kong was excellent! the amount of chilli they put into it makes u addicted.)
-Sugarcane Juice(we ordered so much of it, 5 huge mugs, that it can be considered a dish by itself. We just needed it to wash down the chilli after taste that was melting our mouths)
-Satay Bee Hoon(was good but all they left me was like the ingredients while I went to get extra chopsticks! Anyway dint really have a craving for satay bee hoon, but the next one is worth it)
-Satay (ok la I was basically addicted to the sauce. It was this nice smooth peanut gravy with some pineapple puree in it. Absolutely Addictive.)
-Chicken Wings(What can I say. Okay lor. Though it was a little charred, the taste of carbon wasnt really evident, or could it be due to the amount of chilli sauce I covered the chicken wing in =X)

Walked all the way to ASF's home and had a marvelous view of the Singapore skyline. Went to the bus stop and saw 45 that goes all the way to tanah merah MRT. Din't take it, but took MRT tgt with LiHong. Reached home... n gona sleep liao =)

11:33 PM :D

While everyone is busy preparing for god-knows-what, make sure you don't forget christmas is coming soon! =)

Ooh and heres a nice song to start the festive mood!



HaHa, sorry had to urge to just share such a nice song. =)

It is 6 hours to the biggest and most important event for some JC students, hopefully not you. And I cant believe I'm going for it.

A dinner at the line or keyaki would have been way better but sadly it would lack company.

Oh, my whole family is back. =( A more crowded house now. No longer can I just walk into any room and lie down on the bed, slacking. Or go downstairs and tune in to any channel I like. Ah the joy of freedom that was shortlived. On the brightside, my dad is back =).

Woan yun has told me about a job offer too. Haha i'll just go do the job just to kill time. And it doesnt hurt that I'm earning money too. Not that I would ever spend my own money. Ooh if you guys want to find a job real badly, you can ask woan yun =) she seems like shes starting a job agency or something. HaHa =)

Oh wait, this post is suppose to remind you guys of the FESTIVE SEASON. Anyway it would be the first new year after 12 years in which I can relax and enjoy, without feeling the stress of school starting again in 2 days. But yes it is short-lived for my service to the nation has to begin. Oh wait thats such a sad topic for such a joyous mood. =X

Will post soon about a fishing trip when I get the photos. =) till then, stay safe and happy

p.s. Justin prays hard for a thunderstorm.

Labels: Christmas Mood

1:11 PM :D

Started off the day by waking up at 6.20. Seriously dint feel like getting off the bed so gave the snooze button a whack. It din't help though, I started feeling guilty (would be late for an arranged meeting with aaron n jun jie). Got out of bed, a cup of coffee and left. Reached starhub center only to find out that I was alone. Till i saw Kenny(from CLB) enter the room, though it dint help that he sat at the other end of the room. SATS is really boring, over 3hrs of test and you start to feel bored. Went for lunch with Crazy Miss Tan (Ying xiu) cuz aaron had to go collect his passport (he pangseh-ed us basically).

In the end (HAIZ) we still had to cut it. Helped with a bit of the vanguard before leaving for dinner with my uncle n brother.

Went to City Hall to meet up with my uncle n bro. Went to this Italian restaurant called Prego. Food looked nice, so I took photos =).

Salt n Pepper. Never seen salt in such huge chunks before o.o

Starters: Sardines are horrible. The dish was basically a feast for the eyes and nothing else

Pasta: The white stuff that looked like shredded chicken, is actually some yummy cheese =)

Main Courses: Lamb Chops

Chicken

Some Ox Tribe thing ( the nice stuff is hidden beneath the tomatoe sauce=(

Smoke Salmon with Pasta

And Finally desert

Haiz the dinner was terribly long due to the confusion in the kitchen. Ar well.

Anyone knows how to post photos more efficiently? This process is taking me ages (uploading, dragging them to the appropriate position). hai, till another day... BYE BYE

Labels: SATS

9:15 PM :D

Back from the Class Chalet...



Shall start from 28th Nov. The day I went back to school for a mock interview. It was ok la. If not for the, "Why should we offer you this scholarship?".



Went to GO to try get my testimonial from the school clerk. She refused to give it to me cause Mrs Toh, wrote a memo stating that the testimonials are to be given from the 29th. I explained to her that it dint make sense as we were having our chalet then and Mrs Toh knew about it (she paid for it afterall). Moreover, every other class was collecting their today, so why couldn't we do it there and then. Of course she refused to budge. Lucky for me, Mr. Fun was there.



Went home to pack my bag and left for the chalet. It was MUCH better then last years one at coasta sands. Then again, any other chalet wud easily beat costa sands 'resort'. Started playing Mahjong, Monopoly and Card games. No one wanted to leave the chalet. Anyway Bing Xiong is like a pro at monopoly la... he keeps bankrupt-ing everyone and then he would say, dont blame me, blame the game. =( Ar well. Haha but it was quite funny la. We would start of as individuals and by the 6/7 round people start forming alliances. 2 rounds later and you have outright collusion. The game most likely ends by the 12th round. Denis treated us to pizza.

Went to the supermarket go get some stuff for the following days breakfast and lunch.

Slept early, 2am+, while the rest continued playing bluff and some other games. Woke up at about 9+ to find they had already started cooking the eggs. It was edible, but I decided to make mine. Went to cook lunch after that. It was just pasta with sauce. Shi Fang made the tomatoe sauce while I did the cream cheese one. Though it had no extra ingredients else then shredded chicken, it was not too bad. Me n Bx went to Giant in the afternoon to go get some seafood for the BBQ. Haha my obsession with prawns had to be satisfied. We are obviously not made to do shopping, shalln't say the dumb things we did. Oh but I recalled jamie oliver BBQ-ing fruit, though I couldnt not remember what fruit else then pineapple, which I had before. Sadly, I could not find pineapples. Ar well perhaps their not in season. Went back for 1 short game of monopoly before we started the BBQ. Was preparing the seafood while others got the fire started. Suprisingly, there was this prawn that was still alive after being out of the water for at least 2 hours. It had even survived a good 30mins in the fridge. Din't know what to do with it and LiHong decided it was best to cook it live over the stove(to the dismay of the girls). So he took a pair of tongs and tried placing the prawn directly above the open flame. Rather shocking that the prawn had enough energy to jump out. I thought the heat would have killed it instantly. In the end, it was Denis that "decapitated" the prawn. After like two years in JC, this has got the be the most successful BBQ I have been too. Most of the food was finished with about 5+ Otah left. Most other BBQs either had rain to douse the flames, insufficient charcoal, or heat that was more suited for a fireplace. Anyway it was really fun BBQ-ing. Oh yes Bing Xiong n LiHong are really good at getting the charcoal ready. Had a few games of murderer followed by cleaning up. Shi Fang had her chao da beehoon (its not the edible kind) to clear up from the pot. It seriously had a coffee aroma(Or did I get the smells all mixed up). Cleared up the place quite fast and went to the beach. It was very windy, really nice seaside breeze that felt more like it was going to rain. That together with the misty sky kept my mind occupied about the rain coming down. Had a few rounds of murderer again(oooh so addictive). Woan Yun was quite good at the game, she basically dint say anything, even when her fellow murderer was slowing being tortured =(. Anyway, the murderers prevailed!!! =)

Went back, played a bit of CS on Samuel's comp against LiHong. Watched a lil' bit of blade 3, before I started dozing off to LaLaLand.

Woke up once again to find that they had started cooking. Slacked the whole morning before checking out. Before heading back home on 12... Home Sweet Home.

Now for a more realistic view.

Justin's Calender:

Sat: SATS
Sun: Grad Night Stuff
Mon: Fishy Fishy
Tue: Grad Night
Wed: CAAS tea session and Terminal 3 tour
Thurs till the end of the hols: UNDECIDED.
oh my i need to go somewhere/do something
-Cant go to M'sia due to riots (n it doesnt seem like their gona stop anytime soon, stupid rioters! take a break, so that i can have one too!)
-Somewhere wintery would be nice.
-Working would be another option, but as what?
-Dont ask me to stay at home, I'm already gona die of boredom

=) ok time to sleep Gd Night n May you have a wonderful week ahead!

Labels: Class Chalet

1:59 PM :D

Any guesses?

1:09 AM :D

Woke up and played bridge with nabil, claire( the Queen of Dunman High Bridge Contest) and rebecca. Ai ya, the queen was no match for birthday girl. Birthday girl was just too well versed in bridge. If claire was the queen, rebecca would have been queen dowager. Played a bit of bishi bashi. Nabil's damn pro at it. He must be secretly practising at home everyday on his gaming consoles. The girls challanged the guys to a 4v4 match of bishi bashi. haha im lousy at it. =( but it was fun. The girls (may, ying xiu, claire and rebecca) were like some cheerleading squad. With one holding the controller and the rest all prompting the player what to do. Quite hilarious.

Went to play twister next. None of us knew the actual rules and it din't bother us. Haha, just had to make stupid moves. Liat Beng is a pro at this la. He can contort his body and would then beg the game master to quickly spin the pointer. Haha.

Had lunch followed by a game of monpoly with may n ying xiu. Woah, haha I pawned ying xiu real badlly with my park mall, poor may also had a taste of living in a hotel. It was a rather short game as we were all leaving at 3, though it was really fun.

Labels: Council Stayover

8:27 PM :D

Hai. Had to wake up at 8.30. Just to recieve an sms from nabil at 9. YL took his sweet time and came at 9.50!. Decided to bake a butter cake and so we did. It was so fast. Claire came over to help too. Though blur block almost forgot to add the milk. The self professesd baker of the 30th students' council with one year of experience, better then nothing I suppose. So there we had, our cake and we made some orange icing. Which was like 70% icing sugar, 29% cream cheese and 1% orange rind. I dint take a picture of the final product but it look good =). While it was baking, had 2 games of mahjong(why do u think we needed four people to bake a cake?!), nab n yl won 1 game each, before claire felt sleepy. Was concurrently watching gladiator, ooh such a disappointment :(. I waited for the whole show just to hear the song "now we are free" and it din't sound grand or anything. Ar well.



Went to the airport by train carrying a cake tgt with yl. While nab claire n jessie took a cab there. Caroline took a few pics with her polaroid camera. Before we said gd bye to jessie. Oh yes Aaron the Ass wasn't there. That noob overslept, as usual.



Went home to take a short nap, before heading out again.

Meet yvonne, nelly, devin, hannah, fredy n annie at swensens(yes tt place again). Yvonne hasnt changed much... still the same old Princess. haha went to catch enchanted at eng wah. Im not sure why engwah, shud have gone to marina but nvm. It was good at the first few parts but just to fit in the fairytale ending, it went totally off. N for those of u who have watched it, why is it tt went the prince wasnt gona get married, the Queen Narissa still want Giselle dead. Wouldnt she be queen as long as the prince did not get married. Ar well and then you had the dragon that couldnt fly surprise surprise. I still wonder what was the purpose of carrying Robert up the skyscraper :S? ar who cares... it was funny... n it has certainly been long since I have stepped into a cinema. Good for those who feel that their brains need some relaxing and have more laughter in their life.

Oooh it was rather sad... tried to take bus back... and on the way to the bus stop, we saw three 36s =(. So we thought we wud have to wait a long time till the next bus. But Devin said we had to wait for only 4mins with help from Iris, such cool stuff. Retarded was that when the bus came. It stopped right behind another bus and by the time we ran for it, it drove away. So I decided I shall try using Iris... waited for a while and then asked Devin, "How fast does Iris take". "Very fast" was he reply. Okay, that weird. I dint recieve it after 3mins. And then he asked, " Do you use singtel?". eeerr...... ok no wonder -.- what a disappointment =(

I have SATS to study for. When? Where? How? I'll find a way to answer those questions in time to come but for now, I need to say Hi to my bed n Bye to you

Labels: Jessie

5:44 PM :D

Aahh woke up at 9.30am... n immediately left for School to do Jessica's locker cover... took me till 11.30 i think. Its not easy doing it ok!... need to print it out... and it takes bloody long for the laptop to do anything. Cut the paper the board the clear wrapping plastic and then paste it on n blah blah blah... Anyway I have to thank Huang Ngoc Dung(pronounced as Zo....ong) aka jessie for her help =D. Haha. Hers the poster:

Shud have done it earlier... but im Justin....

After tt went back.... and slacked the whole afternoon while waiting for Andy to come over n collect the mahjong set. Which he did at about 3+... he was so ill prepared to carry a mahjong set, and quite sua ku too. He thought rolling arnd his trolley bag was noisy and so being considerate, he decided to carry it! Well perhaps he forgot its about 3 in the afternoon and no one really cares about the noise from the rolling wheels of a trolley bag. Afterall, the drone of airplanes taking off would be worse, for some.

Anyway, was youtubing. And i came across Gordon Ramsay, his a chef. Somebody like Jamie Oliver. You should go see his videos, im too lazy to upload the link here. Anyway ang mohs love to use olive oil, salt and pepper. Herbs are also a must in every dish. Anyway you should look at how generous they are with their seasoning. I wonder if their eating salt and drinking olive oil. Anyway cook shows are at their prime now. When christmas is near, all the roasts come up. Like Jamie Oliver had one BBQ one... wow... ok i cant describe food well... go find a picture yourself.

Next Next....

Went to Sakae sushi at parkway. Cause Jessie is leaving tmr and i had vouchers. Of course i couldnt tell the whole world i had vouchers or they wud eat like there is no tomorrow. so sorry but too bad... poor aaron had no cash and decided not to go... beng had to leave half way cuz his grandfather fell down n broke his arm i think (hope he gets well soon!) and gp took cab down... all the way from pasir ris... just to eat like a few plates. Quite sad, but ar well. Anyway had a dilemma later on. which i realised i was flawed... no thanks to natha's thinking... haha... ooh n i found the kebab place... though i was too full by then to eat any kebabs... another time then =).

Went to Settlers after that. I thought jessie had went there before, but she said she dint =X anyway had lots of fun. All the brainless games... UGLY UGLY UGLY, the jungle one(ying xiu's forte), dinosaur one and bluff. WoW bluff was surprising though, thought mei fen was gona win, and last round jessie turned the tables n won. Quick n surprising victory. Perhaps a farewell gift to her, haha.

Came back... 11+ . now dota-ing... with aaron (the noob) and aik siong( the pro). It kinds of balances. Now aaron is gona be pissed at me for telling the whole world his a noob. =)

Till another time... BYE BYE

Labels: Jessie's Farewell

11:09 PM :D

It is never to late to plan for my holidays.

I guess its pretty much decided tt were going to langkawi n KL for hols... though everything has not be finalised.

Ah yes a few more days till the end. How sad, each passing day feels weird. Feels as if the As have already ended, though they have not for me. Anyway it is a better life then Aaron's.

For those of you who dont know, Aaron is a BIO student who gave his support to physics students for having papers a day earlier then his. Well of course, aaron too, needs support. GO AARON!! happy studying for bio!! =D, and don't keep playing dota!

Blog another time.... =)

12:33 PM :D

Top 3 Reasons to go to Las Vegas:

The Bellagio Fountains:
Ahh just listening to your fave tunes and being mesmerized by the swaying streams of water. So ethereal. I'll let the video do the convincing.

KA:

Trust Cirque Du Soleil to come up with such weird names. Anyway this show looks fabulous. Just watching bits on pieces of it on TV makes me wonder what the full story is like. Oh this show has a permanent set in MGM Grand. Which means unlike alegria, saltimbanco or the more recent quidam, KA would never be able to reach the shores of Singapore. However, its permanent set allows it to be custom built for the show. Ar well, even I have not seen much if its magic at work and hence unable to tell you.

3. ....

Oh no, I can only think of 2 now. Ar well that will have to do. Perhaps sitting on the plane for 18hours or more would bring some sense of excitement. Well then again only if you happen to sit nearer the pilot, or at least one with a personal entertainment system.

Havent even decided where I should go for holidays.... Guess somewhere nearby. oo, yes... if you happen to know the names of the beaches found in Malaysia's tourism adverts, do tell me. Not redang or langkawi though... cant go there during the monsoon season. Ar well...

PS:thanks aaron for helping me get my blog up. HaHa =)

though ure still a noob, but nvm... hahahahahahah

10:02 PM :D

Welcome To My Blog...

Why cant making a blog be as simple as placing what you want, where you want. Ar well, I failed art for a reason hence my blog shall look simple.

2:01 PM :D

The beautiful life

Fishing
Horse Riding
A Holiday To No Where
Food Food n More Food
AcE










16/06-ers
[Andy]
[Alia]
[Cherie]
[Bing Xiong]
[Daphne Lim]
[Denis]
[Li Hong]
[Samuel]
[Shi Fang]
[Woan Yun]
Students' Council
[Cheryl]
[May]
[Pei Zhi]
[Rebecca]
[Soda]
[Stephanie]
[Wai Kit]
[Xin Hui]
[Ying Xiu]
[Yong Long]
Friends
[Daryl Tan]
[Gino Lu]
[Xiu Jie]
[Jensen]
[Kee Yan]
NS Friends
[Jing Zhou]
Please tell me to link you if I have not. Just drop ure link tgt with ure name in the tag board! =)
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