Attend C.

Took me real long to pluck up the courage to come back here again. Desperately trying to think up something interesting to write about, but there really almost is none.

 

Today’s the last day of my ridiculously long 7 day MC. I feel like i’ve ripped the army off to take a nice break for myself. 7 days is pretty substantial considering that most block leaves don’t last more than 14 days anyway.

Dang now i feel it. The enormous inertia that is preventing me from getting back to camp. Loads of work and mugging and tests for me to cath backon when i get back. Gonna be a crazy week.

 

The last couple of weeks at Nee Soon has been fun. Combat Engineers offer a wide range of interesting stuff to learn (and mug for). Beats chiong sua-ing hands down. Poor Infantry Cadets will be flying off to Brunei for JCC pretty soon. I hope they all get back in one piece.

The ultimate plus-point for Combat Engineers is the friday bookouts. Of course, a little compensation required by doing e-learning on saturday mornings. IMO, a small price to pay for the added freedom. But all in all, the extensive mugging required, weekday or weekend, can be quite taxing. On some days, lectures can start at 8 and end at 6. We mostly all get slain when it comes to tests. Hah yes, welcome to the Army.

3G Army, 2G soldiers, 1G equipment. Thus is the current state of the transformation. Not too bad a time to be serving NS I would say, but I sure hope 1G will be a thing of the past soon.

 

SOT graduation this Sunday. Really proud of all them students. While I led a relatively carefree life, they took on the challenge of a not-so-relaxed school term. Kudos to them for having endured all the way – of course not forgetting the chao recruit who fought hard, although in the end he was forced to withdraw.

Shux. Sunday got Army half. Basket. I really pray I can make it in time for grad service.

Goodbye Foxtrot, Goodbye SAFTI.

People say this blog stale already! No choice ah. Army computer cannot use to blog. Later kena caught by MSD den good game already!

Well finally reached the end of a 14-week ordeal. Service Term ended with a overnight route march. And as usual all OCS ceremonies like to have abstract inklings to it. This time round we were brought up to the highest point in Western Singapore, overlooking the industrial area. There, in the blizzing morning freeze, we were presented with our postings and our senior bar.

So I've been posted to Combat Engineers! Not my first choice posting, but its great anyway cause Engineer Training Institute is at Nee Soon camp, which is 15 mins away from home! This is in comparison to SAFTI, which is 80 mins away by train!. Ain't no coincidence baby! How else can life get better?

So anyway, in the midst of being desperate for sleep, we were told to pack immediately for Brunei; and we're flying in 4 days. What a surprise farewell gift. It was almost mission impossible to squeeze all those items into the luggage, but we did it (after many ardous hours of hard work). Off it goes to cargo complex!

Well the last day at Foxtrot was not easy. Bidding goodbye to a home of 14 weeks brought back many memories of the undulating journey i took to get here. Saying farewell to the Infantry stayers was harder than i thought it would be. In the end, we sang the OCS song for the last time as we marched away from wingline, leaving people like Elton, Jun Hao, Glenn, Thommy, Yi Rui and Hassan. Emotional sia...

Life in CE better be good... Im not in the least prepared to fly to Bruinei on such short notice. But oh well, this is the army... Suck thumb and do only...

So im out for the rest of the week in prep for brunei. Signals crash course at Stagmont tmr. In the meantime, on a rare wednesday night out, let me entertain you guys with a video of a dance that is sweeping asia by storm.

Warning: Catchy tunes and addictive dance moves. Viewer descretion advised.

God's Chisel.

What an awesome video. Its worth ur time!

 

A Price to Pay.

price

–noun
the sum or amount of money or its equivalent for which anything is bought, sold, or offered for sale.

free⋅dom

–noun
the state of being free or at liberty rather than in confinement or under physical restraint: He won his freedom after a retrial.

They say there's a price to pay for everything. How true. But undoubtedly there are some things that are simply priceless.

What is the value of freedom? Money can save you time, but time lost cannot be bought back.

Then again, the value of something depends on how much of it you already have. Freedom is a entitlement to many, but a privilege for others.

And what if someone else paid the price of your freedom for you? Surely that price He paid was is priceless.

 

sorry if u dun understand nuts bout what im saying. Just a deeply etched rant after a hectic week.

Here we go again.

Quick thought before book in.

My first trip down to town after ONE MONTH. This is ridiculous. Well nothing much has changed, except that time seemed to be on an accelerometer.

I have 168 hours a week, 36 of them belong to myself. I am paid S$1.30/hour and I am my country's asset. Yeah it pretty much makes sense -> asset = sucky life.

I no longer know where home is. Maybe it is simply where my physical body is. Perhaps the concept of a home doesn't make a difference anymore. I stay at JooKoon and I live in AngMoKio. can't figure? Neither can I.

I'm already counting down to book out. 6 more days and i'll be through, 7 more days and I'll be back again.

Life is full of ironies. It hits you when you least expect it, at a time you least want it. It stirs your mind and disrupts your spirit. It makes fun of you in the most interesting ways.

 

book in lo.

shit-spewing toilet bowls and pee-reflecting urinals.

 

Basically my title sums up my past 3 weeks at the new place. There is something about confinement that makes you stronger, and perhaps numb-er.

Life in the new place is basically like Uni, less the fun and the breaks. Mad rush for lessons, mugging, self study etc. Every now and then u get to go out to 'enjoy' the greenery, then you come back to your hostel-like accomodations and repeat the cycle the next day. Also, I feed mosquitoes full-time and train to be a soldier in between.

 

Allow me to lament that the food here is good, but you have absolutely insufficient time to savour it. Most of the time you finish your food before you even figured out what you were eating.

In anycase, thankfully, I have access to facebook and my phone. However bad the day may get, u can always get back and find out who's commenting on ur emo status, or call someone and complain.

Pardon me for my lack of details, there's this pseudo secrecy such that you don't talk about what your not supposed to be talking about in places where you shouldn't be talking, like this. But like I said, its pseudo.

 

Well Im gonna have to stick through 35 more weeks of this, no two ways about it.

 

 

p.s. The toilet bowl REALLY spewed shit. it was like fondue.

p.p.s. I hope I don't get into trouble for the pictures. It was Family visit day..

sing till the cows come home.

Block leave day 5 of 12 - fatigue

Kboxed for clarence's 21st. Sang till (near) fulfillment. The member package was a good deal. We ended up paying only $14 for 5 hours of singing - a steal I would say.

Well singing (or belching) was in a way a good form of pressure relief. But 2 consecutive days of unfulfilled martell promises is bad. Now I dream Martell.

7 days left of my last 2009 break. I hope I make good use of it.

whowhatwhere

Block leave day 4 of 12 - Half-heartedness.

Been arnd with 3 groups of friends today, but i would say the time we spent sucked. I feel I wasted the day.

Suddenly 23rd doesn't seem to far away after all. i MUST make something out of my longest break in NS.

Everyday I love my phone even more. plusone for my iPhone.

Its strange how its so easy to help someone pick him/herself up but its so hard to practice what you preach.

Its funny how human beings refuse to learn until they have fallen.

Its interesting to see people in love.

Hello world.

Block leave day 2 of 12 - Recovery.

Picking up the pieces from a very messy week. Lots more work awaits to be done but its a good start. See, you gotta choose the right companies and the right activity. Today I learnt that money can't buy happiness.

Trying to reconnect to a world I grew astranger to. It's funny how you once thought it was your world but when you leave and come back, u find yourself hard to fit in. The lingo, the topics, the jokes; I think I need some getting use to.

Sometimes its good to be dissatisfied, but be careful for it not to turn into greed.

POP lo.

Block leave day 1 of 12 - bad day.

Did a survey, damn its darn true.

Your view on yourself:

You are down-to-earth and people like you because you are so straightforward. You are an efficient problem solver because you will listen to both sides of an argument before making a decision that usually appeals to both parties.

The type of girlfriend/boyfriend you are looking for:

You like serious, smart and determined people. You don't judge a book by its cover, so good-looking people aren't necessarily your style. This makes you an attractive person in many people's eyes.

Your readiness to commit to a relationship:

You prefer to get to know a person very well before deciding whether you will commit to the relationship.

The seriousness of your love:

Your have very sensible tactics when approaching the opposite sex. In many ways people find your straightforwardness attractive, so you will find yourself with plenty of dates.

Your views on education

Education is very important in life. You want to study hard and learn as much as you can.

The right job for you:

You're a practical person and will choose a secure job with a steady income. Knowing what you like to do is important. Find a regular job doing just that and you'll be set for life.

How do you view success:

You are confident that you will be successful in your chosen career and nothing will stop you from trying.

What are you most afraid of:

You are concerned about your image and the way others see you. This means that you try very hard to be accepted by other people. It's time for you to believe in who you are, not what you wear.

Who is your true self:

You like privacy very much because you enjoy spending time with your own thoughts. You like to disappear when you cannot find solutions to your own problems, but you would feel better if you learned to share your thoughts with a person you trust.

http://www.quizbox.com/personality/test82.aspx

try it and tell me.

Army? What Army?

My first post after what seems like eternity. Sorry to all (if any) who still checks back here. Well, you see, in a week of 7, the army takes 6 and leaves you with half, with the other half wasted on stupid things like getting home from a remote island. So half a day isnt actually alot for you to accomplish alot of things. Blogging will definitely not be a priority. But since A's results are tommorow, i should probably put a record to today before anything changes.

Time spares no man, Im now 4 days to POP. 13 weeks whizzed passed just like that. I lost 3 kgs, some brain cells and a bit of hair, but gained some muscles, made some friends and acquired some social skills.

Accomplished some goals, made some achievements; but the greatest achievement comes in overcoming yourself. When you pushed on though your physical self refuses to budge, when you made the right choices even though its not the choice you want to make, when you fought on though circumstances proved impossible, when u strived on even though you were the last man standing; that's what sets you apart.

I dare say that the amount of military knowledge I acquired is minimal, but the lessons I learnt from communal living and interaction are boundless.

Became more patient and peace-loving, more acceptable of people different from me, and learnt to be humble to the unhumbled. It's no wonder people say BMT is the most memorable part of NS; it is your last chalet. Here's to a greater regimental year ahead.

they say in the army...

so i didn't really slim down, instead, i gained. shux.

army's kinda fun. lotsa admin time, lotsa senseless fun. of cos it really depends on the people who make it happen. With a tweak in the minset, u can either be basking in the glory of pulau tekong resort, or be suffering in the confines of tekong prison.

also army's lotsa training; social training. Where u REALLY meet ppl from different backgrounds and characteristic culture; fellow recruits and trainers alike. You can chose to continue on your path, condemning everyone else who is different from you; or you can learn tolerance, and practice acceptance. I thought i had a large threshold for differences, until my patience was tested.

I guess we all grow in our own ways, but im sure im gaining more than just muscles.

11 December 2008, Thursday

Ok so in the end, I didn't write the suicide note. (duh)

Its 3am and i just finished packing my stuff. Am gonna smuggle some katjes and crackers in =)).

Im slightly excited about the whole army thing, but i know im gonna miss many stuff. Family, church, friends, going online, eating FAT FOOD, and of course, my pink I/C.

Haha yeah people tell me I look patriotic in this picture, with the short hair and all.

so its goodbye pink I/C and hello 11B!

 

I'll be back on probably 24/12 (xmas eve). In the meantime, you can still sms me, i'll just reply at night or something. Here's to a slimmer Chee!

Dear World,

"Dear World,

Im sorry this had to come at a time like this. But there's no way to delay this anymore.

Unfortunately, the society I live in does not allow me to escape the harsh fate of conscription. Thus, i figured that the only way out is such.

Sorry to all those whom I have yet repaid my debts. I will plead God to pour out a little more unto your life when I meet Him in a while.

In the mean time, don't miss me. Im leading a better life up there, and the standard issue white robes here beats the pixellated green hands down.

p.s: please don't bury me at cck as I do not want to be haunted by the frequent gunshots from the nearby firing range.

with love,
Me."

-----------------------------------

 

I'm sure that if I show the officers a written letter like this, it would be able to defer my enlistment for quite abit. But well, you all know I'm not like this. Hahaha... Wait till i show my Mum this; she'll first get a shock, then later decide to really actually kill me.

Oh well im 5 days away. Can't say im esctatic, but i guess its not that bad. Free slimming and body building + actually get paid for it. Beats all that gym membership ;-)

Meanwhile, im enjoying life; sleeping till the sun don't shine and eating like there's no tommorow. This is what life should be like huh?

eleven.

Today, i tried to access litespeed. there were only 2 notices about scholarships and a message from sumone trying to sell her prom ticket(obviously a dumb choice of media). I guess i never really liked litespeed cause it only spells trouble and work.

11 days away till i depart to fulfill the higher calling. time is not enough.

 

Postpone can?

post busyness blues.

Well exams are over, im done with 13 years of education at last. Just pulled through a hectic week at AC (it was a blast!) and chalet back to back. Im finally back home at my computer desk. After spending an afternoon napping and refreshing facebook upteen times, i've alr run out of things to do at home.

its 1.40 am. im craving for dim sum. im scrolling down my online contacts for kaki. conclusion: lester is a sad boy...

what's the use when u have all the time in the world when u have no one to spend it with? people are either in camp, still mugging or have to work tmr. While some others have happily gone overseas (yes, YOU) or i simply don't have the courage to sms.

what has one year done to me?

 

i only have 15 days left. where are you?

It Is Finished!

finally, after 3 years of suffering, it is officially over. the thank you list is so long, it'd have to come another day.

now that im done with studying, its a weird sense of loss. i'd better enjoy this feeling of "nothingness" before it runs out. well, i wun be studying for the next 3 years, prepare to become STUPID!

For now, there's hardly a breather; as in a few hours time, it'd be the start of ASIA CONFERENCE!

Man i sincerely can't wait. wayyy tooo exciting. 5 days of back to back power-packed action. WHOO.......

 
Im ready, are you?

NO mood for NOn$en$e

How to ask your Boss for a salary increase..?

One day you send a letter to your boss:


Dear Bo$$,

In thi$ life, we all need $ome thing mo$t de$perately. I think you $hould be under$tanding of the need$ of u$ worker$ who have given $o much $upport, including $weat and $ervice to your company. I am $ure you will gue$$ what I mean and re$pond $oon.

Your$ $incerely,



The next day, you received this letter of reply

I kNOw you have been working very hard. NOwadays, NOthing much has changed. You must have NOticed that our company is NOt doing NOticeably well as yet.
NOw the newspaper are saying the world's leading ecoNOmists are NOt sure if the United States may go into aNOther recession. After the NOvember presidential elections, things may turn bad.
I have NOthing more to add NOw. You kNOw what I mean.

Yours truly,
Manager

------------------------------------------------------

Just finished Econs essay: 7 down, 3 to go.

It's all within reach now, can you feel it?

I can almost smell freedom (and yes, abit of tekong as well).

Culmination of 3 hard years. The time is finally here, and in a whiff it'll be over. So for all u prayer warriors, get ready!

This week:

Mon - GP, Geog
Tues - Maths P1
Fri - Maths P2

Thanks to all of you for your encouragement. I WILL bring back a good report =))

 

time to make it all worthwhile.

the time has come.

Oh look what came in the letter box a few days ago.

And to my greatest horror:

11 Dec 2008! that's awfully near! NOOOOO!!!!!

and guess what i'll be in for?

 

New ugly army fatigues! With new LBV! look like "metal gear" sia.

 

more pics here & here.

Oh man... I dun wanna do PTP! But that means I'll have to pass napfa by 26th nov. mission impossible!!! lotsa gym sessions required (and thats on top of mugging)!!

Well one thing's for sure; i'd rather slog it out with the maggots then face my notes =((