For the first time since I entered army, I got to unleash the "wild" side of me. Yesterday was an absolutely adventurous and exciting day. Please don't think of hills and mountains when I mention the word "adventurous". Hahaha. Ok that's crap. Good, I'm back to my crappy self. And that's a good sign! *claps for self*

Early in the morning, went to BBDC to purchase my P-plate for driving. Then proceeded to town for a dental appointment. Anyway, I have said before that I was going to meet up these 2 guys who wanted to form a band or something. The one who contacted me was Cliff. Initially I thought I was cheated cos I couldn't call him the whole morning yesterday. And I was a bit panicky since he had arranged to meet me at Potong Pasir MRT at around 2. So I thought maybe it's all a scam. Who knows he called around 2.30pm while I was gleefully and nonchalantly and geekfully browsing through books at Kinokuniya. That's when I know I got his number wrong. Shit! Hence I rushed down to meet him. When I reached there, saw these 2 teenagers sitting against the wall waiting for me.(I could tell from their expression it's them though we have never met before!)

So I proceeded to shake their hands.

Cliff: Aren't you surprised when you see him(the other guy)?
Me: Surprised? Why?
Cliff: Well he's from TOP 12 in Singapore Idol this year.
Me: (stares blankly and waiting for a reaction to come) Really?! (glances at the other guy who introduced himself as Norman)
Norman: Yeah I was just ousted last week.
Me: Oh, sorry cos I didn't catch any episode of Singapore Idol since I'm in camp most of the time.
***ANTI CLIMAX***

Wah that was a wonderful but freaky surprise. But then there goes my confidence. I'm going to be a keyboardist for some Singapore Idol finalist?! Ok there's some pressure but I'm not really like going to ask for his autograph or something. That'll be dumb. So I followed them to some jamming studio that Cliff has booked. It was so damn cool! My first time stepping into a jamming studio! So when we entered, Cliff(drummer) and Norman(vocalist cum guitarist) just did their thang. I was abit caught off guard as I was trying to figure out the chords for Coldplay's The Scientist. I had no experience on the field, and this is like the first time I really pounded on a keyboard. Told Cliff earlier but he still asked me to try lol. They sang so many other rock and alternative songs that I have never come across before. It dawned upon me that I am rather outdated with English rock music. As Norman sang I just anyhow play according to the melody. Sounds good. Hahaha. Oh yeah that guy can sing quite well, though I think Peng can sing better. Hahaha. And so they commented I could pick up fast. Anyway, what an indelible experience!

After that was another cool thing. Impromptu-ly, met up with Yaofeng. Then Yusin came along. Yusin had plans to go clubbing with his army friends at DXO. Under much hesitation, we decided to tag along. So, after watching a creepily-funny horror flick called "Dead And Breakfast", we walked down all the way from Somerset to Esplanade where we met Yusin's army mates as well.

I called my sis to ask where she is cos I expected her to maybe fetch me back late? And you know what she told me? "I'm at Esplanade". I almost fainted. The first thing that came to my mind. "DXO"??! Ok it was a coincidence but to no surprise. She's always hanging around at parties. And she's organising them too. She told me that the DXO party last night was organised by her friend so she could sign me and my friends in, for FREE. So COooooooooLLL.. initially had to pay 18 bucks to Yusin's friend who has booked the tickets.. Haha.. the power of connections. My sis ah.. so high-flying in these kind of partying stuff huh!
















Yusin, Yaofeng and me on 2nd storey of DXO



Ok so the whole damn place was overcrowded with intoxicated ladies and gentlemen who threw their images away that night and danced at the dance floor with sweaty bodies brushing against each other. I think there's no place to dance man. Can only jump on the spot, lol. We proceeded to the 2nd storey for drinks and sat down to talk cock and play guessing games, and of cos to indulge ourself in vodka. Haha I felt a bit tipsy after about 3 glasses of it. Perhaps I'm already too tired too. So the night ended late. And I took a cab home.

End of adventure. LOL.

For the first time, I drove at night! Initially I thought it's going to take time to adjust to an auto car, especially at night as well, but luckily I got the hang of it soon! My first try was under my dad's guidance. Wah, it felt really good to drive the huge Camry around. Went for a few rounds near my neighbourhood before I drove around independently! And the good thing is, I'm getting my own car soon! Well, not exactly, since I'm gonna share it with my sis. But still, yippee! Haha, but I guess this means I need to pay for the monthly installment! Argh!

There are quite a number of bands that hooked me up ever since I posted an advertisement on a music website saying I'm keen to join a band. Lol. Some no-band-experience-guy like me, looking for a band!?! Surprisingly, there are a number of replies. Tomorrow I'm meeting somebody new. They wanna try me out. Let's see if we can come out with something? Oh yeah, they are into alternative rock and jazz which I totally dig it.

I'm asked to learn one of their favourite songs, Audiohead's Creep. Just found it and listened to it. And I loved it instantly. Here's the lyrics:

When you were here before
Couldnt look you in the eye
Youre just like an angel
Your skin makes me cry
You float like a feather
In a beautiful world
And I wish I was special
Youre so fuckin special

But Im a creep,
Im a weirdo.
What the hell am I doing here?
I dont belong here.

I dont care if it hurts
I want to have control
I want a perfect body
I want a perfect soul
I want you to notice
When Im not around
Youre so fuckin special
I wish I was special

But Im a creep,
Im a weirdo.
What the hell am I doing here?
I dont belong here.

Shes running out again,
Shes running out
Shes run run run running out...

Whatever makes you happy
Whatever you want
Youre so fuckin special
I wish I was special...

But Im a creep,
Im a weirdo,
What the hell am I doing here?
I dont belong here.
I dont belong here.

It's an old but great song. Makes me think back at how I used to feel like a "creep". Lol. Anyway, please do listen to it if you're into alternative rock. Oh yea, Radiohead, another band to check out!

Don't worry. Those who's into music won't turn bad. Oh well, maybe not that bad. *Chuckles*

SCENE 1

[Enters stage left, Chao Shun, stands at the middle of the stage with the back facing the audience]
[Spot light shines on him]
[Turns to the front slowly]
[Audience gasps]

Chao Shun: And so, [glances from left to right], there goes another week for me. Another week of [clears throats] torture. Alright, perhaps not that intense yet. But I'm glad I survived it again. [heaves a heavy sigh of relief] Life still goes on right? Face it, I'm in the army, I have no choice but to get along with things. So you, [points towards the audience at a particular middle-aged man] yeah that's right, you, how did you survive the army?

Middle-aged man: Just suck thumb.

Roars of laughter across the audience.

Chao Shun: [smiles] Very true indeed.

[Flashback]

SCENE 2 - 6th day of Fieldcamp during BMT

[center of stage, soldiers digging hard]
Chao Shun: Wah man, so shagged. Can't believe we are doing this!

Soldier #1: Yeah man, now I really salute those Banglah workers. Damn!

Soldier #2: Chao Shun, how come your shellscrape so many flies? Must have been a shit-hole previously! [laughs out loud]

Nightfalls...

Soldier #3: Wild boar alert!!!

Sounds of frenzy everywhere. Soldiers freeze.

Chao Shun: [whispers loudly to Soldier #2] Look! It's over there! It's so gawd damn big!

Fast forward...

SCENE 3 - Hilltop ARTY training

Sergeant Major: Alpha Battery, action front!

Troops echo "Action front!"

[audience watches as soldiers perspired under the hot sun and went around deploying the ARTY gun. In a matter of minutes.]

SCENE 4 - Back to monologue

Chao Shun: What else can I say? This kind of life sucks.

[stage light dims][curtain closes]

You can no longer see me, can you?

I'm on an all-time HIGH right now.

Finally, I managed to fulfil one of my dreams. Was totally overjoyed today. Though I'm usually a perfectionist by nature, this time round, I shall forgive myself and be easily contented for once. Righto, another challenge overcomed! Thanks to all who have given me encouragements all this while. Greatly appreciated. So here's an advice:

Believe in yourself.

As cliche as it may sound, you have to believe in the power of these 3 words, especially the first one.

Met peng today and we headed down town, as usual. My Saturdays are usually spent in town. But today was something different. We sang at K Box Cineleisure! It's been such a loooooooooooonnnnnnnnnng time since I held up the microphone and felt the familiar touch of metal and the weight of it all. And when our voices combined, the tinge of goosebumps and the feeling of nostalgia just comes right away. Peng, more songs to add to our repertoire eh? *Chuckles*






















Here's the surprise Peng! :)


Here's a recap and overview of what went on this week. Had lots of training this week. Had a 10km run. It's funny and ironic that we are always on the run. And with the run comes the sun. And it is not necessarily fun. Hah! Got to drive the big ARTY gun around, if only they have a licence for that, it will be marvellous! Finally got outfield to a hilltop for training on Thursday. From morning till near midnight. Applaud please. Got sunburnt. More "suntanning" for the weeks to come.


On another note, do relationships come and go easily? Hard forged bonds... Do they break just like that? Why must there be an end to something that has just begun?

Is she pretending to be there?

Reminder to self: Tough times don't last. Tough men do.

You know what they say about good times don't last? Well, this saying seems to apply every sunday, especially at this point of time, cos you know why? This means I'm only a few hours away from booking in! And I have one word for that, DREAD. You can try taking the R away though.

BMT life in Tekong has left me with an indelible experience. Though I used to complain so much about the long days spent on that island, I realised just how much I missed the pals I made there. And when it came to the point of time when we were placed on this crossroads where we began to diverse and disperse, the impact it has on me was so great. It is like tearing a photo of your loved one right in front of your eyes as you watch the pieces being littered mercilessly. For one thing I have to thank, it has to be the splendour of our memory. That must be the thing that keeps me going.

Our real gunners' course gonna start this coming week. Heard that we'll be going up this hill to learn how to deploy our artillery guns, action front and cease fire. And our sergeant major has unabashedly told us that this course is going to be a shagged time for us. 3 months of shaggedness, can I take it? He was saying how he believed that good moments should always come after tough ones. Honestly I believe in that too.

But again, how long can good times last?

I need evidence...

Went on a shopping spree today! Well, actually accompanied applie to do her last minute before-the-GSS-ends-shopping with peng. Combed the whole of bugis street for budget items like fanciful dresses which applie would go hide behind curtains and try them out. I was thinking if I had a girlfriend and she turns out to be a shopping freak, how will I react?

1. I'm definitely not going to splurge on her.
2. Since women are getting the upperhand now, she might as well pay everything herself right?
3. Ask her to carry all the shopping bags herself, and on top of that add on 20kg of dumb-bell wheels to each shopping bag.
4. Pray that Great Singapore Sale does not take place annually. Make it once in a decade?
5. Ask her to shop herself. If she drops, that's her business.

Haha.. okok, please, I'm just kidding.

Anyway, it was a happy day, because you know what? I got to eat peach struddel today! I love struddels! And I'm glad my recommendation to the ever bubbly applie was right! She loves it too! Here's a pic to sum it all up!

I've invented my own way of drawing called "Lazy Sketch".. Haha. Since last year, lessons of boring Chinese 'A' lessons in school made me draw lots on my friend Xingle's book. Haha from then on, I draw only with a black pen. Brought a sketch book to camp so I draw whenever I feel like it or when I'm inspired. Here's but a few drawings. Nothing professional, but it's just my form of expression. Click on the pictures for a larger display. =)






















The movie Unforgiven inspired me to draw this. This is actually the first scene of the movie. Shows the lead actor alone in a bus journey to camp. So similar to mine...






















A sketch of my bunk. Or rather my bed in my bunk and the area around it. Not very detailed. As I said before, "Lazy Sketch" lol.





















I thought this was cool! A little optical illusion surrounding my name. :)























A rather simple design but I like it nevertheless.

Woohoo.. looks like I've found another avenue for expression. Music, poetry, and now "Lazy Sketch" Hahaha.. More drawings to come soon!

My legs are still sore! I thought I was on Amazing Race these weeks. Ran uncountable times of 7km routes, not to mention additional toppings like RT(Remedial Trainings) which takes place on weekday nights. Luckily it's not every night if not I might as well chop my legs off. Seriously, the trainings are too strenuous for the legs. Staminally I've no problem but my legs are failing me. -_- Imagine every step you take you feel pain. It's not that hard to imagine. But at the end of the day, you look around you and you realize you are still alive! Now at least that's a good thing! What applie said really inspires me.

What does not kill you makes you stronger.

And that is so very damn right true. Thanks for that babe. I'm always at all ears into inspirational stuff. This is probably the prime time of my life that inspirational stuff comes in handy. Lol. And I mean it.

I have to say I really really hate the feeling of booking in. I always have this inevitable sad feeling whenever I book in. I don't think I will feel this way back in Tekong. But this camp... The whole environment just creeps you out. I need like 1 day to settle down and tell myself that things are going to be fine and the week will be over soon before I know it.

Put those unhappy stuff aside, I'm definitely gonna enjoy this book out! Especially when I'm meeting applie and peng tomorrow for a "rampage" around town area! Now, when you put us together, things take a turn to the bright side. Heh.

On another note, one more week to the real deal. I hope I can make it this time.

Disappoint..ment

I'm appalled by the normalcy of the life around me as civilians lead their everyday lives, going to school, going to work, going shopping, dining at some restaurants and laughing away as though they are enjoying every minute of their lives while the Earth is still orbiting as usual. And when I walked past train stations and shopping centres I was even more appalled when I see familiar greenish-brown figures walking around, trudging along with them heavy boots. That really gave me heavy boots by seeing that. Why am I still surrounded by GREEEEEEEEEN even after I've booked out? Why does the minimal pathetic puny amount of book out time have to be clogged with dizzy army images as well?! Why can't I roam in peace?

Why can't people think before they leap? Think before they say something? Why must words be employed to be "weapons of mass destruction" in relationships?

Why am I doing all these shit when all these precious time can be converted into healthy maintained relationships and to enrich my life so that I can feel like I'm living a life?

Or am I living a lie?

Unforgiven

Unforgiven

Just watched a splendidly provocative movie called Unforgiven at Cathay Cineleisure with Peng today. Cathay always shows good foreign movies. That's something I realise. Initially, supposed to watch it with Daniel, but that arse insisted it is a "bloody stupid" movie without having watched it in the first place. And he even insulted me. What the fuck. Fine. I gave him too many chances. He's now the unforgiven.

For one thing, I'm glad I was stubborn and insisted to watch the movie even though Peng was very reluctant to watch it. I've eyed that movie long before it came out and it turned out to be as good as what I thought, or even better. It is such a relatable movie told with such poignance and directed with such honesty and transparency that I almost cried at the end. In case you don't know what I'm talking about, the movie is a Korean flick revolving around the lives of army men in Korea, showing the struggle of this lead guy who lost his direction while in army and was inflicted with abuse and violence while in camp. The story ended tragically, which was rather expected. All in all, it is a very powerful movie with a strong voice of condemnation of the country's system and the irrelevant and unnecessary suffering of average Joes. Catch it if you can. The girls might catch no ball though. Haha.

After the movie, we had a long conversation since the movie itself provoked so many thoughts. Peng claimed that he could really relate to the lead guy in the film since he himself felt the same way. Actually, I felt pretty much the same too. There were times I kept questioning about the entire system and my plight and just couldn't help it but get upset over it. But I kept telling myself to be strong and all that. I kept preaching to people about keeping positive thoughts but sometimes I don't practise what I preach, which is rather ironic. What I can say is, this experience is something our female counterparts will never fully understand. Hopefully, this sentence can reach an end soon so I can be freed. Right now, I know I still have to press on. So peng, aaron, ah neh, remember, you never walk alone!

What a week!

My legs are sore! This week has been a rather shagged week for me. From Tuesday to Friday I have been running everyday! Tuesday had 7km run, Wednesday had training for SBJ and chinups which was very strenuous, Thursday night had this game called "Run for your lives" named by my Sergeant Major, in which we had to sprint 6X400km, and Friday another 7km at Mac Ritchie Reservoir. Let's applaud for my legs. They have served me well. Hahaha.

Seriously training wise I can still take it. In fact, I kind of enjoyed it since it is guilty pleasure, or pleasure inclusive of pain. Free work out man! Haha. And luckily, my Sergeant Major is an eccentric fellow whose every word and action really wanna make me laugh out loud. He definitely adhered to the SAF 7 core values, one of which is to CARE FOR SOLDIERS. At least we were always praised for completing our long runs and all that. He will be like, "You guys are fantastic! I'm so proud of you!" Hence, albeit the camp might be quite rundown, at least the people there, including my sergeants are nice people to talk to. So I guess it's not a boring place to be. And the good thing is, I think I'm already able to adapt to my kind of environment now. I thought I couldn't initially.

Oh, and my best friend Aaron has been enlisted today! He's in Tekong right now! Wow, finally my best buddy is now serving his sentence too. Haha. I kind of missed him and worry for him but I know he'll be strong and that he'll be able to survive all the trainings and stuff. Seriously, to look back, BMT life in Tekong is indeed a pleasure cruise. You don't need to pay for this cruise yet you get to enjoy all the facilities in there and at the end of the day you feel like you've been on an unsinkable ship. Of course, you don't really get to travel on a cruise around Tekong. What I meant was Tekong was like a "holiday" training for me. I used to grumble a lot about life in there. But looking back now, it has indeed been a fulfilling, fruitful and memorable experience. So all the best to Aaron! And ah neh, you are next to go in bro. Haha. There's nothing to worry about. Just do your best and make new friends yea!

Tough times don't last. Tough men do. :)

Went out yesterday with ron.. Headed down to bugis. Initially, his sis and mum tagged along since they wanted to bring him to the famous temple there to pray for his upcoming NS life. After that, ron and me walked around Bugis and we went around taking lots of photos. I'll try to make it a point every weekend to take some beautiful pictures to keep them as memories...

If a picture paints a thousand words, this natural shot I took of him speaks volumes.

Apple struddel.. my favourite indulgence!

Ah neh came and I took this cool shades from him. So retro! Lovin' it!

I wonder where will my next destination be?

Lost in the momentum

I'm back with a new blog again! Not that I always like changing blogs, but I find xanga's blogging space too limited. And guess what, I'm using back the template I used in one of my previous blogs! I just like it too much! Nothing beats simplicity!

Since I'll be in camp most of the times, I can only update my blog every weekend. I try! Anyway, being in a unit now, I've never felt so lonely before. I simply can't find anyone to communicate with. It's sad. All my other friends are posted to different units. I'm all alone in this camp, still struggling to regain myself. I am a totally different person in camp. So hard to be myself. Not that I don't want, but I find it hard to show my true colours. The environment is just so suffocating. I need air to breathe. Not to mention that the mono-intakes smoke like nobody's business. And recently the government is restricting smoking areas outside shophouses, coffeeshops and restaurants. How comforting.

Next week, Aaron will be serving NS. Finally it's his turn! 2 more weeks later, ah neh is joining him as well. It's amazing to see how you have become one of the "old birds" and that your friends are also entering one after another. Don't know why, but it brings along a sense of loss. Not that I physically lose anybody, but the pain is there. I've felt the pain when I've entered NS, how I have drifted away from my once closed friends. Albeit I'm happy for them that they are leading fulfilling busy lives, I'm appalled by how our relationships turned out. Is this part of the NS challenge too? I really don't like this. Even my closest female friend is already occupied in her own world. I feel so lost... And I'm already feeling the pinch..