Hey guys, I've booked out for a while cos it's nights out for me today! I just wanna let out a whole big scream, can I? This few days have been really knock-out tiring for me. I've been having ICCT(Intermediate Close Combat Training) for the past few days and it's gonna continue till this Friday where we will be evaluated. So far, I've been through many falls, and had my arms and legs "twisted" in almost every direction. Just now even had a 2 minute non-stop fighting action with a partner in which we used bolster-like sticks to attack one another, WITH aggression. It was rather shagged man. My whole body is aching now, and as I type this entry my fingers are pleading me to stop. Hahaha. Alright, 2 more days to go. Hopefully I'm prepared for the real thing. Oh yea, I'm going out for dinner with my family soon. Will have to book back in a few hours.
And one more note, just got to know that I have guard duty on Sunday. That means I have to book in on Saturday night. Army life sux. Without a doubt.
Oh before I end, I said I wanna scream.. so here goes... "ARRRRRHHHHH!" That's with aggression, ok? =p
I'll be back. Ciao.
Wednesday, January 31, 2007
Sunday, January 28, 2007
All of a sudden, I feel like my world is not spinning the way I want it to be. Too many regrets, too many other dreams I want to fulfil. I know peng is still feeling dejected about the tq results even though he denies it. I can feel the pain building up. Sometimes I just pretend to travel back time to those wonderful days before NS. And I will totally engross myself in those nostalgic moments, hoping to relive them. And yes, I know I'm living in self denial. But I'm harping on my memories to keep me alive. To keep me knowing that I am who I am, that I am sane. The Earth spins without stopping, though we can't really feel it. But this whole world is setting itself on a dizzy pace, and it is up to us to keep up with the pace or lack behind. I really hate this whole feeling.
All of a sudden I feel like going back to my childhood days, where I played without any sense of guilt. Where I ran without feeling the wind against me. Where I climbed high without the fear of falling. Where I cycled around the neighbourhood against the flow of traffic. Where I could be any superhero I want to be. Where I feel so free that I forget myself for a while.
All of a sudden I feel like crying. I feel this intense sensation within me. I remember reading how Oscar Wilde's Happy Prince statue felt this crack in his heart. How the Happy Prince felt sorrow for the little sparrow which had become his friend but died in the end. In The Happy Prince, the eyes of the prince's statue were initially gone, then followed by the golden skin of the statue, then alas, everything crumbled.
Everything crumbled.
So tell me, who is there to pick up all the shattered pieces? Who can rewind everything back to the part where the Happy Prince once stood there happy and proud, with no worries, standing tall and looking out far towards the city, where the sparrow flew with glee and understood what freedom actually meant?
All of a sudden...
You heard someone crying. And it can't be me. It just can't be.
All of a sudden I feel like going back to my childhood days, where I played without any sense of guilt. Where I ran without feeling the wind against me. Where I climbed high without the fear of falling. Where I cycled around the neighbourhood against the flow of traffic. Where I could be any superhero I want to be. Where I feel so free that I forget myself for a while.
All of a sudden I feel like crying. I feel this intense sensation within me. I remember reading how Oscar Wilde's Happy Prince statue felt this crack in his heart. How the Happy Prince felt sorrow for the little sparrow which had become his friend but died in the end. In The Happy Prince, the eyes of the prince's statue were initially gone, then followed by the golden skin of the statue, then alas, everything crumbled.
Everything crumbled.
So tell me, who is there to pick up all the shattered pieces? Who can rewind everything back to the part where the Happy Prince once stood there happy and proud, with no worries, standing tall and looking out far towards the city, where the sparrow flew with glee and understood what freedom actually meant?
All of a sudden...
You heard someone crying. And it can't be me. It just can't be.
Heyhey... I'm back! With some exciting stuff to blog about! Yeah, went to Play By Ear music school for my piano lessons again this morning. Now I'm really beginning to love what I'm learning. Haha.. now I know how to play pop songs that can allow me or anyone to sing along. Learning the rhythmic pattern. Super cool. Quite easy to get the feel of it. Heh.
After which, went to Plaza Singapura to support Ying Peng for his TalentQuest quarterfinals. I wasn't really in awe by the competitors. I thought the standard was not quite there. Though he did not get through to the next round, I still think he did a fantastic job there. Oh ya, Qianhui and Qiaoyu were there to lend support as well. And I was even more surprised to find Wanyee and her bf there to support him as well. Thanks for coming down Wanyee! That's really thoughtful of you! :)
So anyway, no matter what the results are, it is not important at all. The thing to bear in mind is to enjoy your performance. As long as you did, it's a great achievement. Right peng?
Then we headed down to Clarke Quay, and guess what... it was another photo frenzy day... Hahaha.

Peng singing his hearts out.

There to support him all the way!

Us taking our own reflections..

Peng and me

Us acting "boh chap". But we didn't act la. It was candid.

Qianhui and me, the "meat buns"!?!

Us getting high.. oh yeah!
So yeah, that's all for now. Can't wait for more exciting events to happen! Looking forward towards more new musical adventures! =)
After which, went to Plaza Singapura to support Ying Peng for his TalentQuest quarterfinals. I wasn't really in awe by the competitors. I thought the standard was not quite there. Though he did not get through to the next round, I still think he did a fantastic job there. Oh ya, Qianhui and Qiaoyu were there to lend support as well. And I was even more surprised to find Wanyee and her bf there to support him as well. Thanks for coming down Wanyee! That's really thoughtful of you! :)
So anyway, no matter what the results are, it is not important at all. The thing to bear in mind is to enjoy your performance. As long as you did, it's a great achievement. Right peng?
Then we headed down to Clarke Quay, and guess what... it was another photo frenzy day... Hahaha.

Peng singing his hearts out.

There to support him all the way!

Us taking our own reflections..

Peng and me

Us acting "boh chap". But we didn't act la. It was candid.

Qianhui and me, the "meat buns"!?!

Us getting high.. oh yeah!
So yeah, that's all for now. Can't wait for more exciting events to happen! Looking forward towards more new musical adventures! =)
Thursday, January 25, 2007
Gen-der reminders
Heyhey! It's a Thursday and I'm back! Just came back from a night of guard duty. It is supposed to be our Battery Outing day today. The rest have booked out last night while my detachment mates and I had to serve a night of guard duty and only book out this morning. But it's ok!
Yesterday, I got to do prowling for the first time with my buddy Xiaoyu. For those of you girls who don't know what prowling means, it means to walk around the whole camp and go through every designated checkpoint. Our shift was from 10pm to 2am. As we were patrolling, we kept talking to keep our mood alive. Haha. And we were talking about gender issues, boy-girl relationships and stuff. Being the attached one out of the duo, Xiaoyu of course had more things to say.
So what were we talking about? First of all, we talked about how a lot of girls despise army guys. Or should I say, lots of them are very opiniated towards army guys like us. What comes to mind when they speak of meeting army guys? DESPOs, FlIRTATIOUS, BUAYA, HORNY BASTARDS, and the list goes on. No doubt, most army guys feel rather isolated in a world full of guys. That's why we tend to talk about girls all the time. And when some chio bu walks by, every normal army guy will just glance her way, hoping to "sweep" her off. Albeit the fact that we are very into girls, that does not make us perverts. So please, don't stereotype. As a matter of fact, I know that a lot of us when faced with a strange girl, I mean a female stranger, will feel rather uneasy and shy. So, there are two sides to the coin. We are tamed "lions" after all.
Having said that, I heard a lot of cases of friends whom girlfriends dumped them just because they have to serve NS. And because serving NS it means they have no time to accompany their girlfriends, as their girlfriends might say. I feel so sorry for my male counterparts and I despise those females for being impatient and cold-blooded. They merely reflect on the harsh practicality of social life. And people used to talk about how guys always cheat on their girlfriends. Now, what say you?!
Anyway, for your info, my friend Xiaoyu was probably the fittest and strongest guy among the men in our Battery. He was saying how painful can be when a girl hits you. He said no matter how hard his buddies in camp tried to hit him, it was nothing compared to the tight slap on the arm by his girlfriend, or the pinch that could make your whole body jump and shiver in fear(and probably lose a few hair after that). Having experienced these "violent" acts by my female friends before, I found it somewhat true and fascinating. Have we guys become "softies" when we are faced with girls? Damn, now I feel so vulnerable. Now back off ladies. Hahaha.
Next, I think the issue with most guys is that we think that girls are temperamental creatures. Sometimes they get all so flared up, we just don't understand what's happening or what's causing their sudden irritation. Then we search ourselves for answers and end up just as clueless. Besides their regular PMS which they have signed on(lol), lots of girls just get into frequent mood swings. Now I can understand why my bunk mate said he rather be single as he wanted a carefree and no-burden life. But I don't think I am following his footsteps, since I love challenges. Wahahaha.
Here's another personal issue. For me, one of my "Fear Factor" is to see a girl crying in front of me. I think most guys have the same problem as well. The thing is, when a girl cries, sometimes you just feel like you were starring in the LOST series. You just feel all so vulnerable and you get tongue-tied, not knowing what to say or what to do to comfort her or to stop her crying.
Here's a scenario:
Back recently, my younger sis and I were quarrelling. She was about to return home when my mum called her to ask her to help buy dinner for us from Jurong Point. She complained how tired she was, how heavy was her bag and agreed reluctantly. I was at home at that time. After a while, she called home and complained she couldn't wait for a bus as there were so many people and she was feeling worn out. So she demanded me to go down and fetch her. Guys, you should understand that it takes time to change, then walk down my flat, then start the car engine, then wait for green lights.. before you can reach your destination. I think I was prompt enough already. I just needed some time to reach there. But guess what, once she got in the car, she was screaming at me saying how beat she was and still had to buy dinner for us blah blah blah. I screamed back at her saying I was already doing her a favour and yet she complained. So when she reached home, I told my mum about it and my mum reprimanded her saying she was unreasonable. After that, she came into my room and stared at me while pointing vehemently at me. The anger in her eyes gradually dispersed into sorrow as her tears just fell instantly. Then she cried, saying she was already very tired but I still screamed back at her. Though I was initially angry as well, I was totally stuck for words while watching her cry in front of me. It was a long time since I had seen her cry just before me and I just felt speechless for a moment. I just kept saying repeatedly, "Don't cry lah, cry for what?" It was really through this incident that I found out how vulnerable my sis can be, and how I, as her elder brother should give in no matter what.
Wow.. I can't believe I have so much to talk about on this gender issue thing. Haha, it's a pity I'm not studying psychology eh? Lol. Differences between men and women still remain a mystery till date. If not, why are there so many books on this topic? So if men are from Mars and women are from Venus, who's from Earth exactly?!
Monday, January 22, 2007
Happy Reminisces
As I mentioned earlier, had an off day for today(Monday). It was a treat, a bonus. Met Simon for lunch at Raffles City's Soup Spoon. I'm into healthy living these days. Hahaha. After that was browsing through the bookstores for some good reads before chilling out at TCC cafe at CityLink.
Simon asked me one question that kept me dumbfounded. He asked me what was the happiest moment of my life. A simple question like that seem really profound to me. This is such a simple question that you can even find it as one of the primary school english essay writing topics. But guess what? I find it hard to answer. I paused for a long while and said, "If the person paused for a long while and still can't answer you, he probably didn't have much happy moments.." I have to admit that my memory of bad happenings are more vivid. Regrets, wrong-doings... they have scarred my memory. But still, if you were to ask me what were some happy moments in my life, I could come up with a few after much thinking.
Till date, I guess my childhood life was the most happy and satisfying period. It was the period when I was the "daredevil", doing things without worry, living like as if there's no tomorrow. I am proud to say that my childhood days were the best days of my life. It was the period where I bonded with my all-time best friend Aaron and we became brothers. It was the period when I climbed highs and lows and had adventures other kids could dream of. :)
One of the happiest moments of my life was to pass my driving test! Yes, I passed it on a 2nd attempt. It was a plain relief for me and I was so overjoyed that it was probably one of the few times in my life that I had said so many "thank yous" to a person. I thanked my tester repeatedly and was grateful to get my license finally! It was a dream came true.
Following my elder sister, Larel, throughout her modelling journey were happy moments for me as well. I've watched how she started out when she was only 14, how she overcame her stage-fright and lack of confidence and gradually blossoming into a confident model and actress. I have been to most of her fashion shows as well as the national competitions that she has gone through. I definitely admired her courage. Each time I saw her whether on the stage or on the television, I wish I could tell her this. "I am very proud of you, da jie."

She's my sis, my Superstar.
Next, 12th Feb 2006 was a day I will never forget. It was the day I got to go on stage together with my buddy Ying Peng. We were singing for our duet competition 'live' in Jurong Point. Seeing that our friends were there to support us really made me feel comforted. Performing to a crowd has always been my dream. I totally enjoyed the whole singing experience, especially harmonizing with my good buddy.

Other happy moments are probably nothing much to speak of but they actually mean everything to me. Family gatherings on Sundays whether to eat at some restaurant or just some average kopitiam are always so heartwarming. Also, any dish that is cooked by mum never fails to put a smile on my face.
After typing all these, I realise there are actually things in my life to be happy about. Probably I should stop being too cynical and just stop to appreciate the greener pastures of my life sometimes, for they are forever green and are only waiting for me to tread upon them.
I'm booking in soon. I'll be back on the weekends. I promise. =)
As I mentioned earlier, had an off day for today(Monday). It was a treat, a bonus. Met Simon for lunch at Raffles City's Soup Spoon. I'm into healthy living these days. Hahaha. After that was browsing through the bookstores for some good reads before chilling out at TCC cafe at CityLink.
Simon asked me one question that kept me dumbfounded. He asked me what was the happiest moment of my life. A simple question like that seem really profound to me. This is such a simple question that you can even find it as one of the primary school english essay writing topics. But guess what? I find it hard to answer. I paused for a long while and said, "If the person paused for a long while and still can't answer you, he probably didn't have much happy moments.." I have to admit that my memory of bad happenings are more vivid. Regrets, wrong-doings... they have scarred my memory. But still, if you were to ask me what were some happy moments in my life, I could come up with a few after much thinking.
Till date, I guess my childhood life was the most happy and satisfying period. It was the period when I was the "daredevil", doing things without worry, living like as if there's no tomorrow. I am proud to say that my childhood days were the best days of my life. It was the period where I bonded with my all-time best friend Aaron and we became brothers. It was the period when I climbed highs and lows and had adventures other kids could dream of. :)
One of the happiest moments of my life was to pass my driving test! Yes, I passed it on a 2nd attempt. It was a plain relief for me and I was so overjoyed that it was probably one of the few times in my life that I had said so many "thank yous" to a person. I thanked my tester repeatedly and was grateful to get my license finally! It was a dream came true.
Following my elder sister, Larel, throughout her modelling journey were happy moments for me as well. I've watched how she started out when she was only 14, how she overcame her stage-fright and lack of confidence and gradually blossoming into a confident model and actress. I have been to most of her fashion shows as well as the national competitions that she has gone through. I definitely admired her courage. Each time I saw her whether on the stage or on the television, I wish I could tell her this. "I am very proud of you, da jie."

She's my sis, my Superstar.
Next, 12th Feb 2006 was a day I will never forget. It was the day I got to go on stage together with my buddy Ying Peng. We were singing for our duet competition 'live' in Jurong Point. Seeing that our friends were there to support us really made me feel comforted. Performing to a crowd has always been my dream. I totally enjoyed the whole singing experience, especially harmonizing with my good buddy.

Other happy moments are probably nothing much to speak of but they actually mean everything to me. Family gatherings on Sundays whether to eat at some restaurant or just some average kopitiam are always so heartwarming. Also, any dish that is cooked by mum never fails to put a smile on my face.
After typing all these, I realise there are actually things in my life to be happy about. Probably I should stop being too cynical and just stop to appreciate the greener pastures of my life sometimes, for they are forever green and are only waiting for me to tread upon them.
I'm booking in soon. I'll be back on the weekends. I promise. =)
Sunday, January 21, 2007
The Hark Spark
Hello guys I'm back to blog again. Hahaha.. anyone misses me? Hey the past week has been a rather harrowing and tedious one. Had a major exercise going on. Yea man, we had our Fatep 1A in which we had to go outfield for several deployments while being evaluated by outside senior officers and warrens. Set off at Tuesday noon and came back around noon too on Wednesday. I kinda dread it beforehand, but I am just relieved that it was all over. And I think we got the best Battery! Hip hip hooray!! Haha. Anyway, for being a good soldier, my Sergeant Major gave me an 'off' day for this coming Monday as well. Haha.. alright man!
So guess what, I just came back from Hark. Yeah yeah Hark again. But this time round with trio and her boyfriend. The experience was actually not as intense as the past few times probably because I'm starting to get tired of that place. And I should say any stage fright is frightened away by me now. Wahahaha. Anyway, did I mention that our Youtube video they took of us is now in Top 3 position in the Hark website?! Totally can't believe it man. And they even blogged about us in their blog, calling ying peng and me the "STAR DUO". Can you believe it? Hahaha. I think I can't help laughing. I think we have become so-called celebrities in their community now. Interesting. Ok no paparazzi please! WAHAHAHAA.
Hmm, but I'm a bit upset about something, that is I can't hit a high range of notes. Yea man, I have a deep voice. OOoohhh.. but who cares anyway la. I don't really crave to be a singer. More like a performer will do. Haha.
So anyway, my pop piano improvisation lessons at Play By Ear music school is going on smoothly. I'm learning rhythmic patterns now. My teacher said that after playing so many instruments, he finds piano the best instrument. Cos you know why? Piano is like the embodiment of all the band instruments. You have the guitar(the strings inside the piano), the bass(the lower part of the keyboard), the drum(the beat with the melody played on the piano). So it's really quite amazing.
So come on people. Say something. WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Ok it's like 3 plus am now. And I'm still quite hyped up. Wahahaha. Alright, gd nite bloggie. =)

Anyway, who wants a good night kiss? Wahahahhaa.
Hello guys I'm back to blog again. Hahaha.. anyone misses me? Hey the past week has been a rather harrowing and tedious one. Had a major exercise going on. Yea man, we had our Fatep 1A in which we had to go outfield for several deployments while being evaluated by outside senior officers and warrens. Set off at Tuesday noon and came back around noon too on Wednesday. I kinda dread it beforehand, but I am just relieved that it was all over. And I think we got the best Battery! Hip hip hooray!! Haha. Anyway, for being a good soldier, my Sergeant Major gave me an 'off' day for this coming Monday as well. Haha.. alright man!
So guess what, I just came back from Hark. Yeah yeah Hark again. But this time round with trio and her boyfriend. The experience was actually not as intense as the past few times probably because I'm starting to get tired of that place. And I should say any stage fright is frightened away by me now. Wahahaha. Anyway, did I mention that our Youtube video they took of us is now in Top 3 position in the Hark website?! Totally can't believe it man. And they even blogged about us in their blog, calling ying peng and me the "STAR DUO". Can you believe it? Hahaha. I think I can't help laughing. I think we have become so-called celebrities in their community now. Interesting. Ok no paparazzi please! WAHAHAHAA.
Hmm, but I'm a bit upset about something, that is I can't hit a high range of notes. Yea man, I have a deep voice. OOoohhh.. but who cares anyway la. I don't really crave to be a singer. More like a performer will do. Haha.
So anyway, my pop piano improvisation lessons at Play By Ear music school is going on smoothly. I'm learning rhythmic patterns now. My teacher said that after playing so many instruments, he finds piano the best instrument. Cos you know why? Piano is like the embodiment of all the band instruments. You have the guitar(the strings inside the piano), the bass(the lower part of the keyboard), the drum(the beat with the melody played on the piano). So it's really quite amazing.
So come on people. Say something. WOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. Ok it's like 3 plus am now. And I'm still quite hyped up. Wahahaha. Alright, gd nite bloggie. =)

Anyway, who wants a good night kiss? Wahahahhaa.
Sunday, January 14, 2007
Yesterday was a fun-filled day!!! It's been a long long time since there's so much excitement i've been through in a day. Hahaha. Initially we already planned to go to Hark Music Cafe with peng, trio and applie but in the end trio and applie can't make it. We almost cancelled the plan until I decided to go ahead with the plan but this time round with qianhui too. Hehe. I asked her about it and she just agreed without hesitation. So yea, since peng's life is always revolved about singing, we went to partyworld at orchard in the afternoon. Sang lots of songs there but I'm not really in the mood of singing so I just anyhow sang. Wahaha. But there you go! Peng was totally obsessed with himself. If you call me a narcissist, wait till you know him! I think he fits the perfect bill.(You gotta admit that peng! Stop loving yourself that much! Wahaha!) So after belting at partyworld, we met up with Qianhui and went to Plaza Singapura and had a quick dinner there before making our way to Hark Music Cafe! That's the peak of the night!!!
So, enough said, here are some pics!!!

That's the emo me singing. Haha look at how emo I can get.

*Smirks*

Mi acting "boh chap"

Ok peng just came in to strike a pose. What a turn off. Hahaha.

Here's mi and qianhui by the candlelight. =P

Us singing live on the Hark music stage!!

Nice pic of us three. Heh.
You know, being in NS just gives me so little time to do what I want. There are dreams that I want to fulfil that I just can't afford to chase them right now. So I guess these little escapades during my book-outs give me opportunities to expose myself to the outer community and do what I really want - to be a performer. Singing to a crowd and see how they cheer for you after that really gives ample satisfaction. Singing may not be my forte, but music runs in my blood. Hence, I'll never give up what I want. =)
Here's another bonus for you guys! This video clip I just found out 2 days ago was posted up in Youtube! It is me and peng singing at Hark on our first visit there probably 2 months plus ago. I was even more surprised when I found out it's also on their Hark music website and was featured as one of top5 videos there. Haha oh man. I was really surprised somebody took this whole video down and put it under the humour section. It was funny alright, so do hope you enjoy what you see. Before that, HAHA!
I shall come back with more surprises the next book-out! =D
So, enough said, here are some pics!!!

That's the emo me singing. Haha look at how emo I can get.

*Smirks*

Mi acting "boh chap"

Ok peng just came in to strike a pose. What a turn off. Hahaha.

Here's mi and qianhui by the candlelight. =P

Us singing live on the Hark music stage!!

Nice pic of us three. Heh.
You know, being in NS just gives me so little time to do what I want. There are dreams that I want to fulfil that I just can't afford to chase them right now. So I guess these little escapades during my book-outs give me opportunities to expose myself to the outer community and do what I really want - to be a performer. Singing to a crowd and see how they cheer for you after that really gives ample satisfaction. Singing may not be my forte, but music runs in my blood. Hence, I'll never give up what I want. =)
Here's another bonus for you guys! This video clip I just found out 2 days ago was posted up in Youtube! It is me and peng singing at Hark on our first visit there probably 2 months plus ago. I was even more surprised when I found out it's also on their Hark music website and was featured as one of top5 videos there. Haha oh man. I was really surprised somebody took this whole video down and put it under the humour section. It was funny alright, so do hope you enjoy what you see. Before that, HAHA!
I shall come back with more surprises the next book-out! =D
Friday, January 12, 2007
Speak Volumes
Alright I'm back again. Hi. Haha. Guess what guys? It's been a smooth-sailing week for me! Thanks for all the encouragement and thanks for cheering me up. I guess me feeling low for the previous week was probably just another back-to-army-life-dread thing. So yea! At least this week I got to talk quite a bit with lots more of my camp mates and all the way through I kept my spirits high enough to last me till this book out. Hehe.
So anyway, I had outfield exercise on Thursday, which was yesterday. I dread that so much but my best friend texted me something which I thought was really meaningful.
"Every sweat is for your loved ones".
It kept me going. Really. I guess many people find serving the nation a chore and a bore, deeming it as a waste of time. As a matter of fact, I felt that way too. But I believe I should look at the other side of the grass for it should be greener. Hence, it's all about how you think. Give yourself a purpose and you will find it all worthwhile going through all the soil and toil.
On another note, it kept raining these two days. Due to that, we only had one deployment instead of the intended four. So after our first deployment, we were all hiding in our tonners waiting for the rain to stop, or rather praying for the rain not to stop. Lol. And I guess it overheard our prayers. For it kept raining and raining and raining non-stop. Even till now. So we headed back to camp late last night around 3am. Next week we would be going for our Battalion Fatep, another exercise in which we would be evaluated this time round. Gosh. I must strive on!
Sometimes, I find it really interesting to listen to conversations among my other camp mates, whom mainly are lesser educated. Surprisingly, they know a whole lot of other stuff that I may not know. They might not be academically wise but they are street-smart and socially independent. That I really salute them.
You know, sometimes, I really admire their do-dares and courage, how they are not afraid to speak up to fight for their rights, be it to a higher rank. And they are very loyal to their friends and buddies. Sometimes, I wish I had not been a nerd all my academic life before NS. I wish I had got in a bad school, I wish I had fights. I know this sounds insane, but I wish I had more exposure to the real life out there. For the reality is it is a harsh world. Coming to NS just makes me realise that there are so many different people from different walks of life and their rich experiences in life are sometimes shocking but REAL.
And I realise I lack aggression, an intrinsic creature instinct. Since we live in a world where it's all about the survival of the fittest, I guess this is a really important trait. And please don't misunderstand me. Aggression not necessarily involve violence. It merely means to be there for what you want and stand up for the right reasons.
Say goodbye to the soft-spoken me soon. I hope.
But don't be afraid ok? HAHA.
Alright I'm back again. Hi. Haha. Guess what guys? It's been a smooth-sailing week for me! Thanks for all the encouragement and thanks for cheering me up. I guess me feeling low for the previous week was probably just another back-to-army-life-dread thing. So yea! At least this week I got to talk quite a bit with lots more of my camp mates and all the way through I kept my spirits high enough to last me till this book out. Hehe.
So anyway, I had outfield exercise on Thursday, which was yesterday. I dread that so much but my best friend texted me something which I thought was really meaningful.
"Every sweat is for your loved ones".
It kept me going. Really. I guess many people find serving the nation a chore and a bore, deeming it as a waste of time. As a matter of fact, I felt that way too. But I believe I should look at the other side of the grass for it should be greener. Hence, it's all about how you think. Give yourself a purpose and you will find it all worthwhile going through all the soil and toil.
On another note, it kept raining these two days. Due to that, we only had one deployment instead of the intended four. So after our first deployment, we were all hiding in our tonners waiting for the rain to stop, or rather praying for the rain not to stop. Lol. And I guess it overheard our prayers. For it kept raining and raining and raining non-stop. Even till now. So we headed back to camp late last night around 3am. Next week we would be going for our Battalion Fatep, another exercise in which we would be evaluated this time round. Gosh. I must strive on!
Sometimes, I find it really interesting to listen to conversations among my other camp mates, whom mainly are lesser educated. Surprisingly, they know a whole lot of other stuff that I may not know. They might not be academically wise but they are street-smart and socially independent. That I really salute them.
You know, sometimes, I really admire their do-dares and courage, how they are not afraid to speak up to fight for their rights, be it to a higher rank. And they are very loyal to their friends and buddies. Sometimes, I wish I had not been a nerd all my academic life before NS. I wish I had got in a bad school, I wish I had fights. I know this sounds insane, but I wish I had more exposure to the real life out there. For the reality is it is a harsh world. Coming to NS just makes me realise that there are so many different people from different walks of life and their rich experiences in life are sometimes shocking but REAL.
And I realise I lack aggression, an intrinsic creature instinct. Since we live in a world where it's all about the survival of the fittest, I guess this is a really important trait. And please don't misunderstand me. Aggression not necessarily involve violence. It merely means to be there for what you want and stand up for the right reasons.
Say goodbye to the soft-spoken me soon. I hope.
But don't be afraid ok? HAHA.
Sunday, January 07, 2007
This past week in camp has been a traumatic one for me. Psychologically. I don't know why, I think I hardly spoke to anyone. I just felt depressed and low. Was it because after the long break that I find it hard to adapt back to military life? Or was it because of the troubled face of Aaron before he left for Brunei that made me feel that way? I don't know honestly. I just feel detached from reality.
I have to confess something. I'm very passive in nature. I take time to warm up. I seldom take initiatives. I am a born introvert.
I'm trying hard to change. But does all that explain why I feel so lonely sometimes? Why my social life seems to be narrowing? Why I am still single till now? Hahaha whatever. Heck.
Of course, a change will be good. But first, I need to cheer myself up more.
So anyway, yesterday we were supposed to have this camp gathering at DXO. It was such a stupid idea can. Imagine the whole place was flooded with NS guys. No girls. And we had to sit there and listen to all the crap and be involved in witnessing the games in place. Which was totally lame. Total waste of time. Ha, but after that decided to stay back with a few of my camp mates. It was Ladies' Night! Had a tower of Tiger Beer. I think I drank like 3 or 4 mugs. Hahaha. I tried to dance at the dance floor but most of the time I was dancing alone and probably just shaking on the spot. Totally ridiculous. Wasn't in the mood to dance actually. But I stayed on till 2 plus. Absolutely ridiculous. Yea, and I can't believe my friend actually went up to a girl and just danced along with her, or rather swaying behind her while clasping her in his arms. That was some daring move I probably won't do. I was just shocked how "open" these girls can be.
I'm not frivolous. I'm not flirtatious. That's for sure.
On another note, my student EZ link card has expired. I have enjoyed student fare rates for 2 more years compared to my other friends(and probably saved quite a bit). But the sudden change to adult fare is ridiculous. A MRT ride from Boon Lay to City Hall costs $1.50?! It used to cost only like $0.50 for me. Totally horrendous. So now I'll rather drive when I go out. I know petrol is expensive too. But at least I don't get to see the amount deducted right before my eyes.
And I love driving. Especially to random places. Exploring new landscapes. New routes. New territories. New horizons.
Ok. I think I sound quite like a turn-off now. Whatever. Bleh.
I have to confess something. I'm very passive in nature. I take time to warm up. I seldom take initiatives. I am a born introvert.
I'm trying hard to change. But does all that explain why I feel so lonely sometimes? Why my social life seems to be narrowing? Why I am still single till now? Hahaha whatever. Heck.
Of course, a change will be good. But first, I need to cheer myself up more.
So anyway, yesterday we were supposed to have this camp gathering at DXO. It was such a stupid idea can. Imagine the whole place was flooded with NS guys. No girls. And we had to sit there and listen to all the crap and be involved in witnessing the games in place. Which was totally lame. Total waste of time. Ha, but after that decided to stay back with a few of my camp mates. It was Ladies' Night! Had a tower of Tiger Beer. I think I drank like 3 or 4 mugs. Hahaha. I tried to dance at the dance floor but most of the time I was dancing alone and probably just shaking on the spot. Totally ridiculous. Wasn't in the mood to dance actually. But I stayed on till 2 plus. Absolutely ridiculous. Yea, and I can't believe my friend actually went up to a girl and just danced along with her, or rather swaying behind her while clasping her in his arms. That was some daring move I probably won't do. I was just shocked how "open" these girls can be.
I'm not frivolous. I'm not flirtatious. That's for sure.
On another note, my student EZ link card has expired. I have enjoyed student fare rates for 2 more years compared to my other friends(and probably saved quite a bit). But the sudden change to adult fare is ridiculous. A MRT ride from Boon Lay to City Hall costs $1.50?! It used to cost only like $0.50 for me. Totally horrendous. So now I'll rather drive when I go out. I know petrol is expensive too. But at least I don't get to see the amount deducted right before my eyes.
And I love driving. Especially to random places. Exploring new landscapes. New routes. New territories. New horizons.
Ok. I think I sound quite like a turn-off now. Whatever. Bleh.
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
The Departed - get real
I'm an emo. And right now, I'm feeling damn emo.
Just came back not long ago after sending my best friend to the airport. He had to fly off to Brunei for his OCS training. If it were other people, I would have hesitated driving that far from West to East since I had never driven all the way to Changi Airport before. But for the sake of my best friend, I did that! And that was the first ever time! So I went over to his house to pick him up before driving over to LiJiao's house since she wanted to tag along as well. After that we just went on quite a long journey to Changi Airport. Thankfully for the clear road signs in Singapore, I managed to reach Changi Airport smoothly. And there were so many cars on the road man.. some New Year Day holiday trips to be made I guess.
So we had Fish & Co at Terminal 2. Aaron was feeling extraordinarily emo all the while. I could sense it. A change in him is easily noticed by me since I have seen him change ever since we were 2 years old. And I actually know what's causing him to feel this way. Having to go through 9 days of Brunei training inclusive of 5 days of jungle training is no joke. You girls will never understand the pain, or rather the mental torture. Anyway, something urgent cropped up last minute just now. Aaron was supposed to gather at 2359 with the rest of the cohort. But around 2315, he noticed that the rest of his friends whom he saw were wearing long white sleeve shirt while he was wearing a white polo tee. He panicked and called to confirm with his superior, which to his anxiety found out that he had to be in the white suit instead. We were all in a frenzy, trying to look for alternatives, calling every possible friend for help. Then Lijiao called one of her friends staying in Bedok. After much persuasion, the friend took a cab down and reached the airport at 0000. What a close shave! Though Aaron was marked to be a bit late, at least it wouldn't be that bad, I hope.
Anyway, leaving was a hard thing for Aaron of course, not exactly because of the dread of the whole thing, but because of the mental instability to cope with other near-home-close-to-heart issues. I totally empathise with him. All I can hope for him is that he can remain strong throughout the whole journey. I pray that he will do well and excel in whatever he does.
1st Jan 2007. The first day of a new year and we were at the airport. It shall mark the soar of a new beginning. We shall take flight and soar to new horizons!
I shall believe in that. :)

And I'm already beginning to miss him...
I'm an emo. And right now, I'm feeling damn emo.
Just came back not long ago after sending my best friend to the airport. He had to fly off to Brunei for his OCS training. If it were other people, I would have hesitated driving that far from West to East since I had never driven all the way to Changi Airport before. But for the sake of my best friend, I did that! And that was the first ever time! So I went over to his house to pick him up before driving over to LiJiao's house since she wanted to tag along as well. After that we just went on quite a long journey to Changi Airport. Thankfully for the clear road signs in Singapore, I managed to reach Changi Airport smoothly. And there were so many cars on the road man.. some New Year Day holiday trips to be made I guess.
So we had Fish & Co at Terminal 2. Aaron was feeling extraordinarily emo all the while. I could sense it. A change in him is easily noticed by me since I have seen him change ever since we were 2 years old. And I actually know what's causing him to feel this way. Having to go through 9 days of Brunei training inclusive of 5 days of jungle training is no joke. You girls will never understand the pain, or rather the mental torture. Anyway, something urgent cropped up last minute just now. Aaron was supposed to gather at 2359 with the rest of the cohort. But around 2315, he noticed that the rest of his friends whom he saw were wearing long white sleeve shirt while he was wearing a white polo tee. He panicked and called to confirm with his superior, which to his anxiety found out that he had to be in the white suit instead. We were all in a frenzy, trying to look for alternatives, calling every possible friend for help. Then Lijiao called one of her friends staying in Bedok. After much persuasion, the friend took a cab down and reached the airport at 0000. What a close shave! Though Aaron was marked to be a bit late, at least it wouldn't be that bad, I hope.
Anyway, leaving was a hard thing for Aaron of course, not exactly because of the dread of the whole thing, but because of the mental instability to cope with other near-home-close-to-heart issues. I totally empathise with him. All I can hope for him is that he can remain strong throughout the whole journey. I pray that he will do well and excel in whatever he does.
1st Jan 2007. The first day of a new year and we were at the airport. It shall mark the soar of a new beginning. We shall take flight and soar to new horizons!
I shall believe in that. :)

And I'm already beginning to miss him...
Monday, January 01, 2007
Here's a little book list for my own reminder sake that I wanna get soon!
The Godfather by Mario Puzo.
Yea, I know it's a real classic book but I have yet to get my hands on it! And I'm really wanting to!
ANY BOOK by Chuck Palahniuk.
In case you don't know who this author is, he's the author of The Fight Club. And his books are gorgeously witty, cynical, sarcastic, highly original, undescribably funny, lotsa dark humour, intensely insightful, out-of-this-world ideas... A very very good author with a very unique writing style and over-brimming with creativity. I've read one of his books, well, partially, "Invisible Monsters" so far. And I'm stunned for words. One of the masters of satirical literature. Check him out man. I'm definitely gonna get his other books soon!
ANY recent books by Neil Gaiman, including American Gods, Anansi Boys...
Until now I'm not sure about the Neil Gaiman's appeal since I haven't checked him out yet. But his is more of storytelling. So not a priority for now. But heard he's a pretty interesting author with tall tales as well. So might check his books out someday.
Alright, apart from that, my recommendations!
FAVOURITE AUTHORS
Richard Paul Evans
Probably similar to Nicholas Sparks' except Evans' writing is more detailed, and are rather inspiring, heartfelt and touching. Definitely not just an ordinary tearjerker. They are real-inspired stories that touches you and lingers for a while.
Johnathan Safran Foer
The BEST BEST BEST author I have ever got to know so far. He only wrote two books so far, namely Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Both books were highly inventive, brimming with wonderful ideas and provocative philosophies that are bound to pick your mind up for a refreshing treat. Very touching plots as well. I just want to read his books again and again and again... (If you trust my taste, get his books!)
William Nicholson
He is better known for his children science fiction books but I have read his adult novel The Society Of Others. And it is instantly ranked one of the top of my favourite books. Currently I'm reading his The Trial of True Love and it is a rather attractive read as well. Need I say much?
Now for my all-time favourite genre... HORROR!!!
Richard Laymon
If you want to avoid the twists and beat-around-the-bush story plots from Stephen King's and Dean Koontz, get Laymon's books. You're in for a visual, cinematic horror-flick-alike read. Bound to make you jump till the book jumps off your hands too. But a word of caution: The books are usually sexually explicit in content.
Bentley Little
Actually I have only read one of his books so far. It's entitled Dispatch. I thought it was a really good read as the plot was highly original and rather spooky. It kinda spooked me out a little. The good point is the author is rather witty and humorous in his writing as well. So if you want a HAHA alongside a shiver, try his books.
Hahaha, how ironic is the fact that I didn't used to be a bookworm in the past. Cos I thought I could hardly finish reading those thick thick books. But well, being in NS gives me ample of time to explore new horizons. And that's why I'm here to promote my favourite reads off my shelf. Hope that if you take up my recommendations, you enjoy the reads as much as I do. =)
But I will NEVER be a librarian that's for sure. As much as I like books, I hate to be surrounded by them instead of the usual walls. Wahaha.
The Godfather by Mario Puzo.
Yea, I know it's a real classic book but I have yet to get my hands on it! And I'm really wanting to!
ANY BOOK by Chuck Palahniuk.
In case you don't know who this author is, he's the author of The Fight Club. And his books are gorgeously witty, cynical, sarcastic, highly original, undescribably funny, lotsa dark humour, intensely insightful, out-of-this-world ideas... A very very good author with a very unique writing style and over-brimming with creativity. I've read one of his books, well, partially, "Invisible Monsters" so far. And I'm stunned for words. One of the masters of satirical literature. Check him out man. I'm definitely gonna get his other books soon!
ANY recent books by Neil Gaiman, including American Gods, Anansi Boys...
Until now I'm not sure about the Neil Gaiman's appeal since I haven't checked him out yet. But his is more of storytelling. So not a priority for now. But heard he's a pretty interesting author with tall tales as well. So might check his books out someday.
Alright, apart from that, my recommendations!
FAVOURITE AUTHORS
Richard Paul Evans
Probably similar to Nicholas Sparks' except Evans' writing is more detailed, and are rather inspiring, heartfelt and touching. Definitely not just an ordinary tearjerker. They are real-inspired stories that touches you and lingers for a while.
Johnathan Safran Foer
The BEST BEST BEST author I have ever got to know so far. He only wrote two books so far, namely Everything Is Illuminated and Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close. Both books were highly inventive, brimming with wonderful ideas and provocative philosophies that are bound to pick your mind up for a refreshing treat. Very touching plots as well. I just want to read his books again and again and again... (If you trust my taste, get his books!)
William Nicholson
He is better known for his children science fiction books but I have read his adult novel The Society Of Others. And it is instantly ranked one of the top of my favourite books. Currently I'm reading his The Trial of True Love and it is a rather attractive read as well. Need I say much?
Now for my all-time favourite genre... HORROR!!!
Richard Laymon
If you want to avoid the twists and beat-around-the-bush story plots from Stephen King's and Dean Koontz, get Laymon's books. You're in for a visual, cinematic horror-flick-alike read. Bound to make you jump till the book jumps off your hands too. But a word of caution: The books are usually sexually explicit in content.
Bentley Little
Actually I have only read one of his books so far. It's entitled Dispatch. I thought it was a really good read as the plot was highly original and rather spooky. It kinda spooked me out a little. The good point is the author is rather witty and humorous in his writing as well. So if you want a HAHA alongside a shiver, try his books.
Hahaha, how ironic is the fact that I didn't used to be a bookworm in the past. Cos I thought I could hardly finish reading those thick thick books. But well, being in NS gives me ample of time to explore new horizons. And that's why I'm here to promote my favourite reads off my shelf. Hope that if you take up my recommendations, you enjoy the reads as much as I do. =)
But I will NEVER be a librarian that's for sure. As much as I like books, I hate to be surrounded by them instead of the usual walls. Wahaha.
Heyhey, I realise I haven't been blogging for quite some time. Haha.. pardon me but it's been rather packed ever since my break started on 22nd Dec. Yea and you might have guessed, I enjoyed myself tremendously so far, with events and activities back to back each day! It's like I'm so immersed in civilian life right now that I don't feel like going back to army. HAHAHA. Somebody give me a pinch for that. Lol.
What can I say, I've caught up with lotsa friends, be it my close buddies, my jc friends and even my secondary school friends. Went for JJ's graduation prom on 29th Dec 06. Well, it's not really my prom night since mine was long overdue. We got back to gather back as part of a class to bid farewell to our ex-Civics tutor, Mrs Razal as well. And OH MAN! It was such a blast! I thought it might be quite boring since it wasn't my prom. But man, was I wrong! Haha.. the photo taking sessions were enough to spice up the already glamorous night! Wooohoo.. here's a few pics..



Alright, just a few pics I've got here. But it was seriously quite happening! Hahaha.. too bad I didn't get to club after that. Though I'm not really into clubbing. Wahaha.
But honestly, I did quite enjoy myself. I was actually feeling quite elated.
Until the thought of booking in again on Tuesday night kinda turned me off.
Oh, well, whatever.
Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all!!! HAPPY 2007!!! And 2008, please do come by real soon ok! Cos I can't wait to ORD!!! Lol. Ok, 2008, you heard that?
What can I say, I've caught up with lotsa friends, be it my close buddies, my jc friends and even my secondary school friends. Went for JJ's graduation prom on 29th Dec 06. Well, it's not really my prom night since mine was long overdue. We got back to gather back as part of a class to bid farewell to our ex-Civics tutor, Mrs Razal as well. And OH MAN! It was such a blast! I thought it might be quite boring since it wasn't my prom. But man, was I wrong! Haha.. the photo taking sessions were enough to spice up the already glamorous night! Wooohoo.. here's a few pics..



Alright, just a few pics I've got here. But it was seriously quite happening! Hahaha.. too bad I didn't get to club after that. Though I'm not really into clubbing. Wahaha.
But honestly, I did quite enjoy myself. I was actually feeling quite elated.
Until the thought of booking in again on Tuesday night kinda turned me off.
Oh, well, whatever.
Anyway, HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all!!! HAPPY 2007!!! And 2008, please do come by real soon ok! Cos I can't wait to ORD!!! Lol. Ok, 2008, you heard that?
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