Monday, May 02, 2011
Saturday, April 23, 2011
purple light
As i was lying in bed in camp, trying to sleep off the medicine effects, I heard some familiar tunes, ringing from the first level. Army songs.
They may not be songs on the billboards, or songs that we sing any other day. But they are songs they unite and give strength. Every other singaporean man knows the lyrics, and they sing in harmony.
However, there's this particular song that's a prequel to the traditional Purple Light, and it goes like this:
I ask my girl,
To take a walk,
To take a walk,
Down Orchard Road,
Bypass Mandarin,
To Centrepoint,
Where we had lunch,
At McDonald's.
We had fillet,
And apple pie,
We shared a cup,
Of lemon lime,
Holding to her hands,
Looking to her eyes,
I asked my girl,
To be my Valentine.
There was one night,
There was no light,
There was no light,
So we used torchlight,
Torchlight not bright,
So we used moonlight,
Moonlight not bright,
So we used Purple Light.
And Purple Light will begin. It's my favourite army song. Whenever we go on route marches, when the going gets tough, the bagpack weighing down on your shoulders, sweat soaked through your vest and pouring down your face. Your legs feel sore, the blisters bite, the abrasions sting, and you are panting with every step. You feel like giving up, then someone starts the song. And we all sing along.
My mind forgets about the pain, and I visualize exactly as what the lyrics say. My Sergeant used to say, it's a very sad song, especially for bachelors. Haha. Yea it's true, especially when we first enlisted and 14 Feb was just a week later. The lyrics might just be words, but they probably helped thousands of guys to push through those tough times..
They may not be songs on the billboards, or songs that we sing any other day. But they are songs they unite and give strength. Every other singaporean man knows the lyrics, and they sing in harmony.
However, there's this particular song that's a prequel to the traditional Purple Light, and it goes like this:
I ask my girl,
To take a walk,
To take a walk,
Down Orchard Road,
Bypass Mandarin,
To Centrepoint,
Where we had lunch,
At McDonald's.
We had fillet,
And apple pie,
We shared a cup,
Of lemon lime,
Holding to her hands,
Looking to her eyes,
I asked my girl,
To be my Valentine.
There was one night,
There was no light,
There was no light,
So we used torchlight,
Torchlight not bright,
So we used moonlight,
Moonlight not bright,
So we used Purple Light.
And Purple Light will begin. It's my favourite army song. Whenever we go on route marches, when the going gets tough, the bagpack weighing down on your shoulders, sweat soaked through your vest and pouring down your face. Your legs feel sore, the blisters bite, the abrasions sting, and you are panting with every step. You feel like giving up, then someone starts the song. And we all sing along.
My mind forgets about the pain, and I visualize exactly as what the lyrics say. My Sergeant used to say, it's a very sad song, especially for bachelors. Haha. Yea it's true, especially when we first enlisted and 14 Feb was just a week later. The lyrics might just be words, but they probably helped thousands of guys to push through those tough times..
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Friday, April 08, 2011
screwed up
And yes I'm blogging on my bb once more. I'm not crazy. I just want to note down my exact thoughts and feelings at this moment.
In short, I've never had such strong negative feelings for a long long while. I'm extremely furious. I'm just puzzled and shocked how some incompetent idiots can rise up to the top when they know nothing. When they make the wrong decisions ALL the time. When they are meant to be treated as trash.
You. Lemme tell you, I rather hug and tell the auntie who cleans the entire block how much I respect her and appreciate the things that she does day in day out quietly than to freaking strike a conversation with you.
You have lost ALL respect I have of you previously, even though it hardly existed in the first place.
Every single day, I do to the best of my ability to do my job, learn new stuff, help others whenever I can, DO THE RIGHT THING. Tirelessly, I slog, I work overtime, I compromise my personal time even when everyone else has gone home, to put in the best quality work. To change things, make the wrong things right. Organised the entire department. Learnt every single shit on my own, the hard way, from scratch.
Never I thought of receiving recognition or fame. I just wanted to do my stuff nicely, be of service, and just remain free from the limelight be it for the good or bad. Serve and get lost. Simple as that.
But, instead of you retards up there coming to say,"hey thank you, I really appreciate what you've done to make my job so much easier. " Or just shut up and let me live in peace. YOU come and dig for me and try to find fault in what I do. And is on the verge of heavily punishing me when I did NOTHING WRONG. When some other guy is the one who made the BIG mistake, but I get punished BIG TIME. Get your frigging facts right. And use your brain. Ok wait, did you even have one to begin with? Seriously, do you even have any IQ or EQ at all? Just leeching and thriving on others.
Please, go to the ground. Look around. See who are the ones working so hard, for you. Just be aware, who are those, just sitting around doing nothing. You don't have to punish the bad guys, but please, don't kill the good guys.
In short, I've never had such strong negative feelings for a long long while. I'm extremely furious. I'm just puzzled and shocked how some incompetent idiots can rise up to the top when they know nothing. When they make the wrong decisions ALL the time. When they are meant to be treated as trash.
You. Lemme tell you, I rather hug and tell the auntie who cleans the entire block how much I respect her and appreciate the things that she does day in day out quietly than to freaking strike a conversation with you.
You have lost ALL respect I have of you previously, even though it hardly existed in the first place.
Every single day, I do to the best of my ability to do my job, learn new stuff, help others whenever I can, DO THE RIGHT THING. Tirelessly, I slog, I work overtime, I compromise my personal time even when everyone else has gone home, to put in the best quality work. To change things, make the wrong things right. Organised the entire department. Learnt every single shit on my own, the hard way, from scratch.
Never I thought of receiving recognition or fame. I just wanted to do my stuff nicely, be of service, and just remain free from the limelight be it for the good or bad. Serve and get lost. Simple as that.
But, instead of you retards up there coming to say,"hey thank you, I really appreciate what you've done to make my job so much easier. " Or just shut up and let me live in peace. YOU come and dig for me and try to find fault in what I do. And is on the verge of heavily punishing me when I did NOTHING WRONG. When some other guy is the one who made the BIG mistake, but I get punished BIG TIME. Get your frigging facts right. And use your brain. Ok wait, did you even have one to begin with? Seriously, do you even have any IQ or EQ at all? Just leeching and thriving on others.
Please, go to the ground. Look around. See who are the ones working so hard, for you. Just be aware, who are those, just sitting around doing nothing. You don't have to punish the bad guys, but please, don't kill the good guys.
Sunday, April 03, 2011
bb
Ok, this is interesting. I'm blogging on my bb and at this unearthly hour! Anyways, I'm really loving this phone. My life's just been made easier and more organised. Every thing that appears in my mind for a split second will be recorded. Just hearing some interesting lyrics, or random passing thoughts, I just type it down. In a way, I become more efficient, complete more, and not get frustrated over forgetting minor things.
Anyway, as I was walking to the mrt station today,I was extremely amused to see a chinese family - father, mother, son, daughter and aunty (I assume), crowding around a bin, smoking!!! I couldn't stop staring as I walked pass. The sighting was rare yet eye opening.
Which leads me to another point about ns. Yes the same old boring topic all girls are just sick of now. Last week, when I was in Cathay, I saw 2 botaks walking pass, both very dynamic, animated and engrossed discussing about ns. And following the same path a metre behind, are 2 girls looking all gloomy and bored. Hahaha! What can I say man? Yall go ahead and comment.
On a similar note, i walked past restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops, and I see botak heads sticking out of groups of teenagers all happily talking and laughing. And there are those loving couples holding hands, cherishing the only time they have for the whole week. Class outings, meetups and catchups sessions. Some how, I just reflected and recalled exactly 1 year ago, I was doing the exact same thing. And if you click on my archive last year, you'll just be reading about how happy I was to bookout and have a nice meal or meetup with my classmates or close friends. Suddenly I feel so old. So much has come and gone, my time just passed with a snap, and now I'm just looking forward to 5 dec the day of freedom. However, I'll be reflecting on how much I've learnt in this entire experience when the day arrives.
I just realised how I've been a frog in a well, or put it in a different way, a chick behind a mother hen for 20 years. I've been so well protected and shielded that I've never come into contact with anything or anyone that could potentially create havoc or threaten to deviate my structured route of ideal advancement. Until now.
In ns, I see all kind of people. From tatooed to rebellious to dropouts to criminal and to manly females. Haha. I dun wanna talk so much about it because you already know what I'm talking about. But few realise that with the hierachiecal structure and nature of the system, the entire male population has already been ranked so nicely for all to see at a glance. It might not be very detailed, but I feel that it is fairly accurate. The best climb to the top. There are the unfit ones who go in early but still have hope, the obese ones who go in even earlier and might even be exempted. There are the sick chickens, which by right I was suppose to be one,who often become clerks. And there are those who are perfectly fine but just give up without putting up a fight and just waste their 2 years away, doing nothing. Wimps. You even see guys in the mrt in chic clothing with mascara on! Anyway,my point was, the calibre of the males in sg can be seen just by looking at ns. Of course I'm not saying I'm damn good, but at least I push myself even with medical limitations, haha and perhaps intellectual limitations.
Just keep pushing and pushing, one fine day, you'll see the trees on the summit. They are all bearing fruits, fruits of YOUR labour.
Anyway, as I was walking to the mrt station today,I was extremely amused to see a chinese family - father, mother, son, daughter and aunty (I assume), crowding around a bin, smoking!!! I couldn't stop staring as I walked pass. The sighting was rare yet eye opening.
Which leads me to another point about ns. Yes the same old boring topic all girls are just sick of now. Last week, when I was in Cathay, I saw 2 botaks walking pass, both very dynamic, animated and engrossed discussing about ns. And following the same path a metre behind, are 2 girls looking all gloomy and bored. Hahaha! What can I say man? Yall go ahead and comment.
On a similar note, i walked past restaurants, cafes, ice cream shops, and I see botak heads sticking out of groups of teenagers all happily talking and laughing. And there are those loving couples holding hands, cherishing the only time they have for the whole week. Class outings, meetups and catchups sessions. Some how, I just reflected and recalled exactly 1 year ago, I was doing the exact same thing. And if you click on my archive last year, you'll just be reading about how happy I was to bookout and have a nice meal or meetup with my classmates or close friends. Suddenly I feel so old. So much has come and gone, my time just passed with a snap, and now I'm just looking forward to 5 dec the day of freedom. However, I'll be reflecting on how much I've learnt in this entire experience when the day arrives.
I just realised how I've been a frog in a well, or put it in a different way, a chick behind a mother hen for 20 years. I've been so well protected and shielded that I've never come into contact with anything or anyone that could potentially create havoc or threaten to deviate my structured route of ideal advancement. Until now.
In ns, I see all kind of people. From tatooed to rebellious to dropouts to criminal and to manly females. Haha. I dun wanna talk so much about it because you already know what I'm talking about. But few realise that with the hierachiecal structure and nature of the system, the entire male population has already been ranked so nicely for all to see at a glance. It might not be very detailed, but I feel that it is fairly accurate. The best climb to the top. There are the unfit ones who go in early but still have hope, the obese ones who go in even earlier and might even be exempted. There are the sick chickens, which by right I was suppose to be one,who often become clerks. And there are those who are perfectly fine but just give up without putting up a fight and just waste their 2 years away, doing nothing. Wimps. You even see guys in the mrt in chic clothing with mascara on! Anyway,my point was, the calibre of the males in sg can be seen just by looking at ns. Of course I'm not saying I'm damn good, but at least I push myself even with medical limitations, haha and perhaps intellectual limitations.
Just keep pushing and pushing, one fine day, you'll see the trees on the summit. They are all bearing fruits, fruits of YOUR labour.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
highlights
ok this shall be a quick one, i hope.
i watched probably 10 movies in the past 2 weeks. going the distance, unstoppable, prestige (again and again), black swan, expendables, world invasion, sucker punch and a hell lot more i can't remember at this point of time. MOVIES, somehow just transport you to another world. if it's a good movie, it can be just like alcohol. it makes you forget all your troubles, pressing issues, and all the daily stress.
similar to last week, i hardly had time to breathe, but i guess it's been slightly better as i start to learn to delegate. it's so hard to tell people to do things, because you don't know whether they are on the same boat, gasping for air, drowning in the mountainous pile of work. but i guess, we have to be vicious sometimes, just to save our own poor souls.
met up with ying lun, shawn and reuben recently. it's just great to see some familiar faces and talk with ease. went to eat some pancakes and it was great. somehow i was transported back in time when we could have the kiddish laughter and lame talks. hahaha reuben especially. we can talk crap and understand each other perfectly, the telepathy and inference ability, we just hit off. it's like we can be talking about something, and we both know immediately where the topic will be heading to, and we reach there the same time. it's amazing, 8 years. he actually know my hp no. and email address by heart. i think we are gay. LOL!
something interesting happened during class a few days back. Introducing a new topic, my lecturer called my name out of the blue and popped this question, "Daryl, how do you know if a girl likes you?" i just stoned there for a good 20 seconds, waiting for an answer to appear in my head. Unfortunately, nothing came. So i replied,"No idea. It's a mystery." Immediately, the 2 females in front turned back and smiled while another on my right just stared at me. And my lecturer just laughed, hinting a great deal of similar sentiments, but still, he had to link to the topic of Communication and just moved on.
Communication? If only it's that simple that a girl will just say it.
Nah, it doesnt happen like that, Sir.
Today, i went to Ikea. It has beeen quite some time. And as usual, i gives me the same old homely feel. However it's not the feeling that caught my attention. It was the prices of the items. It's unreasonably cheap! You can buy a table at $9.90, a bed at $70 and a clock at $1.50! It's scary. Even with inflation, you are able to acquire furniture at such prices. But look across the area, to the restaurant. The meatballs are $8!!!!! A meal almost costs more than a table! Go ahead, take a seat. The food comes. The chair you are sitting on costs more than the food! It struck me that is it true that food is more scarce than furniture? Cooks and dishwashers are earning more than craftsmen and wood manufacturers? I was just amazed how much the TEN DOLLAR NOTE can bring you. So it's true, the service industry is indeed the tertiary industry. It's really difficult to picture how washing dishes are more skilful than making a table. Of course, you don't see people physically washing dishes, but simply putting it into the machine. And OF COURSE you don't see an old man squatting at the corner hammering a nail into the wood, but a gigantic machine converting pulp into solid wood. The point i'm driving at is, the working environment plays the biggest difference in the amount one earns.
As long as you show your face, or accidentally show your face to the public, YOU GET THE DEAL! I have learnt, it's a superficial world. Everything's about presentation and packaging. You might not have the content, but as long as you are able to present yourself, and work with people, convince or influence decisions, the pay cheque rises. Technical skills arent as prestigious as soft skills.
Ok enough of ranting. i guess it's enough for the week. time to book in.....
i watched probably 10 movies in the past 2 weeks. going the distance, unstoppable, prestige (again and again), black swan, expendables, world invasion, sucker punch and a hell lot more i can't remember at this point of time. MOVIES, somehow just transport you to another world. if it's a good movie, it can be just like alcohol. it makes you forget all your troubles, pressing issues, and all the daily stress.
similar to last week, i hardly had time to breathe, but i guess it's been slightly better as i start to learn to delegate. it's so hard to tell people to do things, because you don't know whether they are on the same boat, gasping for air, drowning in the mountainous pile of work. but i guess, we have to be vicious sometimes, just to save our own poor souls.
met up with ying lun, shawn and reuben recently. it's just great to see some familiar faces and talk with ease. went to eat some pancakes and it was great. somehow i was transported back in time when we could have the kiddish laughter and lame talks. hahaha reuben especially. we can talk crap and understand each other perfectly, the telepathy and inference ability, we just hit off. it's like we can be talking about something, and we both know immediately where the topic will be heading to, and we reach there the same time. it's amazing, 8 years. he actually know my hp no. and email address by heart. i think we are gay. LOL!
something interesting happened during class a few days back. Introducing a new topic, my lecturer called my name out of the blue and popped this question, "Daryl, how do you know if a girl likes you?" i just stoned there for a good 20 seconds, waiting for an answer to appear in my head. Unfortunately, nothing came. So i replied,"No idea. It's a mystery." Immediately, the 2 females in front turned back and smiled while another on my right just stared at me. And my lecturer just laughed, hinting a great deal of similar sentiments, but still, he had to link to the topic of Communication and just moved on.
Communication? If only it's that simple that a girl will just say it.
Nah, it doesnt happen like that, Sir.
Today, i went to Ikea. It has beeen quite some time. And as usual, i gives me the same old homely feel. However it's not the feeling that caught my attention. It was the prices of the items. It's unreasonably cheap! You can buy a table at $9.90, a bed at $70 and a clock at $1.50! It's scary. Even with inflation, you are able to acquire furniture at such prices. But look across the area, to the restaurant. The meatballs are $8!!!!! A meal almost costs more than a table! Go ahead, take a seat. The food comes. The chair you are sitting on costs more than the food! It struck me that is it true that food is more scarce than furniture? Cooks and dishwashers are earning more than craftsmen and wood manufacturers? I was just amazed how much the TEN DOLLAR NOTE can bring you. So it's true, the service industry is indeed the tertiary industry. It's really difficult to picture how washing dishes are more skilful than making a table. Of course, you don't see people physically washing dishes, but simply putting it into the machine. And OF COURSE you don't see an old man squatting at the corner hammering a nail into the wood, but a gigantic machine converting pulp into solid wood. The point i'm driving at is, the working environment plays the biggest difference in the amount one earns.
As long as you show your face, or accidentally show your face to the public, YOU GET THE DEAL! I have learnt, it's a superficial world. Everything's about presentation and packaging. You might not have the content, but as long as you are able to present yourself, and work with people, convince or influence decisions, the pay cheque rises. Technical skills arent as prestigious as soft skills.
Ok enough of ranting. i guess it's enough for the week. time to book in.....
Saturday, March 19, 2011
MAX-ed
I promised i'll make time to post something this week, no matter how busy i am.
I was simply filled to the brim for the past week. When you become a one-man department, you realise the importance of delegation of tasks. I was yearning for work to do when i first took seat. And now, i'm drowning within the influx. It's true what they say, shit always happens. Office politics. I'm not stressed, i'm just too damn busy. i can cope, but it just results in 5 min meals and disrupted sleep.
But looking back, i see the achievement. Upon clearing the whole list of stuff, i just heaved a sigh of relief and thought: I worked hard enough to earn my leisure this week.
You might find it strange that i'm gonna blog about a movie despite complaining about a packed week. But don't ask me about it.
Black Swan, brilliant. Able to match the standard of Inception.
I learnt that meals are just fuel for me to keep on moving. I've been eating while walking. It isn't that bad if you are holding a burger. But people just stare when you hold a packet of rice, scoop and walk through the CBD. It's amazing how much time i saved just by doing that.
I learnt that i can't work in a military. I will probably kill myself or get myself killed. It isnt the culture or what, it's the people. When the authority is simply screwed up, and you can't say NO, you can't disobey, you can't leave, you just suck it up and be extremely pissed off. I'm good at controlling my temper, I'm good at not being angry because i don't see a point in being angry at little petty things. But there are things which are simply beyond the limit. You can just strangle the fella you are talking to.
SIGHHH. Welcome to life.
I was simply filled to the brim for the past week. When you become a one-man department, you realise the importance of delegation of tasks. I was yearning for work to do when i first took seat. And now, i'm drowning within the influx. It's true what they say, shit always happens. Office politics. I'm not stressed, i'm just too damn busy. i can cope, but it just results in 5 min meals and disrupted sleep.
But looking back, i see the achievement. Upon clearing the whole list of stuff, i just heaved a sigh of relief and thought: I worked hard enough to earn my leisure this week.
You might find it strange that i'm gonna blog about a movie despite complaining about a packed week. But don't ask me about it.
Black Swan, brilliant. Able to match the standard of Inception.
I learnt that meals are just fuel for me to keep on moving. I've been eating while walking. It isn't that bad if you are holding a burger. But people just stare when you hold a packet of rice, scoop and walk through the CBD. It's amazing how much time i saved just by doing that.
I learnt that i can't work in a military. I will probably kill myself or get myself killed. It isnt the culture or what, it's the people. When the authority is simply screwed up, and you can't say NO, you can't disobey, you can't leave, you just suck it up and be extremely pissed off. I'm good at controlling my temper, I'm good at not being angry because i don't see a point in being angry at little petty things. But there are things which are simply beyond the limit. You can just strangle the fella you are talking to.
SIGHHH. Welcome to life.
What Are Words
Anywhere you are, I am near
Anywhere you go, I'll be there
Anytime you whisper my name, you'll see
How every single promise I keep
Cuz what kind of guy would I be
If I was to leave when you need me most
What are words
If you really don't mean them
When you say them
What are words
If they're only for good times
Then they don't
When it's love
Yeah, you say them out loud
Those words, They never go away
They live on, even when we're gone
And I know an angel was sent just for me
And I know I'm meant to be where I am
And I'm gonna be
Standing right beside her tonight
And I'm gonna be by your side
I would never leave when she needs me most
What are words
If you really don't mean them
When you say them
What are words
If they're only for good times
Then they don't
When it's love
Yeah, you say them out loud
Those words, They never go away
They live on, even when we're gone
Anywhere you are, I am near
Anywhere you go, I'll be there
And I'm gonna be here forever more
Every single promise I keep
Cuz what kind of guy would I be
If I was to leave when you need me most
I'm forever keeping my angel close
Anywhere you go, I'll be there
Anytime you whisper my name, you'll see
How every single promise I keep
Cuz what kind of guy would I be
If I was to leave when you need me most
What are words
If you really don't mean them
When you say them
What are words
If they're only for good times
Then they don't
When it's love
Yeah, you say them out loud
Those words, They never go away
They live on, even when we're gone
And I know an angel was sent just for me
And I know I'm meant to be where I am
And I'm gonna be
Standing right beside her tonight
And I'm gonna be by your side
I would never leave when she needs me most
What are words
If you really don't mean them
When you say them
What are words
If they're only for good times
Then they don't
When it's love
Yeah, you say them out loud
Those words, They never go away
They live on, even when we're gone
Anywhere you are, I am near
Anywhere you go, I'll be there
And I'm gonna be here forever more
Every single promise I keep
Cuz what kind of guy would I be
If I was to leave when you need me most
I'm forever keeping my angel close
Saturday, March 05, 2011
a change perhaps.
i think i might have to change my URL.
<--- dunno what's wrong with these people.
or maybe i should just shut this down once and for all? all good things have to come to an end someday, somehow anyway...
<--- dunno what's wrong with these people.
or maybe i should just shut this down once and for all? all good things have to come to an end someday, somehow anyway...
Sunday, February 20, 2011
life lessons
today, i spent 3 hours flipping the papers.
T-H-R-E-E.
i scanned through the headings of every page i flipped, HOPING that page would contain articles of irrelevant information. but every page i flipped, there was information that cannot be missed. it's either too interesting, OR, too useful be it now or in future.
the point i'm driving at is that there's too much information in this world. the book of knowledge has no boundaries. i may have read those articles, but whether i digest it, remember it, and APPLY it, that's another story. the modern world revolves around knowledge. the more you know, the more valuable you are, the more you are paid. sometimes i wonder why someone who just sit on top, and talk and talk can draw that amount of money, compared to someone who is so skilful with his hands, creating products, constructing buildings, putting materials together to manufacture that very chair the Talking Guy sits works so hard but earns so little.
the past week introduced to me the office concept. i finally understood WHY that fella on top earns so much. it might not be fully justified, but the amount of stress on the mind even though he is just sitting at the desk, clicking away on the computer, attending 5 hour long meetings, it is just as tiring. The skilful worker on the ground completes his job at 5pm, goes home happily to his family, worry-free. The talking guy sits in the office till 7pm and tears his hair off. He goes home, brain drained, still thinking about the presentation the next day.
last week, i organised the class gathering. and it was that day that i realised there is something i havent been able to possess even after 20 years. i lack experience. yes, i might have the theoretical knowledge, i might have seen people do it before, i might even have done it before, albeit of a smaller scale. but the point is, i havent done this before. i'm not exposed to such complications and situations. and i would have died on the spot if not for mr peh's help.
2 weeks back, my sister who just got her driving license was driving the family home. at a zebra crossing, she stalled. and great, the taxi driver behind came crashing into our backside. she just stunned. i just stunned. WHAT WOULD I HAVE DONE, SHOULD I BE THE ONE DRIVING? my sister just sat there, while my old man dad went down with oomph to thrash out with the taxi driver. i seized the opportunity to learn, and went down to see how things were done. it seemed so easy, but when it really happens to me, will i be able to do it as smoothly as my dad?
experience teaches lessons. valuable lessons you will remember for life. once bitten, twice shy.
as much as i want to declare that i'm ready to face the world, i dun think i am. i'm still learning every single day, from the teeny gritty stuff to the man's job, i'm still learning.
the day i can handle everything by myself, i can safely say i'm ready.
KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE. i have yet to grasp, but i'm working hard on it.
T-H-R-E-E.
i scanned through the headings of every page i flipped, HOPING that page would contain articles of irrelevant information. but every page i flipped, there was information that cannot be missed. it's either too interesting, OR, too useful be it now or in future.
the point i'm driving at is that there's too much information in this world. the book of knowledge has no boundaries. i may have read those articles, but whether i digest it, remember it, and APPLY it, that's another story. the modern world revolves around knowledge. the more you know, the more valuable you are, the more you are paid. sometimes i wonder why someone who just sit on top, and talk and talk can draw that amount of money, compared to someone who is so skilful with his hands, creating products, constructing buildings, putting materials together to manufacture that very chair the Talking Guy sits works so hard but earns so little.
the past week introduced to me the office concept. i finally understood WHY that fella on top earns so much. it might not be fully justified, but the amount of stress on the mind even though he is just sitting at the desk, clicking away on the computer, attending 5 hour long meetings, it is just as tiring. The skilful worker on the ground completes his job at 5pm, goes home happily to his family, worry-free. The talking guy sits in the office till 7pm and tears his hair off. He goes home, brain drained, still thinking about the presentation the next day.
last week, i organised the class gathering. and it was that day that i realised there is something i havent been able to possess even after 20 years. i lack experience. yes, i might have the theoretical knowledge, i might have seen people do it before, i might even have done it before, albeit of a smaller scale. but the point is, i havent done this before. i'm not exposed to such complications and situations. and i would have died on the spot if not for mr peh's help.
2 weeks back, my sister who just got her driving license was driving the family home. at a zebra crossing, she stalled. and great, the taxi driver behind came crashing into our backside. she just stunned. i just stunned. WHAT WOULD I HAVE DONE, SHOULD I BE THE ONE DRIVING? my sister just sat there, while my old man dad went down with oomph to thrash out with the taxi driver. i seized the opportunity to learn, and went down to see how things were done. it seemed so easy, but when it really happens to me, will i be able to do it as smoothly as my dad?
experience teaches lessons. valuable lessons you will remember for life. once bitten, twice shy.
as much as i want to declare that i'm ready to face the world, i dun think i am. i'm still learning every single day, from the teeny gritty stuff to the man's job, i'm still learning.
the day i can handle everything by myself, i can safely say i'm ready.
KNOWLEDGE and EXPERIENCE. i have yet to grasp, but i'm working hard on it.
Friday, February 11, 2011
pretty pretty please
Pink - Perfect
Made a wrong turn
Once or twice
Dug my way out
Blood and fire
Bad decisions
That’s alright
Welcome to my silly life
Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Miss “no way it’s all good”
It didn’t slow me down
Mistaken
Always second guessing
Underestimated
Look, I’m still around…
Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
Less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing
You are perfect to me
You’re so mean
When you talk
About yourself
You are wrong
Change the voices
In your head
Make them like you
Instead
So complicated
Look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game
It’s enough
I’ve done all i can think of
Chased down all my demons
see you same
Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
Less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing
You are perfect to me
The world stares while i swallow the fear
The only thing i should be drinking is an ice cold beer
So cool in lying and I tried tried
But we try too hard, it’s a waste of my time
Done looking for the critics, cuz they’re everywhere
They don’t like my genes, they don’t get my hair
Stringe ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that?
Why do I do that?
Why do I do that?
Yeah,
Ooh, oh, pretty pretty pretty,
Pretty pretty please don’t you ever ever feel
Like you’re less then, less than perfect
Pretty pretty please if you ever ever feel
Like you’re nothing you are perfect, to me
You’re perfect
You’re perfect
Pretty, pretty please don’t you ever ever feel like you’re less then, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please if you ever ever feel like you’re nothing you are perfect to me
Made a wrong turn
Once or twice
Dug my way out
Blood and fire
Bad decisions
That’s alright
Welcome to my silly life
Mistreated, misplaced, misunderstood
Miss “no way it’s all good”
It didn’t slow me down
Mistaken
Always second guessing
Underestimated
Look, I’m still around…
Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
Less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing
You are perfect to me
You’re so mean
When you talk
About yourself
You are wrong
Change the voices
In your head
Make them like you
Instead
So complicated
Look how big you’ll make it
Filled with so much hatred
Such a tired game
It’s enough
I’ve done all i can think of
Chased down all my demons
see you same
Pretty, pretty please
Don’t you ever, ever feel
Like your less than
Less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please
If you ever, ever feel
Like your nothing
You are perfect to me
The world stares while i swallow the fear
The only thing i should be drinking is an ice cold beer
So cool in lying and I tried tried
But we try too hard, it’s a waste of my time
Done looking for the critics, cuz they’re everywhere
They don’t like my genes, they don’t get my hair
Stringe ourselves and we do it all the time
Why do we do that?
Why do I do that?
Why do I do that?
Yeah,
Ooh, oh, pretty pretty pretty,
Pretty pretty please don’t you ever ever feel
Like you’re less then, less than perfect
Pretty pretty please if you ever ever feel
Like you’re nothing you are perfect, to me
You’re perfect
You’re perfect
Pretty, pretty please don’t you ever ever feel like you’re less then, less than perfect
Pretty, pretty please if you ever ever feel like you’re nothing you are perfect to me
Sunday, February 06, 2011
cny 11
haha it's scary.
i clicked on Stats on my blogger's dashboard and got 29 hits yesterday at 8am. my guess is someone was really bored and read my entire history of posts OR someone was actively refreshing the page, which makes no sense. anyway, it made me explore the Stats function and i realised how random people have been reading this space. people just google a phrase and it leads to here. whether they want to visit or not, my hiding space has been discovered!! oh no.
ok whatever, i dun disclose much anyway.
cny has been pretty interesting. the atmosphere hasnt been outstanding this year, but the feel will always be there during Spring time. the songs, the decorations, the flowers, the scent, the goodies, the handshakes, the ang pows, the gatherings at the table, the loud voices, the laughter. the build up to cny was the usual chinatown visiting, the flower shopping at thomson road, the spring cleaning, the blasting of cny songs and just enjoying the mood.
did some visiting and some meet ups which were really good. everything else just faded into the background. perhaps, this just proves the point that what s most important in life is just the company of family and friends. the joy of togetherness is simply, overwhelming.
cny has been great. and i m glad it isnt just 1 day, but 15!! enjoy while you can folks!
i clicked on Stats on my blogger's dashboard and got 29 hits yesterday at 8am. my guess is someone was really bored and read my entire history of posts OR someone was actively refreshing the page, which makes no sense. anyway, it made me explore the Stats function and i realised how random people have been reading this space. people just google a phrase and it leads to here. whether they want to visit or not, my hiding space has been discovered!! oh no.
ok whatever, i dun disclose much anyway.
cny has been pretty interesting. the atmosphere hasnt been outstanding this year, but the feel will always be there during Spring time. the songs, the decorations, the flowers, the scent, the goodies, the handshakes, the ang pows, the gatherings at the table, the loud voices, the laughter. the build up to cny was the usual chinatown visiting, the flower shopping at thomson road, the spring cleaning, the blasting of cny songs and just enjoying the mood.
did some visiting and some meet ups which were really good. everything else just faded into the background. perhaps, this just proves the point that what s most important in life is just the company of family and friends. the joy of togetherness is simply, overwhelming.
cny has been great. and i m glad it isnt just 1 day, but 15!! enjoy while you can folks!
Sunday, January 30, 2011
crazy, crazy, crazy.
if i appear to be out of sorts this few days, forgive me. i m going a bit cranky now.
many many things going on at the same time, and i m a bit stretched at the moment. personal stuff, family stuff, ns stuff, friends stuff and just all kinds of stuff. it's good in a way such that i m training and learning to juggle and cope which i ve always had problems. i m a typical guy who cant multi task. ok i can, just that i ll be pretty stressed out. ESPECIALLY, when i lack resources to complete my taskings. i have to constantly improvise which is really tiring. you know this when i start looking around, as if looking for something i ve lost in the woods. the lack of internet in camp, the lack of a proper organiser, the lack of personnel support, the lack of another ME.
anyway, at least i feel that i m making full use of every second. perhaps, i should take a breather this week. starting from wednesday!! i need a movie soon.
it s been raining non stop for days, is mother nature going equally cranky as well?
many many things going on at the same time, and i m a bit stretched at the moment. personal stuff, family stuff, ns stuff, friends stuff and just all kinds of stuff. it's good in a way such that i m training and learning to juggle and cope which i ve always had problems. i m a typical guy who cant multi task. ok i can, just that i ll be pretty stressed out. ESPECIALLY, when i lack resources to complete my taskings. i have to constantly improvise which is really tiring. you know this when i start looking around, as if looking for something i ve lost in the woods. the lack of internet in camp, the lack of a proper organiser, the lack of personnel support, the lack of another ME.
anyway, at least i feel that i m making full use of every second. perhaps, i should take a breather this week. starting from wednesday!! i need a movie soon.
it s been raining non stop for days, is mother nature going equally cranky as well?
Sunday, January 23, 2011
behind the scenes: never seen before images
National Service. Enhanced Leadership batch, 1 year 10 months.
I've spent almost 1 year training. And it's been really eventful. But i guess it's the takeaway learning points that make this past 1 year more meaningful than i ever thought it would be. And so, i've decided to spent some time to post about how unforgetable the training phase of NS has been for me.
I enlisted on 6 February 2010 into BMTC School 3, Raven coy.
those were the days when locks were overflowing. honestly, i was just trying to save money and get a $2 haircut at tekong! there was no point shaving before going in as we dun know the standard they want. anyway, the truth is, they just wanna earn the $2 la.
ok, the last meal.
and there, we supposedly meet people from all walks of life. in fact, just to my left and right, i already knew them. there was colin from sa and sji, elian from sji, wilson from sa, leon from sa and just a hell lot of people i knew. gone were the days where we encounter ah bengs and sengs, hokkien pengs and jia kan tang atas people. everyone are of similar status.
we were very lucky to be able to book out after just 1 week due to chinese new year. i was really pushed to the limits in the first week. partly because my company, raven, was really quite xiong. i really learnt to appreciate the comfort of home since then.
after merely 1 week, i noticed changes in myself. we spent the whole day out in the sun for a week and i've become chao ta. we spent so much time doing physical activities, doing pushups for no reason, chin ups, weights and my arms just expanded naturally. we hardly have time to down our meals, sometimes just taking the food and eating on the way to the bin. i've seen food wastage at it's best. my stomach was never full and i've learnt to appreciate the food on the table, the time we have to enjoy the meal.
we hardly had time to do our own admin stuff at night. 5 min for an entire platoon of 64 men to shower in 8 cubicles. it's scary. some people just said "forget it" and just went to sleep. sleep was precious. i had to wake up early to hand wash my clothes and that was when i saw the gross side of people who actually REWEAR their used underwear. they just cant be bothered to be hygenic. sigh. at the end of each day, our bodies were aching, our hearts were aching, yearning to see our loved ones. i never failed to call home every night in bmt.
times at pasir ris interchange was memorable. dinner at white sands, then queued up for the bus to come. book outs were the most precious thing in bmt and in fact, ns. raven always book out on saturdays and book in on sundays. the 30 plus hours out was golden.
however, everything has to come to an end. no matter how tough training was, i made it.
Passing out parade aka POP after a gruelling 24km route march with probably 30kg load.
my first buddy. adriel tan. he hails from mj and applied for accoutancy at ntu. he s a smart guy. but quite blur. not blaming him since he was from squash and not a uniform group. a man u fan and a pretty skilful footballer, he's a good buddy. we had good talks and always looked out for each other. undeniably, i had to take care of him more often than not. taught him stuff i learnt from ncc, helped him with his fitness since his runnning wasnt good, always reminded him to bring his stuff, equipment check as we call it. haha he s always forgetting stuff.
in ns, i realised the importance of music. it was the only thing that i could bring into camp that's dynamic enough to remind me of the outside world. it lifts my spirits and every song associates itself with somebody.
in bmt,
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
Down - Jay Sean
Officially Missing You - Tamia
Through It All - Hillsongs
bad romance was just a hit at that time. through it all reminded me of all the time in sa, chapel, and the last day in school. the other 2 were just syafiq and bing hong's favourites and they just kept singing.
as i said for the billionth time, i believe it was my section mates who got me into OCS. they thought highly of me and ranked me one of the top. my platoon sergeant didnt even know my name.
the parade square that i yearned to march on 9 months from that day.
view from the safti tower.
my buddy for Common Leadership Module aka CLM which was the first 3 weeks of OCS, was wong wei. a big muscular guy from nyjc. a hardcore canoeist, he's a soft spoken fella but loves 987fm. he's the one who got me into listening to radio everyday in camp. for him, i didn't have to take care of him much, since he was pretty independent. he's a chiongster who's always on the ball. the garang soldier who we term UP THERE. i wasnt surprised to meet people like him at ocs, in fact i thought everybody should be like him. my biggest regret was not able to take a photo with him as promised after comms parade. he went to armour while i was posted to air force. 3 weeks confined with him was pretty cool, because for once, i was the one talking more than the other party!
the pics were taken during OCS family day which was at the end of 2 weeks into ocs. we were confined for 3 weeks to supposedly adjust to the new environment.
air wing.
You Found Me - The Fray
Two Is Better Than One - Boys Like Girls
When I Look at You - Miley Cyrus
Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Parachute - Cheryl Cole
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
This Aint a Love Song - Scouting For Girls
Airplanes - B.o.B
Alenjandro - Lady Gaga
Tik Tok - Kesha
Breakeven - The Script
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
i think there are still more! but these are the songs i listened to day in day out for 7 weeks in air wing. they kept me company when i was at my utmost bored state.
my third buddy. adrian chua. 26 year old mec eng grad of ntu who signed on the new MDES scheme after completing his uni studies. he's more chinese orientated, VERY matured, does area cleaning whenever possible, believes in consistent work, believes in being selfless, sometimes even washing the entire toilet on his own (he was the toilet ic). ok when he left after 5 weeks, automatically, i took over as toilet ic and in the end, i was the one washing the toilet all by myself.
i saw myself in him. ok apart from the fact that he s more chinese and he uses vulgarities now and then. i have no idea why guys must use vulgarities in 1 out of 5 sentences they string. what effect does it pose? all i know is that it degrades you. it shows that you are not disciplined enough to control what you say, always expressing aggressiveness and anger. anyway, back to the point. he's someone i can really live with for a long long time, too bad it was only 5 weeks.
social night. i promised myself that i mustnt get someone who s attached or may have some complicated relationship out there to be my date. because i figured out it isnt nice to borrow someone's girlfriend for a night. i popped the SOS flare and hui hui saved me from confinement by asking xunqi to help out. as long as you are with me, you know you wont be starved of welfare. me being a stingy fella, i still splurged on that night and made sure everything went well. after spending so much time with a bunch of irritating males, i've learnt to appreciate the fairer sex more, and treat them better. hmm, but i dunno why my sisters still ill treat me!
after tough training, comes great rewards. the sword all officers get at RCGC.
my last buddy. koo zheng xuan. very very smart guy. gifted program since young, RI, RJ, 8As. gonna be a lawyer. talented in soccer, great artist. possesses great social skills, a quick thinker and an avid reader. i m grateful to him, for volunteering to move out of his old bunk and move with me when i had to leave zi heng. nobody else wanted me! no matter how good someone is, there are some down falls. he s still quite a mama s boy haha. very dependent, and lazy in terms of personal equipping. cant do housework for nuts, doesnt really care about cleanliness. (i had to clean the entire bunk myself!) but he takes care of me. sometimes he s like my bodyguard, standing up for me. i ll always remember the reaction he had at zoukout when i was separated from the rest. he was damn worried. i m glad someone actually cares about me. big guy tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. biggest weakness is FOOD! and i have to control him for his own good! if not, no more IPPT gold!!
commissioning parade. the birth of an officer after 9 months in the ocs womb.
the 3 weeks of rehearsals helped us achieve this standard. happy we may be, but i will always have the regret of not being able to throw the peak cap. the rain made the parade truncated and the rest was carried out in the dining hall.
I've spent almost 1 year training. And it's been really eventful. But i guess it's the takeaway learning points that make this past 1 year more meaningful than i ever thought it would be. And so, i've decided to spent some time to post about how unforgetable the training phase of NS has been for me.
I enlisted on 6 February 2010 into BMTC School 3, Raven coy.
those were the days when locks were overflowing. honestly, i was just trying to save money and get a $2 haircut at tekong! there was no point shaving before going in as we dun know the standard they want. anyway, the truth is, they just wanna earn the $2 la.
ok, the last meal.
and there, we supposedly meet people from all walks of life. in fact, just to my left and right, i already knew them. there was colin from sa and sji, elian from sji, wilson from sa, leon from sa and just a hell lot of people i knew. gone were the days where we encounter ah bengs and sengs, hokkien pengs and jia kan tang atas people. everyone are of similar status.
we were very lucky to be able to book out after just 1 week due to chinese new year. i was really pushed to the limits in the first week. partly because my company, raven, was really quite xiong. i really learnt to appreciate the comfort of home since then.
after merely 1 week, i noticed changes in myself. we spent the whole day out in the sun for a week and i've become chao ta. we spent so much time doing physical activities, doing pushups for no reason, chin ups, weights and my arms just expanded naturally. we hardly have time to down our meals, sometimes just taking the food and eating on the way to the bin. i've seen food wastage at it's best. my stomach was never full and i've learnt to appreciate the food on the table, the time we have to enjoy the meal.
we hardly had time to do our own admin stuff at night. 5 min for an entire platoon of 64 men to shower in 8 cubicles. it's scary. some people just said "forget it" and just went to sleep. sleep was precious. i had to wake up early to hand wash my clothes and that was when i saw the gross side of people who actually REWEAR their used underwear. they just cant be bothered to be hygenic. sigh. at the end of each day, our bodies were aching, our hearts were aching, yearning to see our loved ones. i never failed to call home every night in bmt.
times at pasir ris interchange was memorable. dinner at white sands, then queued up for the bus to come. book outs were the most precious thing in bmt and in fact, ns. raven always book out on saturdays and book in on sundays. the 30 plus hours out was golden.
however, everything has to come to an end. no matter how tough training was, i made it.
Passing out parade aka POP after a gruelling 24km route march with probably 30kg load.
my first buddy. adriel tan. he hails from mj and applied for accoutancy at ntu. he s a smart guy. but quite blur. not blaming him since he was from squash and not a uniform group. a man u fan and a pretty skilful footballer, he's a good buddy. we had good talks and always looked out for each other. undeniably, i had to take care of him more often than not. taught him stuff i learnt from ncc, helped him with his fitness since his runnning wasnt good, always reminded him to bring his stuff, equipment check as we call it. haha he s always forgetting stuff.
in ns, i realised the importance of music. it was the only thing that i could bring into camp that's dynamic enough to remind me of the outside world. it lifts my spirits and every song associates itself with somebody.
in bmt,
Bad Romance - Lady Gaga
Down - Jay Sean
Officially Missing You - Tamia
Through It All - Hillsongs
bad romance was just a hit at that time. through it all reminded me of all the time in sa, chapel, and the last day in school. the other 2 were just syafiq and bing hong's favourites and they just kept singing.
as i said for the billionth time, i believe it was my section mates who got me into OCS. they thought highly of me and ranked me one of the top. my platoon sergeant didnt even know my name.
the parade square that i yearned to march on 9 months from that day.
view from the safti tower.
my buddy for Common Leadership Module aka CLM which was the first 3 weeks of OCS, was wong wei. a big muscular guy from nyjc. a hardcore canoeist, he's a soft spoken fella but loves 987fm. he's the one who got me into listening to radio everyday in camp. for him, i didn't have to take care of him much, since he was pretty independent. he's a chiongster who's always on the ball. the garang soldier who we term UP THERE. i wasnt surprised to meet people like him at ocs, in fact i thought everybody should be like him. my biggest regret was not able to take a photo with him as promised after comms parade. he went to armour while i was posted to air force. 3 weeks confined with him was pretty cool, because for once, i was the one talking more than the other party!
the pics were taken during OCS family day which was at the end of 2 weeks into ocs. we were confined for 3 weeks to supposedly adjust to the new environment.
air wing.
You Found Me - The Fray
Two Is Better Than One - Boys Like Girls
When I Look at You - Miley Cyrus
Already Gone - Kelly Clarkson
Parachute - Cheryl Cole
Need You Now - Lady Antebellum
This Aint a Love Song - Scouting For Girls
Airplanes - B.o.B
Alenjandro - Lady Gaga
Tik Tok - Kesha
Breakeven - The Script
Use Somebody - Kings of Leon
i think there are still more! but these are the songs i listened to day in day out for 7 weeks in air wing. they kept me company when i was at my utmost bored state.
my third buddy. adrian chua. 26 year old mec eng grad of ntu who signed on the new MDES scheme after completing his uni studies. he's more chinese orientated, VERY matured, does area cleaning whenever possible, believes in consistent work, believes in being selfless, sometimes even washing the entire toilet on his own (he was the toilet ic). ok when he left after 5 weeks, automatically, i took over as toilet ic and in the end, i was the one washing the toilet all by myself.
i saw myself in him. ok apart from the fact that he s more chinese and he uses vulgarities now and then. i have no idea why guys must use vulgarities in 1 out of 5 sentences they string. what effect does it pose? all i know is that it degrades you. it shows that you are not disciplined enough to control what you say, always expressing aggressiveness and anger. anyway, back to the point. he's someone i can really live with for a long long time, too bad it was only 5 weeks.
social night. i promised myself that i mustnt get someone who s attached or may have some complicated relationship out there to be my date. because i figured out it isnt nice to borrow someone's girlfriend for a night. i popped the SOS flare and hui hui saved me from confinement by asking xunqi to help out. as long as you are with me, you know you wont be starved of welfare. me being a stingy fella, i still splurged on that night and made sure everything went well. after spending so much time with a bunch of irritating males, i've learnt to appreciate the fairer sex more, and treat them better. hmm, but i dunno why my sisters still ill treat me!
anyway, this is the part where i dun have pictures. it's just training, out in the field, where i get down and dirty. learn to roll in mud, be dirty, starve, work under fatigue and stress, and still thrive. i learnt a lot about guys. i see guys (actually only ONE fella) who are the real deal, matured, clean, hardworking, focussed, independent. and i see guys which are actually the rest, who are lazy, unhygienic, overly dependent, childish and never think. some who spend every cent in the bank acct whenever it s the 10th of the month, go clubbing, drinking, smoking, cabbing everywhere, buying branded goods, unneccessary stuff and sucking up to girls. sometimes, i m just utterly disgusted. i'm disappointed how these people who have poor knowledge, no skills, can actually get a qualification and a job and earn more than hardworking cleaners, or construction workers who actually have much more useful skills. WHY are they paid to just sit around in the office, contribute nothing, go for tea breaks, and wait to knock off at 5pm? they are more concerned about how to enjoy themselve than to build on their knowledge and skills. is this the 3rd generation?
at aftc, i had another buddy. wong zi heng. from tj and ncc sea previously, his habits are almost similar to mine. we dun believe in waiting and always report just ON time. our lights out timing always changes. and we believe in neat organisation. his stuff are always in place, as he terms SWEE SWEE. sadly, we had to split as we were posted to different weapons.
after tough training, comes great rewards. the sword all officers get at RCGC.
my last buddy. koo zheng xuan. very very smart guy. gifted program since young, RI, RJ, 8As. gonna be a lawyer. talented in soccer, great artist. possesses great social skills, a quick thinker and an avid reader. i m grateful to him, for volunteering to move out of his old bunk and move with me when i had to leave zi heng. nobody else wanted me! no matter how good someone is, there are some down falls. he s still quite a mama s boy haha. very dependent, and lazy in terms of personal equipping. cant do housework for nuts, doesnt really care about cleanliness. (i had to clean the entire bunk myself!) but he takes care of me. sometimes he s like my bodyguard, standing up for me. i ll always remember the reaction he had at zoukout when i was separated from the rest. he was damn worried. i m glad someone actually cares about me. big guy tough on the outside, but soft on the inside. biggest weakness is FOOD! and i have to control him for his own good! if not, no more IPPT gold!!
songs in aftc playing on repeat every single day:
Just the Way you Are - Bruno Mars
Animal - Neon Trees
Love the Way you Lie pt 1 and 2 - Rihanna
The Time - Black Eyed Peas
Club Can't Handle Me - Flo Rida
Dynamite - Taio Cruz
Firework - Katy Perry
commissioning parade. the birth of an officer after 9 months in the ocs womb.
we stood firm in the storm. unwavered as the president inspected us on the ceromonial landrover you see in ndp. we did everything right despite water in our boots, the chilly wind against our skin.
the 3 weeks of rehearsals helped us achieve this standard. happy we may be, but i will always have the regret of not being able to throw the peak cap. the rain made the parade truncated and the rest was carried out in the dining hall.
my dad putting on the left empulatte - 2nd Lieutenant.
as promised, we commissioned together. ming had a torrid service term. ying lun went through shit to earn those badges and the prestigious red beret. and for myself, i cant say i went though the same amount of shit, but tough times i've never ever been through for my entire 19 years.
no school teaches better than Officer Cadet School. the life skills i've learnt can perhaps, save the rest of my life.
Sunday, January 09, 2011
dropping rain
1 more week to the day i've been training for for 9 months.
however, i'm extremely worried. i have been on the verge of falling ill since wednesday. the feeling and the symptoms. the bad throat and the occasional sneeze hint at something. if i do fall, and miss the rehearsals, that's it. there goes the event i've been looking forward to for 9 months. and so, i've been popping actifed, panadol, danzen and downing expectorant ever since. i'm not sure how these medications work, but i'm hoping that they will somehow disrupt the replication process and prevent the virus from infecting my dear cells. i have to recover by tomorrow!!!
please please please.
despite feeling shitty, i still went for my first acca lesson during the friday nights out. it was a mad rush and i only managed to attend half of it, but i think it's worth it. i learnt a lot in the hour plus. but the most crucial lesson learnt is: there is a hell lot of things out there i don't know. and that reminded me i'm no where, nobody. i have to work hard.
the next day i received news that i might not be staring at stores or vehicles afterall. instead, i'll be in charge of almost 30 men. it's kinda weird. but i guess, this is what we are trained for ultimately right. to lead, to excel, to overcome. it's time to take charge, make the decisions, instruct, do the right thing. i've learnt to take care of myself, and now, it's time to take care of others. the bar gives authority i've never dreamt of. but with great power, comes great responsibility.
had driving straight after a saturday bookout and it was good. getting used to the controls pretty well. it was my younger sister's birthday and we went to tung lok at east coast for dinner. it was extremely fulfilling since it was an ala carte buffet. the food was good and so was the environment.
everyone's growing old. i found it hard to believe that she's 17 already. and me, i'm gonna be 20. TWO ZERO. not a teen anymore. it's like, wow. 2 decades just passed like that. i'd better get things done, instead of always waiting and waiting and waiting. sometimes, certain things can't wait. and once you miss it, you can never get it back.
youth is one, no doubt.
however, i'm extremely worried. i have been on the verge of falling ill since wednesday. the feeling and the symptoms. the bad throat and the occasional sneeze hint at something. if i do fall, and miss the rehearsals, that's it. there goes the event i've been looking forward to for 9 months. and so, i've been popping actifed, panadol, danzen and downing expectorant ever since. i'm not sure how these medications work, but i'm hoping that they will somehow disrupt the replication process and prevent the virus from infecting my dear cells. i have to recover by tomorrow!!!
please please please.
despite feeling shitty, i still went for my first acca lesson during the friday nights out. it was a mad rush and i only managed to attend half of it, but i think it's worth it. i learnt a lot in the hour plus. but the most crucial lesson learnt is: there is a hell lot of things out there i don't know. and that reminded me i'm no where, nobody. i have to work hard.
the next day i received news that i might not be staring at stores or vehicles afterall. instead, i'll be in charge of almost 30 men. it's kinda weird. but i guess, this is what we are trained for ultimately right. to lead, to excel, to overcome. it's time to take charge, make the decisions, instruct, do the right thing. i've learnt to take care of myself, and now, it's time to take care of others. the bar gives authority i've never dreamt of. but with great power, comes great responsibility.
had driving straight after a saturday bookout and it was good. getting used to the controls pretty well. it was my younger sister's birthday and we went to tung lok at east coast for dinner. it was extremely fulfilling since it was an ala carte buffet. the food was good and so was the environment.
everyone's growing old. i found it hard to believe that she's 17 already. and me, i'm gonna be 20. TWO ZERO. not a teen anymore. it's like, wow. 2 decades just passed like that. i'd better get things done, instead of always waiting and waiting and waiting. sometimes, certain things can't wait. and once you miss it, you can never get it back.
youth is one, no doubt.
Friday, December 31, 2010
2010 annual report
Hi all! To whoever still bothers to read this pathetic space that only update once a week.
It’s the last day of the year and so, here’s an annual end of the year ‘reflection’ again! Ok, it’s more of a summary of what happened this year, as usual. I had the idea of uploading photos to mark certain significant events, but I’m too lazy to do so and I’m kinda in a rush to get out of the house. So, here it goes, a quick one I hope.
I kick started the year with an outrageous trip to Bintan, aka the Scam Island. The nasi goreng was ultimate hilarious. I really enjoyed the trip. Just a bunch of guys, childish, yet matured enough to take care of themselves, and their brothers in arms. Somehow, i hope i can go on another trip with them. We might have changed a significant lot by the end of this year, but i think the core, the character of the person will never change. If he is funny, he is funny. If he is a leader, he will always be one. And 4 of those who went are deemed leaders of this country. These are the people i can trust my life with.
And after enough fooling around in scam island, i resided in another island for 9 weeks. The island of pulau tekong. It was tough, tougher than i thought, but i survived it and was elated during the Passing out Parade. Honoured to be in the drill squad, which came in 2nd, and as such, was in the front row of the parade. It wasn’t grand, but i guess it’s enough to mark this significant milestone of my life. Loved my section, and i’m sure my section loved me. They thought so highly of me, and i think they are the ones who got me a ticket to a ride of my lifetime. And so, i was posted to Officer Cadet School after the pop. I was all geared up and ready for the tough infantry training, the jungle confidence course in brunei, the unlimted route marches, the crazy field camps and tough mental challenges to go through. I was posted to an unusual Wing. Sierra. There were a billion regulars, mostly air force and navy sign ons. And i was kinda out of place. The 3 weeks there was quite ok, just getting used to life in Safti. However, i was tempted to sign on. I thought hard about my future during those 3 weeks, after the a level results were released. There was sort of a plan. But i consulted my parents and they said, ‘wait, don’t be hasty.’ I guess those were the wisest words i heard for a long time. I was young and naive, easily influenced, and didn’t know i was playing with probably my whole life. So i thought, yea, ok i shall listen. We’ll wait. And i waited.
On the last day in Sierra, i received the news that i was going to Air Wing. The plane has come to save my soul from torture. I was jumping for joy and telling the whole world the news. I was one lucky idiot out of how many others to be able to go to Ground Based Air Defence. And so i served my service term of 7 weeks in Air Wing OCS. I met a 26 year old uncle who talked sense and gave me precious advice. He ‘s a Mechanical Engineering grad of NTU and told me about his life, his decisions, his WRONG decisions, his regrets and mistakes. He didn’t want me to make the same mistakes and we spent one whole night talking. I probably grew 3 years older after the session. He left the Wing early since he was a non combatant and required 2 weeks less training. So i lived alone in my room for 2 weeks, settling unconventional stuff like getting a Social Night date and figuring out what to wear that won’t get me confined. The 7 weeks was bad enough with politics and stuff, i didn’t want any more crap. I realised I had so few female friends to ask and even had to turn to my motherly ‘sister’ for help. That was how desperate i was when the date drew near. And so, that s how i met a saviour in xunqi to help me out. The build up to the event was kinda hectic, but i guess everything paid off. It was expensive, but somehow worth it. Part of officership training is handling this kind of events, knowing what to do, and of course, having fun ultimately. And perhaps, it’s training to grow up, be a gentleman, and make more female friends before i start seeing guys as attractive. Social Night was a significant day of 2010.
After the 7 weeks in Safti, i left for Air Force Training Command in Paya Lebar. I can’t disclose much about training, but all i can say is that it’s tough in some ways, relax in others. 26 weeks. It wasn’t easy. But yet i pulled through again. Yes, without my knees giving way or me doing stupid things. It was a rather smooth sailing 6 months. I made a bunch of great buddies, who i believe, will be of definite help to me in future. As they call us – the scholar batch. All except me of course. The RSAF Combined Graduation Ceremony went all well, i received the sword all officers receive, got my wings to signify the Air Warfare Officer vocation, wore the No.2 ‘suit’ for the fine dining. And after all that training, i’m back in Safti, rehearsing for the finale. The commissioning parade on 15 January 2011.
That was about the entire NS life i had so far.
In between, i started to learn driving, manual, and will be taking the test on 1st March 2011. I also decided to diversify my qualifications and signed up for ACCA, of which night lessons begin next week so that i can fully utilize my time now. I guess this should be the path i’m taking afterall. Yup, it was a great year of ups and downs (as always) and this is the year i learnt the most life skills. Skills like living independently, which i m kinda loving it, social skills, time management (which still needs brushing up), DECISIVENESS which improved a lot and perhaps brotherhood..
This is the stage where i grow up, choose my path, pave it, and work towards it. I shall end this post with what i dreamt last night. It’s significant i guess, the last dream of 2010. And it woke me up at 4am, and i couldn’t sleep anymore. The details are kinda difficult to type out, but i think i can draw one conclusion from it. I think i’ve decided i should know someone better.
That’s it, folks. I don’t really like to set resolutions, so i shall keep it that way. Come what may, 2011!!
It’s the last day of the year and so, here’s an annual end of the year ‘reflection’ again! Ok, it’s more of a summary of what happened this year, as usual. I had the idea of uploading photos to mark certain significant events, but I’m too lazy to do so and I’m kinda in a rush to get out of the house. So, here it goes, a quick one I hope.
I kick started the year with an outrageous trip to Bintan, aka the Scam Island. The nasi goreng was ultimate hilarious. I really enjoyed the trip. Just a bunch of guys, childish, yet matured enough to take care of themselves, and their brothers in arms. Somehow, i hope i can go on another trip with them. We might have changed a significant lot by the end of this year, but i think the core, the character of the person will never change. If he is funny, he is funny. If he is a leader, he will always be one. And 4 of those who went are deemed leaders of this country. These are the people i can trust my life with.
And after enough fooling around in scam island, i resided in another island for 9 weeks. The island of pulau tekong. It was tough, tougher than i thought, but i survived it and was elated during the Passing out Parade. Honoured to be in the drill squad, which came in 2nd, and as such, was in the front row of the parade. It wasn’t grand, but i guess it’s enough to mark this significant milestone of my life. Loved my section, and i’m sure my section loved me. They thought so highly of me, and i think they are the ones who got me a ticket to a ride of my lifetime. And so, i was posted to Officer Cadet School after the pop. I was all geared up and ready for the tough infantry training, the jungle confidence course in brunei, the unlimted route marches, the crazy field camps and tough mental challenges to go through. I was posted to an unusual Wing. Sierra. There were a billion regulars, mostly air force and navy sign ons. And i was kinda out of place. The 3 weeks there was quite ok, just getting used to life in Safti. However, i was tempted to sign on. I thought hard about my future during those 3 weeks, after the a level results were released. There was sort of a plan. But i consulted my parents and they said, ‘wait, don’t be hasty.’ I guess those were the wisest words i heard for a long time. I was young and naive, easily influenced, and didn’t know i was playing with probably my whole life. So i thought, yea, ok i shall listen. We’ll wait. And i waited.
On the last day in Sierra, i received the news that i was going to Air Wing. The plane has come to save my soul from torture. I was jumping for joy and telling the whole world the news. I was one lucky idiot out of how many others to be able to go to Ground Based Air Defence. And so i served my service term of 7 weeks in Air Wing OCS. I met a 26 year old uncle who talked sense and gave me precious advice. He ‘s a Mechanical Engineering grad of NTU and told me about his life, his decisions, his WRONG decisions, his regrets and mistakes. He didn’t want me to make the same mistakes and we spent one whole night talking. I probably grew 3 years older after the session. He left the Wing early since he was a non combatant and required 2 weeks less training. So i lived alone in my room for 2 weeks, settling unconventional stuff like getting a Social Night date and figuring out what to wear that won’t get me confined. The 7 weeks was bad enough with politics and stuff, i didn’t want any more crap. I realised I had so few female friends to ask and even had to turn to my motherly ‘sister’ for help. That was how desperate i was when the date drew near. And so, that s how i met a saviour in xunqi to help me out. The build up to the event was kinda hectic, but i guess everything paid off. It was expensive, but somehow worth it. Part of officership training is handling this kind of events, knowing what to do, and of course, having fun ultimately. And perhaps, it’s training to grow up, be a gentleman, and make more female friends before i start seeing guys as attractive. Social Night was a significant day of 2010.
After the 7 weeks in Safti, i left for Air Force Training Command in Paya Lebar. I can’t disclose much about training, but all i can say is that it’s tough in some ways, relax in others. 26 weeks. It wasn’t easy. But yet i pulled through again. Yes, without my knees giving way or me doing stupid things. It was a rather smooth sailing 6 months. I made a bunch of great buddies, who i believe, will be of definite help to me in future. As they call us – the scholar batch. All except me of course. The RSAF Combined Graduation Ceremony went all well, i received the sword all officers receive, got my wings to signify the Air Warfare Officer vocation, wore the No.2 ‘suit’ for the fine dining. And after all that training, i’m back in Safti, rehearsing for the finale. The commissioning parade on 15 January 2011.
That was about the entire NS life i had so far.
In between, i started to learn driving, manual, and will be taking the test on 1st March 2011. I also decided to diversify my qualifications and signed up for ACCA, of which night lessons begin next week so that i can fully utilize my time now. I guess this should be the path i’m taking afterall. Yup, it was a great year of ups and downs (as always) and this is the year i learnt the most life skills. Skills like living independently, which i m kinda loving it, social skills, time management (which still needs brushing up), DECISIVENESS which improved a lot and perhaps brotherhood..
This is the stage where i grow up, choose my path, pave it, and work towards it. I shall end this post with what i dreamt last night. It’s significant i guess, the last dream of 2010. And it woke me up at 4am, and i couldn’t sleep anymore. The details are kinda difficult to type out, but i think i can draw one conclusion from it. I think i’ve decided i should know someone better.
That’s it, folks. I don’t really like to set resolutions, so i shall keep it that way. Come what may, 2011!!
Friday, December 24, 2010
a mini holiday
well, i had a pretty good break i guess. it aint the best but i somehow made full use of the 2 day leave and the stay out. family chalet at aranda was not bad overall. the chalet wasnt good as i thought. it s quite old actually and has the ... chalet smell. the musky smell. anyway i went prawning in hope of putting my newly acquired skills to good use and to bring some more food to the dinner table, ok bbq pit in this case. but i failed miserably. i caught NONE. at 6pm in the evening, where the owner only releases 20kg of prawns in total two times a day, it s quite an expected outcome. which brings me to a point in business. it s really quite smart, but unethical to me. things like buffet, and prawning, or even those machines with psps, ipods amd handphones danglin at the arcades. it s a sure win. they get to control the medium. for buffets, just slow the serving process, take forever to serve and throw in the time limit, no matter how big the stomach is, it cant be filled. prawning, just have rods dipped in an empty pond! and the machines, it s programmed such that no one ever wins.
ok anyway, back to the chalet, had a fulfilling bbq without prawns, and we went for late night bowling till 1am. slept for a while before booking in. skip the boring parts. ok went back to the chalet after book out and had a simple dinner at the food court. played some mahjong before hitting the sacks earlier. went back to aftc for the last time to move our stuff to safti once more. i ll miss the place. it has been a brilliant 6 months spent at paya lebar. life was good. i m one lucky fella to be posted there for training, and to have spent it with great people and inspiring leaders.
safti. sweet old safti. memories rushed back the moment we hit the gates. i m sure i ll be black by the end of 3 weeks. evident by some sun burn after just one drill session. it s quite fun though. booked out early and met lois for movie at jp since it s her territory. i would say it s worth the money. quite a good movie.
driving today, and i mastered the highest level of the art of solitude by strolling down town all by myself. just walked and walked around orchard, mingling within the crowds, observing the changes, soaking the christmas atmosphere and just people watched. of course it would have been nice to have friends there, but i just didnt know who to ask. and so, i just had dinner and went back. it s not that sad as it seems. it s just a phase of life, where you just think.. and that s all you can do.
ok anyway, back to the chalet, had a fulfilling bbq without prawns, and we went for late night bowling till 1am. slept for a while before booking in. skip the boring parts. ok went back to the chalet after book out and had a simple dinner at the food court. played some mahjong before hitting the sacks earlier. went back to aftc for the last time to move our stuff to safti once more. i ll miss the place. it has been a brilliant 6 months spent at paya lebar. life was good. i m one lucky fella to be posted there for training, and to have spent it with great people and inspiring leaders.
safti. sweet old safti. memories rushed back the moment we hit the gates. i m sure i ll be black by the end of 3 weeks. evident by some sun burn after just one drill session. it s quite fun though. booked out early and met lois for movie at jp since it s her territory. i would say it s worth the money. quite a good movie.
driving today, and i mastered the highest level of the art of solitude by strolling down town all by myself. just walked and walked around orchard, mingling within the crowds, observing the changes, soaking the christmas atmosphere and just people watched. of course it would have been nice to have friends there, but i just didnt know who to ask. and so, i just had dinner and went back. it s not that sad as it seems. it s just a phase of life, where you just think.. and that s all you can do.
Monday, December 20, 2010
sword for life, wings to fly.
and we spent the entire week preparing for this. the graduation ceromony.
it was apparently quite a big event, considering the number of HEADS who actually bothered to attend. i was pretty amused. yep anyway i have to admit everything went very well and the organisation was really good. i received my sword at last! not to forget, the wings too! after the 26 weeks of training, it finally ended with this to mark it. but somehow i didnt really feel that ecstatic. it s like, oh ok, yea it s here. perhaps the build up to this wasnt that intense. we had so much freedom, so much time out, and even stay out. i guess this just shows how much these things are compared to time spent with my family and friends. however, i could see how proud my parents were when i received the sword. they must be thinking, yea this fella finally got something right after getting everything else wrong for 19 years. hahah. anyways, after the ceromony was fine dining which was labelled 'uncomfortable dining' by the guy sitting beside me. i m fine with fine dining. i m fine as long as the food is nice. and damn, it was great. soup was creamy, appetiser appetising, bread free flow, tenderloin brilliantly tender and pan fried. even the spirit was well mixed, ok minus the pot wine, everything was great. after the formal stuff, there was some sabo game which i shallnt disclose anything here.
sat morning was cage! played pretty well and that s all that matters since my main dudes were mostly missing. it s so difficult to organise when everyone s schedule clashes. lunch at koufu leisure park and then went for lesson and home. sun, i finally cleared up my army stuff. and played mahjong which i technically won $120, but the new rule was to divide by 10. so, i won 12 bucks. great. squeezed in time to watch despicable me on mio. yep it was quite good, but kinda like ratatouile. too similar plot.
today, i m at home thanks to the need to clear leave. and i dedicated my entire day to family. which was kinda weird. because, i ended up going to karaoke with them. hahaha. and it s not teo heng or kbox. it s civil service club! tried to get teo heng but no space, tried kbox but too ex. the club was pathetic, but cheap! $7 per hour for a room that can hold 10 people. just that it s like some nightclub type except that it s all the uncles and aunties trying to practise for Golden Hour (is that the ch8 programme?) or is it golden years. ah whatever. it s quite hilarious. teo heng s still cheaper though, since they stupidly forced us to order $3 cokes and $5 fruits. went for dinner at some tim sum place around farrer park. quite fulfilling. ok i guess thats it. MORE family time tml, at the chalet. till then, tata!
it was apparently quite a big event, considering the number of HEADS who actually bothered to attend. i was pretty amused. yep anyway i have to admit everything went very well and the organisation was really good. i received my sword at last! not to forget, the wings too! after the 26 weeks of training, it finally ended with this to mark it. but somehow i didnt really feel that ecstatic. it s like, oh ok, yea it s here. perhaps the build up to this wasnt that intense. we had so much freedom, so much time out, and even stay out. i guess this just shows how much these things are compared to time spent with my family and friends. however, i could see how proud my parents were when i received the sword. they must be thinking, yea this fella finally got something right after getting everything else wrong for 19 years. hahah. anyways, after the ceromony was fine dining which was labelled 'uncomfortable dining' by the guy sitting beside me. i m fine with fine dining. i m fine as long as the food is nice. and damn, it was great. soup was creamy, appetiser appetising, bread free flow, tenderloin brilliantly tender and pan fried. even the spirit was well mixed, ok minus the pot wine, everything was great. after the formal stuff, there was some sabo game which i shallnt disclose anything here.
sat morning was cage! played pretty well and that s all that matters since my main dudes were mostly missing. it s so difficult to organise when everyone s schedule clashes. lunch at koufu leisure park and then went for lesson and home. sun, i finally cleared up my army stuff. and played mahjong which i technically won $120, but the new rule was to divide by 10. so, i won 12 bucks. great. squeezed in time to watch despicable me on mio. yep it was quite good, but kinda like ratatouile. too similar plot.
today, i m at home thanks to the need to clear leave. and i dedicated my entire day to family. which was kinda weird. because, i ended up going to karaoke with them. hahaha. and it s not teo heng or kbox. it s civil service club! tried to get teo heng but no space, tried kbox but too ex. the club was pathetic, but cheap! $7 per hour for a room that can hold 10 people. just that it s like some nightclub type except that it s all the uncles and aunties trying to practise for Golden Hour (is that the ch8 programme?) or is it golden years. ah whatever. it s quite hilarious. teo heng s still cheaper though, since they stupidly forced us to order $3 cokes and $5 fruits. went for dinner at some tim sum place around farrer park. quite fulfilling. ok i guess thats it. MORE family time tml, at the chalet. till then, tata!
Monday, December 13, 2010
packed like sardines
it was non stop action since book out. but i guess it s called making full use of time.
booked out and went for driving which i m quite pleased with the progress. rushed down immediately to city hall to have dinner at the garlic restaurant once again to celebrate pam s birthday. stayed till quite late and as usual had to run for the last bus.
recharged till late morning to settle some admin stuff which failed. now i gotta do it again. anyway, met huihui for a rather impromptu lunch, which was rather awesome. indulgence once in a long while. sushi tei rocks socks.
flew back home to drop my stuff, got changed, and flew back down to town, vivo to meet up with the guys for zoukout10. it wasnt THAT good. as an early bird, we went in quite early to queue for free drinks (for singtel users only) and got just a liiiiiilllllllllll tipsy. but we realised it was too early. and before the real thing started we were all totally sober. yep that was basically what happened. because nothing happens when you aint high. ok at least that s for me. 8 cups wasnt enough. and we didnt open the bottle that one guy brought.
but the music at the retro arena was not bad. at least recognisable. other than that, not my cup of tea. it was like l4d fighting zombies, getting swallowed in the crowd. so we left after finding one another AFTER getting separated in the crowd. walked all the way out to vivocity and took a cab home.
slept till 2pm and watched a mio movie before packing up and visit ngee ann poly to help my dad with some of his work. and a nice rewarding dinner at sizzler toa payoh hub. it was damn worth it. salad bar buffet. i m never going to jack s after the sizzler session.
yep so that s about it. booked in and that concluded a great weekend.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
social creatures
the freedom we have now is unbelievable. and it s just a preview of what is to come. now i understand the rationale of having the tough training, the picky system to choose the right people to take up these roles. there will be no more cats to chase the rats. the rats are trusted to do the right thing all the time. to have the discipline that was instilled and carry on upholding it.
the distinct line between trainees and instructors have been fading at an astonishing rapid rate. somehow, we are more like friends than colleagues. the transition is difficult for me, but i guess i ll have to pick up some skills to deal with that. i aint no natural.
we had late night sarpino s pizza on thursday, a crazy kampung fight, an early bookout for prata breakfast outside our 'beloved' nee soon, and a hell of a time at bottle tree park yet again. this time it wasnt prawns, it was WAR. paint war! haha it was fun, but PAINtFUL. i sustained some battle scars being a hero who charged to the frontline of exchanging fire. the paintball may be small, but it caused some serious bruising. there was blood too. but i guess it was all worth it in the spirit of fun and competiveness.
next up was LAN, just outside our future 'beloved' chong pang. it was amazingly fun, considering i m no LAN fella. it has been a long time since i touched l4d2. and it felt good to be actually one of the better ones at it that day.
after 2 hours, it was food yet again! xiao long bao buffet at crystal jade holland village once more. the good stuff came too slow! i was almost filled by the steamboat by the time our full orders came. but it was a good meal nonetheless. the end of course cohesion was a success overall.
as i was heading home at tampines interchange, i was stopped by one of those surveyors with a pen and stack of papers. being in a good mood and had lots of time to waste, i decided to listen to what she had to say. somehow, the statement made by the famous tangs plaza underpass busker struck me. he said something like this "i hope singaporeans will slow down their pace and listen." of course he was referring to his music, but i thought yea, maybe i should just slow down and see what this people want. i totally understand the sucky feeling of having millions of people zoom past you while you are trying to your job. (FLAG DAY)
so anyway, she was introducing some savings scheme for students and NSFs to save 3% of their monthly income, instead of the usual 0.01% interest when thrown into the bank. she said she would earn $0.50 if i filled the particulars form, and $1 if i followed her to her booth to collect some brochures. ok, so i being a nice soul that day, decided to help out. instead, another guy appeared at the so called 'booth' which was just an empty mcdonald s table and started to display the usual salesman behaviour - build rapport by talking about similar experiences like NS and uni, then display some professional knowledge and persuasive skills.
after trying to retort their scheme by pointing out that 3% is too little, and i could get way higher interests with my assets by other means of investment, he came up with some lame counter that i can put in lesser money with them. then i rebutted with 'what s the point in putting in so little to collect probably just $20 after 1 whole year which i might spend in a single meal??'
their jaws just dropped.
apparently, i wasnt that stupid as i looked. i asked them twice about their company but they kept shunning telling more about it.
but i didnt have enough just yet. i shot back at them with a last question. why are they targeting students and NSFs despite knowing their disposable income is so little? some hardly have $10 to save, and the amount of effort to get the large number of kids to make up for one rich working adult who can contribute so much more is tremendous.
the guy who claims he was from NBS said with an unconvincing smile that the company s aim is to help the target group. i ended the conversation with,"dun kid me, i study economics too, and i know that all commercial companies have the primary objective of making profits." and i stood up, offered a handshake and walked off. the feeling was awesomeeee.
it was obvious that they cant convince the working adults to put their money with this minnow company who might be just starting up and now they are targeting adolescents who can be easily conned into signing 25 year contracts and freezing their assets when they could be used for a better return.
from that moment, i realised the immense importance of education and financial literacy, which i guess might well be my route in future.
yesterday. driving, which went very smoothly. i m pleased with my learning pace. fighting out on the main roads was thrilling but i m glad i managed well.
headed down to 15 minutes Cafe at Lasalle College for dinner with ying, reub, shawn, tong, jer, his gf and friend. it was supposed to be a celebration for his birthday coming up next week. the place was nice but a lil too cold. jackston joined later and met up with ivan for another session of INTENSE l4d2. once again, i returned to become the noob of the group, but didnt play that badly. improving! great time spent, but ended at 1plus only to catch the night owl for an hour s ride home alone.
men - social creatures. how would i thrive without these people around me? really appreciate the company of these wonderful people in my life. even though some people simply love teasing me for apparently no reason at all. hahah. good try dudes, but nope, not true. :)
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